A Risk Worth Taking

by Melissa Klein

  A portly man with jowls like a basset hound asked, “May I cut in?” Words Grant never thought he’d dread hearing.

  Abby’s grip on Grant tightened. “Did my sister send you over here?” she asked the man.

  The guy nodded. “Yeah.” Then he grinned. “All the same I’d love to have a turn around the dance floor with the prettiest girl to leave Magnolia Springs.”

  Grant knew bullshit when he heard it. He opened his mouth to tell the guy to get lost, but Abby smiled and let the man ease her from Grant’s arms. Before the pair moved away, she glanced over her shoulder, winked, and mouthed, “Thank you.”

  Chapter 2

  “Must you be the belle of the ball at every event?” Sarah hissed.

  Abby could hardly call the waltz she and her brother-in-law, Tripp, had done as an attention grabber. “Excuse me?”

  From the corner of her eye she watched her niece, Jessica, slip away from the table. Abby would’ve made a break for it too if she could. A wedding was hardly the place to air old family issues.

  Tripp patted his wife’s arm. “Sugar, calm down.”

  If peacemakers really did get a heavenly blessing, this man had a lot to look forward to when he died. Abby appreciated his attempt to pacify her sister. But, Sarah didn’t look as if she planned on being mollified as she jerked away from her husband’s touch. “I will not. I could die of mortification.”

  Abby’s temper warred with her sense of decorum. She leaned across the table and whispered, “Why, because I was dancing? It is a traditional part of most weddings.”

  “It’s not tradition for a grown woman to dance like that at her son’s wedding. Katie’s brother is at least ten years younger than you.”

  “Well, I can hardly help that,” Abby responded.

  Chris grabbed her knee at the same time he wrapped his arm around her shoulder. She sank back into her chair and let out a long sigh. There was no winning with her sister.

  Tripp looked in Abby’s direction, flashing her one of his jowly grins. “I thought Abby looked very pretty out there. She dances nearly as good as when she won that scholarship to Julliard.”

  Good God, why did he have to remind Sarah of that? She smiled at him all the same. “Thank you. The dances were important to Katie. I’m glad I could help make her day special.”

  The four of them fell into an uneasy silence. Abby picked at the slice of wedding cake in front of her, while Sarah turned in her seat and made a point of watching the couples on the dance floor. Chris patted the tabletop and spoke as if the past few minutes hadn’t happened. “Abby, it would be a shame for you and me to come all the way to Turks and Caicos and not at least put our feet in the water. What say we take a stroll?” He pulled her to her feet, grabbing her purse and wrap as he led her out of the ballroom.

  The second her feet hit the sand, Abby kicked off her sandals and breathed in as much of the salt air as her lungs would hold. The latest skirmish with Sarah left her drained. She waited while Chris tugged off his socks and shoes then rolled up his pants legs. She walked toward the surf till the waves washed over her feet. “It’s cold,” she squealed, as she hiked up the hem of her dress to her knees.

  “What did you expect?” he asked with a chuckle. He fell in beside her as she walked along the surf.

  The sound of the ocean was already working its magic. She linked arms with him. “Thanks for getting me out of there.”

  “What are friends for?” He cocked his head in her direction. “Tell me again why you invited that woman.”

  She let out a breath. Words failed her when it came to explaining how she could love someone but couldn’t get along with her. “Tripp, Jessica, and Sarah are all the family Jackson and I’ve got left.”

  He snorted. “You’re a better person than me.”

  A dull ache set up in her chest. “Telling her off isn’t going to change what she thinks of me. All these years later, all she sees is the nineteen-year-old who came home from New York knocked up.”

  Chris tugged her to a stop then took both her hands in his. “It’s her loss.”

  It was, and Abby wasn’t going to let her sister’s attitude ruin another second of this day. “Didn’t Katie look beautiful in her dress?”

  They’d reached the end of the light from the hotel, and as they turned around Chris nodded. “I want to know how she managed to time everything so she and Jack were saying their vows at the exact moment the sun was setting.”

  The wind kicked up and Abby stopped to pull her wrap up around her shoulders. “You know, my favorite part was seeing Jackson’s face as Katie walked to him.” Tears stung her eyes. Her throat tightened as she told Chris what she’d been thinking all day. “I wish my parents had lived to see him grow up.”

  He passed her his handkerchief. “He’s a good man. You can be proud of the job you did.”

  She bumped shoulders with him. Chris had come into her life at the exact moment when Jackson had needed a good man to look up to. “I had help.”

  “On to the next big thing in your life,” he told her then looked back at the hotel. “I promised to help Jack organize the fireworks.”

  “You go ahead. I’ll be up in a minute.”

  She ambled along the water’s edge for a few minutes longer. She had time before she was expected back at the reception. Ahead she saw the shadowy outline of a man standing a few feet from the metal gate separating the hotel property from the beach. His back was turned to her but she could see the glow from his cell phone. There could be only one silhouette with such a delicious combination of broad shoulders and long legs.

  A smile crossed her face as she thought about the dance she’d shared with Grant. He’d been ill at ease with the steps and no doubt not too thrilled to be dancing with a woman he didn’t know. But, somehow he’d managed to turn a shortcoming into a good time. His willingness to make a fool of himself for his sister touched a chord within Abby.

  She had her hand on the gate when his voice stopped her. Instead of the sensual timbre she’d enjoyed earlier, it now had an unmistakable edge. “I don’t give a flying fuck what parts you need. That airplane better be ready to fly by Friday or you'll be looking for another job.”

  Her opinion of him dropped a few points. Clearly, the man was accustomed to having his employees do whatever it took. She hated the way people with money felt they owned those who didn’t. Not wanting to be privy to the tongue-lashing the poor employee was receiving, Abby looked around for another route.

  Unfortunately, the only path back to the ballroom was past him. She stepped back into the shadows and tried not to listen.

  Grant paused briefly, apparently listening to his employee’s defense. When he spoke again his tone was brusque. “If you offer a man enough money, he’ll forget all about fireworks and football and get his ass to work.” He paused while the person on the other end started up again, but Grant stomped on the reply. “Never mind, Jones. I’ll handle this myself.”

  Abby heard the beep of Grant’s cell phone and prayed he’d walk away so she could get back inside. Instead, he opened the gate with a flourish. “You can come out now. I’m through acting the big bad wolf.”

  Heat crept up her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I tried not to eavesdrop.” She stepped through the gate and took her time rinsing the sand off her feet at the shower the hotel provided. She hated hearing his conversation but from the look on his face, it didn’t seem to bother him. Then a thought occurred to her. “If you knew I was here, why didn’t you move away?”

  Grant moved in closer, cutting off her path to the ballroom. Her crossed arms signaled she hadn’t been impressed with the way he’d handled his foreman. He didn’t want to be a hard-ass, but sometimes being the boss meant he had to do things he didn’t enjoy. “I’m sorry you had to hear that, but I wanted to talk.”

  After their dance he’d planned to hunt her down, preferably far from anyone who’d steal her away again. Fortunately, the phone call from work had taken him outside and serendipi
tously put him in Abby’s path.

  Now he had her alone, his brain became a jumble how to convince this beautiful woman to spend time with him. Who was he kidding? Saying she was beautiful was the greatest of understatements. It was like saying the sea was wet. Beyond the enticing way her dress clung to her curves, he liked her confidence. “I was surprised to see you on the beach. I would have thought they’d have to drag you off the dance floor.”

  She looked over her shoulder at the water. “With all the wedding preparations, I’ve barely gotten to see the water much less get in it.”

  Grant’s brain kicked in to hyper-drive. Now he knew how to get her to stay. “You like the water?” He envisioned a long weekend on the beach with her.

  “Love it. I’ve only ever been to Jekyll Island and the Gulf Coast, but nothing spells vacation like my toes in the water and my butt in the sand.” She laughed as she said it, her voice sounding like ice cubes in a glass of twelve-year-old scotch.

  “I have an idea. Why don’t you go diving with me tomorrow?” He bet she’d look damn good in a bikini.

  Her eyes grew wide and she took a step backward. “Thank you, but I’d be too terrified to do that.”

  He wasn’t ready to admit defeat. Once he made up his mind, he stuck it through to the end. He’d made up his mind about Abby. “I’m a dive master. I could teach you. It’s only fair since you shared something you’re good at. You have to give me a chance to play teacher and you be the student.” He wasn’t above playing dirty to get what he wanted.

  “I have to leave in the morning.” She dropped her gaze and edged her way around him.

  He touched her arm. “No, you don’t. School doesn’t start again till Monday.”

  Her head shot up, eyes wide with surprise.

  He knew she was a teacher because Katie cited her future mother-in-law as the reason she’d changed her major to education halfway through her sophomore year. He guessed school would resume on the first Monday after the New Year.

  “I bought a ticket on Caribbean Air, no changes allowed.”

  “You can fly back with me on my plane. Since Katie and Jack won’t be coming back for another week, there will be room.” The whole thing made perfect sense to him, a couple of extra days in the sun for him to wine and dine his way into her good graces. Nothing was more convincing than a fancy hotel and private jet.

  She cocked her head at him and her fists hit her hips. “Are you one of those people who want everyone to do things his way, thus making the world perfect?”

  Grant abandoned his persuasion with money strategy. Perhaps a little honesty would work. “I am. I’m sorry if I came off so pushy. I only wanted to be sure you had a good time while you were here.”

  She fixed him with a glare even the near darkness couldn’t hide. “I was having a good time until a second ago.”

  He had one more trick up his sleeve. If this didn’t work, he’d admit he was out of his league with this woman. “Then would you do one thing?”

  Chapter 3

  God, she was such a sucker for blue eyes. His sparkled and danced enticing her to comply. As if that weren’t enough, his dark hair and Roman nose reminded her of what Aries might have looked like: a beautiful warrior who was accustomed to getting his way.

  He continued, putting more than a touch of persuasion in his voice. “I promise I won’t ask for anything else. You won’t even have to speak to me the next time our families get together.”

  Abby remembered she’d have to see him every holiday now they were related so it was probably a good idea to make nice. She still didn’t trust him. He switched personas too easily: paternal with Katie, a hard-ass with his employee, and charming with her. “What?” she asked with the same suspicion she used when a student tried to hand her something he’d picked up on the playground. Twenty years of experience had shown her it was usually something she wouldn’t like.

  “I want to finish our dance. I had a really cool spin I was planning for our finale I didn’t get to do.”

  The man was good. Not only did he offer her something she couldn’t resist, he threw in a measure of guilt to boot—and didn’t wait for her to agree but pulled her to him.

  She opened her mouth to point out there wasn’t any music but the French doors leading to the ballroom opened and music from the reception flooded the patio. If she believed in magic, she’d swear he’d willed the unfolding events. Everyone and everything around him seemed to bend to his will.

  His smile revealed a pair of dimples. “Perfect.”

  He moved the two of them in a small circle, not exactly dancing as much as swaying in time with the music. Then he started humming, a low rumble she couldn’t help but feel since he was holding her to his chest. His hearing must have been better than hers since she couldn’t make out the song. Then again, the sound of blood thrumming in her ears drowned out everything else.

  After a moment her heartbeat settled. This was lovely, almost perfect, as he’d declared. Between the sound of the surf and the breeze caressing her neck she let her body relax. Perhaps this was more innocent than she thought. She’d let herself become jaded in the last few years. Not everyone was trying to pull something. He was being nice. “I’m sorry I was rude earlier.”

  He looked down at her, his brows arched. “Does this mean you’ve changed your mind?”

  “No, I didn’t want to seem ungrateful. You’ve been so generous already.” Abby felt she owed him an explanation. “Even talking about scuba diving makes my palms sweat.” She spent so many years being cautious that the idea of doing anything adventurous seemed foreign. Neither did she want to be in his debt. She valued her independence more than anything.

  “Don’t apologize. I like that you stood up for yourself. Katie tells me I can be a bulldozer. It does my ego good to be told ‘no’ once in a while.” He resumed swaying and humming.

  It felt good to clear the air. She didn’t want to do anything to make things awkward between them.

  Abby wasn’t good at keeping up polite conversation, but he didn’t fill the silence with chatter either. Within seconds her mind wandered down another rabbit trail: luggage to pack, early morning flight to catch, thank you notes to write.

  When Grant took a step she wasn’t ready for, his thigh brushed hard against her. The friction burned through her, bringing her back to the here and now and awakened dormant parts of her body. She jerked back to give them some space. The last thing she needed was for him to feel what his contact had done to her breasts. Unfortunately, when she stepped back her heel caught the edge of the pool. Crap! She teetered, unable to regain her balance.

  Grant pulled her to him. “Sorry,” he said. “I didn’t realize we had gotten so close.”

  Deftly, he moved them away from the edge. If he noticed her embarrassment or could feel her still pebbled nipples pressing against him, he was gentleman enough to hide it. He moved them to the shadows which was a good thing because he couldn’t see the pink which had bloomed from her neck to her ears.

  The bad thing was the darkness only made her more aware of how good his arms felt around her. It took every ounce of self-control to keep her hand resting lightly on his upper arm where it belonged because her fingers itched to take in the strength, to let her hand trail down his arm. The laws of attraction were hard at work making her want what she shouldn’t have.

  When the song ended, he stopped moving but didn’t let her go. She tried to ease herself out of his embrace. He only drew her in closer so their bodies connected from her cheek resting on his chest to his hips meeting the soft part of her belly.

  “The song is over,” she whispered.

  His hand skimmed over her bare back sending shivers down her spine. “I know.”

  “You can let go.”

  Instead, he kissed her. Lips soft as suede brushed against hers, moving tentatively. Cologne filled her head with its delicious sandalwood scent. His body warmed her to the bone. Abby’s hand moved to his neck and brought him down har
d against her lips. When his tongue begged entrance, she opened and let him explore her mouth hungrily. He tasted of whiskey and something wonderfully spicy.

  The sound of laughter brought her back to reality and threw cold water on her lust even better than the pool could have. Any number of wedding guests could have strolled by to see her making a fool of herself. Abby broke away, rushing blindly toward the hotel.

  Grant was on her before she got two steps away, pulling her to a stop. “Wait.” The lights showed on his face, revealing hooded eyelids and a warrior's scowl.

  She had to get away. Not because she feared what he would do to her but what she wanted him to do. She couldn’t trust her self-control to stand there and explain. She shoved him away as if her life depended on it.

  Her fear had given her physical if not moral strength. He took a step back. Then she saw what lay behind him. In slow motion she watched his arms pinwheel. She reached out to him and their fingers connected for the briefest second before he slipped from her grasp. Abby watched behind splayed fingers as he fell backward into the water.

  By the time she was kneeling at the edge he was breaking the surface. He gasped for air. “Oh God, I’m so sorry,” she cried.

  She extended her hand, part help and part peace offering. Instead, he planting his palms against the pool’s apron and catapulted himself out of the water. She scrambled to her feet in time to see him fishing a phone from his pocket.

  “I’ll pay to replace it.” More a plea than a promise.

  He stared at the thing in his palm as if willing it back to life before running his hand over his scalp. She should have looked for a towel to give him, apologized again, something to make the situation better.

  Then he burst out laughing, a deep masculine rumble she would have enjoyed under better circumstances. “I didn’t see that one coming.”

  She wrapped her arms around her waist and took a step back. “Again, I’m so sorry. I’ve never…” wanted someone so much “...overreacted like that.”