She looked up, still on the emotional fence. “I know. I texted her saying we’d make it an awesome day! That we’d do this shit for her.”
“You said that?”
She reached out and grabbed my juice, her face returning to her normal expression—half-brat, half-sweetheart. “Well…I left out shit. You know, in case her mom saw it.” She stole a big drink, and we both giggled. Teens are so resilient.
Her phone pinged, and as I watched her read the message, I noticed a change in her.
“Jessie said she might make an appearance. She’s fighting with Rita about it now.” Her smile could have powered the entire building. “We’d better get going.”
Maybe it was because turning sixteen was just around the corner, or it could have been this new friendship. Whatever the case, something blossomed behind her eyes, beneath her expression. A newfound maturity sprouting within her that made me both proud and sad.
* * *
As we pulled into the neighborhood, our mouths fell open. We were on time, but the activity had already begun. Driveway after driveway was dotted with people, boxes, blankets, and tables. A few early vultures lurked nearby, waiting as items were being set up.
We parked on the street in front of Jessie’s house and sprang from our seats to gather the boxes. Rita greeted us with a grin in the driveway as we approached with the first load.
“So glad you both could make it,” she said, reaching for Alyssa’s box. “Let’s set them all here, and I’ll find space for everything. We all headed back for another run and another until they were all unloaded.
“We’re happy to help, “I said. “How’s Jessie doing?”
She made suggestive quote marks with her fingers. “Sleeping…for now.”
“This is awesome,” Alyssa said.
It was quite a spectacle and a heartwarming sight to take in, the street becoming more full and alive along with the rising sun. All supporters of Jessie, her family, and concerned people looking to make a difference in the fight against a merciless disease.
As Rita raved about the droves of volunteers offering time and goods to sell, I faded out mentally. With a casual glance up and down the street, I searched for a tall, dark-haired individual. Lots of women came into view, kids, a hefty man with a cane, a couple of teenage boys pushing bikes. I pulled my gaze back to Rita before she noticed. It was still early.
We scrambled to get everything out onto tables or blankets, marking as we went. Alyssa had joined Rita at the information table while I unloaded a final box of books and movies. They were handing out flyers with information about the charity and future fund-raising events.
As I was about to join them, an adorably petite woman tapped me on the shoulder and introduced herself as Rita’s neighbor. With her fluffy white hair and sporting a seventies style sweat suit, Alice sweet-talked me into helping her with some stuff she was unable to carry up the stairs of her house.
I followed her over, and the heat engulfed me the moment I stepped into her sauna of a house. Alice appeared unaffected and didn’t seem to register my discomfort. “This way, dear.” As I watched her bouncy step down the staircase, I couldn’t help but question whether she required assistance at all. The air cooled a bit as we entered the lower-level room, which resembled a mini boutique.
“Wow, you’re getting rid of all this stuff?” Dresses on racks paralleled one wall, crystal tableware of all kinds on a round wooden table, and shoes on the floor. Upon a closer look, I noticed some of the items looked vintage.
“No, not all of it. Only the things on this side of the room.” She gestured to her left as she walked past me and into the middle.
My eyes swept across the elegant dresses, wondering if I’d ever wear something so beautiful.
“You’d look stunning in one of those,” she said.
I shrugged, shaking my head.
“Truth be told, I couldn’t bear to let those go at a garage sale.”
I turned to face her, interested rather than judgmental.
“I know…it’s a wonderful cause. Believe me. In fact, I’ve got a check all made out upstairs to ease my mind.” She walked over to the rack. “But these beauties…these can’t go to just anyone shaking a couple of crumpled dollars at me.”
“They’re all so gorgeous.”
“Thank you. I designed many of them myself.”
This retro grandma in the polyester jogging duds left me speechless, and my mouth gaped.
“Hard to believe? I was once a hot little number like you who wore plenty of dresses like that.” She held her arms out to the side. “Now, I like to be comfortable…and have quick access to the plumbing, if you know what I mean.” Her wink left me wondering how serious she was.
I giggled and turned back around, ready to get to work. “Where should I start? Some of this stuff isn’t in boxes yet?”
“I’m sorry about that. Got a little distracted playing online poker. First things first. You’re going to pick one of these dresses for yourself. Try a few on while I get back to my game.” I opened my mouth to protest, but her words shot out too quick for me. “Then, you can take those boxes over there and start loading all this stuff inside. I’ll let the others know you’ll be back in a bit.”
“Alice…that’s so generous of you, but I…I couldn’t take one of these. I…well…” What the hell was happening here? I couldn’t remember the last time a lie was that difficult to drum up. The old broad somehow left me dumbfounded. My hands clasped and wrung each other as I looked around, attempting to hide my awkwardness.
“Nonsense, missy. Don’t offend me, now. That body of yours was made to wear dresses like those. You can change in that bathroom over there. Pick any one you like. I’ll be back in a bit.” She padded to the stairs and grabbed the railing before turning back. “Then, get cracking on that packing. You’ve got sales to make.”
I sifted through the rack with hesitation at first. Gradually, my hands became eager, yet gentle, as my eyes feasted on the beautiful material before me. It didn’t matter that I’d probably never have anything to wear one of these to. I pulled a burgundy knee-length, a black knee-length, and a cream-colored full-length gown adorned with some sort of beads or sequins. The cramped bathroom included a mirror over the sink. The first two dresses looked better on the hanger, like ninety percent of the clothes I’d ever tried. The cream-colored dress, the simplest of the three, portrayed old school Hollywood. I slipped it on, feeling immediately glamorous. I managed the zipper on my own, making it almost to the top. It hugged my body in all the best spots, with a scoop neck slightly off the shoulders.
I flung the door open, remembering a full-length mirror against the wall and desperate to see myself from head to toe. I gasped at the tall figure stopping me in my tracks and staring down at me.
“Daniel.”
I almost didn’t recognize him in dark blue jeans and a snug red T-shirt. Our eyes caught each other, setting off a series of flutters deep in my belly. His gaze drifted down and up my body, landing back where it started. That look of desire I’d seen many times before on other men and tossed aside as meaningless sent chills down my spine and a thrill through my veins.
“Wow. You look…breathtaking.”
I’m sure I blushed like a shy teen on prom night. “Thank you.” I smiled, and we stared at each other a moment longer. He blinked away from our connection, filling me with trepidation. One guarded therapist coming up. I headed him off at the pass. “What are you doing here?”
He squinted as he glanced around. “Rita sent me over to carry up some boxes, but… What are you doing here?”
“Same. Alice asked me. She’s not quite ready, so it looks like we both got suckered.”
“I don’t mind,” he said, walking toward a table full of old-fashioned looking perfume bottles. Under the table were flattened boxes. He knelt down to sift through the stack. “I’d rather do manual labor than sit out there bartering over tarnished candlesticks and mismatched socks.”
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br /> “Me, too.” His back was to me now, and I couldn’t help but think he was avoiding looking at me. I took slow steps back toward the bathroom, my excitement over the dress calmed. “I’ll change quickly and help you.”
“Are you keeping that?” He glanced at me with the sentence, but then turned his focus back to the boxes. He slid one out and began folding it into its 3D shape.
“Maybe. But only because Alice insisted.”
His movements froze for a beat. “I think you should…I mean, you wouldn’t want to offend her.”
“Right.” I stepped into the bathroom, leaving the door ajar. With one arm behind my back, I reached for the zipper, straining to get the proper leverage. Why even struggle with it? Instead, I struggled to keep a grin from my face and my breathing under control. “Daniel?”
In the mirror, I saw him rise. “Yeah?”
“Could you…give me a hand, please? I’m having some…trouble.”
He stalled, then took a few measured steps in my direction. His midnight blue eyes found mine in the reflection. They said words he couldn’t say out loud, I was sure of it. They also held things I didn’t want to see. Caution. Fear. A warning perhaps. Selfishly, none of that mattered to me then. For once, I wanted to feel him near me. Without the barriers of the office setting, the obvious professional and emotional walls that kept us from any kind of intimate connection. If I’d imagined Daniel felt the same attraction or would continue to deny it, I’d risk the humiliation for a moment of his body close to mine. So close I could feel the heat generating from him. Yeah, it was worth the risk.
He pushed the door open farther and came up behind me, never leaving my gaze. “The zipper?” His deep, sexy tone buzzed in my ear, a breeze of his warm breath danced across my neck, sending my stomach off to flutter again.
I swept my hair over one shoulder and nodded. His hooded eyes left mine. Two fingertips brushed my back as he slipped them over the top of the dress, one hand easing down the zipper, warmth traveling to my needy places with every inch lower. My exposed back screamed for him to run his hand along it. I turned my head to the side, calling his eyes to mine. When they met, my breath hitched and then quickened, working in time with Daniel’s.
I don’t know how long we stayed locked in that position, but when I felt Daniel’s other hand smooth down my hip, my lips parted with the small gasp of air I took in. His eyes fell to my mouth and appeared a shade darker, like he was discovering this part of me for the first time. The muscles on his strong jaw clenched. I leaned into his firm chest, placed my hand over his, and felt his grip tighten on my hip. My lids involuntarily fell closed as my head rested back against his shoulder.
“Gray,” he whispered.
My insides melted at hearing my name in that heady tone. My eyes opened and went straight to his mouth. I’d never desired anything so badly in my life as being kissed in that instant by Daniel Harrison. I wanted to beg for it. I would have, but his head dipped in my direction. The breath from our mouths mingled in the tiny space between our parted lips. My back arched with impatience, and our lips caressed each other. Nothing had ever felt so frightening and electrifying all at the same time. I hooked my arm around his neck to pull him closer, but instead, his head turned, and my heart tightened. He paused for a second before pulling back, as if awakened from a paralyzing trance. “I…don’t know what to say.” His hands dropped to his sides. I turned, holding up the dress from the front. “I’m sorry, Gray. That was wrong…on so many levels.” He backed out of the bathroom, running his hand over the back of his neck.
“Well,” I said to his back as he spun to walk farther away from me. “My thoughts are quite the opposite.” I attempted to keep the woman scorned from my tone.
“Gray…” He turned and took two tentative steps in my direction. “It’s important you listen to what I’m about to say. If you think that there’s something—”
“I don’t think,” I said, cutting him off. “I know.” Damn it, did I know. Those eyes hadn’t lied.
I noted the wheels spinning as I held my unrelenting glare on him. His hands went to his hips, and his head fell and shook. When his gaze returned to me, I found regret, pity. I recognized what would come next. “What you don’t understand is beyond it being wrong from a professional standpoint, it’s wrong for me personally…as a man. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you. Or that situation.”
The blood in my veins heated. This was not about chivalry. “There’s two of us here in the room, Daniel.”
“I know. But what you don’t understand is that you might be having some…feelings that you don’t—”
“For fuck’s sake, Daniel! You’re not going to pull that psycho-babble crap on me now, are you?”
His brows peaked as he was taken aback by my response. His mouth pulled open, but I continued before he had a chance.
“This isn’t some kind of transference. Yeah, I know how to use the Internet.” I raised my arm as I spoke; the dress slipped an inch or two down.
“Good, then you know this sort of thing happens.” He looked away. “Can you please put some clothes on?”
I shoved the door closed and yelled from the inside. “Worried about your reputation? Well, don’t. I won’t sue.” The gown fell to the floor. I hurriedly dressed for no reason other than I planned to yell at him face-to-face.
“No, that’s not it at all. Well, yes, this would be detrimental to my profession…” I opened the door, peeking from behind with only my shirt on and scowled at him with narrowed eyes, then slammed it shut again. “But, that’s not why I stopped,” he continued.
“Great, well, I’m sorry to be such a basket case for you to have to deal with. I guess I thought maybe…just maybe you might…” I opened the door, fully clothed with the dress draped over my arm. The stairs rumbled with footsteps. Both Daniel and I turned. “Nathan.”
CHAPTER 16
--------------------------
Dressed in his head chef’s attire, Nathan descended the stairs looking every bit as awkward as he was pissed. He’d obviously heard enough. He surpassed Daniel as if he were one of the sewing mannequins and arrived at my side. A deliberate peck landed on my cheek. “Are you all right?”
I nodded an overabundant amount of times trying to get my bearings. Jealousy and rudeness were out of character for Nathan, so I assumed he’d eventually get himself under control. “This is Daniel Harrison…excuse me, Dr. Harrison.” I gestured to Daniel, spiking exaggerated brows while narrowing my eyes. Nathan considered him briefly. “And this is my friend, Nathan.” I stared at the floor, waiting for someone to release us from this disaster.
“Hey, man…uh, Dr. Harrison.”
I turned to find a smile upon Nathan’s face and a hand outreached in Daniel’s direction. I sighed relief and appreciation for always being able to count on him.
“Nathan.” Daniel accepted the gesture, and though his demeanor turned professional, he added, “Please, call me Daniel.”
“What are you doing here?” I asked, hoping to turn the focus in a less awkward direction.
“Some old lady told me you were down here.”
“No, I mean, why are you here…at the sale?”
“The lovely Alyssa invited me.”
“Oh,” I said, hoping the guilt didn’t show on my face.
“At least someone still wants my presence.”
My expert bullshit meter just hit uranium. I tilted my head and gave him my wide eyes.
His smile broke. “Okay, she also talked me into bringing two dozen pastries.”
“Ahh, there it is. I knew she was after something.”
We chuckled. I leaned into him instinctively, catching the scent of chocolate and cheese. When my gaze drifted to Daniel, I caught something in his expression that caused me to stiffen and pull away from Nathan. It disappeared too quickly for me to make any sense of it, and then he said, “Look, why don’t you two go back up, and I’ll take care of things down here.”
“Oh, no…I couldn’t let you do that. You go. Maybe Jessie will be up soon. I’ll take care of this.”
“I can stay and help for a while,” Nathan said.
Daniel scanned the room, looking slightly disappointed. “If you’re sure.”
“Yeah, we got this,” Nathan said.
“Thank you.” He plodded to the stairs, and when I glanced at him, he turned and gave me a tight smile before leaving.
I ignored the slight tug in my heart and the hollow feeling in my chest. I hung the dress on the outside edge of the rack, so I could decide later if I’d take it. Then I went to the stack of boxes Daniel had started. Nathan’s gaze followed me as he stood in place. There was no avoiding the discussion. I sat and began folding more boxes into shape, but stopped when he still hadn’t moved or spoke. “What?”
“So, that’s him, huh?”
“You just met him, didn’t you?” I kept my sights on the boxes since I’d let the sarcasm escape.
He came up behind me and bent over, the scent of baked goods coming off his clothes hitting me before he spoke. “Are you two…?”
“Of course. You just missed it, too. A shame, you could have joined us.”
“Please…stop.” A hand landed gently on my shoulder. “You know I’m only worried about you.”
“I’m fine.” I lifted a complete box to the table and loaded in random items.
“Yeah, you seem awesome. Good talk, Gray.” He folded a box for himself and placed it onto the table next to mine.
Side by side we worked in silence, packing items and setting the boxes near the stairs. Guilt seeped in when I paused to watch Nathan, realizing how lucky I was to have him. How he always stuck by me no matter how ungrateful I acted. I slipped my hand through his arm, stopping his work, and resting my head on his shoulder. “Thank you for coming.”
“I did it for the kid.”
I turned up a pouty face and waited until he met my gaze. A wink and a smile were mine right before he kissed the tip of my nose. “Now that you’re sucking up to me, I need to say something.”
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