She ran her hands over his chest, her touch eliciting a shiver. He reached up to her. Cupping her head, he pulled her mouth back to his. She came willingly and her hungry mouth sought his with more passion than he’d ever known.
He moved his lips to her throat. Her skin was so silky. She giggled.
“Sorry, ticklish,” she said breathily.
Good to know. He’d remember that spot.
Then he couldn’t remember anything when she slid her hands under his shirt. Suddenly, it went from slow and lazy to fast and fiery. Hands were everywhere, clothing was being undone. He didn’t know why, but Xander desperately wanted her under him. With some tricky maneuvering, he was able to flip their positions on the couch.
His thigh was resting between her legs. Her eyes had darkened with lust. She was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen.
Suddenly, “The Imperial March” from Star Wars broke the silence.
“What is that?” Grace asked with a small laugh.
“Work.” Xander pulled his phone out of his pocket and held it up.
“Equating your work with the evil Galactic Empire. Not sure what that says.”
He was impressed she knew what the song was from. “You know Star Wars? I’m shocked. There are no singing animals or magic pumpkins.” He untangled himself from her and rose.
“But there is a princess.” She winked at him.
He laughed. “Be right back. I have to take this.”
He answered the call with a gruff voice as he walked into the next room. But he had a heck of a time concentrating on his boss’s words. All he could think about was Grace.
His intention in coming over here tonight had not been to make out with her, or to reveal the woes of his childhood. It had been... Well, he wasn’t sure exactly. More often than not, he found his thoughts veering her way.
Ten minutes later, he ended the call and walked back into the living room. He stopped in his tracks at the sight of Grace, fast asleep on the couch. Her dark hair was fanned out over the pillows and her lips were formed into an adorable and appealing little O. She looked every bit the picture of a damsel waiting for her Prince Charming to wake her with a kiss.
He laughed silently and continued to watch her. He knew she needed the sleep but he was having a hell of a time stopping himself from leaning down and waking her. He wanted to gather her in his arms. Continue their earlier make-out session.
Xander wasn’t sure how long he stood there. Never in his life had he simply watched a woman sleep. There was something soothing about being with Grace—even in this moment.
Finally, he grabbed a soft blanket that had been flung over the back of an oversize chair. He covered Grace, tucking the blanket around her shoulders, and allowed himself a moment to linger. He ran the back of his hand over her cheek. At his touch, she mumbled something in her sleep and the sweet sound packed a punch to his gut like nothing before.
Leaving her to rest, Xander took the dishes from their dinner to the kitchen. He loaded the dishwasher and put the leftovers in the fridge before he went back to the living room and tidied up the space as best he could. Grace hadn’t so much as moved. Xander couldn’t imagine how tired she was.
He scribbled a quick note and left it on the coffee table so she would see it when she woke up. Hopefully, that wouldn’t be until the morning. With a last, longing glance at her, he turned off the lights and made his way downstairs and out the door, making sure to check that the door was locked behind him.
The door was locked, but suddenly it felt like his heart wasn’t. For the first time in his whole life, Xander knew he was letting someone in. The strange part was that rather than feeling afraid, he actually felt at peace.
Chapter Ten
“Interesting.”
Grace looked up from her computer to see Emerson standing in the doorway holding a piece of paper. Grace had been ensconced in reviewing details of the catering contract for Emerson’s wedding.
“What’s interesting?” she asked absentmindedly.
“Ahem.” Emerson gave a very dramatic show of clearing her throat before reading. “‘Princess Grace, I didn’t want to wake you.’”
Grace popped up. “Hey, give me that.”
“Uh-uh.” Emerson evaded Grace’s attempt to snatch the paper. “‘Thank you for an amazing evening.’ An amazing evening with Xander Ryan. Really? Do tell, Gracie. Or should I say, Princess Gracie.”
“Shut up.” She once again tried to grab the note but Emerson dodged and continued walking around Grace’s office.
She’d meant to put Xander’s note in her bedroom. Right between the pages of her journal. Who knew why, but it charmed her that he’d left a note at all. She certainly hadn’t meant to fall asleep on the couch. When she woke in the early hours of the morning to find herself wrapped in a blanket, the lights off and the space cleaned up, she couldn’t believe that Xander had gone to such trouble.
Of course, the fact that he’d stopped by at all—and only to check on her—spoke volumes. Unfortunately, no matter how hard she listened, she wasn’t sure what, exactly, those volumes were saying.
Emerson continued to watch her with an expectant expression. “Well? What happened? I leave you alone for one night...”
Grace folded herself into one of the chairs in front of her desk. Emerson joined her in the second chair.
“Xander came over.”
Emerson waved the letter in front of Grace’s face. “Ah, yeah. I figured that much out already.”
Grace laughed. “Fine. We talked for a little bit. Oh, he recommended me to his office assistant. Then he ordered us dinner.”
Emerson leaned forward. “And dessert...”
“Was homemade.”
“I guess we’re not hating Xander anymore, huh?” Emerson asked.
Grace sighed loudly. “I don’t even know how it started really. But next thing I knew, we were horizontal on the couch.”
“Yep, definitely not enemies.” Wiggling her eyebrows, Emerson clapped her hands together. “Then what happened?”
“He got a call from work that he had to take. I guess while he was on the call I fell asleep. When I woke up this morning, he’d covered me with a blanket and cleaned up everything.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. That’s sweet, right?”
“Well, yeah. And kind of surprising for Xander. He doesn’t seem the type to take care of a woman. Not that he isn’t kind,” Emerson hurriedly added. “What does this all mean?”
“I don’t know.”
“Are you and Xander a thing now?”
“I don’t know,” Grace repeated. “No. We aren’t. Right?”
“If you don’t know, I definitely don’t, either.”
“I’m not sure if it’s a blessing or a curse, but to be totally honest, at the moment, I don’t have the time to figure it out.”
Right on cue, her phone rang. Saved by the wedding bell.
While Grace spoke to one of her vendors, Emerson left the room, returning moments later with two bottles of water. She handed one to Grace just as Grace ended the phone call.
“Are you sure you can handle all this?” Emerson blurted. “Don’t lie to me, Grace. I’m really worried that you have too much on your plate.”
Grace smiled at her best friend. Truthfully, she was exhausted. She’d executed one of her biggest weddings yet, a three-hundred-person, six-figure extravaganza at the Army Navy Country Club over the weekend. The only reason she’d even been asked to plan it was because the bride, Leann Tristan, had been one of her sorority sisters in college.
As far as weddings went, there were no major catastrophes. Only the small snafus that she’d come to expect.
But all of the last-minute late hours had cost Grace. She’d already been running on little to no sleep. There simply weren’t enough hours
in the day, and too much to do for the small wedding this weekend. Then it was right on to Em’s wedding.
“Grace Harris.” Emerson practically stomped her foot in frustration, interrupting her train of thought. “Tell me how you’re doing. I’m a concerned BFF right now.”
“There’s no need for concern. I’m fine.”
“Is there anything I can help with?”
Emerson had helped her plenty of times in the past, just as Grace had helped with some of Emerson’s larger events. While Grace really could use the help, unfortunately, Emerson currently had her hands full.
“With what free time?” Grace asked honestly. “You’re as busy as I am.”
Emerson’s face fell. “I am.” She let out a loud, long sigh. “Did we take on too much? Should we postpone the wedding and look for another space that would give us more time to prepare?”
When all was said and done, Grace was going to use this wedding as the event to which all other weddings she planned would be compared. She couldn’t believe how much they’d accomplished already. Of course, there had been concessions, like the emailed invitations rather than the beautiful antique-quality invitations Mrs. Dewitt had found.
Leaning back in her chair, she said, “No. I know it seems tough now and we’re both tired and anxious. But that winery is perfect. It’s everything you’ve always wanted.”
Emerson started pulling at her auburn curls. “But you’re working so hard.”
“This is my job.” She reached for Emerson’s hand and steadied it. “Even if it weren’t my job, I would do this for you. I would do anything for you.”
Finally, Emerson appeared to relax. “So I’m not running you into the ground?”
“The truth? Of course I’m tired. I have one wedding this weekend and then it will be your turn to be the princess.”
Emerson’s smile widened and her eyes twinkled. “Well, then. Let’s gets back to you and Xander.”
Grace groaned. “You are relentless. There is no me and Xander.”
Emerson picked up Xander’s note from Grace’s desk and waved it around. “I beg to differ.”
Grace tapped a finger against her lips as she considered. “Okay, we’ve definitely had a couple of...moments,” she decided. “But so what? That doesn’t mean anything.”
Emerson tilted her head. She studied Grace for several seconds, until Grace began to fidget under her gaze.
“You’re making me nervous.”
Emerson leaned forward. “What are you afraid of, Grace?”
She didn’t know what she thought Emerson was going to say, but it certainly wasn’t that. “Afraid? What are you talking about?”
“I know you. You love romance. I’m no expert, but you’re being stubborn about Xander. Something is holding you back. What is it?”
Grace opened and closed her mouth. She wiped her palms on her pants.
She didn’t want to, but Grace couldn’t stop the thoughts of her mother from infiltrating her mind. Of course, remembering her mother brought her right back to her meager beginnings.
Grace liked who she was now, despite her childhood. She was proud of how far she’d come. Still...she always wondered if she’d find someone who would also like who she was.
Who she truly was.
Grace pushed down the emotions that were bubbling toward the surface. She had to take a few fortifying breaths to keep the tears at bay.
Her mother hadn’t wanted her. Why would anyone else?
Even though she told Emerson almost everything, she could never get herself to talk about her mother. So, she did what she always did. Made up a less emotional reason.
“Xander’s not right for me, Em.”
“What makes you say that?” Emerson held up a hand. “And don’t say it’s because he’s a divorce attorney and you’re a wedding planner. That’s a cop-out.”
“We’re opposites in so many ways.”
“And in others, you have so much in common. Jack and I both see it. So what’s going on?” She lightly tapped a finger to Grace’s head and then to her heart. “In here.”
Grace sat back in her chair. “I want a real romance, a real happily-ever-after. Like you and Jack.”
Emerson huffed out a breath. “Um, I wouldn’t equate me and Jack to a fairy tale. We pretended to be dating for a month. I’d hardly call that ideal.”
“But it all worked out in the end.”
Emerson shook her head. “And it can work out in the end for you, too. I don’t understand why you don’t see that.”
“Not with Xander. He doesn’t believe in marriage.” She considered explaining his parents’ situation to Emerson, but instinctively held back. Xander hadn’t said it was private, but she didn’t feel comfortable sharing the personal information he’d shared with her in such an intimate moment. “I’m not even sure he has faith in relationships. I hold love above everything else. Love ends in marriage.”
For most people. For herself, she wasn’t so sure. How would she ever find someone to accept all of her?
She wanted that more than anything in the world. But, she just didn’t know if she was good enough.
For now, she’d stick to planning the celebrations of other peoples’ love. That would be enough. It had to be.
“Gracie—”
“I don’t care if I’m being picky. I won’t settle for less than I deserve.”
Emerson’s face softened. “I don’t want you to settle. At the same time, I don’t want you to wait around for some perfect man. No such person exists. Besides, perfection can grow very boring. Sometimes the most perfect things are actually imperfect, and that’s what makes them wonderful.”
Grace got what Emerson was hinting at. She thought Grace was being too rigid. And maybe she was.
At that moment, both of their phones pinged. A text came in for Emerson and Grace got a call from her next bride.
“Enough worrying, because we definitely don’t have time for it.” Grace waved her phone in the air.
Emerson grinned. “Back to work.”
Back to work indeed. No need to worry about the distant future when she was too busy trying to be perfect for the next week and a half.
* * *
On Sunday evening, Grace sat outside at the top of the steps that led to her town house. It was windy, but pleasant. Clouds had dominated the sky most of the day. She leaned back and closed her eyes as a refreshing breeze swirled around her. Someone was already using their fireplace; the aroma of burning wood was a favorite of hers.
She’d considered bringing a glass of wine out with her, but she’d feared a few sips of alcohol would push her over the edge into sleep land, a place her body was desperately craving. She’d finished working another wedding the night before, and the adrenaline was finally fading.
The event had gone off without a hitch. At least, no hitches that the bride or groom had been aware of, and that’s what mattered.
Her phone started playing “When You Wish Upon a Star,” making her smile. “Hi, Grammy.”
“Hi, sweetie pie. How did the wedding go?”
She filled in Grammy on the weekend.
“Sounds like everything went well. Another wedding down. One more to go,” Grammy said in her cheery voice.
“Yes, but this wedding is Emerson’s. Everything has to be perfect. I would never forgive myself if anything went wrong.”
Grammy chuckled, her laugh warming Grace. “You say that about every wedding. Think of it this way—after Emerson’s wedding, you will get a much-needed break.”
“True. But—”
“No buts,” Grammy said stubbornly. “Think positive. Think about what you’re going to do when you are done and have some time off.”
Grammy always saw the bright side of life. Grace indulged by closing her eyes and imagining a nice relaxing bath w
ith her favorite lavender bubble bath. She’d follow that up with an early night in bed with a romance novel by her favorite author.
“Are you relaxing yet?” Grammy said in a soothing voice.
Grace smiled. “I’m thinking about it.”
“Then my work here is done.”
“But—but, Grammy.” Grace worried her lip. She didn’t want to verbalize what was really bothering her. The thing that was constantly on her mind: Xander Ryan.
“What is it, sweetie pie?”
Grace considered, but she wasn’t ready to tell Grammy about Xander just yet.
“I’m really anxious. It’s just six very short days until Em’s big day.”
“That’s not surprising. It’s a huge wedding that you’ve planned in an incredibly short period of time.”
“I’m organized, and I go over all the details every day. But what if I’ve missed something? I’m bound to have forgotten something.”
“Can you bring on some help? Just for this week?”
Grace had already thought of that. She leaned her head back against the house, closed her eyes again and sighed. “I’ve contacted three of the people I’ve used as temps before, but they’re all busy. Bringing someone new on would just add to my stress.”
“All I can tell you is that you are strong and capable. Even as a child, you were the most organized ten-year-old. Remember how you were always asked to be on the planning committees for proms and dances in high school?”
“I know. But, Grammy—”
“And who was it that always put together the events for her sorority? Even during that blizzard when you had to change everything at the very last minute.”
“Me, but—”
“Trust me,” Grammy continued. “You got this.”
Grace smiled at her Grammy’s faith in her. When she started going down those deep holes of thinking about her mom, it was Grammy who pulled her back out. “I love you.”
Grace opened her eyes and almost jumped out of her skin. Standing at the bottom of the steps, his intense gaze trained on her, was Xander.
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