His eyes had darkened and she could tell he wanted her. But Xander didn’t move.
“What?” she asked, nervous now.
“You’ve had a rough day. I don’t want to take advantage of you.”
She would have laughed if it wasn’t for the serious expression on his face. The entire situation was comical. Here she was, completely aware that he was the wrong man for her, and she was urging him to give in.
She lifted his sweater, then let her fingers graze along the skin right above his waistband. He shivered. Raising onto her toes, she met his lust-filled gaze right before she bit his lower lip. Then she blew on the spot and pressed her lips to his. She used everything at her disposal. Her lips, her teeth, her fingers. She poured herself into the kiss even as her hands roamed his body.
Finally, he weakened. She felt him give in to her.
“Who’s taking advantage of who?” she said.
He practically growled as he crushed his mouth to hers. His hands fisted in her hair and she loved the possessiveness that came over him.
When he bent over and lifted her in his arms, she let out a gasp. She knew she could be so easily swept away by him...
Her mind threw up a red flag, attempting to warn the rest of her body that as dreamy as the gesture was, Xander wasn’t in this for the long haul. Best not to read too much into it. Unfortunately, her heart had no intention of listening to her head.
He arched an eyebrow. “You requested the bedroom?”
She nodded, trying to steady her breathing. “Uh, yeah.”
Somehow he’d totally turned the tables. She’d started this, but he was now fully in control. He walked them into the bedroom, his eyes never leaving her face. Gently, almost reverently, he set her on the bed. Instead of joining her, he remained standing. He took his time taking her in, his eyes roaming from her feet all the way up to her head. He stared at her for so long that she started to fidget.
“Are you going to join me?”
“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. And one of the bravest. You deserve to be loved.”
Grace was happy she wasn’t standing because her knees would have definitely given out. She knew that Xander meant that her body deserved to be loved. It didn’t matter though.
You deserve to be loved.
That was something she craved more than anything else. It was the phrase that she prayed she’d hear but was secretly terrified she never would.
She reached up and he accepted her hand. He came down to her and she loved the feel of his weight on top of her. They lined up perfectly. Her leg wrapped around his and she dragged her foot up his leg to tease him.
He’d moved his lips to the column of her neck. She shivered. He pushed back and offered her a wicked and totally sexy grin before returning to one of her most sensitive spots. His breath on her neck was driving her crazy. She felt her eyes roll back as she allowed herself a moment to simply enjoy every sensation.
When he began to nip and tug at her earlobe, Grace knew she needed to regain control. She reached for the bottom of his sweater, and in one swift movement, had it up and over his head. She tossed it to the floor. Then she gave him a shove, which clearly caught him off guard, and she was easily able to push him to his back.
Grace straddled Xander and offered him her cockiest grin. But her smile faded as she took him in. Who knew the stoic lawyer had such an amazing body? She planted her hands firmly on his chest.
“Wow.” She couldn’t keep the word from slipping out.
“Thanks,” he said, amusement dancing in his eyes.
“I thought lawyers worked all the time.” She ran her hands up and down his torso. His hard muscles were broken up by the sprinkling of dark hair that cascaded down his body and disappeared into his pants. “You work out.”
“Not my favorite thing to do, if I’m being honest. Although, getting a reaction like this has me reconsidering. Maybe I’ll increase my gym days.” He reached for her shirt. “My turn. I’d like to see if wedding planners have time to work out.”
She leaned back, out of his reach. “No. I’m not done with you.”
“Aren’t you bos—”
His words fell away as she began spreading kisses across his chest. As her tongue trailed down one side of his body and up the other, he shuddered. His hands fisted in her hair again. With a gentle pull, he brought her mouth back up to his and kissed the living daylights out of her.
She was panting from the intensity of the kiss when he reared up and switched their positions again. Somewhere along the line, he’d managed to get her out of her shirt. He was good. Damn good.
Now it was Xander’s turn to ogle her. Normally, she’d have felt self-conscious. But there was no way she could feel anything but confident with the way his lust-filled gaze was traveling over her.
He reached behind her, and with a quick flick of his fingers her bra was loose. He slid the straps down her arms and grinned as he threw the lacy piece of fabric to the side.
“Lovely.”
Then he went to work. He kissed and nipped at one breast and then the other. He fondled and caressed. She was writhing on the bed, biting her lip, as Xander brought her pleasure. When she didn’t think she could take it any longer, she flipped them again.
“Hey,” he said.
“Be quiet. I’m busy,” she said with a wink.
She unbuttoned his pants, taking a moment to trail her fingers along the waistband. Xander groaned. Grace leaned down and pressed her mouth to his stomach. Then she replaced her fingertips with her lips and loved hearing his labored breaths.
Moving her hand lower, she cupped him over his pants. Xander bucked.
“Whoa, there,” she said.
“You’re killing me, Grace.”
She laughed lightly and then freed him from his pants. Taking in his manhood, she had to pause and gather herself. Oh, my.
Xander took advantage of her breather to once again push her under him. At this point, they were lying horizontally across the bed.
Xander shifted, reached for his pants and fumbled around. She realized what he was doing when she heard the foil packet.
When he returned to her, he took her hands, clasping them tightly in his own. He put them on either side of her head and looked deeply into her eyes.
“Ready?”
She nodded. “Oh, yes.”
With that, he kissed her hard right before he pushed inside her. She moaned and clasped his hands tighter at the most personal of invasions. He paused, allowing her to acclimate to his size.
Xander leaned down and kissed her deeply. She met him with as much passion as she could muster. Then he began to move and, again, she kept up with him as best she could.
They found a sinfully intoxicating rhythm that had both of them gasping for air and calling each other’s names. Finally, he released her hands and she held on to him for dear life as they fell over the edge together. As one.
* * *
Grace felt like she’d left her body. Her breath was still coming out in an uneven rhythm. Xander had collapsed on top of her and she could tell that he was as rocked as she was.
She ran her hands up and down his strong back as she tried to get her wits about her again. What they’d just done...had been beyond amazing.
“I’m crushing you,” he said in a gruff voice that was sexy as anything.
He was, but she didn’t care. In fact, she liked having him on top of her. She felt safe and content. She wrapped her arms around him tightly.
“Well, that’s going to make it harder to get off of you.”
“Exactly.” She squeezed him tighter and liked hearing him laugh.
He angled his body so he could look down at her. Lightly, he placed a kiss on her forehead. “You okay?” he asked softly.
“Oh, yeah. You?”
&nbs
p; “Never better.” This time, he kissed her lips. “Are you hungry? Thirsty? Cold?” he asked.
Grace had never felt more relaxed in her life. “I honestly don’t think there’s anything in the world I need at the moment,” she said.
She snuggled into him. They were wrapped up in the soft bedsheets, lying on their sides, facing each other. The lights were low and she could hear rain hitting the windows of the room.
“I need to check the weather for Saturday,” she said lazily. She should look it up on her phone, but her cell was far across the suite. She was too comfy to get up.
“You checked the weather about four hundred times today. I’m guessing it hasn’t changed. It’s not supposed to rain.”
“And there’s nothing we could do if it does rain besides enacting plan B. Still, it’s stressful.”
He pulled the comforter over her. “I repeat, are you hungry, thirsty? Need anything?”
“Are you taking care of me?”
He ran a hand down her arm, eliciting the most delightful sensation deep in her tummy.
“I’m trying to. You’ve had a rough day.”
She cupped his cheek. “I’ve had rougher. I’m fine, Xander. Really. Well, actually, I am hungry.”
“Ah, something I can help with. What are you in the mood for?”
She grinned. “Something chocolatey.”
“Chocolate, huh?”
“You can never go wrong with chocolate. Besides, we need dessert.”
He winked. “I thought we just had dessert.”
She gave him a smacking kiss. “There’s nothing better than a second dessert.”
“Planning on staying here for a while?” He reached for the phone on the bedside table.
“Hopefully,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.
He placed an order with room service for two pieces of chocolate cake and a bottle of red wine. Then he returned his attention to her.
She trailed a finger along his jawline. He had the best face. Strong, distinctive bones and a square jaw.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
“I think you should talk to your parents.”
He propped himself up on one elbow. “Where did that come from?”
“I was thinking about my mom.”
“We’re lying here naked and you’re thinking about your mother.” He let out a gruff laugh. “I must be doing something wrong.”
“Nothing wrong about that.”
“And yet, you’re thinking about your mom.”
She mirrored his position. “It’s just... I haven’t seen my mom since I was taken away from her. My grandparents haven’t, either. In fact, I have no idea where my mom is now.”
“Do you want to talk to her or see her?”
“I don’t know. But I don’t even have the option. You do.”
“Tru-u-ue.” He drew the word out.
“My point is that you don’t understand your parents. Their relationship doesn’t make sense and it bothers you. There’s a simple solution.” She paused. Xander raised an eyebrow and waited. “Ask your parents what their deal is. Why are they staying together when they’re clearly unhappy?”
He was quiet for a moment. “Do you think it will be that easy?”
“Pretty much. Even if you don’t get the answer you want, or think you want, at least you’ll know. And then maybe you can start to put it all behind you.”
He blew out a long breath. Then he leaned over and kissed her. “You’re pretty smart, you know that?”
“I do. In fact, I know that we ordered the cake and wine less than five minutes ago and we have some time before it gets here.”
He was already covering her body with his. “What should we do during that time?”
She laughed and pushed him so she was straddling him. “I have some ideas.”
They spent the next thirty minutes going over some of those ideas in great detail.
* * *
The next morning, Xander woke up feeling good. He looked toward the window. The previous night’s rain had cleared up. He heard birds chirping as sun streamed into the room.
He couldn’t contain the grin as he thought about Grace. He’d been surprised when she’d initiated things last night. Surprised, but very, very happy. Xander couldn’t deny that he’d wanted this since the moment he’d met her.
He rolled over, ready for more Grace. Only, her side of the bed was empty. He went up on his elbows and took in the room. She wasn’t there. And the clothing they’d strewn throughout the room the night before had all been picked up and neatly folded. He grinned even wider. Figured she’d clean up.
He shuffled to the bathroom and was happy to find an extra toothbrush from the hotel. He saw that Grace had unpacked her toiletries. Bottles of perfume, lotion, and other female paraphernalia he didn’t understand were scattered over the counter. He lifted a small glass bottle of perfume to his nose. He took a whiff and closed his eyes. Orange blossom. It was Grace.
When he was done in the bathroom, he made his way to the sitting area. The scent of coffee hit his nose before he’d rounded the corner. Once he stepped into the room, he found a room-service cart with a pot of coffee and covered plates. The distinct aroma of bacon wafted to him but his hunger took a back seat as he leaned against the doorjamb and watched Grace in action.
She had her phone to her ear and was scribbling away in her notebook. When she took a break from writing, she began organizing the creamer and little bowl of sugars that must have come with the coffee.
When she finished her phone call, she sat back and opened something on her phone. No doubt checking her weather app again.
“Morning,” he called.
She jumped.
“Sorry,” he said, crossing the room. He leaned over and kissed her. He’d meant for it be a quick peck but as soon as his lips touched hers, it went deeper. He cupped the back of her neck and she opened her mouth to him.
When they broke apart, she smiled. “Good morning to you, too.”
“I didn’t hear you get up.”
“I didn’t want to wake you. Coffee?”
“Sit. I’ll get it. Want a refill?” He poured a cup for himself and then refilled her mug. He sat on the couch opposite her. “What time did you get up?”
She was studying her phone again. “Um, I’m not sure. I’ve been up for a couple hours.”
He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was only seven thirty. Well aware that they’d been up and active until the wee hours, that meant Grace had barely had a couple hours of sleep. Still, she looked fresh and alert in gray leggings and an oversize pink jersey.
He tapped her notebook. “Any major problems?”
“Nothing life-altering. Just the normal hiccups. The alterations on Emerson’s gown are coming down to the wire, but Mrs. Dewitt is dealing with that. Em’s sister, Amelia, has been a huge help, too. She’s really saving my butt. She’s good at this stuff. In fact...” Grace sat back and tapped a pen against her lips. “I know someone with a start-up wedding website. I wonder if he needs any help. Mia would be perfect.”
Xander wasn’t sure if Grace was talking to him or thinking aloud. He rose and checked out the breakfast spread.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked so I tried to get a little of everything.”
Little was definitely not the word to describe the massive spread she’d ordered. Under the silver lids, Xander found a breakfast paradise of scrambled eggs, fried eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, French toast, regular toast, Danishes and oatmeal.
He arched an eyebrow. “Oatmeal?” He knew he sounded like a little kid but he’d never liked oatmeal.
She joined him and pecked his cheek. “That’s for me. It’s my favorite.”
They filled up plates and ate together in the living area. Grace was fielding phone calls an
d emails, but still managed to carry on a conversation with him.
Xander couldn’t help but think how hard she worked. It was coming down to the wire on a wedding she’d thrown together in three short weeks. She excelled at multitasking. As she entered something into her iPad, she was regaling him with funny stories of wedding mishaps and eating her oatmeal at the same time.
If he’d been in her position, he would be curled up on the floor in the fetal position.
“What are you thinking?” she asked, tilting her head. “You seem deep in thought.”
He trailed a finger down the soft skin of her arm. “I was thinking about how many balls you have to juggle when planning a wedding.”
Her phone rang. “Yet another thing involved with weddings, calls from the bride.” She answered the phone. “Hey, Em. How was the conference? You wrapping up everything? Great. So I should see you in a couple hours.” She listened intently for several moments. “Do not worry about anything,” Grace said emphatically. “It’s all taken care of. Your dress will be fine. I talked to the florist.” Again, she paid attention to whatever Emerson was saying. “That is a shame, but there will be other times to wear it. In fact, why don’t we go to dinner tonight. You can wear it then.”
After Grace finished her conversation, she sat back, a pensive look on her face.
“What was that about?”
“The usual prewedding worries. Plus, Emerson was bummed about this really cute dress she bought for her couples’ shower. Since we’re not doing that now, I suggested she wear it tonight and we have dinner.”
Xander felt bad. He was the one who’d booked their wedding to happen so soon. He may not understand it completely, but he did get that brides loved showers and all the wedding-related parties.
That’s when it struck him. There was a way he could make it up to Jack and Emerson.
“I have an idea,” he said, leaning toward Grace.
“What’s that?”
The Wedding Truce Page 15