Nellie’s bony legs trembled beneath the silky fabric and Grace wondered for a second if she’d been too quick to assume her aunt had been faking. But then she remembered the time Nellie had faked an asthma attack to keep Grace from going to an after-hours high school party. By the time Grace had figured out the scam, she’d already called 9-1-1 and had the fire trucks at the house.
“Gracie.” Nellie opened her arms. “I’ve missed you.”
“It’s been a long time,” Grace murmured, giving her aunt a dutiful hug.
Nellie clung to her for a moment before she stepped back and held Grace at arm’s length, her eyes large and pale behind the thick tortoiseshell trifocals. “I was worried you wouldn’t come.”
“I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.” The lie slid easily from Grace’s lips. “This is my first chance to see Holly and the baby.”
“I’m glad to hear you’re taking this all this so well,” Nellie said. “I worried this year might be difficult for you, being single and all. That’s why I was glad to hear you were bringing a young man. It can be hard for the older sister when the younger one has a husband and a family and she has no special—”
“Aunt Nellie, really, it’s no problem.” Her aunt’s words hit too close to home and Grace spoke more sharply than she’d intended. “I don’t need a man to feel okay about myself.”
Her aunt’s smile faded and Grace cursed her impulsivity. Regardless of how she felt about her aunt’s meddling, there was no call to be unkind.
“You may not need us—” Nick looped his arm companionably around Grace’s shoulders “—but you have to admit, we’re kind of nice to have around.”
Grace cast Nick an appreciative smile. His off-the-wall comment had clearly eased the tension.
“You must be Gracie’s new boyfriend.” Nellie cocked her head and studied Nick, a smile teasing the corners of her lips.
Grace tensed, ready for the game of Twenty Questions to begin.
“Nick Tucci.” Nick extended his hand. “And you are—?”
Grace groaned. She must be more nervous than she’d thought to have forgotten her manners. “Nick, this is—”
“Eleanora Best,” Nellie said, without waiting for Grace to finish. “Gracie’s aunt.”
“Pleased to meet you, Mrs. Best,” Nick said, his voice filled with such sincerity, Grace could only stare. She could see why all the women at the hospital were half in love with him. The man had charm down to a science.
“It’s Miss Best,” Nellie said, her smile widening. “But you can call me Nellie.”
“Nellie.” Nick rolled the word around on his tongue. He shook his head. “It just doesn’t fit. May I call you Eleanora?”
Nellie’s eyes widened in surprise and Grace waited for her aunt to snap back some tart reply. Instead a pink duskiness touched Nellie’s cheeks. “If you’d like.”
Grace stared at her aunt. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone call you Eleanora.”
“No one has in years,” Nellie said, a faraway look in her eyes. “Not since I was about your age.”
“Well, it’s time they started,” Nick said gallantly. “It’s a beautiful name and it suits you.”
A noise that sounded suspiciously like a giggle escaped her aunt’s lips. “Mr. Tucci, I can see my niece is going to have trouble keeping you in line.”
“Eleanora,” Nick said in a teasing tone, “I insist you call me Nick.”
“Nick.” Her aunt rolled the name around on her tongue, just like Nick had done only moments before. “Nicholas is much more of gentleman’s name. May I call you Nicholas?”
Grace stared. Either she was hallucinating or her sixty-year-old aunt was flirting.
Nick laughed. “I never could refuse a beautiful lady.”
“Nicholas,” her aunt said in mock warning even as her laughter mingled with his. When Nellie’s gaze shifted to her niece, approval filled her eyes. “I like him, Gracie. This one’s a keeper.”
Grace just smiled and nodded. If her aunt wanted to see Nick Tucci as a knight in shining armor, so be it. But Grace lived in the real world and Nick was the type of man Grace had spent most of her dating life avoiding; handsome men who asked women out only to stand them up if something better came along, or who automatically expected sex as payment for dinner and a movie.
Nick leaned over and brushed her cheek with his lips. “What do ya say, Gracie? Am I a keeper?”
His touch sent a shiver of excitement racing through her body, but Grace kept a tight grip on her emotions, refusing to get sucked into whatever game he was playing.
Grace turned toward him and trailed a finger down his cheek, hiding a smile at the surge of masculine interest in his eyes. “Nich-o-las Tucci, I’d be a fool to answer that question. You are already way too arrogant for your own good.”
He laughed. “Arrogant or not, you know you still love me.”
“Does the term ‘in your dreams’ mean anything to you?” Grace shot back.
“Gracie.” Nellie’s hand rose to her throat, her voice filled with shock.
“Don’t worry, Eleanora.” Nick pulled Grace close and chuckled. “I like a woman who plays hard to get.”
The spicy scent of his cologne enveloped her and her knees grew weak.
“Just so she doesn’t play too hard to get that you lose interest,” Nellie said, shooting her niece a warning glance.
“Believe me, Aunt Nellie, I know what I’m doing.” But despite her self-confident demeanor, Grace was anything but confident. She knew as well as she knew her own name that Nick was way out of her league.
He was too good-looking for his own good. If you believed the gossip in the hospitals, he’d dated half the women in St. Louis and bedded most of them. She, on the other hand, had dated only two men in the last five years. Both had been brief and unremarkable relationships. Neither of them had ever made her heart beat faster, the way Nick had just done.
She shifted her gaze to the handsome dark-haired stranger at her side. Maybe it would have been best to come alone, to spend the weekend enduring endless questions and comments from well-meaning relatives about her unmarried state.
Because she had the sinking feeling that in bringing Nick with her, she may have just have exchanged one problem for another.
Chapter Three
The steady rhythmic tick of the bedside clock filled Grace’s childhood bedroom. Though the aging mattress was comfortable, and the feather pillow fluffy, Grace found it difficult to sleep.
Tomorrow afternoon, just after church, she and Nick would head back to St. Louis. Never had four days flown by so quickly. It was hard to believe the weekend she’d dreaded for so long was over.
Having a “boyfriend” along had definitely put a halt to all those “When are you going to find someone?” questions. Unfortunately now she had a whole new set of questions to face.
In fact, Grace had barely gotten through the introductions when her sister had pulled her aside and asked with barely concealed excitement, “Where did you find him? He’s gorgeous.”
Her mother had been more subtle. Though her eyes had been filled with curiosity, she’d patiently waited until she and Grace were alone in the kitchen. Then, casting a furtive look at the door, she’d lowered her voice and asked in an offhand tone, that Grace guessed was anything but offhand, if she and Nick were serious.
It had been all Grace could do to keep a straight face. She couldn’t believe her mother was so gullible. She should know better. Handsome men weren’t attracted to average women.
But Grace had simply shrugged and said they had a good time together and who knew what might happen? After all, Nick was putting on the performance of a lifetime. She couldn’t blame her mother for wondering if wedding bells weren’t far off.
She’d tried to tell Nick to tone it down a few degrees and that all he needed to pretend to be was her “good” friend, but he said it was more fun to pretend to be more.
More.
The word
sent a tingle of excitement up Grace’s spine. All weekend she’d tried hard to not be affected by Nick’s casual displays of affection. But when he’d catch her eye and smile, or when he’d grab her hand and bring it to his lips, her heart had pounded so hard, she could barely breathe. She could scarcely imagine what would happen if he actually kissed her, really kissed her….
A light knock sounded at the door and Grace jerked upright in bed.
“Are you awake?” Nick’s deep voice carried easily though the door.
Grace hurriedly pushed back the quilted comforter. Her parents and aunt were just down the hall, and if they weren’t already awake, they would be soon. What was Nick doing up? And, more importantly, what was he doing at her bedroom door?
“Just a minute.” Unlike Nick, Grace spoke in hushed tones, loud enough for him to hear, but hopefully not loud enough to carry through the door and down the hall.
She swung her legs to the side of the bed and pushed her feet into a pair of pink furry slippers with bunny ears. Grabbing her chenille robe from the foot of the bed, she hurried across the shiny wood floor. By the time she reached the door, the belt of the robe was cinched tight and her curiosity was fully aroused.
“Grace?”
“Hold on.” Wishing she had time for a quick look in the mirror, Grace contented herself with just running her fingers through her hair. Taking a deep breath, she pulled the door open.
Nick stood in the dimly lit hall, barefoot, dressed in a pair of plaid flannel pajama pants and a loose-fitting T-shirt.
Grace tilted her head. “What’s up?”
The greeting came out casual and offhand, as if having a half-dressed man knocking on her bedroom door in the middle of the night was nothing out of the ordinary.
Nick gave her a lazy smile and the dimple in his cheek flashed. His dark hair was mussed like he’d just gotten up and hadn’t taken the time to comb it. He looked, she thought, simply incredible. “Can I come in?”
A shiver traveled up Grace’s spine. At that moment she wanted nothing more than to throw caution to the wind and invite him in. But she couldn’t. It wouldn’t be a smart move. And Grace was a smart woman. “Ummm, no.”
Surprise flickered in his eyes and she could tell no was a word he didn’t usually hear from females. “We need to talk.”
Grace crossed her arms across her chest and shot him an impish smile. “Somehow I don’t think talking is what you have in mind.”
To her surprise, Nick burst into laughter.
Loud laughter.
Horrified, all Grace could think of was her aunt just two doors down. She grabbed Nick’s arm and pulled him into the room, shutting the door behind him.
“You have to keep it down,” she said in a tense whisper. “You’ll wake the whole house.”
Nick smiled, apparently not at all worried by the possibility. “We’re both adults. Anyway, do you really think your parents would be shocked to find a man in your bedroom?”
Grace thought quickly. She didn’t want to come across as a total prude. “They don’t believe in sex before marriage. This is their house.”
“I realize this is their house,” Nick said. “But don’t try to tell me they believe you’ve never slept with a man.”
“Of course they believe that.” Grace tried to still her rapidly beating pulse, but his closeness made that impossible.
Nick started to chuckle, then stopped. He stared at Grace for a long moment. “Is it true?”
She rolled her eyes and forced a laugh. “What do you think?”
It wasn’t exactly lying. More like hedging. She hated to not tell the truth, but if she did, he’d think she was weird. Or frigid.
Nick smiled.
Her heart flip-flopped in her chest.
Suddenly unsure of the wisdom of her lie, Grace nervously brushed a strand of hair back from her face. “I’m still waiting to hear why you’re here.”
“I couldn’t sleep.” His gaze remained fixed on hers. “I thought you might like to take a walk.”
Grace glanced at the bedside clock. “It’s three-thirty in the morning.”
“It’s a beautiful night,” Nick said, flashing her an enticing smile. “Clear—”
“Cold.”
“Minimal snow,” Nick continued without missing a beat. “Just grab—” his gaze lowered to her bunny slippers “—some shoes.”
“Maybe Flopsy and Mopsy want to go for a walk.” Grace wiggled her feet back and forth, causing the long pink ears at the top of her slippers to wiggle.
Nick chuckled.
Grace smiled and leaned over, trying to fix Mopsy’s bent ear. It took a few seconds—one of the inside wires had started to protrude—but when she straightened she found Nick’s gaze had not wavered. When she followed the direction of his gaze she realized it wasn’t the slippers that had captured his attention, but something else. When she’d leaned over, her robe had fallen open, revealing her satin nightgown.
Her cheeks burning, Grace casually reached up and adjusted the robe.
“I never pegged you for the satin type,” Nick said as if they were discussing her taste in food rather than her taste in lingerie.
Grace lifted a brow but remained silent, vaguely irritated by the comment, but not sure why.
Her gaze dropped to his flannel pajama pants. They were a well-known brand and very stylish. In fact she’d bought a similar pair for her brother-in-law last month for his birthday.
“I guess we’re even then,” she said.
“Even?” His gaze grew puzzled.
“I never pegged you as a flannel kind of guy.”
“I’m not.” Nick grinned. Surprisingly he didn’t seem the least bit upset by her observation. “These were my one concession to the weekend.”
“You bought new pajamas just for the weekend?” Grace asked. “Why would you do that?”
Even as she asked the question, Grace realized the answer. She lifted her gaze and could see the confirmation in Nick’s twinkling smile and wicked grin. So he normally slept…without pajamas.
Before she could process the information, he took a step closer and his hand briefly cupped her face.
Grace knew Nick was going to kiss her. She could see it in his eyes. And though she could have just taken a step back, Grace didn’t move an inch.
Because all weekend long she’d wanted this to happen. When she’d gone to bed earlier she’d thought the opportunity had passed. Tomorrow they’d be back in St. Louis. He’d go his way. She’d go hers.
Now it appeared she was being given another chance. An unexpected opportunity to assuage her curiosity about kissing Nick Tucci.
Nick now stood so close she couldn’t help but breathe in his delicious scent. He wasn’t wearing cologne, but the mixture of the shampoo and soap he used was better than any bottled aroma.
Kissing him in her bedroom might not be the smartest thing to do, but Grace didn’t worry about things getting out of hand. After all, she was curious, nothing more.
But when his hand gently brushed her hair from her face, her breath caught in her throat. And when his lips gently brushed hers then pulled back, she quivered with disappointment. That wasn’t the type of kiss she expected. She’d wanted…
Suddenly his lips returned, moving gently against hers as if he expected her to shut him down at any minute. Grace found the slight hesitation strangely endearing.
She looped her arms around his neck and his arms tightened about her. There was now no space between them, no way they could get any closer.
Grace absorbed the feel of him, the way his muscles flexed beneath her palms, the slight scratch of whisker stubble against her cheek.
Her fingers wove their way through the soft texture of his hair as his mouth closed over hers.
This time his lips lingered, caressing her mouth, drawing her into a whirling spiral of emotions and sensations she’d never felt before. She returned his kisses breathlessly, barely conscious of the fact that while they were kissing,
his hands were gently caressing her shoulders and stroking her back.
Grace shivered, the response at odds with the heat searing her skin. Though she knew she should end this madness now, she couldn’t bring herself to do it. Not yet.
Her heart raced and she struggled to keep her breathing steady as his lips closed over hers again.
Then he deepened the kiss and her world exploded. It was like she was drowning and soaring at the same time. She moaned, a low sound that astonished her with its intensity. Dazed and breathing hard, Grace pulled away.
“Grace?” Nick’s eyes were so dark, they almost looked black.
Grace shifted her gaze and crossed her arms, a chill traveling through her body. What had she been thinking? It was bad enough she’d let Nick into her room knowing his reputation. But to kiss him like that…
She drew a ragged breath. “I think you’d better…”
“Grace.” A sharp rap sounded at the door. “Is everything okay?”
Aunt Nellie.
Grace’s heart stopped even as her mind raced. She couldn’t let Nellie find Nick in her bedroom. Her aunt was old school. She’d never understand it was all completely innocent.
“Everything’s fine, Aunt Nellie.” Grace moved to the door and forced a reassuring tone.
“But I heard noises,” Nellie said. “I was worried.”
Grace slanted a glance back at Nick. He looked like every woman’s fantasy standing next to her bedpost, his arms crossed against his chest. If her aunt was worried now, what would she be if found Nick in her niece’s bedroom?
“There’s nothing to worry about,” Grace said, leaning her head against the door, the words flowing easily despite the tightness in her throat. “I was having difficulty sleeping, so I got up. I’m sorry if my moving about woke you. I’ll try to be more quiet.”
There was silence on the other side of the door and for a second, Grace thought she was home free. Her aunt would go back to her own room and Nick would go back to his. She would go back to her own bed and try to forget how close she’d come to disaster.
“May I come in for a second?” Nellie asked.
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