“Poor darling,” Grace tsked. A movement near the door caught her attention. She pushed to her feet and raised her voice. “Elizabeth Kincaid. I saw you. You get in here right now, young lady.”
A moment later, her youngest daughter slunk into the room. “I refuse to let your bad mood spoil my good mood.”
Grace glanced at the letter crushed in her hand. “Marriage is hard—”
“I know, Mother.”
She quirked one eyebrow at her daughter’s saucy tone. “It takes two mature people to work at making the right fit—”
“You mean like you and Dad?”
Grace caught herself short, then decided to ignore the comment. “Don’t use that sarcastic tone on me, young lady.”
Liz snorted. “If you want an example of two mismatched people, take a look at dad and yourself.”
And didn’t that just raise her hackles. “Elizabeth Kincaid, you take that back.”
“No, Mother, I won’t. It’s the truth. You go on national TV and spout marriage wisdom like you’re drowning in the perfect marriage. But when was the last time you and Dad spent time alone together?” Liz rolled her eyes. “When you conceived me?”
“Young lady, there is nothing wrong with your father’s and my relationship. We are quite happy. Extremely happy. Ecstatically happy.” Grace sighed at the lie, firmly keeping her game face in place. “Besides, this isn’t about your father and me.”
“Then what is this about?”
“It’s about not making a mistake that’s going to make you miserable for the rest of your life.”
“Well, I guess you should know about that,” Liz responded grudgingly.
Grace decided to ignore that. “I’m only thinking of what’s best for you. You’re so young. You have your entire future ahead of you.”
“My future. Did you hear that? I get to decide what’s best for me.”
Grace snorted. “What do you know about this man?”
“Everything I need to know.”
“What about his work?”
“What about it?”
“It starts there, Liz.” Her voice broke and she glanced down at the letter in her hand.
What had she been thinking? Going along with Liz’s choice of men because she was too busy with her show to see to her youngest daughter’s needs first?
Roger Gordon was all wrong for her daughter—rough, earthy, raw. Totally incapable of making a good showing at all the right parties. Why, the man would ruin Liz’s budding career as a prime time newscaster.
Grace decided that there was only one way for her to tell her daughter the problem and it was straight out. “What are you going to do when one of Roger’s groupies ends up in his bed?”
“Mother.”
“I’ve seen the man, Liz. Watched how other women respond to him. He’s a walking, talking advertisement for sex. If you want to sleep with him, then fine, have all the sex you want.” There, that was it in a nutshell. She firmed her jaw. “In fact, that’s what I’m recommending to all of my viewers from now on. Forget marriage. Just have sex. If you know what’s good for you, Liz, when you pick him up at the airport, you’ll tell him that the wedding is off and send him back the way he came.”
“Mother, you’re insufferable.”
“Then it’s a good thing I gave birth to you and you have to love me despite my shortcomings.”
“Oooooh, I’m done talking to you until you’ve had some coffee.” She glanced at her watch. “And now I’m going to be late for Roger’s flight.”
She stomped out, leaving Grace alone to contemplate the sickly green liquid in her teacup. She sighed. What she wouldn’t give for a cup of caffeine right this very second. Or chocolate. Or coffee with a spoonful or three of chocolate added.
Maybe this was all her fault. Maybe if she hadn’t been so focused on her career, she’d have done her job proper and nipped their budding romance in the bud before things got totally out of hand.
Now Liz thought she was in love with the man. What did the child know about love, anyway? She was twenty-three years old, still wet behind the ears, still running home to mama with her petty little problems.
With a depressed sigh, Grace randomly selected another letter from deep in the pile and sliced it open.
Dear Grace,
Yesterday was my tenth wedding anniversary and I spent it alone with the kids…
Been there, done that. Grace tossed the note into the trash can beside her desk and selected another letter.
Dear Dr. Grace,
I’m a stay-at-home mom. My husband spends all his time with the boys from work…
This letter followed the first two into the trash.
An hour later, she decided that all of the women who had written to her—all faithful viewers of her show who had once believed in the Cinderella fantasy—were unhappy. They all sounded as miserable as she felt.
Grace swept the remainder of the unopened letters into the trash, sat back in her chair, and wanted to cry.
She was not allowing Liz to waste her life and heart on some man who took her for granted. Who didn’t care whether she ever walked through his door again, as long as someone was there to do his laundry, cook his meals, and share the occasional romantic cuddle in the middle of the night.
No she would not.
She retrieved the letters from the trash and started writing her replies.
Dear cuckolded in L.A.,
Kick the cheating bastard out, then focus on your career. It’s the one thing no one can ever take away from you…
Grace grabbed the next letter.
Dear depressed in Dallas,
What do we need men for anyway? To fix the washer and dryer? To move the piano from one room to another? I say that you hire a man to do these things for you and get rid of the cruel bastard who leaves you to sit home alone on your wedding anniversary. Evil scum…
She was on a roll now.
Dear lonely in Toledo,
Why are you waiting for him to come home when you know he’s not giving you a second thought when he’s out there with his guy friends? Kick back and kick loose and call all your old girlfriends—who are probably in the same boat as you are—and get out and have some fun. I suggest you start at the nearest Chippendales…
Deciding to take her own advice, she reached for the telephone.
She was woman. Let her roar.
CHAPTER EIGHT
By the time Stone drove into town, he couldn’t wait to get his hands back on Stephanie.
She was staring out the window, and he let his gaze travel downward to where her skirt hugged her hips, her legs long and sleek. Into his thoughts crept the memory of those long legs wrapped around his waist and hips, pulling him deeper inside of her.
Man, he was in serious Stephanie-mode. Seriously serious Stephanie-mode. What did that mean? A full blown erection every time she came near? And why the hell couldn’t he get her out of his thoughts?
She’d been soft and welcoming and so warm, he’d never wanted to pull out. And she’d been funny too.
Then in the morning, she’d been gone. She’d left him, and now that he knew she was a wedding planner, he realized how lucky he was to escape the matrimonial shackles.
Even if she denied being interested in anything long term.
Even if he was currently in the middle of throwing himself back into the line of fire.
He pulled to a stop in front of the doctor’s office, shoved the gear shift into park, and shifted on the seat so that he partially faced her. “Want me to come in with you?”
She smiled one of her extremely naughty smiles, and shook her head. “No need. What will you do while I’m in there?”
He looked around and spotted a coffee shop across the street. “I’ll be in there when you’re done.” He couldn’t stop himself from reaching out and nudging a stray strand of hair off her cheek. “Are you sure?”
Heat flared in her gaze and his body reacted. “About what?”
&
nbsp; He grinned at her. “I can come in and hold your hand and, you know, distract you from your stomach while you’re waiting for the doctor.”
She laughed and swatted his hand away. “Are you kidding? If we’re in there alone more than five minutes, you’ll have all my clothes off by the time the doctor arrives.”
“Five minutes? Hey, we were alone the whole trip into town and you’re still clothed.”
“Only because I’m sitting way over here and you’ve had your hands busy with the steering wheel the entire time.”
He leaned forward, cupped his hand behind her neck, and gently eased her toward him. “Like this?”
She giggled, laid one hand flat on his chest to keep some much needed distance between them, while the other hand clutched the front of his shirt and urged him closer. Against his mouth, she said, “You’re going to get me into trouble.”
“We’ll be careful,” he murmured as he nipped at her bottom lip.
Stone slanted his mouth against hers and proceeded to devour her. Right there in broad sunlight, where anyone could see them.
She made him feel like a teenager again…wild and hot and desperate to explore where this thing between them was going. Except he had to remember it wasn’t anything but a quick affair because they were in close proximity. As his hand slid under her shirt and cupped her breast, she gave a breathy little moan and he groaned in response.
Her breasts were bigger, fuller, softer, and he suddenly wished he’d taken her to bed before making the trip into town.
When she finally pulled back and tugged his hand out from beneath her top, she was grinning with wicked delight and they were both breathing heavy. “Keep that thought in your head,” she whispered. “As soon as we get back to the estate, I’m getting naked and you better join me.”
“Definitely.”
But as she slid from the truck and turned back, she froze. “Mom? Dad? How long have you been standing there?”
Stone craned his head around so he could peer out the driver’s side window.
Sure enough, there stood a middle aged couple.
Her mom was grinning from ear to ear as though her daughter had just won a major prize, while her dad looked as though he wished he was holding a shotgun instead a woman’s purse.
He took a deep breath, reminded himself that both Stephanie and him were of legal age, then climbed out of the truck, and held out his hand. “Mr. and Mrs. Goodwin. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Her mom jumped right in and pumped his arm. “You must be the bride’s brother. The lawyer.”
He shot Stephanie a look. Had she been talking to her mom about him? Was this a ploy to get him down the aisle, after all? “Yes, Ma’am.”
Stephanie came to his side. “Mom, Dad, I’d like you to meet Stone Kincaid. He’s a d—”
Her mom cut her off and yanked him toward the older gentleman who was now clutching that purse like it was Stone’s neck.
“Tom, say hello to your daughter’s boyfriend.”
The noose around Stone's neck tightened.
“Mom, Stone's not my boyfriend. He’s actually a d—”
Tom growled low in his throat, interrupting his daughter. “Then why did he have his tongue down your throat?”
Beside him, Stephanie sighed, pulled his hand free from her mom’s grip, and gave him a push toward the opposite side of the street. “If you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave town before she starts measuring you for a tux.”
Stone restrained the urge to sprint, nodded in the general direction of her parents, then casually strolled across the street toward the coffee shop. As he reached for the handle, the front door swung open, and a couple stepped out into the sunshine.
The man glanced Stone’s way, then immediately stopped.
“Stone,” he said as he held out one hand. “When did you get back on the island?”
Stone grabbed the other man’s hand and smiled. “Just this morning. How are you doing, Brody?”
“Great. Better than great.” He released Stone’s hand and turned to the woman at his side. Pure adoration shone from his gaze. “This is my wife, Paige Calhoun-Jackson. Honey, I’d like you to meet Stone Kincaid. We played football together in high school.”
She held out her hand, a warm smile on her full lips. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Stone.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” As she released his hand, he glanced over his shoulder and saw Stephanie’s parents follow her into the doctor’s office. Gesturing toward the coffee shop, he asked, “Do you have time to join me? We could catch up.”
Brody glanced at his watch, then put one arm around his wife’s waist. “We have an appointment across the street. Maybe you could come over for supper one night.”
“I’d like that.” Stone pulled a card from deep in his pocket and handed it to the other man. “I’ll be on the island all week. Give me a call when you have time and we’ll set something up.”
“Will do.”
With a wave, the couple left. Stone watched them go into the doctor’s office. Then he headed into the coffee shop where he took a stool at the front counter.
His thoughts returned to Stephanie.
There was definitely something wrong with him.
A dozen times a day, the urge to call her came over him, and if it wasn’t for the fact that she’d given him a phony phone number, he might not have been able to resist. All that time, he’d believed the urge would go away.
It hadn’t and now here he was, under her spell again. So caught up in the feel of her lips against his, her full breasts in his hands, he’d forgotten they were in plain sight of the entire town.
Of all people, he should know better. The stormy relationship between his mom and dad was a perfect example of everything he wanted to avoid. Add in the dozens and dozens of divorces he handled each year, and how every time he saw how miserable those people were, he swore never to fall into the marriage trap.
Stephanie was dangerous with a capital D. He liked her—liked her more than was healthy for his single status. And yet, she’d sworn she wanted exactly what he wanted.
A no strings attached fling.
What he needed was time away from her to put this whole thing between them into perspective. Too bad he’d had weeks away from her and failed to do just that.
If he was smart, he’d steer clear of her this week, let this thing between them cool off, but he had a funny feeling she might be the one person he could turn to to keep him sane.
He straightened his back and something inside of him hardened.
After this week, he’d cut her out of his life. Cold, impersonal, without a hitch to his lifestyle. She’d return to wherever she lived and he’d return home alone.
And there’d be no marriage-minded mothers or purse-toting fathers in his life.
CHAPTER NINE
Stephanie had turned her back on her parents, fully expecting them to follow Stone to the coffee shop.
Maybe she was being selfish, but she had the inclination to let Stone deal with them himself. She had enough on her plate this week. She didn’t need to play middleman between her lover and her parents.
Unfortunately for her, when she entered the doctor’s office, she heard the distinctive click of her mom’s heels as the older woman followed her in.
“Oh honey, a lawyer. I knew you could do it.”
If Stone knew what was good for him, he’d hightail it back to the estate, grab his things, and make a break for the Mainland. If she had the choice, she’d run from her parents, too. “He’s not my boyfriend, Mom. In fact, he’s nothing to me.”
Her dad followed them in, a concerned frown creasing his forehead. “Is that how you kiss a boy who means nothing? Then you’re giving him the wrong message.”
Stephanie looked around at the other occupants in the doctor’s office and felt her face heat. “Will you two please keep your voices down?”
Dora grabbed her hand and tugged her onto a chair. “Sp
ill. Tell us all about him. Has he popped the question yet? When is the wedding?” She clapped her hands together and gazed up at her husband. “A double wedding, Tom. It’s a dream come true.”
The frown on her dad’s face deepened. He ignored his wife and focused on his oldest daughter. “Boys are trouble. Stay away from them and you’ll never go wrong.”
She lowered her voice. “What about Dane?”
“Dane’s different.” His furrowed brow deepened. “He’s like a son to me. The son I never had.” He speared his wife with a playful leer, the pained expression on his face momentarily gone. “Not for lack of trying, if I might add.”
Stephanie wrinkled her nose and felt her stomach roll. “No sex talk. It grosses me out, okay.”
“This has to be the one,” her mom muttered. “Every day gets you one day closer to spinsterhood.”
“Mom, forget it.”
While her mom mulled over her failure to get Stephanie married, her dad fixed her with a fatherly look. “This Stone…he looks like a player to me.”
She quirked one brow at him. “A player? How can you tell?”
“Because two-point-five seconds after he had you alone, he had his tongue down your throat and his hands…you know where.”
A blush crept into her cheeks. If her dad only knew about what had happened the night of Grandma Elvira’s wedding.
Leaning forward, she patted his knee and gave him her sweetest smile. “There was no tongue involved, Daddy.”
“If you hadn’t been uptown and in plain sight of everyone, I’m sure there would have been.”
Her mom tsked and her concerned expression deepened. “I saw the way he kissed you, honey. A man like that can get a woman’s panties off in no time at all. Just remember not to give away the cow before—” Her brow furrowed as she angled her body so she could see her husband. “What’s that old saying?”
Tom growled, “Dora, don’t give her ideas.”
Her dad, bless his kind soul, still thought Mandy and her were as innocent as the day they arrived on his doorstep.
The office door jingled, momentarily capturing her parents’ attention. A good looking couple walked in and sat down, and the young receptionist addressed them as Mayor and Mrs. Jackson.
Caught Between an Oops and a Hard Body (Caught Between series Book 2) Page 6