She pointed toward the back of the room. “Jana Stone, your generosity in donating this beautiful location, your time and the wine is appreciated by all of us.”
“Especially the wine,” someone shouted and the crowed laughed.
“Maggie Spencer,” Georgia continued, “your creativity, organizational skills and out-of-the-box thinking have made this the most financially successful fund-raiser we’ve ever had.”
Maggie smiled and cupped her hands to either side of her mouth. “It was a whole committee effort,” she called.
“Our esteemed mayor is too modest,” Georgia told the audience. “Some of us had our doubts about a Spencer and a Stone being able to work together, but these two ladies have put aside family drama...” She tipped the wineglass she held toward Maggie, a bit of golden liquid sloshing over the side.
“Is she drunk?” Grammy hissed from across the table.
“I mean, who would have guessed Mary Margaret Spencer was such a drama queen?” Georgia tittered and then took a long swig of wine.
“Add her to the shanking list,” Ben said.
“Stone for mayor,” a feminine voice called from a nearby table. Maggie was pretty sure she recognized Emily Stone, Jason’s wife, as the heckler.
“Shank her, too,” Grammy told Ben.
Maggie felt like her cheeks might crack as Georgia waggled a finger toward the guests, more wine spilling over the side of the glass. “No politics tonight,” she cautioned. “We’re all here for one goal. Maggie has done a great job of getting us to that goal, despite her mess of a personal life.”
Maggie sucked in a breath and felt her father squeeze her numb fingers. She looked down at where their hands were joined and was enormously grateful for the contact. Her smile remained frozen in place and her cheeks burned from the weight of the stares she could feel pointed in her direction.
Suddenly there was feedback coming from the speakers and she heard a faint grunt.
“Okay, then, folks.” She glanced up to see Griffin holding the mic as Trevor led a frowning Georgia toward the edge of the room. “That was a...uh...spirited speech by our hospital board president and a great reminder that while Harvest Vineyards makes fantastic wines, enjoy them in moderation.”
A few laughs greeted his words.
She could see his chest rising and falling as the room quieted once again. Griffin might have grown up in Stonecreek, but she knew he still felt like an outsider, even at the vineyard. Making himself the center of attention wasn’t easy, and the fact that he was doing it for her made her heart skip a beat.
“Seriously, though,” he continued, as if realizing he hadn’t quite adequately defused the situation, “both Maggie and my mom have gone above and beyond for tonight.” Another round of applause. He nodded, then said, “This night is particularly special to me because it marks the unofficial reopening of the Harvest Vineyards tasting room.” More clapping. “Thank you. This building was special to my dad and, as most of you know, he and I didn’t always have the closest relationship when I was a kid.” He held the microphone closer and leaned forward, as if imparting a great secret. “Mainly because I was such an idiot.”
“We love you,” Jana called from the back of the room.
Griffin smiled. “Thanks, Mom. Thanks for giving me a chance to make things right here. I don’t know what Dad would have thought of this, but I hope it would have made him as happy as it’s made me.”
He looked toward the members of the band. “It’s time to let these guys do their thing, and I hope you all are wearing your dancing shoes. Although I’ve been told recently that I’m not exactly Fred Astaire, I’m going to kick things off.” He took several steps forward and Maggie’s breath caught as he pointed to her. “Maggie Spencer, may I have this dance?”
Once again she could feel all eyes on her, only this time it was easier to ignore whatever curiosity or judgment might be coming her way and focus on Griffin. It felt as if he was aligning himself with her, publicly claiming her for all to see.
Her heart soared as she stood and walked toward him. And when she slipped her hand into his, it felt like coming home.
Chapter Nine
Griffin blew out a breath as he handed the microphone to the bandleader. The strains of a Frank Sinatra song began and he pulled Maggie into his arms. For a brief, terrifying moment, he’d thought she might refuse to dance with him.
“So much for keeping things private,” she whispered, smiling up at him.
“Are you mad?” He glanced around, relieved to see other couples joining them on the dance floor.
Her hand curled around the back of his neck, some of the tension easing at her gentle touch.
“I think this is another case of you rescuing me,” she told him. “Now instead of people talking about my messy personal life, they can speculate on what’s going on between the two of us.”
“You don’t need rescuing,” he assured her, “and I’m done with guessing games.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over hers.
She tensed and he thought she might pull away.
“Don’t go,” he pleaded.
“Everyone is watching.”
“Let them.” He splayed his hand over her back. “You’re beautiful tonight, Maggie. You’re also smart and funny and dedicated to this town. I get that. I also understand what’s at stake for you in the next couple of weeks. But I want to be a part of your life for real, not just sneaking around when no one is looking.”
“But you said—”
“Forget what I said. How I feel about you is simple. I care, more than I have for anything or anyone in a long time.”
“Griffin.”
“All the other stuff isn’t going away. I get that. This is what matters to me. I’m not going to stand by and let people take cheap shots at you. I know you can handle it. You’re stronger than most people know. But I don’t want you to have to handle it alone.”
She stared at him for several seconds, like she was searching for something...some kind of answer. “Okay,” she said finally.
He blew out a breath and grinned. “See how simple that was?”
“Simple,” she agreed and rested her head against his shoulder as they danced.
Griffin closed his eyes and swayed to the music, reveling in the feel of Maggie in his arms. It was a shockingly liberating feeling to have claimed her so publicly. Maybe tomorrow would bring real life crashing back in, but for now this was all he needed.
As the music ended, he took her hand and led her through the crowd, nodding and smiling to the people who offered words of encouragement. Support he’d take and the rest of the town could go to... Well, he had plenty of experience ignoring people who didn’t support him.
The night was crisp and clear as they stepped out into it and he drew in a deep breath, feeling the band around his chest loosen now that they were away from the curious eyes of the town.
“That was intense,” she said, pressing a hand to her cheek.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded. “It’s strange. For years I’ve been in the public eye in Stonecreek. Even as a kid, my grandmother loved to trot us out for ribbon cuttings and town events, living proof of her place in the community. I don’t remember how my mom felt about it, but I know Dad hated it. Morgan, too. And Ben was too little and easygoing to care. I was the one who made the effort to be the person she wanted people to see.” In the moonlight she could see his brows furrow. “It was never really me. I think walking away from the wedding was the first thing I’ve ever done just because I wanted to.”
“I’m glad you walked away,” he said, unable to pretend he felt any different.
She glanced over her shoulder and flashed the faintest wisp of a smile. “Me, too, but it changed everything. I don’t want to go back to being the well-behaved puppet I was before that, but discovering who
I want to be now isn’t the easiest thing to do in the middle of an election.”
“You’ve said before that you followed in your grandmother’s footsteps because it was expected. You were the chosen one in your family.” He moved closer, reaching out and trailing one finger against her bare arm. “Is being the mayor really want you want, Maggie?”
“I want to make a difference in this community,” she said, which wasn’t exactly an answer to the question. “I love this town.”
“There’s a whole big world out there that you won’t see if you’re stuck here.”
A shiver passed through her and she turned to face him. “I don’t think of it as stuck. Do you?”
He shook his head. “Not anymore.”
That answer seemed to please her because she moved forward and wound her arms around his waist. “Thank you for asking me to dance tonight.”
He chuckled and kissed the tip of her nose. “Thank you for saying yes.”
Voices filtered out into the darkness and he shifted so they were more fully in the shadows.
“That was well worth a check to the hospital,” a male voice said, and Griffin felt Maggie stiffen in his arms.
“Vivian could only keep that girl under her thumb for so long,” a woman answered. “It’s about time the Spencers learned that they’re human just like the rest of us.”
“Seems like our oh-so-perfect mayor is not only human but also damned hot after those Stone boys. If she can’t hang on to one, she’ll settle for the other.”
Griffin took a step forward, but Maggie held him back. “Don’t,” she whispered. “They aren’t worth it.”
He growled low in his throat instead of answering because the words he wanted to say would have made his army buddies blush. Closing his eyes, he dipped his chin until it rested on the top of Maggie’s head. He breathed in her fresh scent and flowery shampoo like it would calm him.
Car doors shut and a moment later an engine roared to life and he glanced out to see brake lights disappear down the winding drive.
“What’s wrong with people?” he asked.
She shook her head. “They’re petty and insensitive. But not all of them.”
“Enough of them to make me want to be a hermit,” he told her, smoothing the hair away from her face. “I’m sorry you had to hear that.”
“No apologies.” She placed a finger on his lips. “Remember?”
“Do you want to go back in?”
She shook her head. “You heard the donors. The event is a success. My work here is done.”
“What about your family?”
She sighed. “I guess—”
“Maggie?” Morgan walked toward them from the entrance.
“Hey, Mo-Mo.” Maggie stepped away from Griffin. “Did you need me?”
“I saw you two sneak out,” the girl said, “and I thought you might need this.” She held up a small black clutch.
“My purse.” Maggie took it, then hugged her sister. “How’s it going in there?”
“Old people dancing,” Morgan reported, then glanced toward Griffin. “Some of them worse than you, which is pretty bad.”
“You never even saw my best moves,” he told the girl.
“Lucky me,” she said with a laugh, then turned to Maggie. “I guess you’re not coming back to the party?”
“Can you tell Dad and Grammy?” Maggie asked.
Morgan nodded. “I think Mrs. Branson is already puking in the bathroom. She’s going to feel real bad about her speech, especially after Grammy gets through with her.”
“I can’t say I feel that bad for her,” Maggie said with a sniff.
“I like this new you.” Morgan stepped away from Maggie with a grin. “You’re all Kill Bill tough.”
“Let’s not go too far,” Maggie answered and hugged the girl again.
When Morgan returned to the tasting room, Maggie held up her purse. “I’m all yours,” she whispered.
“And well worth the wait,” he told her, lacing his fingers with hers. “I walked over from the barn.” He glanced at her strappy heels and made a face. “Do you want me to get the car and pick you up?”
She bent, pulled off her shoes and held them up as they dangled from two fingers. “I’m ready.”
“Then let’s make a quick trade.” Griffin shrugged out of his tux jacket, draped it over Maggie’s shoulders, then took the shoes from her. “I’ll hold these and you stay warm in that.”
He took her hand again and they made their way across the expanse of lawn that led to the barn and upstairs apartment.
“It’s so peaceful out here,” Maggie murmured, pausing to glance up. “The stars never cease to amaze me.”
“I feel the same way about you,” he said and drew her close, unable to resist kissing her again. The need and desire he’d tamped down these past few months roared to life. It was all he could do not to pull her down to the grass and strip off that sexy-as-hell dress to reveal every inch of her.
A breeze kicked up and he felt her shiver, even within the warmth of his jacket. “Inside,” he told her and they almost ran the rest of the way to the barn and his apartment above.
As soon as Maggie was up the steps, Griffin lifted her into his arms, pressing her back to the wall next to the door. He fused his mouth to hers, hoping to tell her everything he still couldn’t put into words. Things he barely understood about his heart and how it felt like she’d brought it back to life.
Her fingers tangled in his hair as he trailed kisses along her jaw, down her throat and then across her collarbone, tugging the delicate fabric of her dress off her shoulders. But before it fell completely, he lifted his head, his gaze zeroing in on the pale skin revealed at the center of the dress’s deep V-neck.
“Did you pick this outfit just to make me crazy?” he asked gruffly.
She breathed out a husky laugh. “No, although I hoped you’d like it.”
“I’m obsessed,” he admitted, “with everything it revealed and the promise of what was hidden.” He bent his head and licked the skin between her breasts. “I imagined kissing you here all damn night.”
She moaned and pushed her head back against the wall. “Anywhere else?”
He laughed. “Oh, yes.” He tugged the dress down her arms, leaving her naked from the waist up. Then he sucked one taut nipple into his mouth, making her moan again.
“More,” she whispered, and he loved her willingness to take command of the moment. Of him. He kissed and nipped and sucked first one breast, then the other, wondering if he’d ever get enough of the taste and feel of her.
Her hands went to his shoulders, kneading the tight muscles there. He straightened, yanking on his bow tie. “I need you to touch me,” he said as he undid the buttons of his crisp white shirt.
“I like the sound of that,” she told him with a saucy smile. She shimmied out of her dress, the fabric pooling at her feet and leaving her in nothing but a pair of black lace panties.
“Going to kill me,” he managed to rasp through gritted teeth, his fingers fumbling on the button of his tailored slacks, “in the best way possible.”
Maggie looked up at him through her lashes. “I haven’t even done anything yet.”
“My point exactly.” When he’d stripped down to only his boxers, he picked her up, groaning with pleasure as her legs wrapped around his waist. Her hot center pressed against his erection, sending desire rocketing through him.
“I’ve missed you,” he said against her mouth, moving toward the bed that sat against one wall. The apartment was, in essence, a studio—a loft-type room with a small kitchen in one corner, a couch and television situated a few feet away. The bed was at the far end of the space on the opposite wall.
It wasn’t exactly impressive and for the first time Griffin thought about renting his own place in town, much like T
revor did. Or buying a house. He stumbled a step, then righted himself.
“You okay?” Maggie asked, cupping his cheeks between her warm palms.
“Yeah,” he whispered and kissed her again. One thing at a time, he reminded himself.
This moment—here with her—needed to be his only focus.
Not hard to do as he laid her down on the bed, stretched out across his sheets, her thick hair fanning over his pillow like he’d imagined so many times in his fantasies.
He shoved his boxers down over his hips, then leaned over her to hook his fingers in the waistband of that amazing black lace. One side of her mouth curved up and her gaze darkened, as if she liked watching him strip her down.
It was the most erotic moment of his life, his breath coming out in short pants, and there was so much more. It was difficult to believe this beautiful, intelligent, caring woman had chosen him...had risked her reputation for him. Griffin didn’t know how to tell her what it meant to him, but he damn well planned to spend all night showing her.
He opened the nightstand drawer and pulled out a condom packet.
“Let me,” she whispered and took it from his hands. A moment later her fingers moved down the length of him and Griffin sucked in a harsh breath.
“Killing me,” he repeated, then moved over her on the bed. He claimed her mouth at the same time he drove into her in one long thrust, and he wondered how he’d ever been able to walk away from this woman. She was everything.
* * *
It was funny to Maggie that Griffin kept talking about death, because to her being in his arms, in his bed—the moment so intimate it felt as though they were one—was like coming alive in a whole new way.
Yes, she’d been with him months before and it had been amazing. But this—now—was different. She was different and Griffin... Something had changed in him, making hope spring to life inside her.
Her body tingled from head to toe as pressure built through her body. With each thrust, each kiss, passion wound around her until she was consumed by it. He whispered her name between kisses and she moaned low in her throat when he reached between them to touch her.
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