by Mia Kay
“His starts where hers stops.” Her eyes misted over. “He’s tied them together.”
Nora stepped across the aisle, somehow graceful despite the rock of the car. “Hey, Ben. Go talk to Adam about the history of the Alps or something, please. I need to talk shop with Grace.”
He squeezed her fingers before he crossed to the other side of the train.
Grace took advantage of the privacy. “Can I use your tattoos in a book? Would you mind?”
Nora waved away the question. “I’d be happy to contribute, and Adam will get a kick out of it. You’re going to switch rooms, aren’t you?” She grinned rather too wickedly, yet Grace couldn’t help but echo it.
“So, I’m thinking you didn’t bring any lingerie,” Nora said.
An image flitted through Grace’s mind—her plaid shorts and red sleep shirt with a large teddy bear on the front. “Oh God.”
“Is it that bad?”
“Worse.” Grace groaned as she put her hand over her face. “What am I going to do?”
“We’ll go shopping. I’m a newlywed, so I have a license to shop for sexy things to, er, sleep in. Now let’s spend a few minutes looking all happy just to make them nervous.”
Sitting next to Adam, Ben got a glimpse of what a vacation without Grace would be like. He couldn’t stop staring as the sunlight highlighted the freckles across her nose and the chestnut strands in her dark hair. Her laughter tickled his ears, and his fingers were cold without her. After a respectable amount of time, he returned and shooed Nora back to her side of the aisle.
Back in his proper spot, Ben watched Nora and Adam together. He envied Nora because of Adam’s acceptance. Whatever she had been through, he had apparently given her a place to dispose of her past. Ben wanted that peace. He wanted to believe it could withstand the truth. The first step was to be honest with the woman next to him.
“Before we get to Salzburg, I should tell you something. Grace, I—”
Her soft fingers muffled his explanation, and her expression stopped it entirely. Her eyes were wide in her pale face. “Are you married?”
He shook his head, never removing her hand.
“Are you a criminal of some sort?”
From schmuck to thug. Great. Still, he smiled as he shook his head.
“Do you have some sort of horrible disease?”
Geez, she’s given this some thought. At his emphatic denial, Grace rubbed her thumb along his bottom lip.
“Does anything you think you need to tell me change what you’ve told me so far?”
Ben placed a warm kiss in her palm, flicking his tongue against her skin. Her breath caught while her fingers cradled his jaw, making him feel fragile despite his size. It was always there, the sweetness of her, the intense heat between them.
He brushed his knuckles along the tendon in her neck. “I will never lie to you about anything that matters.”
She nodded. “All my answers are the same. Can that be enough?”
He was gobsmacked. “Do you realize what you’re offering?”
“Everyone has secrets, sweetheart. If it still matters in Paris, we’ll address it then. Deal?”
Ben took the gift she offered and sealed their bargain with a kiss.
What’s her secret? The devil whispered in his ear.
He pulled away to see her face. “So, you don’t have a husband waiting on you at home?”
The Alps loomed on the horizon, but Grace held his gaze. “No.”
“Thank God.” He rearranged their bodies so they could watch the mountains out the window. “And you teach?”
“From time to time.”
“If my lit teacher had looked like you, I might never have graduated. What do you do the rest of the time?”
He couldn’t help the question. He wanted to learn about her life, even though he knew what would follow.
“I’m a consultant. What about you?”
This was his chance to be honest, to share himself as she deserved. For a moment, he watched their reflections, visible in the window. They looked peaceful. A secret that made you peaceful couldn’t be bad. Could it?
“Media and communications,” he finally replied. The quiet surrounded them, and his heart hammered in his chest so hard he was surprised she didn’t feel it shake her spine.
“About this arrangement,” he began, “we don’t have to sleep together. I mean there are two beds, and, well . . .” His words strangled to a stop as he tried to give her an out he prayed she didn’t want.
She took his hand and Ben quit staring at the ceiling and looked her in the eyes. The teasing glint he’d come to expect made it easier for him to continue.
“I don’t want to push you into anything.” As he relaxed, his sense of humor returned. “I won’t lie, sex would be great. But I don’t want you to feel like you have to just because your mother thinks it’s a good idea.”
Grace’s laughter sputtered to life, shaking his free. The chain reaction built until they were wiping gleeful tears from their eyes as the train pulled into the station.
That sudden burst of humor faded as Ben stood with her in a secluded corner of the Hotel Salzburg’s small lobby, both staring at the room keys they’d been given. Their mothers had walked to the other end of the lobby, out of earshot, to look at a tourist map the desk clerk had provided.
“Your place or mine?” Ben asked as he looked over his shoulder. This was weird enough without an audience.
Grace pulled a coin from her pocket. “Heads, it’s yours.”
He won the coin toss.
The ride to the correct floor was quiet, the walk down the hallway worse. Grace unlocked the door and they both jumped as it slammed shut behind them. It was a hotel room just like ones in cities around the world. A closet to one side, the bathroom to the other, a wall of windows opposite the door, and two beds in between. Were the rooms always this small?
Ben gulped. “Okay, this is—”
“Bizarre,” Grace finished.
Her gaze flitted around the room, as if she were looking for a hiding place or an escape route, and her grip tightened on her case until her knuckles were white. Dropping his bag, he gave her what he hoped was a winning smile. “Why don’t we check out the view?”
After a long moment, Grace released her luggage and quick-stepped to the curtains. The hardware rattled against the rod as she yanked them open. Salzburg spread in front of them.
“Wow.”
She flinched when he slipped his arms around her waist. It was slight, and he couldn’t blame her, but it worried him. “Do you think this means our mothers are looking at a dumpster in an alley?”
“Well, we won fair and square.” She inhaled a deep shaky breath before she stepped away and explored the rest of the room. As she kept putting space between them, his worry increased. “How about some music?” she called over her shoulder.
“I knew there was a reason I liked you.” Ben retreated to the ritual of unpacking to calm his nerves.
After he stored the suitcases in the closet, he carried his toiletries to the vanity. “Did you want to change before we leave?”
Pop music blared into the room. Peering around the corner, he saw Grace begin a free-form sort of jitterbug. As the song played, her dance became more of a head-banging fit. She spun, and her unselfconscious joy invited him to play along. They bounced around the room in a punk frenzy until they collapsed on the bed, grinning stupidly at each other.
“That’s much better.” Ben levered himself over her and leaned forward until his lips met hers. As usual, his body overrode his brain. Sliding his tongue into her mouth, he relished the sweet flavor unique to her and the agile play of her tongue.
He combed his fingers through her hair then continued to explore, tracing
her ears, down the column of her throat, around the curve of her shoulders. Hungry for more, he left off kissing her to trail his lips to her ear and catch the tender lobe in his teeth.
She surrendered with a sound between a gasp and a sigh, tilting her head to allow him access to more skin, and he took advantage—tasting her as he soaked in the scent of her perfume.
Her hands moved from his shoulders to his chest, and he slowed, giving her the chance to stop. Instead, she curled her arms around him and tugged him closer.
Again, he explored. Her breast, hidden beneath her blouse, filled his hand, and he rolled her pebbled nipple between his thumb and forefinger. She tugged his shirt from his waistband, her warm hands seeking his skin.
This was exactly what he’d promised not to do. This morning while shaving, he’d lectured his reflection on taking his time with her. He wanted to show her Europe, to watch her eyes light up with each new city. That wouldn’t happen if she didn’t see anything but the ceilings of hotel rooms. He’d vowed not to fall on her like a sex-starved lunatic and here he was, doing just that.
He stopped and moved his hands to the mattress. They lay there, foreheads pressing together, sharing gulps of air.
“If I touch you again, we’ll never leave this room,” Ben groaned, then shuddered as she lightly raked her nails on his back, tickling instead of hurting and making him second-guess his commitment to sightseeing. “That’s not making it easier to let you go.”
She smoothed his shirt down, settling the light cotton between them. “I did say I wanted to see the Fortress.”
“You did. And we need to get moving if we’re going to catch the bus.”
Yet she remained still. So did Ben, taking in the sight of her flushed skin, her hair in disarray, the points of her breasts clearly visible under her disheveled shirt. Maybe we could see the Fortress on another trip.
Her body was ready, but worry lurked in her eyes. That stopped him more than any promise he’d made to himself.
“Aren’t you the least bit concerned about the speed of all this?” Her voice shook, as did her deep breath. “About me being okay with the speed of this?”
“No.” He sat and pulled her upright to face him. “I’ve learned to spot women who are casual about sex. You’re not one of them. Are you worried?”
Her head tilted as she frowned in thought. After a few seconds, her features smoothed into a smile. “No. You don’t strike me as the wanton orgy type.”
Relieved, Ben released a laughing breath. “Trust me, doll, if I’d wanted an orgy, I’d have booked a different tour.” He pulled her to her feet and kissed her quickly. “Chivvy on, then.”
They stood side-by-side at the bathroom mirror rearranging their clothes and combing their hair, as if they did it every day.
Hand in hand, Ben and Grace strolled from their room and started on their new adventure. And for the rest of the afternoon, they hung with the group and explored until neck cricks and foot blisters made them seek out a resting place.
Ben found his mother on a bench in the walled courtyard.
“Mozart’s home is open for tours this evening,” she said. “We’re getting up a group to go after dinner.”
“Do you want me to come with you?” The offer was half-hearted, but he had promised to have a vacation with her and he was responsible for her safety.
“Not if you’ve made other plans.” She eyed him with motherly keenness. “Is your room all right?”
He rubbed the skin under his collar. He’d never get used to talking about sex with his mother. “Everything is great, Mum. What about yours?”
“Perfect. Sunny’s going to be a wonderful roommate.” She looped her arm through his. “Don’t worry about me, Bennett. I know where you are.”
“Then I’ll skip Mozart and see if Grace wants to gander through the city.”
They reached the bus as Grace and her mother rejoined the group. Sunny patted his arm in greeting as she continued to address her daughter. “Are you two joining us for dinner?”
“I think so.” Grace somehow managed to respond to her mother and telegraph the question to him.
“Yes,” he said as he wound his arm around her waist. If he thought about the newness of her, it still shocked him. So he did his best to quit thinking about it.
“We’re going for coffee when we get back to the hotel.” Sunny continued the conversation as they climbed onto the bus.
“Nora and I are going shopping,” Grace said.
“I thought you’d want to do that.” Sunny dropped into the window seat, and waved. “Have a good time.”
“Is shopping with Nora okay?” Grace asked as they found seats. “It won’t take long.”
“We don’t have to be inseparable. Take all the time you’d like. I need to get a few things myself.”
“Can I save you a trip?”
He felt like someone had set his skin aflame. “No.”
Grace clapped a hand over her mouth. The giggle leaked out anyway. “No, probably not.”
Ben tugged her close, resenting the seat belt holding her in place. They shared the gentle laugh. This was getting easier.
“What are you shopping for?” he whispered.
She flashed a wicked grin. “I didn’t bring any lingerie.”
It wasn’t easy any longer. As he imagined her in various slips of next-to-nothing, the blood drained from his head to other parts of his anatomy. His throat refused to work, but he finally managed to strangle out, “Oh.”
The door to the bus slid open before he realized they’d reached the hotel. Ben undid her seat belt, then allowed his body to brush hers before he kissed her cheek and whispered, “Don’t let me keep you.”
Chapter 7
Every shade on the color wheel splashed across tables, racks, and walls of the lingerie boutique, somehow complimenting each other rather than clashing. Soft carpet muffled Grace’s footsteps, and sultry background music encouraged her to sway with the beat.
Textures tickled her fingers as she shopped. The lace was soft and sensuous rather than stiff and scratchy, and the silk made her feel like she touched nothing at all.
She’d never felt so sexy in her life. She might never buy department store underwear again.
Her pulse jumped. She was buying underwear someone else was going to see—Ben was going to see—in a few hours. It was surreal. She glanced at the price tag and gasped. As unbelievable as paying this much for underwear.
Carrying their small bags, Grace and Nora returned to the hotel and joined the men in the lounge. Ben’s arm across the back of her chair, his easy laughter, worked with the cocktails and comfort food to drain away the rest of her apprehension.
They left Adam and Nora in the lobby. Once the elevator doors closed, Ben reached for her bag. “Do I get to see what you bought?”
She swatted his long, elegant finger from the edge of the tissue paper. “Patience, sweetheart. Don’t you want to be surprised?”
“Doll, I’ve lived in a constant state of surprise for the last four days.”
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. Ben’s fingers flexed on her waist to keep her close until the doors opened on their floor.
“Then a few more hours won’t hurt you,” she teased in a whisper.
He fumbled with the key, getting them into their room on the second try. The click of the lock echoed as he pulled her to him. Her bag dropped to the floor.
She gave up tempering her reaction to him. They shared a hungry kiss, and she ran her hands over his shoulders and down his chest and abdomen, around to his back, feeling his trembling, quaking muscles and strong bones. His groans and gasps encouraged her to continue, and her hand ventured below his waist to his thigh, then up to his erection straining for freedom.
“We don�
��t have enough time,” he panted as he shaped his hands around her ribs.
“We have . . .” She checked her watch and groaned in agreement. “Twenty minutes.”
“Which means we have ten.” He stole another kiss and stepped away. “And I’m not going to rush this.”
She regretted the distance between them as they searched for dinner clothes. “Are you sure?”
“No.” He waggled his eyebrows as he turned toward the bathroom. “I’m going to go stand in a cold shower while you get dressed.”
“Let me get my makeup.”
Fifteen minutes later, he emerged fully clothed except for the tie dangling around his neck. From her spot in front of the dresser mirror, Grace could watch his reflection as he repacked from earlier and then worked on the knot in his tie. A slight frown creased his brow.
She put the finishing touches on her makeup as he pulled his jacket from the closet. With it hanging from his fingers, his gaze traveled up her back, starting at her ankles and ending at the sweep of her hair over her shoulders.
She talked to him in the mirror. “You look nice.”
“So do you.” He shrugged into his jacket as she reached for her purse. “Are you ready?”
Grace double-checked her reflection. “Do you see something I missed?”
He shook his head. “Hillary would have skipped sightseeing to shop, spent all afternoon faffing about, made us late, and she still wouldn’t have looked as smart as you do. Plus, she never wore shoes fit for walking. We saw every city from the window of a car. I have much more fun with you.”
He kissed her fingers before grasping her hand. “And that’s the only time I’ll think about my ex-girlfriend with you in the room. Let’s go.”