by Sherri Hayes
“Have you changed your mind?”
Grace stared back at him with wide eyes. “No.” She swallowed. “I just . . . Kurt picked out my collar himself. I figured . . .”
“I can pick something out on my own if you’d prefer, but I’d rather have your input.” He cupped her ass and pressed her pelvis against him in a suggestive way. “The final decision will be mine, of course.”
She smiled up at him. “Of course.”
He placed a kiss on her lips and released her. “I’m hoping to get out of work on time today. How about I pick you up at five thirty? We can get something to eat and then go look for your collar.”
Alexander’s day went much smoother than the previous one. The idiot lawyer was nowhere in sight.
After lunch his boss stopped by his desk. “I was wondering if you have a minute.”
He glanced at the stack of folders to his left. It wasn’t as if they were going anywhere. “Sure.”
Once they were inside Janet’s office, she walked behind her large wooden desk, sat down, and invited him to take a seat. “I wanted to talk to you about the meeting yesterday.”
His good mood went out the window. “What about it?”
“I wanted to let you know I was impressed by how you handled yourself. Gregg is an ass and more than once I’ve wanted to drop-kick him into next week.”
Alexander chuckled. “You won’t get any argument from me.”
Janet grinned. “He likes to goad people. It’s how he’s made his reputation. You didn’t bite.”
“After having drill sergeants shouting in your face, Gregg Bowers isn’t all that scary.”
“I imagine not.” She laughed. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about your future here. You’re a great asset and I’d hate to lose you. I know when we first talked you were hoping to start your own practice.”
She left the sentence unfinished, giving him an opportunity to take it wherever he wished. “At the moment, that’s still the plan.”
Janet leaned back in her chair. “What can I do to change that?”
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Chapter 24
Grace was surprised to find her sister sitting on her front steps when she got home from the café. It was the middle of the day, which meant Gabby should have been working. “Hey.”
Gabby looked up as Grace approached. “Hey.”
She took a seat on the steps next to her sister. “Shouldn’t you still be at work?”
“I took the day off.” Her sister shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, but she could tell something was off. Especially since Gabby wasn’t asking Grace the latest details regarding her relationship with Alexander.
“Want to talk about it?” Grace asked when Gabby didn’t say anything more.
It took a moment for her sister to respond. Gabby stared down at her hands, twisting them nervously in front of her. “I did something stupid. Really, really stupid.”
Grace was almost afraid to ask. “What did you do?”
“I slept with Jax.”
“When?”
Grace tried to keep the shock out of her voice, but she didn’t know how well she succeeded. Her sister looked as if she wanted to crawl into a cave and disappear. “Last night.”
When Grace remained silent, her sister continued. “He wanted to take Taylor to the park after work, so I arranged for him to pick her up at the babysitter. By the time I got to his place to pick her up at seven thirty, she was already passed out on his couch.”
“How exactly does that translate into you two . . .”
Gabby cracked a bit of a smile at Grace’s reluctance to go on. “Having sex?”
“Yeah.” It was stupid. Grace had no trouble talking about all sorts of kinky things with Alexander, but with her sister she felt like she was a bumbling teenager again discussing her first kiss.
“I don’t know exactly. One minute we were talking about how he wanted to see Taylor more, and the next we were kissing.” Gabby dropped her head into her hands. “Before I knew it, our clothes were on the floor and we were in his bedroom. We didn’t even make it to the bed.”
“Was it good?”
Gabby snapped her head up to meet Grace’s gaze. “What?”
“The sex. Was it good?”
Her sister looked at Grace as if she’s lost her mind. Maybe she had. This wasn’t the type of thing Grace normally talked about. “That’s not the point. It shouldn’t have happened.”
“Maybe not. But it did.”
“I know.” Her sister lowered her head into her hands again. “What am I going to do?”
“What do you want to do?”
“Hide.”
Her sister’s honest answer made Grace laugh. “I’m serious.”
“So am I. All I want to do is curl into a ball and hope no one finds me.”
Grace could see this conversation wasn’t going anywhere fast. It was warm out by November standards, but there was still a nip in the air. “Do you want to come inside?”
“Do you have anything harder than pop in your fridge?”
“I think I may have some wine.” She was pretty sure she still had an unopened bottle in the back of one of her cabinets.
Gabby pushed her hair away from her face. “Unless you have a whole vineyard in there, I don’t think it’s going to be enough.”
“Come on, it can’t be that bad.” Grace rubbed a hand up and down her sister’s back.
“Yeah, it can.”
Grace felt as if she was missing something. Sure, Gabby sleeping with her ex wasn’t ideal, but this seemed like overkill.
They sat there for a while, not speaking, the cool concrete they were sitting on slowly seeping through her jeans. Her sister seemed to be thinking about something and Grace didn’t want to interrupt her thought process.
Eventually, her sister sighed. “I think I’m falling for him again.”
Grace waited.
“He’s been so nice lately—wanting to spend time with Taylor, asking if I need help with anything.” Gabby glanced in Grace’s direction. “The last time he took off he broke my heart and left me trying to raise a newborn on my own.”
“I know.” Grace pulled her sister in for a hug.
After a few minutes, Gabby pulled back. “I should go. I need to pick Taylor up soon.”
“Do you need someone to watch her tonight?” Grace wasn’t sure how Alexander would feel about it, but her sister needed her. If it cost her a sore bottom, she’d take it.
“No. That’s all right. I’ve had all day to wallow. Besides, I don’t want to mess up your evening.”
Her sister stood, brushing the dirt off her jeans, so Grace did the same. “You wouldn’t.”
Gabby ignored her. She gave Grace a peck on the cheek and turned toward her car. “Thanks for listening.”
Her sister was halfway to her vehicle before Grace could respond. “Call me if you need me.”
“I will.” Her sister opened her car door and slid inside.
Grace stood at the base of her front steps and watched as Gabby drove away.
Once her sister was out of sight, Grace ascended the stairs, unlocked her door, and went inside. Gabby had always been more spontaneous than Grace. Which, all things considered, was a little ironic. As far as Grace knew, her sister wasn’t into kinky sex.
After hanging up her jacket and kicking off her shoes, Grace checked her watch. It was a little after four, which meant she had about an hour and a half before Alexander came to pick her up. More than enough time to shower and put in a load of laundry.
Alexander knocked on her door at five twenty-seven. She snatched her coat from the closet and opened the door, ready to leave. But before she could cross the threshold, he stepped forward, pushing her back into the foyer, and shut the door behind him. He gripped her waist with both hands and jerked her closer. Her heart pounded in her chest as his lips found hers and she melted against him, letting her tongue tangle with his.
She hummed. “Did you have a bad day again today?”
“No. Actually, it went well.” He didn’t seem surprised that she’d picked up on his mood the day before. “I even got a job offer.”
“Really? Where?” Maybe it should have seemed odd that they were standing in her foyer, foreheads still pressed together, having this conversation, but it didn’t feel awkward.
“Same company I work for now.” He brushed his mouth against her forehead and let his arms fall down to his sides. She didn’t miss that he still had his cane. Nor had she missed how much he’d leaned on it that morning. “But my position was always meant to be temporary, until my license came through and I could open my own practice.”
She knew how important starting his own practice was to him. They’d talked about it a lot over the last two months. “What are you going to do?”
He picked her coat up off the floor and helped her into it. “I don’t know. The money’s good. Benefits. Vacation. 401K.”
“But it isn’t what you want.” She could hear it in his voice.
“Shuffling papers around isn’t exactly how I saw my future.” He opened the door for her and followed her outside. “Then again, up until a year ago I figured I’d be spending at least another ten years in the military.”
She nodded, not feeling as if words were needed. Plans changed. Circumstances changed. They both knew that.
Over dinner Grace told him about her sister’s visit. “If you needed to take care of your sister tonight, all you had to do was let me know.”
“Thanks.” Knowing that made her feel a bit better. They were still feeling things out, especially the relationship part. “Her relationship with Jax has always been complicated. The chemistry was always there, but I think she was looking for something more permanent than he was.”
“And now?” he asked, swiping a fry from her plate and popping it into his mouth.
Grace shrugged. “I don’t know. He seems to be more invested in Taylor, wanting to spend time with her . . . be her dad. But I’m not sure Gabby’s willing to open herself up again. He really broke her heart when he took off the first time.”
“Hopefully they’ll be able to figure it out. It’s never easy when kids are involved. Too often they get stuck in the middle.” The way he said it made her think he was speaking from personal experience, but as far as she knew his parents had a happy marriage. He seemed to know where her thoughts were going. “My best friend in junior high. In the two years I was there, his parents had split, gotten back together, and then split again. Last I heard, he was living with his mom and spending weekends with his dad. It was hard on him.”
“I’m sorry.”
Alexander stole another fry. “It was a long time ago.”
They finished their dinner and walked hand in hand down the block to a jewelry store. Grace had passed by it several times, but she’d never been inside. She’d never had reason to.
He held the door open and gestured for her to go first. “After you.”
***
A woman behind the counter looked up as they entered. She smiled. “Welcome. Anything particular I can help you find today?”
Alexander placed a hand on the small of Grace’s back and guided her forward. “We’d like to look at your selection of necklaces.”
“Right over here.”
She directed them to a long glass case full of necklaces. Most of them he immediately discarded. They were too flashy. He wanted something she could wear every day and to the club.
“I’ll give you a few minutes to look. Just holler if you need anything,” the woman said before walking to the other side of the store to help another customer.
He moved closer to Grace, his chest pressed against her back as he peered over her shoulder. “See anything you like?” Alexander could feel her hesitation. “I want it to be something you’re comfortable wearing.”
She glanced up at him, and then back to the case. “I like these two.”
The two necklaces she pointed out were in line with what he was looking for, but neither was quite right. One had two circles, one inside the other. The other had a single circle with a small jewel hanging from the center.
Then he spotted something a little farther down. It was almost hidden because it was at the end of the row, next to the bracelets. He moved them closer to get a better look.
“What do you think?” he asked once they were standing in front of the necklace.
“It’s pretty.”
He brushed her hair back away from her neck with the tips of his fingers and leaned in to whisper in her ear. “Do you like it?”
She sucked in a breath. “Yes, S—”
“Did you find something?” the sales woman asked, reappearing with a flourish from around the corner.
Alexander pointed to the necklace. “We’d like to see that one.”
“Of course.” The woman removed the necklace from the case and placed it on top of the counter. “It has a simple elegance to it.”
“That it does.” He picked it up, letting it drape over his fingers. “You’d be able to put a small charm on at the back?”
The saleswoman leaned in slightly, taking a look at the clasp. “That shouldn’t be a problem. What did you have in mind?”
“A heart. And I’d want it engraved.” He turned to face Grace. “Turn around and lift up your hair. I want to see what it looks like on you.”
Obediently, she turned so her back was to him and lifted her hair away from her neck. It only took a few seconds to secure the necklace. As soon as it was in place, she faced him, letting her hair fall. The three linked circles rested just above her collarbone.
He ran a single finger along the black chain down to the gold circles. Seeing it around her neck confirmed it was the one.
Grace’s gaze met his. The look in her eyes matched what he was feeling inside: pride, joy—and, he dared to hope—love. “We’ll take it.”
The sales woman said something, but he didn’t catch it. His focus was on Grace.
“Sir?”
Alexander tore his gaze away from Grace and turned to address the sales woman. He had no idea what she’d said, but it didn’t matter. “How long to get the charm and have it engraved?”
“As long as we have the charm in stock, we should be able to have it to you in a few days. A week at most.”
It took them another half hour to finish things up. He’d looked over the charm options carefully, trying to find one that would work with the necklace and be big enough for what he wanted to have written on it. In the end, he’d settled on a gold heart about the size of Grace’s thumb. He filled out the form for the engraving, making sure every letter was legible.
As they were leaving, a sharp pain shot up his leg and he stumbled. Grace reached out to steady him. “Do you want to stay here while I get the car?”
He breathed through the pain and waited for it to subside. “No. It’s not that far.”
Grace didn’t argue, but she did stay close to his side. He hated having to lean on his cane so much, but it was that or he was going to fall flat on his face.
It took a bit longer, but they made it back to the vehicle. He sat down behind the wheel and breathed a sigh of relief as the aching in his legs eased some. Grace watched him, her brow furrowed. He reached for her hand and brought it up to his lips for a kiss. “I’m all right. My leg just gets a little testy when I’ve been standing on it for too long.”
“Can you take anything to help with the pain?” she asked.
“I have some pills at home, but I try not to take them.”
“Why not? If they help—”
“Because it’s not that bad. Really.” He kissed the inside of her wrist and released her hand. “I just need to stay off it for a while and rest.”
She didn’t comment as he maneuvered into traffic and began heading toward her house. It w
asn’t until they turned onto her road that she shifted in her seat. “Are you staying tonight?”
He’d been debating that the entire drive. As much as he wanted to stay, having her lying beside him and not being able to have her would be torture. Still, if he had to lie there and do nothing, he’d rather be with her than alone in his apartment. “If that’s all right with you.”
“Of course.” She smiled. “I can massage your leg like I did before, if you’d like.”
Memories of the last time she’d massaged his leg, as well as other parts of his anatomy, had a whole new type of ache beginning. He put the car in park in front of her house, unbuckled his seat belt, and turned to face her. Tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear, he leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. “Now, that’s an offer I can’t refuse.”
She grinned.
The walk inside was full of discomfort. Getting up the stairs was the worst and he knew he had an entire flight of them to conquer in order to reach Grace’s bedroom. He didn’t object when she took his coat and hung it up for him. The only thing he could think about was sitting down and getting the pressure off his leg.
“I think I have some wine in the kitchen.”
“That sounds great.”
She nodded and hurried down the hall, leaving him alone.
He made his way into the living room, albeit slowly, and lowered himself onto the couch. Grace appeared a few moments later with two glasses of wine.
“Thanks,” he said, taking one.
“You’re welcome.” Grace sat down beside him, folding her legs up beside her.
Alexander placed an arm around her shoulders and hugged her against his side as he took a sip of his wine. It wasn’t his preferred drink, but it would do well enough to take the edge off the pain. Hopefully enough that he’d be able to get up the stairs and into her bed.
They sat there quietly, drinking the wine and talking until Grace started to yawn. “We should probably get you up to bed.”
She smiled up at him. “And I still owe you a massage.”
He drew her face closer, bringing her in for a kiss. “Why don’t you go and get things ready? I’ll be up in a few minutes.”