Her chest rose and fell as she took in a deep breath. “Really, it’s nothing. I’m just overwhelmed with everything going on.”
“Ok. Hattie left you breakfast in the fridge. Although, it’s almost lunch now. Good luck today.” He gave her ankle one last pat and left her to her thoughts. Her cruel, self-berating thoughts.
Once she heard the door close, she tossed off the covers, but remembered she was still wearing only the panties she’d worn last night. Foolishly allowing herself to get lost in memories from last night, she remembered Grady’s capable hands on her body, driving her straight to a rip-roaring climax... in a matter of seconds.
Dammit, when she wanted something, she went for it. She didn’t beat around the bush and bat her eyebrows until someone else made a move. If that didn’t work for him, then he wasn’t right for her. She was not about to feel foolish for being herself. And enjoying it.
With a bolstering nod, she dragged herself out of bed and got ready for her interview. She’d get that job, move to this adorable town, and figure the rest out along the way.
Unfocused in frontof the glaringly bright computer screen, Grady struggled to complete the document he’d spent all afternoon working on. The words swam around the page, becoming more elusive the more he tried to finish the damn job. After ditching early to go to Black Op so much lately, Grady had a lot of catching up to do. But it wasn’t happening.
Lincoln hollered from across the hall, “I can hear your brain from here. Stop thinking so loud. It’s deafening.”
Kent had already gone home for the afternoon, leaving the office painfully quiet. Lincoln had been pushing him to spill on why he was in such a lousy mood. He was always cranky at work, but even Lincoln noticed how much worse it was today. Finally, when Grady was too far gone to respond with his pathetic groans anymore, having deteriorated to whimpers, Lincoln crossed the hall and dropped into the leather chair across Grady’s desk.
“You look like hell. What gives?” Friends in law school, although a year apart in school, he’d set up shop as soon as he graduated a year and a half ago, and Lincoln had joined him last summer. His partner still seemed to find the job interesting and worthwhile. Grady couldn’t let him down, especially so early in their partnership.
Shit. He should at least talk to someone about his more acutely pressing predicament. Other than Hattie. She was too supportive. And Asher would either pat him on the back or call him a fucking moron. Lincoln would be less biased.
Hopefully. Or hopefully not. It could go either way. Frankly, there was no outcome of this current mess that would be palatable.
Not bothering to hide the sleepless rasp in his voice, he went for it. “I fell in love with Claire and then fucked it up.” He dropped his head in his hands and pulled at his hair.
Silence.
Leaned back, he waited for Lincoln’s response. Long pause. Lincoln shifted his posture. “I’m sorry. I’m not sure I heard you correctly. Didn’t she just get into town a few days ago? With your brother?”
Weakly, Grady looked up at his friend and nodded.
“How the hell could you, A) Fall in love so quickly, B) Put yourself in a position to fall for your brother’s fiancée, and C) Are you stupid?” This is why Lincoln still enjoyed what he did. He was going to lawyer the shit out of this.
“A) It happened in a matter of seconds. She arrived at the skating rink a few minutes after Sophie and Freya left last Friday. I didn’t know who she was. She’s absolutely gorgeous with this chocolaty brown hair and eyes that seem to change color depending on her mood. She didn’t flat-out say that she was engaged, and she was there alone. So, naturally, I hit on her, and we joked around and I’ve never laughed so hard in my life. B) It wasn’t on purpose. I tried not to, but every time I turn around, she’s right there being so gorgeous and sweet and funny. C) I am a complete idiot. I was irritable last night and threw myself a pity party, and, uh, I made out with her. She looked so hot in this sexy little black dress, so damn appealing and... determined.”
Lincoln leaned back in his chair and considered, his fingertips tapping against each other. “Define ‘made out.’”
Exasperated, Grady pushed his chair back from the desk and stood to pace the room. “The act of rubbing one’s tongue against another’s.”
“Mutual?”
“What? Of course. I’m an idiot but not a creep. Her tongue was just as far down my throat as mine was down hers.”
“Was she drunk?” Lincoln’s eyebrow raised up like it was under the control of a damn fishhook.
“No, we were both sober and consenting.”
“Was that all that happened?” Damn lawyers.
“And... I sort of... skipped past second and stole third base. And she was giving me the best damn glimpse at her version of second. Or third. Fuck, I don’t know which. I mean, there’s no established system for delineating the base system, but please don’t make me go into detail. However you want to classify things, it was consensual and... incredible. And then in my usual graceless stupidity, I made it worse and walked away.”
Scowling, Lincoln shook his head in sad judgment. “Mr. Mallory, you definitely crossed the line, but so did she. What are you going to do about it?”
He walked to the window and looked over the alley behind the office. “Last night, I’d decided to fight for her, like Hattie and Asher had insisted. I meant to tell her how I feel. To give her the choice. But things quickly got out of hand. It was just going to be one more kiss to let her know how I feel about her. So, new plan. I’m going to hide.”
“One more?”
“Always on the details, aren’t you?”
Lincoln stood from his chair and nodded grimly. “You may need to do more than hide. Either a plea bargain or run like hell. Are you going to say anything to Ryder?”
