In his gut, he knew he’d found his mystery woman. And it was none other than Gracie Diaz.
He looked at her flushed face and downcast eyes, which blatantly refused to meet his. He was close enough to feel her presence, to react to her nearness. Like some damn high school boy with raging hormones, he was instantly aroused. And that could only mean one thing. He took a moment to tamp down the blood rapidly heating his veins. His senses on overload, his mind began to spin.
“Gracie?”
She stole the papers from his hands and rose quickly. “I’ve really got to go. I’m late...for an appointment.”
Before Sebastian could stop her she was gone, leaving him kneeling there as she sprinted out the door. More memories flashed in his mind of the masquerade ball. Those erotic scents, the sensual aura of her. He wouldn’t have ever guessed it. But he’d never reacted to a woman like that before.
He stood up and swallowed down his misgivings. Blinking his eyes, he knew only one thing. He had to get to the bottom of this. He had to know for sure.
And the only way to do that was to confront her.
* * *
Gracie paced the floor in her living room, wringing her hands, feeling anything but hungry. But it was dinnertime now and she had to eat, for the baby’s sake. So she’d called for takeout, something she could stomach, and the pizza delivery guy was due here any minute.
At least she’d ordered a healthy veggie pizza with all her favorite toppings. Maybe her appetite would come back. Right now she was bordering on nausea. Not from her pregnancy, no, she’d been pretty healthy lately on that score. But from the fact that she was fairly sure Sebastian had put two and two together today, and figured out she was the woman behind the mask, the woman he’d made love to with unequaled passion.
What else had he figured out? It wasn’t exactly rocket science. They’d been together three months ago, and she was three months pregnant.
Her heart skipped a beat every time she thought about him being her mysterious lover. She’d found out quite by accident during a party just weeks ago, when Sebastian had been tossed into a pool and she’d seen the scar on his back, the one she remembered feeling while they were making wild, passionate love that night. She’d been shocked to her very core, totally blown away to learn that Sebastian, her teenage crush, was the guy who’d fathered her child.
Sebastian had never thought of her as anything but a family friend. He’d never given her a second look. In the back of her mind, she’d always thought it was because she wasn’t worthy. There was a definite class difference between them. Even if the Wingates didn’t make it obvious, Gracie had always felt it. She wasn’t good enough for a Wingate, and she’d never once thought her fantasies of Sebastian would ever come true.
The knock at her door made her jump. Gosh, she was a nervous Nelly today. She grabbed her credit card and strode to the door, her appetite at an all-time low. But she thought of the baby’s health and gently opened the door.
“Pizza delivery.” It was Sebastian, holding the square box.
Her eyes widened. What on earth? Then she heard the rumble of an engine, and saw the delivery guy take off in his tiny blue car.
“You can put your credit card away, I paid for it.”
“I...don’t understand. Why are you here?”
“For pizza?”
She shook her head.
“Okay, I think you know why. We need to talk.”
“Showing up unannounced isn’t polite.”
“Neither is lying,” he said brusquely. “Are you going to let me in?”
She paused. She had no choice. “I suppose I have to. You have my dinner.” Not that she could eat a bite now.
She moved aside and let him into the foyer of her small, tastefully decorated rental home. His presence filled the space, surrounding her, making her nerves bounce. They stared at each other for a split second, then Gracie grabbed the box. He didn’t let it go. Four hands on one pizza box. “I’ve got it,” he said. “Where’s the kitchen?”
Her shoulders slumped as she released the box, pivoted and led the way into the kitchen. The instant gleam of white cabinets and sparkling countertops contrasted with her gloomy mood. She was totally unprepared for this sudden visit. Because, in truth, she was still processing this baby-daddy bombshell, and hadn’t thought far enough into the future to know what to say to Sebastian if ever confronted. But here he was, his eyes probing, his very kissable mouth looking thin and hard.
He slid the box onto the table and put his hands on his hips, as if he were the ruler of the kingdom or something. A ruler dressed in black slacks, a white shirt rolled up at the sleeves and tight enough across his broad chest to leave any sane woman breathless. Aside from the way his presence unnerved her, she wasn’t going to let him get the best of her.
“You’re her, the woman from the masquerade ball, aren’t you?”
“I was at the ball, yes.” She turned away from him and opened the pizza box. The scent of bell peppers, olives and tomatoes wafting up curled her stomach. She closed the box.
“Don’t dance around the subject, Gracie. Look at me.”
Gracie didn’t like to be ordered around. She didn’t like that he’d trapped her. Especially since she hadn’t sorted this all out in her mind yet. When she didn’t turn around, he walked over to face her fully, his presence looming. He was in her space, inches away, probing her with eyes that demanded an answer, with his tight, firm mouth. It was hard to imagine that mouth on hers, like it had been months ago. It was hard to believe she’d given him so much that night and now he was here interrogating her.
“I already told you I was at the ball.” She lifted her chin.
“It’s the reason you’ve been so skittish around me today.”
“I’d just spent a fortune on your house. So yes, I was anxious.”
“Gracie, dammit. Answer my question.”
She had nowhere to go. No way to put him off any longer. She didn’t want to admit this to herself, much less to him. But she hesitated too long.
Sebastian put a finger to her cheek and his soft touch melted her instantly. She hated that he could do that to her, crumble her defenses that way. “Gracie, it was you, wasn’t it?”
She swallowed and gave a nod.
Breath blew out of his mouth and he stepped back, looking differently at her now. As if he was reliving that night in his mind, thinking of the sexy, erotic things they’d done to each other. He seemed truly shocked. As if he couldn’t believe she could cause that reaction in him. Her pride could barely take the insult.
“When did you know?” he asked gruffly.
“What does it matter?”
“When?”
“I found out at the launch party. I saw...the scar on your back when you got out of the pool. I remembered it.” That night, in their secret alcove, there was no light, only heat and passion, and their heightened senses. She’d remembered tracing her fingertips over that scar, recalled wondering how he’d gotten it.
For a second, Sebastian looked away, as if touching upon the moment he and his brother Sutton had been celebrating the launch of their new hotel. One second he’d been standing by the pool, and the next he’d been tossed in. It had all been fun and games, until Gracie saw him strip off his wet shirt and get naked from the waist up, and that was when she’d noticed the scar.
Sebastian turned and stared into her eyes. “I’ve never forgotten that night, Gracie.”
Neither had she. It was the night she’d had incredible sex. The night she’d conceived her baby. “Getting tossed into the pool?”
“I’m not talking about that night, and you know it. I’m talking about the masquerade ball.”
“Oh, right.” Playing dumb wasn’t her strong suit. She was stalling.
“And the baby you’re carrying...it’s mine?”
S
he set her hand over her belly. It was hers. All hers. Sebastian wasn’t her fantasy man any longer. She didn’t want a man who didn’t want her and he’d proven that to her over the years. He’d never given her a second look before. He’d never flirted or seemed the least bit interested in her; and now to think Sebastian was the man who’d made wild love to her was all so confusing. His questioning rattled her brain. She wasn’t ready to sort through her muddled thoughts—she needed more time. “The baby is mine. We want nothing from you.”
“What?”
“Sebastian, that night we were two strangers meeting. It wasn’t planned. And so you owe us nothing.”
“Hey, listen to me, Gracie. Maybe that night was a mistake, but I don’t run out on my mistakes and obligations. And you have no right—”
“This...baby...is...not...a mistake.” Heat rose up her neck. Her face felt flush. “It’s wanted. By me.”
“I didn’t say the baby was a mistake, Gracie. It’s just that you need to think about this more rationally.”
“You think I’m not being rational? I’m being very rational. I want what’s best for my baby.”
“Our baby.”
Gracie sucked in a big breath. She felt faint. Probably because she hadn’t eaten all day. So what she needed now more than anything was to show Sebastian the door.
“Why don’t we sit down and discuss this?” he asked.
“No, I’m tired. I think you should go.”
“Gracie?”
“Sebastian, just go. I need to rest.” She was playing the pregnancy card, but it was true. The day had taken a toll on her.
“We haven’t finished this. Hell, we haven’t even started it. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
She nodded and marched to her front door, leaving him to follow. All she wanted right now was to get him out of her house. She needed some peace.
At the entrance, Sebastian faced her, his expression somewhere between panic and remorse. Already he’d insulted her, said she was irrational and called the baby she was carrying a mistake. “Gracie, I, uh... I’ll call you,” he repeated.
“Fine.” It was so not fine. But she wanted him to go, and if agreeing to talk to him tomorrow would do the trick, then so be it.
“Get some sleep.” He gave her a sweeping look that touched every nerve in her body. Then he walked out.
Two
Gracie spent the morning in her pajamas, looking online for baby furniture. Sipping decaf coffee and eating a blueberry scone on her bed was a good way to distract herself from the confrontation she’d had with Sebastian last night. She fully expected him to call her first thing this morning, but it was already eleven o’clock and the phone hadn’t rung once.
She clicked on page after page of cribs and dressers, of high chairs and strollers and all things baby. It was clearly daunting. She’d always wanted a child, but now with all these choices in front of her, she definitely had homework to do. At some point she would take a class on parenting and childbirth. Gosh, her tummy rumbled in excitement and a little fear.
Though Sebastian Wingate had played a role in her fantasies from childhood, it was a mere silly young girl’s dream. Gracie wanted the kind of unconditional love her parents had had for each other. It was clear Sebastian didn’t have feelings for her.
And the fact was, she really didn’t know him at all. Was he the man of her childhood fantasies or the mystery man who’d swept her off her feet and made love to her? How often had she thought about that one wondrous night with Sebastian, and the wild woman she’d become in his arms? It had been so out of character for her, to have sex with a stranger. But the pull between them had been strong. Undeniable. Uncontrollable. He’d given her an unforgettable night of mind-blowing passion.
And a baby.
She had to think about what that all meant.
She was still processing it when her cell phone rang, jerking her out of her musings.
Her stomach ached. This was the call she’d prayed wouldn’t happen, but as she dared a look on the phone screen, Lauren’s face popped up. The breath trapped in her throat slowly escaped and her shoulders slumped in relief. Lauren Roberts was her friend, and now they were business partners anticipating the grand opening of The Eatery in just one week. The restaurant was almost ready, the staff hired. Lauren was an amazing chef, someone who’d started a food truck business that kept her hopping. Now she was selling those trucks to commit to one place, and one man. Sutton Wingate, Sebastian’s identical twin brother. The couple were head over heels in love and planning a wedding, but she wouldn’t hold that against her friend. Sutton was actually a pretty cool guy.
“Hi, Lauren. I was planning on meeting you in a few hours at The Eatery. What’s up?”
“Uh, that’s why I’m calling. Something’s...come up, and I was hoping you could come by maybe a little earlier?” Her voice squeaked. “I’ll make your favorite lunch. The baby will like it, too, I promise.”
Lauren seemed unusually anxious. “I have no doubt. You wouldn’t have it any other way. Let’s see, I could be there by noon. Does that work?”
“Yes, thanks. That’ll be...um, perfect.”
“Lauren, is everything okay?”
There was a short pause on the other end of the phone. “Yes... I think so.”
“We’re still going to go over the plans for the grand opening, right? I have some ideas to run by you.”
“Y-yes. We’ll do that. Uh, okay, gotta run.”
Gracie held the receiver long after the call ended, thinking her friend sure had acted odd over the phone. She’d find out what was going on once she saw Lauren face-to-face.
A few minutes after twelve, Gracie unlocked the back door of The Eatery and let herself in. She passed the small room where Lauren and her sous-chefs would taste-test new items on the menu, then walked into the state-of-the-art kitchen. After the appliances had been installed, she’d teased Lauren that their sparkle and shine could blind a person when they walked in. Even now, she could smell the newness of the place. “Lauren, I’m here,” she called out.
Lauren walked in from the main dining room, wearing an apron. “Hi,” she said, out of breath.
“Hi.”
“I was just serving your lunch at your favorite table.”
“You mean our lunch, don’t you?”
Lauren’s face colored to a rosy pink and she reached for both of her hands and gave a squeeze. “Gracie, we’re good friends now, aren’t we? And you know I value this partnership very much, right?”
Where was all this coming from? Lauren seemed super serious and it worried her. Gracie nodded. “Of course.”
“Good, because I really care about you.”
“I care about you, too.”
She heard someone walking into the main dining room and glanced out the kitchen doorway. “I didn’t know Sutton was meeting us for lunch, too.”
Lauren closed her eyes briefly. “That’s not Sutton.”
Gracie dropped her friend’s hands. “What?”
“It’s Sebastian.”
“I don’t want to talk to him right now,” she whispered in a rush. She wasn’t ready; that was why she’d sent him away last night. The last thing she wanted to do was speak to him face-to-face. Seeing him in the flesh confused her even more. Because he was undeniably handsome, and when she looked at him, memories flashed in her mind. Of him kissing her, caressing her, making love to her like she was the only woman on earth. It had been so good between them—being totally in tune with her body, Sebastian had given her the best night of her life. But she feared him, too, because he could interfere with her plans for the baby. He could change everything. And that worried her.
Before she could utter another word, Sebastian walked into the kitchen. “Don’t blame Lauren. She didn’t want to do this. Honestly, it took all my powers of persuasion and then some to conv
ince her to help me.”
She glanced from Sebastian to Lauren. “Did he hold a gun to your head?”
Lauren smiled softly, her eyes filled with compassion. “No, just a baby. Gracie, I’m sorry. Please forgive me.”
“So...you know?”
“I do. Sebastian confided in me. And honestly, I think it’s pretty amazing.”
Gracie blinked. She was trapped by her friend’s good intentions. The truth was bound to come out eventually. She and Lauren had discussed their special masquerade ball encounters with each other. Lauren and Sutton had also met under the guise of a mask at the gala, and there’d been a case of mistaken identity between the twin brothers. But they’d fallen in love despite the mix-up, and now were embarking on their happily-ever-after. “But, Lauren, you took Sebastian’s side over mine. We’re supposed to be partners.”
“I didn’t think of it as taking sides. You both need to talk and you can do it here. In private. With no interruptions. Will you do that?”
She shrugged, defeated. “Only because I have no choice.”
“Okay, sorry. You two have some lunch together. And if you’re still speaking to me after that, I’ll come back and we can talk shop.”
Gracie tipped her chin up toward the ceiling, shaking her head the way her mother would often do when she was faced with a difficult situation. Both coconspirators awaited her response. “Fine.”
“Okay, well, I’ll disappear now.” Lauren gave a tentative smile. “Everything is set out and ready for you. I made your favorite, Gracie.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly. It was a really sweet gesture, one that might just let Lauren off the hook.
Gracie tried to ignore the earnest look on Sebastian’s face—the small smile, not of triumph, if she was being honest, but of optimism. He strode by her side, almost making an attempt to put his hand to her back, but then corrected the move. Smart man. She wasn’t in the mood to be charmed.
At the table, he pulled out the chair for her and she took her seat. Around her, unique Southwestern artwork decorated the top half of the walls, while ocean-blue glass tiles added color and light and sparkle to the lower half. Fresh and clean, a place for open minds and palates, The Eatery encapsulated Lauren’s vibrant personality to the letter.
One Night in Texas Page 2
