The Trouble With Attraction

by Codi Gary

  Eric’s other hand came up to cup her jaw and she shivered against the rough skin of his palm on her face. “Friends, Gracie Lou? That’s really all you want us to be?”

  “We haven’t been there yet. We’ve been enemies and nearly lovers and acquaintances. We’ve never tried just being friends.”

  Eric tipped her chin up and the intensity in his dark gaze stole her breath. “Maybe because being friends with you feels like a lie.”

  It would be so easy to let him kiss her. To forget everything she’d just said and give in to every want, every desire that vibrated through her body.

  Except then they’d be right back to where they’d been last Valentine’s Day and Gracie was tired of the fighting. Of hating his guts.

  “Right now, it’s all I’ve got to offer.”

  Chapter Twelve

  October

  Eric had been a good guy for nearly eight months. Things had been friendly between Gracie and him, with no kissing attempts from him and no sidelong looks from her. They’d dated other people, and attended barbeques and parties with Gemma and Travis, and nothing.

  But tonight, she had to go and wear that.

  Music blasted loudly through the speakers as Everett Silverton and Eric made their way through the crowd. Eric had come with Everett to the Halloween Ball and the minute they reached the DJ booth, Eric had recognized Gracie in her little black cat costume, even with the black mask covering half her face. Her blond hair curled down past her shoulders now, and her glossy lips were curled up into a smile for Callie Jacobsen, who was inside the DJ booth.

  Eric’s dick stiffened under his tore up jeans and it was suddenly sweltering beneath his Jason Hockey Mask.

  He tipped it up and grinned at her. “What’s up, kitty-cat?”

  Gracie’s cute little nose wrinkled, but he caught the twitching of her pink lips. She wanted to laugh.

  “Hey Buffy, can I borrow your stake?” Gracie asked Callie. “I need to stab something undead.”

  Eric could feel them falling back into their old pattern, but it felt good. He couldn’t help himself; that costume reminded him of the sexy eighteen-year-old girl he’d tried like hell to resist. It was as though he was getting a do-over of that night, and he didn’t plan to blow it.

  “Gracie Lou, you know stabbing me is the last thing you want to do.”

  Gracie huffed loudly, and gave Callie a wave, completely ignoring him. “I’ll see you later.”

  Before she could get too far, Eric yelled, “Why do you fight the inevitable? You know you want to have adorable kittens with me, pussy cat!”

  Several people who had heard him turned to see what was going on. Gracie turned to him with a grin.

  And her middle finger up in the air, directed right at him.

  Eric laughed as she walked away, her long black tail twitching with the sway of her hips.

  He turned to Everett, still smiling. “That woman is secretly in love with me.”

  “Must be some secret,” Everett said, shooting Callie a sidelong glance, and Eric knew what was coming. Eric had known that Everett only wanted to come to see Callie, and that he had no interest in hitting on girls in costumes with Eric.

  “I’ll see you later, Eric. Okay?”

  Eric sniffled a little and held his hand over his heart just to be an ass. “Yeah sure, ditch your wingman. That hurts, man.”

  Everett’s gaze narrowed dangerously and he practically growled, “You don’t know what hurt is…yet.”

  Eric backed away slowly. “Yeah, yeah. I get it. It’s cool; I’ve got my own game to run, anyway.”

  “Pretty sure the game isn’t interested,” Everett said.

  Eric rubbed his hands together. “The fat lady hasn’t sung yet, my friend.”

  He ducked back into the crowd, following the way Gracie had gone. He found her next to the bar, sipping on some pink fruity drink with two floating eyeballs in it.

  “That looks disgusting.”

  She took a long sip, her lips curled around the straw and let out an “ahhh.”

  “It’s delicious. Wanna try?”

  She held the drink out to him and he took a sip, his gaze never leaving her.

  And grimaced.

  “Too damn sweet. I prefer my alcohol bitter or burning.”

  Gracie laughed that high, tinkling sound that reminded him of bells. “So, you wanna have kittens with me huh? What happened to just being friends?”

  “Hey, you were the one who wore the sexy cat costume. I’m not responsible for my actions when you show up looking like that.”

  She finished the rest of her drink and stepped a little closer, her black gloved hand running over his chest. His heart slammed against the pace she’d touched.

  “Did you just call me sexy?”

  Eric’s hand came up to rest on her hip. “You know what I think of you, Gracie.”

  * * *

  Gracie’s stomach dropped as she stared up into Eric’s dark eyes. She had no idea what was happening. She’d planned on going as a sexy wolf tonight, but that old cat costume had caught her eye and for some reason, she’d thrown that on instead. She hadn’t even known Eric was going to be here, as it wasn’t really his scene.

  But once he’s lifted that mask, and raked his gaze over her, she’d been thrown back. Her palms had started sweating through her gloves and her skin had practically tingled.

  Now, his hand burned through the thin fabric of her cat suit, branding her hip with his touch.

  “I do?” she said, just loud enough to be heard over the music.

  “Yeah. You know that I think you’re beautiful, and sexy, and sweet.”

  “Oh…”

  “You’re also annoying and bossy and—“

  “Let’s just stop at sweet, shall we?” she said.

  Eric’s finger’s dug in as he brought her closer. “Honestly, Gracie, I’ve always thought—

  “Excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt, but are you Gracie McAllister?”

  Both of them swung towards the intruder, a smartly dressed man in a dark suit and tie, his brown hair cut short. His features were almost pretty they were so slim and perfect.

  “Um, yeah, I’m Gracie.”

  The man held his hand out to her, and she could feel Eric tense next to her. “Hey, I’m Darrin Quinn. We were supposed to—

  “Oh!” Shit. Gracie had completely forgotten about him, since he’d been late. She’d figured he’d changed his mind and stood her up. They’d been chatting on TheLastFirstKiss.com for a month, and she’d suggested they meet up tonight so if she wasn’t interested in him, she could easily lose him.

  “I am so sorry. I just came over to get a drink and bumped into my friend, Eric. Eric Henderson, this is Darrin Quinn. He works for the DA’s office in Twin and he’s my…my date for tonight.”

  She stumbled over the last two words. When she’d set up the date with Darrin, she’d been lonely and was hoping for a sure thing tonight, so she wouldn’t spend the whole night dancing by herself. But Eric had made her forget about him with his look, his banter, his admission…

  What had he been about to say?

  Eric released her and held his hand out to Darrin. “Good to meet you.”

  “Yeah, you too.” Darrin’s gaze traveled over her and his smile made him even more beautiful. His pictures definitely hadn’t done him justice. “I am sorry I was running late, but I had trouble finding a costume. I like yours though.”

  “Thanks. Who are you supposed to be?” Gracie asked Darrin. She was so uncomfortable, especially since she wished like hell she could tell Darrin to take off, but she’d asked him out. He’d driven all this way for her.

  And he was a handsome lawyer with his shit together. No baggage. No past. A fresh start.

  “Yeah, I couldn’t find anything so I just went with a lawyer.”

  Well that was a little disappointing. Sure, her invitation had been last minute, but she loved Halloween. Eric’s costume was simple, but he still looked aweso
me.

  “Well, I better take off and find myself a dance partner,” Eric said.

  Gracie stared at him, torn between wanting to follow him and find out what he was going to say and being nice. Nice won out.

  “I’ll talk to you later?”

  “Sure, Gracie Lou. Later.”

  * * *

  Eric hit the bar on the other side of the room first, tossing back a whisky before crumpling up the plastic cup in his hand, shattering it. It stabbed him in the palm and he grimaced.

  “Oh, did you hurt yourself?”

  Eric glanced up to find Kirsten Winters standing in front of him, dressed as a mermaid with full on purple shell bikini top and shells woven into her blonde hair.

  “Nah, it’s just a scratch. How are you, Kirsten?”

  “Bored. I came with Michelle, but she’s already ditched me.”

  “Yeah, my wingman bailed too.” Eric looked across the room, trying to spot Gracie and her date, but the crowd was too dense.

  As if his mind had willed them to part, a three-foot opening revealed Gracie dancing with Darrin, smiling at something he said. Eric was positive the guy wasn’t that funny, but if Gracie had a check list, the dude probably filled a few of the conditions, if not all of them. Lawyer. Good-looking, even he could admit that. Probably had his own house and a 401 k.

  Eric ran his family bar, had a double wide on a couple of acres, and a classic car he loved enough to pour his money into.

  God, he’d been an idiot, thinking that he could ever be good enough for Gracie McAllister.

  “You wanna get out of here?” Kirsten asked.

  Eric turned back to her, and knew what she was asking.

  “Yeah, let’s go.”

  * * *

  Gracie’s gaze strayed to Eric again, but he had his hand on Kirsten Winter’s bare back, guiding her towards the door.

  Her stomach roiled, knowing exactly where they were going. Kirsten was nice enough, but she liked men and sex. She didn’t apologize for it, which Gracie could respect.

  Except the thought of her having sex with Eric sent Gracie into a tailspin.

  Damn it, I like Eric.

  During their moment earlier, she’d felt it. Everything coming together and for the first time, they weren’t fighting. There had been no misunderstandings. No hurt feelings.

  Until Darrin had shown up.

  God, she was stupid. If she could just stand to be alone for five seconds, she might have been the one walking out the door with Eric.

  Instead she was here with Darrin, and he was everything she’d been looking for. Well, for the most part.

  So why was she so jealous of Kirsten?

  “I am having a really good time,” Darrin said, spinning her out and back in.

  A nasty voice in her head went off on her. Will you snap out of it? If you’d really wanted Eric, you could have had him, but you told him you just wanted to try being friends. Suck it up, buttercup. You chose to stay with Darrin instead of asking Eric what he was going to say. There had to be a reason for that, right.

  With a deep breath, Gracie pasted a smile on her lips she hoped reached her eyes. “Me too.”

  Acknowledgements

  To NYLA agency, especially my agent, Sarah, Natanya, who go this book online for me, and Cindy for copy editing this for me. This book is a thank you to my readers, who continued to send me emails and messages, asking when the next Rock Canyon was coming. Thank you for loving this town and these characters as much as I do.

  Sneak Peek of Good Girls Don’t Kiss and Tell

  © 2017 Codi Gary

  Chapter One

  “I’m sorry, but am I the only one who thinks co-ed anything is stupid? Ladies, why would we want to ruin things like Bachelorette parties and baby showers by including men? My advice…keep it separate and enjoy the male strippers.”- Miss Know It All’s Gossip Column.

  Gracie McAllister put the last little frosting owl on the cake and leaned back to examine her work. This was the second cake she’d made for her best friend, Gemma Bower’s baby shower because the first one had turned out funky.

  This one was pure perfection, though. She just had to make sure it stayed that way.

  Carefully, she slid the cake lid over it, and snapped it into place. Now she had to carry it out to her car, drive it out to Gemma and Travis’s place, and pray that nothing befell her on the way.

  She’d just set the cake into the back of her Honda CRV when her cell blasted She Got It From Her Mama. Just the sound of her mother’s ringtone caused a cold sweat to break out on her forehead despite the chill in the November air.

  She’d just talked to her mother yesterday. Most weeks they spoke three times at most, and they’d reached that quota. Ever since her parents had retired to Florida, her mother had three reasons to call. To ask why Gracie hadn’t called her, to ask her how to do something that involved an electronic device, or the worst phone call of all…was she seeing anyone?

  Luckily, Gracie had been seeing Darrin Quinn for a little over two weeks. He was handsome, settled, and nice. A lawyer who worked for the DA’s office. Her mother would be thrilled.

  Which was why Gracie hadn’t told her a thing. She didn’t want to jinx it.

  Of course, the fact that he’d bailed on her an hour ago for the baby shower wasn’t awesome, but she could understand. It was a little early in their relationship for a co-ed baby shower.

  She slid her thumb over the screen and answered cheerfully. “Mom. How are you?”

  “Gracie? Why do you sound like that?”

  “Like what?”

  “All high pitched and out of breath.”

  Insulting her already? Shocker. “Because I was carrying Gemma’s baby shower cake and it was heavy. And because I’m excited to hear from you.”

  “Hmm, okay…did you remember the gift I sent Gemma?”

  Ah, the check up on her phone call. She’d forgotten that one. “Yes, it is sitting right next to mine in the house. I was just heading in to grab it.”

  “Well, I won’t keep you. I just wanted to make sure you give Gemma my best.”

  “I will.”

  “Oh, and your father and I have decided to come back to Rock Canyon for the holidays, so you won’t need to get a plane ticket this year.”

  Gracie stopped walking up the steps to her house. Her tiny, tiny house and her heart did the river dance in her chest. “You are? When are you coming?”

  “The twelfth. We really miss our friends and the town, and figured we’d come back for a nice, long visit. Do you think you can pick us up from the airport in Boise? It was less expensive than flying into Twin Falls.”

  But an hour and a half drive two ways for me is okay?

  “Sure, mom, of course I can get you guys. Where are you going to stay?”

  “Well, we just assumed we’d stay with you, sweetheart.”

  Gracie wanted to slam her head into something. The whole reason she flew down to freaking Florida for the holidays was to spend it with her parents, who had a three-bedroom house on the beach. Yet, now, they wanted to come up here and stay in her one bedroom house, while she’d get stuck sleeping on the couch for two weeks?

  “Of course, if that’s a problem, I suppose we could find a hotel or something,” her mother said.

  Passive aggressiveness rears it’s ugly head.

  “Mom, it’s not a problem. I’ll just have to figure out the logistics. You know that I only have the one bedroom, and there’s no hide a bed in the couch.”

  “Sounds like something Santa should bring you for Christmas.” Her mother laughed at her own joke, but Gracie was picturing the ugly ass couch her mother would choose for her.

  “No, mom, that’s okay. Really. I’ll have everything set up before you get here.”

  “Wonderful, I’ll let your father know. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  Gracie clicked off the call and slid the phone into her pocket before picking up the two presents with a gru
nt.

  Two weeks. Her parents were going to come to town and stay with her. Sleep in her room, bitch about her small kitchen. The house she rented was perfect for her under most circumstances, but not now. Not for this.

  What in the hell was she going to do?

  * * *

  Eric Henderson had no idea how he’d ended up at a co-ed baby shower on a Saturday afternoon, but there he was, carrying two trays of his mother’s frog eyes, while she bustled ahead of him. Grant and his dad had managed to bow out but since Eric’s friend was the father-to-be, he was shit out of luck.

  “Oh, Gemma, you look beautiful!” his mother cried.

  Gemma Bowers, his friend Travis’s wife, waddled over to his mother and gave her a hug. She was wearing a simple purple cotton dress that showed off her enormous stomach. She was six months pregnant with twins, and Eric thought she looked like she was ready to pop now.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Henderson. I am so glad you could come.” Gemma smiled past his mother at him. “Hey Eric. Travis is in the garage.”

  Eric took the escape she offered and carried the food into the kitchen, setting them on the counter before he went out the back. He headed down the walkway and found Travis, Mike Stevens, Gabe Moriarty, Gregg Phillips, and Chase Trepasso standing in the open garage, drinking beer.

  “So this is where all the men are hiding?” Eric called.

  Travis grinned at him, his blue eyes twinkling. “Hell yes. I don’t know what I was thinking agreeing to a co-ed baby shower. Men were not meant to stand around wearing paper diapers with fake poo in them.”

  Eric noticed the little white diapers pinned to all the men’s shirts and exploded with laughter. “Why in the fuck are you wearing those?”

  Every single one of them grimaced and muttered a chorus of women’s names and Eric understood. He was the only single guy there, besides Mike, but considering he was friends with Gemma too, it made sense he’d pin the thing on.