by Lori Foster
“My building has four posh condos in it, right on the beach. The one I’m thinking of buying has six units. They’re smaller than what I own now, but the realtor says he has no problem keeping them rented. It’d be ideal to have them both, because then I could offer a wider range of rental fees.”
Grace gaped at him. “Two buildings on the beach?”
Noah didn’t tell her that he had property in a few other vacation areas as well. “Do you like the ocean, Grace?”
“I don’t know. I’ve never been to the beach.”
“No?” He stared at the full, generous curves of her moon-washed breasts and pictured her in the bright sunshine, splashing along the shore, her smile as sweet and charming as ever. “You’d look great in a bikini, Grace.”
She snorted, and though it was too dark to discern, Noah was sure she blushed. “Dream on.”
Laughing, Noah decided he’d get her into a swimsuit sometime very soon. “I get down there about eight times a year, whenever I have to head that way on other business for Agatha. I like to keep up on things. I was hoping to fly down this weekend to check out the new property before I buy it.” Hoping to tempt her into agreeing, he added, “I have one of the condos reserved from Friday to Monday, so I can find out firsthand how comfortable it is, and make sure everything is in working order.”
Noah slipped his hand beneath the blankets and rested his palm on Grace’s soft belly. The muscles tightened under his hand as she sucked in her breath. “You wanna keep me company?”
Grace fidgeted. “Our agreement was for sex and only sex. I don’t want to…”
“Screw the agreement.”
She looked uncertain.
Anger flared. Noah knew he was being perverse, because after all, he was the one who had stressed the terms of their involvement. But every time Grace hesitated, or pulled back, he wanted to draw her closer.
“Grace, there are bedrooms everywhere.” He sounded reasonable, convincing. “Think of this as an adventure, as just another place to indulge our carnal games.”
Still she held silent, and Noah added softly, by way of an incentive, “We could rent a boat and make love out on the ocean with the hot sun on our backs.”
Just that easily, she nodded. “Okay, I’d love to.”
Noah grinned.
“But I might have to work.”
She sounded disappointed at that possibility, and Noah decided to have a talk with Ben. He’d make sure his brother didn’t schedule Grace on the busy, rowdier weekends. And Grace would never have to know he’d interfered. He instinctively knew she’d rebel against the idea of favoritism.
“Let me know as soon as you find out your schedule, okay?”
“Yes.” She shifted slightly beneath his palm. Grace got hot so quickly, it sometimes astounded him.
Noah drifted his fingers lower, until he was just touching her pubic hair. Teasing, tempting. “Grace?”
“Mmm?”
He smiled at her breathless anticipation. “You’re not going to wear that dress to work in, are you?”
“No, of course not.” And then, forgetting his warning, she said, “Those uniforms were not made for heavy women. Hopefully Ben will be able to—Noah!”
In a flash, Noah had Grace up and over his thighs, her round behind available for a sound swat. She squealed and squirmed, making Noah hesitate. Then he thought, what the hell, and brought his palm down with just enough force to make her yelp.
“Noah!” She tried to sound outraged, but he could hear the laughter in her tone, could feel her jiggling as she snickered.
Noah smiled with lecherous intent. “I told you, babe, I don’t like it when you keep putting yourself down.”
“I wasn’t!”
“You’re not heavy. You look gorgeous, every single inch of you. All right?”
Grace struggled for balance in her awkward position. She flattened one hand on the floor and curled the fingers of her other hand into Noah’s thigh. Twisting her face around to peer at him in the darkness, she said, “Be reasonable, Noah, anyone can see that I’m…hey!”
He swatted her again, a little harder this time. His palm tingled, and he had to hold Grace still when she tried to wiggle off his lap. He hampered her movements by flattening one hand on the small of her back and wrapping the other around the inside of her thigh. His fingertips touched her hot vulva. He stroked seductively—and Grace choked on a laugh.
“I’m ready to dole out more, babe. Be careful what you say.”
“Okay, okay!” Grace sucked in air between her giggles. “This is a terribly ignominious position, Noah.”
“I like it.”
“You would.”
Noah could feel her long silky hair hanging down to the floor, brushing against his hip, teasing him every time she moved.
He smoothed his hand over her back to the warm spot where he’d smacked her. He wished he’d had enough sense to turn the lights on so he could see her clearly. “I want to be positive sure that you understand me, Grace. Now say, I have a great bottom.”
At his demand, Grace started giggling again and couldn’t stop. Noah squeezed one firm buttock. “Grace,” he warned.
Still snickering, she said, “Okay, okay.”
“Say it.”
She drew in a breath. “I…I have a sore bottom.”
Noah smacked her, then kept her still as she screeched with a mixture of stinging discomfort and hilarity. She almost got away from him, but he hauled her back up.
“Noah!”
“I have all night, Grace.” He wedged his hand between her thighs and cupped her mound fully. “And you know, I think I’m enjoying this.”
“I know you’re enjoying it!” She peeked around at him again. “I can feel your erection on my belly.”
Noah grinned. “Ah, but Grace”—his fingers pressed into her—“I’ve had that since I woke up and found you curled naked next to me.”
“Oh.”
She was already wet, hot. “Say it, Grace.”
She went still and quiet, absorbing his touch. Without the humor, she asked, “You really do think I’m sexy?”
Noah turned her and cradled her in his arms. He kissed her softly on her lips, smoothed away her long hair. “Gracie, you’re so fucking sexy, I can barely control myself around you.”
Grace trembled. In the next heartbeat, she shoved him flat on the bed and moved over him, kissing him wildly, stroking him everywhere, using that incredible mouth of hers again to drive him insane. Noah forgot about everything but the intense pleasure she gave him.
Minutes later, when Grace straddled his hips and gently, insistently sank onto his cock, she dutifully whispered, “I have a great bottom,” and Noah moaned his agreement.
When Noah awoke again, the sun shone bright through the pulled drapes, telling him it was late in the morning. He turned to his side and found the bed empty, only the soft impression of Grace left behind.
He reached over and smoothed his hand across her pillow. He was disappointed but not worried. It was the combined fragrances of coffee and bacon drifting into the room that had awakened him.
Grace was cooking him breakfast.
Filled with satisfaction, with peace, Noah stretched and smiled. Amazingly enough, his body was sore. He could only imagine how Grace felt this morning. She surely had a few…intimate aches and pains.
He remembered holding her legs high over his shoulders, making her vulnerable to his thrusts and driving into her so deep, he’d felt a part of her. He also remembered the gentle way she’d touched him, and the not-so-gentle way she’d come.
They’d been excessive through the long night.
Noah scratched his belly and looked at the nightstand, where several empty silver packets lay. He groaned, scrubbing a hand over his face, then finally laughed. Jesus, he’d brought half a dozen condoms with him last night—and they’d used every damn one. He’d always been a very sexual man, but he’d never been obsessed before. Around Grace, he couldn’t
get enough. Six times. He was equally appalled and amused.
Grace, it seemed, was a sexual dynamo. Who’d have ever thought?
Noah made a mental note to pick up a box of rubbers to leave at her apartment. He grinned, thinking of her reaction to that, knowing Grace would get a kick out of storing them in her bedside drawer. She had led such a sedate life, keeping all her pent-up lust quietly contained, that the smallest things made her feel naughty. And when Grace felt naughty, she was adorably accommodating.
Her bed was comfortable, Noah decided as he sat up and swung his legs to the floor. Even better, it smelled of Grace. The pillows, the sheets, all carried her unique, delectable scent. Not perfume, but the natural scent of woman.
Being surrounded by Grace’s fragrance probably had as much to do with the sound, peaceful way he’d slept as it did with the overindulgence of tension-draining sex.
It was just as Noah found his boxers and pulled them on that he heard Grace arguing with someone. She sounded…upset, a little angry.
Protective, possessive instincts rose in a scalding wave. Without thinking about it, Noah stormed across the room, jerked the door open, and stalked into the living room. He promptly stalled.
Grace said, “Noah!” at the same time his grandmother gasped.
Noah was a little old to be blushing, but damn it, he was naked except for his underwear.
Agatha hadn’t yet been seated, so Noah assumed she’d only just arrived. She was fashionably attired in a blue print suit with matching pumps, looking as pulled together, as business oriented, as ever. At the moment, she had one foot tapping impatiently.
Grace wore a long nightshirt, and her silky hair had been pulled back into a haphazard ponytail. She stood next to the sofa, where the ruined uniform lay in a rumpled heap next to a sewing kit. It appeared as though Grace had been reattaching buttons before Agatha’s ill-timed arrival.
Grace fretted. Agatha scowled.
Noah decided there was nothing left to do but brazen it out, so he crossed his arms over his naked chest and summoned a firm tone. “Just what the hell is going on here?”
Chapter Twelve
Agatha Harper was not a fainthearted woman. It would take more than Grace’s stammering discomfort or her grandson’s surly tone to budge her from the spot. She mimicked Noah’s aggressive pose and glared.
“I happen to be visiting Grace. Of course, I don’t need to ask what you’re doing here.” She flicked her gaze over his sleep-rumpled hair, morning beard shadow, and naked chest, then shook her head in disapproval. It was quite obvious that Noah had just crawled out of Grace’s bed. “My God, you’ve lost all pretense to polite decorum.”
Once again, Grace rushed up and stationed herself protectively in front of Noah, making Agatha sigh. The girl was embarrassingly smitten and not even trying to hide it.
This was worse than she’d first assumed. Noah and Grace hadn’t indulged in one indiscretion. They hadn’t gotten carried away a single time, as she’d hoped.
No, they were quite clearly involved.
They also showed no signs of self-consciousness over the situation. Agatha wondered if either of them even tried to keep the affair private. Gossip would no doubt run rampant. The good Harper name was bound to take a beating.
If she didn’t do something, and fast, Grace would end up irreparably hurt by it all, once Noah came to his senses and returned to Kara. When that happened, as it surely would, Agatha could hardly expect Grace to return to work and face Noah on a daily basis. And she definitely wanted Grace to return. With each passing hour, Agatha realized just how much she depended on Grace, and how much she missed her daily involvement.
Grace was a godsend, organized and precise and tactful. She didn’t require constant supervision to handle things. She’d learned early on which appointments were important to Agatha and which invites should be politely turned down. The daily juggling of unexpected crisis, the numerous requests for her time or her input were now left up to Agatha, and she already didn’t like it.
Since Grace had left, Agatha felt more abandoned than ever, and things were piling up around her. She’d lost her grandson and her right hand in the same week. Intolerable.
“Grace,” Agatha said, never taking her gaze from Noah, “why don’t you go get a shower and make yourself decent? Noah and I can entertain ourselves a moment.”
Noah’s hands settled on Grace’s shoulders. “Grace is about the most decent woman I know.”
Agatha narrowed her eyes at him. “This is difficult enough as it is. There’s no reason to deliberately misconstrue my words.”
Grace looked very undecided until Noah turned her around and started into the bedroom. To Agatha, he said, “I’ll be right back.”
It was the sight of Noah leading Grace away that gave Agatha a new idea. Perhaps she’d been looking at this all wrong. There was more than one possible way to get everything she wanted, for herself and for her grandson.
Agatha smiled in thought, her mind whirling with potential outcomes. As Noah gently tugged Grace into the bedroom, Agatha decided that it just might work. Everything was already in place.
All Noah needed was a nudge.
Noah shushed Grace when she started to protest the way he’d dragged her off. “I can handle my grandmother, Grace. You don’t need to keep running interference.”
Grace stalked behind him as he went to the chair by her bed and picked up his slacks. She watched him dress with grave misgivings. Despite what he said, she was afraid Agatha planned to inflict a few more well-meaning barbs. “Noah…”
“It’ll be fine.” He shrugged on his shirt. “Why’d you leave me this morning?”
Given the fact that his grandmother waited in the other room, Grace was amazed by Noah’s change of subject. “I didn’t. I was just cooking breakfast.” She’d had plans to enjoy a peaceful morning meal with Noah—and then Agatha had shown up.
He sniffed the air and smiled. “Yeah, it smells great.”
“The bacon is done. I was going to fix the eggs and toast after you woke.” She fretted again. “I suppose I could put more bacon on for Agatha…”
“No need. She won’t be here that long.” He sat on the side of the bed and reached for his socks. “Do you realize you’re always trying to feed someone? First Kara, and now Agatha?”
Heat suffused her cheeks. Perhaps she had her mind on food too often.
Noah must have seen her look of guilt. He cocked a brow. “Is your bottom still sore?”
Grace blinked. “Um, no.”
“Then maybe you need another swat.”
She couldn’t help but grin. She loved playing sex games with Noah, just as she loved his compliments. After last night, she had no doubt that he found every single inch of her desirable, regardless of her extra pounds. “No, sir. I’ve learned my lesson.”
“Good.” Now fully dressed, Noah stood and pulled her close. “Grace, you’re not repairing that uniform so you can wear it, are you? It looks good on you—too good—but no way in hell is it appropriate for work.”
Grace laughed. She could hardly credit that Noah was concerned about such a thing. “Of course I won’t wear it.” Her voice lowered, and she muttered, “But I didn’t want Ben to see the buttons missing and think I’d popped them on my own.”
Noah tilted her back in the circle of his arms so he could nuzzle her throat. “Want me to tell him how it happened?”
Grace swatted at him. “Don’t you dare. Ben teases enough as it is.”
From one moment to the next, Noah turned serious. “Grace, if you want a new uniform, just tell Ben. He doesn’t give a damn what size you wear, and you know he’d never tease about something that might embarrass you.”
“I know. Your brother is very sweet.” But she still had no intention of sharing her size, or her weight, with anyone. Especially not Noah’s brother.
Noah rolled his eyes. “I wouldn’t go that far.”
Grace saw no reason to belabor the point. “
Actually, I tried on one of the other uniforms this morning, and it fits. So there’s no reason to tell Ben anything.”
Noah looked skeptical. “Maybe I should see it on you first. Now don’t get riled, Grace, but I’m beginning to think you’re clueless as to what’s too seductive and what isn’t.”
Grace hid her smile. Noah was afraid other men might find her attractive. She knew better. After all, she was twenty-five, and men had never made a habit of pursuing her. She’d had male friends and known plenty of kind, likable men, but none of them had tried to rush her to bed.
Still, to her mind, it was a lovely compliment. She patted Noah’s chest. “It’s fits, Noah. Honest.”
“Still…”
Grace shook her head at him. She loved him, but she wasn’t about to let him start ruling her life. “If you leave your grandmother waiting much longer, she’ll wonder what we’re doing in here.”
“Yeah, but a few lascivious thoughts might make her less rigid.”
Laughing, Grace turned Noah and gave him a small shove. “Go. I’ll be out in ten minutes.”
“Take your time, Grace. I’ll send my grandmother on her way so when you finish getting dressed, we can eat. I’ll even cook the eggs.”
Grace sighed as Noah went through the door and closed it softly behind him. She knew Agatha well enough to realize she wouldn’t be budged a single inch until she was good and ready to move. And she was here for a reason, of that Grace was certain.
The moment she’d arrived, she’d informed Grace that she had a sound plan to get Noah and Kara reunited. Though the idea had felt like a fist around her heart, Grace hadn’t tried to dissuade her. It wasn’t until Agatha declared Noah to be bullheaded and selfish that Grace had disagreed—most vehemently.
Before Grace could get too wound up, Noah had walked in and the hostilities had really started. She hated the new tension that invaded the air whenever the two of them were in the same room together.
Grace decided it might be propitious to hurry through her shower. Left to their own tempers, Agatha and Noah would probably do more harm than good.
