She can see parts of me no one’s even acknowledged before.
He took another step forward, and this time the soft warmth of her breath brushed his cheek as they stood only inches from each other. “Loyalty, I guess. No matter what anyone says or does in this family, there’s a tectonic pull toward each other, and no matter how I try to make my own life, I guess my roots will always be here. Finding you here, being able to spend time with you, has certainly made me think my decision to come was a good one.”
…
Grace stared into Ari’s face, and despite the reassuring tone of his voice, it was obvious that deep down he carried a whole lot of pain when it came to his family.
It broke her heart he felt that way about his parents. There were obviously issues between Mano, Pia and their youngest son and she wondered if it was because he was such a free spirit. He’d said to her more than once that he was only here out of a sense of duty and did she really want to be with someone like that?
Yes. Yes, you do.
“I admire what you’re doing,” she said, her voice low. “Despite the fact you’ve felt like you were on the outside, you still stepped up and came when you were needed.”
He stood a little straighter. “It was easier knowing you were here,” he said, his dark eyes sparking.
“What do you mean?”
His lips tilted in a grin. “You understand my family’s world, and the world of weddings. I knew if I followed your lead, I couldn’t go too far wrong.”
Her cheeks heated as his gaze swept over her face. Why did he do this to her? Was it his confidence? The way he looked deep into her eyes when they were talking, as if she were the only woman in the world? The way he held himself, straight and strong? No, there was so much more to him than his beautiful body—and God knew she’d spent enough time appreciating that. Now she wanted to get to know who he was on the inside, as well.
“It takes someone pretty special to fit in with my family,” he said. “The intensity of the conversations, the constant drama of day-to-day life with the Katsalos family. But you have this amazing knack of making everyone feel special. That they’ve been listened to. I can’t remember either my mother or my father saying a bad word about you, and take it from me, that’s pretty unusual.”
Her pulse tripped. He’d noticed that about her? She’d thought him so cool and detached whenever she’d been around him before. “Plenty of people wouldn’t take the time to help out their family like you have,” she said, wanting to know what really made him tick.
“You just do what you have to do when it comes to family, I guess,” he said. “I’ve learned the best thing is to not have too many expectations of anyone. I used to hold them to some sort of high benchmark when it came to how they treated me and the way they treated each other, but the more I see human behavior in my work, the more I understand that people are flawed. We hurt each other, do bad things.” He shrugged. “It’s just the way we’re made. Why should my family be any different?”
“Surely you don’t think that about everyone? That everyone wants to, or is capable of hurting other people?” She smiled back at him, and her heart thudded harder in her chest. He didn’t believe in a happily-ever-after?
Something deep within called to her to reach out to him, tell him he was wrong. She stepped closer.
“It’s a mistake to rely on people, but sometimes you have a need for someone that just can’t be satisfied without getting really close to them. As long as you understand that everyone of us has flaws, then no one need to end up hurt.”
He picked up her hand, and her throat dried. “Grace,” he said softly. “I know you said that you didn’t want things to move forward between us, but you’ve got to admit there’s some pretty strong chemistry going on here, and I’m trying really hard to remember the reason why we shouldn’t give in to it. Can you remind me what it was?”
She moistened her lips and tried to control her breathing. “We need to be focused in the next week,” she heard herself say. “Thinking about everything that needs to be done.”
“Thinking’s overrated,” he said as he stepped closer still and ran his knuckles down her cheek.
On reflex, she sucked in a breath as her skin alighted. If she acted now, she’d avoid that point of no return—the moment when her body developed a will of its own and all rational thought disappeared for as long as she was with him.
As she looked up at him, her heart beating a million times a minute, it was clear the threshold had already been crossed.
“Instead of thinking, why don’t we just go with the moment.” He leaned in and brushed his lips lightly across hers, and sparks of heat ignited in her core. When he pulled back, he said with sincerity, “Of course, if at any point you were to tell me to stop, I’d do it.”
She didn’t want him to stop. Didn’t want the tingling in her body to end, or the need to touch him to wane. Instinctively, she linked her hands behind his neck and pulled him in for another kiss.
His mouth was warm and sure, and his chest firm as he pressed closer. Her blood fizzed where he stroked her arm, and she lifted her face to deepen the kiss. The taste of him was everything she imagined—sweet and powerful. There was no stubble scratching her cheek. Instead, where she laid her palm against his face was warm and smooth.
She’d imagined that kissing him would feel forbidden and thrilling, but it was so much more. It ignited a different sort of fire within her—one where she was in control—where her response was strong. She opened her eyes, and he was watching her, watching her reactions to his touch, and it thrilled her even more.
“Grace,” he moaned into her ear. “I’ve wanted this so long. Holding back when I thought you didn’t want me was killer.”
She arched her neck, and he kissed a trail from her chin to the heated skin between her breasts. Her lungs were constricted, her heart speeding, and she’d die if he ever stopped.
When he lifted his face, he gently eased her back against the wall, and she let him guide her. For a long moment he didn’t touch her, just looked deep into her eyes, and she thought she’d melt on the spot. When he did begin to move, it was to trail his fingers up both her arms, and she almost cried out with the perfection of his gentle touch. Every part of her skin was a mess of goose bumps, and she couldn’t marshal a sound thought in her head.
Why was this a bad idea again? Why shouldn’t she want a guy like Ari? All the reasons she’d been chanting to herself since the moment he’d sauntered back into her life were lost.
“Just fun,” she murmured, to herself as much as to him. “I don’t really do fun. The last time I did, I got hurt.”
“Hurt?” he whispered as he kissed her behind her ear. “The last thing I would ever do is hurt you, Grace.”
He kissed her again, and she squashed the warning bells that were ringing through her mind. She silenced them and kissed him deeper.
When he drew back, Ari pushed a strand of hair off her face. “You only have to say the word, and we can go right back to our old agreement.”
“The agreement where we pretend not to want each other, and commit to keeping our hands to ourselves twenty-four–seven?” she breathed.
He chuckled as he rested his hands on her waist. “And take cold showers whenever we’re around each other, and don’t stop in our tracks when we hear the other’s name? Yes, that agreement.”
“I don’t want anyone to know,” she said, haltingly. “I mean…we should be careful not to be seen by staff, and when your family gets here, I don’t want any of the focus to be taken away from any of them.”
“Why?” he asked as he moved his hands up her body.
“Well, for one thing,” she said as she tried to focus. “I haven’t dated since Mark…since my divorce. Except for that date with you, of course. And, since it’s only a bit of fun, I don’t want it to affect my reputation.” The words seemed laughable, even to her own ears.
“I didn’t realize you were the uphol
der of some squeaky-clean reputation.” He chuckled in her ear.
“As a wedding planner,” she said. “It’s hard enough that I have one divorce under my belt. Having a string of broken relationships is not exactly good promo for my business.”
“Okay,” he said. “If you want to keep this strictly between you and me, that’s fine. I’m used to secrets,” he said as he stroked her shoulder. “And I’ve learned a few things over the years about how to fly under the radar. If that’s what you really want, then that’s the way it’ll be.”
…
Ari held Grace close as he reassured her. Of course, it made sense that she didn’t want anyone to know about them, especially because he was probably not the sort of guy she’d imagined bringing home. But she’d obviously had a rough time in her marriage, and he could be patient until she felt more comfortable.
He remembered a warning his brother had given him a few months back about not getting involved with Grace, and it pricked his conscience for a second. Nick had said that getting involved with Grace could cause more problems for the Palace. But then he thought about how hard she’d kissed him back, and how she’d moaned quietly when he’d run his fingers up her bare arm. She wanted him just as much as he did her, and that changed everything.
There was a noise at the door, and Grace jumped away from him. “Hey, Polly,” she said breezily as her assistant came in.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Polly said, but I just wondered if you’d be happy to see Congressman Williams. He’s at the front desk.”
“Oh, really!” Grace said, turning to Ari with a wooden smile. “I wasn’t expecting him. I thought it’d be Amy who’d come to organize everything.”
“I’m more than happy to be there, too,” Ari said. “One of my family is bound to call and ask how things are going with the Williams wedding, so it makes sense for me to meet him as well.”
“Okay,” said Polly as she walked from the room. “I’ll bring him through.”
When Polly had left, Grace rounded her eyes at him. “That was a close enough call.”
“I’m not going to leave you alone to talk to that guy,” he said.
Grace shook her head, “I think it’s best if you leave the congressman to me. I’ve had plenty of practice dealing with parents of the bride and groom. And you do realize how important it is that every aspect of this wedding goes smoothly.”
Ari leaned against her desk. “Let’s just say I know this guy’s reputation, and I don’t want you dealing with him on your own.”
Grace’s mouth set in a line. “You’re not just saying that because there’s something going on between us?”
He frowned, puzzled by how quickly she’d run hot and cold. “What do you mean?”
“If you didn’t feel you had some sort of claim on me, would you still be here to protect me?”
“Claim?” Had he heard her right?
Her voice softened, as if she was measuring what she said. “If I were just another woman who worked for you, would you have to stay here while I did my job, or would you be happy to let me talk to a man who wanted to do business with me?”
“Grace,” Ari said, dropping his voice. “I’m not going to let a man who is being investigated for sexual harassment be near any woman. And especially not you right here.”
“You know that for a fact about him, do you?” she said, clearly testing him.
He shrugged. “There’s been some talk. Some innuendo.”
“And if I asked you to leave and let me deal with this myself?”
Why would she ask that of him? Why would she not let him support her? Something made him realize that this was not about him, but about someone in her past, and he wanted to let her know that it would be okay.
He pushed himself off the desk, and when he was beside her, took her hand. “While you’re with me you will feel protected and cared for. That doesn’t make you weak, and it doesn’t mean that I don’t have the utmost respect for you. This is not about me thinking you’re a fragile woman; it’s because I protect the people I care about. While this is on my watch, I’ll be here for you.”
“I don’t need protecting, Ari. I don’t need a man to tell me what is and isn’t good for me.”
Stung, he stepped back. “Grace, I’m sorry.”
She dropped her chin, and he could’ve kicked himself. There was a whole lot more going on here than a woman who wanted to do her job, and his chest tightened at the pain she was projecting.
Before he could say any more, Polly ushered the congressman in. “Katsalos,” the man said, shaking his hand firmly. “I believe I dealt with your brother when we first discussed my daughter’s wedding, so I assume I don’t need to run over all the details again.”
“Yes, you would’ve talked to my brother Nick, but the person you’ll need to deal with from this point on is Grace Bennett. She’s the best in her field.”
The congressman acknowledged Grace, but then he turned right back to Ari. “Right, there’s an awful lot to be done, and not a lot of time to be doing it. I’m prepared to spend whatever it takes to make this everything my daughter wants, and because I’m paying you, now that stupid wager hasn’t worked out, I expect everything to be kept completely confidential.”
“Confidential?” Grace said.
“Yes, my daughter and her fiancé aren’t thrilled that the wedding is happening earlier than we’d originally planned but there are circumstances that make it a necessity. I don’t want that communicated to anyone at all, do you understand?”
“Of course,” Grace said as she offered the congressman a chair. “You have our confidence, and be assured that Amy will have the wedding of her dreams.”
As the congressman rattled off a list of all the plans he expected the Palace to fulfill for his daughter, Grace looked past him to Ari. The smallest tilt in her lips and the warmth in her eyes told him that he’d done the right thing by staying here with her. It was clear that Grace carried a heavy burden deep within, and he vowed to help her with it in any way he could.
…
“Time we called it a day?” Ari said after the congressman had left.
Grace glanced at the clock. “More like night. I didn’t realize it was so late.” She smiled at him, relieved that they now had a plan for the Williams wedding and a way forward for a busy week. “Thanks so much for staying.”
He took a step toward her and hooked his arm around her waist. “Couldn’t think of anywhere I’d rather be,” he said and kissed her.
There was a knock on the office door, and his hand dropped away. Grace turned to see the door open, and Polly put her head around. “I’m off now—got a Zumba class with my name on it, unfortunately—but I thought you might like to come and take a look at Monty. “He’s not looking too good.”
“What’s up?’ Ari said as he straightened his collar. His lips were still damp from where Grace just kissed him. When they were alone again, she intended carrying on right from where they’d left off.
“Nothing I can put my finger on,” Polly said over her shoulder as they followed her out the door. “He’s just not his normal cranky and obnoxious self.”
They followed Polly across the courtyard and over to Monty’s cage. When they got there, he was on the ground surrounded by feathers, and the way he was burrowing his beak into his back, it looked like he was trying to remove more.
“Think I should call the vet?” Polly asked.
Grace rubbed her hand across her chin. “No, you go to your class, Polly. I’ll take care of this.”
“Have you seen him like this before?” Grace asked when Polly had left.
“I don’t remember,” he said as he moved around to the door of the aviary. “He’s Pop’s pride and joy, so he’s always been the one to take care of him.” He opened the door, stepped in, and closed it behind him. “Who’s been taking care of him while Mom and Dad have been away?”
Grace put her hands on her hips. “I guess we’ve just shared it. Pavlo took over th
e feeding—he always seemed to be out here with a spare cabbage or corn cob—and one of the gardeners has been cleaning his cage, I think.” Monty burrowed his beak into his chest and seemed to be scratching hard. “Maybe it’s separation anxiety. He could be missing Mano.”
Ari made soft sounds and moved closer with his arms held out. “See, he’d normally fly up and land on my arm when I was this close, but he’s pretty miserable.” He shrugged out of his denim jacket then crouched close to the bird. “Ela re,” he said softly, his arm held out to the parrot. “Ela tho.”
The bird just blinked at him, a stray piece of down stuck to his beak. “Pop used to sit for hours out here talking to Monty,” Ari said in a quiet voice. “I thought it was kind crazy at the time, but they seemed to love each other’s company.” He got closer, but the parrot didn’t move, and he carefully covered Monty’s body with his jacket then picked him up.
“Oh, he looks so sad,” Grace said as she clutched one of the bars. The sight of big, tough Ari holding the bird so gently almost brought tears to her eyes. After all that had happened, she couldn’t imagine telling Mano something had happened to his special bird. “I hope he’s going to be okay.”
“I think there’s a vet over on Baker street, I’ll take him there,” Ari said. “Although I don’t think he’d appreciate a lift on my bike.” He joined her on the other side of the bars and when he moved closer she stroked Monty’s beak. The bird’s eyes were closed, and he was making a snuffling noise.
She looked up at Ari. “It’s times like this I feel like a complete idiot for not having a car.”
“It’s okay,” he said as he tucked Monty under his arm. “I’ll get an Uber.”
“I’m coming with you,” she said, pulling out her phone. “I think there’s a carry cage in the back office. Why don’t you get it, and I’ll get him ready?”
Half an hour later they were sitting in the air-conditioned waiting room of the vet’s office. The vet had taken Monty away for tests and said she hoped to have results within the hour if they’d like to wait.
Four Weddings and a Fling Page 6
