Irresistible Lies

by Juliette White

  “Of course I missed you,” she finally said. “I thought about you every day for a long time.”

  If she were being honest, she still thought of him every day. How could she not, with their son being his spitting image?

  Their eyes met. He was going to say something, she could tell, but then he seemed to change his mind. “I have a lot of questions for you.”

  “Like what?”

  She was probably going to have to lie her way through half of them.

  “Why didn’t you take that job in New York City? You were so excited about it.”

  “How do you know I didn’t?”

  He took a sip of champagne and shrugged. “Something you said earlier about living with your sister for five years. I figured it out.”

  “Oh.” She frowned, racking her brain for an easy excuse. “Caroline needed me. She was alone in Virginia, and she was going through a rough time. I moved in with her to support her.”

  “A rough time? Did something happen?”

  She shook her head emphatically. “No, she was just stressed with graduate school and teaching and all of that, and I wanted to be there for her. I also felt like, because she’s the most important person in my life, it just made more sense for us to be in the same area. There was nothing left for me in New York.”

  “I see.” He leaned his arm against the back of the couch, and she moved forward to avoid accidentally touching him. “And you enjoy living with Caroline?”

  “She’s my rock,” Grace said, smiling at the thought of her sister. “She keeps me strong. I count on her for everything. Probably more than I should. But she never lets me down.”

  Jamie frowned.

  “What?”

  “I was just thinking... That’s what you used to say about me.”

  So it was. “Jamie...”

  He stood up. “It’s okay, Grace. Finish your champagne. We are going to be late.”

  This was the second time today Jamie had cut off a conversation about their relationship. It was like he wanted to say something but was holding back, waiting for something. Grace wished she could read his mind and find out what he was thinking, but his expression was unreadable. She stood up and smoothed out her dress.

  “Where is your purse?” Jamie asked.

  “On the chair.”

  While he grabbed it for her, she downed the rest of her champagne. She had a feeling she was going to need it.

  JAMIE COULD NOT keep his eyes off of Grace.

  He didn’t want to go to the gala. He didn’t want other men to see her in that dress. He wanted to drive them to his home address, bring her up to his bedroom and make love to her for hours, and then he wanted to hire a moving van to bring all of her stuff up from Virginia and keep her there with him forever.

  He almost laughed, thinking of what her reaction would be if he told her that.

  He was trying so hard to impress her and make her see that if she just gave him a second chance, they could have a life here together. There was a place for her all ready and waiting, right here beside him. He could give her anything she ever wanted.

  The problem was she didn’t seem to want any of it anymore.

  She had been impressed with the brewery, he could tell. She had been happy when they were with their old friends. She seemed to enjoy spending time with him. But it wasn’t enough. Something was still holding her back.

  What the hell was it?

  Jamie was quiet the whole ride to the gala, lost in thought. Tomorrow morning, they would be back on a plane to Virginia, separated by much more than a connecting door in a hotel room. Tonight was his last chance.

  So he smiled at her, turned on the charm and forced himself to stick to the script. No matter how much he wanted to at the moment, he couldn’t take her back to the hotel and seduce her into seeing what was right in front of her face. He had to take her to the gala and play the part of the gentleman.

  If it didn’t work, well, seduction was always a solid backup plan.

  “What are you thinking about?” Grace asked him as they pulled up to the gala. She turned her sweet brown eyes on him, and he wished he could give her the honest answer.

  I love you.

  When did such simple words become so complicated?

  “I was thinking about how beautiful you look,” he told her. It was true. She did look stunningly beautiful, even if her dress was a little short for his comfort.

  She smiled at the compliment. “Thanks, Jamie.”

  “You ready for this?”

  She nodded, and he stepped out of the truck first and held the door open for her. They were at the front entrance to the brewery, which Grace hadn’t seen earlier. She held onto his arm as they made their way inside, a gesture that was probably subconscious but touched him, regardless. When they had dated, she nearly always walked beside him with her arm in his.

  “Holy moley,” Jamie heard Grace whisper when she saw what awaited them.

  He laughed. “I’m sorry?”

  “I’ve been trying not to curse anymore,” she said, looking around in wonder. “It’s a grown-up thing. Jamie, this place...”

  It was pretty impressive, if he did say so himself.

  The front entrance hall of the brewery was a spacious room with unfinished hardwood floor and barrels of beer lining one of the walls. The other walls were brick, like the outside of the building.

  For the gala, the decorators had strung lights along the walls and had thrown them over the barrels, creating a beautiful, twinkling effect. The rustic charm of the room was offset by round tables covered in pure white tablecloths and the people dressed to the nines. There were a lot of people, he thought. A good turnout.

  “This is... wow.” Grace dropped her arm from his and straightened her dress.

  “Don’t be nervous,” he said, sensing that she was. Grace didn’t like crowds, he knew.

  She looked up at him, eyes wide. “I honestly can’t remember the last time I went to a fancy party. I feel a little out of place.”

  When she looked at him like that, open and vulnerable, he had to try so hard not to kiss her.

  “Maybe it’s time to move back to New York,” he told her instead. “There are lots of fancy parties here. You could get used to it.”

  She giggled, making him grateful that he had thought to bring her champagne. He had known it would loosen her up. He just wanted her to relax and have a good time.

  “Hey, there you are!” Nick made his way toward them, followed by Lacey in a flowing purple dress.

  “You look amazing!” Lacey fawned over Grace like they were old friends and gave her a hug. “That dress is darling!”

  “Thank you! You look great, too.”

  Jamie couldn’t help but smile, seeing the two of them together. Lacey had quickly become one of his best friends, and he had always wanted her to meet Grace. He knew they would get along. He wanted her to be included, part of this family they had made for themselves. Without Grace, the biggest part would always be missing.

  “Wow, Grace. That’s some dress,” Tom said, making his way over to them. “Jamie, you let her out looking like that?”

  “I didn’t have much choice, I’m afraid.”

  “Shut up, leave her alone,” Lacey said, swatting at Tom playfully. “What about my dress? You haven’t said anything.”

  “You look great, too,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “And how is my little niece?”

  “Ready to come out and meet you, I should hope. Any day now!”

  Tom and Nick soon fell into a conversation with Jamie about the investors and restaurant owners at the gala that they wanted to speak with, and he tried hard to pay attention to what they were saying. He wasn’t sure how effective he was going to be as a businessman tonight, when all of his attention was on Grace.

  “We’re going to go get a drink while you boys talk shop,” Lacey said to them, linking arms with Grace. “We’ll be back, so don’t miss us too much.”

  “A drink?
” Jamie raised an eyebrow at Lacey.

  “I know, I know, water for me. I’m not an idiot.”

  “Just checking.” He smiled at her. “You can’t be too careful. That’s my niece we’re talking about. I’m a little overprotective.”

  He saw Grace frown slightly. What was that about?

  Lacey rolled her eyes and took Grace by the elbow. “Hush, Jamie. Come on girl, let’s get you some alcohol so I can live vicariously through you.”

  Jamie met Grace’s eyes to make sure she was okay with that, and she smiled reassuringly at him.

  As soon as the two walked away, his friends zeroed in.

  “How is it going?” Nick asked.

  “So, she has a boyfriend,” Tom said. “What are you going to do?”

  Jamie sighed, watching Grace from across the room. She was laughing with Lacey about something, her head thrown back, and he thought that he had never seen someone so beautiful. “I’m working on it. She’s not making it easy on me, but I’m working on it.”

  Nick and Tom looked at each other, and he could tell there was something they weren’t saying.

  “What is it?” he asked them gruffly. “Spit it out, I can handle it.”

  “We’re just worried about you, man,” Nick said. “For years this is all you’ve wanted, and you spent all that time looking for her.”

  “And now if it doesn’t work out...” Tom drifted off. “We’re worried.”

  Jamie understood their concern. Truly, he did. They had been listening to him talk about Grace for years, and now he had found her and brought her home, and she wasn’t his girl. She was someone else’s.

  Hell, he was worried. If he lost her again... He didn’t know what he would do.

  He watched Grace standing across the room in her beautiful dress and sexy heels, sipping straight from the bottle of the beer he had named after her. She caught his eye, raised the bottle and smiled.

  “It’s going to work out,” he told them. “It has to.”

  Chapter 9

  The party was wonderful.

  Grace was having a great time. She had been talking with Lacey for a while about her pregnancy, careful not to hint at the fact that she had personal experience with it. She really liked Lacey. She was so nice, and Grace felt like they had known each other for years.

  “I was so excited when I found out we’re having a girl,” Lacey was saying. “Nick was, too.”

  “Do you know what you’re going to name her?”

  “Yes. Emma.”

  “That’s so pretty.”

  “Isn’t it? I know it’s not the most original name, but I think it’s beautiful.” Lacey put her hand on her stomach lovingly. “She’s going to be the most loved little girl in the entire world, with this group around. She will have three amazing uncles.”

  “You’re so lucky,” Grace said, and she really meant it. “Nick is going to be an amazing father.”

  “Most men want a son, I think, but Nicky can’t wait to have his little princess around. That’s what they all call her, all the guys, I mean. Nick spends so much time surrounded by men. It will be refreshing for him to come home to a little girl. In fact, I think I’m going to paint the kitchen pink.”

  Grace laughed. “You should. I think Nick would love that. In fact, paint the whole house pink.”

  “I might,” Lacey said, her eyes sparkling. “But you know men. He probably wouldn’t even notice.”

  Grace laughed again. “You’re probably right.”

  Lacey narrowed her eyes like she had something on her mind.

  “What?”

  “Can I ask you a personal question?”

  “Of course.” For a split second Grace worried that Lacey was going to ask if she had a child, but she quickly realized how ridiculous the idea was. She hadn’t given anything away.

  “Have you ever thought about getting back together with Jamie?”

  Grace was speechless.

  “He really cares about you.”

  “How do you know?” It wasn’t the response Grace meant to give, but her curiosity got in the way.

  “It’s obvious.” Lacey looked at Jamie and Grace followed her gaze. He was talking with Nick and Tom about something that looked important. “I want to see him happy.”

  “Lacey, I can’t be with Jamie,” Grace said. “But he will be happy. He’ll find someone else. We’re not right for each other. We never were.”

  Grace wished she felt as convinced as she sounded.

  Lacey shrugged. “Sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. Don’t tell Jamie I said anything.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Don’t look now, but that guy is staring at you,” Lacey said. She smiled mischievously, as if their previous conversation had never happened. “Three o’clock.”

  Grace turned her head slightly and saw that a man was in fact looking at her. He was young and good-looking. They smiled at each other, even though she wasn’t interested. The last thing she needed was to further complicate her already overcomplicated love life.

  Almost on cue, she felt Jamie’s presence at her side. He slipped an arm around her waist, and it felt so natural that she didn’t try to stop him.

  “What are you two ladies talking about over here?” he asked them with a grin. “Telling stories about me, I bet.”

  “So arrogant,” Lacey said, shaking her head. “We were just discussing the baby.”

  “Ah. How is the little princess today?”

  “Kicking up a storm,” Lacey said. “Right now, actually. Driving me crazy with it.”

  Jamie put his hand on her stomach to feel the kicks, and Grace felt a sting of jealousy—her second of the evening.

  He hadn’t been there to do that when she was pregnant.

  Then again, that wasn’t exactly his fault.

  She finished her beer, determined not the ruin the night with thoughts of the past.

  “Grace, I hate to ruin the evening with work, but there are some people I’d like you to meet,” Jamie told her, grabbing her another beer from a waitress in a black cocktail dress carrying the bottles on a silver platter. Others were carrying crystal flutes of champagne, and Grace thought the contrast was clever. “Ready to schmooze?”

  “Ready.” And she was. With Jamie by her side, she was confident that they could handle the crowd.

  He brought her with him around the party, introducing her to people, most of them older men in suits. Some were friendly, others were less so, but nearly all of them were drinking a bottle of Four Brothers Beer.

  Jamie was confident and intelligent, making it clear that Four Brothers Beer was worth investing in without being pushy. Grace backed him up where she could, rattling off figures from all of the research she had completed over the past week. They made a great case for the brewery, although Grace secretly thought the beer spoke for itself.

  If she (a dedicated champagne girl) liked it, that was saying something.

  Most of the businessmen they spoke with, especially the few with investments in restaurants, were interested in Jamie’s idea to expand to the Mid-Atlantic markets and eventually become the beer of small-town America. They liked the fact that the brewery was owned by a group of friends and thought that it had a great back-story.

  Grace agreed that it was easy to market the beer because the product was great and the company and its owners were so appealing, and she felt she was very convincing when she made her case. She could tell that Jamie was appreciative and that he thought she was doing a good job, and she was happy she was able to help him.

  Networking had never been her strong suit, but she and Jamie made a great team.

  By the time they had finished making the rounds, Jamie had a pocket full of business cards and several promises of meetings.

  “You were fantastic,” he said, smiling gratefully at her. “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said. “Thanks for bringing me here. I’m happy I got to be a part of all of this.”

  “No,” he
insisted. “Thank you for coming.”

  They soon sat down at their table to dinner, where their friends surrounded them. Grace thoroughly enjoyed herself, laughing and joking around with Lacey, Nick, Chris and Tom. She felt so comfortable with all of them, like she fit right in.

  They seemed to think she did, too.

  “You should come back to New York, Grace,” Tom told her. “We need someone to handle our marketing when Lacey is on maternity leave.”

  “It goes well beyond maternity leave,” Lacey said. “Business is booming, and I need someone to help me handle all of it. I told Grace all of this, but she already has a job in Virginia.” She pulled a face. “Go on, boys, convince her.”

  “But you would be perfect, Grace,” Nick said enthusiastically. “You wouldn’t be an employee of ours, either, if that’s what you’re worried about. We could give you some shares in the company. It would be a partnership.”

  “Absolutely,” Chris said, joining in. “We would love to have you be a part of all of this.”

  She looked to Jamie. He sat stone-faced and said nothing, just watched her.

  “You are all so sweet,” Grace told them, “but I can’t. I have a life back in Virginia. But, like I told Lacey, I am contracted to work for the brewery. While Lacey is on maternity leave, I’d be happy to cover some of her duties here—provided I can do them remotely.”

  The men exchanged glances with one another. She had the distinct feeling that there was a secret she wasn’t privy to and wondered what it could be.

  “I guess that will have to do for now,” Nick said. “Either way, we are so glad we got the chance to spend today with you. We’ve all missed you.”

  They raised their bottles in a toast to her, and she felt an ache in her chest. How was it possible to feel so happy and so sad at the same time?

  The rest of the meal passed without anymore mention of Grace staying in New York. She grew quieter and more withdrawn with each course, lost in her thoughts.

  The one thought she kept coming back to was how happy and in his element Jamie looked, like he was meant to be right here, doing this.