Grace (The Family Simon Book 5)

by Juliana Stone

  This was it. Her chance to turn him away. He was almost hoping she would.

  “I get that.” She turned toward the garage and took a few steps before pausing.

  Don’t do it. The thought came from somewhere deep inside him. It was a small slice of decency that somehow managed to thrive in spite of what he was. Matt hesitated. And then her voice drifted back to him.

  “You coming?”

  A heartbeat passed.

  Matt followed Grace past the large house, and up a side entrance that led to a loft apartment over the four car garage. She flipped the switch and adjusted the lighting so that it was muted, barely making a dent in the dark shadows that inhabited the place.

  Walking across the large open space, she leaned her hip against the shiny granite island, her chest still heaving, her lips still moist, as she gazed across the room at him. She was nervous—he saw that.

  The air was thick and he was hot as hell. Matt reached for the lights. He turned the dimmer until the shadows disappeared.

  “What are you…”

  He smiled wickedly and her words dried up as he strode across the room until he was standing so close to Grace, her subtle scent washed over him.

  “I want to see you.” Matt’s nostrils flared and he was already hard when he reached for her and slowly turned her around. He inched closer, sweeping long strands of hair from the back of her neck, and blowing hot air over the exposed skin. She shivered and he grinned wickedly, nuzzling her. “I want to see all of you.”

  She braced herself against the granite but that wouldn’t do. Matt pulled her up a bit, smiling when her arms fell to her sides, and he tugged on the zipper that ran the length of her back. Slowy he pulled it down, eyes on the soft, creamy skin.

  With another tug he had the dress around her hips and then one more pull had it falling around her ankles.

  “Guess pink is my new favorite color,” he murmured appreciatively. He couldn’t resist and grabbed her ass—most of which was not covered by her silky underwear—and he pulled her back against his erection.

  “Nice” he murmured. Her butt fit against him perfectly.

  His hands slowly made their way up her body, fingers trailing here, massaging there, until he cupped her breasts. Still wrapped in that little bit of pink, he slipped his forefinger inside each of them and traced her pebbled nipples.

  “You like that?”

  A moan was the answer to his question, and he smiled wickedly, dropping his mouth to the back of her neck. He nipped her there, and undid her bra, turning her around so that she faced him and he could put his mouth on her breasts. His tongue. His teeth.

  He tortured her for several long moments, loving how she gyrated against him and when he made his way back up to her mouth, she kissed him back, with an open, hot mouth that made him ache to have her. Matt slid his mouth along

  Grace’s jaw and pulled back a bit so that he could see her.

  Her breasts were perfect. Ab-so-fucking-lute-ly perfect. Not much more than a handful and topped off with dusky pink nipples that made his mouth water. Her stomach was softly rounded, the way a woman’s should be, and with a wicked grin he slipped his hand inside those damn, sexy pink panties.

  “You’re so wet,” he growled against her neck. He slipped a finger inside. “Wet and tight.”

  “Matt,” she breathed. She bucked her hips and grabbed his shoulders. “I want more. I want you inside me.”

  That had to have been the hottest thing he’d ever heard. Matt kissed her once more and reached into his back pocket for his wallet. Once he had the condom free, he undid his zipper and slipped it over his straining cock.

  She yelped when he scooped her into his arms, but went totally quiet when he strode to the sofa and bent her over the edge.

  “Watch,” he said roughly, eyes on their reflection in the window.

  Matt didn’t wait, he sank into Grace, and moaned, pressing one hand into the small of her back to hold her steady, while he reached around and found her clitoris with his other.

  Their eyes met in the window and Matt thought that, hands down, she was the sexiest woman he’d ever seen. With all that hair, those big amazing eyes, and her mouth open and moaning as he thrust into her—he knew it would be a vision he’d use in the dead of night when he was alone and horny as hell.

  “This is not gonna be long,” he whispered hoarsely, smiling when she clenched around him. He played her, loving the slick feel of her. “Let me know when you’re close.”

  “I’m almost…” But she couldn’t finish her sentence. Her mouth parted, that delicious tongue of hers sweeping across her lips, and as she gripped him tighter and tighter, he knew that they were both nearly there.

  Their bodies strained together and Matt didn’t take his eyes from her as he came. She looked right back at him. So sweet. So earnest. So not up for a one-night-stand.

  Regret washed over him as he rested against her and tried to get his breathing back to normal. He was weak. He should have walked away.

  Carefully he pulled out and reached for his jeans. He tugged them on and grabbed his T-shirt off the floor before taking a few steps away from her. He checked his phone—pretended to scroll through a few emails—and then shoved the device into his pocket.

  He glanced around the loft, noting a few paintings that had to be Shane Gallagher originals, soft overstuffed furniture that was more thrift store than boutique, and a single vase of red tulips in kitchen.

  “What are you…are you going?”

  Matt took a moment to acknowledge the shame that washed over him. He should have kept his hands off her and now he was going to do what he always did.

  He rolled his shoulders and nodded. No use dragging this out. “Yeah.”

  There was a pause and he turned around. It was the least he could do. Her bruised mouth trembled slightly, and that amazing mane of hair hung down her shoulders in a tangled mess. Her cheeks were pink and those luminous eyes didn’t leave his. It was easy for him to see the hurt there. She’d grabbed a throw blanket from the sofa and shivered slightly, her pink toenails sharp against the dull gray tile of the floor.

  He supposed it said something about him—the fact that he noticed, the fact that he felt like shit because that sure as hell didn’t happen often. He’d warned her, but still…he owed her some kind of explanation.

  “This can never work, Gracie. You and me.” He wondered if she heard the regret in his voice.

  “Don’t call me Gracie.” The fireball was back and Matt nodded.

  They watched each other for a few moments longer, and in those moments he knew that once again he’d managed to screw things up. He’d been honest but it hadn’t been enough.

  “It was nice seeing you again,” he said carefully. He took a step back and then headed for the door, pulling out his cell to call a cab before he hit the first step down.

  Matt waited in the dark for nearly an hour, jaw clenched tightly and growing angrier by the minute. What the hell was wrong with him? Why couldn’t he connect?

  But he knew, didn’t he? It’s why he kept running. And it sure as hell was why he would never stop.

  3

  SIX WEEKS LATER…

  There was already three inches of snow on the ground, and by the looks of the clouds overhead, a lot more of the stuff was on its way. Great.

  Grace pulled on her hood of her soft pink hoodie and shivered as she trudged through the heavy snow. A winter coat would have been a good idea. Maybe a good pair of boots too. In a foul mood, she smiled at no one. Not even the little kid who pointed excitedly, jumping up and down at the sight of her companion, Josh Hayden.

  The up-and-coming shortstop had just finished his rookie season with the Texas Rangers and was one of Tucker Simon’s clients. Her brother had taken Josh on when no one else would—to say the guy had a troubled past would be an understatement. Hence the trip to New Waterford, Michigan, this blasted snow, and Josh’s chance to turn his image around.

  “Damn,
but you owe me, Tucker,” Grace muttered, spying her rental.

  This was the last place on earth she wanted to be, and she was only here because Tucker was in a jam. Grace still wasn’t sure what his emergency was about, but she knew her brother wasn’t the kind of guy to pass something off for no good reason.

  And now she was here, babysitting a high profile pain in the ass and hoping like hell she didn’t run into Matt Hawkins. Or maybe she did want to run into him because she sure as hell had a lot to say about their night together. She just wasn’t so sure that would be a good thing.

  If only she could stop thinking about him. About how aggressive and amazing and hot his lovemaking had been. If only she could forget how he’d fled her bed faster than anyone ever in the history of one-night-stands. Seriously. The guy couldn’t even spend the night.

  Angered at the thought, she scowled and shoved her hand into the front pocket of her jeans and scooped out the keys. Served her right. She’d known he wasn’t the type to stay, but still…

  “Want me to drive?”

  “Nope.”

  Josh looked a bit taken aback at her abrupt dismissal. “Not so sure an angry female behind the wheel in this storm is a good idea.”

  Grace shot Josh a dark look and waited impatiently for the back door of the SUV to open. She’d met him at her brother’s office in New York City just this morning and the guy had way too much charm for her liking. She was done with men. DONE.

  She tossed her periwinkle weekender bag inside. “Let’s go.”

  The trip from the airport out to New Waterford took at least forty-five minutes longer than it should have. By the time they reached the outskirts of town, Grace had a monster of a headache and that was for a few reasons. The roads were bad, the snow hadn’t stopped, and Josh Hayden did not…

  “Don’t you ever stop talking?” Grace snapped, maneuvering the SUV across the ice-coated bridge that ran through town.

  Josh smiled and shook his head, tugging on his ball cap. His dark hair waved to his shoulders, and after the long trip, poked out in all directions. His deep blue eyes crinkled in the corners as his smile widened, and at any other time Grace would’ve had to acknowledge that the young man was hot. You know for a baseball player with hockey-hair flow.

  “What’s your deal?” he asked.

  Lips pursed, she sighed. “I don’t have a deal.” The admission fell from her lips before she could think about it and her frown deepened. The GPS indicated a left turn and she followed the instructions.

  “Oh, I think you do.”

  “Josh,” she said, avoiding a large patch of ice in the middle of the road. “We’re not discussing my so-called deal. What we are going to do is get you to your hotel so that you can relax like a good boy and get ready for tomorrow. The charity fundraiser starts in the afternoon and you need this. Instigating a bench-clearing brawl after your troubles in the minors wasn’t a smart thing to do, so don’t screw it up.”

  “Man, you sound like my mother.”

  “Sorry.”

  “You should be. That wasn’t a compliment.” A pause. “At least you don’t look like her.”

  “And that’s a good thing because…”

  “She looks like Sasquatch.”

  “Your mother looks like Sasquatch.”

  “Yep.”

  “Sorry but I have a hard time believing a woman who looks like Sasquatch gave birth to a guy who…”

  Shit. Now his grin wouldn’t go away.

  “A guy who…” He prompted.

  “A guy who doesn’t look like Sasquatch.” No way was she feeding into his ego. Josh Hayden knew exactly how good looking he was.

  Grace peered ahead, looking for the hotel. It should be just around the corner.

  “Hey what’s that place?”

  Grace followed his gaze and spied a smallish plaza on her right. There were several stores that she could see—a weight loss clinic, a health food store, and a pizza joint. There was also a large pub or restaurant, The Roadside Grill.

  “Let’s stop in for some food. I’m freaking starving.”

  She shook her head. All she wanted was a hot shower, two extra strength tablets for her headache, and a bed. Kind of sad considering it was eight o’clock on a Friday night, and she was only a few weeks shy of her twenty-sixth birthday. When had her life become so incredibly lame?

  “Come on,” Josh coaxed. “You gotta be ready for some eats.”

  Grace took her foot off the gas. She was hungry, and she was pretty damn sure the hotel wouldn’t be able to touch good pub food.

  “I’ll even buy.” Josh slapped his thighs and whooped when she turned into the plaza.

  “Down boy,” Grace said, unable to hide the smile creeping over her face.

  “So that’s all it took.”

  “Huh?” She found parking near the main door.

  “Food.”

  “Food,” she repeated, cutting the engine and turning to him with a frown.

  “I’ve been trying to figure you out since you picked me up in New York.”

  “Trust me. I’m not all that interesting.”

  The snow was still falling and Grace swiped at a large snowflake that caught on her eyelashes. She tugged on her pink hoodie and slipped off her beanie, shaking out her long hair as she followed Josh into The Roadside Grill.

  The place was nearly empty, most likely due to the snow, and Grace was fine with that. She spied a large man pouring beer for a couple guys at the bar—his handlebar mustache was something to behold. He nodded and returned to his customers. There were a few tables occupied but other than that, it was quiet.

  A young girl appeared and directed them to a booth in the corner. Good. Grace liked the shadows and from this vantage point she could see the door. Josh slid across from her and immediately ordered two drafts and a plate of nachos.

  “I might not be a fan of nachos,” she said, toying with her napkin.

  “Of course you are,” Josh replied, flashing a million-dollar smile up at the waitress as she set down two mugs of beer.

  Grace watched, amused as the woman’s cheeks deepened and she fussed with her notepad.

  “Would you like anything else?” she asked, not taking her eyes from Josh.

  “The nachos are fine for now,” Grace replied. “Can I have an extra container of guacamole?”

  “Me too,” Josh said, digging into his draft.

  “Sure.” The waitress toyed with her pen and smiled. “Just let me know if you need anything else.”

  “Will do.” Grace smiled at her.

  The girl took a step back and paused. “Are you…”

  “I am,” Josh chuckled.

  Her blush deepened. “So cool. I heard you might be coming to town for the fundraiser.”

  He winked. “Make sure you come and say hi.”

  She backed away, giggling like a schoolgirl and Grace watched her disappear into the kitchen.

  “Impressive,” she said, taking a sip from her mug.

  Josh’s eyebrow shot up. “Yeah?”

  “I’d say it took no more than ten seconds for that girl to fall under your spell.”

  He grinned. “So how long are you gonna take?”

  Grace shook her head. “Nope. Not going there, Josh.”

  “Come on,” he replied. “Give me a chance.” He leaned back and Grace was pretty sure his smile could melt most women’s panties. “You’re single. I’m single…”

  She had to give it to him. He was one hell of a charmer.

  “How do you know I’m single?”

  Josh took a moment, his boyish smile near perfection. “Because no guy in their right mind would let his hot girlfriend head out to the middle of nowhere with someone like me.”

  “Someone like you?” She laughed outright at that.

  “I’ve been called irresistible.”

  “Puh-lease.”

  “Read it in a Sports Illustrated article. So you know, it must be true.”

  “And that,
Mr. Hayden, is the reason I don’t date athletes. You’re all full of yourselves.”

  “Maybe.” There was that grin again. “But I’m right. You’re single.” He paused. “Your brother, Tucker, told me.”

  Of course. Grace sighed. “Yes I’m single, but no I’m not interested.”

  The waitress stopped by with their platter of nachos and two extra containers of guacamole. She lingered a few seconds longer than she had to, and Grace did a double take, because she was pretty sure the woman’s shirt hadn’t been so…provocative.

  “At least two of ‘em.”

  She swallowed her food. “Excuse me?”

  Josh grinned and dug into the platter. “She undid at least two buttons.”

  “You’re unbelievable.” But she couldn’t hide her grin.

  “I think that there was in the SI article too.”

  The next twenty minutes passed and the two of them chatted about music (he was a huge country fan and had met her sister-in-law Donovan once) and entertainment (he loved chick flicks—who knew). Grace was just starting to relax when the door to The Grill opened, bringing with it a gust of wind and twenty or so men. They spilled into the place and instantly the energy changed. The guys all headed toward the bar, along with the few women who’d followed them in. Grace watched from the shadows and tried to remain calm. But she somehow knew. Her heart sped up and she nearly choked on a nacho chip.

  The last man to walk into the bar strode into the place as if he owned it. Dressed in jeans and black leather with a black knit hat pulled low over his head, he had his arm around a slim redhead. Smiling widely at the guys ahead of him, he took Grace’s breath away. She wanted to look away but couldn’t, and when he reached down and swept a kiss beside the redhead’s mouth, her heart actually hurt.

  “Shit,” she whispered. This was worse than she thought it could ever be. Not only had her feelings stayed, they’d intensified.

  “So that’s it then.”

  Slowly she came back to earth and tore her eyes from Matt to focus on Josh.