He had to get her out of her head if they were ever going to get any farther than this torturous waltz they were doing. “That’s the point. You think way too much. What if, what if, what if.” He could practically hear the thoughts churning through her mind.
Her whiskey-colored eyes had turned a deep brown. “Don’t you worry that you’d regret this?”
“Never,” he shot back in an instant. “I only regret the things I haven’t done.” That list was plenty long enough. He never regretted the chances he’d taken, even when they didn’t turn out the way he wanted.
Cupping the back of her head, he fused their mouths in a punishing kiss. The moan that escaped her only fueled his need. He parted her lips and slipped his tongue into her mouth. Grant tangled his tongue with hers, tasting a minty sweetness that did little to extinguish the building heat. Still, he pulled back. “Would you like me to tell you some of the things I regret not doing?”
She ducked her chin. “If you like.”
“I regret not doing this by the pool.” Gently, he palmed her breast. Soft, weighty, it fit perfectly in his hand. Then he traced the outline of her peaked nipple. “When the water made your dress cling to you. I could see these.”
Seeing her eyelids flutter closed with pleasure, he grew bolder and crushed her body to his. “I regret letting you walk away from me in the hanger.”
He wanted to roar with masculine satisfaction as she melted into him. Placing a light kiss on the apple of her cheek, Grant teased, “I should have done this when you were here last week.”
“Oh yeah,” she answered, smiling up at him. “How would you have accomplished that? There were four other people in the room.”
He kissed the other cheek. “What’s a friendly kiss between in-laws?”
She shook her head. “You’re incorrigible,” she laughed, making it sound like the best compliment he’d ever received.
“Without a doubt.” He brushed back her tresses, baring the slender column of ivory skin. “That neck of yours tempts me.” He nipped her just behind the ear before soothing the tender flesh with his tongue. “This is what I should have done when you were showing me your house.”
They were both panting before he stopped. “No more regrets,” he murmured. Never. No matter how things turned out with her.
Her body tensed as her breathing became more regular. “I must go. Jackson will be looking for me.”
He brushed a thumb across her cheek. “I’ll make a brazen woman out of you yet.” In reality she’d already given him far more than he could have hoped.
The corners of her mouth turned up. “I doubt that. Will you settle for one that’s easily persuaded by a handsome face? I’d still like to volunteer with Help and Hope, if you like.”
“I haven’t run you off.”
She ducked her chin. “I seem to do that a lot around you.”
“Ms. Owen was heading up the family day picnic next month. She left all her information about corporate sponsors and things she’d purchased on a flash drive. I’ll come by Wednesday after work and drop it off.”
“Okay,” she said, stepping out of his embrace. “Are you coming?”
“You go ahead.” Yeah, he was going to have to hang out with the candlesticks and punch bowls for a few minutes while the tent in his pants went down. He watched her leave, hoping this wasn’t the only time he’d ever get to hold her.
Chapter 9
Abby braced the cell phone between her shoulder and ear, keeping her hands free so she could talk and dust at the same time. With Chris working in Charleston during the week, she was seriously behind on her “friend time.” She couldn’t remember the last time they’d gone five days without speaking.
“How was your party?”
She hadn’t come anywhere near a television during her time at Katherine’s. After Abby left the pantry, she’d been too flustered to pretend normalcy, so she’d quickly said her goodbyes and left. Her mind played over the reason she’d been too flustered to stay. Good God, the way Grant’s hands felt on her arms, her face, her breasts.
“Abby, are you there?”
And those soft as suede lips. “What?”
“I asked about the Queen of Atlanta’s party. You did go, didn’t you?”
She had to clear her throat before she could answer. “It was fine.” It was a good thing they were having this conversation over the phone, otherwise she’d never be able to fool him. She touched her cheeks, feeling their heat.
Remembering he’d had his own plans that night, she asked, “How was your date?”
He made a chuffing noise, the one he always paired with a dramatic eye roll. “Let’s just say if the guy was a dot-com executive, than I’m a straight guy. I hate people who feel they have to lie on their profiles. Like a high powered job negates being an ass.”
“I’m sorry. It’s his loss. I wish you were here so we could drown your sorrows in some ice cream.”
“Thanks,” he said with a laugh. “Tell me, what are you getting up to without me to keep you out of trouble?
“Nothing much,” she answered, tempted to make up something about grading papers or reading. But she’d never lied to her best friend, and she wasn’t going to start now. She just needed to make it sound like no big deal. “Oh, Katie’s brother is coming over in a few minutes.”
Several seconds ticked by. “Is it a date?”
“No,” she shot back, her voice raising several octaves. It wasn’t. A date involved some type of social activity. “I’ve agreed to help him with his autism charity, and he’s bringing me some computer files he wants me to look over.”
“That’s too bad,” he chuckled. “He is a fine specimen of the male gender.”
Wasn’t that the God’s honest truth.
“Why are all the good ones are either taken or straight?”
Abby fumbled the phone, she laughed so hard. “You’re a mess,” she finally managed.
The doorbell dried up her mirth. Her eyes darted around her living room as her free hand fluttered over her hair. “Hey, that’s the door,” she said walking toward the sound of the bell that had rung again. “I better go.”
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
“That only leaves skydiving and busty blonds.”
The last part of her sentence hung in the air as she opened the door. She didn’t know who was more surprised: Abby or her sister, Sarah, who was standing bug-eyed where her tall, dark and handsome should have been. Abby coughed to cover the laugh that threatened to bubble up.
“What?”
They’d never been the type of sisters who just dropped by each other’s place. Why now, of all times? “It’s Sarah,” she answered, making her voice light. No sense starting off on the wrong foot.
“Don’t let her get under your skin.”
“Okay, I’ll tell her you said hi,” she said before pushing the “end” button on the phone.
“I was in the area, and I thought I’d pop by and pick up those photos you promised,” Sarah said as she stepped through the doorway.
After leaving Katie and Jackson’s wedding on less than cordial terms, Abby wanted to smooth things over with the only blood relative she had other than Jackson. She’d made a small album of wedding photos to give as an olive branch. “Sure, it’s right over here,” she said pointing to a bookcase behind her.
“Are you expecting company?” Sarah asked pointing to the chips and salsa on the coffee table.
“Grant Davis is coming over in a while,” Abby answered, hoping her sister would then cut her impromptu visit short.
Sarah cocked an eyebrow. “Isn’t he married?”
The implication hurt. “He’s divorced.” If Abby did a thousand things right, it would never erase her one mistake in her sister’s eyes. “Besides, it’s not like that. I’m helping him and Heather with their charity.”
Sarah narrowed her eyes as if she were calling up some detail for her memory banks. “They still live together, don’t they?”
Classic Sarah. She loved gathering tidbits of information the way a squirrel did acorns. The better to judge everyone with.
Abby clenched her jaw to keep the storm of words inside her mouth. What business was it of Sarah’s how other people lived their lives?
Sarah prattled on, keeping up her one-sided conversation. “Makes you wonder if the two of them can stand to live under the same roof why they didn’t just stay married.”
A chill washed over Abby. She saw last Sunday how well the two got on. Like friends. What if there was more than co-parenting going on?
“Who knows, maybe they’ll remarry,” Sarah said. “I always think it’s best if children are raised in a two parent home.”
Abby seethed from her sister’s latest jab. She could name quite a few children who turned out just fine with one parent.
Jackson.
And a few who’d been raised with both parents who seemed to delight in making each other miserable. She’d had all the family values lecture she could stand. Abby thrust the album toward her sister. “I hope you’ll enjoy the pictures,” she practically growled. So much for the olive branch.
Sarah blinked, seemingly confused by Abby’s forcefulness. Her sister always was surprised when others didn’t share her point of view or baulked at being schooled on morality. Her mouth opened as if she were about to launch into another round of “what’s wrong with the world.”
Abby’s phone cut off the impending lecture. Grant’s number showed up on the phone’s screen. “Hello,” she said, keeping her voice casual.
His sultry voice reached out through the line. “Hi, beautiful lady.”
She held up a finger to her sister and stepped out of earshot. “What’s up?”
“Something’s come up here at home.” Though his voice became muffled, probably from him covering the receiver with his palm, she could still hear him say, “Hold on sweetheart. I’ll be right there.” Then his voice became clear again. “I’ll call you, and we can reschedule.”
Images of the cozy scene playing in the background flooded her mind. “Okay, that’s fine,” she answered then hung up. She schooled her features into a placid mask before turning back to her sister.
Sarah quirked an eyebrow.
“Grant had to cancel,” Abby explained. Not that she owed her sister an explanation, it just made sense to downplay things with Sarah.
Her lips formed a thin line. “I think that’s probably for the best.”
Perhaps it was.
“He’ll email me the files later.”
“I should be going. I don’t want to be late for choir practice.” Sarah said, tucking the photo album into her purse.
With her sister on her way, Abby fell against the closed door. She pressed her head between open palms in a vain attempt to stop the words that played inside her head on a continuous loop. When Abby discovered the last guy she was dating was still married, she swore the next man who claimed to be divorced had to present his legal papers before she’d go out with him. Maybe that wasn’t enough to ensure she didn’t repeat the same mistake. Yeah, email, DIY projects, and distance sounded like a better insurance policy.
****
Heather scanned the other board members seated around the dining room table. “Before we adjourn, I’d like to take this chance to thank Abby Roberts for taking over from Miss Owen. She’s really jumped in with both feet with her suggestions for our Family Day picnic.”
As Grant knew she would, the recipient of the praise ducked her head, smiling modestly. “I’m very glad to help.”
Heather continued, “If no one else has anything further, I move we adjourn the meeting.”
A chorus of “seconds” and “ayes” erupted from the people gathered around the dining room table in the house he’d bought for Grace.
Predicting Abby would make a speedy get away, he had a plan already in place. Before she could gather her purse and coat, he circled the table. “I need to ask you a couple quick questions before you leave,” he stated, putting himself between her and the foyer.
Her eyes darkened for a split second before she hid her emotions behind a plastic smile. She glanced over her shoulder at the other board members who were following Heather into the foyer. “I might have someone blocked in the driveway.”
“Why didn’t you return my calls,” he began without preamble. He probably had about thirty seconds, and he didn’t want to waste any of it on pleasantries.
“I emailed you the list of corporate sponsors and the information about the stables offering hippotherapy.”
“I got them, thank you.” The sight of her golden hair, the curling ends touching the tops of her breasts had taunted him from across the table. He took one of the spirals between two fingers. “I wanted to explain about the other day.”
Since making that phone call, he’d had a knot in his gut that had nothing to do with the sickness that had invaded his house. As the week progressed and Abby hadn’t returned his calls, he realized she wasn’t going to willingly listen to an explanation. Even if she deserved one. Other than camping out in the school’s parking lot—which sounded a lot like stalking—he’d run out of options. The monthly board meeting of Help and Hope was the only chance he’d get to see Abby till his mother’s next party.
“That’s not necessary,” she answered coolly.
“Heather came down with the flu and that’s why I had to cancel.” As much as he hated to cancel on Abby, some things were unavoidable.
Again with the placid smile. He’d have much rather endured some “hell hath no fury” than her “I am an island” imitation.
“Naturally, and you had to take care of her.”
“I’m the last person she wants for that, but I did need to take care of Grace.”
“Of course. Well, thank you for letting me know. I hope your family stays well.”
Grant held up his hands, pleading. “It’s not like that.” He could easily see how someone would jump to the wrong conclusion. “After the divorce we tried having Grace spend half the week with each of us, but that was really rough on her. With her autism, she needs the consistency of living in one place. Since neither of us wanted to give up our time with her, I bought this house.
“So, you all live here,” she said, eyeing the main living area.
Grant shook his head. “Heather has a condo in the city, and I stay in the gatehouse here on the property, so we don’t exactly get cozy over the breakfast table, but after a lot of compromise, some ground rules, and more than a few arguments, we finally found a system that works for everyone.”