So Sensitive

Books by Anne Rainey

So Sensitive

Body Rush

“Cherry on Top” in
Some Like It Rough

SO SENSITIVE

ANNE RAINEY

KENSINGTON PUBLISHING CORP.

www.kensingtonbooks.com

All copyrighted material within is Attributor Protected.

Table of Contents

Also by

Title Page

Dedication

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

Copyright Page

To Linda, for your valuable feedback

and warm friendship.

I would be lost without you!

And a very special thanks to Martin,

for your patience and kindness.

Two months earlier . . .

G
racie couldn’t take her eyes off the man leaning against her desk. His dark, wavy brown hair and easy smile sent a shiver of awareness down her spine. He was large, with wel -sculpted, drool-worthy arms. Arms that would hold a woman tight. And he was looking at her as if he’d struck gold.

“I don’t believe we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Wade Harrison, Cherry’s friend, and you are?”

God, his voice was just as yummy as the rest of him. Deep, a little gravel y, as if he’d just gotten out of bed. It took her a few seconds before she could answer without stuttering. “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Gracie Baron, Cherry’s new receptionist.”

He held out his hand. Gracie promptly dropped the pen she’d been using and let him take hold of her. The cal oused, firm feel of him against her skin nearly had her creaming in her panties. He dipped his head and kissed her knuckles. A light brush of his lips and she was ready to surrender.

He winked as he let go of her. She missed his warmth, but forced herself to pick up the pen again.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Gracie.” He looked down her body, his progress hindered by the desk, then snared her in his dark chocolate gaze as he asked, “So, what do you do when you aren’t answering the phone and setting up appointments here at Serene Comfort?”

“I have another job. I’m an administrative assistant.”

His brows shot up. “You work two jobs?”

She thought of her dad’s utility bil s, which were overdue to be paid, again. “Yeah, I need the money to help support my dad.”

He straightened and crossed his arms over his chest. “A devoted daughter, huh?”

She stiffened at the term. “Yeah, you could say that, I guess.”

More like doormat, she thought bitterly. What was the use in complaining? Nothing was ever going to change. Her father would always drink away his Social Security check and cal her in a panic because they were about to evict him for not paying the rent. She was tired of being the fal guy, but she couldn’t bring herself to leave him to his own devices. He was her father, after al .

“Do you have a significant other to keep you company when you aren’t working, Gracie?”

The way he said her name made her think of silk sheets and candlelight. It was a nice image. Then reality intruded when she thought of his question. “I’m not seeing anyone right now. To tel the truth, I’m not sure when I’d even have the time.”

His grin widened. “How about I take you to dinner Friday night? I’d like to get to know you better.”

It was like dangling an ice cream cone in front of a five-year-old; Gracie’s mouth practical y watered at the thought of spending time alone with the delicious man. “I’d real y—” A strange tinkling sound interrupted her. She glanced over at the computer and cringed. An e-mail, and she recognized the name in the “from” column. Her creepy secret admirer, reminding her that while she might not have a husband, she did have a man in her life. The fact that she didn’t want said man didn’t seem to matter to the jerk. Who the hel was she kidding? How could she possibly spend time with Wade when she had an alcoholic father to take care of and a weirdo stalking her via the Internet? Add in two jobs, and you have a woman with zero energy left over for leisure time.

“Earth to Gracie.”

“Oh, sorry. I’m . . . I’m sorry, but I’m not in a good place right now. Can I have a rain check?”

He placed his hands on the edge of her desk and leaned forward until only a few inches of air separated them. “I can be very patient, Ms.

Baron.”

The determination in his gaze sent a rush of adrenaline through her body. Why did she suddenly feel as if her days were numbered?

1

Present day

“I
f you’d give me a valid reason why you won’t go out with me, I’d leave you alone. Instead, al I get are snarls. Snarls aren’t valid, Gracie.”

“I said no, which should be enough. Actual y, it is for most guys. You’re just mad because every other woman you proposition fawns al over you like you’re a bar of chocolate or something. It makes me want to puke.”

Wade tried to contain his grin. It wasn’t easy with Gracie’s description of him. “A bar of chocolate, huh? I don’t suppose you have a sweet tooth, do you?”

Her frown turned into a vicious smile. “I’m al ergic to chocolate. In fact, just the sight of it makes me irrational, and I get this insane urge to take a hammer and crush it into oblivion.”

Wade grabbed his chest, feigning hurt. “Ouch. You’re one scary lady.”

She sat up a little straighter in her chair and turned her attention back to her monitor. “Exactly. So, go find a cute little bunny to warm your bed; I’m real y not interested, Wade.”

Wade braced his palms on Gracie’s desk and leaned forward. “A piece of fluff can’t even begin to satisfy me. Not when I have my sights set on a curvy redhead with a wicked temper.”

“Wade, stop bothering my employee.”

He turned his head at the feminine voice. Cherry DuBois, soon to be Cherry Ricci when she married the big Italian from the financial consulting business next door. Wade watched Cherry walk toward him, a to-go cup in one hand and a cel phone in the other. Her purposeful strides exuded confidence. He smiled, proud of the woman he’d been friends with for years. After her first husband had asked for a divorce, Cherry had crumpled a little. But making her massage therapy business, Serene Comfort, a success had helped her to see she didn’t need a man like Brody in her life. Meeting Dante had done the rest. The man acted as if Cherry hung the moon. If Wade were honest with himself, he’d admit to feeling a twinge of envy for the happy couple.

“I came to take you to lunch,” he explained, “but you’d already slipped out. So, I asked Ms. Persnickety here.”

“Dante and I grabbed lunch at home. You should’ve cal ed. I could’ve made other plans.”

Wade turned, leaned against Gracie’s desk, and crossed his arms over his chest. “You would’ve dropped Dante for me, huh?”

“Wel , I could’ve—”

“He’s your fiancé now, Cherry,” Wade interrupted, his voice gentling. “You don’t have to make excuses for wanting to spend time with him.”

He tossed Gracie a look over his shoulder. “Besides, it’s not real y a hardship to spend time with your pretty receptionist.”

Cherry stepped forward and kissed him on the cheek, then leaned around him to look at Gracie. “You have my permission to drop-kick him if you want, hon. It would do him some good.”

Gracie laughed, but Wade could tel it was strained. She never seemed at ease around people. Not even Cherry, and everyone got along with her. “It’s fine. He was just leaving anyway. Right, Wade?”

Wade stood and stepped away from the desk. “Fine. My heart can only be stomped on so many times.”

The phone rang, and he watched Gracie fairly leap for it. While she took the cal , Wade said his good-byes to Cherry and moved toward the door. He was halfway to his truck when he remembered he’d forgotten to tel Cherry about the phone cal he’d received from her ex-husband.

The asshole suddenly had it in his head that he wanted Cherry back. The chance of that happening was about as good as finding Elvis alive and living it up in Graceland.

Wade sprinted back across the parking lot and pul ed open the door, expecting to see Gracie where he’d left her behind the receptionist desk, but her seat was empty. Figuring she was taking a break, Wade started down the short hal toward Cherry’s private office. A sound caught his attention, and he stopped. His gaze narrowed on the closed bathroom door at the end of the hal . He moved closer and listened harder. The noise came again, and it sounded suspiciously like a woman crying. Cherry or Gracie? Wade knocked softly. He didn’t want to intrude, but the thought of either woman in tears didn’t sit right with him.

“Y-Yes?”

Gracie’s trembling voice floated out to him. What the hel ? “Gracie, is everything al right?”

“F-Fine.”

Fine my ass. In the months Gracie had been working for Cherry he’d seen her spitting mad, shy as a butterfly, and sarcastic as hel . He’d never once heard that quiver in her voice. He didn’t like it one damn bit either. He wasn’t going anywhere until he got to the bottom of it. As he waited, a horrible thought struck, and he froze. Had he been the cause? His teasing? He’d thought their little cat and mouse thing was al part of the game, but maybe it made Gracie more uncomfortable than she’d let on.

The door swung open, and Wade stiffened. Gracie’s head was down, and she was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue. She didn’t see him and smacked right into his chest, nearly knocking herself over backwards. Wade grabbed her shoulders to steady her before she had a chance to topple. Her head shot up, and her pretty green eyes fil ed with tears the instant their gazes clashed. Shit, that sure as hel wasn’t real promising.