Chapter 8
GRACE
Grace didn’t want this night to end.
She knew she was probably barreling headfirst into a huge mistake. Going out for drinks with her boss was one thing, but flirting with him? Opening up to him about her life? Dancing with him while staring into those blue eyes of his? It was something very different.
Yet Grace couldn’t bring herself to care about the potential consequences.
Talking to Alex, dancing with him, and hearing about his life felt great.
For years, Grace had kept herself closed off, bottling up memories of her father like a precious resource that would slip away if she opened the lid even an inch.
But now, she wanted to talk to Alex. She wanted to tell him things.
She wanted to find out about him. She wanted to see who he was under the veneer he presented to people.
And more than any of that, she wanted him to kiss her.
So, Grace was ready to forget the consequences. At least for right now.
She and Alex were both on their third drink.
They’d been sitting in their booth for hours, talking about everything and anything, from their families to their hopes for the future to their pet peeves to their childhood best friends.
They found out that they’d both tried and failed at surfing, they both were a little chaotic in life but very organized at work, and they had both graduated with honors from college.
Every piece of information about Alex was fascinating.
The more she knew about him, the more she liked him.
And Grace felt privileged to see beneath his distant exterior to the man he really was.
“Sorry, folks, but we’re about to close up,” their waitress said apologetically, startling them both out of a conversation about the best type of candy bar (Grace said anything with chocolate and nuts, but Alex was partial to minty flavors).
“Really?” Alex’s eyes widened. “But it can’t be past ten.”
“It’s almost one in the morning,” the waitress explained apologetically. “Sorry to disturb you.” She looked a little tired, but she still smiled at them.
“No, no, it’s just your job,” Grace said quickly. “Don’t worry about it. Thank you for everything.”
“Let me get the check,” Alex said. He paid the bill, along with a generous tip, and they got up.
“I can’t believe we were talking for… almost five hours,” Grace said, adding up the time in her mind.
“Me neither,” Alex agreed. “So, can I drop you at home? We can share a taxi. Neither of us should be driving at this point.”
“I live far away,” Grace said, wrinkling her nose. “But it’s a beautiful evening, and this is a nice neighborhood. Maybe we can walk a little before we say goodbye.” She was just prolonging the evening, and Alex must have known it, too, but he nodded.
“Sounds great.”
They left the bar. Outside, it was still warm, but the breeze had a hint of a chill to it. The streetlights were bright, but they could still make out the outlines of a few constellations far overhead. They strolled down the street, side by side, their shoulders brushing occasionally.
“If you could go anywhere on vacation,” Grace said idly, “where would you go?”
“Norway,” Alex answered instantly.
“Really? I’d go to Hawaii. I love the beach, even though I go all the time here.”
“Really. I get plenty of sun and sand here. I want somewhere cold and snowy where I can see the Northern Lights.”
“Why don’t you go?” Grace asked. “I’m sure you have enough money.” Then she laughed. “But you wouldn’t want to leave the company, even for a few days. Right?”
“Right.”
“It was a silly question.”
“Not at all.”
Alex stopped and turned to her, so Grace stopped, too.
They were standing beneath a streetlight, bathed in its warm yellow light.
It illuminated Alex’s strong jawline dusted with a hint of five-o’clock shadow, his vivid blue eyes behind round glasses that looked at her with singular focus, and his slightly messy hair.
He wore a suit from his networking event and looked extremely handsome.
Grace’s heartbeat sped up. They were very close together, though they weren’t touching—unlike when they’d danced.
“Thank you,” Alex said.
“For what?” Grace’s voice came out a little strained, which she hoped he couldn’t hear.
“For tonight,” Alex said. “It felt like a vacation, and I never take vacations.”
“Yeah.” Grace nodded. “I feel the same way.”
“I…” Alex sighed and ran a hand through his hair, causing some of it to stick up straight. “Grace, would you like to go home now?”
“No,” Grace said. “I really don’t.”
“I would like very much to kiss you,” Alex said. “And I know it might cause problems, but—”
Grace raised a hand to stop him. “Don’t think about that right now. Only think about what you want. Right here. Right now. What do you want?” She emphasized each word in the question, her eyes never leaving Alex’s.
“You,” Alex said, and the single word was enough to turn Grace’s knees to jelly.
“Okay,” she said, very softly. And then they were kissing.
It was the kind of passionate, world-stopping kiss that Grace had only read about or seen in movies.
It took her breath away with the force of a sonic boom and made her so dizzy that she leaned against Alex for balance.
He was gentle yet thorough, kissing her with every bit of the perfectionism that made him so good at his job.
His hands rested on her waist, lightly at first, then pulling her closer with the same kind of hunger Grace felt growing inside her.
She wrapped her hands around his shoulders, then slid her fingers into his hair to pull his head closer and deepen the kiss.
Alex moaned into her mouth, and Grace melted against him.
She wanted to be closer. She wanted more.
They were only kissing, and already, it was everything.
“Grace,” Alex whispered, her name sounding like it was being spoken aloud for the first time.
“Yes?” Grace asked.
He kissed her again, more deeply this time, before he answered. “We’re in a public place.”
“Yes,” Grace replied, laughing softly as he hugged her against him.
“I live close by.”
“Alex Medson, are you inviting me over?” Grace pulled back a little so she could see his expression. His eyes were full of desire that made Grace’s stomach clench with a matching need.
“I am,” Alex said, his tone serious. “If you want that.”
“Then yes,” Grace replied. Alex turned and held up a hand, and what seemed like a few seconds later, one of San Valentino’s signature blue cabs pulled up beside them. Alex opened the door for her, and she slid into the back seat. Alex followed, gave his address to the driver, and turned to her.
Suddenly, they were kissing again. Grace had never been the type to make out under streetlights or in cabs, but then again, she’d never been kissed like this before. All she could think was that she couldn’t wait to reach Alex’s house.
They pulled up outside a large condo building a few heady minutes later.
Alex paid the driver, and they got out. He put his arm around her shoulder, and she leaned into him as they went inside.
Grace caught a glimpse of a gleaming lobby with a doorman and a receptionist before they were in the elevator and kissing again.
Alex pushed her back against the wall, and Grace gasped as he gently bit her lip. The soft sound made him groan.
The doors whooshed open, and they stepped out into an entryway. Grace paused.
“The elevator goes straight to your apartment?” she asked.
“It does. The whole floor is mine,” Alex replied. “Would you like a tour?”
“There’s one room I’d particularly like to see.”
“Is that so?” Alex approached her again, his blue eyes gleaming. “What room might that be?”
“Maybe the kitchen,” Grace joked. Then Alex kissed the curve of her neck, her earlobe, and her lips again, and Grace gasped.
“You’re sure it’s the kitchen?” Alex asked.
“No. Take me to your bedroom.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yes. Please.”
“Very well.”
Alex scooped her into his arms as if she weighed nothing, and Grace wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her down the hallway and into a bedroom with a large bed that looked like it belonged in a hotel.
Grace caught a glimpse of a view of city lights and ocean out the window before Alex set her on the bed.
She pulled him toward her, and they fell beside each other, already shedding clothes as they kissed again.
It was all happening so fast, yet nothing had ever felt so right. Grace didn’t hesitate. She didn’t want to stop, not even for a second. And from the way Alex kissed her, she knew he felt the same way.
They fell into each other, all sensation and desire and soft whispers, and, for a long time, the two of them were in perfect harmony.
Grace woke to the sound of a loud, obnoxious beep. She rolled over, blinking as she reached blindly for her alarm to turn it off.
“Sorry,” a deep voice said. “That’s mine.
” The beeping ceased, and memory came rushing back.
Grace wasn’t at home in her apartment in Las Adelitas.
She was in Alex’s apartment. In Alex’s bed.
And they’d spent the last night in each other’s arms. Grace blushed as she remembered the way Alex had kissed her and held her and whispered her name.
What was she supposed to say to him now?
“Would you like to shower first, or should I?” Alex asked, as businesslike as if they were discussing a bug in the code.
“I will, if it’s okay,” Grace replied, still blinking sleep from her eyes and unable to meet his gaze.
“Of course.”
She slid out of bed, wrapping the sheet around herself, and hurried into the bathroom.
It was spacious, with a Jacuzzi tub, a shower, and a large gleaming mirror.
She spotted a toothbrush, a razor, and a bottle of aftershave.
It all felt so personal. As she quickly washed her face, she made eye contact with herself in the mirror and a wave of reality hit her.
She had just slept with her boss. What had she been thinking? What if things were awkward at the office now?
What was going to happen next?
Taking a deep breath, she reemerged from the bathroom, completely forgetting to shower, and threw on the same clothes she’d had on yesterday. Without saying anything, Alex went into the bathroom, and she heard the water turn on.
Grace sat on the edge of the bed, her heart racing. Should she just slip out now? Or did they need to talk about it? Were they going to drive into work together? They had to—her car was still parked at the bar. But so was Alex’s.
“Ready to go?” Alex asked as he exited the bathroom. He was dressed now, in slacks and a button-down, and his hair was damp.
Grace glanced at her watch.
“Actually, I’ll head home and change first.” She was in the jeans and T-shirt she’d worn yesterday, which weren’t exactly good office wear.
“Good idea,” Alex said, and Grace was sure she wasn’t imagining the relief in his eyes. He wanted space. “I’ll see you in the office.”
“Great.” Grace headed to the elevators, not stopping to look at Alex’s gleaming kitchen or spacious living room or breathtaking view.
She rode down in silence, hailed a cab she couldn’t really afford, and began the long ride back to her own neighborhood.
As she went, worry and confusion swirled in her stomach.
She couldn’t bring herself to regret the night they’d spent together—it had felt so right, and it had been so magical—but part of her wished it had never happened.
She couldn’t jeopardize her new job with something that might not be real.
Even though it had felt real. Even though it had been the best night of her life.
Even though she wanted nothing more than to do it all again.