Three
Three
Sometimes, when Noah looked at Grace, his heart squeezed so tightly, it felt like he couldn’t catch his breath. He’d lived a life that surpassed the term “privileged” and he and his brothers did their best to give back because of it. But of all the things he’d ever been blessed with, all the people he’d known and cared for, Grace was the most incredible. The fact that she’d said yes to being his wife blew him away. He’d never wanted anything the way he craved her smile, her happiness, her nearness.
Grace waved a hand in front of his face, both of them standing in the foyer of their home. “Hello? Earth to fiancé. You in there?” The term coming from her lips thrilled him.
Noah leaned down, placed his hands on the back of her thighs, and scooped her up against his body, earning a squeal that turned into a laugh.
“Right here, Gracie. Just thinking about how lucky I am that you said you’d marry me,” he said, pressing gentle kisses to the soft skin under her collarbone.
On New Year’s Eve, she’d suggested they go to Disneyland. He’d had the ring for months and knew when she said she wanted to go that she was ready for him to ask. They’d watched the fireworks, Grace nestled into him with her back to his front, his arms around her waist. Before the crescendo, he’d whispered the question in her ear while slipping the ring onto her finger. She’d turned in his arms, chanting yes, and they’d missed the end of the show, but Noah’s heart and emotions burst brighter than any of the colors in the sky.
Gracie’s hands rested on his shoulders and the smile she gave him was warmer than the California sun. Lowering her in slow degrees, he trailed his lips along her shoulder, her neck, along her jaw, and finally, when her feet were touching the ceramic floor they’d picked out together, his mouth found hers and he lost himself in Grace.
When she pulled back, an electric energy that only Grace could inspire zipped through his veins. With a coy smile that never failed to grab him by the heart, she reached out, trailed a finger down the center of his chest, and that energy turned to fire, searing his skin.
He pulled her in for one more hard, quick kiss, whispering against her lips, “You drive me crazy, Gracie.” Grabbing her hand so he didn’t get distracted with a different kind of hunger, he led them to the kitchen.
Their home was his favorite place to be with Grace. They’d renovated and designed the interior themselves. Mostly. They’d fallen in love in the process. Walking through the living room, past the gray couch they’d chosen together and spent countless nights on watching movies and shows, making out, and entertaining, Noah’s heart felt full. He hadn’t known when he’d been chasing deal after deal in New York before California that what he’d needed to truly settle his soul was Grace. Growing up, he knew he wanted a lot of things, but he’d never imagined wanting what he had with Grace. Because he hadn’t known it existed.
“Mmm. It smells incredible. I have to say, you’ve got some great hobbies, but the latest, your new addiction to cooking shows, might be one of my favorites.”
In the well-lit, spacious kitchen, Noah released her hand. Grace grabbed plates and mats, setting their spots at the island, while he pulled dinner out of the oven. She grabbed the salad out of the fridge, put out both of their favorite dressings, and poured each of them wine.
They had such an easy rhythm. Growing up, he’d never seen his parents in sync, even in their good years. Not the way he and Gracie were. Thankfully, even without the example, his brothers had also found what he and Gracie had.
They sat beside each other at the island and Noah grinned when she leaned over her plate and inhaled deeply. Noah picked up his fork and scooped up some rotini and a bite of chicken.
Grace used her knife to cut her chicken into dainty pieces. He loved watching her do anything. It was probably weird. But since she’d agreed to spend her life with him, he was okay with it, and she must be too.
She took her first bite and closed her eyes for a second, then looked at him. “You know, if the whole real-estate-mogul-slash-investor thing doesn’t work out for you, you could be a chef. This is delicious, babe.”
Her praise warmed him in a different way. Smiling, he leaned in to kiss her cheek. “Real estate mogul? I think that might be overstating it. But that’s work. This is different. Doing little things to show you I love you makes me happy. I like cooking for you.”
Scooping up another bite, her pretty eyes sparkled with mischief. “Now that you’re better at it, I like it too.”
Noah tipped his head back with his laugh. Grace leaned into his shoulder, then dug back into her food.
“We should talk more about Emily’s idea. Are there more details?”
He nodded around a bite of food. “She sent over a breakdown of her shooting schedule, some script-like ideas, and a contract so we could review it. There’s also a bunch of forms to fill out and she’d like a copy of each of our schedules.”
Grace continued eating but he could read her body language; he could feel her thinking through the possible hurdles. They balanced each other that way. He had a tendency to jump, and his Gracie always remembered to grab the parachute.
“We have everyone coming for Valentine’s,” she reminded him. “Would it start right away?”
They were already headed toward the end of January. Noah and his two brothers, along with their significant others, had decided to host a special dinner for their friends and family on Valentine’s, rather than fighting crowded restaurants. His soon-to-be sister-in-law, Everly, had pretty bad social anxiety. Noah loved a crowd, but most of the time, he was more than content with their little group. Which wasn’t so little anymore, now that he thought of it.
“Everything for dinner is arranged. You, Evs, and Hailey are on decorations. Chris, Wes, and I have taken care of food. We’ll go pick it up. Josh, Rosie, Stacey, and Rob have all confirmed.”
She set her fork down. “So have Morty and Tilly. He had some thoughts,” she said with a grin.
Morty was Grace’s pseudo dad and a hell of a guy. He liked to give Noah a hard time, but he loved Grace like his own, and that was enough for Noah to call him family. Especially since Grace’s actual family, her mom, and Noah’s dad left a lot to be desired as far as parents went.
“I can tell Emily that night is off-limits. What do you want to do, Gracie?”
Turning her stool to face him, he did the same, putting his hands on her thighs when their knees touched.
“Let’s take a look at the contract. It sounds like a really cool opportunity.”
“I love you,” he said, because he could and he did.
She smiled at him, leaned in as she ran her hands up his thighs. “Enough to do the dishes?” She lowered her voice to a sexy whisper.
Noah laughed and kissed her on the nose. “Nice try, baby. I cooked, you clean. I’ll go print the paperwork.”
He stood up, kissed her once more, and heard her laughter follow him.
“A girl’s gotta try.”
“Solid effort,” he called back, unable to hold back his grin.