Chapter 10 #2
Stephanie had no idea what she should say or do.
Would it be wise to tell him the truth? That she was glad his relationship with Abby was officially over?
Or should she tell him she had no interest in being his rebound girl?
Was this her chance to have something more with him?
Or was he just trying to get her to admit she liked him as more than a friend so he could let her down easily?
And why was she even contemplating “more” with him—whatever that would entail—when she had no business looking for more with any guy? She already had enough to deal with.
“No need to overthink it,” he said. “It’s a yes or no question. Are you really sorry that Abby and I are done?”
“No.”
“Why?”
“That’s hardly a yes or no question.” In need of fortification, Stephanie yearned for a stiff drink. “The more important question is whether you’re sorry that you and Abby are done.”
“Of course I’m sorry. I had a good thing with her, and I was too stupid and self-absorbed to realize it until I didn’t have it anymore.”
“I think—” Stephanie stopped herself before she ventured into territory that qualified as none of her business.
“What?”
She shook her head.
“Just say it, Steph. You’ve shared every other thought that’s popped into your head where I’m concerned.”
Oh no I haven’t, she thought, affected once again by his casual use of her nickname. “It’s just . . . if she was ‘the one’ for you, the one you were meant to be with, don’t you think you would’ve noticed she was unhappy?”
“Probably,” he said with a grim set to his mouth.
“It bothers me that she was unhappy enough to pack up and move back here after years with me in LA—and I didn’t get it until she was gone.
And even then it took me another year to fully wake up and realize she was truly gone.
By then, she was already engaged to Cal. ”
“It bothers you that you hurt her like that.”
“Hell yes, it bothers me. I took her and our relationship totally for granted. I expected that once I pulled my head out of my ass, she’d still be there waiting like always. It was a bit of a shock to wake up a year ago and discover she wasn’t waiting around anymore for me to get a clue.”
“I suppose all you can do now is learn from it and move on. She hasn’t given you much choice about that.”
He studied his folded hands for a long moment before he shifted his potent gaze to her. “You still haven’t answered my question.”
“Which one?”
“Why aren’t you sorry that Abby and I are done?”
“Oh, that one.”
“Yes, that one.” The quirk of amusement that touched his sexy mouth told her he was enjoying putting her on the spot. “Everyone thinks you and I are together, you know.”
Stephanie nearly choked on her own spit. “Who’s everyone?”
“My brothers, Luke, Ned, Abby . . . They all said something about us dancing together last night and showing up at the party together tonight.”
“That’s what you wanted, right? To make Abby jealous?”
“She didn’t really seem to care. In fact, she thinks you’d be good for me.”
“Ahh, I get it. You need someone to fill the void now that it’s finally registered that your girlfriend isn’t coming back.”
His relaxed, amused expression turned dark so fast it startled her. “That is not why it matters to me what you think.”
Stephanie hated that his anger made her nervous. She was years past the point where anyone had raised a hand to her in anger, but it still had a profound effect on her.
Seeming to sense her dismay, he straightened out of the slouch he’d slipped into and leaned forward. Elbows on knees, he studied her. “Did I scare you just now?”
His insight rattled her as much as his nearness. “Don’t be ridiculous,” she said with a scoff. “I’m not afraid of you.” More like terrified, not that she’d ever tell him that.
“I think you are.”
“Don’t flatter yourself, McCarthy.”
He shifted from his loveseat to hers so smoothly that Stephanie had no time to prepare. “Don’t be scared of me, Stephanie. I’d never raise a hand to you in anger. It kills me to know that someone else did.”
As his softly spoken words and masculine scent filled her senses, her heart beat fast and hard. She struggled to draw air into her lungs. “What’re you doing?” The words came out as a nervous squeak that infuriated her. No one had ever had such an effect on her. Ever.
“I want to show you why it matters to me what you think.” He reached for her hand and shocked the living shit out of her when he pressed it to his erection.
“I’ve been dealing with this problem all day as images of last night ran through my mind.
Every time you come near me, I get hard.
Every time you insult me, I get hard. Every time you tell me what to do, I get hard.
Every time you freaking look at me, I get hard. ”
Stunned and aroused and confused and annoyed by his audacity, Stephanie stared at him.
“That’s never happened to me before.”
“Oh. It hasn’t?”
He shook his head. “It’s starting to seriously irritate me.”
She tried to pull her hand free, but he only tightened his grip. “It’s not my fault you have the self-control of a fifteen-year-old.”
“It is absolutely your fault.”
She forced herself to meet his gaze head-on. “How is it my fault?”
“Ever since I watched you get dressed this morning, all I’ve thought about is getting you undressed again.”
“I knew you were watching me.”
His cock surged under her hand. “Is that why you made getting dressed into the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen?” His free hand landed on her leg, heating her through her jeans.
Refusing to be the first to break the intense eye contact, she licked her lips and notched a victory when his eyes shifted to her mouth. “I have no interest in being your rebound girl, Grant.”
His gaze shifted back to her eyes. “And I no longer want to be that clueless idiot who doesn’t know a good thing when it’s staring him right in the face.”
“How can you think this is a good thing when all we do is fight?”
“We’re not fighting right now.”
She was fighting all right—she was fighting the magnetic pull that drew her to him so forcefully she could no more resist him than she could avoid taking her next breath.
Maybe this was the stupidest thing she’d ever done.
No doubt she would regret it before it was over, but right here, right now, she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted anything.
Taking a deep breath for courage, she raised her hand to caress his face.
His eyes darkened with desire and what might’ve been confusion. He didn’t get why this was happening between them any more than she did, and knowing that comforted her.
“Steph—”
Her hand shifted to the back of his neck, bringing him closer—close enough to kiss. Even though they’d done much more than kiss last night, this felt like the first time all over again. With both of them fully aware of what they were doing, this kiss would signal the start of something.
“Are you sure?” he whispered.
She shook her head. She was sure of nothing where he was concerned.
A grin tugged at his sinfully sexy lips.
“That makes two of us.” And then he tilted his head ever so slightly and captured her lips in a light, undemanding kiss that blew through her in a flashpoint of desire and need and want.
Her reaction was so powerful that she immediately sought to defuse the tension the only way she knew how.
“Are you writing this whole seduction scene just so you won’t have to sleep on the loveseat? ”
He threw his head back as laughter seized him, and sure enough, under her hand his erection throbbed and surged.
“Apparently, there’s only one way to silence that saucy mouth of yours.
” His eyes still danced with amusement as he came back for another kiss that rocked her just as completely as the one before.
“Open for me,” he said against her mouth as his tongue traced the outline of her bottom lip.
Her fingers found their way into his silky hair as she opened her mouth to accept the deep thrusts of his tongue.
A groan rumbled through him, firing her own desire as she pulled her hand free and pushed her core tight against his erection.
His hands seemed to be everywhere at once.
Discovering she was braless under her sweater generated another deep groan.
All at once, he broke the kiss, lifted his head and found her eyes in the light of the fire.
“I want a do-over of last night,” he said, pressing kisses to her forehead, cheeks and nose.
“This time I want to remember every detail.” As he spoke, he shifted off the loveseat, pushed the table away and knelt before her.
With his hands on her hips, he tugged her closer to the edge and settled himself between her legs.
Pushing up her sweater, he bent to kiss her quivering belly.
Stephanie closed her eyes and surrendered to the overwhelming sensations. It’d been so long since she’d taken anything for herself that she was determined to have one more perfect night with him. Tomorrow was soon enough to face reality again.
He tugged at the button to her jeans and had them off before she could process his intentions. His lips were soft against her leg as he moved from her calf to her knee to the inside of her thigh. Her entire body burned for him, and he’d done little more than kiss her.
“Wait, Grant—”
“Shh, relax. It’s okay.”
She let her head fall back against the cushion as he tongued her through the silk of her panties.
He had her on the verge of climax with just a few determined strokes of his tongue.
And then he pushed aside the cloth to zero in on her throbbing clit, sending her screaming into an orgasm she felt from her scalp to the soles of her feet.
“Mmm,” he said, “very hot.” He slid his fingers through her dampness, teasing and tormenting until he finally pushed two of them into her.