Chapter Eighteen
Grace had changed clothes seven times.
The growing mound of rejected outfits covering her bed was proof enough, with skirts, blouses, and dresses draped across the comforter in a colorful heap that would have made any sane woman stop and reconsider. Grace only stared at it in mounting frustration.
Nothing was right.
She wanted tonight to be perfect. More than that, she wanted Sean’s breath to catch the second he saw her.
After the kiss they’d shared the night before—the way his hands had felt at her hips, the desire in his eyes, and the way his voice had gone low when he asked her on a real date—she wanted him as affected by her tonight as she was by him.
With an exasperated sigh, she tugged off the burgundy skirt she had on and tossed it onto the pile.
A soft meow drew her attention to the other side of the bed. Rico lay sprawled across one of her pillows, his sleek gray body stretched in lazy comfort as if he didn’t have a care in the world. His bright eyes tracked her every movement.
Despite the chaos surrounding her, the sight of him brought an instant smile.
Even though things finally seemed to be moving in the right direction with Sean, she’d kept the promise she’d made to herself. After breakfast and a few errands for her business, she’d gone to the local animal shelter and adopted the velvety gray feline now making himself at home in her bedroom.
There had been dozens of cats and kittens to choose from, each one competing for attention, but Rico had stolen her heart within seconds.
The moment she’d crouched beside his enclosure, he’d pressed against the wire door and nuzzled her hand before giving her fingers an insistent little head bump that had made her laugh.
The shelter staff had told her that his owner had passed away, and no one in the family had been able to take him.
Grace hadn’t hesitated to fill out the paperwork and hand over the adoption fee.
A quick stop at the pet store afterward had filled her car with a litter box, food, bowls, toys, a scratching post, and a carrying crate. Once they arrived home, Rico had explored every room, eaten a full meal, and claimed her king-sized bed as if he’d always belonged there.
Reaching across the mattress, Grace scratched behind his ears. “Get used to it, Rico. Your new mommy has standards.”
His loud purr filled the room.
The memory of the previous night slipped in.
Sean’s expression when he’d asked her out had caught her off guard.
For a man who carried himself with such steady confidence, there had been something almost boyish in the hopeful look in his eyes.
The moment he’d said real date, her heart had stumbled.
If she still kept the diary she’d poured her teenage thoughts into, she would have filled page after page reliving every second of it.
Turning back toward the closet, her gaze snagged on a flash of teal silk tucked near the back of the rack. Of course!
She reached for the dress and pulled it free, smiling as the fabric shimmered in the early evening light spilling through her bedroom windows. She’d nearly forgotten about it.
Two years earlier, her friend Trish had talked her into buying it for a hospital Christmas party in New York, insisting it had been made for her. Grace had thought her friend was exaggerating until the admiring glances she’d drawn all evening proved otherwise.
Holding it against herself, she turned toward the bed. “What do you think, Rico? Will he like this one?”
The cat rolled onto his back, paws lifted, tail flicking across the pillow.
Grace laughed. “You’re right. Excellent choice.”
She slipped the dress over her head, smoothing the cool silk down over her hips before facing the full-length mirror mounted on the closet door.
The fit was perfect. The hem skimmed just above her knees, showing off her legs, while the elegant cutouts revealed her toned shoulders before the fabric flowed down her arms and torso in soft lines.
It was perfect.
She added a silver necklace, matching earrings, and the heels she’d bought with the dress.
Her long blonde hair was swept up and secured with a rhinestone clip, leaving soft tendrils to frame her face.
Subtle makeup completed the look, and she dabbed on a light touch of perfume at her neck and wrists.
Stepping back, she studied her reflection. If this didn’t leave Sean speechless, nothing would.
A knock at the front door interrupted her inspection, and her gaze darted to the clock.
Six-thirty. He was right on time.
Her pulse jumped.
She still needed to toss a few essentials into her purse, but the thought of making him wait sent her hurrying from the bedroom. She reached the front door and pulled it open, her words tumbling out before she fully looked at him. “Hi, I’m almost ready—”
The rest died in her throat.
Sean stood on her porch looking devastatingly handsome in a tan button-down shirt, black trousers, and polished black dress shoes. He’d shaved, and his dark hair had been trimmed, though that stubborn lock still fell over his left eyebrow.
She loved that lock. It softened his otherwise serious features and gave him a hint of mischief she found impossible to resist.
Then her gaze lifted to his eyes. Those warm mocha depths widened as they swept over her, unmistakable appreciation flashing there, followed by something hotter that sent a rush of want through her.
The look alone made every outfit change worth it.
Sean’s mouth went dry, and for a moment, he forgot how to breathe.
Sean had recognized Grace’s beauty the moment he’d seen her again after all those years, even if the gawky teenager he remembered had long since disappeared. But standing in her doorway now, wrapped in that blue-green dress, she was so stunning she robbed him of coherent thought.
His gaze swept over her before he could stop it, taking in every incredible detail.
The dress skimmed her body as though it had been made for her, accentuating her elegant curves.
The hem left her long, shapely legs on full display, the heels adding just enough height to make them seem endless.
His attention caught on the smooth skin of her bare shoulders, and an almost painful ache of need rushed through him at the thought of tracing his lips across that satiny flesh.
Suddenly, dinner was the last thing on his mind.
The image of taking her out to some quiet restaurant vanished, replaced by far more tempting thoughts that made his pulse kick up several notches. He wanted her all to himself tonight. Didn’t want a single man in the county stealing so much as a second glance at her.
The possessive thought caught him off guard, but he couldn’t deny it.
He had no idea how much time passed before his brain finally kicked his mouth into working order. “Hi… wow… hi… um, wow…”
Brilliant.
Heat crept up the back of his neck. He cleared his throat and tried again. “You look beautiful.”
A soft blush rose in Grace’s cheeks, and the sight only made her more stunning. “Thanks. You’re looking very handsome yourself.”
The husky note in her voice sent his pulse kicking higher. He drew in a slow breath, forcing oxygen into lungs that suddenly felt too tight, and stepped inside when she moved aside to let him enter.
“Just give me a minute. I need to grab my purse.”
He nodded, but his attention followed her as she hurried down the hall toward her bedroom.
The graceful sway of her hips nearly undid every ounce of composure he had left.
How he was supposed to survive an entire dinner without making a complete fool of himself—or walking around in a very obvious state of discomfort—was beyond him.
Tilting his head back, he drew several steadying breaths and willed his body to cooperate.
Something brushed against his leg. Startled, he glanced down to find a sleek gray cat weaving figure eights through his ankles. Relief washed through him at the distraction. A grin tugged at his mouth as he crouched and ran a hand down the animal’s back. “Hey there, little guy. Who might you be?”
“That’s Rico.”
Sean rose as Grace returned, a silver clutch in one hand and a light black cape draped over the other arm.
“I didn’t know you had a cat. He wasn’t here the other night, was he?”
Her face lit with an easy smile. “He wasn’t. Today’s his first day home. I stopped by the shelter this afternoon and fell in love with him.” Her eyes softened as she looked down at the cat. “The second I brought him inside, he strutted through the house like he owned the place.”
Sean chuckled. “Sounds about right.”
She handed him the cape and turned so he could drape it across her shoulders. His fingers brushed the bare skin at the nape of her neck, and the fleeting contact sent another wave of desire through him. He hated seeing the fabric cover those beautiful shoulders.
He opened the door while Grace bent to scratch the top of Rico’s head. “Be good while I’m gone, okay?”
The cat answered with a soft meow and leaned into her hand.
Sean smiled at the exchange, then stepped aside as she straightened and moved through the doorway.
The air had taken on the first cool edge of evening as he closed the door behind them. Resting his hand at the small of her back, he guided her toward his car. Even through the layers of silk and wool, he could feel the warmth of her beneath his palm.
When she gave a small shiver beside him, he glanced down. “Cold?”
Without waiting for an answer, he opened the passenger door and offered his hand.
As she lowered herself into the seat, the hem of her dress slid several inches higher along her thighs.
His breath hitched, and he forced his gaze upward, silently pleading for divine intervention. This night was going to test every ounce of self-control he possessed.