Chapter 2
CHAPTER
TWO
MOLLY—SEVEN DAYS BEFORE THE WEDDING
I finally pull back from the tight confines of the car door, my heart hammering against my ribs.
My skin still burns where Grayson’s hard body had been pressed flush against mine—his broad chest to my back, those strong hips nestled right against my rear.
I can still feel the unmistakable ridge of his arousal throbbing there, and a fresh wave of heat floods through me, pooling low in my belly.
God, I shouldn’t be reacting like this. This is wrong on every level.
But standing next to him now, close enough that our arms brush, I can’t ignore the way his presence overwhelms me.
Tall, muscled from years of manual work, with that rough stubble and the faint scent of engine oil and clean male sweat that makes my thighs clench involuntarily.
My breath is still shaky, my cheeks flushed.
I smooth my skirt down, trying to compose myself.
Then I hear the sharp click of dress shoes approaching. Principal Hargrove. My stomach drops.
“Miss Harper,” she says, her tone clipped as she stops in front of us, eyes narrowing at me and then flicking to Grayson and the tow truck. “What exactly are you doing out here? Your class is supposed to be in session.”
Nerves twist tight in my chest. I can’t lose this job.
Not now. Not with the wedding coming up and bills piling higher every month.
My fingers twist together at my sides as I fight to keep my voice steady.
“Principal Hargrove, Jessica is covering my class right now. My car broke down again, and Grayson is here to tow it so it doesn’t block the staff lot. I didn’t want to leave it like this.”
Even as I speak, I’m hyper-aware of Grayson beside me—his solid warmth radiating into my side, the way his arm hovers protectively close.
My body remembers every second of being trapped against him, the way his breath had fanned hot across my neck, how his hardness had pressed so insistently into me.
Heat rises up my throat. I shouldn’t want this.
He’s my fiancé’s dad. The guilt crashes over me like cold water, but it does nothing to stop the slick ache building between my legs.
Principal Hargrove’s face tightens with disapproval.
“This is not the time or place, Miss Harper. You know the expectations. We’ll need to speak about this after school.
It’s not about doing what’s easy, Molly.
It’s about doing what’s right—for the students, for the school.
Leaving your responsibilities like this sets a poor example. ”
My pulse races with anxiety. Fired. The word echoes in my head. I nod quickly, forcing myself to meet her eyes. “Yes, ma’am. I understand. I’ll come by your office after the final bell.”
She gives a curt nod, shoots Grayson one last disapproving glance, and strides away.
The moment she’s out of earshot, I let out a trembling breath, my body swaying slightly.
Grayson’s arm brushes mine again, and that simple contact sends sparks racing over my skin.
I glance up at him, my gaze tracing the strong line of his jaw, the way his shirt stretches across his chest. He’s looking at me with those dark, intense eyes, and for a dangerous second, all I can think about is how good it felt to be pinned between him and the car—his thick erection grinding against me.
I shouldn’t feel this way. This is insane. I could lose everything—my job, my relationship—if anyone found out how badly I want him right now.
“You okay?” Grayson murmurs, his low, rough voice sending another shiver through me.
I bite my lip, fighting the urge to lean into him.
“I will be,” I whisper, my voice breathy despite my nerves.
My eyes drop to his mouth, then lower, remembering exactly how hard he’d been against me.
“Once this car is gone… and maybe after we finish what we started.” The words slip out before I can stop them, laced with forbidden want.
My cheeks burn hotter, guilt and desire warring inside me as I stand there, terrified of losing my job but even more terrified of how much I crave his touch.
He raises an eyebrow and looks at me. “When are you finished today?”
“Three thirty.”
“I’ll let you know what I find.”
“I don’t have much money for repairs right now.” I look toward the box on the floor. “The wedding has been more expensive than we expected.”
“I’m not charging you.”
My head snaps up. “No. I can’t ask you to do that.”
“You didn’t ask.”
“That’s very generous, but—”
“You’re going to be family in a week.”
The words should feel reassuring. But they’re not. In this moment, I dread marrying Carter. I can’t imagine a worse fate than being tempted by his father for the rest of my life.
Grayson awkwardly waves, climbs into his car, and drives away.
“You know, this could be a sign.”
I turn away from the passenger window and look at Jessica. “My car breaking down is a sign?”
“Possibly.”
“Of what?”
“That you’re not supposed to go through with the wedding.”
She keeps her eyes on the road, but the corners of her mouth twitch like she’s trying to make the comment sound like a joke.
It doesn’t.
I fold my hands over the canvas tote bag in my lap. “Cars break down all the time.”
“Sure. They also run perfectly well all the time. Yours picked one week before your wedding to start shaking like a washing machine full of bricks.”
“It’s probably something minor.”
“Did Grayson say that?”
My stomach performs a strange little flip at the sound of his name.
I look back out the window before Jessica can see anything in my face. “He hasn’t called yet.”
“What was he doing at your school, anyway?”
“Carter asked him to look at my car.”
“Carter asked his father to look at your car?”
“Yes.”
“Instead of coming himself?”
“He was busy.”
Jessica makes a skeptical sound.
“What?” I ask.
“Nothing.”
“That wasn’t nothing.”
“It was the sound I make when I’m keeping my opinion to myself.”
“You’re very bad at that.”
“I’m trying something new.”
She turns onto my street. After my verbal lashing by Principal Hargrove, she took mercy and drove me home. Children ride bicycles along the sidewalk. Someone is mowing a lawn, and the scent of freshly cut grass drifts in through the open windows. Everything looks perfectly ordinary.
Jessica has never liked Carter. She tries to hide it because she’s my best friend and my maid of honor, but I’ve seen the looks she gives him when he makes a joke at my expense. I’ve heard the way her voice changes when he cancels plans or forgets something important.
A month ago, she asked me whether I truly wanted to marry him. I cried for two hours afterward. Not because she’d hurt me. Because I didn’t know how to answer.
“Don’t start,” I say.
“I haven’t said anything.”
“You’re thinking very loudly.”
“I’m thinking that you deserve a man who would come get you himself.”
“Grayson came.”
The words slip out before I can stop them. Jessica turns her head toward me. I stare straight ahead.
“Interesting,” she says.
“What is?”
“You didn’t say Carter arranged for someone to come. You said Grayson came.”
“Because he did.”
“And apparently that matters.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“If it didn’t matter, you wouldn’t be blushing.”
“I’m not blushing.”
“You’re bright red.”
“It’s hot in here.”
“The air conditioner is on.”
“Can we talk about something else?”
“Absolutely. Let’s talk about how attractive Carter’s father is.”
“Jessica.”
She laughs. “Fine.”
I sink lower in my seat. I’m not attracted to Grayson. I can’t be. He’s Carter’s father. In one week, he’ll be my father-in-law. He’ll sit across from us at family dinners. He’ll be in our holiday photographs. If Carter and I have children, Grayson will be their grandfather.
The thought should smother whatever inappropriate spark I felt when he touched my hand. It doesn’t. It only makes my stomach twist. Jessica slows as she turns into my driveway.
“Carter’s home,” she says.
His silver sports car sits in front of the garage. He told me he had a full day of errands today, though I never found out what any of them were.
I glance at the front of the house. The curtains are open, but sunlight reflects off the windows, making it difficult to see inside.
“I can come in with you,” Jessica offers.
“Why?”
“So we can ask him what was important enough to leave you at school.”
“I’m not interrogating him.”
“That’s probably wise. He might strain himself coming up with an excuse.”
I unfasten my seat belt. “I’ll call you later.”
“Molly.”
“I’m fine.”
I climb out, sling the tote bag over my shoulder, and shut the door. Jessica remains in the driveway until I reach the porch. I wave through the windshield, then unlock the front door.
The house is strangely quiet.
“Carter?”
There’s no answer. I step inside and set my tote bag on the narrow table beside the door. Carter’s shoes are in the middle of the hallway, one lying on its side. Next to them is a pair of bright pink high heels.
I stare at the shoes. They aren’t mine.
My mind produces explanations faster than I can reject them. Maybe his mother stopped by. Except those aren’t shoes she would wear. Maybe one of the bridesmaids came to drop something off. Except none of them would take off their shoes at the door.
Maybe I’m confused. Maybe they’ve been here for days, and I simply never noticed them. A laugh floats in from the living room.
My heart stops.
I follow the hallway slowly. Every step feels detached from the one before it, as though I’m watching someone else walk through my house. When I reach the living-room entrance, I stop. A woman stands beside my couch.
She’s tall and blonde, with long, tanned legs and a tiny red dress that barely reaches the tops of her thighs. One strap hangs off her shoulder. She’s holding her lipstick in one hand and searching through a shiny purse with the other.
Her lipstick is smeared. So is the front of Carter’s white shirt. He stands near the fireplace fastening his belt. For a moment, no one moves. The woman notices me first.