???????
Grant knew he should probably be ashamed based on Gracie’s reaction to his note. Or more importantly, the fact that Faith, Gracie’s little sister, had read it.
He wasn’t. Ashamed.
Then again, he was tired of this damn chase. He knew that his list didn’t come as a surprise to her. He’d first started by asking her out. Several times over the last two years. She always played it off as if he were joking.
He wasn’t.
Not one bit.
Bet be damned.
“Hold up. Where are you going?” Lane asked, his hand landing on Grant’s shoulder, effectively pulling him back.
Hell, Grant hadn’t even realized he’d started walking.
“I’ve got to go talk to her.”
“Not right now you don’t.”
“Yes, I do. I’ve got to calm her down.”
“Man,” Lane laughed, “I don’t think that’s possible. Not unless maybe we sandwich her between us and–”
Grant’s eyes opened wide as Lane cut off his words midsentence.
“Oh, hell. Would you look at that? It’s time for dinner,” Lane said quickly and turned toward the main house.
It was Grant’s turn to stop him. But he didn’t touch him. He couldn’t bring himself to do it. “What did you say?”
“Shit.” Lane dropped his head, but he didn’t turn back to face Grant.
They stood there in silence for a moment, the sun falling just beneath the hills on the west side of the ranch. Damn, it was getting late. Summer in Texas meant the days were long. And hot. Unfortunately, these days, his nights were just as long, but definitely not hot. Not unless you counted last Friday night but even that midnight heatwave hadn’t lasted but a few minutes.
Lane turned slowly and Grant kept his eyes on him. He was met with an expression he didn’t recognize on Lane’s face. Regret, maybe?
With his voice lowered to a barely audible volume, Lane asked, “Do you not remember anything from last Friday? Anything we talked about? Anything we did?”
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Grant didn’t break the eye contact. He held his breath. He knew exactly what Lane was referring to and goddammit, yes, he remembered it. He remembered everything. He wasn’t nearly as drunk as he’d pretended to be.
“That’s what I thought,” Lane ground out, his eyes narrowing. “I’ll catch you later.”
“Wait,” Grant growled before Lane turned away. “Just fucking wait.”
Lane didn’t move. Neither did Grant. They just stood there staring at one another for the longest time. Grant had no idea what to say. He was confused. Consumed by a mix of fear and anticipation, longing and dread.
“Will y’all just kiss already and get it over with?”
Grant’s head snapped in the direction of the woman walking toward them as though his neck were made of rubber. Lane’s did too.
“Oh, come on,” Mercy teased. “We all see it. You might as well just get it over with. Ain’t like this is Brokeback Mountain or some shit. We couldn’t be more pro equality for all if we flew a rainbow flag next to the Texas flag at the gate.” Mercy laughed.
“What the fuck are you talking about?” Grant asked, unable to keep the dangerous tone from his voice.
He should’ve expected such a cheap shot from Mercy. Of the five Lambert sisters, she was the troublemaker.
“Lighten up. I’m teasin’,” she said sweetly as she moved up close to them. “I’ve seen the way you boys look at Gracie. If it weren’t for that, I’d think you two have a thing for each other. Y’all comin’ to dinner?” Mercy had apparently moved on and was turning toward the house.
“Yeah, we’ll be there in a minute,” Lane offered, rotating to stand on Grant’s side so he could look directly at Mercy too.
“See ya.” With that, they both watched Mercy walk away.
“I gotta go talk to Gracie,” Grant said, not bothering to look at Lane. He wasn’t in a position to explain anything right now and this wasn’t the time or place to get into a conversation about what had happened last Friday night.
“I’m coming with you.”
“No. You’re not,” Grant argued. “I’ve got to apologize.”
Lane leveled his gaze on Grant, making him feel every ounce of the pure alpha he knew Lane to be. “I am.”
Grant couldn’t argue further. Not when Lane looked at him like that. Not when this man made him want things that he’d been denying himself for far too long as it was.
Chapter Three
Grace slammed her front door hard enough to rattle the windows.
Standing just inside the living room of her small, one bedroom cabin, she took a deep breath.
Damn that man!
Truthfully, she wasn’t really sure why she was so pissed. Except it gave her a damn good reason to put distance between the cowboy who had plagued her dreams for the last few months. She hadn’t wanted Grant to show up and torment her in her sleep; that much she knew for sure. But he had anyway. Sort of like the living, breathing man, the dream version of Grant Kingsley was just as persistent. And just like the real man, he made her ache.
That didn’t explain – AT ALL – why Lane Miller had shown up in her dreams as well starting several months ago. And there was that one dream where she actually kissed them both. Right there while they’d been sitting in her living room.
Like she would ever let them in her house.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
Grace nearly jumped out of her skin as the pounding on her front door rattled her teeth.
“Open the door, Gracie.”
“No,” she bit out obstinately, turning to face the door as though she could see Grant through the wood.
“It’s not a request, darlin’.”
That had her grabbing the doorknob and flinging the door open ready to blast him with what she thought about being told what to do.
“That’s what I thought.”
Grant was holding the screen door open and he stepped right inside as if he owned the place. And before she could shut the door on him, Lane was right behind him, one big hand holding the door open so that neither of them would receive a splinter in their face.
“What the fuck?” Taking two steps back, she stared at the two men looming over her.
The door closed behind Lane.
“Such a mouth,” Lane said teasingly.
“Fuck off.”
Lane took a step toward her, closing the distance between them, and Grace had to strain her neck to look up at him. He was at least a foot taller than she was and standing so close, he blocked her view of anything else.
“Such dirty words for such a pretty girl,” Lane whispered, his voice dangerously close to seductive.
Grace didn’t say anything. She couldn’t. Her breath was lodged in
her chest the moment Lane’s warm fingers came up and caressed her cheek.
“There it is again,” he mumbled absently.
“What?”
Lane took a step back while shaking his head, his hand dropping to his side as he stared at her like she’d sprouted a horn from her head.
“Gracie,” Grant said. She looked his way in time to see his eyes bouncing between the two of them curiously. “We… No, I came over to apologize.”
“Not necessary,” she said breathlessly. Damn it.
“It is.”
“No. It’s not. Now if you’ll just go. I’d like to…” Go to bed.
She definitely wasn’t going to say that with these two standing there. Lord knew where they’d take that innocent comment. And she apparently didn’t have the wherewithal to deal with either of them at the moment because she was trying to filter her thoughts.
“Gracie,” Grant said her name again and she turned the full brunt of her frustration on him.
“Grant. I don’t want to hear it. I don’t want to play your stupid games, all right. I don’t need you,” she tilted her head toward Lane, “or him fucking with me right now. I get it. I haven’t had a date in… God. I don’t know how long it’s been, but I don’t need your pity. I don’t need…”
Grace stopped talking as Grant stalked toward her. He was big and powerful and… So damn hot.
“Does this feel like pity?” Grant asked as he pressed up against her. He wasn’t trying to intimidate her, but he was obviously attempting to make his presence known.
Message received. Loud. And. Clear.
“This damn sure ain’t about pity, Gracie. And I am going to apologize. I didn’t know your sister would read that list. It was meant for your eyes only. As a joke. And yeah, so maybe you’d get that I’m serious.”
“Serious? Telling me to bring condoms and chocolate syrup to your house and deliver them naked, mind you… That’s what you consider serious?”
“No, this is.”
Grant kissed her.
And holy crap, her body ignited right there in the middle of her living room, the smoke could probably be seen for miles. He kissed her and kissed her and… Oh, God. She was kissing him back.