Orgasm crashed over both of them, pulling them under and drowning them. He grabbed her hips, driving deep, and stifling a moan as his release pulsed inside her. Her nails dug into his shirt, but the only sounds that escaped her were these little sharp catches in the back of her throat. It was the sexiest damn sound he’d ever heard.
When both their sounds of restraint had quieted, she finally opened her eyes and melted against him, pressing her cheek to her shoulder. “That was way more fun than an awards presentation.”
“You got that right.” He chuckled and kissed the top of her head, then froze. Was that the murmur of voices? The crunch of leaves? “Get up, freckles.”
“What’s wrong?” she asked, immediately raising herself up and off of him.
He hurriedly tucked himself back into his pants and pulled up his zipper. “I think I hear someone.”
Panic lit her features. “Shit.”
She scrambled to her feet, straightening her dress and checking to make sure she was covered. But there was no way she’d be able to hide that flushed, post-orgasm glow. He stood and dusted the grass off his backside. “Just take a deep breath. Someone’s coming, but I doubt anyone saw us.”
Soon, two men walked out from the bank of trees a few yards away and headed toward the edge of the pond. They were deep in conversation and didn’t seem to even notice they weren’t alone. Grant grabbed Charli’s hand. “Come on. Let’s pretend like we got lost and make our way back to the party.”
She nodded and clasped his hand, but before they took a handful of steps, one of the men glanced over and saw them. The conversation halted.
“This part of the grounds is not open to guests,” the man called.
Grant raised a palm. “No problem. We got a little off course. We’re heading back now.”
The white-haired man headed their way, and his companion turned and followed. As the two men approached, Charli went stiff next to Grant. She pulled her hand from his. “Crap. What the hell is he doing here?”
Grant was about to ask her what she meant, but then the elderly man’s wide-shouldered friend squinted at Charli. “Beaumonde?”
Charli sighed. “Hi, Trey.”
Trey. Grant searched his brain, trying to remember if Charli had ever mentioned that name.
The guy looked Charli up and down with evaluating eyes. “Wow, I barely recognized you all dressed up. What are you doing here?”
Grant gritted his teeth, the guy’s tone and perusal of Charli pushing Grant’s mine buttons.
Charli shifted from one boot to the other, then looked over to Grant as if deciding whether to come up with a story or tell the truth. “I’m on a date. This is Grant Waters. Grant, this is Trey Winger, my boss.”
Her boss. And ex-lover. The guy who told her she wasn’t good enough for an on-air position. Grant stuck out his hand and shook Trey’s maybe a bit too firmly. Trey looked between Grant and Charli, openly curious.
“I didn’t know you’d be here,” Charli said.
Trey shrugged and put a hand on the older man’s shoulder. “Mr. Brinkley invited me. He sits on the station’s board of directors and owns this property.”
More introductions were exchanged, and Grant could sense Charli’s professional image rising like the tide. Her posture turned straighter, her voice firmer, despite the fact that her heart had to be hammering in her chest. Hell, his own knees were still a little weak from their interlude. Seeing Charli flip that switch so easily gave him a ridiculous sense of pride. His girl had her shit together.
His girl. Damn, he needed to tame those thoughts.
He grabbed her hand again anyway, ignoring the satisfaction he felt when she grabbed back.
Mine, his mind whispered.
TWENTY-FIVE
“So do you think your boss saw anything?” Grant asked as he turned the truck into Charli’s neighborhood.
She shrugged, thinking back to the way Trey had looked at her when he’d realized who she was. That wow reaction had been more than a little satisfying, had made every wax and pluck of her makeover worth it. Nothing like a great how-ya-like-me-now moment. “I really don’t think so. Trey’s not smooth enough to cover up his reactions that well. He wouldn’t have said anything, but he would’ve shown some sign.”
“I thought when you two went off on your own for a few minutes that he was going to confess to having seen us.”
“Nah, I just wanted to tell him about my big break in the story,” she said, looking out the window at her sleepy neighborhood. “He was really excited. Offered to go with me in the morning.”