He stiffened. “No.”
“What do you mean no? ”
He vied for control over his anger. She didn’t need him acting like an overbearing dickhead right now. “I won’t take your money, Gracie.
You’re a friend. I don’t charge my friends.”
She crossed her arms over her chest, her cute little nose shooting in the air. “But I’m a client like any other. What’s the problem?”
“You aren’t any other client, and we both know it.” He planted his fists on the bed by her hips and leaned in close. Damn, he could smel her fril y scent. What the hel was it? It’d always driven him crazy trying to pinpoint the delicious aroma. Like cotton candy and vanil a bean ice cream al rol ed into one. That was Gracie.
“In case you haven’t been paying attention, I’m attracted to you. Hel , that’s a lie. I’m not attracted to you; I’m in lust with you. This is more to me than business. And don’t pretend you haven’t felt the chemistry between us, because that’l just make me mad.”
Her cheeks turned pink. “Okay, I’ve felt it. But I’m in no position to act on it right now. My life is a mess. I know you had to see my dad last
night, drunk and mean as usual. I swear, Wade, if you don’t take my money then I’m going to feel like I owe you, and I hate owing people. I owe you enough as it is. I’m so tired of—”
Wade cut off her ramblings with a gentle kiss. The barely-there touch sent a streak of lightning through his bloodstream. When he pul ed away, Gracie was as stil as a statue. “We’l work something out, honey. It’s going to be okay.”
She nodded, and he wanted to say more, but the door opened, and the doctor came into the room. Wade was ushered into the hal where Cherry and Dante waited.
He went straight to Cherry and wrapped his arms around her. “It’s going to be okay.”
“She’s agreed to come stay with you?”
“I wish, but no. I am, however, going to be her bodyguard until we can figure out who this guy is and catch him.”
“Thank you, Wade.” Cherry pul ed out of his arms and stepped back. Dante placed his hands on her shoulders from behind. Their relationship was so different than the one she’d had with Brody. There hadn’t been much support or comfort in that. Brody had always been too self-absorbed to give a damn about his wife’s needs. It did his heart good to see Cherry so wel loved by Dante.
Thinking about Cherry’s ex reminded Wade that he’d forgotten to tel Cherry about Brody’s phone cal the other day. “Uh, Cherry, I hate to mention this now and risk adding more stress to your day, but Brody cal ed me.”
Cherry nodded. “Yeah, I know. Unfortunately the idiot cal ed me, too.”
“I had a word with him,” Dante muttered.
“A word, huh?” Wade knew better. Dante was protective as hel of Cherry. “You put the fear of God into him, didn’t you?”
Cherry smiled. “I’m pretty sure we’ve heard the last of Brody, Wade.”
“Good,” Wade replied. “That’s one problem solved, at least.”
“I need to ask you something about Gracie,” Cherry said, her eyes fil ed with concern. “Please don’t take it the wrong way.”
He didn’t like the sound of that. “Shoot.”
“What are your intentions toward her?”
He quirked a brow. “My intentions? What are you, her mom?”
Cherry rol ed her eyes. “Of course not, but I am a friend. I don’t want to see her hurt.” She visibly cringed. “No more than she already is, I mean.”
Wade snorted. “I don’t think I’ve made a big secret out of the fact that I want her, Cherry. I have since she started working for you. But I’m not going to push myself down her throat either.”
“She’s vulnerable right now. She needs a friend more than she needs a lover. I know you can see that, Wade.”
“What I see is a woman in need of my help. I’m going to give it to her. If she ends up in my bed it’l be because she wants to be there and not because she was coerced.”
Cherry dragged her slim fingers through her hair, as if frustrated with him. He wasn’t used to her prying into his personal life and he wasn’t sure he liked it one damn bit. Especial y where Gracie was concerned. He was stil trying to figure that one out himself.