The Borrowed Boyfriend (19 page)

Allison held her breath and her pulse quickened.

“I’ll take it, Allison. I like you just the way you are, and I wouldn’t change a thing about you. I just wish…” He took a step closer and there was longing in his eyes, deep and soulful.
 

“Yes?”
 

He brought his other hand to her mouth and lightly traced her lips with his fingers. “I think you know what I wish.”

Desire flooded her. Oh, how she wished for him too.
 

Grady lowered his face toward hers and she tilted up her chin.

“That’s why I hope you’ll forgive me,” he said as her lips parted. “If we wait.”

Allison inhaled sharply.

“Allison, darling…” Grady tenderly stroked back her hair and cradled her cheeks in his palms. “I want this to be so much more than pretend, but there are things I need to settle first.” He searched her eyes. “Can you possibly understand?”

Allison nodded numbly. She felt faint from his very proximity and the heady scent of his skin. Though she suspected Kate didn’t deserve it, Allison couldn’t ask Grady to be anything less than he was: an honorable man. She couldn’t believe how seriously she’d misjudged him, but that had been in the beginning, which now seemed a million years ago. “I know you want to do the right thing.”

“I think we both do.” When he said it, the words rang true. Allison didn’t want to be the cause of further trouble between Kate and Grady, when their relationship was obviously troubled enough. If these feelings that were emerging between Allison and Grady were authentic, they could keep a few short days until after Grady got home and broke it off with Kate. But oh, what a torturous wait that was going to be, Allison thought, stifling a moan.

Grady softly kissed her forehead and shared a warm smile. “Now, what about that bath?”

Allison felt a cold shower might be more appropriate, but she wasn’t prepared to say that. Especially not after Grady had so forcefully put on the brakes.

“Why don’t you get it started,” he continued, “while I grab your coffee? Cream, no sugar.” Grady winked and Allison’s heart fluttered.
 

Her head was still in a tizzy when he left the room. It seemed too good to be true, but it wasn’t. Grady had alluded to starting something genuine between them: not a fake relationship, but a real one. Once they returned to Marydale, and Grady and Kate had settled things, Allison and Grady could start dating in earnest. Allison didn’t know whether Kate would be upset or feel relieved. She’d clearly not been happy with Grady, as she often badmouthed him and tended to have a roving eye.
 

Allison had imagined before that she’d have to invent some kind of breakup-with-Grady story for her friends, but if she and Grady became a bona fide item, perhaps she wouldn’t have to. There’d be that minor matter of Kate being Grady’s “sister” that they’d have to address. But maybe they could find a way to explain that, when she and Grady put their heads together?
 

Allison smiled at the thought of her and Grady as a couple, marveling at how the fit felt so right. There were so many things she liked about him, and she was sure she’d find more. It was evident that Grady appreciated what he saw in Allison too. Plus, there was that knock-your-socks off chemical attraction, that major
zap
that Allison felt when Grady was near.
 

There was a rap at the door and Allison scuttled toward it in her robe. The tap was running and her bath was nearly full, big sparkly bubbles foaming in an arc and steam rising above it.

She cracked open the door and Grady’s arm poked through holding a mug. “Coffee for my lady!”
His lady.
Allison’s heart danced. She couldn’t wait to be Grady’s lady for real. Just the idea made her giddy.

“Thanks so much!” she said, taking the mug. Then she shut the door with a grin, not bothering to lock it. Grady wouldn’t disturb her now; she understood that about him. He was the patient kind. Apparently, a lot more patient than Allison, who couldn’t wait to get her arms around his sexy neck.
 

Allison set her mug on a stool by the tub, discarded her robe and sank into the water with a silent squeal.
Yes!
she thought, kicking her feet and pumping her fists until water splashed around her, making the bubbles crown higher.
Yes, yes…yes!
Ahhh, the warmth felt good… She sank down languorously in the suds, a happy glow on her cheeks.
If I’m Grady’s lady, then that makes him…my man.
Oh, she liked the sound of that. She liked it so much, she feared another gleeful squeal coming on, so she quickly ducked her head under the water and let one rip.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Grady didn’t know when he’d spent a more relaxed afternoon. After a lazy breakfast at the table, the group had gathered around the fireplace to play games. True to the intent of the day, the women wore their pajamas. Grady noted the guys all appeared in sweats, likely because their “pajamas” were as presentable as his were. Meaning, they probably slept in their underwear or in nothing at all.

They’d begun with a few rounds of cards played on the coffee table, progressed to a group party game and then played charades. In between it all, the designated cooks for the day, Carla and Bruce, made turkey sandwiches and fixed popcorn and hot chocolate. Or rather, Carla fixed hot chocolate while Bruce supplied beers for the guys.

Brevard had just taken a turn pantomiming “Dancing Queen,” and everyone fell back in hysterics when Allison finally guessed the song. He’d done The Robot, The Moonwalk, some wild disco moves, and had even imitated a Mamba, pointing first to himself and then to Queenie.
 

Queenie’s eyes had widened in hilarity as she kept asking, “What?
What?
”

Unable to answer, Brevard had pressed his lips together, swept a surprised Deb off the sofa and done a ballroom dip.

Brevard took a bow and the group broke out in applause.

It was Allison’s turn next, but Carla checked her watch. “Gosh! It’s already five o’clock. Should we take a break before dinner?”

Everyone remarked on how the time had flown and agreed a breather was in order. Queenie was still laughing. “Who knew my man could
move
!”

Her man, hmm. Grady smiled at the sound of that, thinking he’d grin even more to hear Allison claiming him as her own.
 

“Well,
my man
wasn’t too shabby,” Allison playfully contended. She shot a glance Grady’s way and continued, “I thought his
Interstellar
was out of this world!”

Grady basked in the glow of Allison’s claim on him, wondering if it was just for show or if she was coyly flirting back, since he’d called her “my lady” earlier. Everyone laughed, recalling Grady’s attempts at acting out the film title. He’d a hard time thinking of what to do, so he’d held his fingers up behind his head like Martian antennae and then flattened his hands together like a flying saucer. He’d alternated these moves, as people guessed everything from
The Devil Wears Prada
to
E.T.
to
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
. Carla thought his spaceship was a taco.

Brevard cast his gaze to the hearth. “Fire’s burning low,” he declared. “I’ll go grab another stack of wood.”

Patrick shot to his feet. “My legs need a stretch. I’ll help you.”

Carla and Bruce were already working in the kitchen concocting a wonderful-smelling oyster stew, and Deb and Allison offered to set the table. Queenie, who claimed exhaustion from laughing so hard, had gone to take a nap.

Brevard and Patrick turned to Grady, issuing him a silent command to come along. “Sure, yeah! I can help.” Though he wondered why. They couldn’t need to carry in that many logs at once. The men waited until they were all outside to cut to the chase.

“So,” Brevard said, piling logs into Grady’s outstretched arms. “Queenie wanted me to talk to you. You know, man to man.” Grady recalled Brevard’s wild rendition of “Dancing Queen” and subdued a chuckle. Brevard paused to adjust his glasses and stare at him. Uh-oh, this was serious.

Patrick cleared his throat.

Grady looked at him incredulously. “Deb sent you too?”

“No, I just came along as backup.”

“Backup. I see,” Grady said, although he didn’t. “Guys, what’s this about?”

Brevard lifted a heavy log from the pile and held it up high. Grady instinctively recoiled, his gaze darting from one man to the other. For the life of him, they looked like a couple of mafia guys. Secret mafia. Underground stuff. Really dark and scary.
 

“Calm down, man,” Patrick said. “We’re not going to hurt you.”

“Not yet, anyway,” Brevard said, and Grady’s throat constricted.

“What?”

Snow swirled around them in the darkening night, and for a paralyzing moment neither man spoke. At last Brevard said, “That thing that happened with Allison yesterday.”

“Her accident?”

“Yeah, that. You didn’t have anything to do with it, right?”

Brevard’s log teetered threateningly overhead.

“Do with it? I…was only trying to help her!”

“That’s all that we wanted to know,” Brevard said stonily.

“Right,” Patrick reinforced. “That you’re one of the good guys.”

“And that you won’t break Allison’s heart.”

“Her heart?” Grady’s voice warbled.

“Because if you do…” Brevard’s log came down so fast it smacked against the stack in Grady’s arms with a
crack
.
 

Grady jerked and something clattered beside him.

“Grady?” It was Allison’s voice, kind and gentle. “Grady, are you all right?”

Grady opened his eyes in a daze to spy the hazy glow of the fireplace before him. A mug and a beer bottle were on an end table by his elbow, but the beer bottle had been knocked onto its side. Thankfully, it was empty. Grady glanced around in confusion, realizing he must have hit it in his sleep.

“I think you dozed off,” Allison said sweetly.
 

Across the way, Patrick was reading a golfing magazine and Brevard was focused on his laptop.
It must have been a dream.

Grady heaved a sigh, feeling like he’d dodged a bullet. Then he met Allison’s eyes, and inwardly accepted that his biggest challenge lay ahead. Grady understood he was falling for Allison and he hoped she was developing feelings for him in return. Yet Grady didn’t want their real relationship beginning with more cover-ups and lies. Sooner or later, he’d need to tell her about his Total Wines expansion, and how he’d planned to make an offer on Bella Fortuna Wine Designs. Grady couldn’t deny that he’d still be thrilled if the acquisition worked out, but that was no longer his top priority. Since he’d come to Maine, his goals had changed. They now had way more to do with Allison than her business.

Grady was seriously struggling over how to explain that to her while sounding sincere. If he mentioned the business deal at all, would she immediately push him away, believing that was what he’d been after from the start? In the beginning, maybe it had been, but that wasn’t Grady’s sole ambition now. He’d shared things with Allison he’d never shared with any woman since his breakup with Meg. He’d also sent Allison some pretty clear signals indicating his interest in her. But if she knew about his earlier designs on her company, would she trust that any romantic interest was authentic, or would she accuse him of more playacting in search of personal gain?

“Sorry, yes. I must have fallen asleep.”

“Don’t be sorry. You’ve got plenty of reason to still be worn out from yesterday.”

“Yeah, you too.”

“We can make it another early night, if you’d like?”

Brevard and Patrick stopped what they were doing to raise their eyebrows at each other.
 

“Cut it out, guys!” Allison said, but she was laughing. “In any case, I’m on a mission from the kitchen. I’m supposed to tell everyone dinner is ready.”

Brevard shut his laptop. “I’ll get Laticia.” He stood at the same time as Grady, and a menacing image of Brevard holding a huge bludgeoning instrument came to mind. Brevard met his gaze and lifted a log from the holder by the fire. Grady backed away so quickly, he nearly stumbled. Brevard shot him an odd look and tossed the log on the fire, where it immediately crackled and whined. “You all right, Grady?”
 

The words
won’t break Allison’s heart
rang out in his mind. Grady swallowed hard. “Yeah, um…fine.”

Allison watched Brevard slowly climb the stairs while he kept a wary eye on Grady.

“What on earth is wrong with Brevard?” Allison whispered.

Grady cleared his throat and replied, “I have no idea.”

Chapter Twenty-Eight

A few hours later, Allison and Grady told the others good night and retired to their room with a couple of fresh wineglasses. The weather was predicted to be just as bad tomorrow, so the group had voted to stay indoors and watch movies. They had enough in the way of leftovers to scrounge lunch together and jointly agreed that ordering organic pizza for dinner sounded good. Deb and Patrick had scoped out the family-owned pizza place in town and had proclaimed its wholesome ingredient list “Deb approved.”