Chapter One
Grace scrambled out of bed at the sound of her alarm. She’d had to move that sucker way across the other side of the room. She groaned as she padded over to it and made it stop. Surely there was an alarm clock out there somewhere that had found the happy medium between a sweet little tune that lulled you back to sleep and a malicious buzz like hers that blared into your sleep-addled brain and set your teeth on edge. She really should look for one like that.
She made her way to the bathroom, cursing to herself at the conviction that her roommate, Louise was already in there. She tried the handle and relaxed a little when the door pushed open. That alarm needed to go. It set her nerves jangling before she even started the day. In the shower, she let water as hot as she could stand roll over her, then turned it down a little as she felt the tension recede. Maybe she needed to try yoga or something. She was turning into a stress ball, and she didn’t like it. She needed to work on relaxation and thinking happy thoughts. Okay, maybe just positive thoughts, that’d be a good start.
Half an hour later she was out on the street, and she was on time. How about that? And it was Thursday already, the week was almost over—there was a positive she could appreciate.
“Morning, beautiful,” Spider greeted her as she entered the coffee shop on the corner. “The usual?”
“Please, and I’ll take one of those cinnamon scones as well.”
Spider smiled as he rang up her total. “Let me guess, you woke up crabby, and you need some sugar to sweeten you up?”
She made a face. “I’d love to deny that and tell you that I’m just sweetness and light, but ...”
Spider laughed.
“Yeah, right. Never mind. You know me too well.”
“I sure do, doll.”
She blew out a big sigh. “I do my best.”
“Nah, you’re awesome just the way you are. Don’t you let anyone tell you otherwise.”
“Thanks.” She took a gulp of her coffee and smiled. “I’ll see you tonight.”
“Okay. I’m expecting a good turnout, so the tips should be good.”
“I’m banking on it. It’s going to be close this month.”
Spider shook his head. “You know you need to form a committee or something, get people to chip in, help with the workload as well as the cost. I bet we could get you on the local TV and …”
Grace shook her head. “No. You know that’s not my style. I can do it myself.”
“I’m not saying you can’t. I’m saying you shouldn’t have to. People would love to know about the center; I’m sure there are plenty who’d love to help.”
“Yeah, well, you help enough, and I appreciate it. I have to get moving. I can’t be late for work. If I am, I’ll be late back here.”
“So, go! I’ll see you later.”
She had to run to catch the bus before it pulled away. Taking a seat, she sipped her coffee and forced herself to smile. What would be the positive take on that? She didn’t miss the bus. That was a good thing. She shouldn’t be grumbling that she almost missed it; she should be thankful that she just caught it. She nodded to herself, her smile a little bigger—until the guy sitting across from her gave her a worried look. She wanted to laugh out loud as he changed seats, but that would only confirm his suspicion that she was a crazy. Instead, she pulled out her phone. There were already three emails from Harry. Two about accounts she was working on, and a third asking her to pick him up a coffee on the way in. She pursed her lips. She would, but she’d be taking the money for it straight out of petty cash—he’d forgotten to pay her back for too many little errands lately.
She got off the bus a stop early and finished her coffee, tossing the cup into the trash can on the corner before picking up two more and walking the next block. When she reached the building which housed Harry Dressel, CPA’s office she stopped outside the front door. A limo had just pulled up. That wasn’t something you saw too often in this part of town.
“Do you think he’s lost?”
She turned at the sound of the doorman, Sean’s, deep voice, and even deeper chuckle. “Probably, but shouldn’t you be inside sitting at the reception desk waiting, just in case he’s coming in here? He could be the most important visitor you ever get. You don’t want to screw it up.”
Sean’s eyes grew wide, and he stubbed out his cigarette before scurrying back inside.
Grace laughed to herself as she watched him take up his position at the front desk. He even dug out a hat she’d never seen him wear before and sat up straight. When she looked back at the limo, she sucked in a deep breath. Wow! The guy who’d just climbed out looked as though he was stepping straight out of the pages of a magazine. Damn. He was hot. A navy suit, white shirt, broad shoulders, narrow hips. And the way he walked. That must be what it was like to stride with confidence—she’d read that phrase in a book the other night and thought it was too cliché. Now she got it. She lifted her gaze back up, lingering on those narrow hips a little before taking in the broad chest again, and the shoulders, and … Whoa. The face. How had she ever torn her eyes away from it the first time? Short dark hair, strong jawline, full lips, and big brown eyes. Eyes that were staring back at her. Eyes that … oh, were getting closer, and were still locked with hers.
“Here, let me get the door for you.”
Even the voice was sexy, rich, and deep and … oops. He was now holding the door for her, and she was still standing there staring at him like a complete idiot.
“Oh. Thanks.” Who turned the temperature up? She’d always wondered what it would be like to have a hot flash. Now she had some idea. As she stepped past him, the temperature soared. She could feel the goose bumps running down her arms and the shivers chasing each other down her spine.
Once she was safely inside, she hurried over to the elevator and stabbed at the button, hoping she could just step inside and be whisked away from her embarrassment. She didn’t react like that to guys. She was more used to having that effect on them. She risked a peek over to Sean’s desk. The guy wasn’t there. She scanned the foyer in a panic. Was she going nuts? Had she just imagined him? No. He was still there, standing by the door—staring at her! What the …? There was no way he’d felt it, too. She looked away as quickly as she could, but not before she saw the corners of his lips turn up in a knowing smile.
Grace started to tap her foot. Arrogant prick! He wasn’t staring because she’d had the same effect on him. It was because he couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed him. He probably had women fawning over him wherever he went—looking like that, he had to. He was watching her to make sure she’d noticed him. He was gauging her reaction, to make sure she was swooning over him. Well, screw that! She jabbed at the button again, willing the elevator to hurry the hell up so she could get out of here before he joined her.
No such luck.
He strode to the desk. There really was no other word for it. He moved with the arrogance and grace of a big cat. No. Make that stealth, not grace. She didn’t want her name associated with anything to do with a guy like that. Stealth sounded more sinister, and there was something sinister about him. She had to bite back a laugh. She needed to get a grip. He wasn’t sinister looking at all. Watching him exchange a few words with Sean, he was friendly, warm. He got Sean smiling and nodding with him. She shook her head and turned back toward the elevator. Finally! It announced its arrival with a ding, and the doors slid open.
Once she was inside, she jabbed at the button again, this time trying to make the doors close. She really was shit out of luck this morning. Just as they began to slide together, a set of long, strong fingers slipped between them, and they slid open again. And there he was.
He stepped inside with a smile and a nod, then pressed to go to the eighteenth floor. Shit. That was her floor. He couldn’t go there.
“What do you need?”
She stared at him blankly. “Need?” Could he somehow see inside her mind, see all the months of a dry spell that had gone on way too long? Or could he see the images floating inside her head? Images of what the two of them could do if the elevator somehow got stuck.
The corners of his lips curved upward again. That just might be the sexiest smile she’d ever seen. “Which floor?”
“Oh!” Well, wasn’t she an idiot? Her mind raced. She couldn’t get off the elevator with him. He might think she was following him. “Seventeen.”
He hit the button, but before they started to move, the doors slid open again. Thank God for that!
Two men and two women came in and turned to face the doors, leaving Grace and the Big Cat alone in the silent space behind them. Grace gripped the tray with her two coffee cups and stared determinedly at the numbers above the door. She’d always suspected this was the world’s slowest elevator, but this morning’s ride confirmed it. Every second was torture. She could smell him—all citrus and man. She’d swear he was looking at her, but she refused to allow herself to sneak a peek. He’d catch her!
She tried looking down at the coffee cups, but that just made a strand of her hair fall across her face. She wrinkled her nose and tried to blow it away, then she froze. There were those long, strong fingers again. They brushed her cheek as they took the errant strand and tucked it behind her ear. If the heat had surged through her when he held the door open, then her blood was boiling in her veins right now. All the little hairs on the back of her neck stood up and sent shivers racing down her spine. Even her scalp tingled. She turned. How could she not?
Those big brown eyes were twinkling with amusement. “I hope I didn’t overstep? You looked uncomfortable.”
She shook her head mutely. What could she say, even if she could find the breath to speak?
The elevator stopped, and she silently begged the people in front of her not to get out. They couldn’t leave her alone in here with this guy—she would not be responsible for her actions. To her relief, they didn’t. Instead, two more got in, and that was quite a crowd. Everyone shuffled back a little. She had no clue how it happened, but somehow, she ended up face to face with Big Cat. She was in the corner, and he was right there in front of her, staring down into her eyes, that quirky little smile playing on his face again. She’d had a laugh with Spider the other night when one of the customers had tried hitting on her in the coffee shop. She’d told Spider that her sexual desires were dormant. Hell, had she been wrong about that! Standing here, face-to-face with this guy, she discovered that her sexual desires weren’t just active—oh, no, they were rampant. She was grateful for the tray of coffee she was gripping. It gave her hands something to do that kept them from reaching up to touch his face, maybe sinking into his hair or even sliding around his waist.
“Are you okay?”
She nodded rapidly, meeting his gaze briefly. Even she heard the gasp she made when he rested his hand on her hip. What was he doing? You didn’t just do that to a stranger in a crowded elevator.
“Are you sure?” He looked worried now.
She looked down to where his hand rested on her hip. Except it wasn’t his hand—it was the purse the woman in front of her had slung over her shoulder. Grace couldn’t help it. She laughed. Wow, she needed to get laid. Okay, the guy was attractive, but he shouldn’t affect her this badly. “I’m fine, thanks. Have a great day.” She edged her way to the front and squeezed out through the doors before they had a chance to open fully on the seventeenth floor. She couldn’t help it. She had to look back before they closed. He’d made his way to the front, too. He met her gaze with a smile.
Bye, Big Cat. She bid him a sad farewell. At least, in the real world, the world where she’d never see him again. She had a feeling her imagination would be seeing a lot more of him in the nights to come.
She smiled back at him; there was no harm now. And he winked! The arrogant prick actually winked at her. She stood there staring as the doors slid shut, and then he was gone. She chuckled and set out toward the stairs. She’d take them slowly to make sure he was gone by the time she got up there.
Her phone buzzed, and she set the coffee tray down on the little table that stood between the two sets of elevator doors. It was a text from Harry.
Forget the coffee. I don’t need you till eleven.
Grace shook her head. Harry was a pain in the ass sometimes. If he didn’t need her till eleven, why couldn’t he have figured that out last night, for crying out loud? She could have slept in, taken her time—not wasted her money on a coffee he wasn’t going to drink. She smiled, nope, she was going to stick with the positive thing. If this morning hadn’t played out exactly the way it had, she’d never have laid eyes on Big Cat, and she’d hate to have missed out on their close encounter in the elevator. If she really wanted to look on the bright side, she could see that she now had two hours and two cups of coffee on her hands—and she intended to use them wisely.
