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“I’ve never forgot you because you’re special. To me. I thought about you all the time, but I could never get myself to reach out.”
There. She’d said it.
She couldn’t look him in the eyes, however, content to stare at the floor, waiting for some reaction. Any reaction. If he didn’t feel the same, then at least she’d know. She could go back to her life and have some peace. No more wondering and fantasizing.
She was hovering mere inches below the guillotine blade. This wasn’t a romantic movie where Grant was going to sweep her into his arms and they’d all live happily ever after, singing pop songs from the eighties. This was real life, and sometimes reality could be a heartless bitch. It didn’t care if she ended up with a broken heart.
“I’ve never stopped thinking about you, either.”
Grant’s voice was deep, the timbre making her shiver at his words. This time she did look up so she could see him. His green eyes were soft and full of an emotion she was too scared to name.
“It meant something to me,” she said, her throat so tight it made it hard to talk. “That night we had together. I’ve never been able to just forget it and move on.”
She was so far out on a limb she could easily fall and break into a million shattered pieces, but there was encouragement in his expression. She could even feel the air around them crackling with the surge of feelings between them. With every passing second, she was more confident in what she’d done here today.
Grant just might feel the same.
“Mia, it meant a great deal to me, too. You mean something to me.”
Later, when Lane asked, Mia couldn’t tell her who had made the first move. Had Grant taken a step toward her, or had she done it? It didn’t matter anyway because they ran headlong into one another’s arms. She pressed her cheek to his chest where she could hear the thud of his heart under her ear - steady and sure. Just like him.
The room spun, and her senses were flooded with all that was Grant. The tang of his body wash, the warmth of his skin, the leashed strength in his arms as he held her close, but not too tight. As if she was a fine piece of porcelain that might shatter into a million pieces if he wasn’t careful.
His lips brushed her temple, and she trembled at the butterfly touch. She hadn’t known how much she’d hungered for this until now. At this moment, she could happily stay inside his arms for the rest of her life. Damn her job, friends, and mortgage payments. Electricity and food were overrated. She’d just stay here and luxuriate in this feeling that she’d missed so terribly.
Of course, none of that was realistic but a girl could dream.
Mia didn’t know how long they stood there, but eventually Grant’s hold loosened, and they both stepped back with a regretful sigh. She felt the loss of his touch instantly and wanted to run back into his arms.
“Honey, I’m on duty,” he said, his hand reaching out so his fingertips could trace her jaw slowly, his gaze never leaving her face.
She was almost a puddle of jelly on the floor just from that simple action. If he kissed her, she might swoon and simply pass out.
Where was a fainting couch when she needed one?
“I’m not sure we can pick up where we left off,” he said. “I think we need to start at the beginning instead of in the middle. There’s so much we don’t know about one another, but I want to know everything about you. Every single detail. How about I take you on a real date? You and me. Dinner and a movie. We’ll do it up right, I promise you. What do you say?”
He was right. They’d skipped over some important phases in their relationship. She’d had so many bad romances, she wanted to do this one right from the very beginning.
Mia was getting a second chance, and she wasn’t about to screw it up.
10
Grant and Mia had made plans for their official date for the upcoming weekend. First a movie that they both wanted to see, followed by dinner at an excellent local Italian place. They’d discussed whether he would drive to her, or she would drive to him, but eventually she’d insisted on coming north to him since he had to be at work early the next morning. Since he didn’t want her driving by herself late at night back home, he’d offered her a room at the resort which she’d accepted.
He hadn’t said what room it would be, however. The family suite was available, and she could stay there. He wasn’t sure whether it was a good idea, though. He didn’t want to bring back any bad memories from that night, and he sure as hell didn’t want her to feel any pressure to sleep with him. The whole family suite was a double-edged sword at the moment. He would find her a lovely room with a view that didn’t have so much baggage attached to it.
He’d received a text a few minutes ago letting him know that Mia had made it and was checked in at the resort. Now all he had to do was finish up this last paperwork and head home to quickly shower and change. The movie showtime was seven-thirty, so they had plenty of time.
“Jill, Frank will be in charge tonight,” Grant told his admin assistant as he gathered his things. It had been a long day, and he was looking forward to an enjoyable evening. “Make sure all calls are routed to him. I’ll be back on duty at eight in the morning.”
Frank was Grant’s second in command, and an all-around excellent lawman. Someday, he was going to lose Frank to a better job, but until then he was going to be grateful for having him on his team.
“Hot date, Sheriff?”
Jill’s voice was sing-song, a wide grin on her face. There were times that Grant was a bit frustrated with Jill. She was young - just twenty-two - and could be less than professional now and then.
She didn’t think much about office decorum, or about sharing too much personal information, or perhaps acting a tad too familiar with his deputies. She liked to flirt with the men whether they were single, engaged, or married. She was, however, incredibly efficient. She did the work of two people and never seemed to break a sweat. He’d counseled her a few times about professional behavior and she’d seemed to have improved. She wasn’t perfect, but good employees were hard to find, and he didn’t want to give up on her.
