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“I wanted to see you, but I fear I miscalculated how sturdy the trellis was after all these years.”
“I guess you better go back down before you get hurt,” I grinned evilly.
He grimaced. “I just scaled your house and you’re not going to let me in?”
“You know the rules: no boys in my room,” I teased.
The trellis cracked and creaked some more, making Brooks hold on to the windowsill for dear life. “How about men?” he said as if he were out of breath.
I bit my lip. “Well, that depends on what kind of man he is.”
“How about the kind willing to risk his life for you?” He clung tighter.
“Maybe.” I grinned, watching him struggle.
His eyes bore into mine. “What about a man willing to risk it all for you?”
Oh. That pierced my heart. I was so confused. A large crack rent the air as the trellis gave out under his weight, leaving Brooks dangling from my window. “Grace?” he pleaded.
“Okay.” I reached for him, making sure he didn’t go the way of the trellis, crashing into the rosebushes below, while I prayed my heart would survive this.Chapter Twenty-SixI pulled Brooks through the window, and we both landed with a thud on the wood floor, Brooks on top of me. It was a good thing Daddy slept with a sound machine on nowadays.
Brooks was a lot heavier than I remembered, but it was pure muscle. Nice-feeling muscle, up against my own skin. I had forgotten I was only in a nightshirt. I hadn’t been expecting company at eleven o’clock at night.
Brooks made no attempt to move, even though he was lying on me. He only brushed my bangs to the side. “You’re so beautiful, Grace.” His lips played barely above my own, tempting me. So, so tempting me.
“Brooks, maybe we should get up.”
“I’m happy where I’m at.” His lips inched closer.
My resolve was weakening at a furious pace. “We should talk.” I was desperately trying to think of any excuse as to why we shouldn’t kiss.
“We will.” His breaths became my breaths.
I closed my eyes for a half a second, not wanting to fight the magnetism pulling us together and aching for our lips to become one. Still, a tiny bit of reason flickered in my brain, reminding me that Brooks and I had some very different views about life. Views that needed to be reconciled—like me forgiving him among other things. I opened my eyes, wriggled my arm free, and pushed against his yummy chest. “No, really, we should talk. Like lots of words.”
He let out a disappointed breath. “You win.” He settled for a kiss on my forehead before removing his godlike body from mine and standing up.
I needed a moment on the floor to stare up at him. Holy crow, he looked fine in his tight baseball T-shirt and athletic shorts.
Brooks reached out a hand to help me up. I took it, and our connection felt more real than it ever had. The voice was shouting, He’s the one! I wasn’t denying it, but the voice had to understand that I needed time. And we needed answers.
Brooks easily lifted me. When I was upright, he took the opportunity to pull me close and wrap his arms around me. I gave in and rested my head against his chest, listening to the steady pound of his heart.
“How was the game?” I asked.
“Rangers lost by one run, but we had a good time.”
“You did?”
He leaned away. “Believe it or not, I do know how to have fun.”
“You’re going to have to prove that.”
“I plan to.” His sultry tones were going to be the end of me.
“You can start by helping me make name tags.”
He looked around my room, which had doubled in size since the last time he was here. “It looks a lot different than it used to—except for your homage to Rick Springfield has remained, I see.”
I lovingly gazed at my shrine to Rick, though I had to say Brooks was more attractive than him. “Rick is my one true love, besides chocolate and Diet Pepsi.”
Brooks’s brow raised. “Room for anyone else on that list?”
I shrugged. “Maybe.”
He ran a finger down my cheek, leaving a trail of sparks so hot I thought my cheek might catch fire. “I’ll see what I can do about that.”
“We shall see. But first, reunion name tags.”
Brooks caught my hand before I could flee to the safety of my couch. “Grace, I’m in earnest.” He was as serious as he had ever been, which was saying something for him.
“There you go, using fancy words again.” I grinned.
“I mean them.” He squeezed my hand.
I wanted to believe him. I kept ahold of him and led him toward my couch, which was covered with tissue poms in our school colors of silver and navy. I’d ended up having to make some of the decorations to save money. I let go of Brooks and made a spot for us to sit, as I had been sitting on the floor before his unexpected arrival.
