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As a roaring filled his ears, Grant took an involuntary step backward, thinking to escape the impact she had on him. He covered the retreat by sweeping his arm in an imperious gesture.
“Come in.”
“Thank you.”
She ducked her head and sent him a furtive glance as she passed. Once inside, however, she stopped dead and looked around. Seeing that she wasn’t going to move beyond the wide foyer without coaxing, Grant led the way into the great room, taking the seconds to compose himself once more.
“Do you want something to drink?”
“Just some water if you have it.”
“Have a seat.” He gestured toward the couch before heading to the dry bar and the beverage fridge stocked with water and sodas, wishing she’d asked for something stronger. Because he certainly could use a shot of whiskey to take the edge off.
“I like your house,” Harley said, ignoring his invitation to sit down.
Grant warmed to the approval shining in her eyes as she took in the neutral colors, clean lines, warm wood tones and mid-century modern architecture of his four-thousand-square-foot home. Each room boasted floor-to-ceiling windows, exposed wood beams and stark white walls adorned with large bright canvases depicting the rugged Texas landscape in full bloom.
He set two bottles of water on the coffee table and watched as Harley explored the dining room and peered into the kitchen. Although tempted to offer her a full tour—ending with the master bedroom—Grant settled for trailing after her as she slipped through the open sliding glass door and stepped onto the pool deck. Lights hidden in the surrounding landscaping gave the outdoor space a cozy feel.
“It’s a house made for entertaining,” she remarked as they made their way back inside. “I don’t suppose you’ve had any parties, though.”
“They’re not really my thing.”
Harley glanced his way. “How long have you been here?”
“Since my divorce.”
Grant had never regretted letting Paisley keep their Pine Valley house as part of their divorce settlement. The location had been too far from Royal Memorial Hospital and he’d never been a fan of the French country decor his ex had preferred. His new house was less than three years old, constructed after the hurricane that had torn through Royal six years earlier, demolishing homes and businesses in several neighborhoods on the west side and collapsing a wing of the hospital.
“I’m sorry things didn’t work out between you and Paisley.”
Grant made an impatient gesture of dismissal. He didn’t want to talk with Harley about his failed marriage.
“Why don’t you just tell me why you’re here,” he prompted, remembering that she’d appreciated his directness that weekend they’d spent together.
He’d described how much he enjoyed her body and educated her where he’d liked her lips on him and how good she felt beneath him. She met his frankness with an openness that had made their time together the most spectacular sensual experience of his life.
“Five years ago,” she began, her voice quavering, “we spent a weekend together...”
“Yes.”
Her gaze shot to his and just as quickly shifted away. If she intended to seduce him, she was going about it all wrong. Last time they’d been together, she’d been brazen and sexy and so full of her own power. Tonight, she could barely summon the courage to look at him. What had compelled her to seek him out after years of silence?
From the moment he’d heard she was coming home, he had begun to debate with himself. Obviously, he wasn’t immune to her charms, but how much of what he felt was because one weekend with her hadn’t been enough to get her out of his system? Maybe all he needed was to see if his desire for her was honest or merely a tantalizing echo of the chemistry that had existed between them back then.
“And it ended abruptly—”
“You lied to me about who you were.” The memory of her deceit tasted bitter.
“You never would’ve given me a chance if I told you I was eighteen. And that was the most amazing two days—” She cut off her words and blew out a harsh breath. “I’m tired of apologizing for what I did. Maybe I lied, but what harm did I do? No one knew we were together. The weekend didn’t blemish your reputation.”
“Do you really think I was worried about my reputation?”
Her eyes flared. “Then what?”
He pressed his lips together, refusing to admit the true reason why he’d been so upset. Confessing that he’d been besieged by disappointment when he learned she was so young would give her too much power. He’d spent two magical nights with his arms wrapped around the woman of his dreams. Waking up Monday morning to dis
cover she was a mere girl had shattered something inside him. He’d opened himself up to her only to discover it had all been a lie.
