AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Grant set her on her feet before kissing her, and Bea held his face in her hands, enjoying the slow, sensual kiss that said so much more thangood morning, Bea.It’s great to see you, Bea.
This kiss said things like,I’m falling in love with you, Bea, andTell me you’ll come back to Hilton Head Island, Bea.
She didn’t know what to tell him, so she just kept kissing him, wondering what kinds of messages he got from her.
“I failed,” he whispered as he broke their kiss and slid his lips along her neck.
“Yeah?”she asked, not sure what he meant.She was sure she wanted him to keep kissing her, and she held onto his shoulders so he wouldn’t get too far away.
“Yeah.”He touched his lips to her collarbone, and then her earlobe.He drew back and looked at her, happiness shining in his eyes.“I let you distract me.”
Bea tipped her head back and laughed, her voice combining with Grant’s.“Come on,” she said, threading her fingers through his.“Let’s get back.I have to shower, and I don’t want Lauren to think I’ve been abducted.”
“I really do have to get some work done today.”
“Then go,” she said playfully.“No one’s stopping you.”
He jumped in front of her and gazed at her, again saying so very much with the emotions in those dark eyes.He kissed her again, this time with more urgency.He pulled away rougher and faster, and said, “You’restopping me, Bea.”He gave her a smile that promised more kissing later and started walking again.“But I’ll see you soon, okay?”
“Okay,” she said, and he released her hand and took off jogging down the beach the way he’d already come.Bea stood still and watched him, Joy’s words coming back into her mind.
Run with it, not from it.
She could definitely see herself doing that, and fear rooted her feet to the sand.If she ran with the feelings she had for Grant, that would mean leaving Texas for a lot longer than ten days.
And she didn’t know if she could do that.
She was thinking about it, but she’d committed to nothing…yet.
“All right,” Laurensaid later that day.“It’s right there on the left.”She peered through the rental car windshield.“See it?”
“No,” Bea said, annoyed at herself for thinking she could navigate them to the café.“But if you say it’s there, I’m sure you’re right.”
“We’re only a couple of minutes late,” Lauren said in reassurance.Bea had taken them over the bridge and off the island before Lauren had snatched her phone and said, “Bea, it’s literally in the opposite direction.”
She made the turn, and Lauren pointed left again.Only then did Bea see the sign for Chestnut Tree Café, and some of her anxiety bled out of her.“I’m so nervous,” she admitted as she swung into an available parking spot.
Lauren reached over and took her hand.“I’m not going to judge him or you.It’s brunch, and you love eggs Benedict.”She gave Bea a smile, which Bea tried to return without feeling like a clown.
She failed in that but managed to get out of the car.On the sidewalk, a couple of people waited outside the café, and it seemed like the happening place to be on the island on a Saturday morning.The door opened, and the most gorgeous man stepped out.
Grant, wearing a pair of black cotton shorts and a polo the color of the mint chocolate chip ice cream she liked so much, grinned at her and reached for her hand.
She gave it to him, everything and everyone else around her blanked out for a moment.“Morning,” she said as his skin sizzled along hers.
“Good morning,” he said as if they hadn’t had their brief rendezvous on the beach that morning.He swept a kiss along her cheek—nice and Southern proper when in mixed company—and turned toward Lauren.“You must be Lauren.”He let go of Bea’s hand to shake Lauren’s with both of his, his charm and charisma filling the entire world.
Lauren returned his brilliant smile, and Bea felt so dim and dull compared to the two of them.She’d forgotten that Lauren worked with big companies and big names and charmed rooms full of men.“Yes, I am,” she said.“You must be Grant.”
“That I am.”
“I’m clearly not needed here,” Bea said dryly, causing both Lauren and Grant to turn and look at her.“Thanks for letting me introduce y’all.”She reached for the door handle while Grant chuckled behind her.
She led them inside, thinking they needed to wait for their table.But Grant squeezed through the others standing there and said, “We’ve got a table over here.”He took her and Lauren toward a table against the wall, a huge chestnut tree with sprawling limbs painted in a stark black-against-white motif.
A man sat at the table, and he got to his feet, his face rugged and handsome.He didn’t wear a beard like Grant, but he seemed just as lit from within.
Grant indicated him, not one ounce of uncertainty in his expression.Bea felt it trampling through her, and she glanced at Lauren.What in the world was Grant doing?Was this some sort of weird double-date, blind setup thing?
