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Chapter 13
Alec
Grace was looking at him differently today.
Alec figured it might have something to do with the near-death experience she had with Sara. Maybe she was in shock from it. Maybe he should have restrained himself. But there was nothing Alec could do to stop from kissing her. She basically invited him to do it. They sat on the couch and she stared at him like she was seeing him for the first time.
"Huh, I guess maybe I am sort of daring that you… can… do… that," she said.
"Daring that I can?" he asked with a smile. "Hey, Grace?"
Her eyes met his. "What?"
"I'm just trying to make sure you're not out-of-your-mind right now from what happened earlier. I don't want you to let this happen and then regret it."
"What do you think I’m letting happen?" she asked, her expression showing that she thought he might have the wrong idea.
"Kissing," he said. "I don't want to kiss you again—not if you're going to regret it. I want to make sure it's not just because you're in some kind of state right now."
She gazed at him with a serious but otherwise unreadable expression. He had no clue what she would say when she spoke. "Would a person know if they were in a state?" she asked sincerely. "I don't feel like I'm in a state."
Alec went a little closer to her, checking her out.
She grinned at him. "I really don't think that ordeal with the woman affected me one way or another. I was feeling like this before any of that happened."
Alec felt his chest swell when she said that. He was tenderhearted when it came to Grace, she was staring at him differently today. She wasn't scared of him or his intentions, and his heart was full because of it. Alec cocked his head at her, wearing a sly grin.
"You're daring me, all right," he said confidently.
She shook her head at him. "I wasn't, but I think I might be now."
"Let me clarify," he added, clearing his throat. "I'm taking this as permission to kiss you, Grace. I'm going to do it right now, and then maybe again later."
"Okay," she said, sounding breathless.
"And then after that, I might do it again whenever it seems like you're into it."
She nodded. "I think I'll always be into—" she was about to finish her statement, but Alec looked away when something caught his eye.
"It's my brother's boat," he said. "They're headed this way. They'll come up to my dock. I should have known someone would come over here once I told Mom what happened."
Grace sat up straight, getting a glimpse of the approaching boat. "Ozzy's boat?" she asked, seeing the driver who she thought was Alec's oldest brother. There were a few others on the boat as well. They were already pulling up at his dock.
Alec sighed as he stood up. He turned and offered to help her stand up, and she took his hand, reaching for him. He loved the feel of her hands. They were small and cool, and he was hyper-aware of her touch.
"Your fingers are rough," she said.
He pulled her to her feet. She ended up standing close enough to touch him, her shoulder against his chest.
"Oh, you're noticing my fingers now?" he said. He stared down at her. Limits were being pushed. Boundaries were being crossed. She regarded him with a new expression. Alec had been waiting to see this for months.
"I'm just noticing… they're rough around the edges from so many musical instruments."
He moved and flexed his hand, touching hers, staring at her.
"And I seem to get a woozy feeling from touching you," she added.
He looked her over. "Are you sure that's not from what happened to you an hour ago?"
