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"No. I mean yes. No, it's not about that. Yes, I'm sure. It has nothing to do with that. It's just my heart's beating so fast from standing right here with you looking down at me—" She cut off speaking because Alec lowered his head and gently placed his mouth on hers.
Grace's kiss was innocent and patient, and Alec felt a burning hot wave of desire for her. He had wanted her all along, and now she finally wanted him back.
He let his mouth fall on hers three or four times, and when he broke away, he was smiling.
She cleared her throat. "It doesn't have to do with what happened. I was dealing with some stuff before I came here," she said. Her voice sounded tentative.
"Dealing with stuff? What's that mean?"
"Feelings. Dealing with these different feelings. That music, Alec. I know we haven't had the chance to talk about it, but that music made me see things in you w-which made my other feelings feel… intense." She tucked her head into him and he went closer, gently wrapping his body around hers.
He rubbed her back. "We're going to get invaded by my family in a few seconds. My brother is already headed down the dock."
"I'm fine with going to eat lunch with them," she said. "I'm okay, really. I'm a big fan of moving on from things as quickly as possible. As far as I'm concerned, this morning never happened. It definitely doesn’t have anything to do with… this." She gestured at him, indicating their proximity.
She was confident and secure, and she knew she had his affection. He wanted no one else for the rest of his life. "Okay, we'll have to talk more about this later," he said, trying to seem less affected than he was.
He moved toward the patio door since his family was now walking up the path to his house.
"Come on," he said, taking her hand.
They walked out of the glass patio, and his family saw them instantly. Alec kept hold of Grace's hand. It wasn't normal for them to show any type of affection in front of people. This was the first time it happened. All things considered, they were both pretty unrepentant about it. He held onto her hand, and she didn't pull away.
"Are y'all coming to give us a ride?" he called from across the way.
Three people had arrived. Alec's brother, Ozzy, and Ozzy's wife, Evie. Jenny, Alec's mother was also with them and she was leading the way.
Jenny was the first to speak. "What in the world happened? Thank the Lord y'all are okay."
Ozzy nodded. "Did the police take care of it?"
"Yeah," Alec said. "We knew who she was. They probably arrested her by now."
"What happened?" Ozzy said.
All this was said before they officially converged, and once they did, they settled into a shady spot under a group of crape myrtle trees near the shore.
Alec and Grace recounted the story to his family. Jenny had always been the paranoid type and she was worried about her kids' fame as it pertained to stalker fans. She was on edge listening to the story.
Grace was just that—she was full of grace. She recounted the story in a calm way that wouldn't cause his family to worry. They spent ten minutes getting everyone caught up on the morning's events before deciding to head to their Aunt Lucy's house for lunch.
It was a twenty-minute boat ride to get to her house, and everyone went into Alec's house first. Grace and Alec needed to grab their things. Jenny and Evie both needed to use the restroom, and Ozzy wanted something to drink, so they all went upstairs.
"My purse is in your guest bedroom," Grace said to Alec when they made their way up the stairs. "I'm going in there to grab it."
He was holding her hand, and she started to let go when she said it, but Alec kept a hold of her. "I'll go with you," he whispered. He kept a hold of her and turned away from the kitchen as he turned to speak to his family. "You guys make yourselves at home. Ozzy, I've got anything you want to drink. We'll be back in just a second."
He pulled Grace through his living room and then down the hallway and into the bedroom where she had been showering and changing earlier. He kept the door cracked but he pulled her to the other side of it where there was no chance they would be seen. She was strong and stoic in front of his family. She was loyal to him, he could tell that by the way she interacted with his family.
And she wanted him. He knew by the way she reacted to his touch. He had a hold of her hand and he used it to pull her in once they rounded the corner and had some privacy. He loved Grace Bailey, and he was addicted to seeing this look in her eyes—the one that said she loved him back. He tugged her in and kissed her neck gently. She didn't pull away.
"I know you have to get your things, and we need to go back out there, but Grace… Grace, I…" He kissed her again, this time on her cheek near her ear. She wrapped her hand around his head, running her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck. "I had to do this one more time," he said. And then he kissed her again.
Grace had never kissed another man.
She was Alec's and Alec's alone.
She smiled a little at the fact that he had cornered her, and then she relaxed, opening her mouth to him. They were finally alone and behind mostly closed doors. Alec had waited, and he was willing to wait longer. But she no longer needed that. She wanted this to happen as much as he did. He could feel that by the way she gripped the back of his head and pulled him in.
