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Gracie put her hand on Chesney’s elbow and guided him outside. In the distance she could still hear Diane talking on the phone, describing what her uncle had just told her. There was no sign of Gussie and Gracie was glad that she wouldn’t have to deal with him again. She had no interest in seeing his sneering face again.
Chesney shut the patio door behind them. Stepping into the bright sunlight felt like a fresh start, like they’d put all the lies and half-truths of the case behind them and now it was just the two of them.
“God, I can’t believe that,” Chesney said, turning to her. “I knew the way Huang dealt with the magazine was odd, but I never thought he was actively working against us.”
Gracie smiled, her hand was still on his elbow and now she curled it around his arm. It was sweet, the way that Chesney loved the magazine so much. After all that they’d just learned, his foremost concern was always going to be the survival of the magazine.
“Yeah, it sounds like Diane Huang might be your new boss sooner than expected.”
“Hmm...maybe. Although, after everything Huang did, I don’t know if she’ll want us.”
Gracie hummed, leading him along the side of the house, back to where she’d parked. “I thought that too...but it sounded to me like she sees it as part of her Dad’s legacy. I think she’ll do everything she can to keep Attitude going.”
“Yeah?” Chesney stopped and wrapped his arm around Gracie’s waist. “What are you doing here, Gracie? You don’t seem at all surprised that Gussie was the leaker.”
“I already knew that Gussie was the leaker,” Gracie said with a smirk. This close she could see as Chesney’s eyes widened.
“What? How? I thought you were only looking into me as the leaker.”
“You sound jealous,” she teased, putting a hand on Chesney’s chest. She could feel the steady beat of his heart through the thin shirt he was wearing. “He made a comment this morning, implying that he’d seen us together. And the only way he could have known that I was at your house last night was if he was the intruder.”
“Huh, very clever,” Chesney said with a pleased smile.
Gracie reached up, her fingers brushing against Chesney’s lips as she traced a finger along his lips, following the contours of his smile. She’d been so worried that everything between them was over, that Chesney would never forgive her for how they’d met or that she’d originally given him a false name. Now he was smiling at her detective skills and it felt like she was soaring.
She leaned up and pressed a kiss to those smiling lips. At the touch of him, she could feel something inside her melt, all those worries seemed behind them. Their kiss lingered, neither of them wanting it to end.
Gracie pulled back, watching him with wonder as he slowly opened his eyes.
“There’s something I want to know though,” she said.
“Really? I thought you’d already worked everything out.”
“Why were you so happy to see me earlier? When I came into the house.”
Chesney’s smile widened. “You don’t know? Well, I didn’t know you were outside. You could have stayed out there and listened to the whole conversation. If I was still a suspect then you would have done that, just to make sure that I didn’t say something that I didn’t want you to know. The fact that you didn’t need to listen in, well, that shows that you do trust me.”
“Oh,” Gracie said. Of course she trusted him! Sure, they had been a time when she’d thought he was the leaker, but now, when she looked at him, all she felt was giddy happiness.
“Listen, Gracie,” Chesney took her hand from his chest, cradling it in his. “I have to go and find Diane Huang. I can’t go back to the office and tell everyone that Attitude might be sold off. But...do you want to meet up later? I owe you a date, let me take you out to dinner tonight. We can celebrate the case being over.”
Gracie nodded, grinning widely and throwing her arms around him, hugging him close. The gesture surprised even Gracie. She was used to being alone and self-contained, there was just something about Chesney that called to her, that made her feel it was ok to be open and vulnerable.
Chesney let out a surprised laugh but hugged her back just as tightly. He kissed the temple of her head.
“I’m going to take that as a yes to tonight,” he said, letting her go slowly. Gracie nodded, embarrassed at how obvious she’d been.
“Yeah, yes. Now go and make sure Attitude is going to be ok.”
Chesney grinned, pressed one last quick kiss onto Gracie’s lips and then hurried back around the house in the direction that Diane had gone.
Gracie watched until he’d rounded the corner of the house, her mind empty as she just enjoyed the simple feeling of joy that she felt whenever she was with him.
But now that Chesney was gone, she started to make plans.
Chapter Twelve
Klarov tookhis feet off his desk, sitting up in his chair as Gracie came into his office.
