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I shake my head. “He’s nice to look at, sure, but I’ve seen better. There’s this Italian guy I met at Lake Como once, and seriously, he looked like he’d been sculpted out of marble. By Michelangelo himself. Seriously, the man had the most beautiful hands I have ever seen.”
Grayson takes a half-step back. He sneaks a peek at his own hands.
Yeah, I’m not quitting while I’m ahead. “And if we’re making this a contest, like with a numbered list, I’ve met two NFL quarterbacks that are definitely ranking ahead of Mr. Halverson. I mean, for looks and charm. Ted definitely sings best.”
“You’re calling him Ted now? Really?”
He looks pained, but I know he’s playing. Still, I’m glad he wasn’t backstage when Ted renewed his offer for me to perform with him at any show, this time with a very sincere hug and a kiss on the cheek. I know it was only a theater thing, but it might have looked like more to someone like Grayson. Someone who admits to being a little jealous.
Who knew how much I’d like jealousy?
I go on, because there’s no stopping me now. “And last summer at the US open, there was this tennis player . . .”
Grayson puts his fingers over my mouth to stop me. “Please,” he begs, teasing. “No more.”
I laugh behind his hand, and he moves his fingers slightly to caress my cheek.
“Just one more. There’s this doctor I know.” I wrap my arms around him, my violin at his back.
“Yeah?” he asks, bringing his nose to touch the tip of mine.
“Mmm,” I say. “You’ve never seen a man so handsome. Deep, soulful eyes. A face like a Hollywood star. Eyebrows for days. Tall and dark and a little mysterious.”
He shakes his head. “No one has ever accused me of being mysterious. Not in my whole life.”
I grin at him. “Well, the air of mystery is a very important element of this story, so we can work on that.” My knees are trembling, and I don’t think it’s from the cold. Somehow, I don’t worry it’s anything but Grayson’s effect on me.
He kisses the corner of my mouth, but I’m not done telling him how I feel.
“This guy’s like Superman if Superman was a doctor instead of a photographer.”
“Mild-mannered reporter,” Grayson whispers.
“Whatever.” I kiss him softly. I have to. I can’t help it. He leans in, but after a second, I pull away again.
“And just in case you think I’m shallow, I have to tell you, it’s not just the doctor’s amazing looks. He’s also brilliant. He knows everything.”
“Everything?” he asks, and his voice is going soft at the edges, like he’s falling asleep. Like my compliments are relaxing him into a Zen state. I like this voice. I want to kiss the mouth that speaks to me this way, but I’m not finished yet.
“He knows the answers to all my bizarre medical questions, or he knows where to find them. He listens to my worries, even when I’m going a little over the top. And he always helps me feel like I’m safe.”
Grayson’s arms tighten around me and he focuses on my eyes. “I’m really glad you feel safe.”
“More now than I ever have,” I tell him. And it’s true. I’m probably always going to worry about disease and injury and random acts of lightning, because that’s who I am. But Grayson takes the fear away. Worry without fear is something I can handle. Something I can deal with. And that’s a gift I’ve needed all my life.
“Sounds like your doctor is a good fit for you,” he says, his mouth barely touching the top of my ear.
I pull closer. “We might be a perfect fit. Best fit ever.”
“Even if some of your dates get cut short by other people’s medical emergencies?” he asks. I can tell he’s been worried about this.
I take a half step back so I know he’s looking at me. So I know he can see I’m serious now. My arms are still around his back. “If you have to leave every date we have before it’s over, I don’t mind. Not if you promise to keep coming back.”
“Sage,” he says. It’s like my name is an entire sentence. A whole declaration. I stand there in the darkness facing him and feel stunned by how much I care about him. How much he seems to care about me. I wait for him to continue.
“I promise,” he says. And he seals the promise with the slowest, most gentle, most spine-tingling, knee-weakening, breath-stealing kiss I’ve ever had.
Best kiss ever.
