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He grinned and leaned against the wall. “It was my pleasure, believe me.”
The last thing Dean saw before she rushed out the door was the alluring shade of pink in her cheeks. “That woman is going to be bad for my health,” he muttered.
7
“He kissed you?” Gracie asked as she skimmed a rack of dresses.
The store Gracie had taken her to was small but had a large variety of party dresses and eveningwear. Catherine stared at a display of skirts, but all she saw was Dean. The heat in his gaze as he stared down at her after the kiss. Her body temperature spiked all over again. “I don’t get it,” she admitted. “One minute he’s telling me he doesn’t trust me, like I have some diabolical plan in mind for you, then he’s kissing me. The man is beyond annoying.”
Gracie stopped and frowned over at her. “But he really kissed you?”
“See?” Catherine threw her hands in the air. “You’re as baffled as I am.”
She shook her head. “Well, I suppose the trip was a success to some degree, then. I mean, clearly he must not hate you the way you suspected or he never would’ve kissed you.”
“No, he doesn’t hate me.” She snorted. “He just doesn’t trust me.”
Gracie pushed her purse higher on her shoulder. “But if that’s true, then why’d he kiss you?”
“Because I had chocolate on my mouth, he said.” Catherine’s gaze caught a dress on the rack Gracie was picking through. She picked it up and looked at the tag. “Damn, wrong size.”
“Uh-huh. And he’s coming to the club tonight.”
“He said he might come. I doubt that he’ll show up though. Kiss or no kiss, he doesn’t want me around, Gracie.” She slumped. “He’d love it if I took the first flight back to Atlanta.”
She cocked her head. “That might have been what he wanted in the beginning, but now I wonder if that’s changed.”
“A kiss didn’t fix the problem. No more than the conversation with him did.” Catherine bit her lower lip. God, she swore she could still taste him there. Strong and masculine, but tender too. “He still doesn’t trust me.”
Gracie shrugged. “If you’re so sure, then you probably aren’t interested in what Wade said about Dean’s bizarre attitude toward you, huh?”
Oh, now that got her attention. “Spill it, sister.”
“Sister.” Gracie grinned. “I’l
l never get used to hearing that.”
Distracted from the topic of Dean and the kiss for a moment, Catherine smiled. “Me either. It feels so natural too. Like I’ve known you my entire life.”
Gracie reached out and took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I know what you mean.”
A few seconds went by, the two of them simply soaking in the moment. When a woman wanted to get through the aisle they were standing in, Gracie released her hand and together they moved to a different aisle. It wasn’t until they reached a rack of assorted items that Gracie said, “Wade thinks that Dean is fighting an attraction to you.”
Catherine instantly recalled the rigid length of Dean’s erection when he’d pressed against her in the kitchen. The feel of him had gone straight to her head. Like tequila. Dangerous stuff. “I admit he seemed to enjoy the kiss, but I don’t think an instant out of time explains all the attitude I’ve been getting from Dean.” She stopped, then added, “I mean, he’s been this way since before I met him yesterday.”
“True,” Gracie conceded as she picked up a black skirt. “What about you? Are you attracted to him?”
“I don’t know,” she said. Immediately she knew that was a lie and opted to tell the truth instead. “Yes. But he makes me crazy with his accusations and distrust. And he reminded me that you and I were half sisters, which I know we are, but it doesn’t feel that way to me.”
“It doesn’t feel that way to me either.” Gracie picked up a pretty black dress with dark green accents around the bodice and held it out toward her. “So, since he’s making you so crazy, maybe tonight you should return the favor.”
Catherine took the dress from Gracie and read the tag. Right size, and the price wasn’t even too bad. “How could I possibly make that man crazy? He’s so in control of himself. I get the feeling he never lets down his guard.”
Gracie wagged her eyebrows and pointed to the dress. “By looking extra hot tonight. At the very least you’ll have him squirming a little, which he deserves for giving you such a hard time.”
Catherine laughed. “I don’t know if I can pull that off, but I like the way your mind works all the same.”
“We’re going to drive those Harrison men insane. Just wait and see.” She nodded toward the dress and said, “Try it on.”
