Now, that I didn’t expect. In fact, I have no idea how to respond, since I’m not even sure what she means. Is it an insult? The way she’s still smiling up at me makes me discard that idea.
“That’s where you’re wrong.” I pull her close, and she winds her arms around me, which makes me almost forget what I was about to say. “What you see is what you get with me.”
“Hmm,” she says as though she doesn’t believe a word. “Big, bad, tough guy on the outside. That’s okay, your secret’s safe with me.”
I snort with laughter. “No secret, Grace.” I like saying her name. “That’s me, inside and out.”
“If you say so.”
“When I get you home, I’ll prove it to you.”
“Do you live far from here?”
With my arm still wrapped around her, I once again make for the door. “Nah. Just a couple of blocks. Won’t take long.”
“Can we pick my luggage up first?”
I pause, hand on doorknob. “Luggage?”
“Yes. From my car. You know, toothbrush and…stuff.” Her cheeks are pink and she gives a little shrug. “If I’m staying the night I need my things.”
“Sure.” My mind fills with the happy vision of Grace in my shower. I pull open the door, keen to get home and put that particular fantasy into action.
Tension vibrates from her as we walk back into the bar. I swagger across the room, ignoring the glances from my brothers and friends, and they soon get the message. Instead of catcalls and jeers, they go back to their business, and Grace gives a relieved sigh as the door swings shut behind us.
“At least it’s stopped raining.” She lowers her umbrella. “That’s my car, over there.”
I glance across the street and there’s no mistaking which car she’s talking about. It’s a silver Mercedes coupe, and if I don’t warn my brothers the car’s off-limits, it’ll be picked clean by morning.
She opens the trunk and takes out an overnight case, then looks at me expectantly, as though she’s waiting for me to haul out the massive case that takes up the entire space. Is she leaving home or going on vacation?
It’s none of my business, and I don’t know why the question even enters my head.
“You need all this shit for one night?”
“No, but I need a change of clothes.” She frowns as though something’s just occurred to her. “Oh, you mean we’rewalkingto your house? I thought you’d have your car here. It doesn’t matter, I can make do.”
She goes to shut the trunk, and I hold it open. “I don’t have a car.” Seriously, is she really that clueless? Her surprised glance tells me that yeah, she really is. I haul her case out and slam the trunk.
“There’s really no need.” She waves a finger at her case. “I don’t expect you to carry it along the street. It’s too heavy.”
“The hell it is.” Even if the damn thing were full of bricks I wouldn’t back down now. “You better have some killer underwear in here as payback.”
She laughs and links her arm through mine. I’ve never walked down a street with a chick hanging on my arm like this. It’s oddly civilized and no one’s ever accused me of being that before. Thing is, I kind of like it.
Good thing she didn’t try this back in the bar. My brothers would never let me forget it.
“I don’t have anything kinky, if that’s what you mean.” She gives me a sideways look. “Just regular panties and bras.”
If they’re anything like the stuff she’s wearing now, that’ll do me.
“So where were you going? Leaving the country?”
“Just going to my sister’s.” She shrugs then sighs. “Well, if you must know I just broke off my engagement. My parents aren’t thrilled about it. I’m kind of reassessing my future options now.”
I didn’t expect a life history, andparentsisn’t a word I want to hear when I’m with a girl. But I can overlook that tonight because I’m more interested in the fact she’s just dumped her fiancé.
Why do I care?
