Bringing back a sense of normalcy.
She quickly turned off the car, unbelted herself, and stood.
Grant, however, hadn’t moved aside, and she stood way too near to him. In her heels, she stood a little closer to his height. And dang it all, he still smelled amazing.
Thoughts of Sam faded as if they’d never been, her mind hazed by the bright blue eyes staring into hers.
“You look incredible,” he murmured, looking her over. “Do you always dress this nice?”
She flushed. “I’m in slacks and heels.”
“Your hair is up, your makeup makes you look like a model, and that blouse is... Well, it’s nice.”
It was clinging to her and showing off her nipples, standing stiffly due to her attraction as much as the cold weather.
She blushed harder. “Oh. My coat.”
He walked around her and grabbed the box of food, as well as her coat, from the car. “I’ve got it all. Let’s head inside. This weather is cold.”
“Agreed.” She shivered and preceded him into the house. “Jenna, we’re back.”
Grant closed the door behind them, and she immediately went to the fireplace, grateful for the logs burning and heating up the space.
“Oh, I meant to let you know. Jenna’s hanging out with Simon tonight after his practice. Nice kid. I met him earlier. She’ll be home late.”
“Okay.” That meant Piper and Grant would be alone in the house. Together. Not a big deal, yet she felt nervous and silly for feeling nervous.
“I rummaged around earlier, so I know where everything belongs. I’ll get dinner ready. You just relax.”
She could only watch as he opened the food cartons and put them on the table with serving spoons. He didn’t ask for her help, just set the table as if her waiter for the evening. Plates, folded napkins, utensils positioned just so. Even sparkling water, the kind she liked, poured into two glasses.
He smiled and held out a chair for her. “Let’s eat.”
After washing up, she joined him at the table and let him seat her, her cheeks hot. “Thanks for setting this out.”
“No problem. Thanks for buying it.” He sat and waited until she’d filled her plate before doing the same. An odd part of her reveled in being put first. Even for something so minor as a takeout dinner, it felt nice to be catered to.
“So what did you do today?” she asked.
He set a few egg rolls aside, as well as some fried rice. “For Jenna later.”
“That’s sweet.”
He snorted. “It’s self-preservation. When she found out we were having Chinese, she threatened that bad things might happen to me if I didn’t put some aside for her.”
“Sounds about right. Never mess with a Mason woman when it comes to egg rolls.”
They shared a chuckle.
“My day was boring,” Grant said. “I got up late, had a nice hot shower—thanks very much. Then roamed the town. It’s changed even since the last time I was here, last year. But I think I found a good place to train.”
“Oh, where did you go? I have a few places in mind if you’re still interested.”
“I am. But let’s talk about your day. Mine, like I said, was pretty boring. Fun, but not exciting.”
“Sounds like my day.”
“Oh?”
