"Part of my training." Damon grimaced and shook his head. "Wouldn't recommend those either."
Grace's eyes jumped down several lines. Kiss a Stranger. In parenthesis after it was the date September seventh. Just over two weeks away.
She stiffened and pulled away from Damon before turning to glare at him. A chill skittered through her body despite the stuffiness and rising temperature in the elevator. Her chest tightened, and her breathing came a little faster.
Was this whole talk of bucket lists an elaborate ruse to get her to let him kiss her, so he could check a box on his list? She hardly knew Damon, but she felt betrayed. He'd used his charms and played on her anxiety to lull her into trusting him.
"Are you okay?" Damon's face filled with concern. "What's wrong?"
She dropped his phone on his lap, screen up.
Frowning, he looked down at it.
Grace knew the moment he spotted the line item that made her pulse race and ice fill her veins.
He brought his hand to his forehead. "Oh man, I forgot that was on there."
"I doubt that." She narrowed her eyes on him. "That's why you guided this whole conversation toward bucket lists, isn't it?"
"No, of course not." He shook his head. "I didn't put it on there. I swear."
"Then why is it there?" Grace wasn't sure she believed him. "And why is there a date after it?"
Damon let out a heavy sigh. "One of my Army buddies put it there three months ago after I lost a bet. The deal was that the winner got to put an outrageous task on the loser's bucket list." He turned off his phone and pocketed it. "I'm supposed to have it checked off before we deploy in a couple of weeks."
He sounded sincere, but she wasn't sure she trusted him. "What bet did you lose?"
"It was a timed obstacle course thing. Howie bet he could beat me. I was feeling cocky, so I took the bet. I always finished before him, so it felt like a sure thing." Damon stared at the doors as he shook his head. "But I lost. I'm almost certain he had help from the guys in our unit, but no one will admit it. So now, I have to check it off before we deploy."
"What happens—" Her phone buzzed in her lap, cutting off her words. She picked it up to see a reminder. "Shoot."
"What's wrong?"
"I'm supposed to be at a dress fitting in ten minutes."
"I think it's safe to say you're going to miss it. I'm sure they'll let you reschedule it."
"It's not that simple. It's for a bridesmaid's dress for a wedding that's in two weeks. This was supposed to be the final fitting. The seamstress has been really busy, because she's the only one in town, and there's another wedding the following week."
Grace stared at her phone, frustration building in her chest. "When I don't show, my soon-to-be sister-in-law is going to tell my over-protective brother, and he'll freak out when I don't answer his calls and texts. Then my mother is going to worry. And that's the last thing she needs right now."
"Hey, it'll work out." Damon's voice was calm and soothing as he put a hand on her arm. "There's nothing you can do at the moment, so there's no point in getting worked up over it."
"You're right." She took several deep breaths. She’d deal with it later and hope Iris could squeeze her in sometime in the next week. She had a more pressing problem to worry about.
Was Damon trying to convince her to kiss him?
Would it be such a bad thing if I did?
She gasped. She couldn't believe the thought even crossed her mind.
Sure, he was good looking and had been a complete gentleman so far. But she wasn't that kind of girl. Not anymore. She'd learned too many lessons the hard way, and the last time she kissed a stranger—on a stupid dare—it had backfired on her.
The simple fact she'd been there, done that, meant she couldn't judge Damon too harshly. Especially since—if he was telling the truth, and she wanted to believe he was—he wasn't even the one who put it on his bucket list.
She watched the candlelight dance across his solid cheekbones and strong jaw that was covered in a five o'clock shadow. He really was handsome. It didn't help that this whole situation felt romantic with the chocolate, candlelight, and just the two of them. The only thing missing was romantic music.
Stop it.
