The same electric current she’d felt before rushed through her veins. Gracie couldn’t remember ever having such an intense reaction to a man.
Nate started to lean in, but just when their lips were about to touch, he stopped himself. Pulling back quickly, he dropped his hand as if it were on fire and looked away.
“Thanks for meeting me tonight. I think Kole and Sarah will like what we have planned for them.”
Totally thrown by his sudden change in demeanor, Gracie stumbled over her reply. “Uh…yeah. I-I do, too.”
“Drive carefully going home.”
“I will.” Still thoroughly confused, Grace sat in her driver’s seat and started the car’s ignition. “Thanks for dinner.”
He gave her a tight smile. “Goodnight, Gracie.”
Looking up at him one last time, she did her best to smile back. “Goodnight, Nate.”
With that, she pulled out of the parking lot and drove off, refusing to look in the mirror to see if he was watching her as she went.
Chapter 3
Hours later, Gracie woke to a loud chiming rolling through her apartment. It took her several seconds to realize it was her doorbell.
Groaning, she threw off her covers and sleepily made her way to her door. After checking the peephole, she unlatched the deadbolt, released the lock on the doorknob, and opened the door.
“Why on God’s green earth are you ringing my doorbell at…” she turned to look at the clock on her wall. “Oh, shit! Is that really the time?”
“Yep. Looks like someone overslept.”
Sounding way too cheerful for this time of day, Sarah stepped into the apartment. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a perfectly executed chignon bun, and her makeup was flawless.
Wearing a grey pencil skirt and matching jacket, Sarah’s heels clicked on the wood floor as she walked over toward Gracie’s couch. “Better get a move on, or we’re both going to be late.”
Gracie shut the door and turned back to her sister. “Why are you here before work?”
Sitting on the arm of the couch, Sarah smiled. “I wanted to surprise you by taking you for coffee first. Since you and I both work in the same building now, I thought it would be nice to ride together once in a while.” Sarah looked at her watch. “If you hurry, we can still beat the coffee shop rush before we have to be there.”
Gracie smiled. “That was sweet of you. I showered before bed last night, so I’ll just throw on some clothes and run a brush through my hair. I can do my makeup in the car, since you’re driving.”
“I’ll wait here.”
Gracie rushed toward her bedroom but was stopped when her sister grabbed her forearm as she passed.
“Whoa. Stop right there.”
The order took Gracie by surprise. “What?”
“Where did you get that shirt?”
Crap. She’d completely forgotten what she was wearing. “It’s Nate’s. He let me borrow it.”
“I know whose it is,” Sarah said sharply. “I was there when he got that.” She bobbed her chin toward a small, faded stain near the hem. “Gracie, why do you have on Nate’s favorite shirt? And why did yousleepin it?” Sarah’s big, blue eyes widened then. Her head turned toward the end of the hall as she whispered. “Oh, my God…is he still here?”
“Wait. This really is his favorite shirt?”
Her sister looked back at her as if she’d grown two heads. “That’swhat you’re focused on right now? Gracie, this is Nate we’re talking about. I warned you about him. Yes, he’s sweet and funny, not to mention good-looking. He’s Kole’s best friend, and I love him like a brother, but Nathan Carter isnotboyfriend material. Not to mention, he’s a member of Bravo, and you work for his boss’s boss. What were you thinking?”
Frustrated for several reasons, Gracie swiped some unruly hair from her face and straightened her shoulders.
“Okay, that was like a billion questions, so let me see if I can answer them all for you. First off, no. Nate’s not here. He never was. Two, remember when I texted you about going to his place and why? While we were there, I dropped a piece of sweet and sour pork on my white shirt. Being the nice guy you know and love, Nate offered to let me wear one of his shirts home so I didn’t look like the victim of a psycho-slasher with red sauce all over myself. I came home, took a shower, and threw it back on because I was exhausted and it was within arm’s reach.”
