Dan chuckled. “Well, I won’t say anything to Sean, but your aunt already figured out something was going on between the two of you.”
Her eyes widened.
He laughed outright at her expression. “Come on. We might be older, but we’re not blind.”
A laugh slipped free before she could stop it. “No, I guess you’re not.” She leaned over and kissed his cheek again. “And the two of you are not old. Just a whole lot wiser than the rest of us.”
By the time Sean and Suki arrived a little after five-thirty, Grace already had the grill heated and three foil-wrapped potatoes cooking over the flames. The salad fixings covered half the counter, while the seasoned steaks were resting on a nearby plate.
As Suki disappeared down the hall to change out of her business clothes, Sean lingered in the kitchen with Grace, pouring himself a glass of wine from the bottle she’d opened. The sight of him sent her pulse skipping.
She’d seen him in a suit before, but there was something about the loosened tie and the top button of his shirt left undone that made him look devastatingly handsome. Leaning against the counter beside her, all broad shoulders and effortless confidence, he looked like he belonged on the cover of a magazine. Add the dimple in his left cheek, those dark, knowing eyes, and the lips she already knew were dangerously distracting, and it was almost unfair.
“Thanks for going to the store for me.” He reached past her and stole a slice of cucumber from the cutting board before popping it into his mouth.
Grace smiled as she resumed slicing tomatoes. “No problem. I had plenty of time to do it. You would’ve been rushed.”
He hesitated for a beat, his expression shifting. Then he took the knife from her hand and set it on the cutting board. She reached for the dish towel beside her and wiped her hands, her pulse already quickening at the look in his eyes as he grasped her and drew her closer. The movement stole her breath. When she didn’t pull away, he lowered his head and brushed his lips over hers.
The spark between them flared at once. This time, there was no surprise or uncertainty. They both knew exactly what was coming, and the anticipation only sharpened it.
She lifted her hands to his chest, smoothing her palms upward over the crisp cotton of his shirt to the solid breadth of his shoulders. The feel of him beneath her touch sent a rush through her, and her whole body seemed to come alive.
She’d been thinking about kissing him again all afternoon, wondering if it would feel the same as it had before.
It didn’t.
It felt better.
The faint sweetness of the wine and cucumber lingered on his mouth, mixed with something distinctly Sean that made her want more. When his lips parted, and the tip of his tongue traced a gentle invitation against hers, a soft ache unfurled low inside her.
“Whoops, don’t mind me.”
They sprang apart, and Grace’s cheeks flamed as she turned to find Suki standing in the doorway, amusement dancing across her face.
The profiler laughed and crossed to the counter where the wine bottle and a clean glass waited. “I said, ‘Don’t mind me.’ Feel free to continue. I’m just grabbing a glass of wine and going into the living room. You two lovebirds just forget I’m here.”
Grace glanced at Sean, and the sheepish grin tugging at his mouth made her laugh. They’d both completely forgotten that anyone else was in the house. If Suki hadn’t interrupted them, Grace had a feeling that kiss would have gone somewhere neither of them was ready to explain over dinner.
He leaned in and gave her another kiss—a peck this time. “I’m going to take a shower and change. Be right back.”
Unable to stop herself, she answered with a teasing smile. “I’ll be here.”
The amused look he sent her set her pulse fluttering again before he disappeared down the hall.
While she finished tossing the salad, Suki offered to set the dining table. The large flat-screen television mounted above the fireplace played quietly in the background, Channel Four already on as the evening news prepared to start in about fifteen minutes.
“You know, Sean is really smitten with you.” Suki opened one drawer, then another, before finding the silverware.
“The feeling is mutual.” Color crept into Grace's cheeks at the admission.
The other woman smiled. “I’ve known him a while and have never seen him this taken with a woman. I’m happy for both of you, but I’m also a little protective of him, so if you break his heart, I’ll have to break your legs.”
Grace’s head snapped up, but the wide grin waiting for her drew a relieved laugh.
“I’m kidding. He’s a tough guy and can take care of himself. I always thought the woman who won him over would be very lucky, but after getting to know you, I think he’s the lucky one.”
The kind words pleased her more than she expected. “Thank you. But honestly, we haven’t even been on a real date yet. I like him a lot, but I worry he doesn’t feel the same way I do. I don’t do casual when it comes to relationships.”
