Sean’s expression when he’d asked her out had caught her off guard. For a man who carried himself with such steady confidence, there had been something almost boyish in the hopeful look in his eyes. The moment he’d said real date, her heart had stumbled. If she still kept the diary she’d poured her teenage thoughts into, she would have filled page after page reliving every second of it.
Turning back toward the closet, her gaze snagged on a flash of teal silk tucked near the back of the rack. Of course!
She reached for the dress and pulled it free, smiling as the fabric shimmered in the early evening light spilling through her bedroom windows. She’d nearly forgotten about it.
Two years earlier, her friend Trish had talked her into buying it for a hospital Christmas party in New York, insisting it had been made for her. Grace had thought her friend was exaggerating until the admiring glances she’d drawn all evening proved otherwise.
Holding it against herself, she turned toward the bed. “What do you think, Rico? Will he like this one?”
The cat rolled onto his back, paws lifted, tail flicking across the pillow.
Grace laughed. “You’re right. Excellent choice.”
She slipped the dress over her head, smoothing the cool silk down over her hips before facing the full-length mirror mounted on the closet door. The fit was perfect. The hem skimmed just above her knees, showing off her legs, while the elegant cutouts revealed her toned shoulders before the fabric flowed down her arms and torso in soft lines.
It was perfect.
She added a silver necklace, matching earrings, and the heels she’d bought with the dress. Her long blonde hair was swept up and secured with a rhinestone clip, leaving soft tendrils to frame her face. Subtle makeup completed the look, and she dabbed on a light touch of perfume at her neck and wrists.
Stepping back, she studied her reflection. If this didn’t leave Sean speechless, nothing would.
A knock at the front door interrupted her inspection, and her gaze darted to the clock.
Six-thirty. He was right on time.
Her pulse jumped.
She still needed to toss a few essentials into her purse, but the thought of making him wait sent her hurrying from the bedroom. She reached the front door and pulled it open, her words tumbling out before she fully looked at him. “Hi, I’m almost ready?—”
The rest died in her throat.
Sean stood on her porch looking devastatingly handsome in a tan button-down shirt, black trousers, and polished black dress shoes. He’d shaved, and his dark hair had been trimmed, though that stubborn lock still fell over his left eyebrow.
She loved that lock. It softened his otherwise serious features and gave him a hint of mischief she found impossible to resist.
Then her gaze lifted to his eyes. Those warm mocha depths widened as they swept over her, unmistakable appreciation flashing there, followed by something hotter that sent a rush of want through her.
The look alone made every outfit change worth it.
Sean’s mouth went dry, and for a moment, he forgot how to breathe.
Sean had recognized Grace’s beauty the moment he’d seen her again after all those years, even if the gawky teenager he remembered had long since disappeared. But standing in her doorway now, wrapped in that blue-green dress, she was so stunning she robbed him of coherent thought.
His gaze swept over her before he could stop it, taking in every incredible detail. The dress skimmed her body as though it had been made for her, accentuating her elegant curves. The hem left her long, shapely legs on full display, the heels adding just enough height to make them seem endless. His attention caught on the smooth skin of her bare shoulders, and an almost painful ache of need rushed through him at the thought of tracing his lips across that satiny flesh.
Suddenly, dinner was the last thing on his mind.
The image of taking her out to some quiet restaurant vanished, replaced by far more tempting thoughts that made his pulse kick up several notches. He wanted her all to himself tonight. Didn’t want a single man in the county stealing so much as a second glance at her.
The possessive thought caught him off guard, but he couldn’t deny it.
He had no idea how much time passed before his brain finally kicked his mouth into working order. “Hi… wow… hi… um, wow…”
Brilliant.
Heat crept up the back of his neck. He cleared his throat and tried again. “You look beautiful.”
A soft blush rose in Grace’s cheeks, and the sight only made her more stunning. “Thanks. You’re looking very handsome yourself.”
