Page 70

I glance over at her.

“He said it would probably do my health good to gain a few pounds.” She lets out a frustrated laugh. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him!”

I shake my head, fighting a smirk even though I’m still pissed. “You sure you said all that? Word for word?”

Grace whips her head toward me, eyes narrowing. “You think I’m lying? I tried, Drew. I really tried.”

“Guess he knows a good thing when he sees it,” I mutter, gripping the wheel tighter.

Silence fills the car.

Then she shifts, leaning across the console to rest her head on my shoulder. Her hand slides onto my thigh, fingers tracing circles.

I let out a long breath. Some of the rage drains out of me whether I want it to or not.

I know exactly what she’s doing—using those soft touches to tame the beast she stirred up tonight. And the worst part? It’s working. Even if she didn’t try that hard with Charles. Even if she let that old fuck touch her hand and her back. What the hell am I supposed to do? Walk away?

“I missed you tonight,” she whispers, voice soft and sleepy against my shoulder.

Just like that, the last of my anger melts away. I take one hand off the wheel and cover hers on my thigh, holding it there.

She knows exactly what she’s doing.

And I’m way too far gone to stop her.

19

GRACE

This week slipped by in the sweetest haze. Apart from that nightmare dinner with Charles on Thursday, it’s been almost perfect. Mostly because Drew and I have been living in our own little bubble, pretending the rest of the world doesn’t exist.

It’s Saturday afternoon and Dad’s at the office, so the house is empty. Just us. I’m on the tennis court, failing spectacularly at my serve while a dozen yellow balls litter the opposite side of the net like they’re mocking me.

“If you run out of balls,” Drew calls from behind me, voice thick with mischief, “I’ve got a couple you can play with.”

I spin around, grinning. “I’d be happy to give them a good, hard whack.”

His smile is slow and dangerous. We’re still careful at home—we don’t touch here—but the tension between us has been growing bolder every single day.

Especially since I dragged him to the clinic a few days ago.

I wanted us to get tested so we could stop using condoms. I didn’t admit it to him at the time, but I wanted to feel him closer. Skin to skin. Nothing between us at all. And god…it’s so much better than I expected. The heat of him, the way I can feel every inch, every ridge, every pulse. There’s something dangerously addictive about it.

He’s been a little cross with me about Charles, even though none of it is my fault. I tried my best.

Unfortunately, Charles has been texting my father nonstop. He apparently had a “wonderful time” the other night and is already pushing for another date. I don’t even have the man’s number—my dad is literally playing middleman like this is some weird arranged marriage. It’s unsettling.

The girls on the forum were no help at all. Most of them just laughed and said my life sounds like a fever dream. One even said she’d trade places with me in a heartbeat. Sleeping with her hot employee while being pursued by a wealthy man. They have no idea how heavy this all actually feels.

“What’s wrong?” Drew asks, reading me far too easily.

“Nothing,” I lie, bouncing the ball on my racket. I can’t tell him the truth—that I’m scared I won’t be able to shake Charles off. That I’m terrified I’ll eventually cave and say yes just to make Dad happy. That one day I might blink and find myself engaged to a man I don’t even like. “I’m just bored.”

Drew’s eyes narrow, unconvinced. Then that little smirk tugs at his mouth—the one that always makes my stomach flip.

“So let’s go out and do something,” he says.

“I need a shower before we go out.”