LITMIR.BIZ

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she’s the only woman I’ve ever wanted.

      Noah laughed again. “Can’t say I blame you. I love my wife’s spirit.” There was a gleam in his friend’s eyes. “Makes life more interesting.”

      “I’ll bet,” Cameron said agreeably.

      “Were you with Grace earlier?”

      Cameron shot a glance at his friend. “For a minute,” he said and pushed aside the nagging guilt hitting him between the shoulder blades.

      “Something’s going on with her,” Noah said. “She said she’s taking some time off work. But she’s not talking about why, not even to Evie or our mother. Maybe breaking up with that attorney has something to do with it.”

      Cameron remembered what she’d said about the suit and sensed she wasn’t all that broken up about it. But what she’d said about not belonging—now that, he was sure, had something to do with her return home. Because it was completely unlike Grace to say a thing like that. Noah was right—something was going on with her. The Grace he knew didn’t show vulnerability. She was ice-cool and resilient. At eighteen she’d walked away from him and Crystal Point and moved to New York and had been there ever since, returning once or twice a year at the most. That was the Grace Preston he understood. Not the vulnerable one moment, hotter than Hades the next kind of woman who’d kissed him back like there was no tomorrow.

      Wanting her had made every other woman he’d known pale by comparison. And now he knew one thing—he either had to get Grace out of his head for good…or get Grace in his bed and in his life.

      She was home, on his turf. Maybe he had a shot. The way she’d kissed him gave him some optimism. That kind of response wasn’t fake. And he knew Grace. She wouldn’t pretend. Whatever was going on with her, Cameron was determined to find out. She’d resist and fight. She’d make things impossible. She’d cut him down with icy barbs and indifference.

      Suddenly that seemed like one hell of an interesting challenge.

      Cameron’s gaze centered on Grace. She was with Evie, talking close. His shirt collar got uncomfortably tight and irritation uncurled in his chest. Because he would bet right down to his boots that they were talking about him.

      “So, what happened?”

      Grace tried to escape her sister’s viselike grip on her wrist but failed. Evie was persistent when she wanted something. She loved her sister and Evie was the one person she could really talk to. But not about this. Not about Cameron.

      “Nothing. We were just talking.”

      Evie’s dramatic brows rose. “Well, I imagine you were doing something with your tongues.”

      Grace flushed and tacked herself at Evie’s side to hide from Cameron’s view in case he looked her way. Her sister’s seven months pregnant belly was a good shield. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

      Evie chuckled. “Oh, no—you don’t get out of it that easy. I want details.”

      “I won’t say what…” Grace’s response faded on her lips. “Okay,” she admitted. “So we might have…”

      “Might have?” Evie interrupted without batting a lash.

      “We kissed,” she whispered into her sister’s ear, feeling about sixteen years old. She certainly wasn’t about to admit to anything else. “And that’s all I’m saying.”

      Evie hauled Grace into the corner so they had more privacy. “You kissed Cameron?” she squealed. “Oh, my God! I can’t believe it.”

      Neither can I.

      “Well, I mean I can believe it,” Evie said in a wicked whisper. “Did it bring back a whole lot of memories?”

      Of course it did. But she wasn’t about to say that. Grace regretted ever telling her sister about the three-month relationship she’d had with Cameron—about the kisses and gentle touches and soft moans as they made out in the front seat of his car. Because it brought back other memories as well—the way she’d left, the way she’d run when she’d sensed he was getting serious. It was so long ago. In a different life. Wanting Cameron now was sheer madness. It was champagne that had made her behave so impulsively. And she hadn’t been with a man since forever. No wonder she’d acted like she did. She only hoped no one else saw their conspicuous entrance. The last thing she wanted was the Crystal Point rumor mill churning out theories about what had happened between her and the charming and popular Sergeant Jakowski down by the beach.

      Everyone liked Cameron. She knew some of what he did in the community—the volunteer work at the surf club, the time he spent with kids from the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. An all-around good guy. Honest, honorable and socially conscious. Grace knew it about him and had always felt like he was rubbing her nose in the fact. Irrational as it was, he made her feel selfish and, worse…self-absorbed. Like her life was meaningless and superficial. He never said it of course, rarely spoke to her unless to demean her fondness for pricey footwear or call her Princess in that infuriating way.

      “Can I steal my beautiful bride away for a dance?” Scott Jones approached and took Evie’s hand.

      “Of course,” Grace said and smiled when she saw the glow on her sister’s face. Evie had found true love with the handsome, California firefighter. “We were done anyway.”

      Evie smiled. “We’ll talk later,” she said and allowed herself to be swept away.

      Grace remained where she was and studied the crowd for a moment. The usual suspects were in attendance and a few she’d never met before, mostly friends and colleagues of the groom who’d traveled from Los Angeles. She spotted her younger sister Mary-Jayne, or M.J. as she was affectionately called, dancing closely with Gabe Vitali, the best man and cousin of the groom. She was supposed to have been partnered with the outrageously good-looking American, but M.J. had pleaded they swap groomsmen and Grace agreed, unable to refuse her sister’s request.

      “They make a cute couple.”

      Grace froze. Cameron had approached and edged alongside her. She glanced at him and he nodded toward M.J. and Gabe. “I’m no judge.”

      “And yet you’re usually so good at it.”

      It was a dig, but he was smiling so she let it pass. She wasn’t about to have an argument with him in front of so many people. “Did you want something?”

      “Just to see how you were doing.”

      Grace raised both shoulders. “As you can see, I’m perfectly fine.”

      “Good speech by the way.”

      “Thank you.” She took a deep breath. No thanks to him. “I should get back to—”

      He laid one finger against her wrist. “I think we should talk, Grace.”

      Awareness crept along her skin and she tingled where they touched. “I’d rather not.”

      “So, where are you staying?”

      Grace swiveled on her heels to face him. “At Evie’s.”

      “While she and Scott are on their honeymoon?” His brows came up. “Are they leaving you in charge of the B and B?”

      The query in his voice was skeptical. “Don’t sound so surprised. I’m not totally inept, you know.”

      He smiled to expose perfectly straight teeth. “I think it’s good of you to help out.”

      She pulled away from his touch, but Grace couldn’t ignore the way he watched her and her body was quickly on high alert.

      “So, shall we resume our earlier conversation?” he asked.

      Grace stepped back. “Don’t push it.”

      “You know, you look

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