Kiss or no kiss, he doesn’t want me around, Gracie.” She slumped. “He’d love it if I took the first flight back to Atlanta.”
She cocked her head. “That might have been what he wanted in the beginning, but now I wonder if that’s changed.”
“A kiss didn’t fix the problem. No more than the conversation with him did.” Catherine bit her lower lip. God, she swore she could still taste him there. Strong and masculine, but tender too. “He still doesn’t trust me.”
Gracie shrugged. “If you’re so sure, then you probably aren’t interested in what Wade said about Dean’s bizarre attitude toward you, huh?”
Oh, now that got her attention. “Spill it, sister.”
“Sister.” Gracie grinned. “I’ll never get used to hearing that.”
Distracted from the topic of Dean and the kiss for a moment, Catherine smiled. “Me either. It feels so natural too. Like I’ve known you my entire life.”
Gracie reached out and took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I know what you mean.”
A few seconds went by, the two of them simply soaking in the moment. When a woman wanted to get through the aisle they were standing in, Gracie released her hand and together they moved to a different aisle. It wasn’t until they reached a rack of assorted items that Gracie said, “Wade thinks that Dean is fighting an attraction to you.”
Catherine instantly recalled the rigid length of Dean’s erection when he’d pressed against her in the kitchen. The feel of him had gone straight to her head. Like tequila. Dangerous stuff. “I admit he seemed to enjoy the kiss, but I don’t think an instant out of time explains all the attitude I’ve been getting from Dean.” She stopped, then added, “I mean, he’s been this way since before I met him yesterday.”
“True,” Gracie conceded as she picked up a black skirt. “What about you? Are you attracted to him?”
“I don’t know,” she said. Immediately she knew that was a lie and opted to tell the truth instead. “Yes. But he makes me crazy with his accusations and distrust. And he reminded me that you and I were half sisters, which I know we are, but it doesn’t feel that way to me.”
“It doesn’t feel that way to me either.” Gracie picked up a pretty black dress with dark green accents around the bodice and held it out toward her. “So, since he’s making you so crazy, maybe tonight you should return the favor.”
Catherine took the dress from Gracie and read the tag. Right size, and the price wasn’t even too bad. “How could I possibly make that man crazy? He’s so in control of himself. I get the feeling he never lets down his guard.”
Gracie wagged her eyebrows and pointed to the dress. “By looking extra hot tonight. At the very least you’ll have him squirming a little, which he deserves for giving you such a hard time.”
Catherine laughed. “I don’t know if I can pull that off, but I like the way your mind works all the same.”
“We’re going to drive those Harrison men insane. Just wait and see.” She nodded toward the dress and said, “Try it on.”
Catherine held it against her body. It was shorter than her normal style. She’d be showing a lot of leg. “What can it hurt?”
“That’s the way I see it. He shows up, you get to make him drool. If he doesn’t, then there will be plenty of other men at the club to choose from. Either way a win-win.” Gracie picked another dress out and checked the tag. “Ouch. Too much.”
Catherine leaned over and checked the price. “I’ll buy it for you. It’s what sisters do for each other, right?”
Gracie hesitated a moment before replying. “Only if I get to buy you some pretty shoes to go with that dress.”
Catherine laughed. “Deal.”
The wild beat of the music wasn’t the only thing that had Catherine’s heart pounding. As Dean pulled out a high stool for her, so like the perfect gentleman, and held it while she sat, Catherine wondered what he was up to.
She cocked her head. “That might have been what he wanted in the beginning, but now I wonder if that’s changed.”
“A kiss didn’t fix the problem. No more than the conversation with him did.” Catherine bit her lower lip. God, she swore she could still taste him there. Strong and masculine, but tender too. “He still doesn’t trust me.”
Gracie shrugged. “If you’re so sure, then you probably aren’t interested in what Wade said about Dean’s bizarre attitude toward you, huh?”
Oh, now that got her attention. “Spill it, sister.”
“Sister.” Gracie grinned. “I’ll never get used to hearing that.”
Distracted from the topic of Dean and the kiss for a moment, Catherine smiled. “Me either. It feels so natural too. Like I’ve known you my entire life.”
Gracie reached out and took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I know what you mean.”
A few seconds went by, the two of them simply soaking in the moment. When a woman wanted to get through the aisle they were standing in, Gracie released her hand and together they moved to a different aisle. It wasn’t until they reached a rack of assorted items that Gracie said, “Wade thinks that Dean is fighting an attraction to you.”
Catherine instantly recalled the rigid length of Dean’s erection when he’d pressed against her in the kitchen. The feel of him had gone straight to her head. Like tequila. Dangerous stuff. “I admit he seemed to enjoy the kiss, but I don’t think an instant out of time explains all the attitude I’ve been getting from Dean.” She stopped, then added, “I mean, he’s been this way since before I met him yesterday.”
“True,” Gracie conceded as she picked up a black skirt. “What about you? Are you attracted to him?”
“I don’t know,” she said. Immediately she knew that was a lie and opted to tell the truth instead. “Yes. But he makes me crazy with his accusations and distrust. And he reminded me that you and I were half sisters, which I know we are, but it doesn’t feel that way to me.”
“It doesn’t feel that way to me either.” Gracie picked up a pretty black dress with dark green accents around the bodice and held it out toward her. “So, since he’s making you so crazy, maybe tonight you should return the favor.”
Catherine took the dress from Gracie and read the tag. Right size, and the price wasn’t even too bad. “How could I possibly make that man crazy? He’s so in control of himself. I get the feeling he never lets down his guard.”
Gracie wagged her eyebrows and pointed to the dress. “By looking extra hot tonight. At the very least you’ll have him squirming a little, which he deserves for giving you such a hard time.”
Catherine laughed. “I don’t know if I can pull that off, but I like the way your mind works all the same.”
“We’re going to drive those Harrison men insane. Just wait and see.” She nodded toward the dress and said, “Try it on.”
Catherine held it against her body. It was shorter than her normal style. She’d be showing a lot of leg. “What can it hurt?”
“That’s the way I see it. He shows up, you get to make him drool. If he doesn’t, then there will be plenty of other men at the club to choose from. Either way a win-win.” Gracie picked another dress out and checked the tag. “Ouch. Too much.”
Catherine leaned over and checked the price. “I’ll buy it for you. It’s what sisters do for each other, right?”
Gracie hesitated a moment before replying. “Only if I get to buy you some pretty shoes to go with that dress.”
Catherine laughed. “Deal.”
The wild beat of the music wasn’t the only thing that had Catherine’s heart pounding. As Dean pulled out a high stool for her, so like the perfect gentleman, and held it while she sat, Catherine wondered what he was up to.
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