table, slapped food on her plate, some kind of potato concoction, shoved a few forkfuls of food into her mouth and chewed it with more force than necessary.
“Gracie? When are you going to help Stone? You know you want to.”
Grace shot her a look intended to shut her up.
It didn’t work.
“He really needs your help. And since those pictures and one of you from your college yearbook are circulating all over the Internet and through the tabloids, you should do it.”
“How did they get a copy of my college yearbook picture and why wouldn’t it have my name under it and not yours?” Grace said icily.
“I don’t know,” Divina said, blinking to prove her innocence.
That bitch. After everything Grace did for her, Divina had floated her onto the thin ice and tossed her a boulder. She tried to work up the anger at her sister. She was put out, for sure, but Kayla’s words echoed in her head. You could change your mind. I’d do it.
Hank chose that moment to come in the front door. “Hi, everyone. I’m home.”
Grace and Stone gave mirror eye-rolls. Divina hopped up and ran to the door. She threw her arms around Hank and kissed him.
“She sent that picture, didn’t she?” Stone asked.
“Yep.”
“I should thank her.”
“Yep.”
He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “She really is a self-serving witch.”
“Yep.”
“Why have you been helping her out of her problems all these years?”
Grace crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. “You wouldn’t understand.” She glanced back at the couple in the front hall. “She’s my sister.”
“I know this may not be the time, but are you still opposed to playing my wife?”
Grace shrugged and chose to ignore his question. “I’m going up to bed. I think I have a headache coming on.” She left without looking back at him. He called her name, but she pretended not to hear.
Grace sat on her bed looking out the window. Four cars lined the road and a black van was parked a hundred feet down from the driveway. Damn stalkers. She fumed over the lack of privacy solely because she was living with Stone Adams.
She had expected Stone to sneak in, but instead he made lots of noise before collapsing on his bed, the springs squeaking. Then his shoes thudded on the floor one at a time.
“They’re stalking the house,” she said without preamble. “There’s a black van waiting for us to do something outrageous so they can sell papers or get more viewers. Is this what your life is like every day?”
“Sometimes,” he said. “Sometimes they leave me alone, when I’m being good.”
“That doesn’t happen much, does it?” She peeked at him from the corner of her eye. He was lying back on the bed.
He moved suddenly, sitting up and moving toward her like a predatory cat. She jumped and slid back on the bed toward the corner. He grinned at her as he sat down. She groaned at his nearness. He’d caught her staring.
“I’ve done some crazy shit, but I’m not a bad guy.” He worked to make eye contact so she’d look at him when he spoke. “Usually the reporters don’t follow me around because I’m going to clubs or restaurants and they can get pictures there, but now that I’m married they stay near the house to see if I mow my own lawn or take out the trash. It’ll die down after a few weeks. Although, no pressure, but if my wife doesn’t show herself soon, it’ll become a feeding frenzy. They’ll want to know why she’s hiding out. They will follow all of us. You and me especially.”
“Why me?” She couldn’t keep the worried sound out of her voice.
“They have your picture now. They think you’re my elusive wife.” He put his hand on her knee.
The warmth of it seeped though her jeans and heated her blood like a branding iron. Her face grew hot and her pulse raced. Her gaze moved from his face to his hand and back again. She placed her smaller hand over his, tracing his bluish veins with her pointer finger.
“Gracie? When are you going to help Stone? You know you want to.”
Grace shot her a look intended to shut her up.
It didn’t work.
“He really needs your help. And since those pictures and one of you from your college yearbook are circulating all over the Internet and through the tabloids, you should do it.”
“How did they get a copy of my college yearbook picture and why wouldn’t it have my name under it and not yours?” Grace said icily.
“I don’t know,” Divina said, blinking to prove her innocence.
That bitch. After everything Grace did for her, Divina had floated her onto the thin ice and tossed her a boulder. She tried to work up the anger at her sister. She was put out, for sure, but Kayla’s words echoed in her head. You could change your mind. I’d do it.
Hank chose that moment to come in the front door. “Hi, everyone. I’m home.”
Grace and Stone gave mirror eye-rolls. Divina hopped up and ran to the door. She threw her arms around Hank and kissed him.
“She sent that picture, didn’t she?” Stone asked.
“Yep.”
“I should thank her.”
“Yep.”
He crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. “She really is a self-serving witch.”
“Yep.”
“Why have you been helping her out of her problems all these years?”
Grace crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. “You wouldn’t understand.” She glanced back at the couple in the front hall. “She’s my sister.”
“I know this may not be the time, but are you still opposed to playing my wife?”
Grace shrugged and chose to ignore his question. “I’m going up to bed. I think I have a headache coming on.” She left without looking back at him. He called her name, but she pretended not to hear.
Grace sat on her bed looking out the window. Four cars lined the road and a black van was parked a hundred feet down from the driveway. Damn stalkers. She fumed over the lack of privacy solely because she was living with Stone Adams.
She had expected Stone to sneak in, but instead he made lots of noise before collapsing on his bed, the springs squeaking. Then his shoes thudded on the floor one at a time.
“They’re stalking the house,” she said without preamble. “There’s a black van waiting for us to do something outrageous so they can sell papers or get more viewers. Is this what your life is like every day?”
“Sometimes,” he said. “Sometimes they leave me alone, when I’m being good.”
“That doesn’t happen much, does it?” She peeked at him from the corner of her eye. He was lying back on the bed.
He moved suddenly, sitting up and moving toward her like a predatory cat. She jumped and slid back on the bed toward the corner. He grinned at her as he sat down. She groaned at his nearness. He’d caught her staring.
“I’ve done some crazy shit, but I’m not a bad guy.” He worked to make eye contact so she’d look at him when he spoke. “Usually the reporters don’t follow me around because I’m going to clubs or restaurants and they can get pictures there, but now that I’m married they stay near the house to see if I mow my own lawn or take out the trash. It’ll die down after a few weeks. Although, no pressure, but if my wife doesn’t show herself soon, it’ll become a feeding frenzy. They’ll want to know why she’s hiding out. They will follow all of us. You and me especially.”
“Why me?” She couldn’t keep the worried sound out of her voice.
“They have your picture now. They think you’re my elusive wife.” He put his hand on her knee.
The warmth of it seeped though her jeans and heated her blood like a branding iron. Her face grew hot and her pulse raced. Her gaze moved from his face to his hand and back again. She placed her smaller hand over his, tracing his bluish veins with her pointer finger.
Similar Books
