Holiday with the Best Man by Kate Hardy Page B

this was crazy and she ought to be measured and sensible about this, the way she always was, a stronger part of her couldn’t resist the challenge. And maybe taking a leaf out of Bella’s book—living life to the full, instead of being sensible all the time and holding back—would be good for her.
    Two weeks. No strings.
    Time to take the leap.
    â€˜Yes.’

CHAPTER FOUR
    T HE MIDDLE OF the next morning, Roland texted Grace.
    Do you have a posh cocktail dress?
    She thought about it. Was he planning to take her to a cocktail bar or something? Given that Roland was six-foot-two, she could actually wear her one pair of high heels without being taller than he was and making him feel embarrassed. She could team them with a little black dress, and maybe put her hair up.
    Yes. Why?
    Taking you out for dinner tonight. Need you to be ready for seven. Does that fit in OK for work?
    Which meant she had absolutely no idea where they were going; all she knew was that the dress code meant posh. It could be anything from a private dinner party in a castle somewhere—given that Roland’s family owned chateaux in France and he mixed in very different circles from her own—to dinner at Claridge’s. Was this what it felt like to be swept off your feet, not having a clue about what was happening? Grace was used to being organised and in charge, and right now she felt a bit out of her depth. But she brazened it out.
    Sure, can be ready.
    Good. Any allergies or things you can’t bear to eat?
    No to both.
    Excellent. See you at seven.
    Where are we going? she texted, though she had a feeling that he wouldn’t tell her.
    Out ,was the reply that she’d half expected, leaving her none the wiser.
    Roland wasn’t at the house when Grace went back to Docklands after work. But he’d asked her to be ready for seven, so she showered, changed and did her hair to make sure she’d be ready. As she started applying her make-up, a wave of nervousness swept through her. This was their ‘date’—and it had put her in a complete spin. She knew this wasn’t a real relationship, but Roland had promised to sweep her off her feet, and she’d promised to let him practise his dating skills.
    Did that mean he was going to kiss her again? And those feelings she’d had last night—would they get to the point of overwhelming her common sense? Would she end up making a fool of herself?
    She tried to put the thought from her mind and concentrated on getting ready. By the time she’d finished, it was ten to seven and Roland still hadn’t come back from work. Given that he’d asked her to be ready for seven, if he turned up in the next few seconds it wouldn’t leave him much time to get ready to go out. But surely if he’d been held up at work or in traffic he would’ve called her?
    Had she just made a huge mistake and agreed to a ridiculous deal with someone who would turn out to be as unreliable as her father? Someone charming who would let her down? That would mean she’d gone from one extreme to the other: from thinking of marrying a sensible man who didn’t make her heart beat faster, to dating one who’d break it without a second thought. That wasn’t what she wanted. At all.
    Maybe she should call the whole thing off and find herself somewhere else to stay until Bella’s flat had dried out.
    She was about to start looking up hotels when the doorbell rang. Even though it wasn’t strictly her place to answer the door, maybe it was a delivery or neighbour who needed something and she really ought to answer. When she opened the door, she saw Roland standing on the doorstep. He smiled and handed her a single red rose. ‘Hi.’
    â€˜Thank you,’ she said. Then she noticed the way he was dressed. He was wearing a formal dinner jacket, with a bow tie—and she was pretty sure that wasn’t what he’d normally wear to the