said.
“Yeah.” Grace lifted her eyes and took in the concern on her boss’s face.
“Are you okay? You look a little pale.”
“I…uh…” she coughed into her hand. “I think I’m coming down with a cold. I probably caught it from Nate.”
Nate leaned in to her, his breath warm on her neck. “I told you, I’m not sick.”
Grace coughed again.
“Why don’t you go grab a drink?” Audrey said.
She pushed from the table, thankful for the reprieve, and went to the bathroom. She turned the water on and glanced at herself in the mirror. When she caught the look on her face, it took her back to yesterday, when she had dinner with Nate’s family. She remembered the look on his face when she and Mason had joked and shared stories. As she thought about it, it occurred to her that the look on his face wasn’t all that different from the one on hers right now. She put her hand on her stomach and thought about how she felt, how the idea of Nate and Lexi together—intimately—twisted her up inside. Her mind raced, then came to a resounding halt.
Holy hell! Had Nate been jealous of her and Mason?
Could he want her every bit as much as she wanted him, or were his hot kisses melting her brains cells and simply filling her with wishful thoughts?
Chapter Eight
“Where are we going?” Grace asked, unable to settle her jitteriness when Nate came to her door to pick her up for their pretend Valentine date.
“To the rink,” he answered, looking past her shoulder and into her small living room. “You told me you wanted to skate, remember?”
“Oh,” she said, surprised by this sudden turn of events as she twisted around to see what he was looking at. They’d spent every night together, dancing at Grizzly’s, cooking meals together, watching movies, and meeting up with his buddies, Tyler Jackson and Jesse Parker, one an MMA fighter and the other a motocross racer who was here for spring break. During the week, Nate seemed to be going out of his way to keep her from the resort, now he looked like he couldn’t wait to get her there. She had no idea what he was really up to, but easygoing Nate seemed a little anxious tonight, too. She turned back to him. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, why?”
“You seem nervous about something.”
He scrubbed his hand over his chin and gestured toward her closet. “Everything is fine. Grab your skates.”
She paused, and while she loved to skate, she couldn’t help but think she should stay home and work. “Nate, my article is due tonight, and I don’t know what skating has to do with love.”
“You will.” He looked down, his brow furrowing. “At least, I hope you will,” he said more to himself than her.
She wanted to ask what he meant by that, but he seemed a little apprehensive, so she grabbed her skates instead. Nate took them from her and tossed them over his shoulders.
“It’s slippery out,” he explained. “I don’t want you to fall and stab yourself.” He winked and added, “That would put a crimp in tonight’s plans.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to do anything, you know, like bleed out, and ruin your night,” she said.
Nate laughed, and his mood seemed to lighten a bit. “Let’s go.”
They hopped into his truck, and he drove the short distance up the hill to Stone Cliff. He parked in front of the main lodge, then circled the truck to meet her. As they walked around the lodge, heading for the back courtyard to the man-made rink, he went eerily quiet, like he had something very serious on his mind.
She was about to ask him again if he was okay, but he stopped walking just before they rounded the corner. He grabbed her elbow and pulled her to him. Their bodies collided, and her breath caught as he dipped his head, his lips so close to hers.
“Gracie,” he said, his voice a bit hesitant, uncertain.
“Yeah.”
His gaze moved over her face.
“Yeah.” Grace lifted her eyes and took in the concern on her boss’s face.
“Are you okay? You look a little pale.”
“I…uh…” she coughed into her hand. “I think I’m coming down with a cold. I probably caught it from Nate.”
Nate leaned in to her, his breath warm on her neck. “I told you, I’m not sick.”
Grace coughed again.
“Why don’t you go grab a drink?” Audrey said.
She pushed from the table, thankful for the reprieve, and went to the bathroom. She turned the water on and glanced at herself in the mirror. When she caught the look on her face, it took her back to yesterday, when she had dinner with Nate’s family. She remembered the look on his face when she and Mason had joked and shared stories. As she thought about it, it occurred to her that the look on his face wasn’t all that different from the one on hers right now. She put her hand on her stomach and thought about how she felt, how the idea of Nate and Lexi together—intimately—twisted her up inside. Her mind raced, then came to a resounding halt.
Holy hell! Had Nate been jealous of her and Mason?
Could he want her every bit as much as she wanted him, or were his hot kisses melting her brains cells and simply filling her with wishful thoughts?
Chapter Eight
“Where are we going?” Grace asked, unable to settle her jitteriness when Nate came to her door to pick her up for their pretend Valentine date.
“To the rink,” he answered, looking past her shoulder and into her small living room. “You told me you wanted to skate, remember?”
“Oh,” she said, surprised by this sudden turn of events as she twisted around to see what he was looking at. They’d spent every night together, dancing at Grizzly’s, cooking meals together, watching movies, and meeting up with his buddies, Tyler Jackson and Jesse Parker, one an MMA fighter and the other a motocross racer who was here for spring break. During the week, Nate seemed to be going out of his way to keep her from the resort, now he looked like he couldn’t wait to get her there. She had no idea what he was really up to, but easygoing Nate seemed a little anxious tonight, too. She turned back to him. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, why?”
“You seem nervous about something.”
He scrubbed his hand over his chin and gestured toward her closet. “Everything is fine. Grab your skates.”
She paused, and while she loved to skate, she couldn’t help but think she should stay home and work. “Nate, my article is due tonight, and I don’t know what skating has to do with love.”
“You will.” He looked down, his brow furrowing. “At least, I hope you will,” he said more to himself than her.
She wanted to ask what he meant by that, but he seemed a little apprehensive, so she grabbed her skates instead. Nate took them from her and tossed them over his shoulders.
“It’s slippery out,” he explained. “I don’t want you to fall and stab yourself.” He winked and added, “That would put a crimp in tonight’s plans.”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to do anything, you know, like bleed out, and ruin your night,” she said.
Nate laughed, and his mood seemed to lighten a bit. “Let’s go.”
They hopped into his truck, and he drove the short distance up the hill to Stone Cliff. He parked in front of the main lodge, then circled the truck to meet her. As they walked around the lodge, heading for the back courtyard to the man-made rink, he went eerily quiet, like he had something very serious on his mind.
She was about to ask him again if he was okay, but he stopped walking just before they rounded the corner. He grabbed her elbow and pulled her to him. Their bodies collided, and her breath caught as he dipped his head, his lips so close to hers.
“Gracie,” he said, his voice a bit hesitant, uncertain.
“Yeah.”
His gaze moved over her face.
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