reaction because they were suddenly standing in front of her.
“Chantel.” John kissed Grayson’s date’s cheeks and held the woman at arm’s length. “You look wonderful. When did you get back in town?”
Shauna cringed.
Great. I can’t even keep my date by my side.
Chapter Seven
“Chantel, I’d like you to meet my date, Shauna Marino.” John stepped back and smiled at Shauna. “Chantel is Tom’s sister. He was one of my old frat brothers, and an all-around great guy. Chantel used to come up on weekends and visit her brother at the college, that’s how I met her. She models in New York now.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Shauna said.
Chantel’s perfect, over-white teeth gleamed. “It’s a delight to meet you too.”
Shauna caught Grayson watching her through narrowed eyes. She smiled, letting him know she wasn’t going to do anything to embarrass him. Oh sure, she wanted to ask if Chantel was his first date of the night, or if he paid her to come with him, but she wouldn’t. She was going to remain polite and aloof if it killed her.
“I love this song.” Chantel tugged on Grayson’s hand. “Let’s dance.”
He shook his head. “I never dance.”
Chantel’s lower lip came out, but Grayson shook his head. “John, why don’t you take Chantel out to the dance floor? I’m sure you guys would like to catch up on old times.”
John looked to Shauna, and she nodded. “Go on. I’ll be fine.”
Grayson watched his date swish off and then turned to Shauna. “What are you doing here with John? I gave you one ticket.” Grayson gazed out on the lawn where the others were dancing. “He’s not the kind of man you need. You’re high maintenance. You’ll have him cowering and running for the hills before the night’s over.”
“You don’t own me,” she whispered. “I’m free to date whoever I want. I want John.”
He scoffed. “Until you lose interest.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He’ll bore you,” Grayson said with a shrug, “and then you’ll be back to your old self.”
Shauna studied him, and ended up shaking her head. “I’ve changed.”
“No. You haven’t.”
Chantel returned to Grayson’s side and draped herself on his arm. “Darling? What’s put that frown on your face? This is a party. You’re supposed to enjoy yourself.”
He smiled and kissed her lips. “I am. How could I not with the most beautiful date here.”
Seconds ticked by, and Shauna smiled. “Have a good evening, Grayson … Chantel.”
Shauna stepped away from him and walked over to the fountain. She held her glass under the stream of champagne and stared across the lawn. How could he flaunt Chantel in front of her? Why did he have to be so stubborn? He wouldn’t even take time to get to know her again. They’d had something wonderful at one time. A friendship.
John slid his arm around her waist. “Would you like to dance?”
Would she? She blinked away the moisture in her vision and nodded. If she had to stand here and watch Grayson fawn all over his date, she was going to lose it in front of everyone.
She went into his arms and he pulled her closer, grinning. “This is nice.”
“Yes.” She laid her cheek on his chest and sighed, thankful for the slow dance. The hell with Grayson. She swore not to look at him again for the rest of the night.
“Are you having a good time?” John smoothed the hair down her back, lingering on her bare skin.
She nodded. “It’s lovely. Everyone is so beautiful, and the night is perfect.”
John swung her around, and then settled into the music. “I have to admit that when I saw Grayson, I thought you might regret coming here with me.”
She pulled back and gazed up into his face. He wasn’t smiling, and he appeared concerned. She inhaled a deep breath. Under normal circumstances, she would have become defensive. Everyone seemed to take a personal delight in teasing her about Grayson, but John was serious.
“Those feelings I
“Chantel.” John kissed Grayson’s date’s cheeks and held the woman at arm’s length. “You look wonderful. When did you get back in town?”
Shauna cringed.
Great. I can’t even keep my date by my side.
Chapter Seven
“Chantel, I’d like you to meet my date, Shauna Marino.” John stepped back and smiled at Shauna. “Chantel is Tom’s sister. He was one of my old frat brothers, and an all-around great guy. Chantel used to come up on weekends and visit her brother at the college, that’s how I met her. She models in New York now.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Shauna said.
Chantel’s perfect, over-white teeth gleamed. “It’s a delight to meet you too.”
Shauna caught Grayson watching her through narrowed eyes. She smiled, letting him know she wasn’t going to do anything to embarrass him. Oh sure, she wanted to ask if Chantel was his first date of the night, or if he paid her to come with him, but she wouldn’t. She was going to remain polite and aloof if it killed her.
“I love this song.” Chantel tugged on Grayson’s hand. “Let’s dance.”
He shook his head. “I never dance.”
Chantel’s lower lip came out, but Grayson shook his head. “John, why don’t you take Chantel out to the dance floor? I’m sure you guys would like to catch up on old times.”
John looked to Shauna, and she nodded. “Go on. I’ll be fine.”
Grayson watched his date swish off and then turned to Shauna. “What are you doing here with John? I gave you one ticket.” Grayson gazed out on the lawn where the others were dancing. “He’s not the kind of man you need. You’re high maintenance. You’ll have him cowering and running for the hills before the night’s over.”
“You don’t own me,” she whispered. “I’m free to date whoever I want. I want John.”
He scoffed. “Until you lose interest.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“He’ll bore you,” Grayson said with a shrug, “and then you’ll be back to your old self.”
Shauna studied him, and ended up shaking her head. “I’ve changed.”
“No. You haven’t.”
Chantel returned to Grayson’s side and draped herself on his arm. “Darling? What’s put that frown on your face? This is a party. You’re supposed to enjoy yourself.”
He smiled and kissed her lips. “I am. How could I not with the most beautiful date here.”
Seconds ticked by, and Shauna smiled. “Have a good evening, Grayson … Chantel.”
Shauna stepped away from him and walked over to the fountain. She held her glass under the stream of champagne and stared across the lawn. How could he flaunt Chantel in front of her? Why did he have to be so stubborn? He wouldn’t even take time to get to know her again. They’d had something wonderful at one time. A friendship.
John slid his arm around her waist. “Would you like to dance?”
Would she? She blinked away the moisture in her vision and nodded. If she had to stand here and watch Grayson fawn all over his date, she was going to lose it in front of everyone.
She went into his arms and he pulled her closer, grinning. “This is nice.”
“Yes.” She laid her cheek on his chest and sighed, thankful for the slow dance. The hell with Grayson. She swore not to look at him again for the rest of the night.
“Are you having a good time?” John smoothed the hair down her back, lingering on her bare skin.
She nodded. “It’s lovely. Everyone is so beautiful, and the night is perfect.”
John swung her around, and then settled into the music. “I have to admit that when I saw Grayson, I thought you might regret coming here with me.”
She pulled back and gazed up into his face. He wasn’t smiling, and he appeared concerned. She inhaled a deep breath. Under normal circumstances, she would have become defensive. Everyone seemed to take a personal delight in teasing her about Grayson, but John was serious.
“Those feelings I
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