All I Ever Wanted(28)

Oliver snorted. "If you weren't such a control freak, you'd let us do some of that stuff."

"Until we have the funds to hire someone, I run the foundation," Grady reminded them. "I'm in charge of publicity. I make the final decisions."

Jimmy finally stepped forward. "Look, being at one another's throats won't solve anything. Grady, slow your roll. You're coming unhinged."

Grady knew Jimmy was right, but he was suddenly at his boiling point. And Arabella was the main cause, so he turned on her. "You are going too fast," he accused again. "I think you're doing it just to get under my skin," he said, and then immediately wished he had phrased it differently. He wanted her under his skin, over his skin, and anywhere his skin could touch her skin.

"Wow." Arabella narrowed her eyes at him. "You can't be serious."


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"No, that's me. I can't be serious," Jesse said, but his joke failed to ease the tension crackling in the room.

"Why would I try to make you slip up? What would I have to gain?"

"Getting back at me," Grady stated flatly. For something he didn't do.

"Right, that makes perfect sense. You're out of your mind." She looked up at the ceiling and then at him but he wouldn't back down.

"So, do you deny it?"

"Wow. I won't dignify that with an answer."

"Cop-out," Grady said quietly, but still just loud enough for her to hear.

"You know, maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. No, I take that back. This was never a good idea."

"Really? Running away again?" Grady demanded, knowing he was adding fuel to the fire but unable to stop himself. "Try something new. The running shit is getting old." Years of being pissed at her for not trusting him, for not giving him a chance to explain his innocence, rushed into his head and came out of his mouth. And he knew the reason. Despite what she'd done, he couldn't get her out of his head long enough to think straight, and it wasn't only when he was dancing. Yesterday, he'd nearly run a red light. Twice. This morning he'd burned scrambled eggs while staring right at them in the skillet, setting off the ear-piercing smoke alarm. Orange juice had ended up in his coffee instead of creamer. The list went on and on, and that was just in the last couple of days. "Don't forget, you're under a ‘binding contract,' " he added with an edge of sarcasm. He did air quotes and then felt silly.

"Uh, not according to you," Arabella responded tartly. When she leaned forward, he could see a hint of cleavage that he tried unsuccessfully to ignore, inflaming his anger even more and making him forget the retort he had on the edge of his tongue, mostly because he could think of much better uses for his tongue. "Thank you for pointing that out."

Grady knew he was being unreasonable but couldn't help himself. He turned around, hoping for some sort of backup from his brothers, or at least hoping one of them could duct-tape his stupid mouth shut. But they were gone. "What the hell?" Grady glanced around, but they'd somehow vanished. "Where did they go?"

"I just watched them walk out the door, and I don't blame them!" Arabella raised her palms skyward, making her tank top hug her breasts. "I guess they've had enough of your whining." Fisting her hands, she made a crying gesture over her eyes. 

"I don't whine," Grady said in a voice that sounded a lot like a whine. The whole thing was becoming close to humorous, but he didn't want Arabella to see the crack in his armor, and so he kept the frown firmly in place. "Jesse is the whiner."

"So what do we do now that you've chased them away?" she asked with an accusatory tilt of her head. "Huh? The day is being wasted."

"I'd like to get wasted."

"Right, mature thoughts. But actually, though: What should we do?"

"I guess we go find them," Grady replied, then stomped over to the door.

"The whole stomping thing is super silly. Don't ever do that again."

Grady flicked an irritated glance her way and then tried to push the door open. It wouldn't budge. "No way!"

"What?"

"You're not going to believe it. They've locked us in."

"How can they do that from the outside?"

"A rake or something is wedged against the door. I don't know what they did, but it won't open."

"Seriously?" Arabella asked in a tone an octave lower than her normal voice. Grady somehow found that sexy. "Wow."