"I don't just want you to be my CFO, Grace. I want you to be my wife. So here I am, on the floor of my closet, asking you to marry me. Because I'm that sure about us. Because I love you this much. Will you marry me, Grace Yates?"
EIGHT
"Have you lost your fucking mind?"
Grace stormed out of the closet and began to search for her shoes again. Jack was fucking crazy! Marry him? After one night of sex? It was incredible sex, but still, who does that? She found her shoes in the bathroom and holding the wall for balance, she slid them on. Grace got a good look at herself in the long mirror over Jack's vanity. She looked confused. She looked afraid. She didn't look at all like herself in a wrinkled dress, flushed cheeks, and rumpled hair.
Grace felt like her entire orderly life was drifting on a stormy sea and she was just barely holding on from one wave to the next. Her carefully planned career made her miserable. Her relationship with a good man, the perfect devoted man, was over because she couldn't commit to more than sex. Her best friend was suddenly less than his usual supportive self. And the man who tormented her dreams had just proposed marriage . . . and she'd walked away. Why had she walked away? Because she was afraid he would remember that she wasn't enough for him. She was even more frightened by how difficult it was to walk away from that proposal. It was too soon. This behavior wasn't like her. None of this was like the Grace Yates she'd worked so hard to become.
Grace reentered the bedroom after girding her loins for a fight. Jack was going to push for what he wanted. The man didn't understand the word no when it came to his desires. Rightly so she supposed. Who had ever told him no? She had once upon a time. Matthew had as well. And where was Matthew now? Not with Jack. She doubted she would be for long either. No matter how badly she wanted to realize her dream of a life with Jack, Grace refused to rush into marriage. Damn it! They weren't even dating!
The sight that greeted Grace in the bedroom brought her up short. Jack was waiting for her, but he wasn't in battle mode. He sat on the end of his rumpled bed with his head hung and his forearms resting on his knees. She stopped in front of him and his head came up. His eyes were a deep, sad blue-green. He looked anxious, embarrassed even. Warm color spread over his cheekbones.
"I understand." He hung his head again. "I guess I was a little too . . .," he shook his head in self-recrimination, "confident in my ability to woo you. It was just that it felt so good to have you back in my arms. That crazy heat between us, our instant connection, it all made me think you'd want more than just sex." If possible, his head seemed to dip even lower. Grace didn't know how to react to this new unsure Jack. She was dumbfounded standing there staring at the top of his lovely head. His hair was rumpled from sleep and sex. His muscular shoulders looked unnatural slumped in defeat. He continued when she remained silent.
"I get it, though. You're here for the job. I'll keep my distance. I hope you won't let my rash behavior affect your decision to accept the partnership at Artifex."
Grace sighed deeply. What was she going to do with this impossible man? She sat on the carpet next to his legs and leaned back against the end of the bed. Jack shifted and looked away. He was really embarrassed. She shouldn't have reacted the way she did to his proposal. He'd just surprised her with the impulsive action and Grace blurted the first thing that came to her mind. She sighed again.
"I've been talking about wanting to be sure this is what you want, Jack. Why would you think this was just about sex?" she asked.
"I don't know," he shrugged. "Maybe you're trying to use our past as an excuse. That way you don't have to come right out and say you're not interested anymore. I mean, I hurt you in the past. I know that. I didn't want to hurt you but I did. It must be nice to see me squirm now."
Grace scowled at him. Did he think she was here for revenge? Like she would cross the country and spend her vacation working for free, just to have a chance to pay him back for crushing her heart into little jaded pieces that would never heal enough to love anyone else? She was insulted. And hurt by the accusation.
"Fuck you, Jack," she told him as calmly as she was able, and got to her feet. "I don't share my body with just anyone. I can't believe you would think me capable of going through all of this drama . . . just to hurt you." She was done with this argument. He could think anything he liked about her. She'd be on a plane in a couple of days. "I'll let Rachel know when I make a decision."
Jack watched her walk to the door. "Grace, wait." She paused to glare at him again. "I'm sorry, okay?" He took Grace's hand and pulled her into his arms. He looked truly repentant so she allowed it. "I'm sorry, baby. I don't really believe that shit. Not really." He kissed her forehead. "I want you in my life forever. I want you to be mine. I want to be yours and yours alone. I just want you to see how great we could be together and I don't know how else to show you. I know what I want. That's why I bought the ring. It was spontaneous. But when I saw it in that window I just knew it belonged to you." He squeezed her tight. "I hadn't planned on proposing so soon. I just . . . didn't know how else to prove my readiness to commit when you have so many objections. It would have been lovely and much less mortifying if you'd accepted."
"I can't accept yet, Jack. It's far too soon for me. While I appreciate your readiness, I must admit, I feel much better knowing you care enough to go to such lengths. But I need more time. We need to date. We need to get to know each other again."
"Of course, I know all of that logically. I'm a very logical man, Grace." He lifted her chin so he could look at her face. "It's entirely your fault." He smiled. She sputtered. He kissed the corner of her mouth. "You're the only person on this planet who can make me crazy. You're the only person alive who could make me forget myself and be impulsive like that, baby."
Grace caressed Jack's cheek. "You know I love you now, right? I never stopped."
Jack's smile was blinding. He suddenly lifted her and tossed her on the bed. Grace squealed and bounced on the mattress. Jack was over her before she could blink. The joy in his expression made her heart melt the rest of the way. She couldn't resist this man. But she would wait until she felt completely settled before she accepted his proposal.
"I love you, Grace. I'll wait for you to be ready. I'll wait as long as it takes." He moved in slowly to take her mouth in a burning kiss. There were no more thoughts of marriage or fear of the future. There was only Jack and the love they had for each other.
****
Grace checked out of the hotel later that day when Jack insisted she spend the remainder of her stay at his place. She only had a few days left and they wanted to spend that time together. Grace was finished reviewing the financials at Artifex but she realized she'd left the charger for her tablet in the office. Jack also wanted to inform Rachel that he was taking a few days off to spend with Grace. They stopped by the office when they left the hotel.
Jack opened her door and Grace climbed out. He took her hand and they crossed the parking lot like that. He was playing with that stunning ring that adorned the fourth finger of her left hand. Grace felt weird about wearing it when she hadn't agreed to marry Jack yet. But he'd asked her to put it on so he could see if it fit. Once it was on her finger the possessive and triumphant light in his eyes was unmistakable. He didn't want her to take it off. He asked Grace to wear it while she thought about the future. If she decided she couldn't be his wife -he scowled furiously at the idea- she could give it back to him. If she had it on then he knew she would think of him every time she looked down. Lord, the man could be a romantic. So she wore the ring to please him. Honestly, she hated the idea of taking it off herself.
Grace worried about what the employees of Artifex would think when they saw one of the owners and the woman in line for the CFO position walking hand in hand. Grace's character was sterling. Her reputation for being loyal, hardworking, and driven had been earned. But this wasn't New York. She wasn't at Stein and Watson. And these people didn't know her or the fact that she was qualified for the position she'd been offered. Grace didn't want the employees to believe she'd been handed the job because she was with Jack.
She also had concerns about accepting a business partnership from the man in her life. What if it didn't work out? What if it did? Mixing business with pleasure was a bad idea in most cases. She worried about what her personal relationship with Jack would mean for the professional dealings.