“You have nine days, and no promises. My friend Meg called just before I got here. She passed my résumé on to her new boss in Baltimore. They’re interested. If the opportunity is there, I’m going to take it.”
He gave a stiff, hard nod. “Fine. Nine days.”
“And if it doesn’t work out, I don’t want to lose your friendship. Promise me that, Justin.”
“All I can promise is that I’ll do my best to honor your request,” he said softly. “But if you break my heart? It might be a while before I’m up for sitting down to chat over coffee.”
If you break my heart. Her stomach plummeted, achieving terminal velocity in record time considering she was five-nine. She didn’t want to hurt him, had never in a million years considered she might be in a position where she could. How quickly things changed. The one constant was that she wanted him. Badly. And this might be her only chance to have him. Holding on to that thread of impulsiveness that was fast fading, she looked up and nodded. “I understand.”
“So you’ll give me nine days to...” He trailed off, clearly waiting for her to finish the sentence.
Her hand went to her throat, gently massaging the tightness that threatened to strangle her. How to finish that sentence? Too many options, but only one real answer. If nothing else, Grace wanted a piece of happy. She wanted moments to look back on that colored the start of her life in brilliant swaths, not the dismal grays and blacks of the life she’d been born into.
Her gaze locked on his. “I’ll give you nine days to convince me that giving this thing a shot is worth the risk.”
And that was it, right there. The risk. So many things could go wrong, so much could happen that would make this thing between them pull a Hindenburg and go up in spectacular flames.
She wouldn’t think about that last, though. As long as she maintained her sanity while Justin—she swallowed hard—pursued her, she’d be able to ensure nobody got hurt in the end. And it would end.
Still, the idea of him pursuing her was so ludicrous after the past three years that she couldn’t help but smile.
“What?” he asked, automatically smiling in return.
“Did you ever think we’d find ourselves here?”
“Here?”
“You know.” She waggled a hand between them. “Here. With you trying to get me to give this a shot?”
“No, but I’m damn glad we’re standing where we are.”
“Why?”
“Because I’ve stared at you for years, Grace. I’ve been hungry for the sound of your laugh. It makes me feel a hundred feet tall. Invincible, even. Because I’ve wanted to know what you think about in the middle of night when you can’t sleep.” He stepped toward her and slid a hand around her waist, encouraging her to step in to his body. “Because I love the way you fit in my arms.” He lowered his lips to brush over hers as he spoke. “Because I love the way your lips feel against mine.”
He traced the seam of her lips with his tongue until she opened to him. Then he kissed her. Thoroughly. Breaking away, he ran his free hand through her hair and gripped her head, forcing her to continue to look at him. “Because I love the way you taste.”
“That’s a lot of—” she nearly choked “—love.”