Authors: Anne Rainey
Tempting Grace (3 page)
Tempting Grace
before adding, “If you really care about her, you should know the accident left a lasting impression on Grace.”
Jackson squeezed the doorknob. “In what way? Emotionally?”
“Ask her that.”
He nodded and opened the door. As he made his way down the hall to his own office, an image of a beat-up nineteen-year-old Gracie sprang to mind, and it nearly made Jackson throw up. He didn’t like thinking of her as fragile. She was usually so tough and she handled herself so well around him it was easy to forget just how delicate she really was.
15
Chapter Two
Grace sauntered back into the office, feeling better than she had in weeks. She’d taken a two hour lunch. The first hour had been spent sucking down a latté and devouring a grilled chicken Caesar salad while she attempted to make future lunch plans with some of her old business contacts. She wasn’t convinced it would get her anywhere as far as a job offer, but it never hurt to try. The second hour she’d taken the time to go to her cousin Lacey’s gym and get in a workout. It didn’t quite take away all her frustrations, but it had helped.
Now as Grace moved through the office and spotted Candice, they both smiled a greeting. It still surprised Grace that Candice and Blade were married, much less soon-to-be parents of a baby boy. The marital bliss and pregnancies in the Vaughn family were enough to make a single woman envious.
As she approached her desk, Grace wrapped the strap of her purse around the back of the chair and sat. She tried to concentrate on the new software she’d been working on, but it wasn’t any use. All she saw was Jackson’s grin as she’d walked out of Merrick’s office. It’d been juvenile of her to take her problems to her cousin. She should have known the way Merrick would react. He was always much too protective of her. She could go into Jackson’s office and confront him, make him tell her what the two men had said after she’d left. Had Merrick fired him, punched him, or both?
“Stop frowning; your face will stick that way one of these days.” Grace looked up from the flat screen monitor to find Jackson grinning down at her, his hands in his pockets. God, the man was yummy. His close-cropped dark hair and chiseled cheekbones had always made her think of a tough guy from an action movie. His hard, muscular frame wasn’t anything to overlook either. For the first time she wondered if he’d ever been in the military. He seemed ex-something. SEAL.
Marine. Sniper. Dangerous and sexy, both of those words described Jackson Hill’s powerful physique and hypnotic silver eyes.
“So, no black eye. Am I to assume you two didn’t engage in a fist fight then?” He tsked. “We’re adults. We solve things like men, not prickly teenagers.” She let that one pass, though she had at least a dozen good comebacks on the tip of her tongue. “Still have a job?”
Jackson pulled his hands out of his pockets and braced himself against her desk. As he leaned down, she could smell his masculine scent, like the jungle, wild and untamed. “Hoping Merrick fired me?” Her cheeks burned at his words. “I shouldn’t have gone to Merrick. I’m sorry.”
Tempting Grace
Jackson reached out and touched her cheek. “That almost seemed sincere, Gracie.” She jerked backward, out of his reach, and growled, “Screw it, I’m not sorry.” Jackson’s grin disappeared. “Come into my office. I need to talk to you.”
“Jackson, this isn’t—”
He cut her off with a hand in the air. “I need a little privacy. Please?” Grace didn’t really have a choice at that point and she damn well knew it. Jackson was simply too adorable when he murmured please in that sexy baritone of his. She stood, but before she could follow him into his office, she asked, “Were you ever in the military?” His head cocked to the side. “Yeah, the Marines. I did a four-year enlistment right out of high school.
Why?”
She sighed. “Just curious.”
“Uh, okay.” He turned and started toward his office, Grace watched the way his ass moved beneath his black dress slacks. God, the man was delicious. A squeeze. Just one squeeze and she could live the rest of her life with a grin on her face.
As he closed the door to his office, panic welled up. Most men didn’t send her blood rushing through her veins, and she never felt panicky around them. With Jackson she was the helpless field mouse cornered by the hungry tom cat. Not a happy image.
Jackson moved around his desk and sat, indicating she should sit in one of the chairs across from him.
She sat and braced herself, unsure what this new mood of his was all about. He seemed pensive, and she wasn’t used to that. Jackson was usually flirtatious or ribbing her until she wanted to pull out her hair, or his. Those were moods she could handle. This serious side had her fidgeting in her seat.
“I want to know why you went to Merrick. Is it so horrible working for me?” Grace clutched the arm of the chair. He was asking for the truth. Since the moment she’d started at Merrick’s company, Jackson had never actually pushed her into dealing with their mutual attraction. He seemed content to let them dance around each other. Dodging him and suppressing her insane attraction to him had just become a thing of the past, though.
“It’s not so bad. You pissed me off and I reacted. I’m sorry.” He glanced down at his desk and frowned, then moved a few files around. As he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest, he said, “Yeah, that’s the part I’m fuzzy on, Gracie. What set you off? One minute I was talking to you like any other co-worker, just shooting the breeze, the next thing I know you’re growling and stomping off. What did I say?”
She would have to admit it now, or try to lie. She sucked at lying to Jackson. He always saw right through her, somehow. Another infuriating thing about the man. “You were talking about your night with Ginger,” she blurted.
“Ginger? What does she have to do with anything?”
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She rolled her eyes and stood. “You know, for an educated man, you can be so dense.” Grace started for the door, but she never managed more than a few feet before a pair of large, strong hands pulled her to a stop. She swung around and glared. “Let me go.”
“You were jealous,” he stated, as if she hadn’t already figured out that part on her own.
“Hallelujah! Give the man a cigar.”
“How do you think I felt when you threw Antonio in my face? And don’t say you didn’t mention him just to piss me off, because we both know the truth.” She’d gone out with Antonio, a cute guy from accounting, on the off chance she’d be able to forget about Jackson. It hadn’t worked. She’d spent the entire evening comparing the two men, and she’d found Antonio lacking big time.
“I wasn’t talking about Antonio like he was an all-you-can-eat buffet, though.” She watched a muscle in Jackson’s jaw twitch angrily. It made her want to lean in and lick him.
“Don’t piss me off by lying. I respect the women I date. I don’t expound on their
attributes
with friends and co-workers, and you know it. I mentioned going to dinner with her, that’s all. You damn near shot out of my office like a cat that’d just gotten her tail stepped on.” His imagery stung her pride. “That’s not true.”
He leaned close and murmured, “Stop lying, sweetheart. You were jealous, same as I was when you mentioned Antonio.”
She tugged her arm and got exactly nowhere. “Fine, I was jealous,” she admitted. “Can I go now?”
“No. We need to fix this. We can’t continue working together if you’re going to run to Merrick every time you feel cornered.”
She made a point of wiggling her arm. “Then stop cornering me.” He released her, and she stepped back. He stepped forward. Grace held her ground, though his nearness sent fire dancing through her veins and her pussy throbbed with need.
“You like it when I corner you,” he said as he looked her over. “You’re just too chicken to admit it.” Grace narrowed her eyes. “Take that back.”
He grinned. “Nope. It’s true. You’re too chicken to take what you want, and we both know it.”
“We work together. Getting involved is a bad idea.” Crap, even she knew that was a lame excuse.
He pointed to the door. “Exhibit A: Chloe and Merrick.” Damn, she hated when he was right. “That’s different. Merrick wasn’t a stalker.” He laughed. “And I am?”
“You may as well be.”
“How about you just prove you aren’t a chicken. Put me in my place, Gracie.” She knew exactly where this was leading. “I suppose if I go out with you, it’ll be proof. That’s so pathetic.”
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Tempting Grace
He shook his head, looking entirely too sure of himself. “Go to the Interop Convention with me.
Spend three days in Las Vegas by my side. Prove you can resist this chemistry arcing back and forth, and I’ll leave you alone.”
“You just want to get me drunk so you can take advantage of me. Perv.” Jackson stepped closer and touched the tip of her nose. It was completely platonic, nothing flirtatious in the touch at all, and yet he might as well have touched her breast, she was so turned on. “You know better than that. I would want you alert for what I have in mind.” He paused before adding, “What do you say? Can you handle three days in Vegas with me? Or is it too much temptation for you?” She should have walked out.
Turn around and walk away, don’t let him suck you in
. The inner voice was ignored. Instead, she stepped forward, barely grazing his hard body with the tips of her breasts. Even through the material of their shirts, Grace felt her nipples harden as if begging for more. Jackson tensed.
His gaze narrowed. The atmosphere around them seemed to fairly spark.
Grace lifted on her toes and whispered, “Bring it on.” Jackson licked his lips and cupped her chin in his palm. “You’re going to push me too far one of these days, little girl.”
Grace didn’t speak. She couldn’t if she’d wanted to. She just stood there, their bodies barely touching, Jackson staring at her gaping mouth. When he released her and stepped back, she nearly wilted. Had she wanted him to kiss her? Duh! Even the thought sent her temperature higher.
Three days. Three whole days of Jackson Hill in Sin City. Yep, it was official. She’d lost her mind.
***
Jackson watched Grace’s quiet exit, her cute ass capturing his attention. The black slacks she wore fit just right, displaying her ass like the work of art it was. He didn’t let himself smile until she’d pulled the door closed. He mentally started rearranging meetings. The convention was next week, and he had plenty to deal with between now and then. Thankfully he’d planned ahead and asked Candice to register him and Grace for the convention weeks ago. Candice had reserved two rooms and she’d also taken care of the flight details. The itinerary for the event sat on his desk for all to see. He’d been worried there for a minute, thinking Grace had spotted it. He’d covered it just in time.
Three days of Grace Vaughn. With any luck at all, they’d spend the entire time in bed, screw the convention. He imagined her naked, that sassy mouth wrapped around his cock as he licked her juicy pussy. Then Merrick’s words sprang to mind, and once more he saw a broken and bleeding Grace, barely clinging to life.
Why hadn’t she ever told him about it? Dumb question. They’d both been too busy verbally sparring, and Grace was particularly adept at keeping him at a distance. She guarded her emotions around him. He’d never been able to breech her defenses. A few times he’d come close, though. Once, when they’d gone to
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lunch together after Grace had lost a bet, he’d nearly gotten a kiss from her. He’d taken her to a Chinese restaurant and he’d actually managed to get her to relax, even laugh. She’d been a breath away from kissing him that day. He’d been so shocked she’d let her guard down, he’d ended up blowing it. She hadn’t let him take her to lunch again.
He’d been drawn to Grace since the day he’d accidently hit her in the face with a basketball. Her spunky attitude and quick wit had sucked him in. Each time they came into contact, she pushed him to the very limits of control without even trying. She could pull emotions out of him he hadn’t known he possessed. One minute she’d have him laughing over her particular brand of sarcasm, the next he was ready to take her to bed. Jackson couldn’t help but wonder if it was his age that caused her to hold back. Did the gap bother her? He couldn’t be sure, but he knew one thing for certain, Grace wasn’t at all superficial.
There were depths to the woman that he desperately wanted to explore. He had a feeling it’d take a lifetime to learn all of her secrets.
While some women filled their lives with meaningless bullshit like manicured fingernails and expensive clothes, Grace concerned herself with work and family. She had an understated beauty and a straightforward attitude that he admired. She wore very little make-up and simple clothes. From what he could tell, she rarely dated, which pleased the hell out of him. When she’d gone out with Antonio, Jackson had wanted to pound the little weasel for encroaching on his territory, but reality had set in and he’d known the truth. He had no right to Grace. She could date whomever she wanted. He only hoped that soon that person would be him.
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Chapter Three
Grace read the same sentence three times before she finally gave up and put the book down. Her heart just wasn’t in it. The only thing on her mind was how much trouble her big mouth had gotten her into this time. Las Vegas. Three days alone with Jackson. Could she be any denser? What had possessed her to agree? He’d challenged her, and she never could resist a challenge. He’d known exactly what she’d do when he’d called her chicken.
After she’d agreed to go to the convention, she’d gone back to her desk and finished out her day thinking of ways to wiggle out of the agreement. She’d come up with zero ideas, mostly because to back out would prove she couldn’t handle being alone with Jackson. He’d win. She was much too competitive to lose. That left her staring at her muted television at seven o’clock at night, when she should be enjoying her new haul of romance novels. She picked up the book she’d been dying to read and tried to push Jackson out of her head. She managed three pages before her doorbell rang. “A distraction, thank God.” Grace stepped over the black heels she’d kicked off earlier, then rose on her toes to peek through the eyehole on her apartment door.
Jackson?
She flung the door wide and said, “What are you doing here?” His lips quirked. “Nice to see you too, Gracie.”
