Whirlwind (SAI Book 2) (10 page)

Before he moved away, she held his arm. When he leaned down, she kissed him. It was meant to be only a quick one, but he deepened the kiss. Her stomach fluttered, and she leaned into the man who was making her crazy. Before she dropped the flowers and climbed up him, she heard Gladys and Agnes call out. That’s what you got for kissing in an open doorway. Pulling away, she leaned her head against his chest and dragged in a couple of deep breaths. So much for self-control.

“I got this,” he whispered in her ear. Looping his arm around her shoulder, he snuggled her close against his body. “Hi, ladies.”

They both watched the women approach with satisfied smiles. There was no way they were going to let this one go. Sara tried to come up with something and came up blank. Grady jumped in, and she couldn’t have been more grateful.

“We’re just about to leave. I’m taking Sara to CA, and then we’re going to lunch. Lots to do today.”

“Like smooching on your front porch?” Gladys asked.

“Yeah, something like that,” Grady responded.

Sara wasn’t ready to talk about it, because she didn’t understand it herself. How could she explain the turn of events if she wasn’t sure where it was going? Her emotions flipped from anger to desire with little effort on Grady’s part. He apologized, brought her flowers and kissed her and it was over. Just like that. Okay, that was a lot, but still…

Gladys must’ve sensed her discomfort. She took Agnes’s arm and stopped her. “We just wanted to stop by and see if we’re still on for tomorrow. We both need a touch-up because our color is starting to fade. We look like we were left in the sun too long.”

Sara handed Grady the flowers and stepped toward her friends. Gently she ran her hand over Gladys’s lavender curls and shook her head. “I think we need to see a hairdresser first. I want to make sure that we’re using the right product.”

Gladys touched her crisp hair and shrugged. “If you say so.” She patted Sara’s arm and then took Agnes by the arm. “Let’s leave them alone. Call me in the morning and we’ll schedule an appointment with a hairdresser.”

“Thank you,” Sara said quietly. “I’ll give you all the details as soon as I figure things out.”

Agnes squeezed her hand. “I have a box of condoms under my sink. If you need them, just call me and I’ll run them over. Remember, protection is important.” Leaning over, she studied Grady. “His ex-girlfriend was crazy, and we don’t want you to get anything.”

Coughing, she tried to smile. When she had a breath, she gave them a thumbs-up. After they both made it to the sidewalk, she turned around and tried to pretend that having her eighty-year-old neighbors offering her condoms was a regular thing.

When she stepped back onto her porch, she took the flowers out of Grady’s hand and walked into the house. He followed and closed the door behind him. “I’ll be ready to go in a minute.” Laying the flowers down on the counter, she turned and noticed his smile. “What?”

“Did Agnes offer to give you a box of condoms?”

“Yes…she did. They’ve adopted me because they were best friends with my grandmother for over forty years. They see me as their responsibility, and they want me to be safe. So if I need some condoms, I can give her a call and she’ll run them right over.”

She opened a cupboard and started to look for a vase. When Grady’s big hands clasped her waist, she squeaked. “You scared me. I didn’t hear you move.”

He lifted her up, wrapped her legs around his waist and carried her out of the kitchen. Their faces were close enough that he pressed several small kisses against her lips as he walked over to the couch. Sitting slowly, he held on tightly as they sank against the cushions. When they were settled, he held her against him and pressed their bodies together.

“What’s happening, Grady? What are we doing?”

“I don’t know. But I have to have you in my arms so my heart doesn’t explode. I’ve been on a freaking roller coaster since Monday. You opened your door and I was hit. I’m not sure what it is about you, but you have me spinning in circles. And if you knew me, you would understand how impossible that is.”

“Circles…really. That’s so sweet.” She tightened her hold and laid her head against his chest. Hearing his heartbeat thud against her ear allowed her to relax. “I’m sorry that I lost my temper this morning. I hate when someone tells me to calm down.”

“I got that. Don’t worry. It won’t happen again. Next time, I’ll suggest that you let go. Really let your feelings out.”

“I lost control of my life a little over a year ago, so it’s important for my sanity to have the illusion that I still have a choice about some things. So if you could ask me if I want something in the future, I would appreciate it.”

“I can be overbearing, and I’ll try to work on that. It scares the shit out of me to think that you’re in danger. I have to do whatever I think is necessary to keep you safe, so that I can breathe. Because if I don’t, I will fuc…I mean, lose my mind.”

She kissed his chest and leaned back. “How about we start over. I spoke with Sam this morning, so I know you probably know most of what’s going on. But I figure you may have some questions, and I’ll try to answer them.”

“You’re not mad that I went digging around?”

“I probably should be, but I have bigger fish to fry.” Before she lifted herself off, he tugged her in. “What?”

“Let me have a couple more kisses and then I’ll let you go.”

Wiggling on his lap, she felt his excitement and tried not to smile. “Maybe we should go to CA and wait on the kisses.”

“I know you can feel how much I like having you in my lap, and a couple more kisses is not going to change anything.”

“Really? Because it may change some things for me. I don’t know about you, but kissing you makes me warm in places that I forgot I had.”

“Are you telling me that if we make out, you may lose control?”

“It’s possible, Grady.”

“Hot damn, woman. We may have to call Agnes later on and have her run that box over.”

Laughing, she fell over. Before she could right herself, he toppled on her and held her face in his hands. There was such a look of tenderness in his eyes that it caused her heart to stutter. Never before had a man looked at her the way he did. Lust, heat, and kindness were a powerful combination. Leaning up, she pressed her mouth against his. And just like that…the world slipped away. To hell with reality. It was just going to have to wait a while.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Sunday

Grady strolled through the gate of Sara’s home with Dane, Kyle, and Lance. She hadn’t answered her phone or the front door, so he figured she was in the pool. As he rounded the corner, he spotted her in the water in her donut float. Her eyes were hidden behind her sunglasses and she was singing to herself. “Everyone turn around and don’t look.”

Dane laughed and pushed past him. “Not on your life. You made me come over here early, so I’m going to enjoy the view.”

“Not if I kill you first,” Grady responded. He hadn’t thought this whole thing through. There was no way that any of the guys needed to see Sara in her tiny red bikini. Taking a couple of large strides, he pushed Dane back and called out to Sara. “Good morning, Sunshine. I brought some company.” He must’ve startled her, because she sat up and almost fell out of her donut. “I brought the guys over to install the new security system.”

“What in the world?” She slipped her glasses off and stared at Grady with a less than friendly smile.

“Approach slowly and start groveling,” Lance instructed him. “This isn’t how women like to meet new people.”

“I tried to call you and let you know, but you didn’t answer your phone.” He heard Kyle whistle under his breath as Sara sat up in the float. He threw an elbow back and prayed like hell he inflicted some damage.

“Did you think of asking me first?” She scrambled out of her float and swam to the side of the pool. “You’ve wasted the time of these nice men. I have a perfectly adequate system in place.”

As she started to emerge from the pool, he barked, “Everyone turn around.” Every sexy curve Sara possessed was on full display. The little red scraps of nylon left nothing to the imagination. He grabbed a towel out of the basket and tried to wrap it around her. “Here, honey. Let’s get you covered up.”

She swatted him away and slid her hands onto her hips. “It’s a little too late for that.” She waved to the guys and smiled. “Good morning. I’m sorry you all came over for nothing. I can make some coffee and breakfast.”

Dane ambled over and leaned in for a hug. Grady’s large arm blocked him and he chuckled. “Sorry I couldn’t make it last Monday. I got caught up at work and didn’t get out in time.”

“Well, the ladies hope to see you this Monday. They like to look at your pretty face.”

“He’s probably going to be busy,” Grady responded. He tried to offer her a towel again, because clearly the breeze that had kicked up made her cold. None of his friends needed to see it, so he wrapped his arm and the towel around her and mean-mugged his friends.

When she finally took the towel and wrapped it around her body, he took a calming breath. “Honey, let me introduce you to my soon-to-be ex-friends, Lance and Kyle.”

Sara stepped forward, shook each man’s hand, and smiled. “Nice to meet you.”

Grady slipped his arm around her shoulder and tried to give her a kiss. When she ducked away, he knew she was pissed. “I just want to make sure that you’re secure. We’re going to install some things that are going to ensure your safety.”

“A call, Grady. That’s all it would’ve taken.”

“Yeah,” Dane agreed. “Women like to have a say in their lives. Even I know that.”

“Not helping,” Grady responded. “I did call you and there was no answer.”

“I’m going in and grabbing a shower, and then I’ll make some waffles.” She gave Grady one last disapproving glance and then walked into the house.

“Shit,” Grady said.

“Yep. That about sums it up,” Kyle added. “I’m going to start grabbing stuff from the truck. We can start on the outside.”

“Thanks, man,” Grady answered.

“You should go in and grovel,” Dane said. “By the looks of it, it’s going to take a lot, and you should get started as soon as you can.”

Without another word, Grady entered the house and called for Sara. He spotted her in the kitchen and stood still. If she was going to explode, he wanted to be ready. “I’m sorry.”

“When I lost control of my life, I didn’t know it was coming, so I had no way to prepare. The only thing that lets me hold on to my sanity is the illusion that I have some say about how I live my life.”

Taking slow steps, he approached. “I screwed up. I have all of these crazy overprotective feelings, and the only thing that I know how to do is make you as safe as I can.”

“Seven days. That’s all it’s been.”

“What do you mean?”

“You and I have been talking for seven days. I’ve been dealing with this for over a year.” Looking around, she lifted her arms. “I’ve somehow managed to survive without your help. I’m not an idiot.”

Taking a risk, he let his hand glide up her arm. “I won’t be able to breathe if I think that you’re in danger. Please let me protect you.”

Her head lifted, and she gazed into his eyes. “I avoided going into WITSEC because I didn’t want someone telling me what to do. I will disappear before I have to live my life by someone else’s rules.”

“Understood.”

“I appreciate your concern, but I’m fine. If things get really bad, Sammy will have me out of here within a couple of hours. No one will find me and I’ll be safe.”

“Give me a chance, Sara. I can keep you a lot safer than the FBI.” When her eyes grew large, he knew he had screwed up.

Pushing her finger into his chest, she made him step back. “All you had to do was ask.”

He grabbed her finger and placed it against his lips. Kissing it gently, he stared into her eyes. “I can’t help myself. Something about you has me all tied up.”

“I’m going to tie you up, all right.”

Pressing his lips together, he let out a small laugh. “You can do whatever you feel is necessary.”

“Are you picturing me naked?”

“Uh…well, yes. Yes, I am.”

“Thought so.”

Holding her close, he pressed a kiss against her cheek. “I’m not going to lie. I picture you naked a lot.”

“Unfortunately, I’ve been picturing you naked as well.”

When she wrapped her arms around his waist and held him tightly, he about lost his control. “So, you want me?”

“I’m a healthy twenty-eight-year-old woman. Of course I want you. I would have to be half-dead not to want you. Your picture is probably next to the definition of
sexy man
in the dictionary. I mean…look at you.”

“So, you’re mad at me but you still want me?”

“Yes. We’re a horrible idea. But that doesn’t seem to be stopping me.”

“Why is it a horrible idea? There is nothing about the two of us naked and sweaty together that is bad. In fact, it’s so right that it’s scary.”

“Which is my point.”