Chapter Nine

“Hey!” Charli complained. “You’re hurting my arm.”

Quick as lightning, her other hand snaked out and she clawed the back of his hand like a mad cat.

The scratch stung. With a curse, Grant dropped his hold. “You little…”

Charli raised her eyebrow.

Ten seconds. It only took ten seconds for her to drive him crazy. She was something else! He snapped his mouth shut then jerked his head towards the door. “I need to talk to you. In private.”

“With an invitation like that, what girl could refuse?” She batted her long lashes as if she was completely innocent and he’d simply asked her to take a walk after church on Sunday. She turned to lead the way from the bar but then stopped and turned back, her eyes wide and innocent. “But Doc, I thought you were here with your date? Did you lose her? Where’d she go?” Charli looked around.

Grant narrowed his eyes. “Outside.”

“Ahh, you don’t have to beg.”

Again, after a few steps, she stopped and turned to look back at him. “Don’t forget to watch my butt. You know how much you enjoy that.”

He couldn’t help but watch the sway of her hips as she sashayed in front of him. Her rounded backside tempted him to grab hold. He took a deep breath and pleaded for self control.

The muggy outside air hit him hard. He hadn’t realized how hot it was earlier. Of course, his rising internal temperature might be contributing to his discomfort.

The light from the parking lot caught the gold loops at her back. Grant’s eyes lingered a moment. It was a fragile chain and all it would take would be one rough tug and it would break right off.

Charli turned and hitched herself up onto the edge of the picnic table, the material of her top swaying with her body. For half-a-second, he fantasized about moving over her and laying her down, kissing her good and hard. She leaned her hands back behind her to rest flat on the table. Her pose thrusted her breasts high and added to his torment.

“Gee, Doc, last time I sat on a table with you I almost got lucky.” She grinned and swung her long legs.

“Don’t try and distract me, Trouble. I’ve got a mind to throw you over my knee and spank you—except you’d probably get off on it.”

Charli tossed her red mane back and smiled broader. “What’s the matter with that? Never done anything kinky before? No S&M? No role playing? Tell me, Doc.”

She sat up once again. In the soft light from the parking lot, he could see the dark fire in her gaze.

Her hands spread flat on his chest and slid slowly upwards. “Do you make love in the same position every time or do you like to experiment?”

Grant’s groin hardened painfully. He shook his head and took a solid step away from her and those seeking hands. His mind conjured up the dream vision of her standing over him on his bed yielding a whip. “I don’t know how we got started talking about your sexual preferences but…”

Charli frowned. “We weren’t talking about my sexual preferences. Do we really need to? I mean, frankly, the very idea of doing it with another woman just—”

Grant couldn’t stand it. He clamped his hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened.

“I meant sexual positions. Which we weren’t talking about anyway.”

Charli’s tongue licked across his palm. Fire soared through his body.

Grant cursed and yanked his hand back firmly. “I want to know what you said to my date to make her leave.”

Charli shrugged her shoulders. “I was just saying hey, you know, being friendly and all. It didn’t look like her type of place.” She wrinkled her nose and tipped her head to the side. “By the way, you look quite hot in this shirt and tie. Makes me want to strip you down until you’re just wearing the tie.” She reached out and yanked on the silk cloth.

Grant shifted and crossed his arms over his chest, trying to hide from her hungry look. “You said something to her and you know it. We can stand here all night, but you are going to tell me what you said.”

Sifting her hands through her hair, she lifted it up off her neck. Grant’s gaze shot to her breasts as they pointed upwards. “It’s so freaken hot out here. You know what I could go for?”

His gaze returned to her face.

She laughed. “Well, there is that, of course. But I really could go for a nice cold swim. Want to go skinny dipping when we get home?”

The way she said ‘home’ implied an intimacy he fought against for he was very tempted to scoop her up, and do exactly as she suggested—and then make hot love to her under the stars.

Grant opened his mouth to agree but caught himself and stepped away from her again. He shoved his hands in his pockets, wincing at the tightness of his fly. “You’re trying to distract me.”

“Is it working?” Her eyes twinkled.

“No. Now I want you to tell me what you and Abigail talked about.”

She sighed and picked at her long fingernail. They looked as if she’d dipped them in liquid gold the color matched her blouse perfectly. “We didn’t talk about anything in particular, just girl talk.”

Grant narrowed his eyes. “Trouble…”

When her eyes lifted to his this time, he was surprised to see hurt registered in them. He blinked, wondering what on earth she was thinking that put that expression on her face.

“I get so hot when you call me that. She’s not for you,” she said firmly.

“Says who? Abigail is everything I want in a woman.”

Charli’s chin came up and her eyes sparkled with the flashing blue-eyed gaze he was more familiar with. “I bet she’s so proper she’s got a lock on her—”

“Charli!” Grant warned.

She grinned and swung her feet again. “She’s not your type.”

“You don’t know what my type is.”

“Actually, I think it’s you who doesn’t know what your type is.” Charli’s gaze slid along his body as her tongue darted out to brush her lower lip.

He clenched his fists struggling hard against grabbing her by that flimsy blouse and hauling her into his arms. Through his clenched teeth, he choked out, “What did you say to her that made her leave?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He moved closer until she had to stretch her neck and looked up at him. “What did you tell her about me?”

“I may have mentioned that we were a little involved.”

“You lied to her?”

She gestured with her thumb and finger. “Just a little lie.”

“A lie is a lie. Big or little it’s still a lie.”

“Are you trying to say that size doesn’t matter?” she quipped.

His jaw clenched with his efforts to maintain control. Grant drew a deep breath and let it out again. “You know, someday you’re going to push me so far that I’m not going to be responsible for what I do.”

One elegant eyebrow lifted. Her gaze was hot and hungry as she stared back at him. “Give it your best shot, Doc.”

“Trouble…”

“There’s nothing you can dish out that I can’t take and give right back and make you enjoy every second.” Her voice was low and sexy as hell.

Grant tried in vain to hold onto his anger. But gazing into those incredible eyes and that sassy sinful mouth was more than he could handle. “I was right about you from the very beginning. You are Trouble to the core.”

Sliding her hands up his chest to link around his neck, Charli pulled his head towards her. “Obviously, you like trouble, or you wouldn’t keep chasing me.”

Grant tossed his head back and laughed. His hands spanned her waist before slipping down to cup her leather encased hips. The chain on her blouse teased the backs of his fingers and he stroked it. If he tugged, it would release the silk material that flowed down the front of her. He curled his fingers into her bare back. “I’m chasing you now, is that it?”

“Hmm. I’m glad you finally see things the way I do.” She tipped her head for his kiss.

Grant cupped her firm buttocks in his hands and squeezed them. “What poor cow died for you to get these pants?”

Charli’s hand threaded into his hair, pulled his head towards hers and whispered. “I didn’t get her name.”

“She died for a worthy cause,” he muttered as his lips slid over hers and instantly felt the delicious, intense sparks that she always caused with her kiss.

Pulling her up tight against his aching erection, Grant groaned. He wanted her here and now, right under the open sky. Charli arched closer, kissing him greedily. His mind raced. Should they leave? At some point in the last five minutes, he’d thrown in the towel. Charli wanted him. He was a fool to turn her down. The game was over and he’d lost—or won, he wasn’t quite sure which. Still, he pulled her arms from around his neck and stepped back. Just because she’d caught him didn’t mean he had to let her know that right away. “You chased off my date. I wanted to dance and help out with the charity event tonight.”

Charli frowned. “You want to dance?” She laughed and patted his chest with her open palm. “Okay, Doc, whatever turns you on.”

Grant’s heart skidded to a stop. As Charli turned to walk away he grabbed her hand and spun her back into his arms. “You turn me on,” he admitted huskily and took her mouth in a fast, hot kiss ending it before she could respond. With her laughter behind him, he led the way back into the bar, her hand held tight in his.

Within a short time, what seemed like the right thing to do, return to the bar and dance, became pure torture. Holding Charli in his arms, her breasts pressed against his chest and her unique scent filling his nostrils, drove him almost over the edge of insane. What was it about her, besides the obvious, that made him this hungry, this consumed with lust? It wasn’t as if he hadn’t been with beautiful women before; in college they’d been everywhere and he’d never lacked for female companionship. But Charli was different. She had a smart mouth and a quick wit. She was warm and loyal to her friends and a chameleon for anyone else.

As his mind sought an explanation, Charli stepped back and Grant realized the music had ended. Her gaze when she lifted it to his was soft without the usual teasing. “I’ll be right back.”

She walked towards the ladies room and he headed to the bar. Buck slapped him on the back as he reached his side.

“Hey, what’s going on with you and Red? You disappeared outside and now you’ve been heating up that dance floor.” The large cowboy picked up his fresh beer and took a swig.

To avoid answering, Grant picked up the beer the bartender had just set in front of him. He shrugged. “Nothing’s going on. We’re dancing, having a good time that’s all.” He looked around. “Where’s Sara?”

Buck’s mouth twisted. “Bathroom. She’s not feeling good, but you know my wife can’t admit any type of weakness.”

“There’s gotta be some way for you to get her to go home early.”

The other man shook his head. “Sometimes she borders on the ridiculous.”

“Tell her you’re sick, she’d probably go home quick if she thought you needed to.”

Buck seemed to consider it. “Might work, but I sure can’t pretend to be sick for the next nine months.”

****

Sara splashed water on her face and looked up as Charli stepped out of the stall. As their eyes met in the large mirror, she frowned at her friend. “I feel like crap.”

“That’s good because if you look like that and don’t feel like crap then that would be bad.” Charli washed her hands and twisted her head to stare at the other woman. “Go home, you fool. What are you trying to prove?”

Sara leaned against the sink and folded her arms over her stomach. “Nothing. I just don’t want to ruin Buck’s night out.”

Charli pulled the paper towel out of the rack on the wall and dried her hands. “Buck has a good time as long as he’s with you. The baby’s with Flo, so go home, get into bed with that hunky husband of yours and let him hold you.”

Sara twisted her lips. “Getting into bed with Buck is what caused all this to begin with.”

Charli rolled her eyes. “Yeah, like you’re really complaining.”

“I notice you’ve convinced Grant to your way of thinking. I wondered if you two had left, you were outside so long.”

Charli smiled. We were discussing his taste in women.”

Sara’s eyebrow rose. “Oh really? And did you convince him that his taste is you, not Abigail?”

Charli stepped towards the door. “I’ll ask him tomorrow morning. Come on, I’m telling Buck to take you home whether you like it or not.”

Sara began to protest, but Charli was already out the door and moving across the room.

It was amusing that Grant somehow thought he was calling the shots by insisting they dance another hour or so. Was he a control freak? Did he think he needed to be the one to make the decision to take things to the next level? Was that what this was about? Charli glanced at him as he drank only his third beer of the night. Teddy called last set from the stage and she pushed away from the bar.

“Should we dance one more?” she asked.

He turned on his stool. His gaze skidded across her face, down her body and back up again. He shook his head. “I’m ready to leave. How about you?”

“Good night, Bill.”

Charli watched as Grant set several bills on the bar and waved to the bartender. His hand at the small of her back was nice and she enjoyed walking out of LoneStar with him as they said their goodbye’s to folks. Teddy waved from the stage. She was grateful he was in the middle of a song and didn’t make some wisecrack about the two of them leaving together.

They walked in silence, Grant’s hand holding hers tight as they crossed the parking lot. Once they reached Cord’s truck, she turned towards him. Before she could say anything though, he pulled her into his arms and backed her up against the side of the pickup. Charli sighed and reached up, linking her arms around his neck and pressing closer. His kiss was molten lava, hot and needy, sending shivers all through her.

It was more than obvious he’d been controlling himself inside. She thrilled to it and responded in kind, giving him back every bit of passion he was giving her. Her fingers tore into his hair, holding him as his hands roamed down to cup her rear end and pull her up hard against him.

“I’m done trying to outdrink you, outsmart you, and outrun you.” He stepped back and held his hands out, palms up. “I’m surrendering.”

Charli laughed. “It’s about time, Doc. And trust me, this time when I’m in your bed, it’s going to be a lot more exciting than last time.”

****

Waiting in Grant’s small living room while he got them a drink, Charli couldn’t believe the butterflies taking flight in her stomach. She placed a hand over her middle to shake off the nervousness. A bookcase in the far corner of the room caught her eye and she moved towards it. She smiled at the picture of him and Beth on their graduation day. The other framed photo was of an older woman and two younger ones with two little girls. Had to be his mother and sisters and his nieces. Poor guy—an entire family of women. Except for his father of course, but she noticed there were no pictures of the senior Clark anywhere. Something drew her gaze back to the photo of him and Beth and she picked it up off the shelf.

There was something in the look on his face when the photographer caught the moment. The way his hand rested on her waist. Adoration shown on his face.

Charli’s breath caught as the realization hit. Grant was in love with Beth! Or had been the day this picture was taken. It was all over his face, almost pathetic. Did Beth know? She didn’t think so. Maybe it was only evident to her because she was on the outside looking in.

Her mind raced. Grant had been completely against Beth and Tyler’s reunion last year. Had he hoped that with Tyler gone, eventually Beth would turn to him? A cold knot formed in her stomach. Beth was everything Grant could ever want or need in a wife. The fact they were already business partners was an added bonus. Dr. and Dr. Grant Clark—what would have looked better on the front door?

Her mind raced back to the wedding. Had Grant given any indication he wasn’t happy for them? She didn’t think so, but he had drunk a bit. Then again, so had she so she couldn’t hold that against him. Actually, she’d been too busy trying to get a rise out of him to notice if he was anything other than supportive of the couple.

She turned as Grant walked back into the room with two glasses. “It’s not whiskey. And I only had one beer left in the refrigerator.”

Charli took the glass and set the picture down. She sipped her beer and tried to find a way to bring up her suspicions. “Your sisters look like you.”

Grant glanced at the picture and she watched his eyes crinkle at the corners as he smiled gently. “Hmm, not sure if that’s good or bad. The little girls are my nieces, Emma and Hannah.”

He put his hand on her shoulder then trailed his fingers down her arm until they linked with hers. He led her to the small sitting area and set his drink down on the end table before pulling her down to the couch next to him. Charli had kicked her heels off when she walked in the door and now tucked her bare feet under her. His hand slid across her bare shoulder sending warmth spreading through her. His fingers lightly traced a pattern on her skin. Shifting from his touch, she set her drink on the table in front of them.

She needed to get to the bottom of this thing with him and Beth and find out exactly how he felt before this evening progressed any further.

“And they both live in Oklahoma on your folks’ ranch right?”

Grant leaned towards her and brushed his lips across her shoulder. “Yep.”

His lips danced on her skin and moved slowly towards her neck making her pulse race. She shifted away again. “How old are your nieces?”

Grant’s hand reached out and cupped her chin, caressing her jaw as he searched her eyes. “Emma’s four and Hannah’s six.”

“Are you in love with Beth?” she blurted.

Grant’s brow furrowed. “Where did that come from? Of course I’m not in love with Beth. Why would you ask me that?”

“The picture of the two of you over there. It’s written all over your face. You’re in love with her.”

Grant stood up and paced away from the couch. Charli quirked her eyebrow. She’d obviously struck a nerve, because he couldn’t appear more uncomfortable.

He let his breath out. “Look, I thought we were here to finally do what you’ve been after me to do since we met. Now you want to talk about my feelings towards another woman?”

Charli sucked in her breath and stood up, trying to erect a wall of defense around her emotions. “I think you’re in love with my friend’s wife and you’re not denying it. I don’t see why you can’t understand that this could be a deal breaker for me.”

“Beth married Tyler. What I feel or don’t feel makes no difference.”

“It does to me. Especially when I put two and two together and it comes out to equal the real reason you didn’t want them back together. Not because you thought Tyler would hurt her, but because you wanted her for yourself.”

“I’ve never pretended that I didn’t want Tyler back here. Beth was better off without him, but she loves him and they’ve worked it out and I wish them the best.” His eyes narrowed as he regarded her. His lip curled in disgust. “Who are you to point fingers anyway? I notice the one timeframe that’s never mentioned is when Tyler lived on your father’s ranch for almost two years and this”—he made quote marks with his fingers in the air—“friendship you share seems a bit close to me.”

Charli’s jaw dropped. No one had ever hinted there was something between her and Tyler. “I’ve never been attracted to Tyler.”

“There’s actually a man who walks who you aren’t attracted to?”

His words hit her like a punch in the stomach. She charged towards the door. “I’m out of here.”

He was behind her before she could twist the doorknob open. One of his hands covered hers and the other slammed against the door, trapping her within his arms.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know why I said that. I didn’t mean it.” His voice was soft at her ear and even as angry as she was, it sent tingles up her spine.

She didn’t turn. Drawing a deep breath, she dropped her head, trying to decided what to do. A smart girl would walk, no doubt about it. Charli fought against her emotions. What the hell was it about this guy that made her continue to put herself through this?

“Please, stay. We’ll just talk if that’s all you want, but stay and finish your drink.”

She flipped her hair. “You’ll tell me the truth about how you feel about Beth?”

He dropped his hand from the door. “Yes.”

Charli moved back to the couch and sat on the edge. She waited, not knowing if she was going to like what she was going to hear. Her nerves were pulled taut. She should just leave, end things now before they went any further.

Grant paced in front of her, shook his head and then faced her. “From the first day I saw her at college, I adored Beth. By the way she talked about Tyler though, I knew we’d only be friends. And that was fine with me. It was better than nothing.”

“Did you meet Tyler? Didn’t he visit Beth in college?”

He nodded. “Yep. But when he was around, he and Beth were pretty scarce. We never so much as shared a beer.” He shrugged. “Anyway, when we both decided to transfer to Cornell and finish our residency there, he wasn’t happy about it. I know they had a few arguments, but they worked it out. So, for the most part, nothing much had changed.”

Charli picked up the beer she’d abandoned earlier and took a long drink, trying to picture the two of them at college, Beth away from Tyler and home hanging out with Grant.

“Sometime during the last year at Cornell, she began to talk to me about their plans for not settling down back here. She’d always been so excited at the prospect before, but I could tell she didn’t want that at all.” He looked over at the picture across the room as if remembering back then.

“By then, Doc Pritchard had offered her the practice and she wanted it bad. Who wouldn’t? But she knew Tyler would never put up with that.” He picked up his beer and took a long swallow. “Then for some reason, he stopped fighting her on it and seemed to go along with her plans. She was happy, but I always suspected he was up to something.” Grant snorted. “He left her without even saying goodbye. How can anyone expect me to respect the guy after that?” His face hardened. “If you could only have seen her then, she was a train wreck. She barely survived it. I know that sounds dramatic, but she got so incredibly thin and so sick. Nothing snapped her out of it.” He pointed at his chest with his thumb. “I’m the one who pushed her and forced her to get her act together. I’m the one who held her up and kept her going. I worked night and day to get this practice going, not for me, but because I knew she had to have this. She needed it to survive.”

Charli sat up straighter, unconsciously putting up a stronger guard as he went on. The strength of his emotions were coming through and a sense of unease swept up her spine. Why did she demand that he tell her how he felt? Why couldn’t she have just left and not dived into places she really had no business going?

Grant raked his hand through his hair. “I hated Tyler. I would have pounded him into the ground if he showed his face around here back then. Everyone else said it would work out. They forgave him! He destroyed Beth and almost ruined her, and they kept saying he loved her and that he’d be back.” He shook his head. “I ignored them and kept pushing her forward.”

“Finally, almost a year later, when it became clearer that he wasn’t coming back, she finally started to snap out of it. When she started dating Cole Pritchard, I encouraged her. Cole was exactly the type of guy she needed. I’d already realized she and I would never be more than what we were and just wanted her happy. Cole made her happy again. So when Tyler shows up almost two years later, was I supposed to just step back and let her get hurt all over again? Not a chance. Hell yeah, I tried to talk sense into her and yes, I firmly believed she was better off without him.”

Grant’s eyes met hers and softened. “But they love each other and I guess love means you can forgive someone almost anything. I’ve gotten to know Tyler better and, while we’ll certainly never be buddies, I accept that he and Beth are married and that’s that.”

Charli nodded. She hadn’t been here, and could only imagine how Beth had felt when she came home expecting to find her fiancé and instead found a goodbye note. She’d been on Tyler’s side for so long, it was hard sometimes for her to see how bad Beth must have had it.

Grant sat down on the couch next to her and Charli didn’t move. He linked his hands together and dangled them between his legs. “You asked me if I was in love with her.” He turned his head and stared into her eyes “On the day of her wedding I was completely and totally captivated.”

Ice clamped around Charli’s heart. That’s what she thought. He’s still so in love with the other woman he can’t see anyone else.

He slipped his hand to her knee. “Captivated by a tall, sassy redhead who made my senses reel. I felt like I had been struck by a bolt of lightning and couldn’t run from it fast enough, even as it fascinated me. That’s never happened to me before. You’ve never happened to me before. I was blown away by you.”

Warmth spread through Charli’s veins, seeping into her heart and opening it up for him to slip inside. Her eyes searched his and found what she was seeking.

She smiled. “You were not, you were annoyed. You couldn’t stand me,” she teased.

He shook his head and took her hand, bringing it to his mouth. “Just the opposite, I was hooked. When we danced the last dance, something strange passed between us. Something that’s never hit me before. I felt as if we’d danced together our entire life.”

She drew her bottom lip into her mouth. She wanted to reach out to him but his words had her transfixed and she waited to hear what he’d say next.

“I wanted to take you home, put you in my bed and never let you go.”

A delightful shiver went through her and she leaned towards him. In a soft, breathy voice, she whispered. “Why didn’t you?”

He lifted his hand and sifted his fingers through her long hair, lifting it to his lips and kissing the thick strands. He moved closer, his mouth hovering over hers. “Because I was an idiot.”

Charli felt as breathless as a schoolgirl waiting for her first kiss. When his lips finally pressed to hers, she closed her eyes. Her head spun. She leaned back against the couch cushions and he followed her down, kissing her greedily, greeting her tongue with his own. As her arms wound up and around his neck, his hands ran along her waist to caress the bare skin beneath her blouse.

Grant cupped her breasts and Charli arched up towards him. He bent and kissed one breast and then the other through the gold material and she curled her fingers into his thick blond hair.

He lifted his head to stare into her eyes. “Stay with me tonight.”

Charli’s pulse raced, her body ached for him. She’d been wanting this, wanting him for weeks. “No interruptions this time, no worried housekeepers, no baby monitors going off?”

“Baby, the only thing that’s going to go off tonight will be the two of us together.”

His statement was a promise she couldn’t resist. He moved off her and held his hand out in invitation. She linked her fingers with his and let him lead her to the staircase. Grant stepped back to let her go first. His hands cupped her hips.

Looking back over her shoulder, she quirked her eyebrow. “You do have a thing for my butt, don’t you?”

His hands crept downward to cup her backside and pull her back against him. His lips kissed the sensitive area beneath her ear. “I have a thing for every inch of you, Trouble.”

She smiled and hurried up the stairs. Stepping into the master bedroom, her bare feet sank into the thick carpet. The large picture window that took up one entire end of the room was exposed, the drapes pulled back. Overhead was more glass as the ceiling held an oversized skylight. The stars within sparkled.

“This bedroom is amazing. I love the glass.”

Grant didn’t turn on a light. The moon shining through the window was enough to illuminate the large bed that took center stage. Charli crossed the room to the glass wall and placed her palms against it. She couldn’t see out very well, but could imagine the view in the morning would be of cattle grazing in the fields. For this moment though, it felt as if she were suspended in the air, the stars surrounding her.

Grant stepped close behind and she closed her eyes as he cupped her shoulders, brushing her hair to one side and nuzzling her neck. He slipped his hands around her waist and pulled her back to rest against him. Charli’s hands came up to rest on his arms and she closed her eyes, laying her head back against his chest. His erection was persistent and hard against her backside. He groaned and opened his mouth over her shoulder as one hand slid down her belly to the juncture of her thighs.

Her heart pounded and she opened her eyes, staring out into the darkness as his hand cupped her and his tongue in her ear set her on fire.

“All night I’ve wanted to touch you like this. I watched that silly excuse of a top move with you, your breasts jiggle underneath, and I ached to take them in my hands. You were torturing me.”

He lifted his hand to capture her breast over the top of her blouse and Charli covered his hand with her own, pressing herself against him.

“They’re all yours, Doc. Play with them all night. You’ll get no complaints from me.” She twisted in his arms and pulled his dress shirt out of his jeans. Her hands flattened against his naked chest and she grazed her nails across his nipples.

Grant shuddered and lowered his mouth to capture hers in a fiery kiss. She arched into him, pressing her body along the length of his. There was a different chemistry to this moment with this man; it was deeper already than any physical relationship she’d started before. Although she wanted him with every fibre of her being, it wasn’t the same as it had been with others. Was it because they’d formed a unique friendship of sorts first? Working with him had given her a good glimpse at the kind of man he was. Was that why this felt different? Her mind tried to wrap around those thoughts as Grant’s hands lowered to capture her backside in his palms.

He lifted his head and gasped for air. “Trouble?”

“Yes?” Her hand slipped down to his fly and flipped the snap open before drawing down his zipper.

“How are we going to get you out of these pants?”