Page 50

There was this feeling of peace that surrounded her whenever she was near him, along with the high of anticipation for what might be. Her patience was wearing thin. Grace wanted Riley to know she wasn’t one of those girls who changed her mind just because things got hard. When she made a decision, she stuck with it.

Grace took two steps to close the distance between them. She placed her hands on either side of his face and tugged him down, closer to her. Pressing her lips firmly against his, she allowed herself to get lost in the sensations that crashed over her.

She’d never done something so forward. She’d never fought for what she wanted more than the typical work stuff. So standing here in front of him and pulling him in for a kiss wasn’t something she had ever expected would happen any time soon.

It was dizzying and breath-stealing. The way her body reacted was like one of those science experiments gone haywire. Everything within her bubbled and surged into each other. Her heart thrashed in her chest, and she could no longer hear anything except her pulse roaring in her ears.

Riley’s arms wrapped around her, kissing her with an unexpected gentleness that caused her legs to grow weak. She tilted her head up to catch her breath while Riley’s eyes stared into hers and his thumb caressed her cheek.

His touch was gentle, making her feel as though she were fragile, cherished even. After everything he’d experienced in his life, she hadn’t expected this side of him.

Riley was the first to pull back. Desire danced in his eyes, making her shiver with anticipation. So this was what it felt like to be wanted. This was what it felt like to throw caution to the wind and let her heart take her for a ride. It was terrifying, thrilling, and completely out of character, but she wanted more.

“What if I do?” he murmured, dragging her from her thoughts.

“What if you do what?”

“That bit you said about standing on the table and announcing I love you. What if I did?”

Her breath caught in her throat.

Love? How could anyone know they were in love with someone this soon? Then again, there were people who believed in love at first sight. That hadn’t happened with them, but maybe this was real. She swallowed hard, shaking off the feeling of longing she felt for that to be true.

“You can’t possibly know if you love me,” she whispered.

“How would you know what I am capable of?” His palm cupped her cheek and his eyes delved deeper into her. “I’ve been around long enough to know what these feelings mean. And if you don’t feel the same yet, that’s fine. Clearly, I can’t do anything about that. But it won’t stop me from trying.”

Her throat closed up, dry and hot. Tongue swollen and unwilling to engage in any sort of speech, Grace did the only thing she could think of. She stood on her toes and her lips barely grazed his. For whatever reason, she couldn’t bring herself to confess any sort of feelings for him. That was a big step, even if the thought of having won his affection sent shivers through her.

They stared at one another for a while longer before he spoke again. “I guess that settles that.”

She worried her lower lip. “I suppose it does.”

Riley pulled her close once again, resting his chin on the top of her head. He let out a shuddering breath, and she grinned. This wasn’t nearly as easy as he had made it out to be. And she liked him even more for it.

* * *

The numberson the microwave that hung above the stove glowed a vibrant green, telling Grace she was past curfew. Well, it was after what her curfew used to be before her father lightened up.

The house was silent, having gone to sleep along with its occupants. Grace placed her boots by the door and eased it shut. If she could get to her room without waking anyone up, she would be able to save face. The last thing she needed was her nosey sisters asking her a million questions.

Worse, she didn’t want her father knowing exactly where she’d been—and that was if she was lucky enough for her godfather to have kept quiet.

Grace tip-toed through the kitchen, still feeling like she was floating after the evening she’d had. On the outside, she had been able to contain the excitement she felt. But inside was another story entirely. Her stomach danced and her heart soared, blissfully unaware of the seriousness of her current predicament.

Her light steps took her from the kitchen through the living room. Just a short distance more and she’d be heading up the stairs, and then she’d be home free. She had to be extremely careful because…

“What do you think you’re doing?” The click of a lamp flicking on was almost deafening.

Because ofthat.

Grace’s hands flew to her mouth and she whirled around to find Brielle sitting smugly on the couch. She folded her arms, her eyes laughing with mischief. Glaring, Grace crossed her arms. “I could ask you the same thing.”

Brielle shrugged. “I’m just sitting here.”

“In thedark. Were you waiting for me? Honestly, Bri. Out of everyone here, I would have thought you were theone personwho would understand—”

“Easy, tiger. I’m not going to turn you in. Though I’m not sure what dad would do if he knew you didn’t get home until well past midnight.” She sat straighter in her seat, then patted the cushion beside her. “But out of all our sisters, I didn’t think you’d be the first one to break curfew.”