Page 24 of Grace in Glasgow (Seduced in Scotland #3)

“I do. And through all of it, there’s Grace. Just steadfast in her work and by my side through all of it and…”

He closed his eyes, his body stilling as he dressed.

He would not betray her confidence about her experiment, but from the moment she had explained her intent in his office, he hadn’t been able to think of anything else.

And when he had refused her and she had told him that she would simply ask Mr. Milton to replace him, well, he had thought of little else since.

James’s jaw tensed. That thought and that thought alone had given him the energy to battle ten rounds with Perry in the ring. James had been incensed when she had told him her plan and what was worse, he hadn’t refused because he didn’t find her attractive.

It was because he was so very drawn to every bit of her, that he refused.

Grace was everything a man could ask for.

She was beautiful, yes, but it was secondary to her brilliance.

Her patience and her fortitude. She was so sure of things, that her confidence buoyed him.

He wanted her with him always, at work, at the university, at home…

That was the worst of it. Every evening when they closed the office, he set out on his way home, following her carriage until he reached her street.

Then, he would continue up one block and enter his own empty home.

He ate dinner alone, then he would retire to his bedroom, which just so happened to have a perfect view of her bedroom.

James had noticed it one of the first days after she had arrived in Glasgow.

He had been undressing for bed and saw her move across the window, dressed in a conservative nightgown, staring down at a book in her hands as she paced, back and forth, for nearly two hours.

He had tried not to watch, knowing that it was a great invasion of privacy, but as the night settled down around the city, the warm glow from her room seemed to call to him, like a moth to a flame.

Since that first night, it had become something of a ritual, one that he was ashamed of, but he couldn’t help it.

Every once in a while she would stop her pacing and gaze up, as if she were making a point to remember something.

A few times, she had even gone to her window and stared up at the night sky and for those few moments, James wondered what it might be like if she saw him.

“James?” Graham said, as if he had already tried to get his attention.

He opened his eyes, sighed deeply, and began to finish dressing.

“It’s not anything,” James said finally, deciding not to confide in his friend.

His relationship with Grace, whatever it was, was something he’d rather keep to himself.

Not to mention, Graham was her brother-in-law and had become something of a surrogate guardian to the Sharpes.

James couldn’t tell him about his feelings regarding Grace.

“Tell me. What are you doing in Glasgow?”

Graham watched him for a moment longer, as if he was contemplating to press his friend about Grace, but then Graham nodded, and James was grateful.

“Actually, I’ve only come to do a walkthrough of the candy factory before Hope gives birth. I likely won’t be in town for several months after the bairn is born.”

“I’m surprised you left her,” James said as he sat to put his boots on. “You’ve barely left her side since she told you of her condition.”

“Yes, well, Hope threatened to climb Ben Nevis if I didn’t leave to take care of the factory.

She seems to think I’ve become unbearable,” he said, with an expression of disbelief.

“Dr. Barkley assured me that she is still a few weeks away from her due date, so I am here to finish whatever business I can before then.”

“Well, it’s good to see you. Are you staying in town then?”

“No, but I do have to stop by to see Belle. Would you come? I prefer not being outnumbered by her household.”

“Understood,” James said, pulling on his jacket.

He reached into his pocket to check his watch.

Although logically, he knew he should keep his distance from Grace, he couldn’t help but want to see her.

It was Sunday, the only day he kept for himself, but as it was already past noon, and he had done what he wanted for the day, he nodded.

“I suppose I can lend you some support.”

Graham gave him a knowing smirk and patted him on the back.

“I’ll owe you,” he said as the men left the club.

As both men had taken their own horses, the cobblestone road appeared busier than usual for a Sunday, although, the pugilist club was directly across the street from a church.

Small cart vendors, eager to take advantage of the crowds, set up along the way and a number of people were walking and stopping, enjoying the clear, crisp day.

A flower seller handed a bouquet of dried blooms to a fashionable lady, while a small fishmonger appeared to be closing up.

“Break in at the Glasgow Necropolis!” the voice of a paperboy called out from the corner as James climbed up onto his horse’s back. “Two shillings per paper! Read it all here!”

“Two shillings for a paper?” Graham asked, seemingly surprised. “The cost of living in a city.”

Soon they were off, riding through the city at an advanced pace and they were able to reach the royal crescent in a short time.

As Graham had visited his factory that morning, he had gone on and on about the production lines that had been installed that summer.

By the time they reached Lady Belle’s house, James had learned more than he ever expected to about turning honey into candy and Graham was still talking when the footmen took their horses, only for the front door to open.

James’s entire demeanor soured instantly at the sight of Mr. Milton placing his top hat on his head, bowing to Grace and Arabella.

“Graham!” Grace said as she brushed past Mr. Milton to hug her brother-in-law.

Graham twirled her around once before placing her squarely in front of James, who was trying hard not to breathe in the scent of her.

Mr. Milton’s brow raised.

“Mr. Milton, this is my brother-in-law, Mr. Graham McKinnon.”

“A pleasure,” Milton said as the two men shook hands. “Ah, and Dr. Hall. A pleasure.”

“Milton,” James said tautly as Milton turned his attention back to Grace.

“Well, I look forward to seeing the both of you. It will be a pleasure to host such ladies,” Mr. Milton was saying as Graham and James came forward.

“Mr. Milton here was gracious enough to invite us to a ball he’ll be hosting in a few weeks’ time.”

“You are also invited, the both of you,” Milton said, gesturing to James and Graham. “It should be a rather large affair.”

“I’m afraid I will not be in Glasgow,” Graham said, as he patted James on the back. “But I’m sure the good doctor would be thrilled to attend.”

James glared at Graham who was smirking, pleased with himself for some reason.

“Of course,” James said, his entire manner stiff. “Good day, Mr. Milton.”

“Hm? Oh yes, I was leaving,” he said, turning back to Grace and Arabella. He bowed. “It was a pleasure, ladies.”

Arabella blushed, covering her smile with her face while Grace curtsied. For some reason, the simple curtsy was enough to tip James back into bad spirits, when suddenly Grace’s hand was on his cheekbone, pressing the tender skin ever so slightly, in front of Graham and Arabella.

“Dr. Hall, what’s happened?” she asked, worried. “Your face is swollen. And there seems to be broken blood vessels all along your eye.”

“Ah, don’t worry about that,” Graham said, as James stared down into Grace’s concerned eyes. “He just went a couple of rounds at the club.”

“You were fighting?”

“Boxing,” he said, as he raised his hand to gently pull hers away.

“That’s a dangerous activity.”

“I am aware of it,” he said as he forced himself to release her hand. “But one I unfortunately find invigorating.”

“You should put a poultice on that.”

“I will.”

“Soon,” she insisted.

James glanced at the others, who each seemed to be watching them with varying levels of interest. Nodding, he took a step back.

“I believe you are correct, Miss Sharpe. I shall do so now. Graham?” he said, shaking his hand. “It was good to see you.”

“Are you leaving?”

“Yes. Good day, Miss Scott,” he paused. “Miss Sharpe.”

“Good day,” she said softly, almost sorry as he left.

James had decided that being in her home was not a smart move. If he was to think clearly, he needed to be out of her presence and in the short time it took him to reach his own house, he had decided to leave Grace alone.

Exhausted from the day, James took a bath once he returned home and fell asleep in his bed, having no energy or desire to eat or stay awake.

After a short, fitful sleep, he woke up in the dark, wide awake.

It was his own fault, he knew, but as he lay on his back, staring up into the darkness, he questioned the very restless feeling that seemed his constant companion these last few days.

There was one thing he thought of that he could do that would send him back to sleep and though social constructs might label him a vagrant for such behavior, he was a man of science. That, and the way the memory of Grace’s kiss haunted him was too much.

Eyes closed, her image appeared instantly, honey-colored eyes wide and eager, mouth barely open, just as it had been in the carriage.

James’s hand moved down his abdomen, gripping the length of himself in his large hand.

He squeezed tight at first, almost as a penance, before the picture in his mind shifted.

He imagined Grace in a short-sleeve muslin nightgown, one that was oversized so that it could be removed with ease.

His breath hitched as the illusion of her lifted her shoulder, pulling her one arm up over the collar, followed by the other as it slipped low, revealing what he had only felt.

His brow pinched, the fantasy lacking, but he was too desperate, too in need.

God, what he wouldn’t do to have her in his bed.

He flexed his other hand, wanting to run his fingers through her hair, to smell the mint that seemed to linger in every room after she left.

He hadn’t been able to drink mint tea in weeks now, having become semi-hard at only the scent of it.

His hand pumped, up and down, faster, squeezing just so every few seconds as he edged his pleasure as his breath became ragged.

He imagined that it was her hand on him, sat next to him in bed, and when his mind dared to picture her lowering herself over his lap, he tensed as the image of her in his mind blurred and he spent himself with a final moan, gasping as he did.

Once James’s heart rate finally subsided, a wave of guilt washed over him as he rolled off the bed to clean himself up.

Man of science he might be, but he was only a man.

As he walked to the water table that was near the window, he glanced up to see Grace, in her own window, staring in his direction.

James froze, momentarily worried that he was visible, but as his room was pitch black and the night was dark, he realized she couldn’t see him, even though she was staring right in his direction.

In the next moment, she turned away and soon after the warm glow dimmed and James was left wondering what had possessed her to gaze in his direction.

It was many minutes later that he finally turned away and continued a restless night’s sleep.