Page 79 of Guarding Grace

Damned straight the attacks had affected me. They’d made me question why I’d kept my distance from Grace all these years. I’d dreamed about her more times now than I could count. Things were clearer than they had ever been. Grace would be mine, if I could convince her.

But it was time to get my head in the game, protection-wise. The sliding glass door upstairs needed to be secured. Searching the garage, I located a piece of wood that would fit in the track and found my hacksaw.

Grace

When Terry escorted Constance downstairs,I stretched out on his sectional again, wondering how my life had taken such a turn.

Though I knew he was just downstairs with Constance, I missed him. How weird was that? It was truly the dawn of a new day for me.

Yes, I’d enjoyed my short bit of girl time with Constance as we unpacked the bags of clothes Zane had thrown together, but I’d still been eager to have her leave.

After the take-my-breath-away orgasm Terry had laid on me, I was eager to officially bid farewell to my dry spell. Work had consumed my life for so long that I’d forgotten what letting go felt like.

After the attacks and now a near-death experience, I wasn’t waiting any longer to live life to the fullest. Terry had admitted he’d spent years pushing me away, and I wasn’t going to let him continue. Knowing now that he’d always been attracted to me changed everything.

Pete had once told me that Terry was the best man he knew, and after the events of these last two days, I understood what he’d meant. Now that I’d seen behind Terry’s mask, I wanted to get to know the good man behind the gruff exterior and often nasty comments. I was determined to spend time with the Terry Pete had known, and to give us a chance.

Anticipation burned through me as I heard his footsteps coming up the stairs.

When he emerged, he was way more clothed than I wanted either of us to be. “Hi there,” I said in my attempt at a sultry voice.

“Hi.”

“Wanna join me, big guy?”

But he glanced away and strode over to the sliding glass door.

“What’s wrong?”What have I done?How did I take us back a step from intimacy to coldness?

“Nothing.”

I clearly needed to watch more romantic movies. Was there such a thing as movie karaoke so I could get the sultry-voice thing down? Did I need to show more cleavage?

“I’m securing the perimeter,” he added after a moment. “This is a recommendation Constance made.”

That’s when I noticed the piece of wood and the saw he carried. “Oh.” Once again, this was the good man behind the mask, putting my safety first.

He turned to me with fire in his eyes. “Can you wait one minute, Kitten?”

Terry

Like a good carpenter,I measured the length I wanted twice before I cut the piece of wood. When I laid it in the track, it fit perfectly. Nobody was sliding this door open from the outside and getting to my woman.

“I’m getting cold,” Grace said in a husky, Hollywood-starlet voice.

I moved toward her. Okay, I almost jogged. “Do you remember what I said about you being mine?” I asked, letting my eyes linger on her lips as I knelt beside the sectional.

Her eyes narrowed. “Not really.”Liar, liar, pants on fire.

“I said you would know when I’d claimed you, and that time has come, Grace.”

She sucked in a breath. “But?—”

I stopped her with a finger to her lips. “Kitten, hear me out before you argue. You’re an amazing woman, and I know I’ve treated you poorly. I’ve wanted you forever, but I pushed you away because you were Pete’s off-limits little sister. Well, that stops today. I’m not waiting any longer. You’re mine.”

“Come here, you big lug.” She tugged on my shirt. “Are you telling me you want me as your girlfriend?”

My lips were inches from hers. “Isn’t that what I just said?”