Page 80 of On the Chase
“Why can’t we just skip to the good stuff?”
She pulled away slightly so she could frown at him. It was hard to hold a straight face when she saw his pout had returned. “No skipping to the good stuff. We’ll plan a date, and then you’ll drive here, and you’ll stand uncomfortably in the entry while Theo and Sam glare at you and Jules lectures you on responsible behavior. Next, I’ll sweep down the stairs, looking glamorous, and you’ll be struck speechless by my beauty, and then you’ll give me flowers, and we’ll go on a nice date. At the end, if you’re on your best behavior, you might get a kiss good night.”
“Huh.” He looked like he was trying not to laugh. “I’m not sure I’m capable of most of that, especially all the parts where I don’t talk. Theo glaring sounds about right, though.” Pulling her close again, he tucked his face in her neck. “I know I’m not capable of good behavior when I’m around you.”
At the touch of his lips, Grace lost the ability to think. She tipped her head so that he had better access to the side of her neck, and he immediately took advantage, kissing and nipping lightly at the sensitive skin. When he lifted his head abruptly, she made a soft sound of complaint until she followed his gaze to where Dee hovered in the doorway, watching them uncertainly.
“What’s wrong, Dee?” Hugh asked.
“I can’t sleep.”
Grace shifted over to open a space between her and Hugh. “C’mon in. Want to watch the end of your movie?”
“Okay.” Smiling, Dee rushed to snuggle into the gap between them while Lexi thumped her tail against the couch in approval. Hugh gave Grace a long-suffering look over the little girl’s head, and she had to swallow a laugh. Dating Hugh was going to be fun.
“When does your friend get here?” Dee asked.
“Penny?” Saying her name made Grace’s smile widen. That had been a fun phone call to make, even if she had to admit that her friend had been right about Noah’s lack of princely virtues. Another almost-as-wonderful call had been with her supervisors at St. Macartan’s. They’d agreed that Grace could continue working for the college by telecommuting from Monroe. Getting to keep both Hugh and her beloved job felt almost too good to be true, and now Penny was going to visit. Even while talking to her friend, Grace hadn’t doubted her decision to stay in Colorado. She’d carved out a new life, become a stronger person, and now that the threats to her life had ended, she was incredibly happy in Monroe. It was where she wanted to stay. “Tomorrow.”
“Are you excited?”
“Yeah.” Grace gave Dee a teasing nudge. “Especially since she’s bringing all of my shoes.”
Hugh snorted. When Grace mock glared at him, he gave her an innocent look and leaned over Dee’s head to whisper in Grace’s ear. “Fine. We’ll date. But I’m not promising good behavior.”
She met his eyes and smiled. “Perfect.”
Epilogue
The buzz of Jules’s cell phone vibrating against her nightstand brought her out of a really nice dream about Theo to the reality of her half-empty bed. Theo was working nights, and she missed him horribly. Scowling, she reached for the phone and answered it with a snap. “Yes?”
“Ms. Jackson.”
She was immediately wide awake. “Mr. Espina?”
“Another…school friend of yours needs a safe place to stay. She’ll be arriving tomorrow.”
Jules closed her eyes.
“Motherf—”