Noah, grasping his sweatshirt with both hands, holding on to him while she stared up into his handsome face. “I almost forgot when I saw you both sitting out there, looking so cute in your drunken revelry.”
Ben chuckled, muttering, “Cute,” under his breath, but Noah shook his head. “Quit pulling on my clothes and tell me what you forgot.”
“ Almost forgot.” Then Grace softened with emotion. “Oh, Noah. I am so, so sorry.”
He and Ben shared another look, this one of concern and male speculation. “For what, exactly?”
“For what? For what’s happened, that’s what!” Her hands, curled in his shirt, thumped against his chest in emphasis. “For how Agatha jumped to the wrong conclusions and how everyone is acting and—”
Noah pressed two big, warm fingers against her lips, making her toes curl inside her waterlogged shoes and her belly curl in sensual delight. “What conclusion did Agatha jump to? And how in hell do you think everyone is treating me?”
His fingers were still over her mouth and Grace swallowed hard, then reached for his thick wrist and gently drew his hand down. Oh Lord, the man made her shake with…with all kinds of things.
“Agatha wrongly assumed you were to blame for the breakup. And from what she told me, Miss Callen’s family was no better.” Grace’s temper ignited anew at her own reminder of how he’d been treated. “You’d think none of them knew you at all!”
Ben pushed away from the wall. His walk was only slightly steadier than the moment before. “You’re saying you don’t blame him?”
Grace whirled on him. “Ben Badwin! You should certainly know better!”
“Hey—” He held up both hands, on the verge of laughter. “I didn’t say I blamed him.”
“Well, I would hope not.”
Noah crossed his arms and propped his hip against the dinette table. He still wavered a little, rocking back and forth. “So who do you blame?”
“Why…no one.” Grace flapped a hand. “Oh, I heard all about Kara weeping and being devastated and all that. Agatha said you’ve humiliated her in front of all of Gillespe by crying off after all the arrangements had been made, and that Kara’s emotionally crushed and may never recover. And I feel horrible for her, I really do.”
Ben laughed again.
“But I know you both must have had your own reasons. At the very least, I know you wouldn’t have crushed her unless you had no other choice.”
Grace squealed when Ben slipped his thick arms around her from behind and lifted her off her feet in a crushing hug. He treated her weight as negligible, and the thought occurred to Grace that for a man of Ben’s size, it might be.
And Noah was even bigger!
Ben’s bear hug so surprised her, Grace’s arms and legs sort of stuck straight out, like a strangled starfish trying to gain balance.
Rainwater squished out of her clothing, then trickled down her body and onto Ben. He put a smacking kiss on the side of her neck, immobilizing Grace with the impulsiveness of it. She could count on one hand the number of times a gorgeous man had kissed her neck.
Heck, she could count with one finger because this time was a first.
Noah continued to study her, scrutinizing her every reaction, which made Ben’s behavior inconsequential. She began to burn, and knew she had to gain control of the situation.
She cast a wary glance at Ben, who, although he released her, continued to grin like a rogue. She looked back at Noah, and way up, to see his expression. His muscled arms were crossed over his chest, his intense blue eyes narrowed, watchful. He looked bemused and something else, perhaps…tender.
“I’d have been here sooner,” Grace told him in a croak, trying to collect herself. “But I was out of town.”
“I remember,” Noah murmured, still holding her fixed in his gaze. “Agatha had you doing some headhunting, didn’t she?”
“Yes, for a new chef she’d heard about. He agreed to her terms and she, ah, hired him.
Ben chuckled, muttering, “Cute,” under his breath, but Noah shook his head. “Quit pulling on my clothes and tell me what you forgot.”
“ Almost forgot.” Then Grace softened with emotion. “Oh, Noah. I am so, so sorry.”
He and Ben shared another look, this one of concern and male speculation. “For what, exactly?”
“For what? For what’s happened, that’s what!” Her hands, curled in his shirt, thumped against his chest in emphasis. “For how Agatha jumped to the wrong conclusions and how everyone is acting and—”
Noah pressed two big, warm fingers against her lips, making her toes curl inside her waterlogged shoes and her belly curl in sensual delight. “What conclusion did Agatha jump to? And how in hell do you think everyone is treating me?”
His fingers were still over her mouth and Grace swallowed hard, then reached for his thick wrist and gently drew his hand down. Oh Lord, the man made her shake with…with all kinds of things.
“Agatha wrongly assumed you were to blame for the breakup. And from what she told me, Miss Callen’s family was no better.” Grace’s temper ignited anew at her own reminder of how he’d been treated. “You’d think none of them knew you at all!”
Ben pushed away from the wall. His walk was only slightly steadier than the moment before. “You’re saying you don’t blame him?”
Grace whirled on him. “Ben Badwin! You should certainly know better!”
“Hey—” He held up both hands, on the verge of laughter. “I didn’t say I blamed him.”
“Well, I would hope not.”
Noah crossed his arms and propped his hip against the dinette table. He still wavered a little, rocking back and forth. “So who do you blame?”
“Why…no one.” Grace flapped a hand. “Oh, I heard all about Kara weeping and being devastated and all that. Agatha said you’ve humiliated her in front of all of Gillespe by crying off after all the arrangements had been made, and that Kara’s emotionally crushed and may never recover. And I feel horrible for her, I really do.”
Ben laughed again.
“But I know you both must have had your own reasons. At the very least, I know you wouldn’t have crushed her unless you had no other choice.”
Grace squealed when Ben slipped his thick arms around her from behind and lifted her off her feet in a crushing hug. He treated her weight as negligible, and the thought occurred to Grace that for a man of Ben’s size, it might be.
And Noah was even bigger!
Ben’s bear hug so surprised her, Grace’s arms and legs sort of stuck straight out, like a strangled starfish trying to gain balance.
Rainwater squished out of her clothing, then trickled down her body and onto Ben. He put a smacking kiss on the side of her neck, immobilizing Grace with the impulsiveness of it. She could count on one hand the number of times a gorgeous man had kissed her neck.
Heck, she could count with one finger because this time was a first.
Noah continued to study her, scrutinizing her every reaction, which made Ben’s behavior inconsequential. She began to burn, and knew she had to gain control of the situation.
She cast a wary glance at Ben, who, although he released her, continued to grin like a rogue. She looked back at Noah, and way up, to see his expression. His muscled arms were crossed over his chest, his intense blue eyes narrowed, watchful. He looked bemused and something else, perhaps…tender.
“I’d have been here sooner,” Grace told him in a croak, trying to collect herself. “But I was out of town.”
“I remember,” Noah murmured, still holding her fixed in his gaze. “Agatha had you doing some headhunting, didn’t she?”
“Yes, for a new chef she’d heard about. He agreed to her terms and she, ah, hired him.
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