An Unforgettable Lady

Still, he didn't think he could turn her down.

After she got into bed, he laid down on top of the sheets. He was thinking it wouldn't be so bad as long as they stayed on opposite sides but then she moved into his arms and curled up in a small ball. Gradually, her breathing slowed and the tension in her body dissipated until she became exactly what he'd dreaded.

Soft, yielding, warm.

He could feel her breath against his forearm, her tight little butt tucked into the cradle of his hips, the weight of her head on his shoulder.

Christ.

He was a tough guy. He'd gone through Ranger School with no problem—just a little mud, sweat, and sleep deprivation. Getting shot at? Healed up just fine, thank you very much. Same with getting stabbed, clonked on the head with a lire iron, and being hit by that Chevy Nova.

Okay, so he'd needed some time in traction after the Nova and even now his knee ached a little when it rained. Still, all that was nothing compared to what spending a night laying next to Grace was going to do to him.

He had to wonder when he'd last laid down with a woman in his arms. Other than when he was having sex. He couldn't remember how long it had been. Maybe never.

Grace shifted in her sleep, rubbing against his hips.

As he gritted his teeth, he knew he wasn't going to get any sleep. And had to imagine, if lying next to her and being separated by blankets, her bathrobe, and his clothes was this difficult, making love to the countess would only land him right where the Chevy Nova had stunned and on his ass.

He closed his eyes, thinking it was a damn shame they hadn't met under different circumstances.

Although he didn't know what other state of affairs could possibly have brought them together.

* * *

On the Friday afternoon of Columbus Day weekend, Grace rubbed tired eyes and stretched in her father's chair. Smith was at the conference table, talking on his phone. He did that a lot while they were in the office and she'd grown used to hearing the deep rumble of his voice.

Grace studied him covertly, thinking back to the night they'd spent together. Sometime before dawn, she'd woken up to the feeling of heavy arms holding her tight and a big body pushed in close against hers. She'd rolled over carefully, trying not to disturb him, because she'd wanted to see what he looked like when he was sleeping.

But his eyes had been alert and glowing as she'd looked into them. The expression on his face had been intense in the morning light and he'd stared at her for what seemed like a long time. She'd wondered if he was going to kiss her but then he'd jackknifed off the bed in a smooth motion and walked out of the room without so much as a good morning.

The soft whir of the fax behind the desk brought her back to the present. Absently, she reached over and picked up the pages as they came through the machine.

Since that night, he'd avoided getting too close to her and it was hard not to feel like a leper as he sidestepped around her if they met in the hall or they passed while going in and out of her bathroom. She told herself not to take it personally but that didn't really help.

As the fax kept going, shooting out page after page, she looked down at the list of signatures and frowned.

"That's for me."

Grace jumped at the sound of his voice. He'd managed to cross the room without a sound and she wondered whether she'd ever get used to how quietly he moved.

"What are they?" She handed the documents to him.

"Delivery and visitor logs." He went back to the conference table.

"From what?"

When he didn't answer, she knew they had to do with the case.

"Tell me about the investigation," she said quietly.

He looked up. "I don't want to upset you."

"I told you before, I'd feel better knowing what's going on."

"I'm not so sure about that," he muttered. When she stared at him pointedly, he shrugged. "I’m going through the buildings logs with a fresh set of eyes. Looking for patterns Marks and his team might have missed."

She went to him, leaning over his shoulder and staring down at the columns of signatures and dates and times. She saw a lot of the same names and recognized many of them.

"Isn't it time to go to the airport?" he asked abruptly.

"Yes. I suppose so."

Although she wouldn't have minded putting off the trip altogether. She still felt as if she should be going to Mimi's funeral and she wasn't looking forward to seeing her mother. The conversation she'd had with Carolina the day before, when she'd had to explain that Ranulf wasn't coming, hadn't gone well. The disapproval coming through the phone had intensified when she'd mentioned she was being accompanied by a male "friend."

When she and Smith left the office, Grace was hoping that the time would just fly by. She loved her mother, as much as the woman would let her, but a little of Carolina Hall went a long way.