Sal sat close to her and leaned into her kissing her cheek softly. “It’s so good to have you back, Grace.”
She turned to face him. “It’s good to be back.”
He took a deep breath and his expression changed a little. “Now tell me about Frank.”
Grace glanced away and stared at her mug playing with the teabag string that hung off the side. “He agreed to invest money into a restaurant with me and my mom.”
“And lend you his car.”
She nodded knowing exactly what he was thinking.
“Why?”
“He thinks it’s a good investment and he could use the write-off.”
“Why else?”
She glanced back at him and sat up straight. She knew what he was getting at and yes maybe Frank had other underlying reasons for being so generous but Sal had to know she wasn’t that type of person. The more she’d thought about this the more she had to agree with her mom that it was a great opportunity. “Those are the only reasons he’s given.”
“You’re not still thinking of going through with this are you?”
“Why wouldn’t I?”
He cocked his head back. “What do you mean why wouldn’t I? You have to know this guy wants more than just to do business with you.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Oh don’t I? Tell me something is that why you went on that vacation to Laughlin? To talk him into investing in your restaurant?”
Grace didn’t appreciate his tone and certainly not the implication. “I went there, Sal, because I was falling apart and I needed to get away. It actually helped. The idea of him helping me with my restaurant was one that had been brought up long before me and you even broke up. And it was never me trying to talk him into it rather the other way around.”
“Was it now?” A glimmer of the blaze she’d seen in his eyes when he showed up at Joey and Taylor’s was back. “When were you planning on telling me about it?”
“I wasn’t because I had no intentions of taking him up on the offer. I’d already told my mom it was out of the question.”
“And why was that, Grace?”
Damn it he had her and the rage in his eye said he knew it, too.
She held her chin up. “I didn’t need the job at the time. I had a good one with you and I was only getting my feet wet in a big restaurant like yours. I didn’t think I was ready.”
The outraged expression turned almost smug. “No other reason? Why hadn’t you even mentioned to me that the offer had been put out there?”
Grace tipped her head trying to stay nose to nose with his challenges but she could already tell she was fighting a losing battle. “I didn’t think you’d be happy about it.”
“You’re damn right I wouldn’t have been.” He leaned in closer his legs practically straddled her chair now and his tone softening just a bit. “Grace, baby, the guys showed up with roses for you, ready to go on a date with you. He’s driven more than four hours each way several times just to spend time with you.” He kissed her forehead then lifted her chin and looked deep into her eyes. “I love you more than anything.”
That damn lump suffocated her. “I love you, too.”
He pulled her closer to him. “I’m never letting you out of my life now, you know that right?”
Grace gulped nodding softly. “I don’t wanna be out of your life.”
He smiled and kissed her softly. “Good because it’ll never happen again. I’ll do whatever it takes and that’s a promise.” His eyes went hard again. “But if you think for even a second that I’m gonna let that f**ker stay in your life you’re out of your mind.”
Grace tried to conjure up some kind of strength to argue and she didn’t even know why. “But—”
“I saw pictures, Grace.” His breathing suddenly accelerated.
“What?” She searched his fiery eyes. “Pictures?”
“Sofie took pictures with her phone the night at the night club.” The vein on his neck protruded and he seemed to wait for her reaction.
“And?”
“I saw you with him.” There was a subtle but undeniable raise in his voice now and she knew any kind of partnership with Frank was officially over. “I saw the way you dressed, the way he touched you and held your hand—the way he looked at you. You still gonna tell me it’s just business?”
She stared at him knowing there was nothing she could say at this point that would convince him and she didn’t even care. She squeezed his hand. It was so tense and he closed his eyes. “I said partnering up with him was out of the question before me and you broke up because I had a feeling there was more to it than just business.”
“Of course there was—”
She put her finger to his lips. “But I’ve never done anything to even give him the idea that I might be willing. Except for allowing him to hold my hand to and from the dance floor. I don’t want you to think anything ever happened. Okay?”
He stared at her breathing hard. “I don’t want him around you anymore. Give the car back, too. Give it to your mom. I don’t give a shit. I just don’t want you in it.”
“Okay.”
She saw his shoulders and chest fall slowly as he exhaled. “But,” she said making him tense up again and eyebrow lift. “I will have to talk to him to explain it. We were getting ready to make an offer on a property. I’ll be pulling the rug out from under everybody’s feet.”