"What did he tell you?"
When her eyes refused to meet his, Smith thought back to the night she'd tried to pull away from him and had panicked when he hadn't let her go. Maybe there was more to it than her not wanting to have casual sex.
"Grace? What did he do to you?"
She hesitated. "Let's just say he was less than satisfied with me as a lover. And he let me know it."
Black rage hit Smith. As he tried to calm down, he wondered what the hell was wrong with the man and how he could get his hands on the aristocratic a*shole.
"Let me tell you something," Smith said darkly. "Ranulf was full of shit. You're incredibly erotic."
She rolled her eyes. "You don't have to say that."
He moved close to her, took her hand, and placed it on his arousal. She gasped.
"I'm totally serious." He lowered his head so his mouth was an inch from hers. "All I have to do is think of you."
Grace swayed against him.
"I wanted you to stay," she whispered.
Christ, so had he.
"Know this," he said roughly. "The reason I left had nothing to do with how badly I want you. I'm trying to do the right thing by you. I really am."
He kissed her hard and quick and then held out his arm.
Together, they descended the grand staircase.
* * *
Smith leaned back as Marta cleared his plate. When a dessert tray was wheeled next to him, he shook his head at whatever sweet, sauce-covered thing was on it.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he stared through the candlelight at Grace, who was twirling her wineglass on the table. Her eyes were on the faceted crystal as she laughed at something Walker was saying.
"Of course I turned you down today," she said. "Blair needed company more than you and Alex need a mate on that sailboat."
"Come on, you just said no out of habit. You started turning me down in kindergarten and haven't let up. Fortunately, my ego can take it." Walker smiled urbanely as he poured himself some more wine. "If only because I've gotten used to it."
The man pushed his chair back from the table, kicked his legs out in front of him and crossed one loafer on top of another. The wineglass dangled from one of his hands as he reclined.
"At least you love me," he said to Blair.
The woman leaned over and kissed his check. "Yes, I do."
"How long's it been now?"
"Five years or so."
"You know, I've been thinking about us lately."
Blair rolled her eyes as she smiled at him. "What have you dreamed up this time?" She glanced over at Grace. " Last winter, he scooped me up in a plane, told me to take a little nap, and I woke up over the Atlantic Ocean. We were heading for Portofino. It was lovely but a bit disorienting."
Walker laughed and put the glass back on the table.
"Well, this one doesn't involve plane travel and I hope you won't sleep through it." He reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and took out a small velvet box. "I'd like you to be my wife. You want to get married?"
Smith's eyes snapped to Grace's face. Her expression was joyous as she clasped her hands together.
Walker cracked open the box and pushed it over to Blair. He was sporting a half smile as she stared down at the sizable diamond, speechless.
"You know, I really enjoy surprising you, Blair."
The woman's eyes rose from the engagement ring. "Are you serious?"
There was an imperceptible pause.
"It's time for us to settle down." He smiled. "And I did it in front of witnesses so you'd know I have no intention of backing out."
Blair took the ring from the box and slid it onto her finger. She took a deep breath, but then smiled. "Okay. Let's do it."
Walker leaned over and kissed the woman. While the two whispered to each other, Smith studied Grace. She was staring into the flame of a candle, a soft smile on her face.
A little while later, the small party broke up and everyone headed to their rooms. Smith was walking behind Grace when she got to her door.
"May I come in," he said.
"Of course."
As he followed her inside, she went over to the bureau and started taking off her earrings.
"I really jumped to the wrong conclusion about you and Walker, didn't I?"
She turned around, fingers twisting the back of a diamond solitaire. Her voice was tired. "What made you finally believe me?"
"The way you looked at him tonight. You would have to have ice in your veins to be so genuinely happy at his engagement. Especially considering it happened in front of you."
Grace nodded and went to work on the other ear. In the dim light, her skin was translucent. He wanted to touch her.
After she put the other earring down, she sat on the edge of the bed and began to take off her shoes. "Well, thank you for saying something."
He nodded, watching her kick off a high heel and start to unbuckle the ankle strap of the other one. He lingered on the graceful curve of her calf and the arch of her foot.
"And you're right," she murmured. "I am thrilled for Jack. I hope everything works out for them. Marriage, even under the best of circumstances, is a challenge. Except for my parents, of course. Who were perfect together."
"You sure about that?" he said quietly. "Perfection's pretty damn hard to find in this world."
"True," she said, "but my parents came close. He was the business and philanthropy star. She was his social publicist. Real 1950s stuff but they were so right for each other."
"Is that what you thought you were getting with the count?"
Her eyes registered surprise but then she shook her head. "No. I never wanted to be a cheerleader for someone. I wanted to be on the field. I thought Ranulf understood that and to some degree he did. He was happy enough to spend both the money I had as well as the money I made."
He had a vision of her at her office, working those long hours, being a rock to so many people.
"You deserve better." Smith's words were low and intense.
She looked up at him and nodded. "I'm just starting to figure that out."
Even though he knew he shouldn't, he went over to her.
Reaching out, he ran a finger down the silky skin of her cheek.
"Good for you," he said softly. "See you in the morning, Grace."
chapter
18
After John left, Grace changed out of her dress and went over to a window. As she stared out at the ocean, she was sorry she'd just let him walk out of her room. When he'd touched her face, she should have taken his hand and pulled him down to her.
As a matter of fact, she should just walk across the hall and kiss him.
After all, the striptease had worked better than she'd originally assumed, Grace thought. Maybe she had some vamp in her, after all.
Shoring up her courage, she stuck her head out of her door and listened for sounds that anyone was moving around in the house. Silence seemed to stretch in all directions so she figured Jack and Blair were likely celebrating their engagement privately. Her mother wasn't home yet, either.
Rapping on John's door softly, she waited with her breath held. There was no answer.
Frowning, she knocked a little louder.
When there was still ho response, she stuck her head inside.
"John?” she said into the darkness.
She went through the door. As her eyes adjusted, she could see shapes inside the room. The bed, the highboy some of his things like his bag and his windbreaker. The door to the bathroom was open and she saw, in the glow of the night-light, a towel bunched up on the marble counted and another hanging off the shower door. There was a razor and a can of shaving cream next to the sink.