CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Grace was sitting behind her computer while Mason napped the next day, staring at the blinking cursor, trying really, really hard not to miss the man she was writing about, when the phone rang and she saw an unfamiliar number appear on the screen. Dylan had left the day before for Australia and the big, week-long yacht race. He had been as reluctant to go as she and Mason had been to kiss him good-bye, but if things were ever going to have a chance of working out between them, they would have to learn how to give each other the space they needed: Dylan for his boats, and Grace for her writing. This trip would be good for them, she reminded herself as she looked at the number on the screen and tried again to place it.
She’d never been nervous about picking up the phone before leaving D.C. But it was times like this when she immediately thought about her ex and his family and wondered if they had been tracking her after all—if they knew she’d had the baby and now were calling to try to take away her son so that he could continue the Bentley line.
As she let the call go to voice mail, she told herself as she had so many times before to stop looking for danger around every corner. She was just overtired from not getting enough sleep the night before. Not, of course, that she would trade the hot lovemaking with Dylan for any amount of sleep. Some things were well worth losing sleep over, she thought as a small smile moved onto her lips.
Yet again, even without being here, he was making her smile, making her forget the darkness that had so often felt as though it were lurking, waiting to pounce when she was at her most vulnerable.
Feeling much more steady, she hit the Play button on her phone and was surprised to hear a familiar voice. “Hi, Grace, it’s Tatiana. I hope it’s okay that Dylan gave me your number. Since Mia surprised us all with a wedding, I wanted to surprise her with a party to celebrate it—just the girls. I know this is short notice, but is there any way that you’d be available to come by the set of my movie tomorrow night at six? Can’t wait to hear from you.”
Even though Grace already knew how nice and down-to-earth the other woman was, it didn’t change the fact that Tatiana was still a massive movie star. She couldn’t believe that she’d just been invited to the set. Especially when she wasn’t at all certain that she counted as “one of the girls” even though she’d been at Mia’s wedding.
Not wanting to be rude, however, Grace called back immediately. “Thank you so much for the invitation to Mia’s party. I’d love to come,” she said honestly, “but I don’t know if I’ll be able to get a babysitter.”
“Sorry,” Tatiana said, “I’m a little fried from the scene I just shot today. I think the director actually wants to scrape off a piece of my soul for this movie.” The other woman let out a long breath that Grace could easily sympathize with, given that she was feeling just as fried from trying to write her cover story about Dylan. “I also meant to say in my message that you should definitely bring Mason. Some of the other girls will be bringing their kids, too, and I know he’ll have a ton of fun playing with them.”
Grace had left behind everyone and everything she’d known a year and a half ago, which meant that she hadn’t gone out for a drink with any girlfriends in a really long time. Suddenly, a night with the Sullivan women felt like exactly what she needed, even if she still couldn’t quite shake the feeling that she didn’t really belong in their league. Then again, she wouldn’t ever have believed that she could end up with a man like Dylan…and look what had happened when she’d finally let herself go with him: magic.
“Count me in. Is there anything I can do to help set up?”
“Nope, I’ve got everything covered here. Just bring yourself and your cute little boy. And plan to have fun!”
* * *
Grace’s evening was full, just as it had been for the past ten months, with feeding Mason dinner, then giving him his bath, reading him a story, and putting him to bed. But their bedtime ritual seemed a little bit off. And she knew why: It wasn’t just that Mason’s second tooth had just come in, it was also because they were clearly both wishing Dylan was there with them. Reading Mason a story. Kissing him good night.
And then holding her tight all night long after making the sweetest love imaginable to her.
Unfortunately, though it was late by the time she finally got Mason to settle down, since she was still struggling with her writing she returned to her computer to put in a couple more hours before she turned in. Forcing herself to hold focus on her article, rather than daydreaming about the main subject’s kisses—or letting herself worry that something bad might have happened to him because he hadn’t yet called—she began the heavy lifting of revising what she’d written earlier in the day.
Before she could make much headway, though, her phone buzzed and her heart leaped in her chest when she saw his name pop up on the screen.
Grace had promised herself she wouldn’t stare at her phone all night waiting for Dylan to call. There had been too many nights when her ex had promised to check in, but hadn’t. She’d believed Richard when he’d told her it was because he’d been working late and lost track of time—when, she later found out, he’d been courting the woman he actually planned to marry. Grace had simply been a convenient, and easy, bit on the side.
But Dylan had kept his promise, just as he’d kept every other promise he’d made to her so far. It had been a long time since she’d let herself feel the joy of wanting someone, and being wanted right back. Just as she’d relished the glorious hours in his arms two nights ago, she decided it was okay to relish this lovely warm feeling in her chest right now.
“Hi.”
“Have I mentioned just how much I love the sound of your voice?”
Just like that, he had her flushing, heat moving through her. “It’s really nice hearing yours, too. How was your flight?”
“Good. Although I may have driven myself a little crazy thinking about you the whole time. I’m so glad you’re still up. Once we get going tomorrow morning, it might be hard for me to catch you again, so I really needed to talk to you tonight. Tell me about your day.”
“Tatiana called and invited Mason and me to a surprise party for Mia that she’s throwing on her set.”
“My sister is going to love seeing both of you again. And Mason is going to dig playing with my cousins’ kids. Just don’t let any of the girls corrupt you. Especially my cousin Lori. She can be a wild one, particularly when she and Mia get together.” Grace was amazed, yet again, by how easy he made things sound, as though he wasn’t surprised at all that she’d been invited to a big family party when they’d only just started dating. “How’s your writing going?”
She knew better than to bother with a good this time. “I’m going to get it soon. I just know it. And until then, I’ll just keep plugging away at my computer so that when lightning strikes, I’ll be ready.”
“Next week on Sunday,” he reminded her. “Once we get you out on my boat, it’s all going to come together for you.”
Her heartbeat kicked up even faster at the thought of sailing with Dylan, just as it always did when she thought about being alone with him in his ultimate domain. Right there in the cockpit confessional.
“What about Mason? I’ve been missing that little guy like crazy. How was his day?”
“It was great. His second tooth finally popped through.”
“Every day there’s something new and exciting, isn’t there?” Dylan truly sounded interested and excited by this small milestone. “We’ll have to celebrate his new tooth when I get back.”
Dylan’s reaction reminded her of how her parents had raised her, where even an event as small as her baby growing another tooth was something to celebrate.
Thinking about how Mason had been a little off all day, she said, “He misses you.” But she knew that was cheating. Dylan had given her his all since they’d met, and he deserved better from her. “I’ve been missing you, too.”
“You have no idea how tempted I am to catch the next plane back to you.”
“You’ve got to do this race,” she told him. “And you’ve got to promise me that you’ll enjoy it.” She’d never forgive herself if she and Mason stole Dylan’s truest joy from him.
“I’ll trade you that promise for one from you.” The tenor of his voice had shifted as he spoke, from playful to sensual.
“What do you want me to promise you?”
“That we won’t hang up tonight until you’ve come for me.”
“But—” She could hardly speak around the desire already rising inside of her. “How can I do that when you’re not here?”
“Promise me, Grace.”
Shocked by how close to the edge nothing but the sexy promise in his voice had taken her, she whispered, “I promise.”
“All day long I’ve been putting together a fantasy about you in my head. Will you help me live it out?”
“Yes.”
God, yes.