Page 63 of Bride Under Contract

‘How do I do wings?’

‘You don’t,’ she was sharply told. ‘If you want a smoky-eyed look then it is better to call us.’

The car was there, as arranged, and it took her to another very nice hotel. She sat in Reception, nervous and unsure, leaping on her phone with relief when it rang with a video call.

‘Violet!’ Grace quickly changed hands so that she held the phone with her left one, so as to hide the enormous ring.

‘Oh, my God!’ Violet said, when she saw her. ‘Grace, you look....’

‘I just got my hair done.’

‘You’ve had everything done! Where are you?’

‘Waiting in Reception at some fancy hotel,’ Grace admitted, but then played it down. ‘I’m just going for drinks...’

‘With...?’ Violet asked eagerly. ‘Come on, Grace.’

‘Some guy I met on the tour.’

‘You look incredible!’

Violet was excited, and Grace wished it were a little more infectious.

‘Different,’ Violet said, cocking her blonde head to the side. ‘But amazing. I hardly recognise you.’

Neither did Carter for a moment.

Her curls were gone, swept in a slick chignon, and he’d never noticed Grace’s excellent posture before.

Correction. He’d examined her spine in detail, but he wasn’t thinking about that now. Just her legs, long and slim in heels, nicely toned calves...

The dress was...well, a dress. But to his surprise he missed the curls.

And further to his surprise was the fact he’d noticed.

‘Grace.’

She looked over, and as always her smile was more than her mouth. She smiled with her body, stepped towards him and raised an arm—a whole welcome with a smile.

‘They’re already here,’ he told her.

He handed his laptop and the precious blueprints that barely left his side over to the concierge, and asked him to lock them away.

Grace was waiting for him to comment—on her make-up, her hair, anything—but he didn’t.

‘Simi and Tengku,’ he told her as they walked through.

‘I tried to call you...’

‘Ms Hill said.’

She stopped—just stopped walking. And that was another thing Grace did—another damn thing he’d noticed.

‘If you ever do that on the underground in London you’ll cause a pile-up.’

He saw her angry face beneath the perfect make-up and found he missed her freckles too.

‘Grace, I don’t take personal calls at work.’

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