Page 9 of You Complicate Me

“So,” Nick began, “tell me who I’ll be meeting this week.”

“Well, other than my brother and cousin, my mom and dad, Sarah and David, will be there. They live out in Seattle. She’s an accountant and he’s an actuary. They’re, um, well-meaning.”

He leaned forward. “Interesting choice of words.”

She blew a wayward curl off her forehead. “Oh, don’t get me wrong, they’re great people. They’re just unique.”

She didn’t explain and he didn’t push. He supposed he’d figure out what she meant soon enough.

“Then, I imagine dad will dig up Grandma Ruthie and drag her out here,” she added. “She’s a joy.”

Her tone dripped sarcasm, but as Grace spoke, it became clear that she adored and was exasperated by her family in equal measure. He envied her that. His own family was a bit of a joke, as Grace would soon find out. If any of them bothered to show, that is.

“Well, Sadie is really impressed with everyone she’s met,” he said. “In fact, she can’t stop talking about them. I’ve heard more about your family than I’ve heard about Michael.”

A frown line creased her smooth brow. “That’s kind of weird, isn’t it? Wouldn’t you think she’d be talking about Michael nonstop?”

He shrugged. “I wouldn’t know. Never been married or engaged.”

Nadine returned with their drinks. “You kids decide what you’d like?”

Nick nodded to Grace. “Go ahead, angel.”

She paused for a moment, giving him a look he couldn’t interpret. Then, she sighed and turned her attention to Nadine. “Okay, I’ll have a bacon double cheeseburger with fries…no, wait, onion rings…no, wait, fries and onion rings. And a side salad with a cup of chicken tortilla soup. And a large chocolate shake.” She shrugged sheepishly, then added, “Please.”

“Okay,” Nadine said, dragging the word out a few extra syllables. She turned to Nick with wide eyes. “What about you, doll?”

“Uh, I’ll have a cup of beef vegetable and a turkey club, please. Thanks, Nadine.”

As Nadine shuffled back to the kitchen, Nick looked back to Grace, who was gnawing on her thumbnail. “What’s the matter?” he asked her.

For a moment, he thought she’d avoid answering, but eventually, she said, in a low voice, “I have a really fast metabolism, so I’m hungry all the time. It’s embarrassing, okay? I try not to eat in front of new people if I can help it. But I get sick if I don’t eat every few hours, so I didn’t have a choice this time.”

Nick had seen her drunk, pissed off, and throwing attitude at him like a major-league pitcher, but seeing her looking all nervous and vulnerable sucker-punched him.

He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Hey, you don’t have to be embarrassed about anything with me, okay? Just be yourself. I like everything I’ve seen so far.”

She blinked at him, then glanced at his hand on hers. “Thanks,” she whispered.

And as her eyes lifted to his again, the air around them shifted. In that moment, Nick wanted nothing more than to lean across the table and find out if her lush pink lips were as soft as they looked.

Grace broke eye contact first, gently pulling her hand back to her lap.

Too intense too fast, Nick thought. He’d made her uncomfortable. Nicely done, asshole.

Time to lighten the mood.

“Besides, your body rocks, so if you need to eat 5,000 calories a day to keep it, I’m all for it.”

Her surprised laughed ended in a snort, and Nick chuckled as she slapped a hand over her mouth. “Relax, Grace. It’s just you and me.”

Grace really wanted to relax, but she just didn’t see how that was possible when one touch from Nick sent electricity through her whole body. Okay, maybe not through her whole body. More like from his fingertips straight to lady land. There was just no relaxing around a man that, well, manly.

And for a moment, right before she totally wussed out and broke eye contact, she’d been sure he was going to kiss her. She now knew his eyes darkened to midnight blue when things got intense. Damned if she wasn’t stupid enough to want to see it again, too.

Nadine arrived, almost staggering under the weight of the tray she carried. Nick jumped up immediately and helped her distribute the plates. She thanked him profusely before heading up front to greet a young mother and child who’d just walked in.

Grace dug into her food enthusiastically, partially because she was starving, but also to distract herself from thinking about how hot Nick had looked when he brushed off Nadine’s thanks. He’d looked almost embarrassed by her gratitude.

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