Page 33 of You Complicate Me

“Borrowed,” he corrected.

“Nuance.”

“You were a complete turd,” David said, still sounding distracted and not looking up from his Kindle.

“Thanks, Uncle David.”

He grunted in reply. Sarah buried her head in her hands as she cried, “I don’t think I’ve ever been more ashamed of you children.”

Grace narrowed her eyes. “What about you, Mom? I know you’re not perfect, either. What secrets are you hiding?”

Her head shot up and her eyes went deer-in-headlights wide. “Nothing,” she said too quickly.

Gage raised a brow. “Uncle David?”

Her father lifted his head and blinked a few times before saying, “She smoked pot in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. A lot of it.” He gave Sadie a wink before returning his attention to the zombie apocalypse.

Her mother let out a shocked gasp, threw down her napkin, and jerked to her feet. “I’ve had just about enough of this. I’m not feeling well and I’m going to bed.”

As she turned on her heel and strode from the room, head held high and regal, Gage turned to Sadie and said, “Can’t help but notice she didn’t deny it.”

Sadie giggled, then slapped a hand over her mouth as if she couldn’t believe such a sound had come out of her. Gage graced her with one of his rare smiles that—Grace had been told—could stop a girl’s heart...or drop her panties. Sadie didn’t appear to be immune, as red stained her cheeks and she dropped her gaze to the table.

Grace’s stomach rumbled ominously, letting her know it was time to cut the evening short. “Look, it’s been a long night. Michael, why don’t we all go our separate ways so you and Sadie can talk privately?”

Everyone got up and mumbled their goodbyes. Grace noticed that her brother left the table and didn’t look back at Sadie once. Gage noticed, too.

“That fucker,” he muttered. “No way could the golden boy understand what she’s going through.”

Grace hated it when Gage called Michael that. It wasn’t Michael’s fault that her parents doted on him. Or that Gage’s parents were neglectful shitheads who completely abandoned their son and disappeared when he was just a kid. “Let it go, Gage. Michael will come around.”

He grunted in reply before adding, “Hey, nice job sticking up for her tonight.”

He held out his clenched fist and she rolled her eyes as she bumped knuckles with him. “What are you—twelve?”

He flipped her off and headed to the elevator. She glanced back at Nick, who was watching her with the most intense expression she’d ever seen directed at her.

And God knew that as a lawyer, she’d had some pretty damned intense expressions aimed at her a time or two.

“What is it?” she asked warily.

He didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed her hand and tugged her into an elevator. When the doors closed, he shoved her against the wall and captured her squeak of surprise with his mouth.

When she was pretty sure he’d melted every bone in her body with the passion and heat in that kiss, he rested his forehead on hers and said, “You’re amazing, Grace Montgomery.”

“Huh?” she asked, dismayed that eloquence had completely escaped her.

“I know you’re against my sister marrying your brother, and when you had your shot, you didn’t take it.”

Grace sighed. “I’m not against your sister at all. I’m against a couple of children getting married. But still, your sister seems great. I didn’t want to see her get hurt like that. She doesn’t deserve it.”

He pushed a curl behind her ear, letting his fingertips linger on her skin. “That’s why you’re amazing. No one but me has ever stood up for Sadie before.”

“Well, that’s just…not right.” She frowned. Apparently her eloquence was still MIA. Or maybe she’d never had any with Nick to begin with.

He smiled and leaned in for another kiss. She braced herself against the wall, just in case her knees gave out. Again.

But just as his lips were a whisper away from her own, the elevator door opened and a harried-looking Gage stepped inside. “Thank God I found you. How are you feeling?”

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