Page 40 of Please, Stay

“Festive.” He tapped her wreath broach.

“I know it’s probably stupid, but it was my mom’s.” She touched it. The metal warmed under her fingers. “It’s like she’s with me.”

His hands ran up and down her arms, warming her skin under the thin wool jacket that matched her dress. The cold front brought brisk winds and the smell of snow, although none had fallen yet. She hated the gray skies.

Grayson kissed her forehead. “I think the wreath is nice.” He reached in the car and pulled out the leather jacket he’d thrown in the backseat and slipped it on. “Let’s go before you freeze. Why didn’t you wear pants?”

She cocked her chin up a notch, stalling to delay her interview a few more minutes. She wasn’t ready. “I didn’t want to wear pants.” It’d taken her an hour to settle on the dress. She smoothed the front of the wool. “I’m not too cold.”

He looked her up and down. “You have goosebumps.”

She crossed her ankles. “No one will be looking at my legs.”

His mouth captured her shock and subsequent moan before he broke it off with a frustrated sigh. “All I’ve done since we left Statem is stare at your legs.”

Juliana glanced down. Definitely not worth the attention. His warm hand continued to cup the side of her cheek, his thumb grazing back and forth along her temple.

“I’ll be happy to try and warm them up later.” His voice rumbled in a way that made her cold legs grow weak. A dark promise that warmed her blood. A car honked at the red light a few feet away. It sped off, leaving a haze of exhaust that stung her nose.

She cleared her throat. “I don’t think I have to worry about someone staring at my legs today. The assistant is probably old, Grayson.”

“Old men are worse than young ones. Most of them just don’t care anymore. Or—” he wiggled his eyebrows “—they lost their touch on how to look and not get caught.”

She rolled her eyes and tried to push away, but he blocked her, boxing her in when he planted a hand on the car on either side of her.

“Juliana, you’re one of the prettiest women I’ve ever seen. I hate it that you don’t realize that.”

He had no idea how much hearing those words affected her. She brushed back a small lock of his hair that the wind had caught. “I thought only Clark Kent wore glasses, but I think Superman might need some as well.”

“I’m not Superman, and I don’t need glasses.” He nipped her bottom lip once. “A blind man could see how pretty you are.” His thick body pressed against hers, shielding her from cold wind. “Although x-ray vision might be nice.”

Her phone’s calendar chimed. It was time. She slouched. “I don’t want to be late.”

Exhaling, he pushed himself away and drew her upright by her waist.

“You don’t look like you want to go, either.”

She squared her shoulders, facing the massive white building. “I can do this.” She finally had her opportunity to prove herself.

He linked his fingers with hers. “You’ll do great.”

It was a “boyfriend” move. The support. Coming along with her to spend a little more time together. If only life cooperated. With a gentle tug, he led her across the street and through the large pillars that flanked either side of the entrance.

Juliana and Grayson each signed their name with the first security guard and passed through a tall metal detector. The guard patted Grayson down twice. He didn’t seem to mind. He did look a little rougher than their usual clientele in business suits.

They walked together to the long information desk in the center of the lobby.

Juliana plastered on a professional smile. “I’m here to see Lawrence Spencer.”

The security guard in a crisp, white buttoned-up shirt motioned to the sign-in sheet. “Sign in there, please. We are under a modified threat level today. Do you have any weapons on you?” He stood to look over the counter at them.

“No,” Juliana said. This didn’t do a thing to calm down her nerves. Grayson answered the same, but the guard assessed him a little longer.

“What’s your business here?”

“I have an appointment.”

The guard didn’t take his eyes off Grayson and tapped the sign-in sheet where she’d just written the purpose of her visit. “I meant the gentlemen.”

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