Page 54 of Please, Stay

“Someone will let you know tonight. Again, I’m sorry about the situation with Lawrence. He’s been fired from the staff, and he is facing charges for both sexual harassment and misconduct by a state employee.”

Juliana did feel marginally better about that, but she’d avoid telling her dad about him. “Thank you. I’m sorry it turned out that way.”

“I’m worried he’s done this with other young ladies, and no one’s spoken out about it. Never feel like you shouldn’t speak up. You’re a pretty woman, Juliana. I pray this situation doesn’t happen again, but nothing’s a guarantee in this life.”

“I understand,” she said, one eye still watching her dad.

“I’ll have my staff look for your article. Take care, Juliana.”

“You too, Mr. Governor.” She tapped the end button on the phone.

The church’s twelve o’clock bell began to chime. Bad timing. She’d managed to keep her dad in a good mood all morning until now. The big day had arrived. Ms. Iris planned to bring Carrie to the diner.

“Boyfriend?”

“Dad—”

He held up his hand. Most of the red had disappeared from his face. “I don’t have time to get into this. If you want to leave, then go.”

“I’m not leaving you.” This wasn’t the best day to shove such a blatant reminder of Eliza in his face with Carrie, but there was no backing out of the plan.

He ignored her statement. “I promised Iris that I’d meet her at the diner for lunch.”

Good. Her dad would still go. “Let me grab my jacket.”

Her dad walked out of theDispatcha few paces ahead of Juliana. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his worn, light blue jeans. The blue plaid, button-up shirt looked as though he’d taken an iron to it this morning. Had he done that for Iris?

With perfect timing, Grayson exited the bed and breakfast looking every bit like James Dean in his dark jeans and leather jacket. Sexy in a bad-boy sort of way without even trying. And she knew better than anyone he didn’t have to try. He’d woken up Saturday looking amazing.

The memory hit her hard. The image of him, leaning over her. The not-so-subtle way he’d warned and shown her that he wanted her. She’d never imagined how overwhelming those words would make her feel.

What would it be like? Grayson consuming every thought, every feeling. The flash of heat and the slow burn that simmered for hours, even days, later. The feel of his body pressing down on hers—

“Are you getting sick, child?” Her dad whirled around.

Startled, Juliana’s hand covered her throat.

“You are out of breath like you just ran a mile.”

She was. Her breath rushed in and out like she’d exercised. All she’d done was think about Grayson. Well, it was a little more than a passing thought. More like a nice, daytime fantasy.

“I’m fine. Must be the cold air.” She offered him a small smile. He grunted and continued to walk.

If remembering him barely touching her made her out of breath, she’d be a complete wreck if they did sleep together. Either that or she’d pass out from lack of oxygen.

Without glancing in her direction, on purpose, she imagined, Grayson stepped onto the curb a few yards in front of them and disappeared into the diner.

They followed a few moments later. He’d grabbed a table in the far corner and sat down. Becky headed his way with a Coke in her hand.

“I’m going to go see Becky.”

Her dad grunted as he sat at his usual seat at the counter but ignored her otherwise. He might still be mad at her, but she saw the way his eyes locked on the kitchen door. Probably for Ms. Iris.

Somehow, Juliana didn’t run to Grayson. She didn’t even look at him as she maneuvered past other tables along her way. She deserved a medal for that. A few people in the diner glanced between Grayson and her. The word had gotten around about who he was, along with the picture of their kiss on the internet, but no one in Statem had dared to mention anything about it to her dad. Another reason she loved her small town. They’d protect her just as quickly as they would talk about her behind her back.

“Hi.” She gave a feeble wave and then groaned inwardly. That was stupid. They slept side-by-side and had seriously considered having sex. She should give him a kiss, not some lame-ass wave hello like a socially awkward sixth-grader. But her dad was in the vicinity, and today was for Eliza.

Those blue eyes bore into hers, not helping her blood pressure to return to normal. He smirked as if he knew exactly where her mind had wandered earlier. Had he thought of it, too? Hopefully, she was more than another notch on the bedpost to him. Too bad, at this point, she hadn’t accomplished anything more than a scratch on his bedpost as opposed to an actual notch, but still, it didn’t change the hope that she meant something more.

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