Page 45 of Perfect Harmony

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“Okay, Grace, you can do this.” Grace pushedher sunglasses on top of her head and reached for the door to Nan’s Diner. Herpalms were sweaty, her heart rate was somewhere between massive heart attackand stroke, and she wanted nothing more than to turn around and run straight backhome.

After what happened Saturday night, the lastthing she wanted to do was spend more time with Gideon. In fact, she let go ofthe door handle and took a step back, this was a really bad idea. A good ideawas texting Gideon that she was sick, returning to her house, grabbing her passport,and fleeing the country for the next thousand years.

“Yep,” she said. “That’s what I need to do.I hear Canada is beautiful this time of year.”

“The winters are wretchedly cold though.”

Gideon’s deep voice spoke directly into herear, and she screeched and staggered away before whipping around.

“Are you trying to give me a heart attack?”She pressed her palm against her heart, it’s rabbit like pace freaking her outa little.

“Sorry.”

Gideon didn’t actually look sorry and shescowled at him. “Don’t sneak up on me like that again.”

“I wasn’t sneaking up. I was joining you atNan’s Diner for our nine o’clock appointment.”

He was wearing jeans and a black long-sleevedshirt underneath his police vest. She studied the handcuffs hanging off hispolice belt before looking away. From the moment he’d said he would handcuffher to his bed, she’d been obsessed with his stupid handcuffs.

How would it feel to have that cool metal againsther skin? How would it feel to hear the click as he closed them? How would itfeel to be cuffed to his headboard, ass up and head down while Gideon pulledher panties to her thighs and spanked her?

God help her, she wanted to find out.

“What are you thinking about?” Gideonsaid.

Fuck it. He deserved to be punished fornearly giving her a heart attack. “Being handcuffed to your bed.”

His face reddened. She stared defiantly athim, but it was her turn to blush when Gideon took a quick look around then reacheddown and adjusted the crotch of his jeans.

“Gideon,” she said, “we’re in public.”

“If you don’t want to see me adjusting myboner in public, stop talking about being handcuffed to my bed,” he said.

Hearing the word boner come out of Gideon’smouth – something she never thought she’d hear – made her laugh.

He grinned at her. It made the little linesaround his beautiful eyes deepen, and softened his face and, good God, sheloved this man. Loved him with every ounce of her being and always would.

“About Saturday night…”

“Nope,” she said. “We’re not talking aboutthat. Not now, not here. If we do, we’ll get into a fight, and Wanda is countingon us to help with this fundraiser. Can we call a truce for one day? Please?”

“Yes,” he said. “Are you sleeping better?You look like you are.”

“I am.” She waited for him to ask abouthis missing shirt, already trying to come up with an explanation that wasn’tI’msleeping better because I wear your shirt to bed every night, so, no, you can’thave it back.

He didn’t say anything else and feelingboth guilty and relieved, she said, “Okay, let’s get in there, ask Nan for adonation, and move on to the next business.”

“Did you eat breakfast?” He opened thedoor for her, and they walked into the diner.

“No.” She’d been so nervous about seeingGideon, her appetite was non-existent. Now, being in the diner and seeing and smellingthe delicious food, her stomach made the tiniest show of hunger.

“Let’s eat breakfast first,” he said.

“I know you’re busy,” she said. “If we movequick, we could be finished by noon.”

“You need to eat and so do I,” he said.

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