Page 74 of Good Girls Don't Kiss and Tell

Eric saw her before Grant finished his sentence. She stood just inside the doorway in a long black coat, her blonde hair clipped back from her face, making her narrowed eyes and thin lips stand out more. Eric wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and kiss her until those hard eyes softened, but he had a feeling if he tried anything, she might kick his nuts straight up between his shoulder blades.

“Well, hello there, Gracie Lou. Long time no see.”

Gracie gave him a look that could have fried fungus. “What in the hell is wrong with you? Siccing your mother on me! Have you no balls?”

Eric looked over at his brother, who started whistling and scrubbing the tables again. “Hey, Grant, why don’t you take off and get us a couple of burgers from Jensen’s Diner?”

Grant grinned at him, unashamed to be enjoying his big brother’s discomfort. “Sure, bro. It was good to see you, Gracie. You look smoking hot, by the way. Too good for my idiot brother.”

Eric shot him a warning look, and Grant sauntered out the door with a swagger. When the door closed behind him, Eric turned the full force of his irritation onto Gracie, slamming down the case of beer in in his hands. “Now, what was it you were blathering about?”

Gracie’s acidic look matched her tone perfectly. “I was blathering about how your mother stopped by and let me know how disappointed she was that I had hurt your feelings, and how even Miss Know-It-All had noticed our strained relationship.” She pulled a paper from inside her coat and smacked him on the shoulder with the rolled-up parchment. “Really? You had to put it in the goddamn paper? You couldn’t come and talk to me like a man, but you had to use the whole town and your mother to bend me to your will?”

Eric’s whole body lit up with rage. Who was she to come in here after avoiding him like the plague and start shit?

“Look, I didn’t say anything to my mother, but if that column got you to do the adult thing and come talk to me, then obviously I made the right call.”

“Except real adults don’t need to use underhanded tactics and manipulation to get what they want.”

He crossed his arms over his chest, scoffing. “And you know all about being a mature adult, huh? You get a bug in your bonnet about something, and instead of coming to me and talking about it, you avoid me like I’m the dorky guy in high school about to ask you to the prom?” Eric shook his head, refusing to pull any punches. “You’ve always been an immature little brat. Why I thought age would change you, I have no idea.”

She actually looked down at her nails as if he was being the unreasonable one. “I was not being immature, I was busy.”

“Horse shit! You were having a freak-out about something, but I’ve got news for you, sweetheart. You agreed to help me out with my little problem until New Year’s Day. After that, I don’t care if you never say boo to me again, but I have been keeping up with the McAllisters for over two weeks now. This isn’t some one-way street. So, whatever your issue is, get the fuck over it.”

All semblances of calm gone, her voice rose two octaves. “Believe me, I am wondering what in the hell was wrong with me to even agree to this crazy scheme.”

“Well, it’s too late to back out now!” he shouted.

Dog sat up, backing excitedly, and both of them jumped. Eric had actually forgotten he’d brought him to work with him, he’d been so chill.

Gracie looked over at him, and her face softened a bit. “Oh, you got him?”

“Yeah, they called me yesterday to come get him.” Eric almost added that he’d wanted to call her but had been too chicken shit to.

“That is so great. I am so glad.” Gracie cleared her throat as she faced him again. “I did have a little freak-out. I think I just got confused because all this started to feel too real, you know? I think it was a lapse, us taking the game past a mutually beneficial relationship to…”

“Hot, pulse-pounding, extremely satisfactory fucking?” He walked toward her with a grin that felt more like his jaw was going to break, uncrossing his arms so they hung by his sides. “But I’m just a lapse? ’Cause that’s not what you were saying when you were ripping my shirt off and shoving your tongue down my throat.”

Gracie’s face flamed, and she retorted, “Yeah, well, I was horny and you were there. But now that I’ve realized how complicated things can get, I’m thinking we should go back to keeping this professional.”

He was standing in front of her now, and she had to lift her face up to look at him. He reached out his big hand and cupped her chin, running his thumb along her soft cheek. He felt her shiver and smiled knowingly. “It’s like I keep telling you, Gracie Lou, it’s not all about you. Maybe I’m not ready to give up on having your sweet little body under me.”

She planted her hands on his chest and pushed. He barely stepped back, and she tried to push him again. “You’re a jackass! I’m not going to fall down at your feet like you’re God’s gift. If I say that this twisted friends-with-benefits shit ends now, I mean it.”

He grabbed her hands, fury churning in his gut. How dare she act as though that was all there was here. “Wouldn’t it be more like enemies with benefits? I think we dislike each other too often to be real friends.”

His words had been cutting, and he regretted them instantly. But he couldn’t call them back before she ripped her hands away. “You are so right. I was delusional to think that beneath all that macho bullshit was someone with an actual beating heart.”

“Oh, I’ve got a heart, all right, but there is no way I’d open it up to someone as self-centered as you.”

“You know what? Screw you and our deal. It’s off!” She turned to head for the door.

He caught her before she got far, and pulled her slight body tight against his tall frame.

She slammed her fist against his chest, her face a deep red. “Stay the fuck away from me.”

Eric saw the tears hanging on the edge of her bottom lid and knew he had put them there. He was being a jackass as much as she was being a stubborn little shit. If he’d just talked to her instead of pulling that underhanded crap with the column….

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