Page 120 of Grace on the Rocks

Nodding again,Gracewhispered, “Betterthan okay.Ilike it that you’re checking in.”Itmade her feel so safe, and she needed him to know that. “What’suh… next?” she asked hesitantly.

Bryan peered at her intently, and then he said, “Lady’schoice.Wecould watch a movie?Ormake a fire?”

Five different ideas of things they could do flitted throughGrace’shead one after another, none of them so tame as building a campfire, but she refused to panic.Theyhad all night and five tomorrows.Andright now, she had a pretty good idea.

“Is there any champagne left?” she asked before she could chicken out.

Smiling,Bryanreached over her head and into the cabinet for a glass.

She stilled his arm.

“Something that won’t shatter on tile.”

His eyebrows shot up, intrigued, but he rummaged around until he found an old plastic cup emblazoned with theCelticfootball logo and filled it with champagne.

“You owe me a bubble bath,” she explained, in case her intention wasn’t clear.

“Do you need reading material?” he offered as he led her to the bathroom.

“That would be rude to my companion,” she said.

“I didn’t want to assume.”

“I think you very much wanted to,” she teased, skimming her gaze down his front as though she could see a hard-on, and delighting in the flush that tinged his cheeks above his beard.

She leaned against the wall, admiring the way his kilt rose up in the back as he bent to run the water.

“Bubbles?” he asked, glancing over his shoulder and catching her appreciative stare.Hiseyes heated.

“Absolutely bubbles,” she agreed, lifting her cup of champagne courage in mock salute.

After adding a generous amount of bubble bath to the running water, he turned her around to help with the zipper of her beautiful dress, his fingers skimming softly over her skin in a trail of fire.

“Are you certain?” he asked, holding the dress for her to step out of it, as she used his shoulders for balance.

Grace hung the purple masterpiece from a hook on the door and turned back to untuck his shirt from his kilt, finally nodding in answer to his question. “I’mcertain,” she said softly.

“You’ll tell me if you change your mind?”

She practically melted into a puddle right there, but she managed to whisper, “Promise,” before sliding into the bath and leaning forward soBryancould slip in behind her.

For the longest time, they sat back to chest and just held each other in the warm, lilac-scented water.Grace’sheart was beating too fast, and she kept having to remind herself to breathe, but the water was relaxing and she wanted this.Shefelt the panic creep in and threaten her with its old black fog when she realized his erection was digging into her back, but she forced herself to lean forward and take a long swig of champagne.Whenshe leaned back again, he had adjusted himself and her breathing began to level out.

“Thank you for editing my speech,” he finally whispered into her hair before planting a kiss on the side of her neck.

“It wasn’t presumptuous?” she asked.

“Not even a little.Ihadn’t thought about using easier words.”

“It’s normally how you talk, without really thinking about it,Iguess.”

“Thanks for noticing, then.Andfor encouraging me.”

“I’ll never stop encouraging you,” she said, tipping her chin down to kiss the arm he’d thrown around her. “Thankyou for giving me my quinceañera.”

“Double quinceañera.Itwasn’t… presumptuous?”

“Maybe a little.”

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