“What the hell are you two doing?” demanded DuFord as he stared them down.
Red flushed brightly in Grace’s cheeks as her mouth gapped open. “I’m so sorry,” she muttered.
“Don’t apologize.” Simon backed away to let her feet meet the ground again. He stood in front of her, trying to protect at least some of her modesty, while he turned to face DuFord.
DuFord narrowed his eyes at Simon. Any charm faded away as his anger showed. “You have the nerve to fuck my ex in my own home?”
“It’s not like that,” protested Grace, but Simon held up a hand to stop her.
“Things just got out of control.” He hoped there was some way to downplay the situation.
“Don’t fucking patronize me, West. I know your game.”
Simon stood straighter, trying to play it cool. “What are you talking about?”
“You think I didn’t have you investigated after Hunt bailed on me? I know everything about you. I know what size shoe you wear. I know your entire family thinks you’re a waste of space, asshole. I know you’d have no problem sleeping with a party planner to get closer to me,” he said with a pointed look to Grace. “Also, I know you were ‘best’ friends with Darren Wilson.”
Simon’s blood ran cold. “You don’t know a goddamn thing about Darren,” he bit out.
DuFord raised a brow. “Really? He was a pathetic twat who couldn’t manage money and couldn’t handle it when things didn’t go his way.”
Simon lunged forward. “They were going to send him to prison, you son of a—”
“Simon!” Grace grabbed at his waist and pulled him back.
At the last second, he refrained from throwing her off. This wasn’t the time or place to give DuFord the beatdown he truly deserved.
As he relaxed under her touch, Grace released him and bent down to pick up his shirt. “Mark, I’m truly sorry you had to see this, but I promise you, Simon isn’t
using
me to get to you.”
DuFord snorted. “You’re a fucking moron, Grace.”
She stiffened at the attack, but remained steady.
“You think you can waltz in here with your pretty little dresses and teasing smile and you’ll suddenly fit in. You’re a party planner, for Christ’s sake. The only reason someone with half the sense of West would fuck you is if he wanted something. And I can guarantee prettier women than you have been begging him for it.”
Simon’s vision narrowed until all he could see was DuFord. Everything in him exploded as his fist shot out and his knuckles slammed into DuFord’s jaw. DuFord slammed into the ground and Simon couldn’t help the smug grin that emerged on his face. As he realized Grace wasn’t trying to stop him anymore, he looked back to her.
Grace took a deep swallow and licked her lips. She blinked a few times, but he could see her eyes tearing up.
“That’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made, West.” DuFord pushed himself up.
Simon pushed his arms through his sleeves and quickly did up a few buttons. “Fuck you,” he shot back as he wrapped an arm around Grace’s waist. “Come on,” he said, but Grace twisted away from him.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Both of you.” She looked between the two men with utter contempt in her eyes.
“Grace, we should leave.”
She shook her head even as she walked toward the door. “You can both go to hell. I don’t have to deal with any of this.”
He stared after her for a few moments. Was she this into the act or was she really mad at him?
“Trouble in paradise?” Mark rubbed his jaw.
Simon was tempted to go for the other side of DuFord’s face this time, but someone from the hallway shouted, “Mark! They’re getting ready to serve!”
Simon gnashed his teeth together and turned away. He’d have to deal with DuFord later. He rushed past the few guests still in the main entryway and out the front door. By that time, Grace was halfway down the drive. “Grace!” He ran to catch up with her.
She didn’t even look over her shoulder or stop when he reached out to touch her arm.
“Are you pissed at me?” he asked as he came to walk alongside her.
She abruptly stopped to turn and push her hands roughly into his chest. “What do you think, West? I’m trying to sell the bit, so help me out!”
He backed away a few steps, but didn’t need to fake his shocked expression. “You’re playing hurt right now?”
She shook her head and continued on her angry march. “I don’t have to play pissed all that hard. It’s taking everything in me to not turn around and wring Mark’s scrawny little neck. I’m just redirecting it. We can use it to our advantage if he thinks I hate you.”
“You’re amazing.” He waved his arms to make it seem as though they were still fighting.
“You better believe it. Ugh! What a little prick! He was trying to hurt me as much as possible. Going right for the jugular.”
“You didn’t believe him, did you?” She seemed as though she’d realized exactly how full of bullshit DuFord was, but his words had been laced with so much venom, he’d be surprised if she wasn’t affected.
“He completely contradicted himself!” she said, not slowing down at all. “He said I wasn’t pretty enough for you! What a jackass. He didn’t have any complaints when I was on his arm.” She stopped in front of the car. “Now make it look like you’re trying to get me into the car.”
“I’m really glad you see things that way.” He roughly grabbed her arms, and she wiggled free. “I can’t believe you think that fast on your feet.” He punctuated the sentence by narrowing his eyes and pointing at the car.
“Mark’s an idiot. I’m fucking brilliant!” She stormed off to the other side and jumped in, slamming the door behind her.
~~~~~
Grace’s heart beat a frantic rhythm in her chest as Simon climbed into the driver’s seat. Mark was a jerk. And not a normal, run-of-the-mill jerk. He was a grade A, lowlife, cold-hearted jackass.
And she’d totally dated him.
She rested her forehead in her palm, just wishing she could roll into a ball and disappear. She was supposed to be able to read people? How could she have been so blind? All his charming smiles and gentlemanly compliments. All lies, and she’d had no clue.
Simon set his hand on her knee and she jerked at the sudden contact. “Don’t worry about what he said, okay?”
“I know.” She turned to stare out the window. But she was an outsider trying to fit in. Trying to dress and look the part as best she could. But some people would never see her as more than “the help” and nothing she did would change that.
For all she knew, Mark was off spreading lies about her to all of his Hamptons neighbors. Would Sarah Cliff take anything he had to say seriously? She’d already narrowly escaped reputation assassination. Now she might have to go through it all over again.
Maybe this was a sign. It was bad enough to have the senator claim they were together, but Mark was an actual psycho she’d been with. She couldn’t talk her way out of their past if he started to spread rumors.
No. Her clients loved her and there was nothing he could say to change that. They knew how hard she worked. Besides, he thought Grace and Simon were on the outs.
So the media needed to believe they were still together and Mark needed to stay convinced of their breakup. How hard could it be?
Simon turned the car in to the driveway for the cottage, and Grace jumped out as soon as it came to a halt. “I’m going to take Princess out for a bit and then we can load up the luggage,” she said, not looking back. She needed to be alone. Away from prying eyes and all the lies that had piled up at her feet.
Once she was back at her apartment, she could truly relax and focus. Tomorrow she’d work from home. Maybe take a day off. Her schedule was sparser than normal thanks to Robert Bar, and she needed some space.
Princess’s nails clattered on the tiled floor as she shifted her weight back and forth in excitement. But seeing her dog’s overjoyed expression didn’t give Grace the same calm as it normally did. “Come on, girl,” she whispered as she hooked the leash onto Princess’s collar and took her out.
Instead of packing up his things like Grace expected, Simon stood on the shore’s edge and looked out over the water.
Princess zeroed in on him immediately and put all of her muscle into getting to Simon as quickly as possible. “Hold on,” muttered Grace as she slipped her sandals off. Heels and sand didn’t mix too well.
The sun was warm, but the cool ocean breeze kept the sand from burning her feet. She focused on the salty smell and the calming ocean waves. It was a crazy weekend, but she would miss this.
“What are you doing out here?” She moved to stand next to Simon.
“Thinking. Trying to figure out my next move.”
His hastily buttoned shirt was pressed tight to his body as the wind kicked up. Grace allowed herself to appreciate the view for once. After the day she’d had, she deserved it.
“Give yourself the day off,” she said.
He glanced in her direction. “The day off?”
She shrugged. “Why the hell not? We had a half-assed plan that ended up with us falling on our faces. We’ve retreated. Now we can regroup and make sure we’re more prepared for the next one. But for now, we need to reset.”
“You didn’t seem like you were all that relaxed in the car.”
A weak smile curved Grace’s lips. “Well, do as I say, not as I do, you know?”
He let out a soft laugh. “I’ll do my best. What do you do to let go?”
She looked out over the ocean. “What is really better than this? Perfect dog. Perfect view.”
“Perfect woman?” he added.
She jerked to the side to stare at him. He couldn’t possibly think she was perfect. If anything, today was a shining example of her bad judgment.
But his eyes didn’t hold any hint of laughter. They had a serious, hungry look she’d seen before. Notably when he’d had her pushed up against the wall at Mark’s party just an hour ago. She felt the blood rush to her face and took a deep swallow. “The perfect woman wouldn’t hurt,” she said, choosing her words carefully.
He turned away. “I should get packing. I have an early day tomorrow.”
She nodded as he walked away. “Probably a good idea,” she murmured.
He said nothing, and she was left staring at his retreating back. Princess took a few steps back toward the house, following Simon. “Leave him be,” she said, not sure whether it was more to herself or the dog.
Her fingers went to her lips of their own volition as she remembered the feel of his kiss. The intensity of his gaze even as they both told themselves it was all for show. Maybe she was wrong when she’d accused him of using her. Something today had seemed so desperate…so real. Simon was the last man she’d ever expect to lose his control, yet holding him in her arms today, he’d seemed like a barely constrained beast, not the cool, calm, collected man she’d grown to know.
She sighed. It wasn’t the first time she’d realized how wrong she’d been that day. And she did make it clear that they needed to regroup and relax. Why shouldn’t she take her own advice? If she had a handsome, brilliant man staying with her who’d made it clear he wanted to be more than colleagues, why shouldn’t she take advantage?
Grace took a steadying breath and gave Princess a slight tug. Each step she took caused her heart to beat out a frantic rhythm in her chest. She wasn’t sure whether it was fear or excitement that clawed through her, but she didn’t care. Some deep part of her knew this was right. That Simon was exactly what she needed right now.
She pushed the door open and set Princess in the big bedroom where Grace had slept. She tried to keep her hands from shaking as she knocked on Simon’s door. The two seconds it took him to answer the door felt like an eternity, but as soon as he was in front of her, everything clicked into place.
“Do you really think spending the afternoon with the perfect woman would help clear your mind?” She was rather proud that her voice only slightly trembled.
For a moment, there was only silence. “What are you asking, Grace?”
“Um…” She hadn’t expected he’d ask for clarification. “I suppose I need some relaxation too, and since we’re both here…”
Simon leaned in closer, until there was barely any space between them. “I need you to be sure, Grace. It killed me to let you go today, even when DuFord walked in. This isn’t some game.”
“No game,” she said. “Just you and me.” Her mind raced with second thoughts. What if he’d changed his mind? Could she have turned him down so many times that she no longer had a chance? Mark wasn’t wrong when he’d pointed out the beautiful women that Simon could be with. Maybe she wasn’t worth the trouble.
“Get in here,” he growled. The words were so low she almost missed them, but the sudden touch of his hand on hers confirmed it. A bolt of relief pierced through her, but it was replaced with anticipation as his mouth covered hers.
She met his kiss with equal ferocity and pushed away all her doubts and fears as his hands ran up her back and found the zipper in record time. No wonder. It was the second time that day he’d undone it.
As soon as the dress was undone, Simon pushed the straps off her shoulders and the fabric puddled at her feet.
His breath caught as his eyes raked over her bared body. Emboldened by his reaction, Grace set her hands on his shoulders and pushed him back. After stumbling back a step, he fell onto the bed. She smirked at her sudden power over him, the first time she’d truly felt as if she could boss Simon around.
She followed him to the bed and straddled him, her in just her panties and bra while he was fully dressed. The rough feel of his buttons against her smooth stomach sent shivers down her spine and, unable to hold back any longer, she kissed him again.
He groaned and kissed her back. His tongue demanded entrance as one of his hands fisted in her hair. The slight tug on the delicate strands was just painful enough to be pleasurable, and Grace held him closer, tighter. His free hand ran down her back and unclasped her bra in one expert move.
One by one, he dragged the straps over her shoulders until the bra was free and tossed away. He looked down at her breasts, the rosy peaks already eager and begging for his attention.