I’d just thought…well, seeing Grayson Hawthorn at the bank, it seemed like fate. The more I’d thought about it yesterday in my small, lonely hotel room, the more my heart had felt like there was something very right about sharing my gram’s money with that man in particular, considering the connection I knew existed between him and my father. Not that I could share that with him, and not that it would do him any good to know anyway. But I could share the money with him—money he desperately needed—and maybe set something right, balance the score in some small measure.
I had to admit his looks had swayed me too. He looked like every hero in every fairy tale I’d ever dreamed come to life. And God, I wanted to believe in heroes again.
But sometimes, I supposed, a girl just had to be her own hero.
Especially when the “hero” in question turned out to be a dragon.
I knew Grayson Hawthorn had done wrong in his life, but after examining his case particulars, it seemed more like a terrible accident. And regardless, it was a mistake he’d paid for. More than paid for. And now he was still paying in people’s perceptions of him. No one would give him a chance—or at least the loan he so desperately needed.
So I’d gone with my gut, decided at the very least to reserve judgment until I’d met him in person, and rushed to his home the next morning before I could completely lose my nerve.
Well. The Dragon would have to figure out his life for himself. Just as I would. I alone controlled my destiny. I hardly had time to indulge in despair. I parked my car in the motel lot and made my way to my room.
I stripped out of the dress and sandals I’d worn to meet with Grayson Hawthorn—an outfit from my old life I hadn’t even realized I’d packed as I’d hurriedly thrown items into my suitcase willy-nilly. As I’d dressed this morning, I’d been happy for the mistake though. I’d wanted to appear professional, and the jeans or frayed shorts I normally wore didn’t exactly say “take me seriously.” I paused. But maybe they did say “I’m desperate! Marry me!” Perhaps I should have worn those after all.
After changing, I left the motel and spent the day walking around downtown Napa, doing some window-shopping, browsing through several shops including a bookstore, and stopping for a leisurely lunch at a small café Gram had liked. Despite being hopeless and without a plan, I made a conscious effort to clear my mind and enjoy the day as much as possible. If I had to get a waitressing job like Kimberly had suggested, then that’s what I’d do. I wasn’t afraid of hard work. I had hoped for a plan offering more options, but that wasn’t to be. I straightened my spine and channeled my inner Scarlett O’Hara. I’d take today and then I’d come up with a new plan once the disaster that was this morning had rolled off my shoulders.
It was late afternoon when I returned to my motel, the sky a clear, calm blue. I let myself into my room and lay down on my bed for a minute, fatigue overwhelming me. I had tossed and turned the night before in anticipation of my morning call on Grayson Hawthorn. I was exhausted and fell asleep almost immediately.
I came awake blearily, confused for a minute about my surroundings, still in that gap between sleep and wakefulness, knowing something was wrong but not yet recalling exactly what. Reality flowed back in slowly, the pieces coming together to sit heavily on my chest. Wincing slightly, I rolled over and looked at the bedside clock. It was after four, so I’d only slept for a little over an hour. I sighed and sat up.
A warm shower soothed my muscles if not my heart, and when I got out, I felt a little more alive. I partially dried my hair and then stuck it up in a topknot that was sure to fall out. My grandmother had always said my hair was as fiery and unmanageable as I was. But she’d said it with so much love in her voice, I couldn’t help but hear it as a compliment. God, how I missed her, even after all the years she’d been gone. The absence of her unconditional love was still a painful wound.
Just as I was pulling clean clothes out of my suitcase, my cell phone rang. Kimberly, I was sure. But when I looked at the screen, it was a local number I didn’t recognize. My heartbeat stalled and then sped up in my chest as I ran my finger across the screen.
“Hello,” I answered breathlessly.
A deep voice returned my greeting, no warmth in it at all. “It’s Grayson.”
“Oh.” I feigned nonchalance as I collapsed on the bed in my towel. “How can I help you?”
“What room are you in?”
“Room?”
“Motel room. Motel 6, right? Solano Avenue?”
“Uh, yes. But—”
“What room?” he repeated.
“Two eleven. What time will you… Hello?” Did he just hang up on me? What the—
Three swift knocks sounded at my door, and I let out a startled squeak, dropping my phone on the bed and jumping to my feet. “Hold on!” I demanded, rushing to my suitcase and hurriedly pulling on a bra and underwear. The knocking resumed.
“Hold on!” I yelled again. Of all the rude…dragons.
I pulled the dress I’d worn this morning over my head and buckled the belt before I pulled the door open. Grayson Hawthorn filled the doorway, wearing the same thing he’d been wearing earlier—a pair of jeans and a blue T-shirt that stretched nicely over his lean but obviously well-muscled chest. His masculinity hit me in the gut. He smelled like he had that morning too—some sort of fresh, manly smelling soap. But now there was the slight addition of a salty tinge of sweat. I leaned forward, drawn to the masculine scent of him, but then suddenly realized what I was doing. Crossing my arms, I stepped back. “This is highly unprofessional. You should have given me some warning you were on your way.”
Grayson stepped into the room, taking his time looking around. His eyes stopped for a second on my Louis Vuitton luggage before he finally made eye contact. “I wasn’t sure I was coming until about fifteen minutes ago.”
“I see. Well, would you like to go downstairs? We could get coffee—”
“This is fine. I won’t stay long. I’ve gotta get back to work.”
I glanced around my room at the unmade bed, the clothes strewn about. I dragged the chair from the desk forward and then sat down on the upholstered bench at the end of the bed as Grayson took the chair. “I’ve been considering your offer. Before we go any further, I’d like to meet with the executor of the trust to make sure the money will be paid out as you said it will, upon our marriage or shortly afterward.”
I nodded, my heart rate accelerating. “Of course. I understand.”
Grayson gave one succinct nod. “And if everything looks fine there, we’ll need to have a prenuptial agreement drawn up, stating the financial terms of our marriage.”
“Obviously.”
“No matter what happens financially in the next year when we’re married, no finances or property will be split in any way, shape, or form.”
“No, of course.”
His expression remained enigmatic. “Once I meet with your executor, I’m going to have to trust that upon the payout, you’ll actually give me half of it.”
“That would be our deal.” A piece of hair fell out of my knot and I tried to tuck it back up. Grayson’s eyes followed my hand and then lingered there as the lock slipped loose again.