“Got a problem with scrubs and yoga pants?”
Hell no. The woman was so pretty in blue it hurt. “Why does it always have to be about you? Maybe I’m trying to show off my ass in a pair of tailored slacks.”
“Now we’re talking.” She cocked a brow. “Tux?”
He laughed. “You think I own a tux?”
“I don’t know but I have a thing for bow ties.”
“The mystery of your date with Merlin is finally explained.”
She laughed and he felt it down to his toes. “What does that mean?”
“He’s a bow tie guy for sure.”
“See, you’re trying to take a cheap shot at poor Marvin but all you’re doing is making me want to see him in a bow tie.”
“Fine, I’ll wear the fucking bow tie.”
“Good.” She winked. “You’re so easy.”
He made sure her eyes were on him before he rolled his eyes. Also, he just liked the way she looked at him.
After a beat of silence, she asked, “So…how about you wear just a bow tie?”
“Thirsty?”
She did a little shrug as if to say of course and it made him smile.
“I can offer you a bow tie plus a cast. Final offer.”
Claire didn’t hesitate. “I’ll take it.”
A low, distressed cry startled Graham awake.
His eyes snapped open, blinking in the darkness as he oriented himself.
He was at the condo, in his bed, with Claire beside him.
Her body was tense and her head moved from side to side across the pillow.
“No no no…” she repeated, sounding closer to tears with each word.
Graham reached over and put his hand on her cheek, half twisting his torso and going up on his elbow while keeping his legs flat, wishing he could roll over and wrap his arms around her in a tight embrace. “Claire, shh. It’s okay.”
As he brought his palm down to her shoulder, gently stroking her hair, her lids fluttered open. Her gaze caught his and held. “Graham?”
“Hey.”
“Are you okay?” Her voice trembled.
He frowned. Was he okay? “I’m fine. Are you? I think you were having a bad dream.”
She stared at him for a moment and took a deep breath. The movement dropped his attention to the skin just below her collarbone, then he brought his eyes back to hers. She swallowed as she blinked up at him, looking as if she wanted to say something.
“What is it?” he asked, still running his fingers through her soft hair.
“I…” she started.
But instead of finishing her thought, she lurched forward and kissed him.
Unprepared, he fell onto his back and she followed him down, allowing their lips to part only for the barest second. She framed his face with her hands and he gripped her arms as she slid on top of him, kissing him as if she hadn’t seen him in years.
“Hey, what—” he said into her mouth.
She raised her head the tiniest bit.
Something was seriously wrong with him to have stopped whatever she had in mind. “Are you okay? What happened?”
Pressing her forehead to his, she rotated her head back and forth. “Graham, just…be quiet and kiss me.” She paused. “Please.”
Well. He wasn’t gonna say no to that.
“Yes, ma’am.”
The next morning, as Graham leaned his good side against the bathroom counter and stared at himself brushing his teeth, he made a choice.
It was time to put everything out there.
Things with Claire had been a little confusing lately. Sometimes he felt she was experiencing the same thing as him, as in…incredible, terrifying, big emotions that could be described as nothing other than the head-over-heels kind of love. Other times she seemed to withdraw and back off, and he worried he’d gone too far. They’d had an arrangement, after all—and love wasn’t part of the deal.
But over the weekend he’d felt more encouragement about their developing relationship than not.
He’d told her more about his life growing up, introduced her to his family, and walked her around his old high school, touring the place where he’d become such an emotional mess. Being there with her had been a revelation. Like him, she hadn’t fit there at all, and in the best way. She wasn’t like they were, and he realized with a conviction he typically only experienced when climbing that he didn’t have to be afraid of her.
Less important but still to be considered: Reagan was due back this evening. If there was a time to talk about how things had changed and what they were going to do about it, it was now.