Fallen from Grace (9 page)

For some reason, Judas Woods entered her mind. Her conscience had been heavy since he’d come into her office and sat on the couch.
She was going to have to burn that couch.
All she could think about when she looked at it was Judas—sexy, relaxed, and staring at her with those incredible, chocolate-brown eyes. And of course, there was the unforgettable, passionate kiss they’d shared.

Thinking about it now filled her stomach with butterflies; she could actually see her body’s response to him as her cheeks filled with color. Grace shook her head and forced Judas from her thoughts as she focused on her breathing. This was just cold feet; she was nervous about taking the next step with Ellis, and her emotions were running high with the return to her family home where she’d shared so many memories with her brother.

Grace took another deep breath and released it. Her body was covered in sweat, and her hands were shaking. Removing the towel wrapped around her, she turned the shower back on and quickly washed off. She felt ridiculous. She was a doctor and trained to deal with these things, but the emotions of Cade’s death, the idea Ellis was going to propose, and the look on Judas’s face when he’d apologized for kissing her, hit her all at once, and she sunk against the wall of the shower and cried.

When she had no tears left to grieve, she shut the water off and clambered out of the shower. Grabbing a clean towel, she wrapped it around her body, took her hairbrush out of her bag, and brushed her hair. She dried it like always, then curled the bottom, and applied her makeup.

She walked out of her bathroom into her room and stared at the outfit lying on the bed—the one she had purchased specifically for tonight. It wasn’t really her taste; it was black and provocative, cut low in the front, and with a slit that started mid-thigh. Beneath it was a black corset that emphasized her in all the right places.

Grace scolded herself for not returning the lingerie. She felt dirty and ashamed for unconsciously choosing undergarments intended for another man.
Judas Woods.
But she had no other choice; anything different would leave noticeable lines beneath the tight dress. She reluctantly pulled on the lingerie, then the dress and high-heels before leaving her bedroom.

Downstairs, the table was set with candles, champagne glasses and her mother’s china. Ellis was standing on the deck, and as her heels connected with the hardwood floors, he turned around and grinned, then sauntered through the open balcony doors.

“You look stunning. Your mother sent someone to set-up our table and had our dinner delivered,” he said, gesturing toward the romantically prepared setting.

She laughed and shook her head. “Of course she did. So does that mean you didn’t cook what smells so delicious?”

Ellis stepped toward her, causing her heart rate to spike, then wrapped his arms around her waist. “No, but I will be
serving
it to you.” He brought her hands to his mouth and brushed his lips across her knuckles. “You really do look absolutely stunning, Grace.”

She smiled. “Come, sit,” Ellis said, leading her to a chair and pushing it closer to the table as she sunk into it.

“Thank you.” Grace removed the cloth napkin off the plate and placed it on her lap. Her stomach was in knots, and it was difficult to swallow.

“Is everything okay?” Ellis asked.

She absently adjusted her earring. “Of course.”

She smiled as she watched him open the champagne. As soon as he twisted the wire from the cork and pushed it free, a pop exploded and liquid shot through the air. Grace screeched and handed him her glass. Filling both their glasses a little over halfway full, he transferred the food from takeout containers from her favorite, local Italian restaurant to their plates, then took a seat at the end of the table opposite her, and raised his glass.

“To us.”

She smiled and raised her glass. “To us.”

After she had taken a drink of champagne, she glanced across the table. Ellis had secret smile dancing across his lips.

“What are you over there smiling about?”

He chuckled as he leaned forward and braced his elbows on the edge of the table, then pressed his fingers together in a steeple just below his bottom lip.
Oh no!
Was this it? She took a drink of water and wiped her mouth.

“Grace, I’m not planning to run for my seat in the senate again,” Ellis stated as her gaze locked with his.

Premature relief washed over her; maybe she had read too much into things. He wasn’t going to propose. They had only been together for six months.

“Are you planning to practice law again?” Grace asked.

“No.” He grinned, “I’m planning to run for president.”

Her eyes widened. “As in President of the United States?”

“Yes.”

She nodded, trying to wrap her head around the idea. “That’s a lot of responsibility.”

His playful grin flatlined. “Do you think I can’t handle it?”

“I didn’t
say
that.”

“No, you
insinuated
.”

She shook her head. “I merely stated that such a position is a lot of responsibility, wouldn’t you agree?”

An awkward silence ensued, and Grace took a bite of her pasta, though she wasn’t really hungry anymore.

Ellis tilted his glass toward her. “You might want to watch what you eat.”

Grace stared at him, appalled. “Are you saying I need to lose weight?”

He casually shook his head, then took a drink. “No, merely insinuating a campaign for presidency means a lot of photos and appearances.”

Grace set her fork down, wiped her mouth with the napkin, then shot Ellis a glare. “You’re acting very childish. I didn’t mean to insinuate you couldn’t handle the responsibility of president, but if we’re going to spend the rest of the evening quarrelling, I-”

“Grace, please,” Ellis interrupted. “I’m under a lot of pressure, and it was a stupid comment. I’m sorry. Please, don’t get up. Don’t leave.”

She shifted in her seat, but decided to hear him out.

“I love you, Grace. You’re an amazing woman. Beautiful, smart, determined, and you definitely don’t need to lose a single pound off that perfect body.”

This was Ellis—charming and smooth. He was a born politician, but like many of them, without a pre-written speech he was prone to putting his foot in his mouth.

“Thank you, Ellis. I’m happy with you, too. We make a great match.”

He laughed and took another drink. “You are 98% correct.”

“What are you talking about?” Grace asked.

“Nothing.” He swept his hand through the air. “Just something my committee put together.”

“If it’s nothing, then it shouldn’t be difficult to explain.”

Sighing, he stood and sauntered toward her, sliding his hand into his pocket. Her heart slammed into her chest. Pulling a tiny, blue velvet box forward, he grabbed her chair and gently moved her to face him. Getting down on one knee, he looked into her eyes. Her mouth had gone dry; she couldn’t swallow or speak.

“I was going to save this until later, but now seems as good a time as ever.” Opening the box, Grace saw a huge, pear cut diamond ring. “The odds are in our favor. W
e’re
a good match, and I would be honored if you would marry me, Grace Winters.”

She was speechless. All she needed to find was that one, tiny word, but she couldn’t think or move. Ellis slipped the ring onto her finger.

“I don’t understand,” Grace whispered. Ellis looked confused. “About the 98%…what does that have to do with anything?”

“It was nothing, just a poll.” He sounded aggravated. “I wanted to propose to you, and my committee tested out the idea on my constituents.”

Grace suddenly felt nauseous. “What? You-” Her voice broke. “You took a poll to find out if it was a good idea to marry me? Do you feel too insecure with your own thoughts and feelings to make the decision on your own?”

Ellis shook his head and held up his hands. “Don’t take it that way, Grace. It wasn’t even my idea, but with the transition into a presidency campaign, my adviser thought it would be a smart thing to do.”

“What way
am
I supposed to take it? You asked people you don’t know, who don’t know me, whether or not you should get married. That’s disgusting.” She threw her napkin on her pasta and stood, brushing past him as he attempted to stop her.

Grace refused to rationalize her anger because right now she wasn’t a doctor counseling a patient to take deep breaths and imagine serene landscapes to overcome their anger. Right now she was a woman who was
sorely dissatisfied
with her marriage proposal.

Grabbing her jacket and Ellis’s car keys off the table next to the door, Ellis caught up to Grace and grabbed her by one arm. She opened the door, but he abruptly shut it behind her and left his palm flush against the wood above her head.

“Get out of my way,” she demanded.

“No, not until you calm down. Let’s talk about this, Grace. There was no bad intent here, and you’re overreacting.”

“First off, don’t ever tell a woman she’s overreacting. And secondly, how would you have responded to a negative feedback? What if only 48% of your voters approved of you adding
husband
to your duties?”

“Our relationship isn’t a secret, Grace. My voters have come to know and love you just as much as me.” Shocked, she stared at him. “Dammit, Grace,” he said, grabbing the keys from her.

“What if I were pregnant? Would you test the
father
topic out on your constituents as well?”

Something dark flashed in his eyes. “Are you pregnant? Is that why you’ve been acting so strangely?” His voice was aggressive, and it alarmed her.

Grace stilled. “No,” she murmured.

His face softened as he sighed and closed his eyes.
Would that really have been such a bad thing?
He opened his eyes and looked at her.

“Let go of me,” Grace said.

Ellis’s grip tightened on her arm. “No, you should stay. We need to talk.”

“Let me go, Ellis.” Grace pushed as hard as she could to get away. Unaware he was going to release her, she pushed one last time and lost her footing when his hand was no longer holding her against him. She fell and bumped her head on the edge of the table by the door, and a sharp pain sliced through her.

“Grace!” Ellis yelled.

His hands were on her and lifting her from the ground immediately.

“I’m so sorry. Let me help you.”

As soon as she was standing, Grace spun around. “Don’t. Touch. Me,” she seethed.

He dropped his hands from her and took several steps back. “This wasn’t how I planned on spending the evening.”

Straightening her dress, she tried to cool her anger, but it was flooding her—threatening to spill out and swallow her whole. Grace walked toward him and swiped the keys from his hand, then picked her jacket up off the floor.

“I need to get some air.” She opened the door and slammed it shut behind her.

Climbing into the driver’s seat of the Mercedes, she shoved the key into the ignition and took a left out onto the main road with no idea where she was headed. It was cold outside, but she pressed the buttons on the door and opened all the windows. She needed the fresh air. Her head was beginning to hurt.

A few miles down the road, she pulled off the side into a parking lot next to the beach. The only light was the moon and a blue payphone post.
The payphone is still here?
Cade and she used to call home from it to check in with their mother when they were at this beach with their friends. The memory only further upset her.

She flipped the visor open and smoothed the hair away from her temple, looking for the source of her pain. There was no blood but as she pressed the tips of her fingers against the area, she felt a lump beginning to form.

Grace got out of the car and stood next to the phone, trying to feel some connection to her brother in the area. “How could you leave me, Cade?”

The cold breeze coming off the water caused Grace to hunch over and jam her hands into her pockets; her hand grasped something. Pulling the unknown item from her pocket, her stomach tensed—Judas’s business card.

It would be stupid to call him. She could never see Judas Woods ever again, yet she wished she had her phone just so she could hear his voice. She grabbed change from the console of Ellis’s car and dropped two quarters into the pay phone slot.

His card included an office, home and cell number. Grace thought it was considerate of him to give out something as personal as his home number. All Ellis had was fifty cents, and if Judas didn’t answer there would be no trying again, so she dialed his cell.

Ring.

She hoped he didn’t answer because it would only lead to trouble.

Ring.

Just as it finished, a low husky voice she didn’t recognize answered.

“Hello?”

She paused, contemplating hanging up. “Judas?”

“Grace,” he responded quickly. “How are you?”

Just hearing his voice made her feel better, but it was immediately followed by a lump that she tried to swallow back. Tears blurred her vision, and she didn’t trust her voice.

She waited until she was confident it wouldn’t falter.

“I’m fine.”

But Judas wasn’t fooled. “What’s wrong? Who are you in the Hamptons with?”

Grace was confused for a moment, then she realized he must have recognized the area code.

“Ellis.” A sniffle escaped as she tried yet again to swallow the lump that was stubbornly lodging itself in her throat. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called you.”

“I’m on my way. Did he hurt you? I’ll fucking kill him.”

Grace panicked. “He didn’t hurt me, don’t come here. We’re staying at my parents’ house on the East Shore, and Ellis is there right now. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have called you. I have to go back.”

His voice was gentle. “Don’t ever be sorry for calling me, Grace. You’re upset, and even if you hang up this phone right now and go to him, I’m still coming there. My family’s home is down the shore from the main marina.” He gave her an exact address. “Please, go there and wait for me. There’s a key under the swan on the back deck, make yourself at home.”