Grace (The Family Simon Book 5)
Read Grace (The Family Simon Book 5) Online
Authors: Juliana Stone
Table of Contents
GRACE
JULIANA STONE
JULIANA STONE PUBLISHING
CONTENTS
Copyright
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
3.
Six weeks later…
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Epilogue
Also by Juliana Stone
Acknowledgments
Copyright © 2015 Juliana Stone
All rights reserved.
Cover art and design by Patricia Schmitt/Pickyme
Copy editing by Jena O’Connor
This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locations are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in encouraging piracy of copyrighted materials in violation with the author’s rights. Purchase only authorized editions.
For permission to use any part of the material in this book, contact Juliana at,
mailto:[email protected]
1
“
Y
ou had blue hair the last time I saw you.”
Grace Simon should have recognized the deep husky timbre of the voice that spoke from behind her. Heck, she’d dreamt about it off and on for the last two years. But she was already onto her third cocktail, and in her defense, the music was loud.
So instead, she grimaced and rolled her eyes at her friend Nicola. She didn’t bother to turn around and see who was behind her. She didn’t care. She’d been fending off men for over an hour and was fed up.
“Worst pickup line ever,” she shot over her shoulder before downing the rest of her drink.
“Ever?” He was closer now.
Annoying.
“Ever,” she repeated.
“That’s some kind of record considering it wasn’t a pickup line but the full-on truth.”
Her pal Nicola elbowed her and mouthed
hot
. Whatever. Grace was done with men. DONE. She should have known better than to meet Nicola here. The place was a meat market.
She pushed back from the bar and turned to let the guy have it. But the words stalled at the back of her throat and she went still. Her gaze moved up the impressive physique, (seriously jeans and a plain white T-shirt had no right to look this good) until it rested on a face that she’d fantasized about more times than she could count.
Matt Hawkins.
What the hell?
“Hey Grace,” he said, a slow smile curving his lips. “Your brother told me you were in Nashville. I’ll have to let him know I ran into you.”
Heart beating rapidly, she cleared her throat but all she could muster was, “Ah...hey.”
Lame.
So. Very. Lame.
“Babe, I hate country music. Can’t we go somewhere else?” A blue-eyed blonde slid up against Matt—a blue-eyed blonde with considerable assets. Grace liked to think that Double D’s were overrated, but this girl kind of trampled all over that argument.
Matt held Grace’s gaze for a heartbeat longer, and she hoped like hell the deep flush that heated her skin wasn’t visible in the darkened corner of the bar.
“Matt?” The blonde said, eyes narrowed as she turned to Grace.
“I’m Grace,” she blurted, holding out her hand like an idiot. The woman tilted her head and nodded, but didn’t reach for Grace’s hand. “Candy.”
Candy
. Of course.
There was a pause. A slow, torturous, uncomfortable pause, and then Matt winked at her.
He winked at her.
As if she was a kid or something.
“I…uh…so what are you doing here? I mean, not here at this bar, but like, here in…Nashville. I mean, it’s so weird that we ran into each other.”
Stop talking.
“Here, in…uh, Nashville.”
Nicola was looking at her as if she’d lost her mind and Grace was starting to think that, YES, she had. She’d lost her mind, along with her ability to think and talk and act like an adult.
Matt’s slow grin didn’t subside and Grace’s heart fluttered rapidly. “It was just a quick trip to meet a client. I’m leaving in the morning.”
“Oh.” Again, could she not come up with more than a one-word response?
He slid his arm around the blonde. “It was nice seeing you again, Grace.” Another heartbeat passed and that tumbling feeling in her stomach intensified. “I’ll let you get back to your friend.”
She didn’t say another word
because she couldn’t,
and with a small nod he turned and melted into the crowd, the busty woman clinging to him. Grace blew out a hot breath and reached for her drink, swearing when she scooped up the empty glass.
“Who the hell was that?” Nicola asked as she yanked on Grace’s arm.
“That was Matt,” Grace whispered.
“Matt,” Nicola repeated, frowning.
“Matt.”
“Oh,
that
Matt,” Nicola said, this time slowly.
“Yeah,” Grace replied. That Matt.
The guy who’d kissed her like no tomorrow beneath a snow-filled sky. It didn’t matter that Grace had been the one to initiate the kiss. Or that she’d ignored his protests and had practically assaulted him. It didn’t even matter that when he’d eventually managed to pull away from her, he’d told her that it was all wrong. Said that he wasn’t the kind of guy she should be kissing in the first place. She’d protested. He’d said he wasn’t interested.
Matt Hawkins had taken a step back and that’s when she’d glimpsed something in his eyes that told her otherwise. She’d called bullshit, but he’d walked away all the same. Without another word or a look…without anything.
That had stung. It had stung for a long time because Matt Hawkins had been wrong. So damn wrong. His kiss had rocked her world and she was pretty damn sure she’d done a little rocking of her own.
Grace accepted another tequila from Nicola and downed the shot, eyes moving over the crowd until they found Matt and the blonde. He was chatting with another man, a guy who looked vaguely familiar, but it was the blond woman who had Grace’s attention. She was pressed against Matt, her curves melted into his hard frame, and the red-hot jealousy that rolled through Grace left her breathless.
“Are you okay?” Nicola asked.
“No. I’m not even close to okay.”
Nicola followed Grace’s gaze. “You guys had sex once, a couple years ago and he still gets under your skin? That must have been some night.”
Irritated, Grace turned to her friend. “We didn’t have sex. Why would you think we had sex?” She saw the surprise in Nicola’s eyes.
“Because you told me that night with him was the hottest you’ve ever spent with a guy.”
“It was.”
“But there was no sex?”
“Nope.” Grace closed her eyes for a moment, stomach tumbling. “All we did was kiss.”
“You just kissed.” Grace could tell Nicola didn’t believe her.
She nodded. “That would be correct.” What an understatement. Even now the thought of that kiss kick-started a throb between her legs that was so intense she nearly crossed them in order to alleviate it.
“Must have been some kiss.”
You have no idea.
“Please tell me you were at least naked or something.”
“Nope. Fully clothed.” Cheeks flushed, Grace brushed her long dark hair from her neck. “It’s hot in here, right? “
Nicola’s gaze settled back on Matt. “He’s not interested in the blonde.”
Startled, Grace jerked her head to the side and her insides twisted when her eyes slammed into Matt’s. He didn’t look away. Didn’t seem to care that she’d caught him staring at her. In fact a half smile curved his mouth even as he nodded down to the woman glued to his side.
“He wants you.”
“No he doesn’t,” Grace replied, eyes still held firm by Matt’s.
“Hell yes he does.” Nicola ordered up another shot of tequila. “You’re an idiot if you don’t walk over there and do something about it.”
“He’s with a girl,” Grace retorted tearing her gaze from Matt.
“I will respectfully disagree. She might be standing beside him with her boobs stuck to the side of his chest, but trust me, you’re the one who has his interest. He’s looking at you and he’s remembering the kissing. That fully clothed kissing.”