Give Me Grace (10 page)

“Slim?”

“Grace!” Henry yelled again. It was followed by the sound of feet stomping up the stairs.

“Accept,” I blurted out. “I accept.”

“Good. Turn around.”

I gave him my back. This time he
took care not to touch my skin but the time it took for my zipper to slide upwards felt like minutes. I turned back around to Casey grinning.

“Let’s start again.” He held out his hand. I looked at it dumbly before meeting his crinkled eyes. “My name’s Casey Daniels, but you can call me Batman if you like. I’ve been assigned as your personal security for tonight’s proceedings.”

Grace look
ed at me like I just announced I was here to harvest her kidneys. Did no one mention Jamieson and Valentine Consulting handled all the security for the band? After a brief pause, she took my hand in hers. I closed my fingers around it feeling it disappear in mine.

“Grace Paterson,” she replied, “but you can call me Grace if you like. I’ve been assigned as the bass guitarist for tonight’s proceedings.”

My eyes raked the length of her as I shook her hand. Grace was tall and slender, not curvy like the girls I usually went for, but the black top thing she wore was hot. It drew my eye to the creamy swell that rose out the top in two delicious handfuls.

She cleared her throat and my lips curved as I diverted my attention back to her face. I let go of her hand and nodded towards the bedroom door. “Shall we go?”

“Grace?” Henry arrived at the top of the stairs, his brows drawn impatiently. “You ready?”

“Sure am,” she replied.

“Good. Go wait in the limo, will you?” He shifted out of the way, bringing him further into the room so she could get by. “I just need to speak to Casey for a second.”

“Um, okay.” Grace glanced at me quickly before she left, a question in her eyes.

The minute she was out of earshot, Henry spoke, his eyes turning hard. It didn’t surprise me. There was no way Henry could have missed the way I’d been looking at Grace like I wanted to eat her alive, but looking away proved difficult. Henry’s sister wasn’t just as shock and awe like I originally thought. She was sassy with an underlying hint of sweet and had a backbone that made her nobody’s pushover. I fucking loved that.

“Don’t, Casey. Whatever you’re doing, or thinking of doing, don’t. Grace is my sister, you asshole, and every time some female gets caught up in all your
Jamieson and Valentine
bullshit, they end up getting maimed or shot. That is
not
going to happen to Grace. I fucking mean it. Got me?”

I stiffened as he jabbed his finger in my chest
, insulted he would think I’d deliberately get Grace caught in the middle of a life-threatening drama. “You need to calm down, mate. I’ve known your sister for mere hours and already you have me getting her shot?”

Knowing we were on a tight schedule, Henry started down the stairs, over his shoulder, saying, “I know you, Casey, just like I know Jared, and just like I know Travis.
Mere hours
is all it takes.”

“I understand you’re her brother, Henry, and you’re gonna worry no matter what I say,” I told him as I followed behind, “but you can relax. I’m covering her security personally tonight
, and I have no intention of letting anything happen to her, okay?”

Reaching the door, I opened it letting Henry step out before locking it behind us. “It’s not everyone else I’m worried about, Casey. It’s you.”

My brows flew up. “You’re kidding, right?” I glanced sideways at him as we walked towards the limousine. It was parked by the kerb, the door open and the driver standing patiently as he waited for us to get in. “Your sister is going to be keeping company with Mac and Evie, and Quinn too, and you’re worried about me?”

Henry paused before reaching the door
, and I stopped with him. He rubbed at his brow before his arm fell limply by his side. “I respect you, Casey, and consider you a good mate, but the fact is, your friends have set some kind of dangerous precedent. I don’t want her getting caught up in anything—you included. Grace and I haven’t been close for a long time and I’m trying to rectify that while she’s here, so after tonight I think it’s best if you stay away.”

My hands clenched into fists. While I couldn’t blame him for his words—big brothers were supposed to look out for their siblings—I couldn’t deny the hurt they caused. I also couldn’t deny what the ramifications would be if I allowed myself to feel more for Grace than I should.

“Of course,” I said flatly.

Henry nodded. “Good.”

I jerked my chin at the car. “Let’s go.”

We both climbed in, the door shutting swiftly behind us. Being the security for Grace tonight, the seat beside her was kept free
for me to sit next to her. I didn’t look at her as I sat down. Instead, I kept my gaze on the window as the car pulled away from the kerb and headed towards the venue. I felt her yawn beside me, her bare shoulder brushing against the sleeve of my jacket as she exhaled audibly.

“Tired?” I murmured, glancing her way.

“Mmm,” she replied, her lids lowered sleepily. Damn, was that how she looked waking up in the morning? I could already see her hair mussed, the creamy skin of her body folded between the rich navy sheets on my bed. I shifted in my seat, feeling the need to adjust my cock in my pants. “It’s been a rough day.”

I grimaced, knowing I played a part in that. Leaning in so no one would hear, I asked softly, “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Grace turned her head and because I was already close, we almost bumped noses. Everything else faded as I lingered for a moment, taking in her scent and feeling it stir my blood. All I had to do was tilt my head and my lips would be on hers.
I think it’s best if you stay away.
Feeling Henry watching, I pulled back, reminding myself that tonight was about work.

“No,” she whispered. “But you did manage to surprise the
crap out of me and piss me off at the same time. That’s quite impressive for a first day.”

I chuckled quietly and she gave a long
, suffering sigh, rolling her eyes before turning her attention to the passing scenery.

“Slim?”

Her gaze returned to mine.

“Any idea why airport security might think you
were carrying drugs?”

I watched her face carefully as I delivered my question. Her blue eyes turned stormy and I felt our tentative truce
waver, yet her expression gave me no answers. “No, Casey. No idea.” Her voice was sharp and her brows drew together. “Why? Do you?”

“No.” It could only have come from them seeing something in her luggage or someone tipping them off. The fact that she was candid about us checking her bags led me to believe she was being honest, which meant the likelihood that someone had it in for her was high. “But I can find out.”

“You can?”

I shrugged. “I know some people.”

Her lips curved. “Oh you do, do you?”

“It’s Monday tomorrow. I’ll be in the office so I’ll look into it.” My hand started reaching for her leg, ready to slide it down her thigh in a reassuring gesture.
Hell.
Letting out a pent-up breath, I pulled back, resting my hand on my knee and thrumming my fingers instead.

Grace raised an eyebrow. “What does
looking into it
involve?”

“Just a couple of phone calls, Slim. That’s all.”

“You know, I really appreciate your offer,” she said, her words seeming heartfelt, “but then I’d owe you one, wouldn’t I?”

I couldn’t help the wicked grin at the thought of Grace
owing me one.
After tonight, I was supposed to be keeping my distance—meaning the likelihood of collecting was lower than zero—but the thought of teasing her anyway was too delicious to ignore. “You read my mind.” My gaze fell to her lush, glossy lips, and the sudden craving to taste them hit me hard. “I don’t even have to think about how you can repay me. I already know.”

I breathed in the clean scent of soap from her bare shoulders as she leaned towards me. “And?”

“I want a kiss,” I told her quietly.

“A
kiss
?”

Grace said the word so loud she may as well have shouted it. The chatter surrounding us in the limousine died off abruptly and Henry was now looking at me with an accusatory glare.

Travis leaned around Quinn to look at the both of us. “Sounds like your conversation is way more interesting than ours, Casey.”

Shifting in my seat, I cleared my throat. “We were just discussing the band,
Kiss.
Grace was telling me they sing one of her favourite songs.”

“
Oh yeah?” Frog perked up in his seat next to Henry, who still wasn’t looking any happier. “Which one?”

Fuck. Think, idiot!

“I was made for lovin’ you,” I replied quickly. It was the only song that came to mind quick enough.

“
Kiss
songs are so awesome to play,” Cooper added. “We should try playing that one during a session next week.”

The chatter picked up again as Grace chuckled beside me. The husky sound had my pulse thumping. “Smooth, Casey,” she whispered.

I winked. “Thanks.” Checking to make sure we were no longer the focus of everyone’s attention, I said, “So how ’bout it?”

“
How ’bout it?
Wow. What an irresistible offer.” She tapped a finger against her lips, pretending to think about it. “But I’m going to have to decline.”

“So that’s a
no
then?”

“Yes.”

“Yes it’s a no to the kiss, or yes you’ve changed your mind?” Grace shook her head, clearly exasperated. I grinned. Pressing in close, I whispered in her ear, “Are you sure, Grace? Because I didn’t say
where
I wanted to kiss you.” I glanced meaningfully between her thighs before meeting her eyes. “And I’m good with my tongue.”

A whimper escaped
her lips and the soft sound had my cock throbbing in my pants. My teasing had backfired on me in the worst way. I sat back in my seat, creating some much needed distance.

“It’s still a no.” Her voice was a rasp as she rubbed her palms along her pants in a nervous gesture.

I reached for her hand and once again had to restrain myself. Why wasn’t I able to keep my hands to myself whenever she was near? My lack of control was embarrassing.

“Grace?”

She looked at me and I saw the desire I felt reflected back at me in her eyes. The knowledge that her attraction was as strong as mine didn’t help with my restraint. In lieu of asking the driver to pull over so I could get some much needed air, I forced myself to focus on the issue at hand. Someone had made the accusation about Grace carrying drugs. Maybe it was nothing, but it could’ve been something and was worth checking into.

“I’ll look into it, okay? You won’t owe me one. After my actions today, I think we can consider ourselves even.” I held out my hand. “Now give me your phone.”

“My phone?”

“I’m in charge of your protection tonight,” I explained patiently as she dug through her bag. “That means you need my number. I figure tonight’s event should be pretty safe, but stick close anyway. If we get separated you call me, got it?”

Locating her phone, she put it in my hand. I started tapping in my contact information.

“Do I even
need
security tonight?” she asked.

I glanced at Mac, recalling the image of her beaten body after being kidnapped by Jimmy; then Evie when I arrived on the scene after she’d been shot—blood spatter covering every surface; and Quinn, taken by Luca
Zampetti and almost dying in a horrific car accident. Each incident was enough to induce a heart attack. Even now I had the urge to rub my chest from the rawness the images evoked. Trouble had always been hot on their heels and instead of them doing what they were told, they always took matters into their own hands.

I brought my eyes back to Grace. Henry’s sister didn’t seem like the type of female to be an exception to that particular rule. “Yes. You do.”

A surge of satisfaction ran through me as she shrugged, appearing to give in on the issue. I already had Grace’s number stored, it was provided in the security brief, but I sent myself a message from her phone anyway to confirm I had the number correct. Done, I handed the phone back. It started ringing before she could take it, the name “Dalton” coming up on the screen. Her brows drew tight, indicating annoyance as she grabbed for it.

“Who’s Dalton?” I asked
, wanting to know who the other man in her life was that pissed her off as much as I did. Frankly, I would’ve been shocked if she answered me. It was none of my business who Dalton was, but when she cursed under her breath, I didn’t let go of her phone.