CHAPTER 2
GRACE

How the hell does he still take my breath away?

I watched from my office as Trevor plunked away at trying to deposit the cash Ryan had brought in.

My gosh, he looked as good as the day I’d met him. Hell, he looked better. I sat at my desk as people passed by my office, but my eyes weren’t deterred. He was tall, taller than I remembered him being. He had that same beautiful sun-kissed skin from spending so much time in the sun and brooding dark eyes, with a strong jaw that foreshadowed the strength of his body. He still walked with his head held high and his shoulders rolled back, like the cocky jock he’d been in high school.

He looked bored as he waited for Trevor to get him set up.

I felt bad for the new guy. He was struggling with getting the basics down. He was nothing but a college kid in the area trying to make a few bucks for himself, but even I was getting impatient with him. He had been here for three weeks and he was still stumbling along.

My eyes ran down Ryan’s back and landed on his ass. I smiled as his words echoed off the corners of my mind.

I think he was actually flirting with me.

The way he looked at me sitting in that chair and the way his snarky little grin never slid from his cheeks.

I wondered if he still had feelings for me. If he had felt the same spark down his spine I had when I saw him standing there.

He was my high school sweetheart.

The man I had given my virginity to.

The man that had opened my eyes to an entire world of pleasure I never knew existed. No one I’d been with since, had ever made me feel quite the way Ryan had.

I shivered just thinking about our time together.

“Grace.”

I groaned as my boss came around the corner into my office.

“Yes, Lionel?”

“Why is Trevor still dragging ass?” he asked.

“Because he wasn’t trained properly, and we’re paying the price now,” I said.

“Why wasn’t he trained properly?” he asked.

“Because I wasn’t here to train him. I was away at a conference.”

“I didn’t give you that promotion because of your big doe eyes sweet heart. I gave it to you because I thought you could clean this place up a bit.”

I furrowed my brow at his comment as I looked up from my computer.

“I already have time scheduled with him for proper training later this week. I will get the situation handled,” I said, trying not to clench my teeth.

I watched Lionel raise his hip and set it onto the corner of my desk. His eyes were hard on me, and I felt like he was trying to corner me. I slid my chair away from my desk as his eyes scanned my computer, a small grin plastering itself on his cheeks.

“New account?” he asked.

“Yes sir.”

“Why did you take it in your office?” he asked.

“Because Trevor was trying to sell him on a product he doesn't know how to operate yet,” I said.

“Do you know him?”

“Why would that matter?” I asked.

Watching my boss, he shrugged as my heart leapt to my throat. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but something was off. It wasn’t quite sexual harassment, but it rode a fine line. I scooted my chair back into the wall and crossed my legs, then watched as Lionel’s eyes ran up the curve of my thigh.

I tried to keep my cool as I crossed my arms over my chest.

“Retrain Trevor. Give him another shot. He’s a smart kid, but he needs help.”

“Already on it,” I said.

My boss just sat there nodding his head absently while his eyes continued to linger on my chest. I wanted nothing more than to get him the hell out of my office, and it must have showed on my face.

“Something wrong?” Lionel asked.

“Hey there, sweetheart. I brought you a snack.”

I whipped my head up at Ryan’s voice as my eyes widened. My boss jerked toward the door as Ryan leaned against the doorway. He was holding a candy bar in his hand as his eyes held mine, and I felt a wave of relief cascade over my body.

“Thank you so much,” I said breathlessly. “I’ve been starving for the past hour.”

I held out my hand for the candy bar as Lionel took his ass off my desk.

Ryan approached me and sat the candy bar down before he bent toward my face and did the most alarming thing.

My cheeks flushed with blood as his lips pressed against mine, leaving my body pulled taut.

What the hell was that?

My eyes fluttered closed and I fell into the kiss, his thumb raising to stroke my cheek.

My head was spinning as Ryan pulled back and gave me a playful wink.

“Sorry for the intrusion. I came in to open a savings account and Grace was a little hungry. The name’s Ryan,” he said.

“Lionel Baxter,” my boss said. “I didn’t know you were dating someone, Grace.”

“We’re taking it slow for now, especially since I haven’t met her daughter yet,” Ryan said.

“So this is a new thing,” my boss said.

“Relatively,” I said.

I watched Ryan grip my boss’s hand a little too tightly and Lionel backed down. Ryan’s eyes followed him as he walked out of the office, his shoulders a bit hunched. A breathless giggle fell from my lips as I looked at the candy bar, my hands shaking as I drew in a deep breath.

“You okay?” Ryan asked.

“I don’t know where you came from, but thank you,” I said.

“I saw him come in as I was on my way out the door. I didn’t like how he blocked you from the only exit out of your office.”

“I didn’t like it either.”

“He always like that?” he asked.

“Not until recently,” I said. “But thank you. For, you know—coming back and interrupting.”

“If the kiss was too much, I’m sorry,” he said.

“Oh, no, no. It—it wasn’t.”

“You sure? You look a little flustered.”

“It might’ve taken me aback a bit.”

“Aback—or back?” he asked with a grin.

I blushed slightly before shaking my head. “Since you’re back in town and all, we should do dinner and catch up,” I suggested. “And I can repay you for saving me from my creeper boss.”

He didn’t even appear to think before he nodded. “That sounds really good,” he answered.

“How about tomorrow?” I said, trying not to look too eager.

“It wasn’t this easy to get you on a date the first time around,” he said.

I fluttered my eyes up to him and caught his cocky grin.

“Here,” I said as I handed him my address. “See you tomorrow.”

“At six. Got it,” he said.

Then I leaned back into my chair, grabbed the candy bar off my desk, and watched as he walked away.

I couldn’t help but admire the view.

The flashbacks were too much. I grabbed a folder from my desk and fanned my face, as I tried to quiet down all the naughty thoughts from my mind.

It’s really good to see you, Ryan.

Really good.