Chapter Ten
Oscar watched Grace’s face with amusement when TJ brought the limo to a halt. She stared out the window at Gavin’s Place looking deeply perplexed.
“Here you go, guys. Have fun.” TJ had turned around in his seat so he could talk through the window to them.
Grace looked at him, then at Oscar. “This is where we’re going?”
“Yeah. Is this okay?”
“Of course.” She made to open the door, but TJ was out and came around to open it for her before she could.
“Bye, Louise,” Oscar said, then got out and went around to join his brother and Grace.
They all stood there for a moment. Grace seemed to have recovered, but TJ was giving him an evil look.
“I’m sorry about Louise.” Grace gave TJ an apologetic smile. “She’s a good person, just a little enthusiastic.”
TJ smiled graciously. “It’s not a problem. I’ll take her wherever she wants to go.” He turned to Oscar. “Do you want to call me and let me know when you’re ready?”
“Yeah, thanks.” He smirked. “But if you get busy first, just let me know. We can take a cab.”
“There’s no need.” He turned to Grace. “Have a good time, and don’t take any crap from him.” With that, he got back in the limo and pulled away.
Grace gave Oscar a puzzled look.
“What?”
“I don’t know what I’m more surprised by. The way TJ talks to you, or the fact that we’re here.”
He smiled. “How about we go in, and I’ll tell you about TJ?”
“Okay.”
He opened the door for her and let her go inside ahead of him. Gavin’s Place was a run-down neighborhood bar and diner. She’d insisted she didn’t want to go anywhere fancy, and he’d complied. He was curious what she’d make of this, and he was about to find out.
It was dark inside, and there were only a few tables occupied. Grace made her way to an empty booth in the back and raised an eyebrow at him. “Is this okay?”
He nodded, wondering why she seemed irritated.
Once they were seated, she picked a menu out of the rack and started to study it.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah.” She looked up.
“It’s obviously not. Are you going to tell me what’s wrong? If you don’t like it here …”
“I love it here. I’m just surprised at you. I know I said I didn’t want to go anywhere fancy, but you didn’t need to pick a dive where you no doubt wouldn’t ever go otherwise.”
He tried to hide a smile as he saw Gavin come out from behind the bar and amble over to their table.
“Evening Oscar. You want a Coors?”
“Yeah, thanks, Gavin.”
Grace looked confused but recovered quickly as Gavin smiled at her. “What about you, love?”
“I’ll take a Coors, too, thanks.”
“Coming right up. Do you need a minute with that?” He jerked his chin at the menu in Grace’s hand.
“Yes.”
“Okay. I’m guessing I already know what you want, right?”
Oscar grinned. “Yep, the usual, please.”
When he’d gone, Grace scowled at him. “Okay, so I just made a fool of myself, assuming you wouldn’t normally come in here. Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”
“I will but decide what you want to eat first. Gavin doesn’t mess around. He’ll be back in under two minutes with our drinks, and he’ll want to know.”
She looked back down at the menu and nodded. “Okay.”
Gavin proved Oscar right and returned with two iced beer mugs. “You decided?”
“Yep, I’ll have the meatloaf, thanks.”
Gavin smiled. “He’s right. It is good. Two orders of meatloaf coming up.”
Oscar chuckled as he walked away. “It’s not just good; it’s amazing.”
Grace shook her head.
“What, you’re surprised that’s what I eat in here?”
“Yeah. I am. You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?”
“Am I? Like what?”
She smirked. “Let’s see. First of all, I expect you to feel out of place in a dive like this, but you’re right at home. Then, you drink beer instead of bourbon or even wine. And now you’re telling me that meatloaf is your favorite.”
He shrugged. “It’s only my favorite here. Gavin makes it just like my mom does. It’s like getting a taste of home.” He’d hoped that talking about Mom’s meatloaf might relax her a little—make her see him as a bit more normal, and not just Oscar Davenport, the billionaire. Apparently, it wasn’t working. Instead of her opening up, it seemed like she’d shut down on him. “From your reaction, I’d guess you don’t like meatloaf, but you just ordered it. So, it can’t be that. Did I say something wrong?”
“No. I can imagine that line would work with a lot of women. Your intention was to disarm and make a connection, right?”
He nodded. He wasn’t used to women being so blunt. “That was the intention, yes, but it didn’t work, did it? Want to tell me why?”
She shrugged. “I don’t really want to, no, but I will.”
He waited as she took a sip of her beer.
“I ordered the meatloaf because it’s comfort food to me, too, but for a very different reason.”
“Your mom makes terrible meatloaf?” he ventured, hoping to get a smile. It didn’t work.
“I wouldn’t know. I don’t even know if she’s still alive.”
“Oh.” Oscar had nothing, so he waited.
She gave him a wry smile. “Don’t look like that. I’m not feeling sorry for myself or looking for pity. It was just a timely reminder of how different we are.”
“Are we?” He didn’t believe that was true. They might come from different backgrounds, have different circumstances, but Oscar felt her to be some kind of kindred spirit. A thought that surprised the hell out of him.
She laughed. “Just totally.”
“How so?”
“Oh, come on. You have a mom who still makes you meatloaf. I had a mom who rarely fed us, even before she left us.”
“What about your dad?”
“He died when I was a few months old.”
“And your mom left you?”
She blew out a sigh. “Yeah. She kept us together for a while, but eventually, the drugs and the booze and the boyfriends won.”
Oscar’s heart hammered in his chest, and not in the way it usually did around her. “What happened?”
“Child Services took me and my sister and two brothers and put us in the system.”
“The system?”
“Yeah, the foster care system. There are some wonderful people with big hearts and great intentions in that system.” She pursed her lips and stared into space for a moment, before adding. “Unfortunately for me, I never met any of them.”
Oscar shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
She smiled. “It’s not your fault. It’s just the way it is. I turned out all right.” She gave him the first genuine smile since they’d come in here. “They say the system builds character.”
He smiled. “I’d have to agree with that in your case.”
~ ~ ~
Grace stared at him, wondering why she was opening up to him like this. It hadn’t been her plan, but he’d caught her off guard, and she was too good at telling the truth.
“Anyway, my story’s nothing special. I’m not alone.” She smiled. “You’ll meet a bunch of kids tomorrow who are living the same life I did.” Oscar nodded. She didn’t want him to clam up and sure as hell didn’t want him feeling sorry for her. “What about you? Where did you grow up? I see you as coming from a big, loving family, especially with the mention of your mom’s meatloaf. Are you close to your folks?”
He nodded. “I am close to them. They’re good people, and I know how fortunate I am.” He pursed his lips. “Part of me doesn’t want to let you change the subject this easily. I want to know more about you, but,” he smiled, “I did tell you I’d explain about TJ.”
“He’s your brother!”
Oscar grinned. “Yep.”
“The poor guy. He’ll probably need rescuing from Louise. She got so excited when she looked out the window and saw him. I thought he kind of looked like you.”
“I guess he does, but I’m the good-looking one.”
She laughed. “You really are an arrogant prick, aren’t you?”
He laughed with her. “I prefer to say confident, but yeah, you’re not the first to tell me that.”
Grace nodded, the laughter drying up in her throat. For a moment there, she’d been relaxed, just enjoying a date with a guy, but his words reminded her. He wasn’t just a guy. This wasn’t going to be a date that led to some boyfriend and girlfriend type thing. He was rich and good-looking and had women lining up waiting for their turn in his bed. It reminded her that nothing she said would be something he hadn’t heard a dozen times before from other women.
He gave her a puzzled look, but Gavin saved her from having to explain by returning with their food. “Here you go. Enjoy.”
“Is TJ your only brother?” she asked as soon as Gavin had gone.
Oscar met her gaze. “I take it that means you don’t want to explain how I upset you?”
“You didn’t upset me.”
He gave her a knowing look.
“Okay, let’s leave it at you take it right. I don’t want to explain. So, is he?”
He held her gaze for a moment longer, and she was grateful when he chose not to pursue it. “No. There are three of us. I’m the eldest, then TJ, then Reid.”
Grace nodded. “And TJ works for you?”
“No. Not really. He’s driving for me at the moment, but …”
“I don’t mean to pry.”
“He was Special Forces. He had a rough go on his last deployment. He was at something of a loss when he came back. This is kind of a stepping-stone for him. Driving for me gives him some purpose without too much pressure.”
“He’s lucky.”
“I feel like I’m the lucky one, that I can help out.”
Grace bit the inside of her lip. She wanted to tell him that he could get really lucky if he wanted to help a whole bunch of vets with similar stories to TJ’s but without the same resources. She wanted to, and she would, but she’d save it for tomorrow. “You are.”
“Do you have family in the military?”
“Not that I know of. Why?”
“Your reaction; it made it seem like it hit close to home.”
“It does.” She smiled. “I wanted to tell you about some of the guys at the center, but it can wait.”
“Till tomorrow?”
“Yeah. And what about Reid?”
Oscar smiled. “Reid does his own thing. If I’m the suit, and TJ’s the uniform, then Reid would be the geek.”
Grace smiled. “You love them, don’t you?”
“I do.”
She loved that he wasn’t shy about it.
“I know how fortunate I am, and I don’t just mean that I come from a wealthy family. I mean that I come from a great family. My parents are awesome people, and so are my brothers.”
“And your cousin is an amazing lady, too, from what I understand.”
“You know Hope?”
She laughed. “Not personally, of course, but I remember her as a model, and she’s done a lot of charity work.”
“She has, and so have I.”
Grace laughed. “What, you don’t want to be outdone in the good works department?”
“No, I don’t. You already think I’m an arrogant prick. I want you to know there’s more to me than the sexy playboy.”
She shook her head. “So modest. What charity work do you do?”
She was surprised how eagerly he leaned forward. “All kinds. Have you heard of Clay McAdam?”
“Err, yeah. I don’t even like country music, but I don’t live under a rock. Of course, I’ve heard of him. Don’t tell me you’ve helped him with the kids’ charity?”
“I helped him set it up. We did a big concert to kick everything off. I’m still on the board.”
Grace put her fork down and sat back. “You’re on the board?”
“I am. Does that surprise you?”
She shrugged, not wanting to admit just how much it surprised her.
“That’s okay. People tend to assume that donations are the extent of my involvement. And I don’t need to shout about it.”
“Except to me.”
Her heart fluttered as he cocked his head to one side and gave her a boyish smile. “Of course. I’m going to shout about it to you. It’s something that’s important to you, and I’m trying to make a good impression here. Give a guy a break?”
She laughed. It was hard to believe that he was out to make a good impression on her, but she liked it. A lot. She held his gaze, and they both smiled. That warm feeling crept through her again, as though they were making some kind of connection that went beyond words. She sat up straight as Gavin came back. She needed to get a grip.
“More beer?”
“Yes, please.” She smiled at Gavin as he took her mug and he smiled back.
“You can bring her in here again,” he told Oscar.
Grace gave him a puzzled look, but he just laughed. “Thanks, Gavin.”
They ate in silence for a few minutes until Gavin returned with fresh beers. “I didn’t put my foot in it, did I?”
“No,” said Oscar with a smile.
“Maybe,” said Grace. “What did you mean?”
Gavin held his hands up and shook his head. “I’ll let his lordship explain.”
Grace looked at Oscar expectantly. “Well?”
He gave her a beseeching look. “Don’t get mad at me?”
“I might. I might not. Try me.”
He blew out a sigh. “I don’t know what it is about you, but I can’t bullshit you.”
She laughed. “I’m not going to get mad about that.”
“Okay. I’ve been coming in here for years. The first time I came was when … to escape …”
Grace chuckled. “Let me guess, you had some chick stalking you everywhere you went, so you couldn’t go to any of your usual places?”
“Yes. And I discovered the meatloaf and started coming back. This has become my comfort place for comfort food. I brought a date here once, and it was a total disaster. I asked Gavin to kick my ass for me if I ever brought a woman here again—and I haven’t.”
“But you brought me.”
“I did.”
“Because I fit in here?”
His smile faded. “Yes and no. Not in the way I think you mean.”
“What that it’s a divey neighborhood bar and I’m a divey neighborhood kind of girl?”
He scowled. “Definitely not that. If that’s what you think, that’s your problem, and it’s not how I see you.”
She bit back a smile. She liked that he was getting mad at her on her behalf. Spider was the only person who did that.
“I meant you fit in, because … I don’t know how to explain it. This is my comfort place, and you’re … comfortable to be with.”
She raised her eyebrows, and he grimaced.
“Don’t look like that. Comfort is a good thing. I don’t usually feel comfortable around people. I …”
She laughed. “Quit while you’re ahead. Or at least, stop digging. I take it as a compliment. I don’t feel comfortable around people either.”
“Are you comfortable with me?”
She thought about it. “Yeah, probably more than I should be.” It was true. He made her heart pound. She was anxious about what he might be prepared to do to help out at the center, but she was comfortable with him.
“What does that mean?” he looked puzzled.
“Just that I shouldn’t get used to it.”
“Why not?”
She rolled her eyes. “I thought you weren’t going to bullshit me. We’re going to hang out for a couple of days. You’re going to decide what you might do to help the center. We both know we’re delaying the inevitable when it comes to screwing each other’s brains out. Beyond that …” She shrugged. “Well, that’s where our paths will part again. I don’t want to get comfortable being comfortable. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice, but …” She shrugged again, feeling like she’d said too much.
He didn’t argue. He just stared at her. Part of her wished he say something nice, disagree with her. Mostly she was grateful that he wasn’t going to lie about it.
After Gavin had cleared their plates, she sat back and smiled at him.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“So, what are you looking so smug about?”
“I’m not. What you’re mistaking for smugness is actually content.”
“You’re content?”
“Yeah. This has been fun. Not what I expected at all.”
“You thought it wouldn’t be fun?”
“Kind of. I thought it’d be tense. You know? We’re so different, and there’s the whole issue of the center and whether I’m just courting you for a donation.” She waggled her eyebrows at him. “Not to mention the physical side. I thought there’d be some tension.”
He chuckled. “You don’t feel the tension? I thought it was coming off me in waves.”
“I feel it, but it’s not awkward. It’s there, but it’s not overbearing.”
He gave her the sad, puppy dog eyes. “You’re not overwhelmed with desire for me then?”
She had to laugh. “No.”
“Damn.”
He waved a hand at Gavin for the check. “So, I need to step up my game?”
She shook her head. “No. I didn’t say there’s no desire. I’m just not overwhelmed, and that’s a good thing.”
“It is?”
“Yeah. See, it gets overwhelming when that’s all there is. I’ve been too busy enjoying your company to focus solely on the physical side.”
He grinned. “Me too. I didn’t realize it until you said it, but you’re right. This has been like making a new friend.”
“Instead of having to listen to a woman talk until you can get in her panties?”
That smile! If he’d wanted into her panties at that moment, she would have agreed. But he was right, she felt as though she was making a friend.
“Guilty as charged. That’s usually me.” His smile faded, and he looked puzzled. “I told you, Grace, you’re an unusual lady.”
“Thank you.”
When he’d paid Gavin, they made their way out onto the street. He slung his arm around her shoulders, and she looked up into his eyes. Who would ever have guessed that Big Cat, the arrogant prick, would turn out to be a good guy?
“I want to walk with you for a while. I want to take you home. I want a lot of things, Grace. But most of all I want to honor our agreement. So, I’m going to call TJ and ask him to come get us and drop you home.”
If he’d said he wanted her to go home with him, she would have gone—eagerly. Part of her was disappointed; part of her was glad that he wasn’t only about having sex with her.
They both turned to look as the limo pulled up to the curb.
Oscar gave her a rueful smile. “There. Decision made for us. I was wavering, thinking I could call a cab to take us back to my place.”
She wondered why TJ couldn’t do just that.
As he’d already done a couple of times, Oscar seemed to read her mind. “I can’t ask TJ to do that. I already asked him not to let me take you home.”
“Why?”
He put his hands on her shoulders and looked down into her eyes. “Because I don’t want to screw this up.”
He lowered his head, and she lifted her lips to meet his. His kisses did strange things to her, not just the usual, expected, physical things—making her knees weak, and her head spin, and the heat build between her legs. No, he checked all those boxes. What was strange was that his kisses felt like coming home—only she’d never had a home.