Page 18 of Sizzling Desire

“You sure? Because you sound?—”

“Kate, I said I’m fine!” The words explode out of me, loud and jagged, slicing through the fragile thread of patience I’ve been clinging to all day.

There’s a stunned silence on the other end, and immediately, regret slams into me.

“I didn’t mean to yell,” I say quickly, my voice softer but no less strained. “I’m just... dealing with a lot right now.”

“Clearly,” Kate says, her tone gentler now but still tinged with hurt. “You want to talk about it?”

No. Absolutely not. There’s no version of this conversation that ends with me spilling my guts about the test sitting on my bathroom counter. About Kane. About the fact that my life is teetering on the edge of something I can’t control.

“I can’t,” I murmur, hating the way my voice cracks. “Not right now.”

“Grace...” Kate sighs, and I can hear the concern woven into her words. “You know I’m here for you, right? Whatever it is, you don’t have to go through it alone.”

Her sincerity makes my chest ache, but it also fuels the rising panic clawing its way to the surface. If I let her in, if I tell her what’s going on, it’ll make this real. And I’m not ready for that.

“I know,” I say, forcing the words out. “Thank you.”

The silence stretches between us, heavy and awkward, until finally, Kate sighs again. “Okay. But promise me you’ll call if you need anything. Even if it’s just to yell at someone who’s not me.”

“Promise,” I whisper, my throat tight.

When we hang up, I drop the phone onto the counter and press my palms to my temples, trying to stop the pounding in my head.

The bathroom door looms in my peripheral vision, a silent reminder of the chaos waiting for me.

I walk toward it slowly, each step weighted with dread. The test is still there, sitting on the counter like some cruel cosmic joke. Two pink lines, stark and undeniable.

I stare at it, my breath catching in my throat. This can’t be real. This can’t be my life.

But it is.

And as the reality of those lines sinks in, my world tilts, shifting under my feet like the ground is crumbling away.

Everything is different now.

And I have no idea what the hell to do next.

Chapter 6

Kane

Idon’t plan to stop by Grace’s office. Not really. But here I am, standing outside her door, a manila folder in hand and an excuse so thin it might as well be made of air.

The hallway smells like stale coffee and industrial cleaner, the fluorescent lights buzzing faintly overhead. It’s the kind of environment that should strip away any sense of purpose or charm, but Grace? She makes it electric.

There’s no one at the reception desk but I can see Grace sitting at her desk with her office door open, so I walk over. I take a breath, stealing myself, then knock twice before stepping inside.

She’s at her desk, head bent over a stack of papers, her dark hair pulled into a messy knot that somehow makes her look even more stunning. Her blouse clings in all the right places, and the way her brow furrows in concentration sends a jolt of something dangerous through me.

“Kane,” she says without looking up, her voice clipped. “Unless you’ve got donuts or a million-dollar check, I’m not interested.”

The sharpness in her tone should bother me, but it doesn’t. If anything, it fuels me. I grin, leaning casually against thedoorframe. “No donuts, but I did bring you something even better.”

That gets her attention. She glances up, and the sharpness in her eyes nearly knocks the air out of my lungs. “If it’s more work, you can turn right back around and leave.”

I step closer, holding up the folder like a peace offering. “Wedding paperwork. Kate wanted me to drop it off so you can bring it to the dress fitting for her.”

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