Page 37 of The Exception

My stomach fluttered, with nerves or excitement, I wasn’t sure. Especially as he continued to study me. Judging from his reaction, he liked what he saw.

The air was charged with something, and I felt myself being pulled closer to him. Drawn to him. His eyes raked me from head to toe, lingering on the large swath of skin revealed by my dress. I could feel my skin heating, my blood whooshing in my ears.

“Are you ready?” he rasped.

I nodded and grabbed my clutch, wishing I could make my hands stop shaking. Graham placed a soft kiss to my cheek, and I felt frozen to the spot. I could feel Jo’s eyes on us, watching curiously. I knew she had questions, and I couldn’t blame her. If our roles were reversed, I’d definitely have questions.

I was grateful when Graham offered me his arm, giving me an escape. I looped my arm through his, grateful for his steadying presence.

“Have fun.” Jo winked, and the door closed behind us.

“Thanks.” I waved goodbye and let him guide me down the hall.

I kept my attention focused on the elevators, trying not to laugh when one of the employees stopped and gawked at him from the hallway. Behind her, another employee with a cart of food narrowly missed running into her coworker. They glanced at each other then started whispering, their attention on Graham.

Once they were out of earshot, I said, “You do realize thateveryonewill be talking about this, right?”

He glanced down at me, one eyebrow arched. “That was kind of the point.”

Right. Of course.Graham never did anything without a game plan. I didn’t know whether that made me feel better or worse.

When we arrived at one of the on-site restaurants, Azul, the hostess led us to a candlelit table overlooking the ocean. It was intimate. Romantic.Definitely didn’t feel like a business meeting.

Right. All part of the show.I’d do well to remember that.

Graham pulled out my chair for me. I took in the view from our perch on the edge of the cliff, feeling as if I were balanced on my own precipice. I could keep trying to save the château on my own. Or I could marry Graham and restore it to its former glory.

Part of me cringed at the idea of marrying for money, even if we both knew this was a business transaction going in. The other part was just so exhausted. I knew I couldn’t keep operating at the level I was. And if I wasn’t careful, I’d lose everything.

“How’s your ankle? Is it healing okay?” he asked.

“I…yeah.” I pulled my lip between my teeth. “Thank you.”

We ordered drinks and our meal, and then the waiter left. Graham’s green eyes bored into mine, and I couldn’t help but get a little lost in them. I’d always thought he was attractive, but something seemed different tonight. Or maybe I’d never felt the full focus of his attention. Not like this.

“How are you enjoying the resort?” he asked.

“I, um—” I tucked my hair behind my ear. “I didn’t think you were interested in my feedback.”

“Perhaps I should’ve been more open to your suggestions,” he said, surprising me again. I’d seen him act like this in negotiations. Graham could definitely be charming when he wanted. “What you’ve accomplished with your blog is impressive.”

I blinked a few times, completely shocked. Was he…complimenting me?

Yes, Graham could be charming, but he could also be relentless, committed to a course of action. But as tenacious as he could be, he was never ruthless or brutal. He was guided by a strong moral code, a deep sense of loyalty and duty. When he put his mind to something, he was determined to see it through.

“Thank you.”

“That said, your blog could be a sticking point with my family, especially regarding—” he leaned in “—our story.”

“Wow. Okay. So we’re jumping straight to that.”

He smoothed a hand down his tie. “What else would we be here to discuss?”

“I don’t know.” I glanced around the room. “We might just try to slow down. Treat it like a real date. See how things go before jumping into negotiations.”

“Seems like a waste of time.”

“Is foreplay a waste of time?” I arched a brow, wondering what had come over me. Why had I made an analogy to sex instead of a business meeting?

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