Page 66 of Moonlit Colorado

“I’m sorry.”

“Hey, do not be sorry.” He touched my chin again. “I don’t mind hearing no. Besides, Lisa would probably blacklist us from this store, and I’d like to bring you back here on your next trip to New York.”

NINETEEN

Dane

We spentthe rest of the afternoon shopping at the other boutiques on Margot’s list. I loved watching Grace show off in front of the mirror. Even better that she was doing it as much for herself as for me.

Damn, she was gorgeous.

I’d been on good behavior all week leading up to our trip. But after that kiss Grace laid on me while wearing that sexy-as-hell blue dress, I had just about reached the end of my patience. I really had been tempted to pick her up, carry her into the dressing room, and make good on my threat to get her naked then and there. But Grace was wiser than me, making sure we’d still be welcome at that boutique.

It was probably ridiculous to already be thinking about future trips to New York with her. But I couldn’t help where my mind went.

At the second shop, I made sure a pizza was waiting for us. I fed Grace bites of the best pizza in the country while she tried on fancy dresses for the wedding.

Was it a smart idea to risk getting tomato sauce on expensive gowns? Maybe not, but I liked to live dangerously. I wanted to buy her everything she tried on, anyway. Even though Grace was all kinds of picky about what she agreed to let me get for her.

But she found plenty she liked. My black card got a workout, and every time I waved it over the card reader, I got a thrill that Grace was letting me do something special for her. Plus, the longer I could avoid thinking about the actual wedding events and seeing my family, the better.

Then she surprised me by picking a tie for me at the last boutique, which carried menswear, and paying for it herself. “So you have something to remember this trip,” she said.

That wasn’t going to be an issue. But I appreciated the gesture more than I could express. “Thank you.”

By the time we were finished and the back of the SUV was full of shopping bags, I was beyond worked up. In the elevator on the way up to my apartment, my mind was going all sorts of dirty places. I had told the doorman to send up our things later. Right now, I had to get my hands on her.

I pulled her in front of me in the elevator, wrapping my arms around her middle. “Are you ready for me?” I murmured.

“I’ve been ready for a while now.” She gave me a cute little smirk over her shoulder. While I had been growing more desperate all afternoon, she had been getting more bold. “What are you going to do to me first?”

“Mmmm.” I had been pondering that exact question. I’d been picturing my first time with Grace all week. Which was a unique form of self torture, and had resulted in plenty of solo orgasms, all of them unsatisfying. “Depends. Do you want me to be sweet and gentle this first time?” I massaged her hip with a firm but easy touch, then dropped a soft kiss to her neck, showing her just how sweet I could be.

“That does sound nice.” She turned her head, eyes glinting. “But I thought you promised to punish me. “

Desire poured through my veins, heady as bourbon and equally intoxicating.Fuck.

She was ready for me, but now I wondered if I was entirely ready for Grace O’Neal. For the spell of infatuation she was already putting me under.

The elevator doors opened on my floor. I pressed my lips to her ear. “I think you’re hiding a bad girl behind those glasses and the books on spreadsheets.”

“I don’t know,” she said innocently. “Spreading some sheets is exactly what I was just thinking of.”

I laughed and grabbed her hand, fishing for my keys in my pocket. She had to rush to keep up with my long strides. Somehow I got the key in the lock, and then we were inside and I pressed her up against my closed door. I tossed my keys to the floor behind me and took her purse from her, tossing that to the floor as well.

Then I held her face in my palms and kissed her. My tongue stroked into her mouth, and my hands started to wander, moving down the curves I had been eyeing all afternoon. “I’ve been watching you model different outfits for the last several hours, but I never got to see the good parts. So the first thing I want is to watch you take off all your clothes. Show off how pretty you are for me wearing nothing at all.”

Grace bit her lip, gazing up at me.

Then a throat cleared primly behind us.

Grace yelped, and I cursed under my breath, tipping my head back in frustration.Why now? Then I discreetly adjusted myself, thankful my shirt was untucked, and turned around.

“Apologies,” Margot said. “I texted that I was on my way.”

“I was distracted.”

“I can see that.” Margot’s expression didn’t change except for some lines appearing around her eyes, and I knew she was laughing at me inside.

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