Page 50 of Letters of Faith
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There’s a knock at my door at exactly seven o’clock. Nerves turn in my stomach as I walk to answer it.
Taking a deep breath, I reach out and turn the knob, but that breath is knocked right back out of me when I see Grayson standing on my doorstep in a tux.
I’ve seen him dressed up a thousand times at the office, but this is different. The man is all sharp lines and hard muscle, but a softness in his eyes makes me want to lay my heart in his hands.
“Hi,” I greet him. It comes out breathless, a whisper against the cold night wind.
The muscles in his throat tighten as he swallows, looking me up and down. His eyes stop at the slit of the dress that ends just above my knee, and his breath stutters as he tries to settle himself before dragging his eyes back to mine.
“You’re beautiful.” The sincerity in his voice sends shivers down my spine. “Shall we?” he asks, holding out his hand for me to take.
I place my hand in his and step through the door into a new life—one where I’m stronger and less jaded. He reaches behind me and closes the door. Slipping his hand from mine, he places it on my back and guides me to the truck. The driveway is slick, though, and heels aren’t made for snow. With one step forward, my foot slides out from under me. I jerk back, bracing myself for the fall, but Grayson’s there. His hand that was on my back wraps around my waist and pulls me against him.
“There you go, saving me again.”
“Always,” he says as he picks me up and carries me to his truck. I wrap my arms around his neck and hold on to him. “Open the door for me, sweetheart.”
Reaching out, I pull the handle to the truck. When the doors open, he places me gently on the seat and reaches over, buckling me in. It’s a repeat of the day he first kissed me, and like then, he takes over all my senses.
When he pulls back, the smell of his cologne surrounds me, filling my lungs. Grayson closes my door, and I shake the nerves from my hands as he walks around the front of his truck.
When he’s in his seat and settled, I turn so my body is angled towards his.
“Where are we going?” I ask.
He sends me a scathing look and says, “Do you really think I will tellyou and ruin the surprise?”
“What if I ask really nicely?” I stick my bottom lip out and open my eyes wide, looking innocent. I lean in closer and beg, “Pretty please.”
“I’m a professional negotiator, Peach. Your little puppy dog eyes won’t ruffle me.”
“Oh, yeah?” I ask, unbuckling and sliding closer across the bench seat.
“Peach,” Grayson warns. “Buckle up.”
“I am. You’ll pop a blood vessel one day with the amount of worry you take on.” Buckling the middle seat belt across my lap, I lay my hand against his bicep. His muscles flex under my fingers. “Now, where were we? Oh yes, I remember. You were about to tell me where we are going.”
“The answer is still no, Peach.”
“Ah, Gray—you’re no fun, but I kind of figured the answer would still be no. I just wanted to sit closer to you.”
I look up at him and give him a cheeky smile. When he glances down at me and chuckles, another piece of my heart heals.
Chapter 21
Grayson
The place I’m taking Georgia is an hour away. One of my clients told me about it three weeks ago. I knew Georgia would love it as soon as I heard about it, but we weren’t even an option at that point. I bought the tickets anyway, hoping to find a way to convince her to come with me as just a friend.
Then she told me about Nate’s next task for her—the date—and I knew the contents were as much for me as they were for her—there are too many ties to my own letter. My options were either to step up the way Nate asked me to or let her go out with another man.
To me, it wasn’t even a choice.
I won’t be able to handle watching her love someone else a second time. The first time, it was my best friend, but this time, it might be some stranger who won’t treat her like she’s the best thing that’s ever happened to him. She may deserve better than the man I am, but I’ll spend every day trying to prove to her that I can be who she needs.
Her head is lying on my shoulder as I drive, and I swear I could spend forever like this. We take one more turn, and I slow the truck. Georgia lifts her head and glances around her, confusion marring her pretty face.
