Page 65 of Fresh Tracks
“Grace, everything you’re saying is right. This is amazing work,” I say, shifting her on my thigh so she’s facing me now. “I should have been upfront about my boundaries. There are some parts of my life I just don’t want to open up, things I don’t want people to know about me or what I have.”
“OK,” she says, nodding again and shutting her laptop. “OK. I’ll go back to the drawing board.”
I pull her toward me, rubbing my thumb over her cheek and pressing a short kiss to her lips. “I’m sorry. I love where your head’s at. I know you’ll figure out something amazing.”
Her smile brightens and I hate myself just a little bit less now. “You don’t have to apologize. This is all new. We’re both learning about each other as we go. It’s fine.”
“So we’re good?” I ask, searching her eyes.
She grins and snorts a cute little laugh. “Yes, we’re good. I love that you think you’re the first person that’stold me no.”
She stands up and rolls her neck. “Besides, this is workplace TJ and Grace, not romantic Tommy and Rainbow. They’re separate.”
“Good. So what’s next for the day?” It feels like the weight that was sitting on my chest is all but gone, seeing how she’s handling that better than I would have.
“Actually, I’m going to do some laundry to get ready for Seattle and take a shower before getting some brainstorming done.”
Chuckling, I stand and follow her toward the studio door. “It’s all yours. Meet for lunch though?”
She stands up on her toes, bringing her lips to mine. The kiss isn’t nearly long enough, but it erases that last little bit of unease in me.
“Sounds perfect.” She grabs her bag, tucking her laptop away, and practically bounces out of the room and down the hall.
I was right. She owns me and my heart.
She doesn’t even have to try. She owns me and that’s what terrifies me.
This is why I’m afraid of falling in love with anything, much less someone so vibrant like her, because what if I lose it again? What if I can’t keep her happy like she deserves?
“We’re late.”Grace’s voice has a hint of panic in it and I chuckle to myself, keeping my eyes focused on the snowy road. “We’re going to miss our flight.”
“I told you, it’s fine. They won’t leave without us,” I tell Grace, who’s rummaging through her bags in the passenger seat on our way to the private terminal at the Jackson airport. “Seriously, I could ask them to wait all day and they’ll still be ready for us to leave on ten minutes notice.”
She pulls out some kind of ID card and then a couple hair ties from her bag, tying off her long braids. “You keep saying that, but I don’t believe you. I’ve never flown on a private plane before. Don’t they have other rich people to pick up in Seattle or someone that will be mad when they have to wait for their jet to get there? I don’t want to get off the plane to have some pretty, perfectly styled blonde waiting on the tarmac with her Louis Vuitton bags, tapping her toes, and glaring at me because she had to wait on her jet.”
My eyes flick over to her and I raise a brow. “You mean someone like Lizzy?”
She gives me a surprised look back, her eyebrows raised before she smirks. “I’m telling Lizzy you said that because she’d be flattered, but also yes.”
“Well, I guess that could happen, but this one only waits for me.”
She squints at me and I can see the wheels turning in her head. Her eyes widen when it finally clicks. “Wait. You’re not chartering this flight. This isyourjet? Like a whole ass private jet?” She holds her flattened hand out in front of her and moves it around like an airplane.
“Yep. You got it,” I say, resting my hand on her thigh.
She grabs my hand and places it back on the steering wheel.
“Eyes on the road, please?” A shiver runs through me and I’m instantly focused back on the road again, remembering her history with car accidents and what she’s been through.
I see the sign ahead for the private terminal and make the turn, pulling into the small parking area next to the tarmac.
“We’re here.”
“What about security though? I don’t want your crew to be mad at me because we’re late.”
I laugh. “Not a problem. We can go right from the car to the jet.”
She sighs and I can hear the relief in her voice. “Oh, thank god. I’m a mess with metal detectors and body scanners.”
