Page 51 of Where You Go (Whisper Lake 5)

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Grady’s handcovered Liv’s knee as if it was the most natural thing in the world as they drove beside the rolling green fields.

Not a real relationship, she reminded herself.

The ride back into town was much too short for Liv’s liking. She would have much preferred it to have taken an hour rather than fifteen minutes.

She knew that Grady had only asked her to meet his mom because Mrs. Caldwell was such a fan of her books, but it had felt like she was meeting her boyfriend’s mom.

But this wasn’t a real relationship. This wasn’t any sort of relationship at all. Grady had gone to Bridgette’s wedding, and now he was going to tell people that they were dating long distance for a few months. This was a sex-a-thon topped off by a quick meet-the-mom. That was it.

Not a real relationship, she reminded herself.

“Thanks again, for going and meeting my mom.”

“I loved meeting her. She’s amazing. She has the best reactions to things. I love her.”

“Yes, she does. And she loves you, too.”

Liv refused to let her romance brain run away with her. Just because Grady had been acting like they were actually dating; she knew better than to assume they were. She’d been through years of online dating with Rasha before she found her prince charming in Jayden.

She knew that most men had an aversion to commitment. They were practically allergic to the word. Which seemed to be the case with Grady. When they’d been having their three o’clock snack this morning between sexy time, she’d asked him about past relationships. He’d admitted that his last serious relationship had been in college. He said that he’d been married to his job.

Liv had heard that excuse before from men Rasha dated. But, in her estimation, when someone wanted something in their life, if it was important, they made time for it.

“You didn’t have to tell my mom who the Duke ends up with.”

“Oh, it’s fine.” Liv only just met her, but she trusted her not to say anything to anyone. Plus, as soon as the cover reveal and blurb were released the secret would be out of the bag, anyway.

“But since you did…” his words trailed off as he squeezed her knee.

Liv ignored the tingles the pressure of his fingertips caused and glanced over at him. “Since I did what?”

“Since you told her, who does the Duke end up with?”

Liv couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s Rebecca, right? That’s why she looked so happy?”

It wasn’t, actually. He ends up with Elizabeth. The reason Sylvia was happy was because Liv told her that Rebecca was going to be the first book in Liv’s new spinoff series and her hero was Henry, who lost his wife to the flu and has been raising his three daughters alone. Rebecca always wanted children but knew she was unable to have them because of a childhood illness that had left her barren. When Liv wrote, she never tried to write perfect people, just people who were perfect together.

Sylvia was probably excited because she loved Henry. He was Liv’s most requested secondary character to get an HEA. Her fans loved Henry. Heck, Liv loved Henry.

She also loved the fact that Grady actually read her books and was interested in who the Duke ended up with. The only thing stopping her from telling him was that she wanted to keep talking to him once she went back to Chicago. If he didn’t know who the Duke ended up with, maybe he’d text her to find out.

“I thought you said your mom was the one who needs spoilers,” she teased as they pulled up to the B&B where her grandad’s car was parked. The tracker on that car had been the catalyst to this entire crazy weekend. She loved that car but right now she was disappointed to see it. It symbolized she was leaving Whisper Lake and therefore leaving Grady.

Grady cut the engine and looked over at Liv. “You’re really not going to tell me, are you?”

Leave him wanting more,her inner-Rasha voice said.

So instead of spilling the beans, she chuckled and got out of the car.

Grady got out as well and walked her over to the driver’s side of her grandad’s Chevy. She’d already checked out of the B&B and put her bags in the trunk. All she had to do now was say goodbye and drive away.

“This weekend was...” She wanted to say fun but she thought that sounded like not enough.

It turned out she didn’t need to finish her thought because Grady covered her mouth in a kiss that had her toes curling in her sandals. Her hands automatically reached up and gripped his wide shoulders as his masterful tongue whipped her body into a hormonal frenzy. By the time he broke their kiss she was breathless and dazed. It was a state she was getting accustomed to being in thanks to Grady.

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