Chapter Nine

Grace

When I woke up, from my drunken, probably snoring slumber, I sucked in a deep breath.

My head and chest ached and not just from the whiskey.

The alcohol didn’t make me forget any of the night before. All I could think about was the way Jack’s muscles tightened as he worked that salmon ladder. How my body clenched, watching him. How I kept telling myself that I could totally have a one-night stand with a guy who needed a wife. Something I would never be for him.

But I couldn’t think like that. I had to move on and forget it.

Looking over at the alarm clock, my eyes adjusted to the darkness. Six a.m. Still time to maybe eat the bread Jack hopefully had left out.

When I slowly sat up, my body aching with each movement, I noticed a glass of water and bottle of aspirin on the nightstand. I quickly took two pills, downing them with the water before I stood up, my joints popping.

I wondered how many other girls Jack had done these hangover cures for. And if he’d bring it up today at work. Lord knows he never forgot about the almost arrest and that was eight years ago.

But all my thoughts stopped when I got to the bathroom and saw my face in the mirror. I didn’t have time to think about anything other than washing my face, brushing my teeth, showering, and trying to not look like a raccoon on crack with my makeup smeared face and frizzy hair.

I’d tried to shag Jack looking like this? Was that before or after I almost puked?

Bollocks, I was never drinking whiskey again.

When I finally opened the bathroom door with my hair and makeup done, dressed, and feeling slightly human, I heard the faint sound of voices.

The hair on the back of my neck stood on end. This wasn’t technically my flat, but I thought I’d have some privacy. Slowly, I peered around the corner

“Thanks, Mrs. O’Hanlon, Have a good day.”

I recognized that voice, and when the front door shut, I quickly pulled back, pressing my body against the bathroom wall.

Blast. What was he doing here? Was my embarrassing night not enough? Now was he going to gloat?

“Sleep well, Grace?” His voice carried through the small room.

“Spying on me? I thought this was my flat and you couldn’t just walk in,” I said, finally walking out of the bathroom.

Jack was still in his dress shirt and trousers from the night before, smiling, and holding a white paper bag. “Thought you might want some breakfast.”

He brought me food? What?

What kind of guy does that after he watches you get sick? And apparently stays the night…somewhere…close…

A guy who is a decent human being and not the devil incarnate, I guess.

“Have a seat.” He walked toward the small table by the window and pulled out a stool, effectively knocking me out of my thoughts.

“You didn’t need to get me breakfast…” I said, looking at the Styrofoam container of food. My stomach was growling. Blast, why couldn’t I control any of my reactions today?

“I did, and I should be a proper gentleman and make you a cuppa,” he said, heading toward the kitchen.

“A proper gentleman who showed up at my apartment in his clothes from the night before,” I blurted, unable to stop myself. I wondered if he really did leave another girl that morning. If I was now the epitome of repulsion.

Why did I even try anything with him? I’ll blame the whiskey and salmon ladder.

He laughed slightly and sat the kettle on the stove. “I stayed here last night. Thought that was obvious.”

Blood rushed to my head. He stayed here? He saw me at my worst then still stayed? I didn’t know whether to vomit or swoon. “I puked and passed out. A proper gentleman would have left me to my misery.”

He stilled, then slowly turned away from the stove. His dark blue eyes bore into me as he crossed the room to stand in front of me.

A gasp escaped my lips, partially from shock and partly from the nearness of him. It had been so long since I’d been with anyone, but he especially did something that had every part of my body come alive with one little touch.

“I did nothing improper. You were bolloxed, and I wanted to make sure nothing else happened to you, so I slept on the sofa. You can be pissed at me all you want, but I’m not apologizing for doing what I thought was right.”

I glared, trying to keep my resolve. No man had ever done anything for me like that. Hell, no person had.

Just because we shared a drunken, yet very explosive kiss that still made me warm from thinking about it, didn’t mean anything. I wasn’t going to get involved with my boss.

“I should head out. I have a meeting this morning, so I’ll be in later. Have my assistant hold my calls, will ya?” He winked like this was just an ordinary occurrence. Like we were old pals.

“Thanks for breakfast,” I muttered, looking at my food instead of the dimple on his cheek. The one I had kissed just the night before. The one I would never, ever kiss again.

I didn’t breathe again until the door shut and I knew he was gone.

“What the hell had I gotten myself into?” I whispered to no one in particular, since I was by myself, again.

I gasped when my answer came with the front door opening and Jane Pawsten sprinting in, followed by my mother and Grandmum.

Shit. Just what I needed.

“Gracie, was that Jack Murphy I just saw in the hall?” Mum’s voice carried through the room until she was standing in front of me, hands on her hips.

Grandmum stood beside her in a zebra print shirt dress with sparkly sequin leggings. Mum said her crazy outfits could be the start of dementia or something more serious. Her grand excuse that we needed to be closer and move to Dublin, that I went along with, knowing she wanted to save face for everyone else. But I think Grandmum just always went to the beat of her own drum. I wish everyone could always be as free as she was.

“Bloody hell, Mum, his company owns the building. And what are you doing here? I thought I’d come get her after work.” I stood up and went to the kitchen, grabbing Jane’s food bowl and water so I’d have something to do with my hands and not face the two women.

“Well, we were just taking a walk and thought we’d stop by and see how you were feeling. You know, since you were out all night with your coworker, but then I see Jack walking out. Do normal business owners check up on their assistants in their buildings or is there something you want to tell me about Jack? Maybe that you considered what I told you?”

“What are we talking about? Is Grace pregnant? Is she carrying the billionaire’s baby? I saw that in a book once. Or maybe it wasn’t a book, and it was a movie…one of those dirty videos from the computer…” Grandmum said.

“Mother,” Mum snapped, turning sharply toward the old woman who just shrugged, fluffing her short gray hair.

I sighed, taking in the overwhelming smell of Mum’s floral perfume and shutting my eyes. This was not the conversation I wanted to have. Not now. Not ever. Especially not in front of Grandmum. “Mum, I’m not going to seduce a man and drop him just to get the company.”

“I’m sure your cousin Lacey would. She is a gold digger that one. Is that what they call it?” Grandmum added.

Hearing my cousin’s name made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end.

Lacey was better than me at everything. She had flawless skin, beautiful curls, made honor roll, and was a talented athlete. She was Jack’s age, and the two had an on-again-off-again thing in boarding school and uni.

I still wasn’t sure I even liked the man. But it still left a sour taste in my mouth.

“I’m sure Lacey has better things to do than chase after a man,” I quipped, pouring some kibble into Jane’s bowl.

“She is coming into Dublin for business soon. She’ll probably be in for tea. And if there is something going on with you and Jack, I can make sure she won’t be around when he is. Though if you really are falling for him, maybe your cousin would have a few choice words about being in love with a man who wants nothing but business,” Mum said.

I sighed. We always thought father was in love with his work, too. All the late nights at the office were a front for one of his many side flings. Something Mum and I found out way too late.

“I have to get ready for work. And I’m trying to keep things professional between Mr. Murphy and me.”

I turned in time to see Mum’s tight smirk. “Gracie, dear, I know you’ve always had this little crush on the oldest Murphy, but do you think spending the night with him this early is wise? Is this part of a plan to seduce him so he doesn’t get married and Grandfather can get the company? If it’s not…darling…I don’t want you to get hurt.”

She blinked slowly and I saw concern flutter across her usually stoic face.

I never came right out and said how much her and Dad’s divorce ruined my thoughts of marriage, but I think she knew. And she didn’t want her daughter to get hurt like she had.

“He…he…was…just…I…was…” I sputtered, trying to think of a response but my mind went completely blank.

Grandmum cackled, pointing a crooked finger at me. “Gracie has a boyfriend!”

“He’s not my boyfriend, Grandmum.”

Mum patted my arm. “Gracie, I know you may think you know what’s best and it was kind of him to take care of little Janey…”

Mum’s eyes trailed to the little dog who had buried her face in her food bowl. “But I worry about you. I know you work on romance novels and maybe you still believe in a happily ever after, even with everything we’ve been through.” She sighed. “I don’t want you to get hurt in all of this, Gracie. Maybe it was silly to even bring all of this up.”

I shook my head. “It’s fine, Mum. It’s not like I’m actually falling for the guy. He doesn’t even like me like that. He’s just trying to find any woman he can.”

I nodded to myself, even though her words punched me hard in the gut. Of course he didn’t want to be with me. He needed someone easy to get along with and someone who would fall into the role of his wife. I was neither of those things to him. Something that was hard to even admit to myself.

Janey snorted at my feet then pawed my shoes so I picked her up. “I’m going to have to take Jane for a walk before work, then I can bring her back over on my way out.”

Mum waved her hand. “Nonsense, Gracie, we aren’t going to make you go out of your way. We’ll stay for a cuppa then take Janey back to Grandmum’s.”

Grandmum eyed the little white bag on the table before opening it and pulling out a pastry. “Oh, bannock, your man knows the good stuff.”

“He’s not my man, Grandmum.”

She smiled. “Of course he isn’t.”

I sighed, there was no point in trying to argue with the old woman or my leery Mum. Not when I wasn’t even sure what was going on with Jack and me anyway.

But, I hated to admit it, Mum did have a point. No use getting involved or even trying. No matter if my heart was tugging me in a different direction.

If I thought things were screwed earlier this morning, now things just got twenty times more bloody complicated.