“Grae, didn’t you hear me calling you?!” Graeson looked up to see Maggie with her hands on her curvy hips, staring at him with a bewildered expression. Graeson cocked an eyebrow at her, but stopped short of snapping.
“What’s up? I thought I sent you home.”
Maggie, exasperated now, replied, “Yes, and home I would be if you would answer your phone! I wanted to check on you and make sure you’re okay.” Her voice softened, but only marginally.
Graeson looked at his watch and tried to control his nerves. Shit! It was almost eight o’clock. Kaine would be here soon. Graeson resisted the urge to run upstairs and change clothes. Instead, he turned and walked into his study with Maggie dogging his heels.
“I’m great. No need to worry, I told you, I just needed some down time. You know how being in the city always winds me up, and finalizing that drill ship purchase was just plain rough. Anyway, stop acting like a mother hen and give me some space!” Graeson tried to cover his nervousness with humor, hoping to fool his overly inquisitive friend.
Maggie sensed something had happened to make him hide away in Brazil all those years ago, but he never talked about it.
“Well, okay. But I also wanted to tell you that I really liked this Justin guy’s ideas and I think you will too. I set up a meeting with him on Monday, so make sure you take time to review his plans before then. Get cracking and let me know what you think.”
Maggie was still giving him the stink eye when she said, “Soo… dinner, huh? I thought you were going out? You certainly aren’t dressed for dinner.” Her gaze travelled over his choice of clothing, letting him know he might want to change. Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of tires on the gravel driveway. Maggie immediately perked up knowing that this was the “soo cute” guy Lark had mentioned. Though she and Graeson had never discussed his sexuality, Maggie had always thought he was gay. He’d only dated when necessary, and always exceptionally beautiful women, but Maggie just had a feeling.
At the sound of a car door shutting, Maggie ran out of the study and into the hall to catch a glimpse of Graeson’s mystery date. She stopped short of answering the door, but instead, stood near the stairs as Graeson made his way out of the study. She knew Graeson would likely not behave cordially toward his guest and she wanted to meet the man who seemed to have Graeson all tied up in knots before her grumpy boss threw him out.
The doorbell rang and Graeson drew a deep breath as he made his way towards the foyer. He walked casually across the hand scraped wood of the entryway. He opened the door, keeping one hand on the knob and the other on the doorjamb.
“Hello, Graeson,” a smooth, mellow voice that reminded Maggie of fine whiskey drifted through the door. Graeson didn’t respond and made no move to allow his guest in.
“Where’s my file?” Graeson’s tone was so brusque that Maggie started. Wow! What was the deal here? Maggie approached Graeson and quickly snatched the doorknob, pulling the door open… whoa, baby… mmm hmm. What a lovely, muscled specimen of manhood… Maggie blinked, and then blinked again before finally finding her voice.
“Hi, I’m Maggie. Won’t you come in? So? You are the infamous file thief, si?” Maggie joked, glaring at Graeson. He stood unmoving, his back ramrod straight, his skin flushed, while his clenched fists had turned white.
Ignoring Graeson’s obvious hostility, Kaine maneuvered around him to follow Maggie into the entryway. He looked around, his gaze finally landing on Graeson and smoldering there for a moment before he turned again to Maggie.
“Hello, I’m Kaine Keeley. I’m an old college friend of Grae’s.” Kaine’s smile was genuine as he looked down at the gorgeous Brazilian waiting with her hand extended. “It’s very nice to meet you.”
“And you as well,” she said in a husky, thickly accented voice. With those looks and that voice, she must drive men crazy, Kaine mused. But not this man and hopefully, not his man. Kaine had seen them together and noted they were very close but did not seem to be intimate. He sure hoped he was right.
“Kaine, the file?” Graeson’s sharp voice cracked through the open space of the foyer.
“Graeson. Stop being rude!” Maggie turned sharply and frowned at Graeson.
“Would you like to come in for a drink, Kaine?” Slipping her arm through Kaine’s bent elbow, Maggie pulled him along toward the kitchen at the back of the spacious home. Once there, she opened the cabinet to Grae’s liquor stash. “Name your poison,” she said, ignoring the animosity that Graeson was determined to throw Kaine’s way. Kaine tried in vain to hide his smirk as he shook his head at Maggie.
“Well, since I’m driving, I shouldn’t. Graeson, we have reservations for nine, I hope that’s okay?” Kaine spoke to Graeson as if they met for dinner on a regular basis. Kaine’s eyes sparkled mischievously. He couldn’t help it, he was finally inside Grae’s home.
“Damn it, Kaine, I will not be going to dinner, or anywhere else, with you. Now give me the goddamn file so that I can get on with my evening.” Kaine tried not to flinch at the harshness of Graeson’s tone. Instead, he plowed on as if Graeson had been perfectly agreeable to spending an evening with him.
Kaine dramatically smacked his forehead with the heel of his hand.
“Ah, the file! You know… somehow I ran out of the house and forgot the darn thing on my desk.” Kaine didn’t miss the delight in Maggie’s eyes when she coughed to hide her snicker. “Well, I tell you what. We should just head on out for dinner… I mean you have to eat, right? And then, after dinner we can just swing by my place and I’ll run in and grab it before I drop you back here.”
Kaine turned to leave the kitchen. “I’ll just wait in the car for you. Very nice to meet you, Maggie. You have a good night.” Kaine winked at her and forced himself to walk slowly toward the foyer. He could hear his heart pounding in his ears. Would Graeson follow? Man, he hoped so. Kaine made it out of the door and was heading down the beautiful slate stone steps to his SUV. He heard Graeson running up behind him, and bracing himself, Kaine kept walking.
Graeson grabbed Kaine by the shoulder and spun him around roughly. “Just what the hell kind of game are you playing, Keeley? I told you. I just want my file. There is nothing else we need to talk about.”
Kaine took a deep breath and laid his hand on top of Grae’s, rubbing his thumb gently across the back, giving it a gentle squeeze as he said softly, “Yes, there is. And as I told you before, I’m not leaving until you talk to me.”
Kaine smiled, and the handsome, though disheveled, Graeson Hardin yanked his hand back as if it’d been burned. He looked straight into Graeson’s eyes. “I came here to win you back Grae, and I’m not leaving until I have you.” Kaine’s eyes were laser focused on Grae’s. He stiffened at Kaine’s words, and Kaine swore the man had stopped breathing. Seconds ticked by with neither man making a move.
“Oh, for god’s sake, Graeson… go to dinner. Get the damn file. It won’t kill you, chingada! You have work to do!” Maggie’s thickly accented voice berated them, ending the tense standoff.
Graeson ran his hand through his hair and blew out a breath, that familiar tick in his jaw working overtime. “Fine,” he ground out. “Where are we going?” Graeson stomped up to the vehicle and yanked open the passenger door before he unceremoniously hopped in. Hmmm, very nice. Graeson thought. Kaine’s obviously new Range Rover was definitely a sweet ride. He must be doing well for himself. Graeson caught himself feeling happy for his former lover for a second.
Snapping out of it and realizing the standoff was over, Kaine raced around to the driver’s side of the SUV, almost tripping over his own feet, and hopped in. “I made reservations at Augustine’s, a bistro near Fredericksburg. It’s a nice night and I thought we could sit out on the patio.”
Graeson snorted indelicately and looked over at Kaine. “Really? A bistro?” Graeson shook his head, not bothering to hide his amusement at Kaine’s attempt to woo him. “If I have to go out, it’s going to be for a burger and a beer – lots and lots of beer. Head towards town.” Graeson resigned himself to the evening and buckled into the fine leather seat.