Fallen from Grace (7 page)

Grace sat down in a gray chair in the middle of the room as Judas took a seat on the other side of her on a white love seat. A glass coffee table served as a barrier between them; it had a four wick, white candle burning. He smelled vanilla.
Relaxing.
Bookshelves lined the lower portions of the walls around the entire room, and a beautiful view of the city lay just outside the windows to his right. Several landscape paintings and frames holding her credentials hung on the walls, and there was a door straight behind her, which Judas assumed was a bathroom.

The neutral colors and use of contemporary artwork created a very tranquil environment.

“I like your office.”

“Thank you.”

“Is it the only one on the floor?”

She shook her head. “No, there are actually four more offices on this floor, but they’re currently vacant.”

“May I ask why?”

Several seconds passed before she crossed her gorgeous legs and leaned back in her chair. He loved the black high heels she was wearing; the thick straps wrapped around her ankles were extremely sexy. Propping her arm up on the edge of her chair, she tucked her hand beneath her chin.

“Eventually, I plan to expand. I’ve been practicing under my father for the past few years, and recently acquired this space.” She looked around, “It’s a great place to do our work.”

“You sound like you already know who will be joining you.”

Grace smiled. “I made a few lifetime friends in school.”

Hooking an ankle over his left knee, he grabbed his calf midway. “You’re fortunate. Good friends are hard to come by.” He glanced at the candle on the table.

“You surprise me, Judas.”

His gaze found hers. “Really? And why is that?”

She glanced away. “I don’t know. I guess when I first saw you, at the restaurant, I was caught off guard. You’re very hard to read, Judas, and I still can’t believe you’re in my office.” She shook her head. “I shouldn’t be surprised, and I shouldn’t even care, but for some reason…” her gaze met his. “I’m intrigued.”

“Perhaps that’s why I’m here as well.”

“Because I intrigue you?” She sounded suspicious. “I’m sure that line works with sorority girls, but not with me.”

“Ouch.” He raised his hand to his chest. “That hurt.” And it really did. He felt the weight of her statement hit him like a ton of bricks.

Her eyes widened. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said that.” She diverted her attention to the blue sky outside. The flawless curve of her jaw was accentuated by the light, and as his gaze met her lips, she turned and looked at him. He was enthralled by her.

“Please, forgive me. I didn’t mean to say that.”

“Of course I forgive you, but I
would
like to know why you said it.”

“My friend…she warned me when I asked about you. She called you the local bad boy.”

“Who?” Then it hit him. He unhooked his leg and leaned forward. “Alex.”

Grace spoke immediately. “She didn’t say anything bad.”

“Just that I liked sorority girls?” His eyebrows raised with the question.

“Well, not technically. Just that you had a tendency to date young women. I might have thrown in the sorority part.”

“Because of the young woman I was with at the restaurant?”

“Yes.” Grace was quiet for a minute, then continued. “I’m not usually one to judge someone by their looks, but I assumed she was telling the truth.”

He laughed. “My looks.” His expression hardened as he thought about her statement; he hated the traits he’d inherited from his father.
Girls like her will eat up your bad boy appeal.
Sitting on the couch in front of this beautiful psychologist, he couldn’t help the burn of tears that threatened to make their debut.
Son of a bitch.
He cursed his father as he braced his elbows against his thighs and intertwined his fingers.

“And what do you think now?” he asked, willing her hazel eyes to his, but she wouldn’t look at him.

“I don’t know. I’m confused. I don’t know what to think.”

He hadn’t cried since his mother’s funeral, but in this room with a woman he barely knew but couldn’t stop thinking about, he nearly lost control. He swallowed the tears back.

“Alex also said you helped her during a very difficult time in her life. She said if it wasn’t for you, she never would have gone back to college and likely started using drugs again after she returned to the city.”

Her statement caught him off guard. He’d tried his best to help Alex when she came back, but he never truly realized the positive impact he’d made until Grace told him. Though if either of them knew Judas was the reason she was sent to rehab in the first place, neither would see the positive result.

“I met Alex in college. Did you know she’s in the middle of earning her Master’s Degree?”

“No, I didn’t know that,” he said.

Grace had gone from reprimanding his choice of company to admiring the positive affect he’d had on her friend. She was a good hearted woman. And the thought of her being involved with his devious father concerned him.

“Are you sleeping with my father?” he blurted before he could stop himself. “I’m sorry, that was wrong of me to ask.”

Grace shot to her feet and strode to the widows. He stood and slowly walked over to her as a trainer would approach a caged lioness, and stopped a few feet away from her.

“I’m sorry, but in all sincerity the thought has been driving me mad. I had to know. I couldn’t help myself.”

She brought a slack fist to her mouth and lightly pressed her fingers to her lips as she closed her eyes and shook her head. When her eyes opened, she said, “I can’t believe you thought I was sleeping with your father. I’m
with
Ellis.”

“Do you love him?”

Her eyes widened in shock. He fisted a hand through his hair, appalled at his invasive questions.
What was wrong with him?

“I’m sorry. You don’t have to answer that.”

She shook her head. “You can’t just come into my office and ask me who I’m sleeping with, or
if
I love the man I’m with. We just met, Judas. I barely know you.”

His head swung like a pendulum, back and forth. “I know. I’m sorry, Grace. I’m leaving.” He turned on his heel, and headed for the door, but her hand caught his arm and brought his gaze back to her confused stare.

His eyes dipped to her lips, and when they parted he stepped toward her, slid his hands into her hair and kissed her. Everything around him disappeared as Grace wrapped her arms around his neck. She smelled like lavender and vanilla.
Incredible.

He moved his hands to her back, feeling her soft, bare skin exposed by the backless dress. She moaned, opening her mouth and allowing him to deepen the kiss. Suddenly, she pressed her hands to his chest and pushed him away, leaving Judas breathless, dizzy, and longing for more.

Grace turned away from him. “This is wrong.”

His gaze followed the length of her back and the curve of her hip. He stepped closer but didn’t touch her. “You can’t deny there is something powerful between us.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m
with
Ellis.”

Judas couldn’t stand not touching her. He smoothed his hands over her arms and leaned down. “You’re all I think about,” he whispered, “I want you, Grace.”

“Judas,” she murmured, dropping her head into her hands. Auburn curls fell from her shoulders, and he touched his lips gently to the line of her collarbone.

Her intercom beeped. “Grace, your next appointment is here.”

She abruptly stepped away from him and smoothed her hands down the front of her dress. “I can’t believe I let this happen.”

Judas felt her disgust, and hated himself for upsetting her. “It’s my fault,” he said, ambling to the door and grabbing his jacket. “You didn’t do anything wrong.
I
kissed
you
.” He reached for the door handle.

“I wanted you to kiss me.”

A man in a blue baseball cap took a drink of coffee while sitting on the corner of Fifth Avenue and 17th street in a black SUV. He was waiting for his target to exit a red commercial building that he’d entered at 1300 hours. Setting his coffee in the cup holder, he lifted his camera, adjusted the lens and snapped a photo of Judas Woods exiting the building at 1345 hours. He looked flustered as he climbed inside his BMW and drove away.

Placing his camera on the passenger seat, the man in the baseball cap started his SUV and followed him.

September 14th

Two weeks later

T
HE
FIRST
TWO
WEEKS
OF
September were a blur. Grace attended several fundraisers with Ellis and completed over fifty patient sessions. Now, for the first time in three years, she was actually going to take a vacation. Ellis had a romantic weekend planned at her parents’ home in The Hamptons. Grace was nervous because she had a feeling he was going to propose, and she didn’t know if she were ready to get married, or if he were the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

After placing her notebook and tape recorder in her briefcase, she grabbed her suitcase from the corner, but before she could leave her intercom beeped. Every time she heard the sound, she was reminded of Judas.

Here.

Kissing her.

She absently stared at the couch where he’d sat as she put her suitcase down and pressed the button on the intercom.

“Yes?”

“Dr. Winters, there’s a girl here, and…um…she’s asking for you.” Leslie sounded concerned. Grace had just finished her last session and didn’t have any appointments scheduled until Tuesday.

“Okay. I’ll be right out,” she said, setting her briefcase down.

Walking into the hall, she saw a petite, blonde girl standing there. Her arms were hugging her chest, and her eyes were swollen. She looked familiar.

“Can I help you?” Grace asked.

Her sad blue gaze turned to Grace.
Oh my.
It was Rebecca Meyers, the girl Judas was with at the restaurant. Did she know they kissed? Were they actually dating and Judas had lied? She was probably here to start a fight.
Great.
Ellis would be arriving in less than fifteen minutes, and he was always on time.

“Dr. Winters,” she looked like she was about to cry. “I know I don’t have an appointment, and I’m sure you’re busy. I looked up your address, I probably should have called before coming here,” she said, bringing her hand up to her mouth and nervously biting her nail.

“No, it’s okay. Please, come inside,” Grace said in a gentle voice.

Rebecca sighed with relief and walked into her office. Grace gave Leslie a skeptical glance, and she returned her concerned look with a grimace.

Grace stepped into her office and shut the door. Rebecca was standing in the middle of the room, clutching her purse beneath her arm.

“Can I get you something to drink? Tea or coffee, or maybe some water?” Grace asked.

She turned around. “No, thank you. I’m so sorry for coming here without an appointment.”

“It’s fine, really. Please, have a seat.” Grace motioned toward the love seat.

Rebecca sat down and laid her purse on the floor. She was wearing a white v-neck shirt, a short black skirt with leggings, and light brown boots. She was a pretty girl and couldn’t be a day over twenty-two.
Judas does like them young.
Grace tried to ignore the bitter twinge of jealously as she wondered what Judas saw in her. He’d claimed they were friends but she didn’t know him well enough to trust if he were telling the truth.

“You’re probably wondering why I’m here.” Rebecca leaned forward, looking at her hands. “I’ve never seen a doctor before. Well, besides a broken leg or a cold or something.” She laughed nervously.

“You’ve had a broken leg?” Grace asked.

Rebecca nodded. “In a skiing accident. My sister and I snuck out of the lodge during a family holiday and went skiing with a few of the instructors after they got off work. They took us down one of the advanced runs, and well...I’m not exactly athletic, and ended up breaking my leg.”

“Ouch,” Grace said. “I’m not very athletic either, but I’ve been lucky so far. No broken bones.”