Too Much Temptation (11 page)

His gaze shot to hers, and a slow smile spread over his handsome face. “You want your turn to tease, Gracie?”

Grace fought her blush and nodded. “Yes.”

“What will you do?” he asked low, and shifted to bring her closer, turning her so that she was more or less cradled in his arms. He touched his nose to hers. “Tell me.”

Heart fluttering, muscles going liquid, Grace whispered, “I was thinking—”

A knock at the front door made them both twist around. Noah frowned, then looked back at Grace. “I’m waiting.”

“Um…” She eyed the door. “Aren’t you going to answer that?”

“Hell no.” He playfully kissed her throat. “I’ve got a sexy broad on my lap and she’s about to tell me all the wicked acts she wants to inflict on my poor body. All things considered, I don’t give a damn who’s at the door.”

“But…”

Noah cupped her head and tipped it up, then kissed her hungrily. Against her lips, he said, “Hey, I’m on pins and needles here, Grace.”

The knock came again, this time more impatient.

“Uh…”

“Ignore it. Or better yet, let’s go back in the bedroom where I’m in charge and I’ll make you forget all about the damn door.”

Noah began to stand with Grace held in his arms, and she squealed, pushing him back in the seat and laughing out loud. “Okay, okay! I’ll tell all.”

Suddenly the lock on the door clicked, and a second later, the door swung open.

Their laughter died a startling death. Noah and Grace both stared.

Kara, impeccably dressed, her hair neatly styled, stepped in. She dropped her key in her purse, closed the door, and turned. The second she saw Noah and Grace her mouth fell open. “Oh dear.”

Noah plopped back in his seat with a furious scowl. “What the hell are you doing here, Kara?”

Face hot with embarrassment, Grace started to scramble off Noah’s lap. But as if he’d anticipated her move, he laced his arms around her middle and held her tight. Unless she wanted to indulge in a scuffle—which she’d obviously lose—there was no way for her to remove herself.

That being the case, Grace was forced to improvise.

It was awkward, but she pinned on a bright smile and greeted their unexpected guest. “Hello, Kara.”

“I knocked.” Kara looked at Noah, then Grace, and back again. One brow arched high. “Twice.”

“We ignored it,” Noah rudely told her. And with a sarcastic smile: “Twice.”

“I assumed you weren’t home.” Kara frowned and folded her arms. “I was going to wait for you.”

Both Noah and Kara sounded hostile, and Grace couldn’t bear it. There’d been enough hurt already. “We were just…having brunch. Would you like a cheese sandwich?”

Noah choked on a laugh and squeezed Grace in a warm hug. “She didn’t come here to eat, Grace.”

Kara stared at Grace. Her attention went from their mostly naked appearances to the way Noah held Grace on his lap, pressed close to his chest. Amazingly, Kara looked more confused than angry or hurt by their intimate embrace.

“No,” Kara agreed, “no, I didn’t come to eat.” She cleared her throat and gave Grace a pointed look. “Noah, could I speak to you, please?”

Grace again tried to leave Noah’s lap, and Noah again restrained her. “It’s a bad time, Kara.”

“Noah,” Grace hissed through her teeth. And then, in a whisper,
“Let go.”

Without her discretion, Noah said, “I don’t want to let go, Grace. We have unfinished business.”

Grace smiled at Kara, then reached behind herself and gave a small, vicious tug to his chest hair. He yelped, released her to rub at the sting, and she all but sprung off his lap.

Trying to brazen it out and act as if she hadn’t just assaulted his body, Grace said, “I’ll just go get dressed and—”

Noah caught her hand, bringing her to a halt before she could take a single step away. He looked…displeased. “You don’t have anything to change into, remember? Your skirt is ruined.”

Grace pondered how successful she might be at strangling him. Probably not very, considering how thick his neck was.

Kara rubbed her forehead. “This is ridiculous, Noah. I only need a moment.”

He stood next to Grace. “I’ll give you a call tomorrow.”

“It’s important.”

“Yeah? So is this.”

Face red with growing annoyance, Kara said, “I need to speak with you
now.
”

Noah started to reply as heatedly and Grace, feeling like an interloper, squeezed his hand. “Noah, be reasonable.”

He turned his dark frown down to Grace. She should have been intimidated by that ferocious expression, Grace thought, but instead she smiled and nodded encouragement. Amazingly, Noah softened.

He sighed and shook his head at Grace. “Fine, whatever. You want to talk, we’ll talk.” And then, firmly: “But Grace stays.”

Like a ton of bricks landing on her head, Grace suddenly understood that Noah needed her at his side. He wasn’t just twitting Kara, trying to be mean-spirited because of whatever had transpired between them. He’d been through hell the last few days, facing down more than one accuser. Regardless of how he tried to pretend it didn’t matter, she knew that he had to hurt.

And now he wanted Grace’s support.

Grace was more than glad to give it.

She pulled her hand free but didn’t move away from his side. “Kara, why don’t you sit down? Can I get you something to drink?”

Kara strode to the sofa and perched on the edge of the seat. Her smile was chagrined when she said, “You’re turning into quite the little hostess, Grace.”

Unsure if Kara was mocking or sincere, Grace smiled. “Thanks.”

Grace started to sit in another chair, but Noah caught her by surprise and hauled her back into his lap. “Let’s get this over with, Kara.”

Grace wanted to box his ears, but more than that she needed to reassure Kara. It was obvious she was on edge, her hands shaking, her eyes clouded with worry. “I won’t repeat a word, I promise.”

“And I trust
her
,” Noah added, making a direct jibe at Kara.

Facing defeat, Kara sighed. “All right.” She clasped her hands together on her knees, not happy with the situation but understanding that she had little choice. “Your grandmother suggested that you’re flirting with Grace just to get my attention. To maybe make me jealous.”

Noah snorted.

Grace’s reaction was a bit more volatile. She nearly swallowed her tongue. “But…that’s absurd! I’m not the type of woman who’d make anyone jealous.”

For some reason, that made Noah snort again, and the squeeze he gave her forced the breath right out of her.

He was back to looking annoyed again.

Kara nodded. “I realize that it’s not true, of course.” And then hesitantly, “Is it?”

To Grace’s relief, Noah dropped the antagonism. “Kara, I wish you well, I really do. But beyond friendship, my interest in you is over. I’m not even sure it was there in the first place, at least not the way everyone assumed.”

Kara stared down at her hands, but she didn’t deny that.

“Is that all you wanted?”

“No, of course not.” Kara looked between the two of them. “Agatha wants me to visit the restaurant more, to try to regain your attention. I agreed just to appease her and my parents. But I didn’t want you to think I was…chasing you.”

She flicked a glance at Grace and licked her lips in a show of nervousness. “You’ve been very kind about all this, Noah, and I didn’t want to cause you any more…discomfort. But the idea…well, it seemed like it could benefit us both.”

Noah raised a brow. “You think?”

Kara’s obvious nervousness grew. “I’d like to be there, you know that.”

At first, Grace didn’t understand that cryptic comment, but Noah seemed to. He said, “Yeah, the restaurant is your favorite hangout, isn’t it? I wish I’d figured out why a little sooner and saved us both some time. But hey, I never claimed to be real swift.”

Suspicion dawned, but Grace had a hard time reconciling it to what she knew. Could there be another man involved? Could any woman look at another man when she had Noah?

It was hard to believe, and Grace decided to give it more thought. But first she frowned at Noah. “Of course you’re swift. You’re a brilliant businessman.” And to help Kara along, she added, “Everyone likes hanging out at the restaurant, especially since you added the live entertainment.”

Noah looked at Grace and chuckled. “Yeah, there is that.”

Kara flushed with guilt, then forged on despite her discomfort. “It would appear to my parents as if we’re trying to work things out. Then, after a while, they’d think we’d both tried but we just couldn’t resolve our differences. We’d both win.”

“That’d just drag out the inevitable, Kara, and you know it. You have to tell them the truth sooner or later.”

Kara closed her eyes. “I’m not ready yet.”

Noah shook his head in disgust. “Fine, whatever. You can hang out at the restaurant all you want. It’s no skin off my nose.”

“Oh, Noah, thank you!” Her whole face brightened. “I was hoping you’d take that attitude.”

“Doesn’t matter to me,” Noah continued with a shrug, “because I won’t be at the restaurant.”

“What! Why not?” Kara appeared momentarily panicked. “Please don’t tell me you’re taking a leave of absence right now. It’s the worse timing imaginable…”

“Agatha disowned me, Kara. You were there.”

“Oh, that.” Kara waved her hand in dismissal. “You know she didn’t mean it. She was just disappointed that we wouldn’t marry and was lashing out. It didn’t mean anything. Surely you know that.”

Idly, as if he wasn’t even aware of it, Noah stroked Grace’s arm. Grace felt his hurt. The idea that his grandmother could treat him so callously and yet have it mean nothing was a painful fact to accept. She patted his hand on her arm, hoping to offer him a measure of comfort.

“Lashing out at me was fine, Kara. But she also fired Grace.”

“But…why?”

“She’s afraid you’ll be offended by Grace’s presence.”

Grace added, “She thinks I’m the
other woman.
” Secretly, Grace was titillated by that awesome assumption, not that she’d admit it to anyone.

Kara groaned. “But that’s absurd!”

Grace started to nod in total agreement, and Noah went tense. His hold on Grace tightened once again. “What the hell is so absurd about it?”

Sensing that she’d angered him, Kara went blank and then started talking rapidly. “Um…maybe I could talk to Agatha…”

“Won’t do any good,” Noah said. “Agatha has her own reasons for doing things, and no one is going to change her mind.”

Kara acknowledged that with a nod. “Grace, I’m sorry.”

Grace shrugged. “I’ll find another job. It’s okay.”

“No, it is not okay,” Noah insisted. “I’m done. I won’t be returning to Harper’s Bistro at all.”

Kara deflated with uncharacteristic drama. “But Noah, if you’re not there, I won’t have any reason to be there.”

“No reason except the truth.”

Grace watched as Kara colored. So, it was someone at the restaurant? That would explain why Kara wanted to be there.

Grace thought of all the men who worked the different shifts, but none of them measured up to Noah. Andrew, the maître d’, was a handsome, stately man, but he was gentle and courteous in the way of a favorite uncle. He wasn’t the type to make a young woman’s heart flutter. Besides, he was married.

There was Enrique Deltorro, “the bull,” a forty-year-old Latin musician Noah had hired to play live music during the dinner hour. But he was an outrageous flirt, flamboyant, with an earring and chains. And he was with a different woman every night. Even if the age and appearance didn’t matter, Grace couldn’t imagine Kara putting up with the variety of women.

And the chefs—well, the chefs were the envy of every restaurant in town, that much was true. They were as educated, as sophisticated as Kara, but again, Grace couldn’t quite picture them appealing to a young, attractive woman. They ranged from short and portly to tall and razor thin.

The wait staff, however, mostly consisted of young, handsome men. Grace had heard them referred to as “studs” many times. They were smart, fun, outgoing. But were they Kara’s type? And what was Kara’s type? What man could possibly have lured her away from Noah?

Kara spoke again, drawing Grace from her ruminations.

“Noah,” she said in a plea, “my parents barely accepted you, and you’re related to Agatha. I don’t dare try to push them any farther.”

Noah smirked. “I’m the lesser of two evils, is that what you’re saying?”

Kara’s dark blue eyes were big and sad. “I’m sorry, but yes, you know you are.”

In an instant, Grace lost her temper. Every ounce of pity she’d felt for Kara went out the patio doors. “That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.”

She sat stiffly on Noah’s lap, all but huffing, her hands curled into fists. “Noah is a wonderful catch and your parents should have been thrilled to have him. In fact, I’m sure they
were
thrilled.”