The Dom Who Loved Me (Masters and Mercenaries #1)(77)

Grace sat up in bed. The clock on the nightstand read 3:00. She knew immediately that it was a.m. She ran a hand across her face. She’d been crying in her sleep. Would she ever stop crying? Her body felt heavy, every muscle tired. Her mouth, on the other hand, was parched beyond belief. Grace stared at the door that led to the hallway. Was she locked in?

She pulled on the robe that had been left for her. She was going to find out. If she was a prisoner here, then they had better be prepared for her to make a few complaints. The only thing she had to drink in this room was the wine Sean had left behind. Though getting drunk was tempting, Grace decided it wasn’t a good idea. She needed water.

She caught a glimpse of herself in the big mirror over the dresser. Wow. She looked tired. Her eyes were puffy and red. She wasn’t a woman who cried prettily. She stared at herself and wondered how Sean could have told her she was gorgeous. She patted down her hair, trying to make it seem less like a rat’s nest. There wasn’t anything she could do until morning. Then she would demand that someone take her home. She had to be at the office. She had to act like everything was normal.

Tentatively, Grace put her hand on the doorknob and tried to turn it. To her surprise, it immediately opened. She nearly tripped over the body in the doorway.

Sean sat up and stared at her. Even in the dark hallway, she could see that his face was set in mulish lines. The left side of his face was deeply creased as though he’d been lying on something. “Where are you going?”

“To get a drink of water. What are you doing here?”

He rolled his head around and groaned at the pain. He stretched, apparently trying to get the circulation back in his limbs. “I can’t leave you alone. You won’t let me in our bed. This is the closest you would let me get, so I’m sleeping here.”

She wanted to laugh, but stopped herself. He looked so serious and boyish at the same time. His hair was falling in his face, softening the normally harsh lines. She wanted more than anything to believe him. When he’d said I love you, she’d panicked. It had hurt so much when she’d realized Sean had lied that she simply couldn’t do it again. She’d spent the last several hours thinking about what a relationship with Sean would be like. They were too far apart. He was just starting his life. Though there was only eight years between them, there was a wealth of experiences he hadn’t had. He’d never been married, never had children. She had two in college. Could she start over?

Of course, it might be a moot point. They hadn’t been careful. He’d taken her a couple of times without a condom. The thought didn’t panic her the way it should, but his job was enough anxiety to send her running. Even if he was telling the truth, she didn’t think she could live with him knowing that every day could be his last. His job was dangerous. She had already lost one man she loved. She didn’t think she could go through that again.

“So, are you going to let me by?” It came out more grumpily than she intended.

He was on his feet in an instant. Where a sleepy boy had been before, now an intensely alert man stood in his place. He gestured down the hall. “The kitchen’s that way.”

She heard low voices as she got closer to her destination.

“Looks like you’re not the only insomniac.” Sean pushed at the swinging door that led into the gorgeous gourmet kitchen. Everything about the room was shiny and modern. Jake and Eve sat at the island in the middle of the room. It was covered in pretty, black granite. They each had a mug of something in front of them and a sandwich. They were talking in low tones. They both looked up and smiled when the door opened.

“Hello, Grace.” Jake nodded her way. “I was just getting Eve’s opinion on how to keep my best friend alive.”

“Keep him away from Grace,” Sean said under his breath.

Eve looked between Grace and Sean, her eyes seeming to read the body language. “I was telling Jake that once Adam realizes Sean is dead serious about Grace, he’ll move on. Now that Sean has announced he’s going to marry Grace, I think Adam will accept it.”

Sean sighed and crossed to the cabinet. He shuffled around behind her.

“We’re not getting married,” Grace replied with a frustrated huff. How many people had Sean told? Had he sent out invitations?

Jake grinned, the curling of his lips lightening his brooding good looks. “I think I might take that bet. The Sarge is used to getting his way.”

“He could have been a bit more subtle, though. Sean, next time throw a nice party when you have a big announcement,” Eve said. “Just about anything would be better than the way you announced it.”

“What did you do?” Grace asked the question with a sort of breathless anticipation.

Jake laughed. “What he always does. He punched the shit out of his brother and told Ian he was marrying you, and he could like it or f*ck off.”

Grace turned, shocked at Jake’s words. She’d gotten the idea that Sean was close to Ian. “You got in a fight with your brother?”

He shrugged and handed her a glass of water before kneeling to look for something in the bottom cabinet. He came back up with a small pan. “He pissed me off. Omelet or grilled cheese?”

“Grilled cheese,” she said automatically. She shook her head, not willing to give up the conversation. “Why would you hit your brother?”