Take a Chance (Chance, #1; Rosemary Beach #7)(57)

Nan’s door didn’t open. I was relieved. Taking the stairs slowly, I headed to the door and then took a deep breath. Grant had never seen me like this. I wanted him to like it. No, I wanted his tongue to hang out. I was being vain. I had never gone to prom. This was that moment all little girls imagine.

Slowly, I opened the door. Instead of Grant, August stood there in a black tux, his hair styled perfectly. He blatantly checked me out, starting at my feet and going all the way up.

“Nan isn’t ready yet, but you can come in and wait,” I told him, stepping back and hoping to get his eyes off my body.

“I hope she looks half as good as you do,” he said with a wink as he walked into the foyer, his tall body making it seem smaller. Where was Nan?

“Um, can I get you a drink?” I asked, hoping to find a reason to get away from him.

“I’d love one. I’m sure she plans to keep me waiting another half hour. Glad I got good company,” he replied.

I didn’t like him. I turned and headed to the kitchen and felt like cursing when I heard his steps fall in behind mine. I had been planning on him going to the living room and waiting.

“I can get you a drink and bring it to the living room if you want to have a seat,” I told him.

“You don’t even know what I want.” He was amused; I could hear it in his voice.

“Oh, sorry. What would you like?”

He didn’t reply. When I stepped into the kitchen I battled my impulse to run back upstairs with the excuse that I’d forgotten something, leaving him to fix his own drink.

“Hard to believe you and Nan are related. She’s not at all this polite and sweet,” he said, pulling out a bar stool and sitting down.

I needed to get out of here. I would hurry and make his drink, then run. I turned and reached for a glass. “What would you like?” I asked.

He leaned forward and began checking my legs out again. “A lot of things,” he replied.

I set the glass down. I was leaving him to help himself.

“Who’s the lucky guy taking you to the ball tonight?” he asked.

“I am.” Grant’s voice startled me, and I spun around to see him scowling at August. I hadn’t heard him come in, but then I had been focused on getting away from August.

“Don’t blame you. She’s the nicer sister,” August said, dropping his gaze to my legs again.

Grant rounded the bar and was pulling me to his side before I could blink. “You ready?” he asked me.

I nodded. “Yeah.” This was not the moment I had been daydreaming about. Grant looked like he was barely controlling his anger, not interested in how I looked.

“Hello, Grant,” Nan drawled as she walked into the kitchen.

I turned to look at her in the short, tight red dress that hugged her every curve. She shouldn’t look stunning in red but she did. Nan was what every little girl wanted to look like when she grew up. Her long red hair hung in soft curls and rested on her cl**vage, which was right out there for the world to see and, no doubt, drool over.

“Damn, baby,” August said, standing up with his mouth slightly open.

I glanced at Grant, who was also looking at Nan. The way I had wanted him to look at me. I closed my eyes briefly and took a deep breath. I didn’t want to see that.

“You always did look good in a tux,” Nan said, ignoring August and keeping her eyes on Grant.

This wasn’t a game I knew how to play. My instinct told me to take off running to my room and lock myself up and let Grant have what he wanted while I got the heartbreak I knew was coming for me. But my pride wouldn’t let me move. So I stood there, hoping he remembered me and had enough compassion to not totally humiliate me in front of Nan.

Nan’s smile curled up evilly on her lips as she sauntered toward Grant, not taking her eyes off him and knowing she had his complete attention.

I was about to give in and flee. I could go to Texas. It wasn’t so bad.

Grant slipped his hand into mine and started walking for the exit. I didn’t glance back at Nan, although I heard her laugh an amused, knowing laugh, which shot a pain through my chest. Because she knew, just like I did, that she’d gotten to Grant.

Grant was silent until we got outside and down the steps to his truck. Once we reached it, he let go of my hand, but instead of opening the door he turned me around to face him.

“You look so damn beautiful, I’m not sure how you expect me to focus tonight,” he said as his eyes finally focused on me.

This was what I wanted. The silly female in me wanted to see his appreciation, but now . . . it fell flat. I had seen the way he looked at Nan, transfixed. He hadn’t reacted that way to me. But then I didn’t look like Nan. Could I blame him? He was a guy, and Nan was breathtaking. I was just me.

“I wish we didn’t have to go to this ball. I want to take you out and keep you all to myself.”

I liked that idea. Facing a room full of people was not on my priority list. But I wasn’t sure I wanted to be alone with him tonight. There was a wound I needed to lick now, and hiding out in my room with my books was more appealing.

“We will stay long enough to make Woods happy. Then I promise I’ll make this night better,” he whispered before pressing a kiss to my mouth and making a low growl. He jerked away and opened the truck door. “Get in before I change my mind and piss Woods off.”