ADRENALINE PUMPED THROUGH Graces system, a natural reaction to the afternoon spent capturing pictures that filled her soul. Unlike her temporary job at a photo studio specializing in portrait shots, her time at the park held the key to her future and she reveled in every minute. Even a routine stop at the corner grocery store hadnt dulled the sense of excitement she found doing what she loved, and if her instincts were on target, shed captured exactly the right shots.
She juggled the bags filled with necessities while attempting to pull the apartment key out of her poncho pocket. There was so much flowing material she could barely find the opening. She understood now why the tailor had balked against sewing a pocket into the cape, but she hadnt wanted to give up the garment in favor of her more sensible denim jacket. Given to her by her beloved grandmother, the poncho had once allowed her to hide her camera from the rest of the family who hadnt understood her artistic obsession any more than theyd understood her.
She had escaped to another state and a huge city to be on her own, experience life and discover the real Grace Montgomery. Her likes, her whims, her future. Ironically the move alone hadnt accomplished her goal. Shed ended up living off her trust, continuing to emulate her family because, subconsciously, shed sought the approval she would never receive. It had taken her brother, Logan, and his recent wedding to the most real, down-to-earth woman Grace had ever met to shake Grace up and make her realize she wanted what Logan had: a life of her own choosing.
Once again, irony played a role. Though Grace had divorced herself from the snooty country club set back home, shed kept in touch with her closest friends. Cara Hill, a woman Grace both liked and respected worked tirelessly for CHANCES, a charity that benefited underprivileged children. She was putting together a brochure and had purchased a huge layout in a high-circulation magazine aimed at enlightening the wealthy about the problems faced by people outside their social circle.
Raising substantial cash was the goal and Cara was taking a chance on an unknown photographeron Graceto capture that real world and the children who inhabited it. Grace refused to disappoint her. The experience could lead to more jobs and ultimately a photography career that paid the bills and left her fulfilled at the end of the day.
She felt the cold, metal key between her fingers at the same time the first brown bag toppled out of her arms and crashed to the floor. She glanced down at the white plastic bag and groaned. It would have to be the eggs.
Another dinner party shot to hell? A lazy masculine drawl sounded from behind her.
Instinct told her the sexy voice belonged to her new neighbor. Instinct and the curling warmth in her belly. She closed her eyes and held the feeling close. It matched the one she felt whenever she caught a glimpse of him out her window. The first time hed been unloading a black Mustang packed tight with clothing and accessories. Her neighbor, Paul Biggs, an investment banker, was away on business and the super had mentioned shed be having a new neighbor living across the hall.
Hed turned out to be a sexy new neighbor, in tight jeans and a faded blue T-shirt that clung to an incredibly sculpted body. Grace came from a world where men were soft and manicured. A specimen like him was just one of the treats of living far from home, and shed enjoyed watching him from a distance.
Steeling herself for their first meeting, she set the rest of the bags on the floor. She turned, and although shed glimpsed him through her window before and even snapped a few photos with her camera, she discovered nothing compared to seeing him in the flesh.
He stood across from her, one shoulder propped against the chipped wall. Once white, the dingy paint now held a gray tinge, and still her neighbors jet-black hair stood out in stark contrast. Tousled from an apparent jaunt outdoors, his dark hair reached his shoulders and begged for a womans touch.
Her touch. She swallowed hard and wondered where that notion had come from? Shed never been tempted to stroke a mans hair before but nothing about him was like anything shed ever encountered. He oozed raw sexiness and called to something primal and elemental inside her. Something she hadnt known existeduntil now.
He was pure male testosterone in a package that said, Dont mess with me. And she was suddenly struck with how much fun it could be to do just that.
Looks like you could use a hand. Im Ben Callahan, your new neighbor. His voice brought her out of her musings.
She realized shed been staring and extended her hand. Grace Montgomery.
I meant a helping hand. He laughed, a seductive rumble that set her already raw nerve endings on fire.
Before embarrassment at her too-formal behavior could take over, he stepped forward and placed his large, warm palm inside hers. Its nice to meet you, too.
Heat arced between them, sizzling and hot. Ben cleared his throat, then quickly released her hand, leaving Grace to wonder if he was as unsettled by the sensations as she.
He quickly composed himself and she wished she could do the same.
Can I help you with those packages?
She shook her head. No, thank you. I can handle them. But she couldnt handle him or her reaction to him as easily.
Well, my mother taught me never to let a lady struggle, and besides, he said with a slow grin, I like helping beautiful women. Without waiting for her response, he stepped around the groceries, bent down and collected her bags.
She turned toward the door, key in hand. Aware of his heat and strength behind her, she put the key into the lock and let them into her apartment.
Where to? he asked.
Just put them on the kitchen counter. She pointed to the small pass-through that led to her working kitchen.
He deposited the bags, broken eggs included, onto the butcher-block countertop and turned. So was I right? Did you ruin another dinner party by dropping the groceries?
Obviously he was referring to last nights parade of women whod come to her apartment. Once Grace realized her job for CHANCES also enabled her to capture fabulous candid shots of children, shed begun making copiesand the parents came by once a week for coffee and free photos. Considering her privileged upbringingthat she hadnt worked for or deservedit was the least she could do.
Although Grace hadnt realized Ben was monitoring the comings and goings from her place, as an expression of his interest, it would do nicely.
She shook her head. No dinner party, now or then. Nothing more planned than an evening in front of the TV. And last night wasnt as big a bash as you seem to think.
I thought I might have missed out on a good party. Curiosity lit his features as he met and held her gaze.
Warmth trickled through her veins. Nope. Just a few friends over. Would it soothe your ego if I said your invitation got lost in the mail? She grinned, unable to help the smile he inspired.
He laughed. No, but it would help if you threw a welcome-to-the-building party in my honor.
Iuh, think that could be arranged. Her boldness surprised her.
As much as she enjoyed their easy banter, this meeting had thrown her badly. She inhaled deeply. His musky scent seduced and arousedand would now linger in her apartment long after he was gone. Her life, which just yesterday had been filled with routine and concern about making it on her own, now had spark and zing. Inspiration, she thought, glancing at the man in the fitted T-shirt.
He was everything that intrigued her in the opposite sex, nothing like the kind of men whod asked her out back homethe suit-and-tie, suck-up to Judge Montgomery type of man, who had turned her ice-cold. And though shed been just another anonymous female in New York City, she hadnt given much thought to dating since her move. Not after the last couple of setups courtesy of her friends had turned into boring disasters.
Nothing about Ben was boring. She took in his rugged good looks, his sexy, bad-boy posture and attitude. There wasnt a thing about him, from his alluring scent to his heated touch, she didnt enjoy. Why not make use of her discovery?
Professionally Grace had already begun the starting steps toward a life of her own. On a more personal level, shed become so used to turning down dates in favor of her own company, her femininity and wiles were rusty from disuse. But thanks to Ben Callahan that was about to change.
Whether he knew it or not, he had just become the second step on her road to self-knowledge.
She leaned toward him, a whisper away from temptation. So what did you have in mind?
A lazy smile lifted one side of his mouth and caused her to realize shed backed herself into a corner. A very attractive corner.
Id like to get to know you, Grace.
She smiled. Sounds good to me. She liked his boldness. Shed had her fill of too polite men who wined and dined but werent honest about their intentions. Ben let her know up-front who he was and what he wanted.
Hed implied he was available. Though Grace wanted to be bold and daring, all this was too new. She wasnt ready to reveal that she desired to get to know him, too, but she had every intention of satisfying his request.
His aura of confidence appealed to the part of her that wanted to feel the same, and time with this man could teach her a lesson or two in self-esteem. He brought out a newer, bolder side of herself she wanted to experience again. Not to mention that the man was a feast for the senses and a boon to her sensual awakening. The knowledge set her heart jumping and myriad intimate possibilities raced through her mind. Her breath caught in a noticeable hitch.
She licked her dry lips and watched, fascinated, as his eyes followed the movement. Without warning, his gaze darted from hers and he turned away.
His sudden retreat was unexpected and hard to understand, but she let out a slow exhale of relief. The reprieve would give her a chance to catch her breath.
Hands in his back pockets and posture erect, no indication of interest or flirting in sight, he walked past her and glanced around her small apartment. One bedroom?
Yes.
His hand swept over the living area, replete with Oriental rugs and porcelain decorative pieces. Beautiful place.
Thanks. Shed decorated the apartment in the days when shed still been living off her trust, before shed figured out how to realize her dreams or even what they were. Though she wanted this man to see more to Grace than the trappings of wealth, she wasnt about to get into explanations now, not when she knew so little about him.
She turned back to her kitchen. I really should unpack the groceries.
Grace?
She glanced his way.
Something wrong? he asked.
Other than the fact that his hot-cold act confused her? But if his feelings were rampaging as quickly as hers, she could begin to understand. Nothings wrong. Just lost in thought. It was nice meeting you, Ben.
Likewise. He hesitated, then reached out and stroked a hand down her cheek. Another sudden change toward her. His fingertip lingered, his touch a sizzling combination of heat and electricity.
His eyes widened and he withdrew once more, confusion and regret sparking his gaze, leaving her to wonder again if he was as thrown by their first meeting as she.
See you around, Gracie.
She inclined her head. Bye.
He walked out of her apartment with a sexy stride she couldnt help but admire. The door slammed shut behind him and Grace hugged her arms tight around her chest, amazed at the feelings and sensations he inspired.
Ben brought out the side of her shed suppressed while trying to live by her fathers rigid rules. The only time shed snuck out of the house to meet friends at a local bar, shed lived to regret it. Her father had embarrassed her badly. Hed called every parent, gotten her friends grounded for weeks, and no one had spoken to Grace for an equally long time.
The judge had accomplished his goal. Shed never rebelled again. But in her sexy neighbor Grace saw the opportunity to do just that with no painful consequences.
When shed decided to branch out on her own, shed desired change in her life. She hadnt known it would come in the form of her sexy, intriguing neighbor, Ben Callahan.
But she intended to take full advantage.
CHAPTER TWO
ID LIKE TO GET TO KNOW YOU, Grace.
Ben smacked his hand against the wall. What the hell had he been thinking, speaking with his gut and not his brain? Hed spent the past five days watching her from a distance, yet hed underestimated the impact shed have on him upon meeting her in person. Hed meant to be friendly and begin to gain her trust.
Instead hed been blown away. Her cocoa-brown eyes had danced with light and life and hed been captivated on the spot. Adrenaline had kicked in the second hed heard her soft voice, and surrounded by her fragrant scent of vanilla, his body had come alive. Hed backed off, but not soon enough. Even a cold shower hadnt lessened the effect of Grace Montgomery.
Small consolation but at least hed made substantial progress on the assignment, and in less than a weeks time. When Emma called for her daily reportin about five minutes, he noted, glancing at his watchhed be able to tell her hed met her granddaughter.
Ben paced the floor of the apartment. No need for the older woman to know hed been enchanted and completely caught off guard. The picture hadnt done Grace justice and Ben knew for certain if he wasnt careful, hed fall hard and fast for Emma Montgomerys free-spirited granddaughtera woman far out of his league and the subject of his investigation to boot.
Perhaps because of his fathers careless ways, Bens work ethic was strong. He worked hard, provided for his mother, saved for the future when he could, and made certain his clients were happy enough with his services to secure a referral for future cases. His work ethic did not include playing around with a clients granddaughter.
He had to focus on his job and, in fact, hed made quite a bit of headway. He had Graces routine down pat. Not only did he know she had a full-time job at a photography studio uptown, but he knew she spent her lunch hour and weekends frequenting a park that bordered a seedy neighborhood.
Ben knew all about neighborhoods where trouble lurked. Hed grown up in one and knew just how tempting a woman like Grace could be to a guy from the wrong side of the tracks. Hell, he knew how she tempted him now.
He had no problem putting Emma at ease about how Grace was earning money to survive, but hed hold off before revealing the rest. Ben needed to do some more digging into other areas of Graces life to find out why she was hanging around questionable parts of town, camera in hand. The faster he got the information, the faster he could get the hell outbefore his rapidly beating heart was broken by a woman whod undoubtedly grow bored with her new life.