frowned. “What’s wrong with this dress?”
He sucked in a deep breath. Nothing was wrong with the dress. She looked amazing. Her hair falling against the thin, white sundress made her look like an angel. She looked so different from the sleek, sophisticated woman who’d thrown two hundred socialites in a room together and managed them successfully the night before.
“Nothing’s wrong,” he said. “You just look different.”
She tilted her head as she looked down at him. “In a good way or a bad way?” she asked skeptically.
He looked her over. His eyes lingered on her long legs, which only looked longer in her strappy sandals. The puffy skirt was made of a material so fine, he was sure if he stared long enough, he’d be able to see the outline of her body. “A good way,” he croaked out.
She rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m ready to get to Mark’s barbeque whenever you are. The sooner we get this over with, the better, you know?”
She smiled down at him and he bit back the urge to ask whether it was fake.
He nodded as he pushed himself off the chair.
~~~~~
DuFord’s home was an exercise in opulence. The shiny marble floors glistened from the sunlight streaming in from the massive windows in the atrium-like living room that stretched up the entire three stories of the main section of the house.
Grace wrapped her arm around his and leaned in close enough for him to smell the delicate floral hint to her shampoo. “The hall to the left leads to Mark’s rooms. His bedroom and study are right next to each other. Ohh!” She squeaked as her bracelet clattered on the white floors. As she went to pick it up, her foot kicked the silver chain to the side and past Simon.
His brows furrowed together as he bent to pick up the bracelet, taking his time as he stood to take a good look at the hallway Grace mentioned. Most of the guests seemed to be out the back, so he had a mostly clear shot, but anyone on the crowded patio would have a perfect view of him if he went there.
Simon turned back to Grace and dangled the bracelet in front of her. “Lose something?”
“I’m so clumsy sometimes.” She held her wrist out to him.
He shook his head as he clasped the jewelry around her small wrist. “You’re enjoying this too much.”
She shrugged. “I’m just trying to help. Are you just going to walk on in there? What’s the plan?”
Simon interlaced his fingers with hers and led her out onto the brick patio. “We’ll mingle for a while.” He leaned in close so only she could hear. “Once everyone is a bit more settled, I’ll try to slip away.”
She nodded. “Do you want me to cause a distraction or anything? I can knock over a bottle of wine and spill something on that woman’s dress.”
He followed her gaze to a tall, slender brunette who stood by the hors d’oeuvres. “What did she ever do to you?”
Grace smirked. “Not her. The dress is worth a fortune. I guarantee you if I get anything on it, you’ll hear her screaming all the way in Jersey.”
“You have a very devious mind.”
She beamed up at him as though it was the nicest compliment. “Seriously. Tell me what you want. I’m here to help you.”
Simon snatched a drink from a passing waiter and took a deep swallow of the much too tame alcohol. If she only knew what he wanted.
Except Grace did know. She didn’t want to go there, and he had to respect that. He didn’t have to be happy about it, though. “At some point tonight, DuFord is going to try to get you alone. When he does, keep him busy. That’s when I’ll do it.”
“How could you know that?” she asked with a frown.
“It’s his type. He doesn’t like me, and he hates that I have something that used to be his.”
“I was never—”
“I know,” he interjected. “But he doesn’t. It’s the way he thinks. He sees himself as a winner. Someone above the rules and the laws. You said he warned you away from me last night? Well, he’s going to come
He sucked in a deep breath. Nothing was wrong with the dress. She looked amazing. Her hair falling against the thin, white sundress made her look like an angel. She looked so different from the sleek, sophisticated woman who’d thrown two hundred socialites in a room together and managed them successfully the night before.
“Nothing’s wrong,” he said. “You just look different.”
She tilted her head as she looked down at him. “In a good way or a bad way?” she asked skeptically.
He looked her over. His eyes lingered on her long legs, which only looked longer in her strappy sandals. The puffy skirt was made of a material so fine, he was sure if he stared long enough, he’d be able to see the outline of her body. “A good way,” he croaked out.
She rolled her eyes. “Well, I’m ready to get to Mark’s barbeque whenever you are. The sooner we get this over with, the better, you know?”
She smiled down at him and he bit back the urge to ask whether it was fake.
He nodded as he pushed himself off the chair.
~~~~~
DuFord’s home was an exercise in opulence. The shiny marble floors glistened from the sunlight streaming in from the massive windows in the atrium-like living room that stretched up the entire three stories of the main section of the house.
Grace wrapped her arm around his and leaned in close enough for him to smell the delicate floral hint to her shampoo. “The hall to the left leads to Mark’s rooms. His bedroom and study are right next to each other. Ohh!” She squeaked as her bracelet clattered on the white floors. As she went to pick it up, her foot kicked the silver chain to the side and past Simon.
His brows furrowed together as he bent to pick up the bracelet, taking his time as he stood to take a good look at the hallway Grace mentioned. Most of the guests seemed to be out the back, so he had a mostly clear shot, but anyone on the crowded patio would have a perfect view of him if he went there.
Simon turned back to Grace and dangled the bracelet in front of her. “Lose something?”
“I’m so clumsy sometimes.” She held her wrist out to him.
He shook his head as he clasped the jewelry around her small wrist. “You’re enjoying this too much.”
She shrugged. “I’m just trying to help. Are you just going to walk on in there? What’s the plan?”
Simon interlaced his fingers with hers and led her out onto the brick patio. “We’ll mingle for a while.” He leaned in close so only she could hear. “Once everyone is a bit more settled, I’ll try to slip away.”
She nodded. “Do you want me to cause a distraction or anything? I can knock over a bottle of wine and spill something on that woman’s dress.”
He followed her gaze to a tall, slender brunette who stood by the hors d’oeuvres. “What did she ever do to you?”
Grace smirked. “Not her. The dress is worth a fortune. I guarantee you if I get anything on it, you’ll hear her screaming all the way in Jersey.”
“You have a very devious mind.”
She beamed up at him as though it was the nicest compliment. “Seriously. Tell me what you want. I’m here to help you.”
Simon snatched a drink from a passing waiter and took a deep swallow of the much too tame alcohol. If she only knew what he wanted.
Except Grace did know. She didn’t want to go there, and he had to respect that. He didn’t have to be happy about it, though. “At some point tonight, DuFord is going to try to get you alone. When he does, keep him busy. That’s when I’ll do it.”
“How could you know that?” she asked with a frown.
“It’s his type. He doesn’t like me, and he hates that I have something that used to be his.”
“I was never—”
“I know,” he interjected. “But he doesn’t. It’s the way he thinks. He sees himself as a winner. Someone above the rules and the laws. You said he warned you away from me last night? Well, he’s going to come
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