The Boss' Proposal (Book 4) (Callahan's Secretary) by Seraphina Donavan

Chapter One
    The ride back to the city was a quiet one.  The tension in the car between Anthony Callahan and Grace Marcum was palpable.  It was strange, Anthony thought, to imagine that only a short time earlier they’d been lying in bed together, spent and satisfied.  Now, Grace hadn’t spoken a word since she’d asked him to take her home.   The photos on his phone, the mysterious texts attached to intimate photos of them, were worrisome in a number of ways.  He hated the idea that someone had spied on them, stalked them.  That someone had seen them together, filmed intimate moments between the two of them was a violation.  He had to wonder if Grace was in danger.   There was little doubt that the mysterious blackmailer, whoever they were, was after him.  Such things were normally motivated by greed, and while he paid Grace a generous salary, no one would think to extort money from her.  Greed made people dangerous. 
    There was also the other factor.  Grace was unable to see herself through his eyes.  She had no idea how beautiful she was, how perfect he found her.  Yes, there were those who would question their relationship because Grace was not model thin, but he didn’t care about them or their opinions.  Still, Grace did.  She feared their scorn and ridicule.  The idea of taking their relationship public petrified her.  For it to go public in such a devastating way, he knew he would lose her. 
    Anthony turned the car off the expressway, taking them down the narrow city streets toward Grace’s small apartment.  He parked out front and retrieved her bag from the trunk, walking her up the three flights of stairs to her door.  With the key near the lock she hesitated, and then turned to him.  His gut clenched, fearing the worst. 
    “I don’t think you should come in… I need to think.”
    The fury that hit him was unexpected.  It was fueled mostly by fear.  He could feel her slipping away.  “Don’t do this, Grace.  Don’t let this asshole, whoever he is, destroy what we’ve found together.”
    She shook her head.  He could see tears in her eyes.  “I just don’t know that I’m ready to face all this… and to do it this way, with such private, intimate parts of our life laid out for the masses.  You can’t even get your hair cut without it making the tabloids.”
    “Grace, is any of that as important as the fact that I love you…and you love me.”
    “No…but I just can’t think right now.  I need to clear my head.  Please.”
    Anthony did the only thing he could think to do in that moment.  He kissed her.  Pressing her back against the door, he devoured her mouth.  Everything he felt—need, desire, fear, anger—he poured it all into that kiss.  Sliding his tongue between her parted lips, he traced every curve, every contour of her mouth, as if memorizing the taste and feel of her.  It terrified him that he might have nothing but memories to hold onto.  It helped, somewhat, that she clung to him, that her hands came up and clasped his shoulders.  Her nails scored him through the layers of his clothes and her breasts pressed wantonly against his chest.  The soft moan that escaped her was a balm to him. 
    When he finally broke the kiss, he was breathing raggedly, as was Grace.  Resting his forehead against hers, he held for a moment, savoring the softness of her body against him.  “It isn’t just you that’s affected by all this, Grace,” he said simply.  With that, he stepped away from her, both of them reluctantly letting go and returned to his car.  Driving away from her was the hardest thing he’d ever done.  Bourbon, he decided, was the only viable solution. 
     
     
    GRACE stared after him, wanting to call him back, but knowing that she couldn’t.  Finally, she unlocked her door and shoved her suitcase inside.  Locking up behind her, she went directly to the freezer and pulled out a tub of ice cream.  She put it away again without even