Dr. Grant smiles at me and holds out his hand, waiting patiently. He’s ignoring Gregory entirely, and somehow that just makes him even more sexy. No one ignores Greg. He’s the heir to an oil empire, and not one person I know ever stands in his way.
Except for Dr. Grant.
“She’s preoccupied,” Gregory says, and Dr. Grant finally looks at him, his brow raised as though he isn’t impressed in the slightest. I can’t help but laugh as I slip my hand into his. He pulls me towards him with more force than I expected, and I tumble into his arms.
The way his arms wrap around me makes my heart race, and I instinctively push my body against his, wanting to be even closer to him. Dr. Grant’s eyes meet mine, and my heart skips a beat. That chiseled jaw, those honey brown eyes… and those lips. I swallow hard and drag my eyes away before they have a chance to betray the desire I feel.
“Where does that lead to?” Dr. Grant asks, tipping his head to the staircase behind us.
I grin and turn around, grabbing his hand as I pull him along. “You’ll see.”
My eyes meet Gregory’s as we walk past him, and for a second I worry that I’ve just put Dr. Grant at risk. Gregory doesn’t like to lose, and he doesn’t like having anything taken from him. I’m certain the only reason he wants me back is because I dumped him before he could leave me. I’m probably the only woman to ever have done that to him, and in doing so, I turned myself into a challenge.
“Hey, slow down.”
I pause and look around in surprise. I’ve been lost in my thoughts, not realizing how far into the garden I pulled him.
“I’m sorry, Dr. Grant,” I say, turning to face him.
He smiles at me and shakes his head, his hand lifting to brush aside my hair. “Don’t be,” he murmurs. “It’s beautiful here.” He’s referring to the rose garden, but his eyes are on me. The way he’s looking at me has my heart racing and I look away, unable to hold his gaze.
We walk together, and much to my surprise, he keeps my hand in his, our fingers entwined. His warmth, his touch… I’m enjoying it a little too much. I can’t keep my thoughts from drifting, and the small sense of enjoyment I felt is ripped to shreds by the memory of the phone call I overheard.
“Is your girlfriend okay with you walking through a rose garden holding someone else’s hand?” I ask, my tone harsh. “Because I wouldn’t be.”
Dr. Grant pauses and tightens his grip on my hand. I’m tempted to yank my hand out of his, but at the same time I want to hold on to him for as long as I can.
He looks startled by my question, and then he smiles. “My girlfriend? Hmm… yeah, I see how that conversation could’ve been interpreted that way.” Dr. Grant smiles at me, and I hate how sexy he looks, standing here in the moonlight. “I was speaking to my sister in that bar I took you to. She moved to Cali a few months ago, and I went to see her last weekend.”
My eyes widen, and he chuckles, the sound making the butterflies in my tummy come alive. I look away, too embarrassed to meet his eyes.
“So… is there anyone who’d be upset about me holding your hand?”
My heart hammers in my chest and I smile as I shake my head. “No. No one.”
“Except your grandfather,” he murmurs, his voice so soft I barely missed it. I frown at him, and he shakes his head. “It’s nothing. So, who’s Gregory? Your ex?”
I nod reluctantly, wishing he hadn’t seen us together. I know I have nothing to be embarrassed about, yet somehow I am.
“It sounded like he’s willing to invest in your company. Are you going to take him up on that?”
I shake my head. “I don’t want to, but I might not have a choice. My grandfather warned every one of our acquaintances not to invest in me, so I’ll probably have to accept Gregory’s offer.”
Dr. Grant tightens his grip on me and turns toward me, his eyes flashing with intensity that sets me ablaze. “So you’re going to date him?” he asks, sounding angry.
“What choice do I have?” I ask, my voice breaking.
He cups my cheek, his thumb tracing over my lip, and my breathing turns shallow. “I’ll help you.”
My eyes widen, a tinge of hope settling deep in my chest. “How?”
“Have you ever heard of Grayson Callahan?”
I laugh. “Who hasn’t?” The tech giant has his hands in every tech-related industry, from robotics to corporate software solutions. He’s one of my biggest idols, and one of the few people that’s out of reach for me, even as an Astor. He didn’t come from money, so none of the people that surround me have access to him. He’s a recluse, and opportunities to meet him are pretty much nonexistent.
“He’s my best friend. He’ll help if I ask him to. Besides, he just told me he’s dating my sister, so I have a feeling he’ll be quite eager to do me a favor.”
I gasp. “No way. Grayson Callahan is your best friend? That can’t be true.”
He nods, a reassuring smile on his face. This could change everything for me. Having Grayson Callahan backing my company means it’d be an almost instant success. Everything that man touches turns to gold.
“I’ll call him tomorrow and ask him about it. He’ll likely want you to present your product and you’ll need to have a business plan ready.”
I nod eagerly. “Of course. I’ve got an entire investor’s package to present him with and I’ll work on improving my prototypes too. I have a full set of toys to show him.”
Dr. Grant’s eyes narrow, and he shakes his head. “You can show him the toys. No demonstrating.”
I stare up at him in surprise. Is that… jealousy? I blush and look away. “Of course, Dr. Grant.”
He places his index finger underneath my chin and tilts my face back up to his. “Noah. Call me Noah.”
“Noah,” I whisper, my heart skipping a beat. Somehow saying his name feels like a privilege, a sin.
“Good girl,” he murmurs, and I swallow hard. The tone of his voice, that look in his eyes… I can just imagine him saying those exact words to me in bed.
“I can’t thank you enough,” I tell him, hoping my sincerity is evident. “If there’s anything at all that I could do for you, please let me know.”
Dr. Grant… Noah nods. “There is,” he says, pulling on my hand. “Dance with me.”
