He grinned. "Me, too."
The shoot went well. She and Elliott fell into an easy rhythm, laughing with each other as they posed together. She had on a hellaciously tough dress with a corset, so bending was difficult. Showcasing the dress was paramount, of course, as was setting a romantic mood. Elliott was as helpful as possible, and she was glad she had him as a partner for this segment.
All in all, it took about an hour and a half. By the time they were finished, her back was aching and she couldn't wait to get out of the dress.
She kissed Elliott on the cheek and wished him and Sharma well on their baby-making vacation, then moved off toward the dressing area.
It was only then that she noticed Grant standing in the shade. He had put on dark sunglasses, which made him look tall, dark, and oh so dangerous.
She'd totally forgotten about him.
"You're still here. I'm so sorry. I got caught up with work."
"That's what you're supposed to do, isn't it?" He picked up her hand and kissed the back of it. "You look beautiful, by the way."
"This dress is a pain in the ass. The corset is tight as hell and I can hardly breathe. I don't know why some woman would want to wear it on her wedding day."
He laughed and walked with her toward the building they were using for dressing and makeup.
"So you're more a get married in the courthouse kind of woman?"
She shrugged. "I've never given it any thought, to be honest."
"Really? I thought wedding day stuff was something all women thought about from the time they were little girls."
Weddings made her think of marriage. Which made her think of her mother. Then her father. Him leaving, making promises he hadn't kept. And why she never wanted to get married or be tied to a man.
She stood at the door to the dressing area. "Not me. All I've thought about from the time I was seventeen was making sure my brother and sister had food, a roof over their heads, education, and that they never felt abandoned like I did."
Once again, she'd opened her mouth and all these truths spilled out. She had no idea why she kept doing that with Grant. Now he stood there, studying her, and she felt exposed. And it wasn't because of the clingy, tight-as-hell dress. No, she felt emotionally vulnerable. And that scared the hell out of her.
"I ... have a few things to finish."
Fortunately, he didn't ask her to expound on her truth-telling. He simply said, "I'll wait for you."
She didn't know what else to say, having said too much already, so she nodded and slipped away.
NINETEEN
KATRINA CONSTANTLY SURPRISED HIM. NOT ONLY WAS she fun and sexy, but she was also serious.
Maybe too serious sometimes.
Oh, sure, she took her job seriously. He admired that about her, because he did the same thing. There was always plenty of time for play, but when it came time to work, you had to focus. He had no time for people who didn't respect their work. He already knew Katrina did, because he'd seen it firsthand.
She had plenty of professional goals. But he had no idea she didn't have personal dreams.
Not that every woman needed to have dreams of getting married, or that some dude on a white horse holding a sword over his head would swoop in and save her. He was starting to learn a little more about her every time he was with her, though, and it was becoming more and more apparent to him that she'd sacrificed a lot for her family.
Her youth, and all the fun that should have been associated with that. When he was seventeen, he'd been partying his ass off. Yeah, football and college had been a priority for him, and he'd been damn serious about it, but he'd also found time for partying and girls and doing all those fun things a young guy should be doing.
Katrina, though? She'd landed a job as a model, and as far as he could tell, she hadn't partied anything off. She'd had a laser focus on making money, establishing her career, and making sure Leo and Anya had been taken care of.
Admirable as hell. And really sucked for her.
Maybe it was high time she make up for that lack of fun.
He could definitely help in that area.
So when she finished talking to the photographer, he grabbed her hand.
"Hungry?"
"I'm actually more tired than hungry. Someone kept me up late last night."
"Yeah, I noticed that when you passed out before I did."
She tugged on his hand. "I believe it was you who gave out first."
He studied her, loving her competitive spirit. "Let's call it a draw."
"If that's what you need to feel better about yourself."
He smirked. "Okay, food first, then I'll let you get some sleep, since I'm sure you had a full day of work and barely ate anything."
She sighed. "You're right about that. As much as I'd like to fall face-first on the hotel's bed and sleep, I do need to eat something."
He waited outside while she went and changed clothes. When she came out, she was wearing a light blue sundress and her hair fell down her back in soft black waves.
He'd like to lose himself in her hair, tangle his fingers in it, bury his nose in it while he was buried inside of her.
His cock twitched just thinking about it, so he figured he'd better think about something else. He walked up to meet her.
"You look pretty."
"Thank you. I feel like a wreck."
He led her to his car, opened the door for her and waited while she slid into the seat, then went around to the other side.
"What are you hungry for?" he asked as he started up the car.
"About ten hours of sleep."
"Okay. I was going to take you to a nice restaurant to eat, then show you the sights of the city, but I don't think you're up for that. How about we grab some pizza and go back to my place, instead? We can kick back and relax."
"Sounds perfect."
He made the call to the pizza place from the car so it was ready when he pulled into the lot. He dashed in and picked it up, then made the short drive to the house.
They set up in the kitchen. Katrina put out plates, while Grant poured drinks for them.
"I didn't get a chance to ask you how your day went," she said as she grabbed a slice of pizza.
"Practice was fine. We're ready for the game this weekend."
"Still pre-season, right?"
"Yeah. You should stay the weekend and watch the game. In fact, we should fly Leo and Anya out for the game. You all can hang out here at the house."
She paused, mid-bite. "Oh, I don't think so."
"Why not?"
Her brain was fuzzy and she couldn't think up a legitimate excuse. It was summer, nearing the start of school. Camp was over, and the kids had nothing going on. "I ..."
He grinned. "Great. I'll make travel arrangements for them. We'll fly them out tomorrow."
She blinked, feeling like she'd just been bulldozed. But she was too tired to fight it. The kids would enjoy seeing another game. Plus, they'd never been to St. Louis. "All right."
They finished their pizza.
"Would you like to take a swim?"
Normally she'd jump at the chance, but as she stifled a yawn, she shook her head. "I don't think so."
He nodded. "How about we sit on the sofa and watch a movie instead? I can make travel arrangements."
"Okay. I'll call the kids."
She made a quick phone call, talking to both Leo and Anya, who were very much on board with the trip. She wasn't surprised at all about that. Anya barely spent three minutes on the phone with her before saying she had to pack, so she turned her over to Leo, who then gave the phone to Cerissa.
Katrina peeked over at Grant's laptop as he finished up the travel arrangements. She gave him Cerissa's e-mail, and Grant forwarded the information to Katrina, copying Cerissa as well so she'd have the pertinent information when she took the kids to the airport tomorrow.
She finished her phone conversation, then laid the phone on the table.
"All set. W
asn't that easy?"
Surprisingly, it had been. "Thanks for this. Leo and Anya are very excited."
"I am, too." He turned the television on, and scrolled through the movie selections. "See anything you like?"
"I like comedies. Action movies. Suspense. You choose. I'm fine with anything."
She leaned back on the sofa, kicked off her sandals and put her feet up.
He settled on a channel where a movie was just starting. "Here's a suspense."
"Perfect."
She didn't make it ten minutes into the movie before she yawned again.
"Lay your head in my lap."
She wasn't going to say no to that. It was much more comfortable lying down.
And then, when he started rubbing her back, she knew she was a goner. His hand glided over her skin, not rubbing hard. Just gentle, soft, strokes.
She was asleep in minutes.
TWENTY
ONCE AGAIN, GRANT TOOK KATRINA BACK TO HER hotel, but this time it wasn't after only a few hours' sleep. Sometime after she'd fallen asleep on the sofa, he'd picked her up and carried her to his bed. She remembered him lifting her dress over her head, and he'd helped her unhook her bra.
And that was it, because she'd slid under the cool sheets, her head had hit the pillow, and she'd been out for the entire night.
Some hot date she'd been.
She'd apologized for that the next morning, but he'd laughed and said he'd been pretty tired, too. He'd even admitted to falling asleep on the sofa with her, and that he'd awakened around midnight to put them both to bed.
So maybe she wasn't the only dud in the bunch. But they'd both had a very exuberant, very late night the night before, so now they were both very well rested.
Unfortunately they both had to work today, so he dropped her off at her hotel with a quick brush of his lips across hers, and then he was off to practice. She took a quick shower and headed out again. At least they only needed her for half a day, because they were shooting with other models.
In the afternoon she was meeting the kids at the airport and they were going to Grant's place.
The photography went fast, which she was grateful for. This had been a great photo shoot. The director knew exactly what he wanted, which meant there hadn't been a lot of waiting around, which could be interminable hell on models. Clothing and hairstyle changes had gone quickly, and, when they'd finished, she'd thanked the entire production team and her fellow models.
After scrubbing off her makeup, brushing out her hair, and changing clothes, she'd grabbed a taxi to the airport. She picked up Leo and Anya, and at the baggage claim there was a driver who had her name written on a large white card.
"I'm Katrina Korsova," she said.
"Mr. Cassidy sent a car for you and your party."
"Ooh, we're a party," Anya said over her shoulder. "Let's rock this."
They took their bags and followed him to the limo. Really, Grant didn't have to send a limo when she and the kids could have grabbed a taxi.
"Sweet," Leo said, sliding in and putting on his earbuds.
She tried to never spoil the kids. They took cabs or they walked in the city. This was extravagant and a little over the top, but Anya seemed to be enjoying it, while Leo tuned into his music, though they both looked out the window at the sights.
"I want to see the Gateway Arch if we have time," Anya said. "I've heard the view up there is amazing."
"We'll see if there's time."
The limo pulled up to the house. There was an older woman at the open front door.
"You must be Katrina," she said. "I'm Gail Josephs. I'm Grant's next-door neighbor."
"Oh. Hello."
"I have a key to his house and he asked me to let you in."
He'd texted her earlier and told her about Gail, since he wouldn't get out of practice today until about five.
"Very nice to meet you, Gail. This is my brother, Leo, and my sister, Anya."
"Hello. You have a beautiful family. And speaking of families, my daughter is coming by shortly, so I have to run. Do you need anything?"
"No, we're fine. Thank you."
Gail ran off, so she led the kids inside.
"This house is big," Leo said.
"And this kitchen. Wow." Anya took a look around, her gaze gravitating to the back door. "Plus, a pool. I'm going to take a dip. Where do we change?"
She hadn't even thought to ask Grant about what rooms, but fortunately there was a note from him on the kitchen counter.
Tell the kids to pick any room they like--other than mine, of course. You can put your things in my room.
--G
She wrinkled her nose at that. Staying in Grant's room with the kids here? She didn't think that was a good idea.
"Grant said to pick any room you want--except his."
"Imagine that," Anya said. "I think with the two of you in there, it'll be crowded enough."
Katrina gaped at her. "What makes you think I'm staying in Grant's room? With him?"
Leo rolled his eyes, then looked at his sister. "She thinks we're naive."
"Right? Come on, Leo. Let's choose our rooms."
And just like that, her brother and sister completely assumed she was sleeping with Grant.
Maybe she was the old-fashioned one. Though she was hardly old-fashioned.
Whatever. She gave up trying to shelter them. Maybe they were right. They weren't babies anymore and they knew what was what. She picked up her bag and carried it upstairs to Grant's room, then changed into her swimsuit and cover-up.
When she came downstairs, she found the kids outside, both of them already in the pool.
Nothing like making themselves at home. She shrugged and made herself a glass of iced tea, then headed outside.
"This place is great," Anya said, swimming over to the side of the pool.
Katrina took off her cover-up and slid into a chair. "It is, isn't it?"
"I can't believe some hot babe hasn't scooped up Grant and married the hell out of him."
"Your language, Anya."
"Okay, whatever. But you know what I mean. He's a catch, Kat. He's good-looking, obviously makes great money based on the house and all the land here. Plus, he plays sports. What's there not to like?"
What indeed, if a woman was looking to settle down with a man.
Which she decidedly was not. She liked her life just fine. She was single and independent, and needed no man to complete her already complete lifestyle.
Though the sex was an added plus.
She didn't need to be married to have sex, though. She just needed to alter her current lifestyle to accommodate having sex more often. Now that Grant had introduced her to it, she definitely wanted more of it.
But monogamy? Or, God forbid, marriage? So not for her. She'd seen how that had worked for her mother, who'd been dedicated to a man who'd abandoned her--and his children--when they'd needed him the most. And then Mom had died, and her children had been left alone.
No, thanks. She'd made sure to put away enough money so that Leo and Anya would never have to depend on anyone.
And neither would she.
They spent time lying in the sun and swimming in the pool. Grant showed up about an hour later. She hadn't heard him arrive home, because he came out back shirtless and in his board shorts.
"I see you all made yourselves at home."
"That's us," Anya said, floating on a mat in the center of the pool. "Thanks for inviting us, by the way. Your house is great."
"You're welcome." He pulled up a spot at the edge of the pool next to Katrina. "Everything going okay? Kids' flight on time?"
She nodded. "Fine. How was practice today?"
"Intense. And hot as hell. I need a dip. You look like you could use one, too."
Before she could say anything, he'd grabbed her by the waist and dumped her in the pool, following her in. Then it was a free-for-all as Leo, who'd been listening to music in a chair, dove in, and Anya dunked herself.
They spent the next hour or so hanging out in the water playing volleyball, which was all kinds of fun, especially for Katrina to watch.
Grant was so great with the kids. And he was ruthless with Leo, picking him up and throwing him around whenever he missed a shot since it was women versus men.
Leo loved it. Why wouldn't he, since he had no father or uncles to roughhouse with him. He was in heaven. She'd never seen her brother so unguarded, laughing out loud and giving as good as he got. There was just no way Grant was going to allow her brother to be sullen and introverted.
She liked that part a lot.
Finally, Grant pulled himself out of the water. "I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm hungry. I stopped on the way home and bought some stuff to put out on the grill."
Katrina got out of the water as well, and with one look at Anya and Leo, they were out of the pool, too. "We'll dry off and help."
"You don't have to," Grant said, grabbing one of the towels nearby. "I can handle this."
"What kind of guests would we be if we allowed you to do all the work?" Katrina finished drying off, then put on her cover-up. "Besides, the kids and I love to prep food and cook."
"Just try to keep me and Katrina out of that awesome kitchen," Anya said.
Grant nodded. "Okay, then. Let's get started."
They did the prep work for the chicken kabobs in the kitchen. Grant rinsed and sliced the chicken and carved the pineapple, then Leo sliced the pineapple into chunks while Katrina and Anya took care of the other vegetables.
"I have an amazing teriyaki sauce recipe for this," Anya said.
Grant looked at Katrina, who nodded at him. "Go for it," he said to Anya. "My kitchen is yours."
She hunted down the ingredients she needed, then mixed the sauce and set the kabobs into the marinade. "Twenty minutes should do it."
Katrina had dug out the rice maker, so she started the rice cooking. By then it was time to take the kabobs outside and put them on the grill. Grant was already out there with Leo.
While he cooked, Katrina looked around.
"You know, you have enough room in this patio area for a complete outdoor kitchen."
Anya squinted, then nodded. "That's a great idea. Built-in oven here, outside the overhang so you can cook here. Maybe separated by a stone wall to keep the heat away from guests. Plenty of room for ceiling fans, too, to cool the area down and keep the flies away. Prep area over there. Big eating and entertainment area here."
"Yes. With a huge multiple burner grill for cooking, with storage space underneath. And in the yard area to the west between those two giant trees, a hammock," Katrina added, then turned to face Grant. "You could do some serious entertaining back here. God knows you have the space."