She rises to her feet and stretches out her arms. “I’m Paislee Rhodes. Do you still want me?”
“You’re an Abbott, my dear,” Marguerite insists.
So it’s that way. I rise and hold out my hand. “And I’m a schoolteacher. Is that okay with you?”
Chapter Ten
Paislee
I stare at Gant’s outstretched hand, not sure if I should take it or not. When it comes to men around here, they tend to be jerks. Except the staff. The butler, Mr. Huntington, is a sweetheart. I’ve started calling him Hunts because he can track anything down in this place. He also has a penchant for gossiping with me. I think he might be sweet on my grandma too.
Gant’s big hand hangs in the air, waiting for me to make my decision. I can’t help but be curious about him. I wonder if he really is a teacher. He felt different from anyone else last night that I met. He seemed more down to earth and funny. Grandma told me not to let any man charm me out of my panties. Obviously, the men that run in these circles are good at that. My dad is a prime example.
He has to be telling the truth about being a teacher. The second a lie would have rolled off his tongue, Grandma would have called him on it. I glance over at my grandma, who has an unreadable expression on her face. She was smirking moments ago.
I don’t know if that faded because of something Gant said or because of the correction of my last name. It’s petty to keep correcting people. My grandma has been nothing but sweet and loving since she found out about me, but I’m a Rhodes. My mom gave me that last name, and I am proud of it.
Gant stares at me, waiting for an answer. “That is more than okay with me.” He clears the last few feet between us, engulfing my hand with his. I think he is going to only shake it, but he leans down and kisses the top of my hand. I feel myself flush for some silly reason. He only kissed my hand. My thoughts race thinking about what it would feel like for him to kiss me in other places.
“I taught pre-K back home at a daycare. I was only a semester away from my B.A. in Education before...” I trail off, thinking about my mom. Gant pulls me into him. He still has a hold on my hand that he’d kissed. I rest my hands on his chest, staring up at him. My body leans into him on its own. He feels nice. There is something about being in his arms that instantly comforts me.
His hand comes up to caress my cheek.
“Life can be cut too damn short. From the look in your eyes you know that better than most.” I give a small shake of my head. “Have dinner with me?”
“Yes,” I agree. A slow smile spreads across his face. One dimple pops out in his cheek, and he almost looks a little boyish. Nothing like the other men I met last night. I think my grandma approves of him too.
“Oh, no. Look there. However did the staff miss that when they put away all the Christmas stuff?” We both turn to look at her. Her eyes are above our heads. I tilt my head back to see what she is talking about. There hanging from the ceiling is a mistletoe. There are actually a few, and they are oddly placed around. Interesting that I never noticed them before today.
My face starts to flush all over again. “It’s after the holiday. I don’t think…”
“Why chance it?” Gant's voice comes out gruff and sexy. Before I can respond, his mouth is coming down toward mine. He moves slowly, giving me time to rebuff him, but my body has no plans to do such a thing.
My eyes fall closed as I dig my fingers into his shirt. His breath tingles against my lips before he brushes his against mine. I let out a small moan. His tongue slides along the seam of my mouth. I part my lips for him as he deepens the kiss.
I hold onto him tighter, my body melting into his as he takes over the kiss. I get lost in the feeling of need coming from him. A loud growl leaves him and rolls through my body, making my nipples tighten more than they already are. I can feel the hard outline of his cock pressing into me.
“I take it that I’m not tossing him out on his ass?” I hear Hunts say dryly. I try and jump back, but it’s then I realize my feet are not on the floor. When I open my eyes, they meet Gant’s. If I’m eye level with him, that means I’m at least a foot off the ground.
I lick my bottom lip still tasting him there. “Everyone is looking at us.” I wiggle in his arms, but he still doesn't put me down.
“I’m afraid it might be something we have to get used to.” He places me back on my feet before taking a step back. Grandma is back to smiling. More heat rushes to my face at the thought that everyone got a front row seat to Gant and me kissing. A kiss that I want to do over again.
“Are you finished here?” Hunts gives Gant a look of boredom.
“I think I’m far from finished.” He shoots me a wink. “I’ll be back in a few hours. Don’t let them fill your head with lies. I only stab people that deserve it.”
“What?” I asked, confused. Did he say stab someone? He doesn't answer me. Instead he drops a kiss on my mouth before turning to leave.
“He’s trouble,” Hunts informs us before following Gant to make sure he in fact does leave.
“Sometimes trouble is fun.” Grandma wiggles her eyebrows.
“Trouble can also mean heartbreak,” I say as I walk over to sit down next to her. “What was the stab comment about?”
“I don’t think he and your dad like each other much.” She says it as though it’s no big deal. I think the last thing my father and I need is more problems. It would be nice to stick it to him, but love isn't a place to be petty.
“Are you saying that in the hope that I fall madly in love with this man?”
“A spring wedding would be nice. As you know, a wedding dress wouldn't be a problem in such a short time.” I let out a small laugh. She is getting way ahead of herself.
“There is no need to rush anything.” I need to remind myself of the same thing. I could see myself falling fast for Gant. That kiss made me forget everything else in the world but him. I wasn’t an Abbott or a Rhodes in that moment with him. I was merely myself.
“We’ll see.” She takes another sip of her tea. Why does it feel like my grandma is pushing the idea of me getting married all the time? I shake off the thought. That’s normal grandma stuff. That’s what I’ve heard anyway. I’ve never had a grandma in my life before this, so I guess we’ll navigate this together.
Chapter Eleven
Gant
Paislee is beautiful and charming, and it’s very difficult to focus on my food when she is appearing like the most edible morsel in the restaurant. She’s wearing a fuzzy pink sweater with a pair of simple jeans and looks hot and elegant at the same time. After the kiss, I wanted nothing more than to carry her off to my small lair, strip her naked, and show her the kind of delights that fairy tales only hint at. But I left the house empty-handed, consoling myself with the knowledge I would see her later that night.
Even though we’ve barely dug into our meal of fried chicken, coleslaw and mashed potatoes, I know I want to keep her forever. She’s easy to talk to. Her earlier frostiness has not made a reappearance, so either she heard about the fork story and doesn’t care or the Abbotts have decided to keep Papa Abbott’s ignominy to themselves. The subject she likes the best appears to be her mother and animals. She does not have a pet and neither do I—a situation that will need to be remedied immediately. I know exactly the next date we’ll have.