Southern Player (Charleston Heat 2)

I have Gracie’s hand in a death grip. I feel dizzy.

“Thank y’all,” I say at last. “From the bottom of my heart. You didn’t have to do this.”

Gracie leans her head on my shoulder. “Of course we did.”

“I love you, brother,” Eli says, extending his hand.

I take it, allow him to pull me across the table into a hug.

“But I’m serious about the dirty talkin’,” he says in my ear. “Keep it behind closed doors, you hear?”

I laugh, feeling my eyes prick with tears. “I hear you.”

Emotions running high tonight, that’s for damn sure.

Olivia appears at my elbow, eyes glittering as they move over Gracie and me.

“Look at you love birds!” she says, giving us each a hug. “Elijah told me you guys made it official.”

“We did,” Gracie says, turning her head to smile at me. “We should probably thank Olivia. It was Max the Duke and Lady Jane who brought us together.”

“Thank you,” I blurt. “Romance rocks.”

Olivia wags her eyebrows. “You’re welcome. And it does, doesn’t it? Have you read My Deal With the Duke?”

“I haven’t. But all things considered, I should probably grab a copy.”

“I got a signed paperback with your name on it back at the house,” Olivia replies. “I’m so happy for you guys. Congrats. I always knew you two had a spark—I saw this whole thing happening from a mile away.”

Gracie digs her teeth into her bottom lip. “So that’s why you thought us hooking up was such a good idea.”

“Yup.” Olivia nods her head. “I knew it wasn’t going to stay casual for very long.”

Funny how everyone—Mama, Gwen, Olivia—knew the thing Gracie and I had would turn into something serious. Kinda dig how our connection was that obvious.

Gracie glances over her shoulder. I do the same. Place is really filling up now. Getting loud.

My stomach dips a little when I see how dressy people are. People are in jeans this time. But this is definitely a fashionable, sophisticated crowd.

“If y’all would excuse us, I need to go say hi to some friends before I announce the raffle winners.” Gracie looks at me. “Want to come?”

I take another deep breath. So many of them already tonight.

I know Gracie is just being friendly. Trying to include me in her world. But I can’t help but feel like this is some kind of test.

A test I failed before.

I try to shove the thought aside. I’m being overly emotional. Overly sensitive. I know how to be charming. I can do friendly.

That’s all she’s asking of me. And I know the circles in that Venn diagram in my head overlap for more than just sex. Way more.

I just gotta remember that when I start to feel like I don’t belong.

“I’d love to,” I say.

Ignoring the tug of apprehension I feel in my chest as Gracie leads me away from Eli and Olivia.Chapter Twenty-NineLukeGracie introduces the good looking couple in front of us as Charlie and Elle.

“Elle owns the coolest damn clothing store in town,” Gracie says. “She also wins the award for best dressed. Clearly.”

“And you win the award for best coffee,” Elle says, pulling her in for a hug. “Congrats, friend. We are so excited for you.”

“How are things?” Grace asks. “Speaking of exciting—I saw that the store was mentioned in Vogue. Bet you got a nice bump in traffic after that.”

Sweat breaks out along the edges of my scalp.

“Sales are up twenty percent,” Charlie says. “We’re hoping to keep up the momentum when we roll out the online store.”

I look at him. “Do you work for Elle?”

“I don’t,” he says with a smile. “I just provide her with some free consulting and accounting work every so often.”

“Charlie’s being modest,” Grace says. “He’s a partner in a very prestigious accounting firm downtown.”

Elle grins at him. “And a total genius with numbers. There’s no way the store would be where it is now without him.”

Now I’m really sweating.

Sweating, and feeling a little queasy. Like I was just on the top of a rollercoaster and now it’s plunging down a steep, steep hill.

Charlie and Elle are a good looking couple. They clearly respect each other. Adore each other.

All that I can relate to. Well. Gracie at least can relate to the good looking part.

Even the Vogue thing doesn’t throw me for such a loop.

But it’s the fact that Charlie can offer Elle such an essential service—that he’s used his degrees and his connections and his money to help make her dreams come true—that fucking gets me.

I could never provide Gracie with that kind of help. That kind of know-how.

In fact, she’s the one offering it to me.

Which I appreciate. So much. But the realization hits me like a ton of bricks—that I could never reciprocate that specific kind of generosity. Not in any meaningful way.

I am not a numbers guy. I’m a grits guy.