Simply Sensual (Simply 3)

“I’d rather not do this now.” Ben’s reluctance couldn’t be more obvious.

Emma placed a hand on his arm and Grace knew something was wrong. “I think she’s got us cornered,” Emma said, looking none too happy at the prospect.

The uneasiness in Grace’s stomach turned into painful cramping. “Cornered about what?” she asked, though she already knew—or thought she did.

“This damn charade,” Ben said. He walked closer to Grace and tried to touch her cheek.

She stepped back, needing the space to think. “So, you know each other.”

“We’ve met,” Emma hedged.

Graced folded her arms across her chest. “Deliberately vague doesn’t cut it, Gran. Met how? Where?”

Ben and Emma met each other’s gaze, each, it seemed, imploring the other to fill Grace in on their secret. As she waited, her heart pounded harder in her chest.

Finally, Ben spoke first. “We met at the Montgomery Estate a few weeks ago when Emma hired me.” He let out a groan, running a hand through his already-disheveled hair.

“Hired you?” This was a scenario she’d never envisioned.

He shook his head. “We can talk about this later. Please.”

She heard the plea in his voice and ignored it. “Hired you to do what?” she asked again.

He dipped his head and said, “To keep tabs on you and fill her in on your activities.” The words seemed to be drawn from inside him painfully, but the knowledge that he hurt, too, didn’t soften the blow.

“But you have to understand Emma’s reasons,” he went on. “You were keeping her in the dark and she was concerned.”

Grace swallowed over the lump in her throat. “It’s kind of you to stick up for my grandmother’s meddling, but it doesn’t exonerate her. Or you. It’s too little information and too late for the reasons to matter.” Grace lowered herself into the nearest chair, agony tearing her apart.

The man she’d thought had nothing to do with the Montgomery family name or money had been paid for all the attention he’d shown her. He hadn’t learned about her life or looked out for her welfare because he cared. He hadn’t fallen for just Grace at all.

The sense of betrayal rose, clogging her throat, making her unable to swallow. She could barely speak. No wonder he couldn’t promise anything beyond their short time together—when Emma was no longer laying out cash for his services, Ben intended to be gone.

Grace looked up, not surprised to see her grandmother couldn’t meet her gaze. But Ben’s eyes bore into hers. She’d seen those eyes glazed by passion and lightened by laughter. Now, emotion flickered in the darkened depths, and she wanted to grasp onto those emotions like a lifeline.

How pathetic, Grace thought. Because she wanted some ray of hope, she was willing to see caring where there was none. She’d only thought she’d caught glimpses of his innermost thoughts and feelings, only deluded herself into thinking he was falling as hard for her as she’d fallen for him.

She’d believed it because she thought she knew him. But looking at Ben now, the lies and deception exposed, she didn’t know him at all. And it hurt. Badly.

“Grace…” His voice intruded on her pain.

She shook her head. She didn’t want to hear anything he had to say. What could possibly excuse such a colossal lie? Just doing his job would only have held water until their relationship turned from neighbors to lovers. At that point, he might not have desired forever, but he could have told her the truth.

“If you’ll just let me explain.” Emma sounded more fragile than usual, and Grace understood. She felt as if she herself might shatter if she had to hear any more.

She needed to get away from them. From the two people she loved most—and the two who had betrayed her.

Chapter Thirteen

Grace slammed the apartment door shut behind her. Ben didn’t try to stop her. The shattered look of hurt that had flashed across her delicate features would live inside him forever. If getting away from them helped, he was all for letting her go.

He turned to Emma. The older woman lowered herself into a seat, looking weary. “There had to be a better way to tell her.”

He wasn’t sure if she’d have taken the news any better coming from him first and him alone, but he’d never know. Emma’s arrival had destroyed any hope of letting Grace down gently.

“I had the best of intentions, but I still hurt her badly.”

Ben