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Nipples, hard

"Dammit!" She clapped her hands over theh "They just like me more than your other parts"

She didn’t know about that Her other parts liked hiot up much more slowly than she Naked, of course The le ounce of self-consciousness in his entire body Not that he needed to "What are you doing?" she hissed "Put so his head onto his shoulders "Shhh"

She narrowed her eyes "Your head didn’t seeo"

"The brain ispleasure"

"The brain, huh? Because I’ pleasure sits quite a bit lower than your brain"

He let out a low laugh, but it eak Softening, Grace slid her aruide him back to the bed Not a hardship, since he arm and sleek and hard

Everywhere

The hardest part of hi her in the belly See both amused and pained at the both of therip and strode butt-ass nad to the sweats on the floor, which he pulled on "What’s up for you today?" he asked

"The usual variety of jobs Tomorrow I have another interview"

He froze for a beat "Seattle?"

"Yeah," she said, more than a little distracted by the way the sweats sat so low on his hips "You have a few more nanny applicants" It was her turn to pause "One of them is Sarah To to an online college and is looking for a way to work part-tireat"

She nodded "The other is Riley"

"Ae classes in the s," she said "She needs a job for the afternoons or evenings She loves kids, she loves Toby, andto this as he pulled on a T-shirt, hisin a way that ain When he finally spoke, it was a coe "I heard you picked up a fewtotally out of hand Mindy brought s" She shook her head "What is wrong with people?"

He s him, and maybe love him up some more Stupid set Toby"

"We’ll be okay today Do what you have to do"

"You’re not going to work?" This had her heart stopping short "You’re not better"

"I’h to treat people"

She looked him over carefully He had shadows beneath his eyes His broas furrowed His uy clearly knew no other way--but he was feeling like shit She shook her head "I’ to cancel the floral deliveries--"

"No Don’t"

"You’re--"

"Fine," he said finally "I’ll pick up Toby froa around in hog heaven, and Josh trying to find soood dad, Josh"

He didn’t have any obvious reaction, but she knew him now and felt his surprise Had no one ever told hihtkind of melt either It was the kind that ood some more In lots of ways…

Which in turn reminded her that she was this close to a job--finally--and he was this close to getting a nanny, and then this time with him would be over

And when it was, there’d be no reason to see hi what they’d both said they didn’t want to do--have a relationship

Chapter 23

The best drug is chocolate

The next day, Grace had her Seattle interview and got on the road heading back to Lucky Harbor Her passenger was a big, shiny, fancy file folder with a for, shiny, fancy benefits that ith it

It was a really good offer It didn’t involve shoe boxes filled with receipts, ie poo It didn’t involve gruly adorable Jedi warriors This job would be all checks and balances, spreadsheets, and detailed analysis prograrowth potential

Noif she wanted it This thought was so disconcerting that she had to pull over and stare at herself in the rearview ood salary and had full benefits It hat she’d been ai for, and it wouldaway fros and people who’d come to mean so much to her

The break’s over, she told herself firh on her life plans Past time

She headed to the pier She’d called Sarah for a preli in twenty h tohen she saw Anna on the sidewalk, wheeling furiously along, steaot out of the car She could tell Anna had been crying, but since she didn’t have a death wish, she didn’t ?"

"What does it look like?"

"Well, it looks like you’re on a mission to kill soe juht we could discuss"

"I’d totally rock an orange jue Talk to me"

Anna rolled her eyes "You even sound like hi a Scott, ever "You getting in the car or what?"

Anna took a moment to swipe the ot into the front seat, she looked at the folder Grace had set on the dash "What’s that?" she asked, opening the file without waiting for an answer

"Hey, that’s private," Grace said

"Holy shit, they’re going to pay you a buttload," Anna exclai the bottoain? Add up other people’slike that"

"I want a job that pays this"

"Get a degree"

"There you go, sounding like h the papers for aSarah at the diner Want to help?"

"I guess"

Inside Eat Me, Jan brought them iced tea as they met with Sarah and her nice, neat, freshly printed résumé She was local, and everyone liked her She had a list of references a , and she could start immediately

It was a no-brainer

After Sarah left the table, Grace looked at Anna "So?"

"So what?"

"What did you think?"