Mostly Risky, page 10
part #3 of The Women of Ambrose Estate Series
Her blue eyes reminded him of Amelia’s, and it was clear that this woman was used to commanding attention and being in charge.
“Welcome to Ambrose, Mr. Edison,” she said, holding out her hand.
Grigg reached her hand and gave it a gentle shake, but her fingers wrapped around his tightly.
“Now, listen to me, young man,” she said in a whisper.
Amelia was standing right next to them, so Grigg didn’t know why Mrs. Ambrose was whispering.
“Whatever you do, take care of my Millie,” Mrs. Ambrose said. “She hasn’t had an easy day in her life, and I don’t want any more heartache to come her way. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Grigg said. “I promise to take care of your granddaughter.” Oddly, this felt like a formal meeting between a beau and a woman’s parent. Like a test of some sort. Also, his mind was spinning with questions about what Mrs. Ambrose was specifically talking about when she brought up Amelia’s heartache. Was the elderly woman referring to the early death of Amelia’s father? Her absent mother?
He knew some of these things, but Amelia rarely talked about either of her parents, or her half sisters for that matter.
Mrs. Ambrose was still grasping his hand. “She must never take off her pendant, do you understand?”
Grigg’s throat went dry. “I understand.”
“Gran, you don’t need to—”
She still wasn’t finished. “Young man,” she said in a pointed voice, “at Ambrose, family comes first, always has.”
“Understood,” Grigg said.
Finally Mrs. Ambrose released her hold on him, and truth be told Grigg felt a bit unsteady.
“We’ll see you at breakfast in the morning, Grandma,” Amelia said, giving her grandmother another kiss on the cheek. “We didn’t mean to keep you waiting up for us.”
Her grandmother smiled, her gaze warming again. “Be sure to keep your door shut and locked, Millie. You don’t want temptation to set in.”
“Grigg is a perfect gentleman,” Amelia said, her tone bordering on laughter.
They waited a few moments while Mrs. Ambrose shuffled down the hallway, then Amelia whispered, “Follow me.”
He walked with her along the opposite hallway, away from the direction that Mrs. Ambrose had gone. Amelia opened a door about halfway down the hall and flipped on a light.
He peered in. The bedroom was spacious and elegant. A king-sized bed stood in the center, draped in a royal-blue bedspread. The tall windows also had the same color drapes, and a stately cherrywood armoire stood in the corner of the room next to another door.
“That’s a walk-in closet,” Amelia said. “There’s another door inside, and it leads to my closet.”
“The rooms adjoin?”
“Not in the traditional sense.” She nudged him. “Don’t get any ideas, or my grandmother will kick you out.”
“Too late for that.”
Amelia playfully slapped his arm, and he caught her hand, then drew her close.
Over the past week, they’d only spent a few stolen moments together. They hadn’t even gone on what Grigg would deem an official date. Amelia had forbidden it, paranoid that a date or even the planning of a date would lead to him ending up in the hospital like Clint and Hayden. She’d texted Hayden that she had some work issues and a family emergency, so she wouldn’t be able to come to California. She still hadn’t found the time or the gumption to call him in person and tell him that there would be no second date.
Grigg was quite happy with him being the last man standing, so to speak. He’d even stolen a couple of kisses from her at work. Both times, she’d had to end it much too soon.
This time, though, Amelia didn’t shoo him away. She wrapped her arms about his waist and leaned into him. He pulled her close and buried his face in her hair as he slowly stroked her back. He loved that she’d hugged him, and he loved that she had allowed him to come to Ambrose. Her body was warm and soft against his, and the last thing he wanted to do tonight was let her go.
“I don’t know about all of this,” Amelia murmured. “My grandmother can be intimidating, and she’s very protective of her granddaughters. Are you sure you want to be here?”
He kissed the top of her head. “I’m sure. Are you sure you’ll be okay in that room by yourself?”
She lifted her head to meet his gaze. “You made a promise to my grandma.”
He tapped the end of her nose. “I did. But know that I’m on the other side of the door if you need anything. Anything at all.”
She nodded, her eyes glistening. This was the real reason Grigg had wanted to come. He’d never seen Amelia so fragile before. And since receiving the news about Hayden’s health, Grigg had been worried about Amelia herself. The last thing he wanted her to do was give up, throw away hope, or dismiss the idea that there could be a future between them.
“So what’s the first item on our agenda, Miss Ambrose?”
“Sofia sent me a to-do list,” she said. “First thing is to look through some old journals. Sofia said that will help me understand the beginning of it all, so that I can then figure out how to put a stop to all of this insanity once and for all.”
“Sounds good to me.” Grigg said. “We’ll find the answers, I know it.”
Her blue eyes held his. “I hope so, I really do.”
An hour later, Grigg was still awake, standing at the bedroom window that overlooked the back gardens, where a pool glistened in the moonlight and a graveyard cast inky shadows beyond. The place was stately and beautiful, but from the moment Shelton had turned onto the driveway leading to the mansion, Grigg had sensed the forlornness of the place.
There was no doubt this place had secrets, and some might be unpleasant to uncover.
Amelia gazed at her reflection in the mirror in the early-morning light. The mirror didn’t lie. She looked as stressed as she felt, with the puffiness of her eyes and her pale cheeks. On one hand, she couldn’t believe that she was back at Ambrose; on the other, since arriving, she’d felt a sense of doom.
Maybe it was because Gran had seemed so much older suddenly. Yes, the woman was in her late eighties, but she’d always been so stoic and timeless. But now . . . Gran was frail, and the violet circles under her eyes told Amelia that her grandmother wasn’t as spry as she used to be. The thought was sobering. Some months ago, Gran had surprised everyone and left the entire estate and surrounding lands to Sofia.
As Sofia was the oldest granddaughter, it had made sense. Well, unless you asked their mother, Poppy. She hadn’t been pleased, but an offer of more money had appeased her for the time being. The rest of the granddaughters still had their trust funds that paid out monthly allowances, and they still owned equity in the holding company.
But returning to Ambrose, and with Grigg no less, had made everything all the more real. Amelia had always felt the weight of the curse, even back when her half sisters had each received the Pendant of Protection on their sixteenth birthdays. And that weight had doubled when Amelia received her own pendant. In fact, after that, Amelia had rarely visited Ambrose again.
And now she was back.
She heard the sounds of movement coming from the bedroom belonging to Grigg. So he was awake early too. She probably shouldn’t go bursting through the dressing room to greet him. No, she’d have to be much more civilized and formal. It had been hard enough to leave him last night and to know that he was just on the other side of the wall.
That knowledge had sent her heart racing for more than one reason. She didn’t want to be apart from Grigg, not even for a night, and that thought alone made her more scared than ever. She’d become attached to him. Long before their flirting turned more serious. She realized now, looking back, that only a couple of months into their working together, she’d come to rely on him for so many things. Not only for work-related needs but emotional needs, and as a friend that she’d never really had.
A light tap sounded at her closet door.
Amelia turned from the mirror. Grigg had come through the dressing room himself to knock on her door. She couldn’t help the smile that spread across her face. After hurrying to the closet door, she opened it.
Her eyes widened, and her pulse drummed hot. Grigg stood there wearing board shorts . . . and that was it. There was no doubt that he was a former athlete who still prioritized staying in shape.
He hadn’t even gotten dressed properly, and now he was in her bedroom, smiling at her.
“Good morning,” he said in a morning voice she hadn’t heard before.
She really, really liked it.
“Hey, what are you doing?” she asked, because he was tugging her toward the windows of her bedroom, a lazy smile on his face.
“I’m showing you something,” he said, then he stopped and pointed.
The back gardens sparkled with dew in the morning light, and the greens of the bushes and trees, intermingling with the vibrant colors of the flowers, were breathtaking. The swimming pool was turquoise, surrounded by pale-gray stone slabs. Pristine and untouched.
“Let’s go swimming,” Grigg said. “You brought your suit, right? You told me to.”
“I did,” Amelia said, sneaking a glance at him. “I didn’t know you were such an avid swimmer—especially so early in the morning.”
“I think I need to get rid of some energy.” He slid his warm hand across her neck, then leaned close and placed the softest of kisses on her jaw. The bare skin of his torso brushed against her arm, and Amelia knew that a swim in the cool water of the pool would be just the thing to refocus her brain on why they’d come to Ambrose.
“Okay, I’ll be ready in a few.” She should really move away from him, right now. But she couldn’t resist. So she turned toward him and rose up on her toes to kiss him. Of course, that meant that she had to place her hand on his chest for balance.
Grigg kissed her slowly like he had all the time in the world, not pulling her closer but simply running his hands along her back.
“You need to leave now,” she said, trying to catch her breath.
He winked, then nodded. She watched him walk to the door that connected to the hallway. “I’ll be waiting out here.”
“All right,” she said in a voice that sounded too high.
When he pulled the door shut, she moved to her carry-on suitcase. She hadn’t even unpacked the night before. She dug through her clothes and located her plain black swimsuit. Boring, maybe, but she rarely swam, and she hadn’t really thought through this scenario. Even though she’d told Grigg to bring his.
Now, suddenly in the light of the morning, she felt self-conscious. Once she was wearing a swimming suit, there would be nothing to hide from Grigg. Not that she had poor body image, but what Grigg thought of her mattered. And she didn’t think he was shallow by any means. No, it would only put them in more intimate circumstances.
Don’t be a ninny, she told herself. She quickly changed and didn’t even check her image in the mirror but grabbed a towel from the adjoining bathroom and wrapped it around her waist. Then she stepped into the hallway. The house was quiet and dim, and there was Grigg. Waiting.
No interference from Gran this time, or anyone else who might be about the house.
He only smiled and grasped her hand.
Together they walked down the main stairs, then out the French doors that led to the back gardens and the swimming pool.
The air was warming, and it would be quite hot that afternoon, but right now, it was pretty much perfect. As they neared the pool, Amelia expected Grigg to let go of her hand, but he didn’t. Instead, he pulled her with him and wrapped an arm about her waist. “Ready?” he asked, unhooking her towel.
She grasped the towel to keep it on. “I’m not jumping in,” she said. “It’s probably cold, so that means I need to get used to it inch by inch.”
“Suit yourself.” He released her, then did a perfect dive into the pool.
She backed up to avoid any splashing, then she watched as he swam to the other side of the pool, deftly and swiftly. If she hadn’t known he was a former football player, she would have guessed him to be a swimmer. His strokes were even and perfect, and when he turned to swim back toward her, she clapped.
He came up out of the water when he reached her side again. Wet was definitely a nice look on him. He held out a hand. “Come on. The water’s nice.”
“I think I’ll just watch you,” she said, taking a step back. “I can float, that’s pretty much it.”
His brows rose. “I thought you’d swim more, growing up here.”
“I only visited here a few times as a teen,” she said. “And my mom was always too preoccupied with whoever she was dating to take me to extra things like swimming lessons. So I’m more of a shallow-water type of girl, or lying out on the pool chairs.”
“I think we need to change that,” he said. “A woman who runs a successful financial firm needs to be able to swim as well. You know, in case we throw a pool party.”
She scoffed. “Funny.”
He grasped the edge of the pool and hauled himself out of the water.
Amelia backed up a couple of steps, to get out of his way, but he reached her too fast.
“Come on, I’ll teach you a few things,” he said, his hand wrapped around her wrist and his wet torso dangerously close to hers. “You’ll be swimming before you know it.”
Grigg this close, wet, and only wearing his board shorts was pretty much impossible to resist.
She took a deep breath. “Okay.”
“Okay?” He grinned.
She nodded.
Then before she could change her mind, he tugged her towel free and tossed it toward a chair. Then he led her to the edge of the pool. “We’ll jump together, because it’s much easier to get wet all at once.”
“I don’t think—”
But he jumped, and she was still holding his hand, so seconds later she plunged into the water. The cold was sudden and fierce but, by the time she surfaced, not nearly as bad as she thought it would be.
Grigg hooked an arm about her waist and drew her close. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
Still catching her breath, she said, “I don’t know. I think I’m in shock.”
He chuckled, then with his other hand he steered them to the edge of the swimming pool. “Hang on with both hands and watch me for a second. Then I’ll have you try it.”
She watched his effortless strokes, which were probably helped by his powerful shoulders, his muscled arms, and his lithe torso. None of which she possessed.
“Okay, your turn,” he said, turning and swimming back to her.
He guided her into position, gave her some pointers on breathing. Then he swam alongside of her, helping her adjust when she had to pause. They made three laps, and by then she was completely out of breath.
“I think I’m ready to lounge on a pool chair now,” she said.
“You’re just getting the hang of it.” Grigg said, moving a wet lock of hair from her face. His fingers trailed along her cheek, and the water was no longer cold. “Come on, at least one more lap.”
Amelia bit the bottom of her lip and looked across the length of the pool. “I’m not in shape like you.”
“You’re in plenty good shape,” he said. “You’re just not used to swimming.” He drew her with him toward the middle of the pool. “Okay, on your back. We’ll do the backstroke the rest of the way. It’s not far.”
Amelia leaned back and felt the pressure of Grigg’s hand on her lower back, holding her up. She followed his instructions again, and strangely, she enjoyed the backstroke. Probably because she didn’t have to keep putting her face in the water.
When they reached the far edge of the pool, she said, “Go do your thing, Grigg. I’ll be cheering for you.”
He chuckled, then kissed the tip of her nose. Before her mind could catch up to his actions, he pushed off the wall and began to swim laps. She stopped counting after about ten laps. How long was he going to swim?
Not that she wasn’t enjoying watching his powerful body slicing through the water. Every few laps, he angled to her and kissed her again. She’d laugh and push him away. Then he stopped at the other end of the pool and draped his arms along the edge, catching his breath.
“Worn out already?” she teased.
He grinned. “I think you should backstroke over here. You’ve had enough of a break.”
She raised her brows.
“Come on, Mills,” he said. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Oh yeah? How?”
“Trust me.”
She already did, she realized. Had for a long time. The realization only made her heart thump harder. After a slow exhale, she turned and pushed herself off the wall and began the backstroke across the pool. She could hear Grigg’s encouragement, and she was proud of herself for not stopping.
Then she bumped into Grigg before reaching the wall.
He turned her to face him, and with one hand, she grasped the edge of the pool.
“You made it,” he said.
She’d also gone at an angle rather than straight across. “Wow, how did that happen?”
“You’re using more muscles on one side of your body,” he said.
“I don’t have muscles to use,” she said with a laugh. “Hope you’re not disappointed.”
“Now, why would I want to be with a woman who was all muscle?” He inched closer, slipping both hands around her waist.
“You probably shouldn’t state your intentions too loudly,” she whispered. “Remember where we are.”
“I remember,” he said, his dark-brown eyes warm. He pulled her closer. “I feel rebellious, though.”
She laughed and covered his mouth with her hand. “I’m not kidding, Grigg.”
He moved her hand and kissed her. She held onto him and kissed him back while he kept them afloat in the water. The warmth of the sun spreading across the pool contrasted with the cool water, causing goose bumps to break out all over Amelia’s skin.
Amelia was in danger of losing her heart completely to this man, that she knew. Their physical affection was a new thing, but it felt completely natural and only left her wanting to be around Grigg every moment of every day.
