Parker placed a hand on her shoulder. “If something felt off, I’d be the first to tell you.”

Grace found herself staring at the back of Dameon’s head from across the room. “I really hope he’s not playing me.”

Within an hour Grace caught Parker yawning and checking her cell phone. Truth was, she was pretty tired, too.

“We should find Colin and get you home,” Grace told Parker.

“Am I that obvious?”

“Yes.”

Colin and Dameon were talking with a group of men, half of them laughing at whatever had just been said. When they approached, the conversation came to an abrupt halt.

“Don’t stop on our account,” Grace said.

Colin shook his head. “Fishing stories, sis. The kind where the fish get bigger with every drink one consumes.”

Grace poked her brother’s arm. “Except you don’t go fishing.”

“It wasn’t my story.”

“Damn, Hudson. You clean up really nice,” Lionel said at her side.

Grace turned to her coworker. “I’m guessing that’s a compliment?” she asked.

“Don’t go getting mushy on me. You’re not my type,” he teased.

She grinned. “You’re right. There’s more to my weekends than a sports bar and the beer on tap.”

Lionel put a hand over his heart. “I’d be wounded if it wasn’t so true.”

The crowd laughed.

“Speaking of weekends,” Colin said, turning to Parker. “I think I need to get my wife home since we only have the next couple days to do our shopping.”

“I’m sure that’s why you want to get her home,” one of the other guys in the group said.

Grace waved them off. “Leave the honeymooners alone. They’re entitled to putting a white flag outside the bedroom door when they need food and water.”

Parker was laughing the hardest.

“I’ll go get our coats,” Colin said before walking away.

“Didn’t you Uber here?” Parker asked her.

“I did.”

“We can give you a ride?”

“No, you go ahead.” Grace tried not to look at Dameon. “I’m not ready to go home quite yet.”

When Colin returned, he said his goodbyes to the group, and Grace walked them out.

“See you on Christmas,” Parker said as they hugged goodbye.

Colin was next. “It’s cold out here, go back in.”

“Love you, too,” she teased.

He kissed the top of her head. “Love you, Gracie.”

She walked back in and found Dameon hanging outside the banquet room doors.

“Are you leaving?” she asked.

“Not unless I can talk you into a nightcap away from all the noise.”

She smiled. “I might be persuaded.”

He looked like he wanted to touch her. “Please?”

“You twisted my arm.” She pointed to the party room. “I’ll get my coat and meet you at your truck. It’s probably best we don’t leave together.”

“Give me a five-minute head start.”

She walked into the room while he walked in the direction of the bathrooms.

There were a few people she wanted to say goodbye to, so she made her rounds.

She checked her new cell phone for the time. At the four-minute mark she put her coat on and passed by Evan. “Merry Christmas,” she told him with a hug.

“Back at ya.”

She walked out of the room and through the hall. She kept her phone in her hand as if she were watching for an Uber ride. Out in the parking lot she saw the red lights on a truck illuminating her way.

Dameon reached across the seat and opened the door. “Need a ride?” he asked, teasing.

She hopped in and reached for her seatbelt. “I feel like we’re sneaking.”

He laughed. “That’s because we are. But after spending the night with your colleagues and hearing some of the stories about your boss, I get it.”

“If I was one of the guys, he’d probably care less. But then there aren’t that many female developers biting off as big of a project as you are.” In all actuality, she’d worked with very few women in Dameon’s situation.

“Where to?” he asked.

“Do you like martinis?”

“Who doesn’t?”

She smiled at him through the dim light of the parking lot. “When you pull out, turn right.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Ma’am?”

He put the truck in reverse, placed his hand over the back of the seat, and caressed her shoulder as he did. “I’ve been stuck on the naughty teacher comment all night.”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Once again, Grace surprised him. They walked into a dimly lit bar with a woman playing the piano in the corner. By his guess, this was one of the finer places to dine in Santa Clarita. People were dressed up, and the bar was void of television screens. They found a table in the back, and Dameon helped her out of her coat.

When they sat down, he rested his hand on her arm. “I’ve been wanting to touch you all night.”

“I shouldn’t want the same thing,” she told him.

He kept her gaze. “Are you worried someone will see us here?”

“Everyone I know that would care is still at the party, not to mention most of them can’t afford this place on what the city pays.”

“But you know about it.”

“Well, of course I do. I’m single without kids. I’m sure you know the fancy places in the city.”

“And a few dive bars.”

“Nothing better than a good dive bar.”

The waiter came over, they ordered their drinks, and he walked off. “So, this is a place where you don’t know the staff.”

“You’re teasing me,” she said.

“It’s refreshing. I haven’t dated a woman like you before.”

“Oh? What’s your normal type?”

He wasn’t sure he wanted to answer that.

“I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours,” she said.

“You really want to know about the exes?”

She leaned over. “Scared?”

Okay, fine. “Her name was Lena—”

“Lena?” Grace sounded surprised.

“She was Greek.” He stopped there.

“Okay . . . ?”

“Now, you tell me yours.”

Grace huffed. “His name was Robert and he was a putz.”

“Define putz.”

“He played video games on his phone at family dinners.”

Dameon wasn’t expecting that. “Was this in high school?”

Grace rolled her eyes. “Last year.”

“It must have been serious if he went to family dinners.” Dameon couldn’t see Grace putting up with a grown man ignoring her family for a cell phone.

“Not with my family. We’re very open, and dinners with the boyfriends and girlfriends are a must.”

“Even as adults?”

“My dad’s an ex-cop,” she said as if that explained it all. “Tell me about Lena.”

A picture of the woman popped into his head. “Lena never met my mother. She didn’t play video games, but she spent a lot of time on her cell phone taking pictures of herself.”