“He’s had some issues with his company. He’s working it out, but it’s been tough.”

“Oh. So why did you seem pissed with him when I came in?”

Grant leaned against the counter and folded his arms, his gaze fixed on her as if he was trying to decide what he should say.

The longer the silence stretched between them, the more anxious Stephanie became. She wished she didn’t automatically go to worst-case scenario every time the slightest thing went wrong, but her tumultuous life before she met Grant had given her ample reason to do so. “Never mind,” she said, unable to bear the tension for another second.

“Wait.” He paused, his jaw pulsing with tension, which was never a good sign. “I want to tell you what we were talking about, but there’s almost no way to tell you without making you think I want something that I don’t.”

“Oh, well, if that’s all it is...”

He shook his head and blew out a deep breath. “He wants to date Abby.”

Stephanie hadn’t seen that one coming, and suddenly she couldn’t seem to breathe as she recalled what Adam had been saying as she came into the kitchen. She sucked in a breath and fought to maintain her composure. “Why would he think you’d be threatened by that?”

“I’m not threatened by it. Not at all. I want you to hear me on that. Do you?”

As she nodded, her mind raced and her palms were suddenly damp.

“Say it. Tell me you heard me.”

“I did,” she said haltingly. “I heard you.”

“Come here.”

Because she couldn’t stay away, Stephanie crossed the room to him, stopping in front of him. “I’m here.”

“Closer.”

She moved another inch forward.

“Closer,” he said with the sexy grin she hadn’t seen since before the accident.

A happy gasp escaped from her tightly clenched jaw, releasing all the pent-up tension with it.

He put his arms around her and looked into her eyes. “I love you. I don’t care if my brother dates her. I will care if he hurts my friend, however. I don’t want to see her hurt again. She’s had enough already. Okay?”

“You…”

“What, Steph?”

She forced herself to look up and meet his gaze. She forced herself to ask the question. “You don’t think it would be weird to see him with her?”

“Maybe the first time. And the second. After that, it might seem less weird. But it’s no threat to me—or to us. I promise.” He dipped his head and kissed her, softly at first and with more intent when she responded with greedy enthusiasm. It had been a very long week.

Her hands coasted over his chest and up to link around his neck. She couldn’t get close enough to him.