Pete had managed to get stumbling drunk and collided with the mayor’s wife as he rushed to the bathroom. Their heads bumped, and he stepped on her high-heeled foot with enough force to bloody a toe. The worst part was he didn’t stop to apologize or anything. He rushed to the bathroom and lost the liquor he’d been drinking. The following Monday he didn’t remember a thing. When the mayor presented him with the clinic bill for X-rays and another for a new pair of designer shoes, Pete realized just how bad it was.

“Something tells me Pete will be the designated driver tonight if he comes at all,” Peggy said.

Grace felt heat down her spine. The kind that meant only one thing. She turned her head to the right and then the left . . . that’s when she saw him.

Dameon’s eyes locked with hers as a slow smile crept over his face. He was too far away to say anything, but when he moved his lips, she could swear he said the word wow.

“Whoa, who is that?” Peggy said at her side.

“Excuse me?” Grace shifted her gaze.

“The guy who is devouring you with his eyes?”

She looked around, feigning innocence. “Who?”

Peggy nudged her with an elbow. “Nice try. I saw you staring.”

Grace met Dameon’s gaze again and widened her eyes as if to give him some kind of telepathic message to stop staring. He grinned and turned away. “That’s Mr. Locke.”

“Mr. Hotness. How do you know him?”

Grace felt her face growing warm. “He has a development that’s getting off the ground here.”

“Oh yeah . . . where?”

Damn if Grace didn’t glance up to see him staring again.

“Up the canyon . . . you know what, he looks a little lost, I should make him feel welcome.”

Peggy laughed. “You go, girl.”

Grace reminded herself to walk slowly as she crossed the room to stand before Dameon. The last thing she wanted to do was call attention to the two of them together.

She reached out a hand when she stopped moving. “Hello, Mr. Locke.”

It appeared he was trying not to laugh as he took her hand in his. “Miss Hudson. You look absolutely radiant.” His hand squeezed hers before letting go.

Squeezing hands . . . really? She knew her cheeks were warm. She just hoped they didn’t look like she was flustered. “Why thank you. Did you have trouble finding the place?” She kept her questions easy and generic in case anyone had noticed them.

“Not at all.”

She motioned toward the line to the bar. “Why don’t we get a drink and I’ll introduce you to some of the community.”

“I’d appreciate that.” He indicated for her to walk in front of him.

The closer to the bar they moved, the louder the music grew. People were either trying to talk over it or leaning in close to hear what the other person was saying.

Dameon ducked his head closer to her ear. “You’re killing me in that dress,” he said in the deep baritone that only he could manage.

And because she couldn’t help herself, she said, “That was part of my plan.”

The line inched forward.

Dameon bent his head, his lips pressed together with a slight grin.

Yeah, speechless was a good look on the man.

When it was their turn at the bar, she ordered a glass of red wine, and he asked for a whiskey soda.

“Well, Miss Hudson . . . who should I meet first?”

“You can call me Grace.”

“You sure?”

She motioned for him to bend down so she could speak in his ear. “You say Miss Hudson like I’m the naughty high school teacher.”

He tilted his head back and laughed.

She saw Evan and pulled Dameon toward her colleague. “Evan.” She tapped his shoulder. “I have someone I want you to meet.”

Evan smiled and shook hands during the introductions. “Welcome to Santa Clarita.”

“Your city is growing on me,” Dameon said, his eyes glancing at Grace.

“Is that right?” Evan looked between the two of them, his grin a little too obvious. “You look fabulous, Grace. Is that a new dress?”

Okay, maybe introducing Dameon to Evan was a mistake. “I wore the same one last year,” she lied.

Evan shook his head several times. “Nope. Last year you wore slacks and stilettos.” He turned his attention to Dameon. “To be fair, Grace always wears spikes on her feet. And if I’m not mistaken, you were working right up to party time last Christmas and your shoes didn’t match your outfit.”

“Then I wore this dress the year before.” Grace frantically looked around for someone else to introduce Dameon to.

“I would have remembered if you had. That dress is hard to forget.”

Okay, now she was blushing . . . she felt her body temperature soaring.

“It’s pretty spectacular,” Dameon said, chuckling.

And on that note . . . “Okay, then. Onward.” Grace tapped Dameon’s elbow and started to move away.

“You’re adorable when you blush, Hudson.” Evan never called her Hudson.

“Slow down on the drinks, Evan,” she said as they were walking away.

Dameon lowered his lips to her ear. “Is he my competition?”

That had to be the funniest thing she’d heard in some time. “Ah, no! Even if I was his flavor, he’s like a brother.”

“Got it. He’s right about the dress.”

They’d stopped a few feet away, Dameon standing entirely too close.

“Stop looking at me like that,” she whispered under her breath.

“Like what?” His eyes widened and he took a sip of his drink.

She was surprised the ice hadn’t melted in his glass for all the heat coming off the man.

Or maybe that was her.

“Like I’m lunch.” She tried hard not to smile.

Dameon sucked in a deep breath and closed his eyes before looking away.

“That’s better.” Grace turned. “That’s the mayor. His wife is a busybody, so exercise that discretion you said you had.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he said in her ear.

She moaned. This was going to be a very long night.

She introduced Dameon to three members of the city council, the mayor, and a well-known contractor in the area. There were owners of smaller businesses, from plumbers to concrete companies. Members of the school board were in attendance, and of course the rest of the engineering team in her office.

The smiles and glances her way simmered, and Dameon eased into conversations like he already knew the people he was with.

They were an hour into the evening before Grace noticed her brother and Parker join the party.

She left Dameon’s side while he was talking with a city council member to greet her brother.

“I was starting to wonder if you guys were going to make it,” she said as she hugged Parker.

“We were a little . . . busy,” Parker muttered, her cheeks flaming red.

“Is that what we’re calling it? Busy?” Grace teased.

Parker shrugged.

Grace reached up to hug her brother. “You need to give the woman some down time.”

Colin pointed at his wife. “She started it.”

“Don’t pull that. You walked into the closet when I was getting dressed.”