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worth receiving. Custom made for her. If Grace would open her heart, she’d know there was love after Kevin. Possibly, good love. The time had come for her to bury the past and face the future. Ava had a strong feeling that Grace’s future was handsome as sin and hot like fire.
    Grace picked up a bottle of perfume. Doubt clouded her features. She put it down. “Maybe this is a mistake.”
    “Relax,” Ava said. “You’ve got jitters because you’ve been living like a nun for so long. Time to jump back in the saddle.”
    “I don’t remember how.”
    “It’s like riding bike. I promise.”
    Grace dabbed perfume behind each ear. “One date can’t hurt. It’ll be practice until I find my prince.”
    Ava lifted a brow. “That’s your problem. You’ve been searching for a prince, instead of a king .”
    Grace shrugged. “What I want doesn’t seem to matter. I’ve only gotten court jesters.”
    “You’re luck may have changed.”
    “I won’t hold my breath.”
    Ava shook her head. “Plenty of women would run you into the ground to be with Tanner.”
    Grace cringed at the thought of being trampled by a stampede of anxious women. Of course Ava’s point was valid. She acted like a date with Tanner was one step above having a root canal.
    “Trust me, don’t sleep on the good doctor, or you may miss out on something special,”
    Ava said.
    Grace was less concerned about sleeping on Tanner than sleeping with him. She didn’t trust herself around the man. He gave her goose bumps. More than once, she’d fantasized about ripping off his clothes, and having her way with him. In her dreams, she often attacked him like a lust-filled lunatic.
    Ava’s voice interrupted her thoughts just as she was about to get lost in another fantasy. “Don’t throw yourself at the man. Take things slow. Enjoy the process of getting to know him mentally, as well as physically. From what you’ve told me, his heart has been trampled on before. Like yours. Mend your broken hearts together. Kiss away each other’s pain until the time is right to reach another level. Build a relationship.”
    The word “relationship” nettled Grace. Her last relationship had left a bad taste in her mouth. A void in her heart. Relationships required emotions and a ton of trust—everything she’d given to Kevin. But he’d thrown it all away like an old newspaper. His love and loyalty had been flimsy. However, Grace had bought the lies he sold. By the time she’d discovered her mistake, it was too late to get a refund. Never again, she often told herself. Why wouldn’t it be right to take a roll in the hay with Tanner and leave it at that? She had no doubt she could enjoy being Tanner’s intimate friend. He was sweet temptation. He knew how to work his magic. If only magicians made broken hearts disappear, she’d have hope for something more meaningful.
    “These earrings look great with your outfit,” Ava said.
    Grace agreed. She put them on. “So, what’s on your agenda tonight?”
    Ava smiled. “I’m going to slip into something sexy and give these men a run for their money.” She rolled her hips seductively. She stood five inches taller than Grace and was voluptuous. Her skin glowed. Her dark brown hair fell past her shoulders. Her violet eyes radiated warmth and wisdom. However, her ample bosom kept some men from making eye contact with her.
    “Listen to you.”
    Ava put her hands on her hips and gave Grace a haughty look. “Don’t think you’re the only one who knows how to work a little black dress. I have to beat the men off with a big stick after they see what I’ve got to offer.” She proceeded to swat the air for emphasis.
    Grace laughed hard. She had tears in her eyes. “Ava, you’re crazy.”
    Ava raised her arms above her head and twirled. “That’s how I survive. I dance naked in the rain.”
    *
    Grace stood outside and waited for Tanner. She smiled when he pulled his black BMW behind her Land Rover. Her smile