Free An Innocent in Paradise by Kate Carlisle

knew Phillippa would support her, if it came down to that. But somehow the way Dee had said it so simply and unconditionally, made Grace feel all warm and snuggly inside.
    And even though she trusted Dee, she couldn’t bear to confess the worst part to her. Yes, her university had promised to defend her against Walter’s lies, but Grace knew that if she couldn’t get the spores and raise the level of her research and experimentation to new heights, her reputation would suffer.
    She also had to prove to the foundation that her work was her own and that she was the one deserving of the funds, not Walter. Otherwise, within a month she could lose her funding, her job and, most important, her reputation.
    â€œForget about stupid Walter,” Dee said, interrupting her worries. “What about Mr. Hunkadelic?”
    â€œWhat? Who?” Grace wondered if she’d had a few too many sips of Dee’s cocktails because the lightning-quick change of subject made her head spin.
    â€œYou know who.” Dee stared meaningfully at Grace. “The hunky man who is our boss? Mr. Big?”
    â€œOh, Logan.” Grace stared intently at the label on her water bottle. The letters looked wobbly. Very odd. “What about him?”
    â€œSomething happening between you two?”
    â€œNothing.”
    â€œThen why aren’t you looking at me?” Dee said, chuckling. “Do you have something to hide?”
    Grace whipped around. “No! I mean…okay, he kissed me, but—”
    â€œHe kissed you?”
    She sighed and flopped down on the bed. “Yes, and I warned him not to do it again.”
    â€œYou…wait.” Dee moved her chair so she could rest her feet on the bed. “Okay, I’ve got to hear your explanation for this one.”
    Grace stared at the ceiling as if help might be sent down from up above. But none came, so she finally met Dee’s gaze. “It was for his own good.”
    â€œI don’t get it. Is he a bad kisser?”
    â€œOh, no,” Grace said, shaking her head. “He’s really good.”
    â€œWell, then…”
    â€œI ran away,” Grace said, and buried her face in her hands. Humiliation swept through her. She still couldn’t believe that she’d run from Logan like a teenager afraid of her own hormones.
    Dee’s eyebrows shot up and her feet thumped to the floor. “You ran away? Honey, are you crazy? Nobody runs away from Logan Sutherland. We’re all running toward him.”
    She had known that, deep down of course. But hearing Dee say it out loud only confirmed that once again, Grace was “not normal.” She didn’t do anything like your average woman did. Heck, she hadn’t even been able to stand her ground when a gorgeous man kissed her. It was pitiful. Just pitiful.
    Still, she had to try to defend herself, pointless though it might be. “Dee, he doesn’t know me. He’s the one who would go running if he knew…”
    â€œIf he knew what?”
    Grace gritted her teeth and forced herself to say it. “If he knew how smart I really am.”
    Dee came over to the bed, grabbed a pillow and sat next to her, resting her back against the headboard. “Honey, I confess I’m not sure how smart you are, but what does it matter? He kissed you. He likes you. Why are you running away from that?”
    Grace folded her arms across her chest, anxious to make Dee understand. “Men don’t like smart women.”
    â€œOh, Gracie, that’s just plain prehistoric. These days, men love smart women.”
    Grace shook her head stubbornly. “Not when they’re as smart as I am.”
    Dee’s mouth twisted in confusion. “Just how smart are you?”
    â€œI have an IQ of 172,” she said, annoyed with the slight whine in her voice.
    â€œOh, Gracie.” Dee reached out and grabbed Grace’s hand. “You realize that means nothing to me,