I hit him before he ever got to his gun. One bone crunching blow. He staggered, but didn’t fall. I didn’t want him to. Not yet.
“Run!” I shouted. “Go, Grace! Now!”
She flew from the far side of the car, long hair streaming behind her, moving like lightening. She was yards down the drive in seconds. By then, I was on top of him.
My fist crashed into his face and blood spurted fast and hot. We struggled for control, both of us slick with his blood. Two more blows to his face and then I felt it, the butt of his gun to my temple. It was sharp, sudden, splitting the flesh and striking bone. I was only stunned for a second, but that was all he needed. He was inside the car, the wheels spitting gravel behind him until they caught and the car took off. He was getting away…
But his freedom wouldn’t last long. We both knew. He was a marked man…
I picked up the gun he’d lost in the struggle and fired off three fast shots. I heard the sound of a tire blow, and watched as the car began to fishtail. It slowed him, but he was still moving fast and he was regaining control…
Then I saw… and felt it in my core, even before it happened. Grace was running, far down the drive… away from the car bearing down on her…
But then she stopped and looked back.
Cole sped up, engine whining with the strain. He veered toward her and my guts turned to ice in my belly. I could see the look on her face… the same look I’d seen seconds before Danny had died right before my eyes.
I took off, running for her like I was running through thick, sucking mud. It felt like time had nearly stopped, but I ran on anyway. Muscles on fire, heart pounding, lungs tearing with every painful breath. The car was nearly on top of her and my lungs were ready to burst. I ran like hell was behind me. Past and present had met in a flash and action was all I had left…
I was running to save Danny. Running to save myself.
But even more, I was running to save the one single thing that mattered more than anything else ever had…
I ran to save Grace.
30
Kaine
The engine roared as Cole hit the gas again hard, gravel flying like shrapnel from the tires of the car. I was almost to her, but so was he.
My heart exploded in my chest as I pushed one last time. I hit the car from an angle, throwing myself in a roll over the hood, arms wide open as I struck her. Grace and I rolled together, my body shielding hers as we plummeted down the sloping edge of the drive. We crashed into the hedges, stopping hard, and I heard Grace gasp underneath me.
Cole hit the brakes and lost control.
The crash and the sound of shrieking metal filled the air around us. A second later, we felt the blast, as the car erupted in flames. Heavy, black smoke boiled from the windows as the fire engulfed the car and the oak it had wrapped around. I held Grace in my arms, unable to look away. We were watching an inferno, with Cole at its very heart.
I looked down into Grace’s face, desperate to see her brilliant, beautiful eyes. But her eyes were closed… and her face deadly pale.
The women ran down the steps of the house. Rose, Dalia and Bec stopped when they saw the flames, licking the tops of the trees. The sedan poured smoke into the sky, clouding my vision, bitter at the back of my throat.
“Bec!” I yelled, lifting Grace in my arms and running back for the house. “Get the keys to the truck and call the police, now!”
I raced for the Rover, tucking Grace in as carefully as I could. “Come on, sweetheart. I need you to wake up, baby.” I held her face in my hands. She was limp, silent. “Fuck, Becca… hurry!”
She flew down the steps, pushing the keys into my hand. I ground the ignition as she climbed into the back seat next to Grace. “They’re inside calling the police. I’m coming with you.” I spun to look back at her. She held Grace’s head on her lap. “I’ve got her, Kaine. Just go!”
We were down the drive, past the smoldering wreckage of the sedan. I caught a fleeting image of Cole’s twisted, blackened body in the driver’s seat. His face was blistered, distorted. I floored the gas, racing for the hospital. The blood on my hands smeared the wheel.
“I can’t fucking lose her,” I said out loud, feeling a tearing sensation in my chest. Every second of my life felt suddenly, keenly present. All the pain, all the loss, all the things I’d ever thought I needed. Everything stood in sharp contrast to this moment… and all the pieces fell into place at last.
Everything before Grace had just been the path to find her. And all of it, every scar, every loss, every moment had all been worth it. Worth finding this feeling I had inside me now… It had all been worth it.
“I love you, Grace,” I said, as I drove.
“I love you.”
31
Grace
“You’re a very lucky girl,” he said, taking the clipboard and adding his signature. “The puncture will leave a small scar, I’m afraid, but other than that, you’ve made a fast recovery.”
The doctor smiled and shook Kaine’s hand. They exchanged a few quiet words and the doctor smiled back at me again. He was young, his eyes brown and gentle. “I think I’m sending you home in good hands.”
Kaine put his hands out for me, pulling me against the broad, safe warmth of his chest. He’d never left my side and he’d insisted they keep me here, days longer than was really necessary.
“I’m just fine, you know.” I’d said the words a dozen times. “I could have gone home the next morning. And it’s been three long days…”
He took my face in his hands and I sighed deeply. His thumbs grazed the corners of my mouth as he pulled my face up to his. Slowly… achingly slowly, he leaned in, breathing me… tasting me… touching me… The riot of emotions inside me was dizzying. He crushed me against him, and I felt safer than I’d ever felt in my life.
“I love you, Grace,” his voice was warm and deep in my ear. “I never even imagined a love like this before…”
He kissed me hard then, with love and desire in equal measure. I’d waited my whole life to feel like this, and I was lost in the depths of it. I kissed him back, pressing my body into his, molding my flesh to his.
“I love you, Kaine. More than you could ever know.” We were bound, wrapped together like a single soul. And I couldn’t bear it any longer. Not one minute more. Having anything at all between my body and his…
“Take me home, Kaine.”
“Oh, I intend to, sweetheart,” he whispered against my lips, his voice rich with promise. “There’s just one last thing I need to take care of before we leave.”
It was the first time I’d been alone since Kaine had brought me to the emergency room. There were some details to wrap up, he’d said, before we could go home. Becca would be bringing me clothes to change into soon, and then he was taking me back home with him until things were sorted out about Marks’ death… and Cole’s.
He was confident there was more than enough evidence to clear my mother’s name. Apparently Brian had convinced Marks to leave a signed statement with him regarding his own involvement with Claire’s death. There were still a lot of unknowns, but I knew Kaine would sort them out. It was probably what he was doing now.
I climbed out of bed and stretched comfortably. I’d only needed two stitches, the wound had been so small. I screwed around to look in the bathroom mirror. The surgeon had removed the piece of wood that had punctured my back, right between the ribs and had closed it neatly. Kaine had been so terrified that my lung had been injured, but I was fine. It had taken three days and several doctors to convince him I was as good as new. The only reminder would be the scar on my back. I smiled, feeling the rightness of it.
“Well, aren’t you the pretty picture of health,” Becca said brightly, as she knocked gently on the open door. “All ready to come home today?”
“Oh, Becca,” I said reaching my hands out to her. “How can I thank you?” She’d been to the hospital every day, bringing Kaine fresh clothes and making sure he rememb
ered to eat.
“Just come home and take good care of Mr. Kaine, sweetie,” she said easily. She patted my hands. “I’ve never seen him so terrified before, as when he thought you were so hurt. He needs you, Gracie. More than even he knows…”
She walked to the bed, putting down the overnight bag she carried. She looked at me, her eyes sparkling. “I brought your clothes,” she said. “Mrs. Sparr pitched in… so did that young lady, Dalia. They said to tell you that your friend Sage picked it all out.” She patted my cheek and I felt myself blush with pleasure. “I’m going on a little vacation to visit my son for a few weeks,” she said. “But I expect you two will manage just fine without me.”
We hugged and said our goodbyes. Before she disappeared through the doorway, she looked back. “Just don’t open the bag until you talk to Mr. Kaine first, okay honey? He said he wanted to be here… to zip you up.”
She flashed me one last smile and was gone. I sat on the bed, curious, knowing I’d miss Becca around the house, but excited at the idea of being alone with Kaine. I felt my blood race in my veins at the thought.
“What I wouldn’t give… to know the thoughts that put that look in your eyes.” Kaine was leaning against the doorway, arms folded, looking at me like he already knew. We shared a smile that left no doubt.
“Are you almost ready?” He came into the room and filled it, his energy palpable. He brushed my hair back and teased my lip with his thumb. “Didn’t Bec bring your clothes?”
I nodded to the bag on the bed behind me. “She did… But she told me not to dress without you.”
He kissed me slowly and I felt that familiar rush of heat inside. “That would be a first for us… my dressing you for a change…” He bit my bottom lip and I sucked in a short breath. “I’ll help you into your clothes…” His hands found my bare ass, exposed by the hospital gown. “And once we’re home, I’m going to help you back out of them…”
I tangled my hands in his hair as he kissed me. I was breathless when he started to slide down my body, holding my hips in his hands, trailing his mouth down… over the gown. He kissed me through the fabric, his lips warm and breath hot. He was on his knees in front of me, holding me around the thighs.
“Kaine,” I gasped, “the door’s open… I can’t… not here…!” I heard his laugh, soft and throaty, and my heart turned over in my chest. “Wait…”
“That’s just it, Grace,” he said, his voice suddenly serious. I looked down at him as his eyes twinkled up at me. “I’m all done waiting… I want you now… here… today.”
I saw him reach into his shirt pocket and had to hold onto his shoulders to steady myself. The diamond spoke for itself, flashing brilliant flecks of color and light. He slipped the ring on my finger without asking… without waiting for my answer. He knew already and so did I.
“Marry me,” he ordered gently, smiling into my eyes.
32
Grace
The bag Becca had packed held the most beautiful wedding gown I’d ever seen. Floor length white silk that flowed like a waterfall from under the lace bodice. A circlet of tiny strung pearls held it in place at my throat. Kaine slid the zipper up my back, letting his fingers trail my bare skin.
“Perfect,” he said under his breath. “So smooth… so perfect…”
“But I’m not, you know,” I said, turning to look up at him. “I have a scar now too…”
He took me in his arms, warming me with his body and his love. I’d never felt so protected… so safe. It was what I’d always wanted, always needed. The thing I yearned for most, the day I went to La Laisse. And the last thing I’d ever expected to find there. Life has a funny way of coming full circle, I thought. And it’s never, ever what you expect.
I’d sold myself to the highest bidder in a world class brothel. Yet here I was, a virgin bride in a white wedding dress, loved completely… by a man who’d sworn he could never love…
“Your scar is perfect,” he said into my ear. “Just like the rest of you.” He leaned back to look at me.
“I love you, Grace… all of you.” He struggled for a moment, finding the words. “You gave me what I never hoped to find in my life. Not just love… but trust. And acceptance. I knew the day you kissed the scars on my back.” He stopped and I saw his eyes were moist. “You have no idea how much you mean to me… but I’m going to spend the rest of my life showing you.”
He carried me over the threshold, just like in the movies. I held my hand out, admiring the gold ring he’d put on my finger. He wore its larger twin. The rings were handmade, shaped and hammered so that they were irregular and unique. But they were smooth and shiny on the inside, next to the skin. Perfect circles.
The house was quiet and bright. Clear, white light flooded through the windows as he carried me up the stairs. My heart was racing his. I could feel it pounding through my gown.
Kaine had thought of everything. The wedding had been in the hospital chapel, and it had been simple and perfectly lovely. Mrs. S had been there. Sage and Becca too. The only person missing had been Mom, but Kaine promised me she’d be free soon. There was more than enough evidence already and every day the police had been putting the final pieces together.
Kaine put me gently on my feet and ran his hands down my body, softly… tenderly. I was trembling, not from fear, but with pure, hot need. He knew, and pulled the zipper of my dress down, pushing it off my shoulders so it fell in a puddle at our feet. Becca had provided lacey white underthings for me along with the gown, but I’d left them in the bag she’d brought. I’d been naked underneath the white silk all along. It was worth the look on Kaine’s face now.
“Christ, sweetheart,” his voice broke as he ravaged my body with his eyes. “I wanted to go slow with you, baby. But you’re making this very hard…”
I unbuttoned his shirt and my hands moved downward. His cock was huge and rock hard. I unzipped him and took him in my hands. He was heavy and hot… I needed him so much… it was almost painful.
‘I want you, Kaine,” I panted. “And we have a whole lifetime ahead of us for slow.” I stroked him and he throbbed, his hips jerking. “Just take me. No more waiting… Please… just take me.”
He stripped in seconds and pulled me roughly against him. I ran my hands up his back, feeling the patterns in the skin. This was the first time he’d been completely naked with me and the feeling was almost more than I could bear. He was hot and rough, smooth and silky. Perfect opposites… perfect complements.
His cock was trapped between the heat of our bodies, pushing into my belly. “Fuck, sweetheart… It’s been so long and I want you so much… I want this to be good for you… I don’t want to hurt you…” He took my face, holding me, watching me, his eyes begging me to unleash him.
I gripped his hips, pulling him with me onto the bed. He was huge and heavy on top of me. I spread wide open, wrapping my legs around him high up on his back. His cock was hot against me and he thrust himself against my swollen lips and clit. I was wet and ready.
“You won’t hurt me,” I panted. “This is my choice, Kaine… I need this. I love you…” I rocked my hips against him in proof. “I’m yours…”
He kissed me, plundering my mouth… trailing down to suck my nipple into his mouth. I arched, gasping for breath as his fingers found my wet core. He pushed inside easily. I was so slippery, so open. He slipped two fingers inside, then three. “You’re so beautiful, Grace. So wet… so tight… so…”
He eased downwards, blazing a path between my breasts and down my belly with his mouth. He found my clit with his tongue and the smolder inside me burst into flame. I caught his hair in my fingers, holding him to me, unable to breathe.
He was merciless, using his mouth and his fingers together. I arched up, grasping his back and shoulders. I wanted him even closer… I needed even more… I could feel the climax so close, but promising only to build more desperate need in me, than any kind of release. If I was going to come, it had to happen with his cock bur
ied to the hilt. I needed to feel it happen with him…
My hands sought him out as he worked me. He shifted and slipped his body beneath my legs so that his already slick cock was in reach. I took him in my hand, pumping him as he licked my clit. I was so close… he worked me right to the edge and I felt myself flood his fingers in proof.
Right before I plummeted over the edge, he took his mouth away and I knew then that he wanted the same thing I did. For us to come together. After all this time, it was everything we both needed, but the one thing we hadn’t yet shared…
The one moment that would finally bring us together… full circle.
He worked his way back up me, kissing and kneading as he went. He took me in his arms, easing his cock between my open thighs. Not entering me, but rocking his length against me, kissing me… exploring my lips with his.
“I want you to know how much I love you, Grace,” he said, against my ear. “That I’ll love you my whole life…” He drew back, gazing down at me with warm grey eyes, filled with love and tenderness. “There won’t ever be a moment, for the rest of our lives, that I won’t be here. Right here… for you. To love you, to protect you. To keep you safe and warm.” He kissed me all the way to my soul. “To give you all the things you’ve already given to me…,” he whispered.
I reached around him, stroking the texture of his skin and pulling his body deep inside mine. He filled me slowly, totally, the sensation almost more than I could comprehend. But I needed him. All of him. Not just his body. Not just the present, or our future together. I wanted his past too. And all the scars he carried. Ones I could see and touch, along with all those buried deeper inside. Under the skin. He was mine and I was his. And that was all that mattered.
The Baby Contract Page 31
