Gracie backed up and shook her head. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” she warned them. “There’s no reason to think that I am pregnant. I’m just worried that we weren’t safe and it could be a possibility.”
“Okay,” Lainey told her, smiling. “I’ll hold off on my congratulations for now. But it will happen, right, Melanie?”
They all turned to Melanie, each woman knowing Melanie’s gift of visions had already seen all of them mated in the near future. She would know.
“Gracie, sit down,” Melanie told her calmly, taking her son from her sister’s arms and handing him to Jamie.
Gracie sat as instructed, worry and sadness heavy in her heart. “You don’t understand, Melanie,” she told her softly.
“Then tell me, honey,” Melanie told her calmly, touching her hair lightly and brushing its length to rest behind her shoulder.
Gracie took a shaky breath, looking around the table at all the women that she knew would always be there for her. Maybe they would understand.
“My heart actually hurts, I love him so much.”
Becca nodded and reached out to hold her hand. “I hear you,” she whispered, thinking about Rafe.
“I just can’t,” Gracie whispered.
Jamie stepped forward and touched Gracie’s shoulder lightly before taking the seat beside her and cuddling Robbie against her chest.
“Gracie, I was afraid to allow myself to care about John,” she told her softly. “I didn’t think he would have a good life with me. And I was afraid of not being able to survive if I gave my heart to him and he decided to walk away because I wasn’t worth loving. Is that what you’re feeling?”
Gracie couldn’t prevent her light blue eyes from mirroring her pain as she looked into the soft brown of Jamie’s eyes. She saw the compassion, and she saw the understanding that Jamie had for her.
“That’s exactly what I’m feeling.” Her voice was so soft, they could barely hear her.
Jamie reached out and covered Gracie’s hand with her own, squeezing it lightly. “If you don’t take the chance and love him, you will always regret it, Gracie,” she told her honestly.
“I agree with Jamie,” Lainey spoke up. “Deuce is an amazing man. He would never start an intimate relationship with you if he didn’t have feelings for you.”
Claire stepped forward, nervously twirling her fingers in the length of her long, black hair. “When I felt what Deuce was experiencing tonight, I sensed happiness, Gracie. And when he touched your hand, I could feel that he settled. He was at peace.”
Gracie looked up at Claire and smiled, reaching out to take her hand and squeezing it lightly. “Thanks, Claire.” She looked at her sister and smiled sadly. “He’s always said that he feels calm and good whenever he touches me. It’s always been that way, ever since we were kids. But I want him to want to touch me because he desires me. I want him to be mindless with lust. Do you know what I mean?”
“I totally get that,” Becca spoke up. “I wish Rafe would touch me because he wants me, too, instead of just helping me because of my hip.” Rafe had always been protective of her as they had been growing up, but when her mother had beaten her when she had been thirteen and had permanently injured her, Rafe’s protection of her had ramped up to epic proportions.
“Exactly,” Gracie told them, nodding at Becca. “That’s exactly what I mean. It’s nice that they have kind feelings for us, that they want to take care of us, or that they’re comfortable when they touch us, but we want down-and-dirty desire.”
Lainey burst out laughing, sending them all into varying degrees of giggles and smiles. Despite the humor, they all sobered after a moment, their thoughts about the men that they cared for filling their minds.
“I get what you’re saying, Gracie,” Lainey finally spoke up. “It’s hard to see yourself in a relationship that’s only viewed as a friendship, no matter how much you wish it was more than that.”
Lainey, Becca, and Claire looked at each other with understanding. Each of them knew the frustration that Gracie was going through. It mirrored their own frustrations.
“Here’s what I suggest,” Melanie told her sister firmly as she sat down beside her. “Be yourself. Allow Deuce to be himself. Don’t second guess this or pull away. Let this relationship happen, and don’t be afraid.”
“I agree,” Jamie spoke up.
“Me, too,” Becca said, raising her hand.
“Look at my sister. She thinks she’s in school raising her hand!” Lainey said, cracking up.
“Oh, be quiet, brat!” Becca told her, picking up her cream colored, linen napkin and throwing it at her.
Gracie couldn’t help but laugh, the tension she was feeling finally easing enough so she could breathe a little easier. She stood up and took Robbie from Jamie’s lap, kissing his head lightly and settling him on her hip.
“Gracie,” Deuce’s deep voice boomed from the top of the stairs.
She turned to face him and smiled, all worry and insecurity leaving her at the sight of the handsome man. She saw him visibly relax as she looked up at him and couldn’t help but realize that the sight of him made her settle, too.
“What, James?”
His smile was immediate, making her heart flutter with longing. She pictured how he had held her so tenderly as he had made love to her, and her body clenched with need.
“Do you think I should put a bed in the baby’s room?”
“That sounds like a good idea.”
“Okay.” He turned and walked back down the hallway.
Gracie turned and saw five women looking at her with smirks on their faces.
“What?”
“That man is smitten,” Lainey told her, shaking her head. “You don’t have anything to worry about, Gracie.”
Gracie’s face softened with a smile despite her worries. In that moment she made the decision that would impact the rest of her life. She was going to take a chance and love Deuce McKade with all of her heart. He may not return her love with the same intensity, but she would do her best to show him that loving her was a very good thing for him to do. Maybe, someday, he would agree with her.
Chapter 7
Deuce shrugged off his brown, suede jacket with the fleece lining and hung it and his tan cowboy hat on the rack next to the front door. Setting the house alarm, he pulled his boots off with the help of the boot pull and set them on the small rug beside the front door before walking through the open living room and slowly climbing the main stairs up to his bedroom. His and Gracie’s bedroom.
Taking his late night walk around the ranch to check on the animals had given him plenty of time to think. He usually thought about ranch business or what chores he needed to do in the morning, but tonight, all he could think about was Gracie. She hadn’t been far from his thoughts for a very long time. As of today, she would never be far from his arms.
Everyone had gone home nearly an hour ago. Claire was already in her room, and Jake had gone to his. He wished his brother would just get it together and admit that he and Claire were destined mates.
He chuckled to himself as he realized that he was the last person to judge them. How long had it taken for him to act on his love for Gracie? Too long. But that was in the past. His mate was waiting for him in their bedroom, and he intended to show her just how much he loved her.
He was determined that tonight she would admit that she belonged to him. He already knew that he belonged to her. Once she admitted it, he knew they would be blessed by the Great Spirit, and she would wear the gift of the mating mark of entwined, golden links on the nape of her neck. He would be equally blessed with the marking, and they would begin their fated mating. And, if they were lucky, they would create a new life that would soon be growing within the welcoming warmth of Gracie’s womb.
The thought of Gracie pregnant made him smile. He knew she was going to be an amazing mother. She was kindness and gentleness all wrapped up in a loving and giving woman. Starting a family with her was
something he craved. He had been alone for too long. Despite being surrounded by his brothers and his friends, he wanted a woman to share his life with—but not just any woman. He wanted Gracie to be his mate, his wife, and the mother of his children.
He opened the door to their bedroom, his heart racing with the anticipation of seeing his woman. Stepping inside and closing the door quietly behind him, he saw that the room was empty, and his stomach immediately clenched with worry.
“Gracie!” he called out, his voice booming. He couldn’t help it. He feared for her safety.
“In here.”
He heard her soft voice call to him from the adjoining nursery, and he relaxed immediately. He walked through the open door and smiled at the sight before him. Gracie was smoothing the blankets over the custom-made bed. She was kneeling on top of the mattress and stretching her body across its expanse to smooth the sheets.
He couldn’t prevent the chuckle that escaped him as he viewed her sweet derriere raised and presented to him as she knelt and struggled to make the bed. When she looked at him over her shoulder and smiled, his cock jerked in his pants and hardened beyond belief at his immediate need for her.
She climbed down off the bed and stood before him with her hands on her hips. “And just what are you laughing at, Mr. McKade?” she asked him, smiling up at him with her blue eyes sparkling.
“I was enjoying your sweet backside being presented to me,” he told her boldly, reaching out and taking her within his arms, dragging his right hand down her back to gently caress the delicious globes of her ass.
Gracie gasped in surprise, hesitating only slightly before leaning forward to rest her face against Deuce’s chest. She kissed his neck lightly before she lost her nerve and was rewarded by his instant growl and tightening of his arms around her. Tipping her head back, she smiled up at him and knew she had done the right thing when he looked down at her with open desire. She wasn’t wrong in her choice. She would love him with all that she was.
“When you asked me if I thought it was a good idea to put a bed in the nursery, I didn’t expect it to be that monster,” she told him, laughing as she tipped her head up to look at him.
“It’s Spence’s old bed. I thought you might need it if the baby wakes up during the night and you’re too tired to sit up in the rocking chair with her,” he explained.
“Deuce, a single bed would have been fine,” she told him, resting her hand lightly on his chest.
“No, it wouldn’t have been,” he told her, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t fit in a single bed.”
“What?”
“Wherever you sleep, I sleep, Gracie,” he told her firmly.
She looked up at him in shock. His determined expression made her melt.
“I like that,” she whispered finally, reaching up to touch his cheek gently.
“I do, too, honey,” he told her softly, kissing her forehead lightly.
“Are you ready to lose sleep with me when we take care of the baby?” she teased him.
He took her face between his hands and looked down at her with such intensity she could barely breathe. His slow smile made her stomach flutter, and she could feel the way her body was already heating with her need for him.
“I am absolutely ready to take care of a baby with you,” he told her firmly, knowing she didn’t grasp exactly what he was telling her. But that was okay. She would soon understand. If they were blessed by the Great Spirit, she would be holding their own baby in her arms before long, and he would be by her side every moment, helping her to take care of their child.
“I’m going to remind you of that when you’re sleep deprived,” she told him, smiling. “But I’m really glad you want to help me, Deuce.”
“I want to do more than that with you, Gracie,” he whispered as he lowered his head toward hers and covered her mouth gently with his.
The way Gracie opened to him made him groan. He pushed against her mouth, demanding her response—relieved and happy when she gave him exactly what he wanted and needed.
Reaching down, he grabbed the back of her thighs with his large hands and pulled her up, spreading her legs wide as he settled her snugly against his waist. He moaned into her mouth when her unbelievably sexy, long legs wrapped around him and tightened to tug herself closer to his body.
Turning, he walked them through the open nursery door to their bedroom, only stopping when they were standing beside their bed. He loved the way Gracie had crossed her ankles behind him and had dug her heels into the top of his ass. Kissing her lightly, his mouth trailed a row of kisses across her cheek, following her jaw until he reached the sensitive spot beneath her ear.
Gracie giggled and pulled away from his kisses, unhooking her ankles and sliding down the muscled length of Deuce’s body.
“That tickles, Deuce,” she told him, stepping away from him just a bit. “No fair.”
Deuce couldn’t believe the happiness that filled him. She was a breath of fresh air in his lonely life. She was comfortable, she was fun, and she was sexy beyond belief.
“You can tickle me anytime you want, Gracie,” he offered, reaching up and pulling his T-shirt over his head. “I have to admit I don’t really have any spots that are too ticklish, but you can feel free to find that out for yourself.”
Gracie stared at the expanse of muscle that was revealed to her and found herself mesmerized by it. “Okay,” she whispered, watching as he threw the shirt onto the large easy chair that was against the far wall to the left of the bed.
Deuce smiled at her, his desire for her increasing as she watched him. She was definitely not a woman who hid her thoughts or feelings. He was going to enjoy experiencing every one of those feelings throughout their lifetime together.
Reaching up to unbuckle his belt and unzip his jeans, he thought about the ways he was going to love her. The way she was watching him made him harder than steel. He palmed his cock to shift it slightly so he could lower his zipper before peeling back the closure of his pants and pushing them down his legs.
Gracie’s breathing was soft and somewhat labored as she watched the man before her. Never in her wildest imagination would she have ever thought she would be in his bedroom, watching him undress, and know that they would soon be making love. It was as if her secret fantasies were happening right before her.
When Deuce finally stood before her without a stitch of clothing on, she couldn’t prevent the smile that came to her lips. He was gorgeous. And, for the time at least, he was hers.
“I like the way you look, Deuce,” she told him softly, looking up into his deep blue eyes and sighing softly.
Deuce smiled. His heart was pounding within his chest, and he knew he wouldn’t be able to hold off touching her for very much longer. For someone who prided himself on his control in the bedroom and in his life, he knew that with this gentle woman, he would be sorely tested.
“Rule number one, Gracie,” he told her softly, watching as she looked up at him quickly.
She smiled and took a step toward him, raising her hand and touching his chest lightly. “I like this rule, Deuce,” she told him, leaning forward and kissing his chest gently.
“You’re not following the rule, Gracie,” he told her seriously.
“I’m not? Yes I am. I’m touching you,” she told him, confused.
“Skin to skin, honey,” he reminded her. “I want all of your skin. Take off your clothes.”
Gracie’s immediate chuckle made him smile. “Deuce, you are so bad,” she told him, stepping back away from him.
Deuce took a step toward her, looking down at her very seriously. “Want to be bad with me, Gracie?”
Gracie faced Deuce silently and found that her heart was speeding up from the way he was looking at her. She wanted him more than she had ever wanted him in her entire life. Her body craved his touch just as much as her heart needed his love.
Smiling softly, she pulled her pink, gauze shirt over her head. She watched the desire blazing across D
euce’s face as she dropped it to the floor then unsnapped and unzipped her jeans to push them down her long legs and step out of them.
She stood before him in her sheer, red lace panties and bra. She looked at him silently, taking in the way his gaze slowly caressed her body. She knew that he desired her. She just hoped somehow he would love her even half as much as she loved him. She slowly walked the two steps it took to stand directly before him.
“Being with you has been very good so far, Deuce,” she whispered. “If you would help me take off the rest of my clothes, I might be willing to try being bad with you.”
Deuce growled, his arms surrounding her immediately. He lifted her effortlessly and placed her gently in the middle of their bed, covering her body with his and claiming her mouth, kissing her deeply as his hand caressed her back.
“Gracie, you make me need,” he whispered as he pulled back to look down at her.
“Rule number two, Deuce,” she told him, smiling. “Tell me what you need.”
“I need you.” His voice was deep and rough. His blue eyes held desire and want.
“That’s good, because I need you, too,” she whispered. She reached up and touched his jaw lightly. “You promised to always take care of my needs.”
“Yes. I did.” He reached up to touch her lips lightly with the tip of his index finger. “Will you always take care of mine, honey?” he asked her softly, tracing the smile that immediately came to her lips.
“As long as you want me to,” she told him honestly.
“I’ll always want you to,” he whispered, concern nudging at the corner of his mind.
She reached up and took his face between her hands and pulled him down to meet her lips. She kissed him with all the love she had for him. She hoped he would always want her. She knew she would always want him. There was not a question in her mind. There hadn’t been for a very long time.
His arms surrounded her, hugging her to him tightly as he met her passion with his own. If she thought he was ever letting her go, she was out of her mind. Reaching up, he slid the straps of her bra down her shoulders.
Touching Deuce [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 8
