“No. He hasn’t, Deuce,” she whispered, trying to control the way her voice shook with emotion.
“Yes, Mate. I know that for a fact.”
“And just how do you know that, Deuce McKade?” Gracie spat at him angrily. “Did you get a message from the Great Spirit?”
Deuce smiled down at his angry mate. He knew she wasn’t really angry. She was just scared, and he was going to make sure that she wasn’t afraid of the life they were destined to have or the babies that would fill their future.
He leaned back and turned so that his back was presented to her. “Look at my neck, Gracie Lee,” he told her firmly, leaning back slightly and lifting the hair that hung to his collar to bare his mating mark to her. “Tell me what you see.”
Gracie looked at it quickly. “I already know you have the golden, entwined links, Deuce,” she told him softly.
“No, Gracie,” he stopped her. “Look closer. Tell me what you see between the links.”
Gracie tried to lean up to get a closer look, but the restraints held her back. She lay back against the bed and sighed.
“Please release me, Deuce,” she requested quietly.
Deuce turned around to face her, looking at her suspiciously. “Do I have your word that you won’t try to bolt from the room?”
Gracie closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She knew she owed him the time to talk this through. “Okay. I promise,” she finally told him softly. When she opened her eyes and looked at him, she saw that he was still hesitant to remove the restraints. “You have my word, Deuce.”
Deuce nodded and reached forward to remove the restraints from her ankles, rubbing each one gently before moving up to release her wrists. Bringing each wrist to his mouth, he kissed them lightly before releasing them from his hold.
He turned his back to her, tensing momentarily when Gracie moved. He only relaxed when he felt her kneel behind him and touch his back before brushing aside his hair to look at his mating mark.
“Do you see it, Gracie?” he asked her softly. “Look at the place where the original links join.”
“I see a small, golden link,” Gracie told him softly.
“I see the same thing on the back of your neck.” He turned to face her, reaching out to frame her face with his hands. “The tiny, golden link represents our baby, Gracie. I believe it’s the Great Spirit’s way of showing us that our child has been blessed.” He leaned forward and kissed her lips lightly, glad when she allowed his affection. “I checked with John and found out that he and Jamie have the same new marking representing the baby Jamie is carrying. Luke and Melanie have two golden links that represent their two children. But the amazing thing is that none of us can see the marking on anyone else’s neck. Only the mates can see their own new links.”
“Why do you think that is?” Gracie’s voice was barely above a whisper.
“I think it’s because we have the right to keep our miracles to ourselves,” Deuce offered. “I think we are given the gift of keeping our children to ourselves, and the blessings given to them are private for each of us.”
Gracie nodded slowly, looking at Deuce with a combination of wonder and fear. “I need to see the link on my neck.”
Deuce stood and reached out to lift his mate into his arms. He could feel her shaking in his arms as he carried her into the bathroom and settled her on the counter. He pulled the small hand mirror out of the drawer beneath the sink and held it up, waiting patiently as Gracie took hold of the length of her hair and lifted it up. When she saw the tiny, golden link on the back of her neck, she dropped her hair and looked up at him.
“James.”
“What, baby?”
“This means I’m pregnant?”
Deuce nodded slowly, smiling down at his beautiful mate. “This means you’re pregnant,” he told her.
He waited, watching her face intently. When she reached up to search for his comfort, he gathered her into his arms and held her tightly against his chest. He could feel her heart pounding against him and was worried that she wasn’t going to embrace her pregnancy.
“Tell me what you’re thinking, honey,” he whispered against the top of her head. He pulled back and looked down at her. “Gracie?”
He waited patiently. He couldn’t demand her happiness. He couldn’t lead her to say what he wanted her to say. He needed her to want their baby just as much as he did. He needed her to want a family with him. He couldn’t imagine spending his future without her and the children he knew they would bring into the world.
He felt her body shaking against his. Without hesitation, he picked her up in his arms and carried her back to their bed, gently laying her down on the soft mattress and settling himself beside her. He kissed her temple lightly and drew her closer toward him, covering her belly protectively with his large hand.
“Deuce, I will love our baby fiercely,” she finally told him softly. “We have to help her understand her ability when it comes to her.”
“Her?” Deuce asked, smiling.
“Yes. Her. Do you have a problem with that?”
Deuce laughed softly. “Gracie, I am absolutely thrilled that you’re pregnant. And I will love our daughter fiercely, too. Just be prepared to see how much I’m going to protect her.”
Gracie smiled up at him. “I’m sure you will,” she told him, knowing his protective and dominant nature. “But we can’t protect her from the pain she’s going to experience if she inherits my abilities.” She looked up at him and touched his face gently. “You don’t know how bad it is for me, Deuce,” she told him softly, finally deciding to tell him exactly what her life had been like. “From the time Tommy Phillips tried to kiss me when I was eight years old, I’ve felt pain when boys touched me.” She looked at him directly, not willing to allow him to misunderstand what she was telling him. “You have no idea how painful it is, Deuce. You’ve never felt it. I have. All the time. And I’m tired of feeling like I’m a freak.”
“My brothers and I don’t cause that feeling,” Deuce reminded her softly.
“No, they don’t, but that doesn’t mean anything.”
“Why doesn’t it mean anything?”
“Because they’re family,” she told him softly. “They think of me as their sister.”
“I don’t think of you as my sister, Mate,” he reminded her.
“I know, Deuce,” she answered with exasperation. “But you’re just one man. And you’re my mate. That doesn’t count.”
Deuce looked at her as sudden realization dawned. He didn’t know why he hadn’t thought about it before.
“So, you’ve always been able to touch all of us, your women friends, children, and animals without ever having had a problem,” he summarized. At Gracie’s nod, he continued, determined to make her understand what he was trying to explain to her. “When you shake hands with your clients at work, do you feel the pain?”
Gracie thought about it for a minute. She never really thought about that. When she was working, she was so involved in her job, and the men she worked with were equally involved. “I don’t remember ever feeling any pain except for when Tom Phillips or his brother touched me,” she told him honestly.
Deuce smiled as he held her hand gently, entwining their fingers and squeezing lightly. He was convinced he had the answer. “Tom Phillips tried to kiss you when you were eight.”
Gracie nodded.
“You said Tom was giving you a hard time because you refused to go out with his brother.”
Again Gracie nodded.
“I think the Great Spirit gave you a gift that has two parts to it, honey.”
Gracie remained silent, but the way she looked at him showed him she thought what he was saying was ridiculous. That’s okay. He was going to prove his hypothesis shortly.
“You’ve been given the gift of a touch that calms children and animals. When you touch any of us, it’s the same, baby. We feel centered and at peace, and it’s because of you.”
“And the fa
ct that I can cause pain is a great gift, too,” she snapped in frustration. “Really? You’re going to go with that, Deuce?”
“No, Gracie. You were given the gift of finding your mate through your ability to connect with people through your touch,” he told her calmly. “Think about it, honey. You only felt pain with men who tried to start a relationship with you. Only your mate gives you the good feeling when you touch. You’re pretty lucky that the Great Spirit had a plan for you. He helped you to weed out those who were not meant for you.”
“So I’ve had to live my life afraid to touch anyone because the Great Spirit had a plan for me?” Gracie asked him angrily. “Well, let me tell you something, Deuce. That plan sucks.”
Deuce could feel the frustration and pain that filled his mate. “I know, baby. But we’ll be able to help our children. We’ll already know what you’ve learned, and we can help them so they will know to look for their mate with the gift they’ll be given. We will never allow them feel like you did, honey. We’ll tell them from the time they’re small that their mates will be recognized by their touch. Wouldn’t you have had an entirely different outlook on your ability if you had known that? Wouldn’t you have looked forward to finding your mate instead of being afraid to touch?”
“I don’t know,” she answered honestly.
“I have an idea,” he told her softly. “Will you trust me to go along with an experiment?”
“What kind of experiment?”
He turned and got out of bed, pulling her with him to stand beside him. “Come on, Mate.”
She stood beside him willingly. She had no idea what he had in mind, but if whatever he was going to do could help her come to terms with the fact that her baby would share in her ability—she was all for it. When he turned to face her and drew her into his embrace, she waited patiently.
“I’ve missed you, Gracie Lee,” he told her softly. “Please don’t ever hide from me again. My old heart can’t take the pain.”
“I was scared, James,” she admitted, lifting her hands to grip his shirt tightly. “I couldn’t help it.”
He looked down at her patiently. Leaning forward, he covered her mouth with his own, kissing her lightly. Licking at the seam of her lips, he let out a soft hum of appreciation when she opened to him and allowed his tongue entrance. He kissed her slowly, exploring her mouth tenderly, loving when her tongue met his before she sucked his gently into her mouth. When they ended the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers, his entire body tight with need.
“Rule number four, Mate,” he whispered softly against her cheek. “Never hide your thoughts or feelings from me.” He leaned back and saw the softness of her gaze as she looked up at him. “If you had just stayed to talk this through, we could have figured it out together, baby.”
“I’m sorry,” she told him sincerely. “I’ve never had anyone share my worries with me before. I’m going to have to adjust my thinking, I guess.”
Deuce nodded slowly, smiling softly at the woman he loved. “Next time you’re overwhelmed or afraid, remember that I’m here for you, honey.”
“You know what I think will work better?” Gracie offered.
“What, honey?”
“I think we should have a word that I can say that will tell you I need you to restrain me so we can talk about whatever is bothering me.”
Deuce looked down at her calmly, his heart thudding against his chest at her request to be restrained. Her need to give him complete control was a gift he would never take for granted.
“I think that’s a good idea, honey,” he told her softly.
“I think the word should be starfish.”
“Why would starfish be the best word?”
“Well,” Gracie began, thinking it through. “When I picture a starfish, I picture it spread out with all points reaching out while facing the sun. It makes me think of how I’m spread out as I look up at you.”
The fire that lit Deuce’s eyes was immediate. “Why do you think it would help if I restrain you?” he asked her, hoping she would admit her need to him.
“When you restrain me it makes me feel safe,” she told him, her brows furrowed in confusion. “That sounds weird, but when you restrain me I feel like I can let go and you will protect me and take care of me. I can give up my control and allow you to hold me and help me through whatever fear I’m feeling. Does that make sense?”
The flutter of relief filled him at her words. “Yes, Gracie. That makes perfect sense. You’ll be free to give up your worries. I’ll take them all.”
Gracie nodded, closing her eyes and leaning against his chest, hugging him tightly around the waist. “You can give me your worries, too, Deuce,” she whispered. “I can help you.”
Deuce pulled back and smiled as she looked up at him, her blue eyes filled with love. “You help me all the time, Gracie.” He kissed her forehead tenderly before pulling back and hugging her lightly. “I don’t know what I would do without you in my life.”
Gracie smiled, knowing he was being completely honest with her.
“By letting me be in control, you’ve given up your worries. You know I will lead you where you need to go. When you do that, I feel a sense of peace that settles me. Your submission gives me exactly what I need, honey.”
“But only in the bedroom,” she warned him.
“Oh, no, Mate,” he disagreed. “I expect us to love each other all over this ranch.”
Gracie laughed at his words. “You horny devil, you!” she accused him.
“You’d better get used to it, Mate,” he told her firmly. “I want to touch and hold you all the time. I want to love you all the time. I want to feel your hands on me touching me all the time. I want our bodies to be connected all the time.”
“That might make it difficult to get any work done, Deuce,” she told him dryly.
“Oh, baby, you have no idea how much I love you,” he whispered, drawing her closer against his chest and hugging her tightly. “Now if we don’t get going right now, I’m going to rip off your clothes and sink my cock deep inside of you before you have a chance to blink.”
“And that would be a bad thing, why?”
Deuce’s growl shocked her, but that was nothing compared to the speed with which he pulled the clothes from both of their bodies. He lifted her to wrap her legs around his waist, turned them, and slammed her back against their closed bedroom door to impale her on his hard and leaking cock.
She gasped as his length and girth filled her to capacity. He held still inside of her, his shaft pulsing with need. She could feel the desire he desperately held in check.
“Gracie, I need to move. Are you okay?”
Gracie’s nails dug into his shoulders. She canted her hips and took him deeper, gasping as he rubbed across the bundle of nerves inside of her.
“I’m fine. Move, cowboy! Make me scream.”
“Baby, you’re on,” he muttered.
Pulling out and snapping his hips forward, he slammed home over and over again, loving the way her body gripped his cock. The wetness of her sheath made him groan—knowing that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. The wet sounds that filled the room as his body repeatedly impaled her sweet pussy ramped up his desire. This woman was his, and he was going to show her that he was equally owned by her.
Gracie’s breath became labored as he pumped into her. When she looked up at him, she saw his bright blue eyes sparkling with raw need and desire as he looked at her. His lovemaking was almost desperate, and she knew that he needed to stake his claim on her and ease the worry and loneliness he had felt without her for the past two weeks. She wasn’t ashamed to admit that she needed the same reconnection.
“Deuce,” she whispered, pulling at his hair to get him to come back to her.
He slowed his hips so that his cock entered her with more measured thrusts. When he saw that she needed something, he stopped all movement, pushing deeper into her and holding still so that his cock was as deep inside her as he cou
ld go. He felt the small tremors of her vaginal muscles and knew she was close to orgasm.
“What, baby?”
“I’m sorry,” she whispered.
He smiled sadly. “I’m sorry, too, honey. I should have brought you home sooner so we could figure this out.”
“I should have talked to you about it,” she admitted, dropping her head back and resting it against the closed bedroom door.
Deuce pulled his hips back, dragging his cock out of her dripping pussy before slowly pumping back inside. She gasped with pleasure and tightened her hold on his shoulders.
“What lessons did we learn, Mate?” he whispered as he continued the slow assault on her body.
“I learned that I should always tell you what I’m worried about,” she told him honestly, gasping as he pushed into her and held himself tightly against her.
“What else, baby?”
“I learned that running away only causes both of us pain,” she added, moaning as he snapped his hips and surged into her deeply once again.
“What else, Mate?”
“I learned that I never want to be away from you again, James.”
His immediate smile was soft with love. Her words were heartfelt, but the use of his given name was what touched him deeply. Ever since they were children, she would use his given name only when she was experiencing deep feelings for him. He was relieved that those feelings had developed into the deep love that they now shared as mates.
“Did you learn anything else, honey?” he whispered, kissing her forehead lightly before leaning back to look down at her beautiful face.
Gracie thought for a moment before smiling at him devilishly. “There’s no place like home?” she teased.
Deuce’s bark of laughter made her giggle. Despite everything, all her worries, all her insecurities and fears, she knew that she would always be able to be herself and have fun with him.
“You know what I learned, Gracie?” he asked her, holding her tightly as he was buried deep inside of her.
“What?”
Touching Deuce [Cowboy Mates, Psychic Connections 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 31
