Kinsmen MC (Complete Series)

by J. C. Allen

  “Can we do that meal tonight? Dinner?”

  21

  Matthew

  As soon as I got the text from Grace the next morning, I was utterly relieved.

  I would get a chance to try and make things right.

  I had barely slept the previous night, wanting to make Grace feel better and wanting to do whatever it took to make her feel better. Of course, right then, the answer was “by giving her space” but damn if that wasn’t really hard, especially after the near-death experience she had had.

  But when her text came, I knew that I would be able to finally see her.

  And so, as I pulled up to her in the car—again—that evening, I couldn’t help but feel a much stronger sense of appreciation and love for her than I ever had before. A near-death experience had a way of making you love what you needed to. I knocked on the door and, seconds later, she opened the door.

  She looked stunning. She looked… ready.

  “Hi, Grace.”

  I looked at her in awe, standing farther back on the porch. Her eyes roamed over me like they always do, in my jeans and my cut. I did the same to her. She looked incredible in only faded jeans and a cream sweater than hung off her shoulder. I noticed now that the glow that always seemed to be around her was probably from her pregnancy, and her breasts were getting better every time I saw her.

  But you won’t get to do anything with them if you don’t be a gentleman. She may still be reeling from everything that happened yesterday. So, be nice and stay in control. Everything else will work out if you do that.

  “Hi, Matthew.”

  She clutched her purse to her side and shut the door behind her. Standing closer to me, I inhaled her scent, and it hit me like rain after a drought. God, I had missed her so much, and it hadn’t even been that long. Just one day apart… it had only taken the Cavaros a few minutes to kidnap her.

  I never wanted to be apart from her. I never wanted to let her leave my sight. I never wanted to live live without Grace.

  If I didn’t believe it before, I knew it now. I love this woman.

  “I hope you’re hungry. I made reservations.”

  We started to walk down the porch. This was no small feat, considering she could have just slammed the door on my face or insisted that I stayed up there to talk to her.

  “I am always hungry these days.”

  Her voice was soft, but I couldn’t place what was so heavy about it—although I strongly suspected that it had something to do with the previous day. We all deal with it in our own ways. She wouldn’t have said she was ready if she wasn’t ready. She’s not that kind of girl.

  Suddenly, I got nervous the way she was looking at me—but it was the good kind of nervous. I knew she felt the same way, in that moment, that things would be okay.

  “I thought I’d take you somewhere nice, somewhere I never have before.”

  “Oh… thank you.”

  She blinked. I could tell she was trying to hide a smile, the way her dimple was coming out. She was doing a decent job… so far. It wouldn’t last.

  “You’re welcome.”

  I almost said “I hope it makes up for yesterday,” but I deliberately wanted to avoid conversation about yesterday if we could help it. I wanted us to focus on us, not what some distant MC rival had done. That was a discussion for my brothers and me, not for Grace.

  I opened the door for her to my car and grinned. She softened her look at me and—finally—smiled back. I couldn’t begin to describe how much of a relief that was to see her smiling. The incident may have scarred her, but not to the point that she still couldn’t be happy and grateful.

  “Why didn’t you bring the bike?”

  “I wasn’t sure about pregnant people on bikes.”

  Her expression was one of relief. Not sure if that question was a test, but I think I passed anyways. I peeled off the driveway and headed to the restaurant. It was a nicer place that was downtown. I even got the valet to handle my car.

  We sat in a nice booth close to the window. Admittedly, the weather wasn’t all that great, but the dim lights of the restaurant set the mood well. I stared at her across the table, waiting for our server to pour waters and leave us alone. Her hands were clasped on the table. She’s waiting for you to make a move, bub. Make it. I don’t think she’s going to take it the wrong way, but you won’t know until you try.

  I reached out for them. Her breath hitched when I held her hands as her eyes bored into mine. Do the right thing.

  “I’m sorry Grace, for what I said. The way I reacted. I was wrong.”

  Her shoulders dropped and her eyes started to water. I frowned and wondered what I had said wrong this time. Can I do anything right? Even after helping her…

  “Grace—”

  “It’s nothing. I cry all the time now.”

  I couldn’t even begin to describe how much of a relief that was to feel.

  “Yesterday was so crazy, so… so crazy, but it’s not even that. Just so much has changed, and, and… oh, Jesus.”

  Then she laughed, seemingly more as a way to push the tears away than in mocking of me or anything like that.

  “Thank you for your apology,” she said, dabbing away some of her tears.

  “And I…” I said, pausing to make sure I chose my next words as precisely as possible. Make it clear what the truth is. Do the right thing. “I want to be with you, Grace. I don’t want you to do this alone.”

  She bit her lip as her eyes went off into the distance. I let her hands go, and she uses the napkin to dab at her eyes. They seemed even more green, more beautiful than before.

  “Is that the only reason? Because you think it’s the right thing?”

  I start thinking of what my mom said and lose my breath. Put it all out there. Say what you thought earlier, when you picked her up. If yesterday showed anything, it’s that you never know if you’ll get that chance again.

  “No, Grace. I mean, it is the right thing, but I want to be with you because I’m in love with you.”

  “You’re lying.”

  She shook her head at me. I knew she was just trying to protect herself, but I had to barricade past that false protection. Grace had the right to reject me in the end, but I wanted her to at least know everything before she ultimately chose to.

  “I wouldn’t lie to you Grace, it’s the truth. I know that it seems fast, but we can’t deny the truth anymore. I don’t want to. I was just… taken by surprise. And it took thinking I had lost you to realize it. Why is it so hard to believe that I could love you?”

  I leaned forward and searched her eyes, trying to convey as much with my body language as with my words that I loved her. She shrugged her shoulders and wiggled her nose in that cute way she did when she was thinking.

  “Because… I’ve never—I have never done this before and I didn’t think this would be the way it started for me. I was a virgin a month ago and now I am pregnant. It’s just weird. What’s weirder is that the guy I have been in love with since high school is telling me that he loves me too. It’s weird. And hard to believe.”

  She let out a deep breath. Hearing her put it all out there like that… she was very cute speaking so honestly, but more importantly, I could see how it might all seem crazy. The stuff she was describing would usually take several years to happen, not a few weeks.

  “Well, you’ve always been kind of weird too.”

  “Matthew…” she said, albeit with a soft giggle.

  “I just wanted to make you laugh. But… you feel the same way then?”

  I was afraid of her answer, most especially with the most recent interactions we’d had. But if I truly did have a kid on the way and everything else associated with it, all secrets needed to be revealed and all feelings needed to be laid out.

  “Yeah, I do.”

  I think she meant it, but I had to make sure.

  “I’m not lying Grace, I mean it. I want you, the baby, everything.”

  She nodded once and
smiled, and I knew we both felt like we could see clearly again. Everything was out in the open, and I knew that we would be okay. That wasn’t to say we’d never have problems again, either between us or from outside influences on the club, but it was to say that we wouldn’t have to face them divided; we could face them together.

  She is so damned beautiful, it hurts.

  There was just one loose end I had learned about earlier in the day I needed to have answered.

  “So why did you leave your job at the bar?”

  “It’s not because I didn’t want to see you. I made up with my parents.”

  I was happy to hear that, although I was mighty curious to know what she had done to make up with them. She had gotten to the point where she was ready to be homeless instead of taking their money—and yet, something had changed? I wasn’t accusatory, just curious. Maybe she’s trying to reach out after Rocco. I’d probably be calling my Mom, too, if I hadn’t spoken to her in ages.

  Speaking of, I should reach out to her tomorrow. Don’t want her thinking I’m ignoring her for some reason.

  “Also, I didn’t really want to stand too much. I don’t think I’ll really be able to find a job until after the baby is born, so my dad sent me some money.”

  I nodded slowly and took her hands again. I was happy to hear the news, but I wanted her to know help would come from beyond her father.

  “I can take care of you, Grace. I want to. We can… try living together again and—I just don’t want to miss anything.”

  I almost suggested marriage, but I knew I needed to choose my moments better for that. That was the kind of thing you did after months of happiness and bliss, not a makeup dinner.

  That was the idea when I thought it, at least.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, of course. I loved living with you, we’ve already moved as fast as possible anyway.”

  “Yeah, we have.”

  We both shared a knowing laugh at this.

  “And that way, I won’t miss the first time the baby kicks and stuff like that.”

  She seemed surprised at how much I was smiling about the future on this.

  “You really are excited about this?”

  “I am. It took me a bit to adjust but I’m a man, we do shit like that sometimes.”

  She smirked, though didn’t quite laugh at that.

  “I agree. You’ll come to doctor’s appointments with me too?”

  “Of course I will. And…”

  Fuck it. Might as well go all the way. What’s the harm? You both survived death; not like you need to play any more games around it.

  “What?”

  “We could get married.”

  22

  Grace

  I almost threw up my food.

  “Huh?!?”

  No amount of words could have conveyed my shock at that moment.

  “I said—”

  “I heard you. You crazy man. Married?”

  I tried to keep my voice down so no one turned our way. I was shocked enough myself—I didn’t need the entire place gaping at us! But Matthew just shrugged his heavy shoulders, like it was nothing.

  Even if I know it’s not to him. He’s completely serious.

  “I don’t want… my greatest memory is growing up with two parents who loved each other and who were always together. I always wanted that for my kid, and we know how we feel about each other. So why not?”

  “So… so many reasons, Matthew. My parents, for one…”

  But the truth was, I was getting more and more excited at the idea. It wasn’t exactly a “traditional” proposal, but, hell, it was something.

  “I thought that was okay.”

  “Yeah, but it isn’t ready to be rocked by me telling them I am marrying a man I barely know.”

  But, ever the charmer and the man who knew what to say, Matthew just smiled and had the perfect words.

  “You do know me Grace. You love me, right?”

  I swallowed hard, shaking my head with all these ideas swarming around.

  “Yes. I love you.”

  “And I love you too. Look, you can think about it. But right now, I just want to take you home.”

  Thank goodness I have time to actually think about this.

  Matthew might be crazy, but I love him anyways.

  It took the drive home to his house for me to think about everything.

  Just last week. I had no idea I was going to be a mother in eight months and that I was hopelessly in love. But somehow, I just knew now that I would love him for the rest of my life, and that would be more enough.

  After all, he had come for me. He had rescued me. It was hard to find fault in the actions of a man who risked his own life to save yours.

  If that didn’t indicate that he was serious about me, about being a father, about making us a whole family, then nothing ever would.

  “I’ve missed you.”

  As soon as we got in his house, Matthew had pressed me against the front door and kissed me like the ship was going down. His lips were warm and soft, and his hands went on my hips as he held me close. I tasted him against my tongue as he kissed me harder, and I collapsed against him.

  My fingers curled into his hair, then traveled down to his leather clad shoulders and back. I removed his jacket and squeezed his muscles through his shirt, going down farther to grasp his cock. I was never usually that forward, but then again, pretty much everything about the last month was not “usual.”

  “Damn Grace, I guess you missed me too.”

  I just growled, which I think was better than anything I actually could have said. There was a spot below my ear that made me mewl like crazy, and he milked it until I couldn’t stop. My pussy clenched. I felt like I was soaking through my jeans.

  “I’m horny all the time because of you now, Matthew.”

  He chuckled and pulled back to look at me.

  “I noticed.”

  He lifted me up and carried me off to the bedroom. I hit the softness of his bed and inhaled his scent around me—I missed it like it had been years. Matthew hovered over me and stripped off his clothes—more like tore them off until he was naked. I breathed heavily as he did the same to me.

  “You are so fucking perfect, angel.”

  He climbed over me and planted a wet kiss on my lips. His hands traveled down my body, squeezing my breasts. It felt so good, almost too good. I could taste my orgasm watering in my mouth already. He kept moving down to my pussy, like he had to taste me every time. He flicked my clit and nibbled at me for what seemed like only five seconds before I just completely lost it.

  The orgasm was as powerful as I knew it would be, and he nibbled my inner thigh until I come down. I grasped his shoulders and tugedg him back up my body. I needed him like I need air. I needed him inside me.

  “Do you have any idea how happy I am we don’t need condoms anymore?” he said.

  “Oh hush,” I said with a laugh.

  I bit my lip as he pulled back, spread my thighs, and dragged his bare, hard cock through my folds. I trembled when it hit my throbbing clit, and my eyes rolled back into my head when he slid into me.

  “Oh God,” I moaned.

  I felt so full. He hit me so deep, I could feel him in all my nerves.

  “So fucking tight angel. Damn!”

  Matthew gripped my hips and ass and started to fuck me as he rocked on his heels. I cried out his name as my body took over. He fucked me so hard it rocked the bed, my breasts bobbing and his muscles clenching. His long hair fell over his brow as his body sheened with sweat.

  After a while, I let my body take over and my orgasm hit me like a train for the second time, but this one continued on like the longest one in the world. He followed shortly after, and I moaned deeper at feeling him come inside me. I shuddered as he left me and fell over my body, holding me close as he kissed me.

  He held me until I caught my breath. We then slowly fell into each other, perfectly together on his bed. As
he held me, I realized it more clearly than I have ever known anything before. He was the one.

  I could push him away all I wanted, made up all the excuses I wanted, but at the end of the day, there was one truth and one truth only.

  I needed him.

  “Matthew?”

  I looked up at him, and his soft eyes met mine.

  “Yes angel?”

  He cupped my face and tilted my eyes to look at him.

  “Yes.”

  “Yes what? Another round?”

  “No, silly.”

  I swallowed and my smile widened as I gave him the answer he’d hoped to hear all night.

  “Yes, I’ll marry you.”

  Epilogue

  I fumbled with my tie a dozen times before I got it right.

  I normally didn’t wear ties, but I was meeting my wife’s parents for the first time. Even if it was closer to their lifestyle than mine, I figured it was the least I could do.

  It had been eight months since we reconciled, four since we got married. Now, she was heavily pregnant and trying to make do on a promise to let her parents be there for the birth. It was slightly early, but by all accounts, the doctors thought the baby would be perfectly healthy. She might be a little small, but she would grow into it just fine.

  For now, though, it was her parents I was most concerned about.

  “I still think they should come here.”

  I met her in the living room where she lay on the couch. She only had on this dress type thing, and all I wanted to do was lay next to her and slip inside her. Pregnant sex was a whole new level of sex, and it was amazing with Grace. I never did make the joke with her, but I almost wished I’d knocked her up sooner so I could have that pregnant sex more.

  “But I—”

  I sat next to her, holding her hand.

  “No buts. You’re too pregnant to travel, you could just roll over at any minute.”

  She smiled at me, radiant as ever. Her hair seemed golden, her eyes like emeralds. Once again, I found myself wishing she could be pregnant all the time.