by Stacey Wilk
“Oh land’s sake, woman. You are stubborn. You going to throw this family”—he pointed to everyone standing there—“away on principal? Let the past go. You’ve got a second chance here. Take it.” He threw his hands in the air and hobbled away.
“Feisty old guy,” Blaise said. “You’re still going back?” He didn’t want her to leave before he could tell her a few things.
She kicked at the dirt. “I don’t know what I’m doing. I do know we all need some sleep, maybe a shower and some food. I can drop you and Cash home. Chloe and I need to see what’s salvageable and find a hotel. Once I get some sleep, then I can decide what to do.”
“Stay with us. There’s plenty of room. Take your time deciding what to do.”
“You don’t need us under your feet. Besides, you should spend time with Cash before you have to hit the road again.”
“I’m not going back on the road.”
Cash smiled.
“You’re not?” Grace said.
“No. But I’ll tell you all about that later. Let’s go home.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Grace dropped into the wood rocker on Blaise’s front porch. She pushed with her toe and then tucked her legs under her. The night had cooled down. The fireflies were slower. The cinnamon apple tea calmed her still-raw nerves.
They had returned to Blaise’s after leaving the sheriff’s station. He made everyone eggs and bacon. He burnt the bacon, and the eggs were runny, but she didn’t care. He was back, and they were together, at least for the time being. They still had a lot to talk about, but it could wait for now.
After their meal she had taken a nap and a much-needed shower. She was glad to see he had showered too. He might be the sexiest man she’d ever laid eyes on, but all that drumming under hot lights even made him need a bath. She preferred his clean masculine scent.
Chloe and Cash decided to take in a movie in the next town. Blaise had fallen asleep on the couch, so she’d made some tea and sat outside. He needed his rest.
Her house sat dark. Her house. She could have it if she wanted. Beau would help her. Blaise was staying now. At least he said as much earlier.
She didn’t want to leave Cash if she could help it. She had grown very fond of him. But that was selfish. Cash didn’t need her. He had a family looking out for him.
Who was her family? Who would care about what happened to her? He'd given her the house by way of apology. Could she really accept a gift from a man who had abandoned her? Could she let go of the past and live in this moment?
“Hey.” Blaise eased into the rocker next to hers. Sleep still weighed on his eyes.
“You should go to bed. You’ve had a rough couple of days.”
“So have you.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder.
She sipped her tea. “My own fault mostly. Why do you think Jud hates Cash so much?”
“Jealousy, I guess. Of what, I don’t know.”
“Of you.”
“Me? Why me?”
“You’re the famous uncle. Cash gets all this attention just for being your child, and he doesn’t want it. He wants to be left alone, be accepted for who he is. Jud likes being in the spotlight, and he can’t have the biggest spotlight of all and doesn’t think Cash deserves it. Hopefully, things will get better now that he admitted what he did.”
“My whole family needs to be in therapy.”
“At least you have a family. I only have Chloe. Well, I just found out that isn’t entirely true.”
“What do you mean?”
Grace told Blaise about Beau and the house. She gripped the mug through the whole thing. If she focused on her grasp, maybe she wouldn’t cry. She only had to stop a few times to catch her breath and keep the tears from falling.
Blaise stayed silent until she finished. “That’s a lot to absorb.”
“I don’t know what to do with the thoughts flying around in my head or the ache in my heart. My father loved me, after all? It doesn’t compute, because if he loved me, why didn’t he try and find me? I’ve been alone for so long, and not once did he try to come to me. How could he think a house makes up for all I didn’t have?”
He took the mug from her hand and placed it on the table. He stood and helped her up. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close. She inhaled his scent and burrowed deeper against him. This felt too good.
He stroked her hair. “Listen, babe, you don’t have to have all the answers now. It’s going to take time to come to terms with your father’s choices. Try to focus on the positive. He bought you a house to give you a second chance at life. He knew what you were capable of and allowed you a chance to prove it to yourself. That house has given you a new perspective, and it gave you to me. And you gave me back my son.”
She looked up at him. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t have a plan.” She held her breath.
“Stay. Keep the house. Build a new life here in Heritage River. Let Cash and me be part of your family. Beau too. In time, you and Savannah might be able to become friends. There’s also Colton, if you can put up with him.”
Blaise had told her what Colton did for Cash. Colton might have some rough edges, but his heart was in the right place.
A family. A home. Right here in Heritage River. “Are you really leaving the touring behind?”
He leaned in and kissed her. She opened her mouth to the fiery advances of his tongue. She pressed against him, fitting into his lines and angles. Her body burned from the center out, but even though she wanted more, they had to stop.
She pushed away. “Blaise, I can’t do this.” She chewed on her bottom lip, afraid if she spoke another sound, the tears would fall.
He tugged on her elbow. “I’m sorry. I should’ve been here when you needed me. I should’ve held your hand while the house was burning. I was afraid to take a chance. That’s why I went on tour again. But when I left you, all I could do was want you with me. Then when Cash called, I knew. I knew with certainty that what I wanted was my family around me. I’d figure out the money part later. I want to be with my son. I’m becoming a better father and that’s because of you. You make me a better man.”
He held her face between his strong, calloused drummer’s hands and placed soft kisses on her lips, her eyelids, the soft spot in front of her ear. “I’d like to take you inside.” His lips nibbled on her earlobe.
She wasn’t sure she could speak or that her legs would carry her even one step. She nodded, and he took her hand and led the way. She could trust Blaise. This she knew in her heart. The house was empty except for them. The lights were out. Only the small light above the stovetop was on.
He took her to his room. The king-size bed was ruffled, as if someone had been lying on it. He doused the light. “I wish I had some candles. Candles are romantic, right?” He wiped his hands on his pants.
“We don’t need candles.” Her hands were shaking. She hadn’t been with another man besides Larry in more years than she wanted to think about. What if she forgot how to do it? Or what if she was bad at it? She needed to sit, except she wasn’t ready to sit on the bed, and he didn’t have any chairs in here. Well, if her legs decided to have a mind of their own, the floor might do.
“We do need this.” Blaise moved to the side table. Soft music filled the space around them.
Grace recognized the rhythm-and-blues sound accompanied by the melodic voice of a female singer gone before her time.
He went to her and placed one hand on her waist, pulling her close, and with the other he grasped her hand in his. They swayed to the music. “Is this music okay?”
“It’s lovely.” And it was. The singer said something about being sad, but her man showed up and held her close. He was all she needed. Those could be her own words.
He moved her with ease in the small space between the bed and the dresser. He was a foot taller, but she fit with him. She inhaled his clean scent. She was aware of the heat coming off his body. He held her close, which was a good thi
ng. If he loosened his hold, she’d be a puddle on the floor.
“Grace?”
She looked up at him. His gray eyes twinkled in the dim light.
“I’m going to kiss you again, and this time I won’t be able to stop. I just want you to be prepared.” He winked.
For once in her life, she was ready to be taken away with no thought as to the end. This was the only moment she cared about. She couldn’t have planned for it or planned it better. She was about to warn him she was out of practice, but when she opened her mouth, he kissed her deep and long.
His hands cupped her face, pulled her closer. She wrapped her arms around his neck and tangled her fingers in his hair. He moved away from her lips to leave soft kisses against her neck. His warm breath sent shivers across her skin.
She ran her hands across his chest and down his flat belly. His drummer body was toned and strong. She’d never wanted to touch a man as much as she wanted to touch him.
His mouth sought hers again, while his hands reached under her top. His rough hands scratched against her skin, making the sensitive spot between her legs ache with need. “Can we get rid of this?” He tugged on the hem of her shirt.
“Can we turn the light off first?”
“I want to see you. You’re beautiful, but if it makes you feel better.” He stepped away and turned off the light. The room was swallowed up in the dark. He kissed her lips. “Next time we’ll do it with the lights on.” The smile was in his deep, sexy voice.
So there would be a next time. She stepped back and yanked her shirt over her head. Her nerves mixed with desire. She crossed her arms over her chest. “I haven’t been with anyone since my ex-husband.” He had to know how inexperienced she was. What if he didn’t like her body or the way she touched him? She didn’t want Larry’s ugly words about her creeping into this moment, but they were.
He took her hands in his and kissed her knuckles. “Grace, I want you so badly right now. There’s nothing you could do that I wouldn’t like.”
She reached up and pulled him to her. She kissed him this time, parting his lips with her tongue.
His hands sought her again. He cupped her breast over the silky fabric of her bra. His touch sent fire through her veins. Next time she’d wear something with lace.
She wanted his skin against hers. Her hands ran over his back, appreciating the tautness of his muscles. He stepped away and removed his shirt. She should have left the lights on. She wanted to see his body.
He reached behind and unhooked her bra. “Skin against skin,” he said.
She pressed against him. His heart beat in time with hers. He cupped her bottom and drew her in. She could feel his desire against her belly. He kissed her again. His tongue was slow and lingering and driving her mad. She didn’t care about anything except being with him and touching him. She was losing control for the first time in her life, and she loved the feeling.
“Blaise, could we, um, you know.” She tugged at the button of his jeans. She needed to feel all of him.
“Yes, ma’am.” He stepped back, unhooked his pants, and dropped them to the floor.
She reached for his waist, wanting him next to her. Her skin was burning, and the only thing that would help was him. Her hands slid over his backside and around to his hips. She hesitated, but only for a second, and wrapped her hands around him, feeling his fullness against her palm. He let out a low groan.
She planted little kissed across his collarbone and over his shoulders.
“Grace…” He scooped her up and lay her on the bed.
His tongue left a wet trail over her breasts and down her belly. The aching need grew stronger. She had never wanted anything more than she wanted this man to touch her. He stopped at the top of her pants. “Can I take these off?”
“Please.” She lifted her hips to help him drag her capris over her legs.
“How about this?” He tucked a finger under the side of her panties.
She pushed off the thin piece of lace. His hand rubbed her thigh. She was going to burn from the inside out.
Her hands ran over his back and his chest. He kissed her again. This time his tongue went deeper, and she moaned.
His hand left her thigh and found the heat between her legs. She called out to him.
“Grace, even in the dark I can tell your eyes are closed. Please look at me.”
She opened her eyes.
“You’re amazing, strong, and beautiful. And I want you more than I’ve wanted any other woman in my whole life.”
She held his face in her hands. “I want you too.” Her voice was a whisper. She wanted his hands all over her, exploring and finding. Wondering what he would do next had all her senses on high alert. She liked this new sensation of losing control.
When he entered her, white heat spread through her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and raised her hips to match his thrusts. He waited for her, and together they reached the explosive release that cooled the fire inside her.
He held her close as her heart returned to a normal beat. “That was amazing.”
“It definitely was.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Blaise held her in his arms. They were under the covers of his king-size bed. His chin rested on the top of her head. She snuggled closer, relishing the feeling of his body entwined with hers. She could stay like that all night, except the kids would be back from the movies soon. They couldn’t find their parents in such a compromising position. What message would it send?
“Are you hungry?” He rubbed her back.
“Starving.”
He threw the covers off, letting all their warmth escape, and jumped from the bed. “Good. Me too. How about I make us a snack? Pancakes? Do you like pancakes because I’m all out of lettuce?” He yanked on his shorts and wrestled with his T-shirt.
She was a little disappointed to see him wearing clothes again. She smiled at the thought. The new Grace was being bold.
“You have a wicked grin, Ms. Starr. What are you thinking about?” He planted a kiss on her nose.
“You, us, this.”
He wagged his eyebrows at her, and she laughed. She wrapped the covers around her and searched for her discarded clothing. “I don’t eat just lettuce. Pancakes would be great.”
He kissed her hard on the lips. “Hurry.” And he was gone.
Well, he wasn’t the cuddling type, but that was okay. She always wanted to move around after sex anyway, but she wouldn’t have minded his body wrapped around hers for a little longer. She straightened the bed in case one of the kids peeked before she joined Blaise in the kitchen.
“Can I help?”
“Nope. Sit tight.” He pointed to the breakfast bar.
He moved around the kitchen, yanking out ingredients, bowls, and a pan. “Babe, this might not be the best time for this conversation, but I want to take advantage of the house being empty.”
What was he going to say? “Okay.”
He put down the flour and took her hand. “I know I’m not perfect, far from it. But I want you to stay in Heritage River, and if you don’t want your house, you can live with me.”
She wasn’t expecting that even after what just happened between them. “Oh, Blaise, that’s…that’s more than I could have asked for. I still don’t know what to do about the house. As much as I love our time together, I’m not sure Heritage River is right for me. I’ve made some people dislike me, like your sister. How would she feel if I moved in with you? I need some time. Is that okay?”
A darkness spilled across his gray eyes. He pulled his hand away and went back to the pancakes. “Sure. No problem.”
“Can I ask you something?”
“Anything.” He kept his back to her.
“Are you going to perform at the fundraiser now?”
He turned to her and leaned against the counter. “I’ll call Savannah in the morning.” He went back to pouring ingredients into the bowl.
“Blaise—”
The fr
ont door swung open. Cash and Chloe barreled in, laughing and joking. They came up short when they saw Grace and Blaise in the kitchen.
“Pancakes. Cool.” Cash stuck his finger in the mixing bowl. Blaise knocked him away.
“You just ate a whole bucket of popcorn.” Chloe slid onto the stool next to Grace.
“I’m hungry,” he said.
They shared their late night after-sex snack with the kids. They laughed when Blaise dropped batter on the floor, and Grace slipped in the mess trying to clean it up. Chloe and Cash told them about the movie and how Chloe screamed at all the scary parts. Grace wouldn’t have had it any other way. When the dishes were cleaned and the kitchen closed up tight, Cash went to his room. Chloe took one of the guest rooms. Blaise walked Grace to the door of the other guest room.
“If you want to sneak back in after they fall asleep, I’ll wait up for you.” He kissed her nose.
“I’d like that, but I think we’d better wait.” She pointed to the closed doors. “The walls might have ears.”
“They’re just going to have to get used to it. If you stay, that is.” He turned and went into his own room.
Grace closed the door to the guest bedroom. Did she really want to be alone? What was she so afraid of? She had given herself completely to Blaise a few hours ago. Her face burned just thinking about his skilled drummer’s hands. She wanted more of him lying naked next to her.
Why did she still feel the need to put space between this town and her? Was it because she’d never planned to fall for the handsome neighbor? Or was it because she never planned on knowing her father loved her, after all?
Chapter Thirty-Nine
The next couple of days went by in a whirlwind. Grace and Blaise were more like cars passing on the freeway than lovers or even roommates. He had begun practicing for his performance at the fundraiser. Cash had agreed to play with him.
Grace and Chloe started packing up their belongings. Even if Grace decided to stay, they had to move out for the cleanup. The smell of smoke was everywhere. The whole place would need to be repainted and cleaned. That job was too big for Beau to do with just a few hands. The insurance company would pay for a larger crew, but Beau wanted to supervise.