Grace Anne

chapter 6



Michael watched her as she stared at her lap. He wanted to pick her up and shake the truth from her, but knew that he’d only upset her more. Instead, he looked around the small office. He was both impressed and horrified at what was there.

The desk was huge. He couldn’t believe how big. But he could see that it was more of a workstation with a computer than it was a working desk. He didn’t know why, but he thought she’d have her real desk, one that she’d do her business on, somewhere on the upper floors. This one was for putting together her business.

The array of colors around the room were a little too much for him, but the more he stared at them, the more he could see that they weren’t just thrown about like he’d first thought, but in an order that he could see now had been thought out, colors and patterns together along with buttons, zippers, and other things like ribbons and things; he’d never guess what they were in a million years. The mannequins, several of them with materials draped over them in layers, stood in a long line; a large container of scissors sat on a tray along with a stapler and rolls of tape. She was designing things with not only style, but with colors, patterns, and accessories. He turned back to her when she started to speak.

“If you just leave me alone they’ll leave you alone too. They only threatened you because you…they think you might mean something to me. I’m sure that once you buy the building—”

“You think you can hide from them and that selling me the building will give you the money to do it, don’t you?” When she looked at him he could see the truth of his words in her face. “It won’t work. They may give up on Trace and myself, but they will eventually find you again and then what? Do you want to keep running from it, or simply wait until they find some other family you attach yourself to in order to get to you?”

“I never asked you and your family to come here. I never asked you to bring your son into my life that day. I was doing just fine until you had to have my building.” She stood up and he nearly smiled at the fire. He liked this much better than the beaten girl she’d just been.

“No, you didn’t. But now we are.” He watched her pace and tried to regain control of his wayward thoughts, thoughts of stripping her down and seeing what delights she had on under those soft, flannel pants and t-shirt. “Who is it that was on the phone and how many calls have you received?”

Her laugh was short and harsh. “You mean today or just over the past week? Never mind, it doesn’t matter. Suffice it to say that there have been numerous. I’m selling, Mr. Cunningham. If you want this building, then tell me now or it goes on the market. Your choice.”

Michael stood and walked to her. He wanted the building, but right now, right this moment, all he could think about was her leaving him. He didn’t know why that thought was there, but he suddenly didn’t want her gone. She backed away as he moved closer.

“Hasn’t anyone ever told you not to run from a predator? As prey, you would do better to gather your forces and make a stand.” He pulled off his jacket and tossed it toward the chair. “There are greater strengths in numbers, Grace.”

“I know what I’m doing.” He moved closer as he pulled his tie loose and left it hanging. He toed off his shoes as he moved. “Unless you plan to try on one of the dresses over there you’d better stop taking off clothes.”

Her voice had gotten huskier and low. He felt it as though she’d touched him, ran her voice along his skin, and caressed him. He unbuckled his belt and pulled it free of the loops. “No. I’m not going to try on dresses. Take off your shirt, Grace. It’s making me crazy trying to imagine what you have on beneath it.” She didn’t move, but he could see her nipples harden. “Grace, take off the shirt or I will.”

She backed up several steps as he moved closer. She stopped when she backed against the long counter behind her. When he was about a foot from her he reached out, ran his fingers over her breast, and never took his eyes from hers.

“Are you bare beneath here? I can feel the lace of something and it makes my mouth water to taste you.” He lifted her breast in his hand and watched her eyes flutter closed. “Watch me, Grace. Watch while I suckle at your nipple and taste you.”

Michael stepped the last foot to her, lifted her by her ass, and sat her on the counter. Her legs opened and he moved between them and pulled her shirt over her head all in one move. He was so wrong about the lace beneath. It was more than he could have imagined.

The strapless bit of sex was black. Silky black lace that was filled with her heavy flesh and left her nipple bare. He moaned at how tight her dark nipples were and how long. He leaned down and took the hard tip into his mouth as her fingers laced in his hair. Christ, he was in heaven.

She was warm and tasted like fresh strawberries. Spreading his hand at her back, he pulled her closer as he moved his mouth up to her throat and to her shoulder. Nipping at her, he felt her legs wrap around him and he rocked them both against the ledge. Taking her mouth, devouring her, he turned them to find something, anything he could take her against. He looked at the desk and realized that even for the small size of the room, the desk was simply too far away. He lowered them to the floor.

Her hands parted his shirt; buttons flew everywhere as she tore her mouth from his and took his nipple into her mouth. He moaned when she bit him, his cock aching now to feel her clamped around him as he pounded into her. He sat up on his knees to open his pants while she pulled her pants down to her hips, lifted both legs up, and pulled them off. Michael grabbed her legs as she tossed away her pants and panties and wrapped her ankles at his shoulders.

“Are you protected? I don’t have protection, but if I’m not inside of you soon, I’m going to explode all over you.”

“Yes, no…I’m safe. I’m on the pill.” She moaned as he moved his cock at her soaking entrance. “Please, f*ck me.”

Keeping her legs up, he bent her back and entered her. She was tight and hot; her walls clenched at him, rippled along his cock as he moved in and out. Michael wanted to come now, felt his balls tighten against his body even as he let her legs go and they wrapped once again around his hips. He leaned down and over her and took her mouth again before moving down to suckle at her luscious nipple.

Her scream of release had him throwing back his head as he followed her. He rocked as he jettisoned into her. Every part of his body came; he’d never felt such an orgasm in his life and, as he dropped his weight on top of her, he realized that he wanted her again.

Rolling to his back, Michael took her with him. His pants were still around his legs, so he shimmed out of them and held her. His cock, still buried in her, stirred when she moaned, but he was sure he needed a little more time before he could take her again. When she stretched he thought maybe he’d need less than he’d thought. When she looked down at him, her chin resting on her fist, he thought maybe he could get used to this.

“This doesn’t change anything. It was really good sex, but I’m still going to leave.”

He smiled at her words.

“If you want the building then tell me now.”

“Grace, I don’t know how other men have reacted to your bossy ways, but you’ll find I’m much bossier. You and I just had incredible sex, not good sex, and I for one plan to do it a lot more.” He rolled her to her back and rocked his hips into her. “Now would be nice, but my family is—Christ.”

She bit his neck and tightened around him. When she wrapped her legs around him and surged up Michael’s eyes crossed. Before he knew it he was being pushed to his back and she was astride him.

With her hands on his chest she rode him. Watching her face as she enjoyed herself, Michael found himself mesmerized by her. With her eyes closed he could still read every time she hit her sweet spot; her breasts flushed and her nipples hardened. When she moved her hands along his waist to her hips then moved to her p-ssy he nearly came watching her. As she slid her finger along her * she surged forward and moaned. Michael watched as she lifted her free hand, cupped her breast, and rolled her nipple.

“Your cock feels wonderful,” she practically moaned at him. “I’d forgotten how good a real cock can feel deep inside of me.” She leaned back and her hair brushed over his thighs. Michael gripped her hips tighter to him. “Oh, Christ, I’m coming.”

She grabbed his hands and held him as she rode faster. Her breasts, flushed now, bounced and bobbed; her nipples lengthened. Sitting up, he took one peak into his mouth and bit her. Her scream of his name had him rolling her over and f*cking her hard, each stoke of his cock pulling deeper and deeper until he came. Michael was sure that this woman was not getting away from him, no matter what.

~~~

Grace stepped out of the shower and heard Michael speaking. She closed her eyes and wondered what he was still doing here. Especially in her bedroom, especially after what they’d done in her office downstairs. Grace wiped the moisture off the mirror and looked at herself.

He’d bruised her. There were marks on her neck from his mouth and more along her breasts and hips. She shuddered when she remembered his mouth there and how tightly he’d held her as he’d come. Grace turned her back to her reflection and started to pull on clothes. As soon as she got dressed she was showing him the door and locking him out of her house and out of her life. She didn’t need this right now. The phone ringing had her pulling on one sock and rushing out the door. He was just picking it up when she came out.

“Yes, this is Gracie’s house. She was in the shower…I’m sure that’s none of your business, but I’m reasonably sure that she’s a bit over twenty-one and no longer needs a—I see. Yes, I can see where, as her brother, you’d think that, but again—”

Grace tried to take the phone from him before he told Cain…well, she didn’t want him to tell her brother anything, thank you very much. But he pulled her against him and buried his face into her shoulder. She forgot what she’d been doing until he spoke again.

“Yes,” he growled, and she wasn’t sure who he was talking to until he continued. “Yes, she’s here. If you give me a minute to kiss her again I’ll let you talk to her.”

The phone was suddenly on the small end table and she was being lifted against Michael’s body. His mouth seemed to be everywhere. Before she could catch her breath or even try to stop him, she was pressed against the wall and Michael was nipping at her ear.

“It’s your brother. He wants to speak to you.” He licked along the column of her throat. “I need to get you out of this room or we’ll never leave it. Talk to him and I’ll be in the kitchen with ice packs on my nuts.”

She giggled and he kissed her quickly. He stepped away only to return and yank her to him and kiss her again. He was stalking away from her when he barked “phone” at her. Grace picked up the phone to hear her brother talking to Alyssa.

“…thinks he is to tell me that he is going to kiss her… No, I didn’t catch his name. That’s a good idea, that way I can hunt him down and castrate him. Lousy bastard. Gracie,” he shouted, and had her jerking the phone from her ear.

“I’m right here. Damn it, Cain, what the hell was that for? Now I’ll probably have permanent hearing loss.” She grinned when he growled. “If you only called to be nasty to me then I don’t care to—”

“Who was that man and what is he doing answering your phone? I demand that you tell me—” Before Grace could blast her brother, she could hear Alyssa talking in the background and she didn’t sound any happier. When she got on the phone next, Grace was still steaming.

“He’s a bully,” she told Alyssa. “And nosey. Why does he think it’s any of his business what I do in my own home? He does know he’s not my dad, right?”

“Yes, I’m sure he does. Or at least he’ll have a better understanding once I get off here.” Alyssa laughed. “He loves you and worries. He wants you here with the rest of them.”

Grace felt her heart ache with the knowledge that she couldn’t. Not now. She sat down and fingered the bra that Michael had torn from her last night and tossed it in the trash when her body reacted to that.

“I have a business to run. And…why did he call anyway? You’re all married now so that can’t be it. I already know that Lilliane is pregnant and that Sin and Payton are adopting another child. Is it Quinn now, or you who is pregnant?”

“No, though, I think maybe Jazzie is about to bust with the news that they are. He wants you to come home next weekend. All of us are getting together for dinner at our house and he wanted you there.” There was a very long pause before she spoke again. “You can even bring home the man that has Cain all worked up. Does he get you all worked up too?”

Grace flushed. “Yes, he does. Though it’s none of your business. He’s just…” She wasn’t sure what he was, but she didn’t want to tell her sister-in-law that. “He’s a fling.”

Alyssa laughed and Grace started to say something when she looked up and saw Michael standing in the doorway. He looked like every woman’s dream of a handsome prince and bad boy all in one.

“Then all the more reason to bring him here. I’m sure Cain will have a cow about it, but right now I think he’d rather have you here.”

Grace didn’t think getting Michael involved with her family was a good idea. He might have been able to handle them, but he had a son, and Trace couldn’t. She told Alyssa that she’d think about it and call her later. She hung up before she could say any more.