Chapter 21
Chapter Twenty-One
MACK
M y heart is set to burst from my chest. This woman, who patched me back up and refused to take my bullshit, takes me higher and higher with every sweet sound that tumbles from her pretty pink lips. The curve of her body over mine. Those gorgeous tits in my face. My mouth waters for them.
Sweet Jesus.
Nothin’ on earth compares to my girl. Never fuckin’ will.
I clamp my teeth around a nipple and run a hand up her spine, drawing her closer to me. I want to feel her around me. Everywhere, until she’s the only world I see. God, this beautiful woman has me. By the balls. By the heart.
Seen my soul? Probably tucked away inside hers somewhere.
She takes up the rhythm between us and I slam my hands on her hips as heat coils in my spine.
Fucked if I’m ruinin’ this for her.
“Slow, Gracie. Slow.”
Her hands are on my face, mouth covering mine a second later. I open for her like she could just crack me wide.
Who am I kidding? She already did that.
Cracked this broken man to smithereens and meticulously put each piece back where it belonged, one after another. ‘Til the man she recreated was better than the original. Every day that follows this one is goin’ to be one I use to make her feel as loved as she makes me feel.
“Mackinlay . . .”
She’s close.
I take over, raising her and thrusting into her as I allow her to fall back to my lap. She slams her eyes shut.
“Eyes on me, my girl.”
Her eyes open, strung out with a silent plea. Lifting her again, I thrust up and slam her down. She tightens around me before exploding in a cascade of pulses milking my cock. I breathe hard, tamping down the urge to follow her over that same edge. Not yet. Not until she’s had her fill.
“Mack, Mackinlay . . .”
Best fuckin’ sound in the world. Every hard day, every bit of pain, every setback was worth it to get to this moment. Grace stills on my lap, her chest heaving. I push off the bed and hold her with one arm. I lay her on the bed and pull out.
Flipping her over, I grip her hips and drag them toward me.
She moves backward, pushing against my throbbing cock.
I tilt my head back in an effort to slow my body down. Dipping my head back down, blue eyes meet mine. She wriggles those hips again, cheek pulling at her face.
“Like that, is it, Gracie girl?”
She laughs and spreads her legs. Her hand slips to her center, and she rubs her clit. “Come on, Mack. Don’t make me wait.”
Fuck me.
You don’t have to ask. Or be gentle. You won’t break me.
She doesn’t want me to see her as fragile. I get it.
So, I won’t.
I slap her ass and drag her closer still. I run the tip of my cock through her wet center, and she moans into the duvet.
“Mackinlay Samuel Rawlins, fuck me already.”
I slam into her, and the mewl she makes strangles my balls and sends an ache into my chest. I pull out so slow, her legs begin to tremble. The flare of her ribs tells me she’s sucking in a deep lungful. Her hair is scattered over her back and shoulders. And all I can think of is the messy bun she wears that I love.
I brush my hands around her shoulders, sweeping her hair in one hand, and twist my wrist until I’m wound into her tangled locks bunched in my fist. Her head tilts back, and soft pants turn her moans erratic. This, this is what turns her on.
“Fuck, gorgeous,” I growl.
She grabs my wrist with her fine fingers and cants her ass up further, wanting more. I trail my other hand up her spine and dot kisses to the small of her back and rise with a thrust so deep it’s impossible to tell where I end and she starts. She clenches around me.
She’s so fuckin’ close already.
Sweet Jesus, this damn girl.
“You’re gonna come on my cock for me. But I want to see your face when it happens this time, Grace. Not yet, gorgeous.”
She whimpers.
I’m cruel. I know.
I’m selfish when it comes to her.
I want to watch her unravel.
I want her for myself.
I want her. Period.
I slow the rhythm and coax a few more whimpers from her before releasing her hair and pulling out. She turns and is climbing me like a tree before I have a second to move further than resting back onto my heels.
“You can see me. Fill me up, Mack.” She sinks onto my cock.
I’m not even mad about it. What man on earth could deny this girl a thing? She rises on her knees, until the tip rims her entrance and sinks again. Her breasts bounce with every move she takes. I drag a nipple through my teeth before suckling it to replace the gentle sting I created.
“Mack, I love that. Don’t stop, please.”
“Ain’t stoppin’, gorgeous.”
“I am so close. I can’t breathe. You?—”
I would tell her she does the same to me, but my heart has blocked my airways. Jaw clenched, I drag in what little air I can and force my body under some resemblance of control. Her mouth covers mine as I pull a parcel of air into my lungs.
I splay my hands over her ribs as she picks up the pace and breaks the kiss.
Fuck, I barely have a say in what’s happening right now. She works me over like nobody has before. I’m desperate for her. I’m a wreck for her. I want to give her everything she wants. I dip my head to her chest and play her hard velvet peaks like a fine instrument with my tongue. One, then the other.
Her hands find my jaw as she raises my head.
Her face twists. Her blue eyes hold mine as she tightens around me and explodes, milking my cock in heavenly waves. I follow.
“Good girl,” I rasp.
The growl that leaves my lips as hot ropes shoot deep inside her rattles my chest. She tilts her hips again and takes me higher still.
After the last wave between us fades out, I kiss her forehead. Each eyelid, her nose and then a brief kiss to her lips before meeting her gaze. Emotion takes over her face. I pull her into me and breathe her all the way in.
“Mackinlay . . .” she says on a wobbly breath.
“I know, Gracie. I know.”
I hold her for as long as she’ll let me. Our hearts have steadied and the trembling in our bodies has subsided when I lift her from my lap and move from the bed.
“Come on, let’s get you cleaned up.”
She shuffles to the side of the bed. I scoop her up and carry her to her en suite. She wants down, and I lower her to her feet. Flipping the water on, I test it with a hand before taking her hands behind me and walking us both into the warm water.
A loofah and a sponge on a stick are placed neatly on the shower rack. I reach for the loofah and plaster it with her body wash.
Vanilla and peaches.
Who knew?
“You don’t have to wash me. I can do it.” She grabs for the loofah. I hold it out of her reach.
“I know you can. I want to. Just let me love you, gorgeous girl. This is part of it.”
“Okay, but you’re getting the sponge stick.”
I laugh as I lift one of her arms and lather the soap up and down the elegant limb. After I’ve done both arms, I drop to my knees and gently wash each leg before running circles around her belly. Soapy trails run over her hips, her pussy, down those long legs I love. She studies every move I make. Amazement tangled with adoration claims her face.
I grow hard again.
I ignore my cock, opting to love up on this woman who deserves every ounce of affection I can give her.
I rise and track the loofah around each perfect breast. She takes a sharp inhale as the fine material grazes over her right nipple and her eyes flutter shut.
“Jesus, Gracie. What have we started?”
“You have no idea how addictive you are, Mackinlay Rawlins.”
I huff a laugh and pass the loofah over her collarbones and around her neck before spinning her on her feet to cover her back and ass.
One look at her curves from behind and I go from hard to fuckin’ stone.
“You alright back there, Mack?” The amusement in her voice tells me everything I need to know.
I finish up, and she smells like a peach. With a playful slap to her ass, I tug the shower head from the cradle and wash her off.
“Now, your turn.”
In a few minutes, her deft hands have my entire body lathered. She takes her time with my aching cock, her hand caressing the tip and the long vein up the center. I slap a hand to the tile, and she releases me.
I swear to god, Grace Weston.
Studying my face, she frowns and pulls the shower head down to wash me off. I sag into the heat of the water, letting my eyes drift shut. The water stops. Fingertips brush my brow, and I open my eyes. Grace’s frown is still intact when she says, “You’re exhausted. Let’s go to bed.”
“My bed. You’re not sleeping alone anymore.”
A smile tugs up on one side until a full, beautiful upward curve covers her face. “You scared of the dark, Mack?”
“The only thing I’m afraid of is not waking up next to you tomorrow morning, Little Miss Sass.” I step out of the shower and pluck a towel from the rack and hand it to her.
Dripping water over the hardwood floors, I blow out the candles and walk to my own bathroom to dry off. Running a hand through my hair, I sit on the bed and wait for her. When she doesn’t appear, I make my way back to find her still drying her hair.
There’s no way I’m spending another minute without this girl. So, like a Neanderthal, I drag her to my bedroom.
A heartbeat later, she hesitates in my doorway. “It smells like you in here. I love it.”
I pull back the covers, and she climbs in. I’m beside her before she has time to roll over, and I wrap my body around hers.
“Me big spoon. You little spoon.” I tickle her belly with my fingertips.
She giggles and her ass pushes into my groin.
I groan into her hair. “No fair, gorgeous.”
“I’m sorry, we should sleep.”
“We should.”
She wriggles from my hold and rolls over to face me. “Did you just have candles and rose petals lying around?” She cocks an eyebrow at me, the covers slipping down her body. Still naked. Still perfect.
“Nope, they’re R & R stuff. Rubes had to store some things here to prevent the heat from damaging them. Ran outta room in their little house, apparently.”
“Can I sleep here tomorrow night?” she says sleepily.
“You better.”
She chuckles, but it fades out as her eyes close briefly.
“Well, I mean, we won’t always be sleeping in this bed...”
She rolls over and bites my earlobe. I grab her with one arm and hug her to my chest. She squeals but nuzzles my neck. A moment later, resting her palm over my heart, she traces the angle of my jaw.
“Sleep, gorgeous, it’s past midnight. We need rest.”
A gentle kiss presses to my lips. “Goodnight, Mackinlay.”
I wait and watch as she falls asleep. Her breathing steadies to a soft and slow rate. Shallow, almost. Her face slackens a little. Her fingers curl against my chest. I tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, letting the pad of my fingertip glide over her jaw.
“There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you, my girl.”
Eyelids heavy, I fold her in closer. My chin resting on the crown of her head, my heart wraps around hers.
The overwhelming need to keep this girl safe and loved sends a burn behind my eyes.
Who woulda knew a man could need a woman this much.
So damn much.