Chapter 12
GRACE
Ican already feel this getting out of control.
I shouldn’t be enjoying this; I shouldn’t like the way it feels, and I certainly should not be wishing that it didn’t have to end.
Jack smiles at me as if us lying here for the past half an hour with his cock inside me is perfectly normal behaviour.
It’s given me the chance to study every angle of his face, and I can’t help thinking that he would make very handsome children.
“Are we going to lie this way all night?” I question him.
“I’m very comfortable where I am, are you not?” He raises his eyebrows.
“I’m fine, I just wondered how long you’d be able to keep it like that.” I look down to where his still solid cock is rooted inside me.
“As long as I need it to. You don’t exactly make it hard work,” he smirks. “I don’t want any of that cum spilling out and being wasted.” He slides his hands over my thighs, that he’d insisted I hook around his hips.
“I was hoping to get some sleep tonight.” I laugh, and when it jiggles his cock inside me, I feel him stir a little deeper and have to remind myself to breathe
“Then sleep, don’t let me stop you,” he whispers.
“How the hell am I supposed to sleep with you inside me?” I laugh again and, reaching his arms around my back, he forces me to sit up.
“Find a way to get used to it, because I very much like how this feels,” he whispers against my lips before he kisses them.
“Is there any point in me having my own room?” I think out loud.
“I’m sure there will come a time when you will want your space from me.” He backs away slightly, looking sad.
“I don’t know, I’ve found you quite tolerable this evening.” I attempt to be playful to lift his mood, but fail.
“I meant what I said earlier, while you're in my care, I will assure you have everything you need.”
“I know.” I let him see that I have faith in him, taking his face and kissing him again.
“That's the first time you’ve done that,” he points out once I stop.
“Done what?” I question. We’ve kissed far more times than is normal for people who have known each other less than twenty-four hours.
“Kissed me first.” He smiles.
“Well, I was just…You said you wanted us to be friends.”
“I liked it,” he admits. “This is how I’d prefer for our child to be conceived.” He looks down to where his hands are lazily stroking my stomach, again.
“Don’t fall in love with me, Jack,” I warn, because he should realise right from the start that all this can only ever be pretend.
“Don’t you worry about me, princess, there's no chance of that ever happening.” He smiles sadly before kissing me again, and I shake off the feeling of disappointment when he sounds so convincing and starts moving my body against his.
We have a baby to make, after all.
“That was exhausting.” I roll my eyes and flop onto the sofa when I find Jack in the living room on his laptop.
“I thought women were supposed to like shopping.” He laughs, closing it up and giving me his full attention.
“I’m a lost cause, I’m never going to remember all she told me. And I didn’t even look at what she charged your credit card,” I confess.
“And yet you're still wearing the clothes you had on before she came,” he reminds me. I look down and smile apologetically.
“It’s going to take some getting used to. I’m not from this lifestyle, I don’t know the difference between what's right for a luncheon and wrong for dinner. I didn’t even know those two things weren’t the same.”
“Relax, I have just the person who can help you.” He gets up and grabs his keys from the coffee table.
“Where are we going?” I ask as he drags me off the sofa.
“To visit Alex and Olivia Stanley,” he announces as he leads me towards the front door.
“Did they not just have a baby?”
“They did, and considering that the baby was almost delivered on my hallway floor, I think it would be rude of me not to visit and offer my congratulations.” I’m not convinced this is a good idea, but I can see he’s set on it, so I get inside the car when he opens the door for me.
“You know Alex met Olivia in circumstances very similar to ours,” he informs me as he pulls out of the gates and starts driving the long, winding lanes.
“A desperate one?” I shake my head and laugh, wondering why he’s chosen to drive himself today.
“Actually, yes. Alex was going to kill Olivia’s brother.”
I drop my mouth open in shock. Sure, it’s no secret that Alex Stanley lived an eventful life before he took over from his father, but I would never have thought the man capable of murder.
“Oliva offered herself as a sacrifice, and I guess things just progressed from there.”
“So wait, they’re not in love?” I find it hard to believe, you only have to look at the couple to see they adore each other. No one is that good at acting.
“Oh, they’re very much in love. I guess their agreement turned into something they didn’t want to end.
” I notice the way his hand grips the wheel a little tighter.
“We, of course, have no concerns of that happening, but I think it would be helpful for you to have someone to talk to; someone who had to adapt in the same way you will have to over the next year.” He stays focused on the road.
“So am I allowed to tell them about our deal?” I check.
“Like I said, you might find yourself needing someone to talk to, as might I.” The shrug he makes has me wondering if he’s having second thoughts.
What happened between us last night was much more intimate than I intended it to be.
We don’t seem to have any rules in place, and although I’ve never been much good at abiding by them, I feel with this situation we should lay some down.
“You can be honest with Olivia, she’s a good person, and she knows a thing or two about being pregnant,” he chuckles.
It takes a whole hour for us to arrive at the mansion where Alex and Olivia live, and I find myself getting nervous as the huge gates open to let us in.
“I feel awful just turning up, especially when the woman’s just had a baby.” I can’t imagine childbirth is something someone gets over in a few days.
“I texted Alex to say we were coming, and Olivia is fine; she’s looking forward to meeting you,” he assures me, pulling up outside the front door.
“Your Grace.” The doorman lowers his head as he greets us. “Madam.” He offers me the same respect before he’s interrupted by the door flying open and Alex marching out.
“Good to see you.” He shakes Jack’s hand so hard it looks like it might fall off, “And you, Grace. Olivia’s been looking forward to meeting you. Come in.” He has a beam on his face so wide, and the excitement in his tone makes me forget all worries of us intruding.
“Jack, I’d like you to meet my son, Maxwell.” Alex leads us through to his living room, lifting the toddler from the floor to balance him on his hip.
“Pleasure to meet you, Maxwell.” Jack holds out his hand for the little guy to shake, then his smile turns to shock when Alex passes the child over.
“And this is the beautiful Alice.” He leans over the sofa where his wife is sitting, and kisses the top of her head, before lifting their daughter from her arms.
“She really is beautiful.” I smile across at the elated, but exhausted-looking duchess.
“How rude of me, I haven’t introduced the two of you. Olivia, this is Gracie. Gracie, this is my incredible, indestructible wife, Olivia.”
“Pleased to meet you.” I’m careful to avoid the toys on the floor as I step over to shake her hand, and when I see Jack standing awkwardly still holding her son, I try my best not to laugh.
“He’s right, you did a great job.” Jack peers over Alex’s arm to check out the new arrival. “How are you?”
“I’m fine, just grateful we managed to actually make it to the hospital this time.” Olivia looks at her husband.
“I may have broken a few speed limits, but we got there.” He shrugs proudly.
“I’m sure you boys have a lot to talk about. Why don’t you leave me and Gracie to gossip?” Olivia suggests.
“Excellent idea.” Jack quickly offloads the small boy into my arms, while Alex carefully places his little girl back with her mother.
“I’ll have someone bring you some tea,” he promises, before whisking Jack off and leaving me holding the cute, but rather heavy, child.
“You can put him down.” Olivia laughs, clearly seeing how uncomfortable I am. “He’s quite a weight. Here, take a seat.” She taps the space beside her.
“Alex has explained about your situation.” She gets straight to the point, smiling understandingly.
“Jack told me a little about yours, too,” I admit, already feeling comfortable around her; she has such a naturally friendly face and doesn’t seem at all judgy.
“I’m sure you have plenty of questions for me, but I do have one for you.” She rearranges the baby in her arms so she’s facing me.
“After nine months of carrying your child, feeling them move inside you, and wondering what they will look like, are you really going to be able to leave it behind?” she questions with concern.
I look down at the little girl sleeping so peacefully, and smile.
“Without question. Kids have never been part of my plan; my life is far too chaotic for that. As a mother, I don’t expect you to understand me. But I’m strong, I’ve been through a lot. I can sure as hell get through this. Besides, people become surrogates all the time.”
“And surrogates usually receive a lot of counselling before they go through with anything. This is all very sudden. I know that Jack is Alex’s friend, but I want you to be sure before you agree to give something this precious away.” She looks down lovingly at her daughter.
“I’m sure, and I’m going into this with the right mindset. The baby I carry is for Jack; it will never be mine.”
“You don’t have to tell me what you're running away from, but it must be scary. Pregnancy is a hard thing to put your body through, especially when you don’t get the reward at the end.”
“But I will be getting a reward. I’ll have freedom, for me and my girls,” I tell her, taking the block that little Maxwell hands me and smiling at him. I’m not expecting this next year to be easy, but I’ll find a way…. I have to.
“I guess if you're sure, there's nothing more for me to say. No one could have convinced me not to do what I did to save my brother.” Her eyes fill with tears. “I may not have got the results I wanted, but I did get a beautiful family.” She smiles bravely.
“Alex killed your brother,” I blurt out untactfully.
“No, someone else did, but I don’t want to talk about that now, not while I’m feeling so happy and grateful.
” She takes her little boy’s hand and kisses it as he climbs up and wriggles himself between us.
“I want to help you in any way I can. This is a dog-eat-dog world, Gracie, and trust me, I was not prepared for it.”
“You would never think that, you look like a pro,” I assure her.
“I was a mess to start with. I trusted all the wrong people.
“But you do love him, right?” I check.
“Yes, very much. I think I loved him right from the start,” she admits with a huge smile on her face. “Who knows, the same could happen for you and Ja–”
“That won’t be happening.” I cut her off before she can finish. “But I do appreciate any help you can offer me.”