Betting on Grace (26 page)

“So you’re not man enough to step up and admit your
feelings for me and Gracie, are you?”

“You know how I feel about you. That’s all that
matters.”

Lane shook his head. “No, actually, I don’t. I know
how I feel about you and Gracie. And you and Gracie know how I feel about the
two of you. But
me
? No, I sit in my bed at night and hope like hell that
you’ll tell me that you love me.” Darting his head around, he pinned Gracie
with a look. “That
you’ll
tell me.” Jerking back, Lane came face-to-face
with Grant once again. “That doesn’t happen for me. I go through each fucking
day wishin’ like hell that at least one of you would acknowledge your feelings
for me.”

Lane was having a hard time breathing. He had promised
himself that he would never call either of them out on their feelings. He had
tried to convince himself that when they were ready, they would tell him, and
that would be enough.

It wasn’t enough.

Lane was tired of waiting to hear the words. And now
that Darrell was going to blackmail Grant, he didn’t expect to hear them any
time soon, if ever.

Storming off, Lane went to the couch and yanked on his
boots, his face heating from the fury still slicing him into a million pieces.
Still shirtless, Lane decided to take his chances. He made his way across the
room, not bothering to look at Gracie or Grant. He had to push past Grant, but
he got to the door.

He sent up one last silent prayer, begging God to let
one of them stop him.

They didn’t.

As Lane stepped out onto the front porch, the sound of
the coyotes howling in the distance had him stopping. He wanted to yell, to
scream to the top of his lungs about how unfair it all was.

But he didn’t.

No, Lane took a deep breath and stepped off the porch,
wondering if he’d just lost the two best things he’d ever had. And it didn’t
help one fucking bit that he knew it wasn’t his fault.

The pain in his heart didn’t seem to care.

■□■□■□■□

Grace was speechless as she watched Lane walk out the
front door, his big shoulders slumped as though he’d just been beaten down. She
was tempted to run after him, but she didn’t. For whatever reason, her feet
were glued to the floor.

Had he really been waiting for them to tell him how
they felt? Had she really not told him that she loved him? Because she did.
Love them, that is. There was no doubt about that. She loved
both
of
them.

Grace peered up into Grant’s eyes. And if Lane had looked
defeated, Grant looked as though the world had just crumbled down around him
and there was no one left.

“You can’t give in, you know,” she finally said when
the silence became too much to bear.

“I have to,” he replied, making his way across the
room. “I don’t have any other choice. And it’s the only way that I can protect
you and Lane.”

Grace watched as Grant picked up her clothes, stacking
them on the arm of the recliner.

“And just how do you think that’s protectin’ us?” she
argued, her anger growing exponentially.

“What do you think your dad’s gonna say when he finds
out, huh?”

“I don’t care what he says,” she lied.

“You do care, Gracie.”

Yes, she did care what her father said. She didn’t
want him to do something rash, but she knew that he’d never reacted badly when
it came to her or her sisters dating someone. Not that they let him in on their
little secrets that often, but the man wasn’t a hermit. He was a very important
part of the ranch, and he spent his days out in the sun with the rest of them.
Jerry knew what was going on even if he didn’t admit it.

Not that she thought he knew about her threesome with
Lane and Grant.

No, Grace suspected he knew about her and Grant,
especially after the little scene in her father’s office just a couple of hours
ago. It had been that moment when Grace had decided it was time to stand up for
what she wanted.

But letting her father know that she was there for
Grant as more than a friend had been the least of her worries. What she feared
was how he’d react when he found out that she loved both of these men equally.
But she couldn’t back down from it. She couldn’t allow some crazy guy to waltz
in and take all of that away from her.

“Fine. I care. But this is somethin’ that I can explain
to him. I just need to find the right time.”

“Don’t you get it?” Grant moved closer to her. “There
isn’t gonna be a right time. Once your father finds out, he’s gonna fire me. Or
worse, he’s gonna fire Lane. I can’t let that happen.”

“What are you talkin’ about?” she asked indignantly.
Her father would never stoop so low as to fire someone because he was dating
one of his daughters.

“Remember Garrett Daniels?” Grant questioned.

“Of course I remember him. That asshole was a psycho!”

“What? You think he was a psycho because he wanted to
stand up to your father? He wanted to be with Trinity.”

Grace laughed, but it sounded more like a strangled
cough. “Garrett was a rapist, Grant! He didn’t want to stand up for anyone.
That was the rumor he started when my father fired his ass for tryin’ to hurt
my sister!”

Grant’s eyes widened, and that’s when Grace realized
he truly believed her father had no regard for anyone other than himself.

“I can’t believe you,” Grace whispered. “You don’t
think highly of anyone, do you, Grant? You really think my father would do
that?”

“I… I thought… Even Faith believes that,” Grant
stuttered.

“We tried to keep that from Faith. Hell, we tried to
keep it from
everyone
. Trinity was messed up after that. And Dallas
threatened to kill Garrett. Why would we want that sort of shit running rampant
at the ranch?” Grace realized she had her hands on her hips and she was facing
off with Grant, growing angrier with each passing second.

He was shaking his head, and Grace didn’t know if it
was because he didn’t believe her or he didn’t want to hear what she had to
say. Either way, she was done with this conversation. Snatching her clothes
from where he had laid them so neatly, Grace headed to the bathroom to get
dressed. She needed a minute … or twenty … just to calm her frantic heartbeat.

By the time she was dressed, Grace exited the bathroom
feeling less than stellar. Her heart was still pounding, and she was actually
upset at Grant. Not to mention, she was worried about Lane. Unfortunately, she
couldn’t do anything about the latter, aside from a text message, because
showing up at the bunkhouse in the middle of the night, looking like she’d been
rode hard and put away wet would only cause a stir. Something she didn’t want
to do right now.

At least not until morning.

As she moved through the living room, she realized
that Grant wasn’t there. Turning slightly, she saw that his bedroom door was
closed. Was that a sign that she should show herself out?

Frustration had her throat working overtime as she
tried to swallow past the lump that had formed there. Tears burned the back of
her sinuses, but she refused to cry. He was the one who was being a big dummy
where his father was concerned.

Yuck!

The memory of looking up to see that man standing
there staring at her made her want to vomit. She had been so engrossed in the
moment that she hadn’t even realized he was there. There was no telling how
long he had stood there, watching them.

Rather than dwell on the disastrous night, Grace
decided she’d had enough. Without bothering to let Grant know she was leaving,
Grace marched right out the door and didn’t stop until she was walking into her
own cabin a few minutes later. By that time, her frustration had morphed into
heartache, and she was fighting the tears fiercely.

She feared she was going to lose the battle, and she
refused to do that. She would not give Grant’s asshole father any of her tears.
She would not let him do this to her.

Maybe she wasn’t ready to waltz up to her father and
share the good news that she was in love with two cowboys, but she wasn’t going
to let anyone come between her and the men she loved. No one.

One thing she could guaran-damn-tee … Darrell Kingsley
might be a betting man, but he had another thing coming if he thought he had
won this round. The man might have high hopes, but she was almost positive he
hadn’t been betting on her standing up for what she wanted.

That was a bet he would
never
win.

Grant tossed and turned for the better part of an hour,
but he couldn’t get to sleep. Even after taking a shower, hoping the cool water
would help to calm his frazzled nerves, he couldn’t keep his eyes closed. The
events of the night riddled his brain. God, how had things gotten so out of
control? So much so that he’d let Gracie walk out of his house without so much
as a good-bye?

Tossing his legs over the edge of the bed, Grant
leaned his elbows on his knees and ran his hands through his hair.

He had to fix this.

There was no way he’d ever be able to sleep again if
he let things fall apart like this. He was to blame because his father was an
asshole, and yet, he’d somehow turned this around on Gracie and Lane.

There wasn’t much he could do about Lane because the
man wasn’t answering the text that Grant had sent an hour ago. Since Lane was
at the bunkhouse, Grant couldn’t very well go after him, because barging in
there would look suspicious.

But he could go to Gracie.

With his decision made, Grant grabbed his jeans,
yanking them on, and then snagged a T-shirt out of his dresser as he made his
way to the living room. His boots were on the floor where he’d left them
earlier, so he pulled them on, his head spinning from all of the things he
wanted to say to Gracie.

Not wanting to waste any more time, Grant headed out,
opting to go on foot so that the sound of his truck’s engine wouldn’t wake
anyone at the ranch. Nor did he want anyone to see him parked in front of
Gracie’s at that time of night. More for her benefit than anything else.

Or so he told himself.

He rapped his knuckles on her front door several times
before, finally, the door opened, and there she stood, barefoot and beautiful,
wearing the T-shirt he’d discarded earlier.

“Hey,” he greeted, expecting her to slam the door in
his face.

“Hey,” she replied, pushing the screen door gently
open.

Grant took the invitation and followed her inside.

What was he supposed to say now? All of the things
he’d intended to tell her had vanished from his mind like smoke on a windy day.

When Gracie flipped on the lamp in the living room and
turned to face him, Grant’s heart seized up right there in his chest.

She’d been crying. Her eyes were puffy; her nose was
red. She looked like she might’ve been asleep, but he still had to wonder.

Unable to say anything, Grant took several steps
forward and reached for her, pulling her into his arms. The sound of her sobs
broke his heart into a million pieces.

“I’m so sorry, Gracie. So damn sorry,” he whispered
into her hair.

Grant held her for several minutes, the warmth of her
body settling something inside of him.

When she pulled back, looking up at him, Grant knew
then and there that no one in the world mattered more to him than Gracie. Well,
no one other than Lane. He would go to the ends of the earth to make them both
happy.

“I lov—”

“Don’t say it,” Gracie interrupted, placing her
fingers over Grant’s lips. “Not right now. Not after all that happened
tonight.”

“But—”

“No buts, Grant. I know how you feel, don’t think that
I don’t. But right now, things are too mixed up. I don’t want you saying
somethin’ you might regret later.”

They were both silent for a minute, maybe two. Or
hell, maybe it was just a second. Grant didn’t know. The only thing he knew was
that he wanted to wrap this woman in his arms and never let her go. When she
moved back into him, her arms sliding around his waist, Grant gave in to the
emotion, holding her tight but trying not to crush her.

“I want to stay here tonight,” he mumbled.

Gracie didn’t respond with words, but he felt the nod
of her head against his chest. The next time she pulled away, Gracie took his
hand and led him to her bedroom. His heart was pounding like a bass drum in his
chest, painfully hard, as he fought the emotion bubbling up inside of him. He
wasn’t the type of man to cry or to give in to the feelings that were suddenly overwhelming
him, but he knew it was pointless to try.

So much had happened in the last few hours, and Grant
only knew one thing. What he felt for this woman superseded anything he’d ever
felt for anyone other than Lane.

Grant’s intentions were entirely altruistic, but that
was before he climbed into bed with Gracie after discarding his clothes. Had
she kept the T-shirt on, he might’ve been able to cuddle up against her and
ignore the raging hard-on that was always prominent whenever she was near. But
no… Gracie pulled the shirt over her head and tossed it onto the floor before
crawling up against Grant.

She smelled like flowers, the scent of her shampoo
like a soothing balm to his rioting nerves. Her fingers were soft as they
caressed his chest, her leg silky where she rested hers over his. At that
moment, even with all of the chaos from the day, Grant found himself relaxing,
his eyes closing.

Despite the throbbing between his legs, Grant managed
to drift off to sleep, but that didn’t last long, because he next thing he
knew, his eyes were open, and he was looking at the woman still lying beside
him. Gracie was awake, her eyes open as she watched him. Unable to resist,
Grant leaned forward, pressing his lips to hers until the only thing he knew
was the warmth of Gracie’s lips against his.

Rolling over her, Grant knelt between her thighs,
holding his weight above her as he rested on his elbows, his hands cradling her
head. He wanted to touch her everywhere, to align their bodies so that they
were one.

“Gracie.” Grant whispered her name, the emotions once
again crashing into him like a tsunami. It wasn’t just the passion of her kiss
or the softness of her hands as they slid over his back. This woman made him
burn, she made him ache, and she made him want more than just a passionate
moment. He wanted her forever.

He lifted his head to look down at her, smiling as he
did. “I love you, Gracie,” he whispered, getting the words out before she could
quiet him. “I am so sorry for everyth—”

Well, he didn’t manage to get the rest of his sentence
out before she crushed her mouth to his, pulling him to her until he was
practically crushing her beneath him. His cock slid through her slick folds,
and he wanted nothing more than to bury himself in her heat, to take her, skin to
skin, right there in her bed.

“Make love to me, Grant,” Gracie whispered, sliding
her hands into his hair.

He nodded his head, eager to agree. But when he
reached toward the bedside table, Gracie stopped him, her legs wrapping around
his hips and holding him in place.

“Just us. I want to feel you,” she added.

Grant’s chest heaved with what was left of that
emotional buildup, and if he wasn’t mistaken, there were tears forming in his
eyes. Unwilling to be a fucking pansy, he inhaled sharply, forcing a smile even
though his damn jaw wobbled with the effort.

Gracie must’ve realized he needed some assistance,
because she reached between them and wrapped her smooth fingers around his
shaft, making him suck in air. All emotion fled as the sensation of her hand
around his dick took over. But then there was heat…

Slick, molten heat and he was sliding into her, his
breath lodged in his throat, his eyes trained on hers.

“Oh, God, Gracie,” he murmured, the words rushing out
of him as the overwhelming pleasure of her body consumed him.

“Love me, Grant,” Gracie whispered, pulling his head
to hers until their mouths aligned.

Grant tried to focus on the kiss, tried to ignore the
way his balls drew up against his body, the intense sensations ripping through
him. They were skin to skin, and he’d never felt anything like it. Nothing
quite so exquisite, so all-consuming as being buried balls-deep inside of
Gracie’s pussy with nothing between them.

“Baby,” Grant groaned against her mouth, needing air,
needing … something. “You feel so good … so tight … so warm.”

Gracie shifted her hips, driving up against him, and
Grant was overcome with the sheer intensity of being inside her. Unable to hold
himself back, he pulled his elbows in closer to her, sandwiching her between
his arms as he stared down into her beautiful face, his hips thrusting forward,
pulling back. He focused on the sensation, sliding into her, withdrawing. Over
and over until sweat was beading on his forehead and they were both panting.

“Grant… Oh, yes…”

Gracie’s soft moans were undoing him, but the last
thing Grant wanted was for this to end.

■□■□■□■□

Grace was doing her best not to lose complete control,
not wanting this moment to end. Not yet. Not when Grant was opening himself up
so completely. His whispered “I love you” had made her heart swell, but the way
he was looking at her, the emotion she could see even in the dim light of the
room, told her so much more.

For the first time in the last few months, Grant
wasn’t holding back. He wasn’t shielding himself. Grace knew he was just as
overwhelmed as she was, and it wasn’t just from the blinding, exquisite
sensation of having him inside her bare.

That was incredible, there was no doubt about it, but
the emotion that was involved, that was more than she’d ever expected.

Slipping her fingers through his hair, Grace smiled up
at Grant as he continued to thrust into her, his rhythm slow and sweet, unlike
most of the times they were together when they would allow the excitement of
the moment take over. They were making love, and Grace had never known anything
quite like it.

Truthfully, Grace felt so much emotion from Lane. The
man was an open book, and he shared every feeling, every desire. But with
Grant… He kept himself closed off. And tonight, when she’d been lying in her
bed, reliving the horror show from earlier, Grace had wondered if Grant kept
himself locked up tight because of his home life growing up.

Whatever it was, she was beyond moved that he was
opening up to her now.

“I love you,” she whispered, moaning softly as he
drove deeper. “Grant, oh… It feels … so… good.”

Too good. Grace wasn’t going to last much longer; her
orgasm was cresting, getting ready to break free and crash through her. She had
to wonder whether or not she was going to survive something like this. This was
more than sex, more than an intense climax… This was emotional overload and…

“Oh, God, Grant!” Grace’s orgasm overwhelmed her, her
legs locking around him as she held him to her.

“That’s it, baby. Come for me,” Grant said, his tone
soft and low. “Gracie … baby…”

Grace hadn’t even begun to come down from the
overwhelming force when Grant’s body stilled, his cock pulsing inside her, his
breaths slamming in and out of his lungs in a rhythm that matched her own.

A few minutes later, with the sweat cooling on their
bodies, Grace still didn’t want to move. Grant was sliding out of her, the disappearing
warmth of his body leaving her chilled. She watched as he disappeared from the
room, returning a moment later with a washcloth that he used to clean her
before disappearing once again.

The next time he returned to the bed, Grace was eager
to settle against him, already missing the strong feel of his body.

“I love you, Gracie,” Grant whispered several minutes
later as Grace lay with her head resting on his arm, her leg protectively lying
over his leg. “I love you more than you’ll ever know.”

“I love you, too,” she responded, feeling the sudden
tensing of his muscles. He must’ve thought she was asleep. “And don’t worry,
we’ll get through this. I’ll make sure of that.”

With that final statement, Grace drifted off, feeling
more content than she had in some time. The only thing missing was Lane, and
although she desperately wished he were there, she knew that she and Grant had
needed this.