Falling Into Grace (16 page)

“I’m not interested in talking about her, and you know this, Hannah.” He allows me to have my space, but he keeps his hands on my hips. Control freak!

“You should be she is your girlfriend. I’m working, Grant. I have no desire to mix work and pleasure. I thought you would have gotten
that hint already. I believe I slapped you once before, didn’t I? Or do I have to do that again?” I have to stick to my game plan of walking away. I push his hands off me.

“This is what I mean. You’re not afraid of me.” He places his hands on me again, and I try to block out the connection I feel.

“Mr. Grace, I have no reason to fear you. You are my patient’s son. Nothing more, nothing less.” I push him away finally and start to open the door.

“Well, maybe something more.” His hand touches my back and slides up to the back of my neck. He takes a step closer.

“Really? You’re going to do this with your girlfriend in the next room? Do I need to slap you? Carla would really wonder now, wouldn’t she?” I snap at him. He just smiles at me.

“Well, stop talking to me like that; it turns me on,” he says, grinning at me.
He is so arrogant
, I think.

“Oh, get over yourself,” I say as I open the door. Carla is hovering outside. When I walk out, she gets in my face.

“I hope you enjoyed your job while it lasted,” she snarls at me.

“Good night, Hannah.” Grant is leaning in the doorway with a smirk on his face. Carla turns around and glares at him, then me.

“Good night, Grant.” I look over to bitch face. “Carla.” I give her my sweetest smile and walk away. I hear her high heels clicking behind me, then her hand is on my arm. I shake my arm out of her hold and turn around.

“I don’t know who you think you are, but—”she snaps, but suddenly Grant is between us.

“I’m sorry, Carla, I don’t know what you are talking about,” I say. “I don’t think I’m the one with the problem.” She starts to speak, but Grant shuts her down.

“Jesus, Carla, can you just shut the fuck up?” He is getting angry with her. I take that as my opportunity to leave, and walk away. God, this family is so fucked up. I can hear her high-pitched shrills as I walk away. Why did I come here again?

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

A
s I walk into the living room, I see Aiden. He is on the couch by himself. I look around and see no one else; everyone must have left.

“Hey, you,” he says. I meet his eyes and instantly feel relaxed.

“Hey. I have to go and check on your mom,” I say, standing in front of him.

“I’ll go with you.” I follow him through the house. Addy is walking out the door to Mrs. Grace’s bedroom as we reach it.

“She just laid down. Rose will be watching over her tonight,” Addy says as she closes the door.

“I thought I would just check on her,” I say as I step closer to the door.

“Hannah, honey, you are off the clock,” she says as she looks at her watch. I just stand there looking at her, confused.

“The nurse will be taking nights. Mrs. Grace said you should relax. It’s been a long day for everyone.” I shrug my shoulders, mutter “Ok”, and head back to the living room. I glance at my watch and see it’s almost eleven. Today has gone by so fast. It’s never a dull moment when you are around the Graces.

“Come sit with me for a while,” I hear Aiden say. I sit down and pull my legs close to my chest as I look over at Aiden. He looks tired, but still amazingly beautiful.

“So what are your plans for this weekend?” I ask as I turn to face him better.

“I’m staying here tonight and some of tomorrow, then Grant is taking over till Sunday night. Then John will do a night, then Shane. This way she isn’t alone…even though she isn’t alone.” I like that they are all so good to their mother. I remember my mom telling me when I was younger that you can tell how good a man will treat a woman by how good he treats his mother. All of them treat their mother so well. I wonder how they treat their women. Is the saying true?

“It’s nice that all of you are willing to help out.” As I trace the seam on the couch cushion, his hand covers mine, which makes me look up into those eyes.

“She is our world. Without her we have nothing.” His voice is a little sad. I wonder if this is how Hunter and Ella will feel when they get older. I look out the window at the rain starting to fall.

“You have each other,” I say quietly.

“Hannah, can I ask you a personal question?”

“I guess.” I don’t know where this is going, but I just sit still as his thumb strokes my thumb.

“How did he die?” he asks. I look up at him and want to cry all of a sudden. I keep tracing the seam on the cushion as I take deep breaths. We sit in silence for a while, and he doesn’t push me to talk. How the hell does he know?

“My father died in a boating accident. He left to go sailing and never came back.” He looks down at his hands, which are now tangled together.

“I’ll never forget the sound of my mother’s voice when the coast guard called. It haunts me still to this day.” His head is hung low. I wonder how painful this is for him to relive. Will Hunter think this way? Will the moment I told him about Chase’s death replay in his head like it does mine? I slip my hand into his and shift closer to him on the couch. It starts to rain harder, and the sound soothes both of us.

“Chase was in a building doing a final inspection when he was shot.” That’s all I can get out. The tears swell in my eyes, and a large
lump blocks my throat, making it hard to breathe or swallow. He looks over at me and takes my face in his hands. He kisses my hair, bringing me close to his chest.

“I never said good-bye to him that morning. The kids didn’t see him the night before; they never got a good-night kiss.” I start to choke up, and he pulls me tighter as if he is going to make it all better.

“They will remember him. I remember my father—every detail of his face and the sound of his voice. As a child, whenever I heard a car drive up in to the driveway, I would run to the window, thinking it was his car. They will never forget him, I promise you.” He lays a gentle kiss on my forehead. The room lights up from the lightning outside.

“I hope not. I feel like he is slipping away from me. I think I can remember his voice, but I don’t know anymore.” I sit up and get distance from him and suddenly feel stupid for sharing too much. “I think I’ll head up to bed,” I say, looking at him through my cloudy, teary eyes.

“You know your eyes turn aqua when you cry? They look beautiful.” He slides his knuckles over my cheeks, wiping the tears from my face. I take his hand in mine and open it so it cups my face. I lean into his hand, holding it close to my face. He gently strokes my cheek with his thumb. We stay in silence for a moment, before I take his hand in mine, give it a squeeze, and then walk away from him, heading to my room.

I go right into the shower and stand there, hoping all the emotions will get washed away by the water. I replay our conversation and how he touched me. Everything he did was to comfort me, not to hit on me, unlike Grant. As I step out of the shower, I get dressed in my pajamas without drying myself off. I brush my hair towel dry it fast and feel a magnetic pull to go outside and watch the storm.

The storm is in full force as I walk onto the porch. I stand at the railing, feeling the cool rain trickle onto my fingers. The feeling gives me chills deep in my soul, as if the rain is cleansing me. I pull my hand back and dry it on my pajama pants. The night sky is filled with
shooting lines going in all different directions. The brightness of the lightning nearly blinds me, making me hold my hand up.

I settle down into a large Adirondack chair. I can feel the dampness of the chair under me, but I want to sit and watch Mother Nature’s show. The rain pours down harder and its glorious sound fills my ears. I sit and stare, then I catch a shadow out of the corner of my eye. It’s Aiden on the other side of the porch, and he has been watching me. I watch him slowly get up and walk over to me. Our eyes don’t leave each other. I’m sitting with my knees to my chest, and he stops when he reaches me. He puts his hands out. His caring hands with much promise behind them. I feel my heart starting to pound. I take his hands and he stands me up, pulling me close to him. I’m automatically consumed by him. I don’t think I could pull away even if I tried.

He takes my hand, places it over his heart. His hands slide around to my lower back, pulling me closer to him, as if we are melting into each other. I can feel his heartbeat under my hand. I rest my head on his chest and wrap my arms around him tight. We start to slow dance to the sound of the rain. He rests his chin on the top of my head. The lump is back in my throat.

“Let go,” he whispers in my ear.

I have to let go. I know I do, but I’m afraid. I promised myself I would never fall in love again. I don’t want to get hurt again, and I don’t want the kids to get hurt again. I convinced myself months ago that I was the black widow, and that any man I fall in love with will die. I take a deep breath, push the thought out of my head, and urge myself to relax. We just stand and sway for what feels like hours. His hands start to wander, as do mine. He takes control, slowly kissing my bottom lip; my lips part, and he fills my mouth. He tastes like cherries again, and it makes me smile. His hands surround my face and make their way in my hair. I move mine to his face, and in one motion he picks me up. I wrap my legs around him. Our breathing is getting faster, and our hands are everywhere. I let out a small moan, and he pulls away, looking intensely at me.

“I like that sound.” He looks sexy as hell. I nip his chin, and he kisses me deeper, invading every part of my mouth. He glides his teeth over my bottom lip and I can feel the energy whirling around us. I have no control, and I’m sure I would do just about anything with him right now. He pulls back and looks at me again.

“You are so beautiful.” I’m lost in his words. I have never had any man say this to me except Chase.

“So are you,” I say, but my voice cracks. I’m under his spell, and I don’t think I want to get out. He sits me on the railing. I know I’m on the second story, but I have no fear being in his arms. I draw my legs tighter around him, forcing him closer to me. His hands slip down my shoulders, over my breasts, and linger at my sides. He tips my chin up so I’m looking at him. Then he parts from me, helping me off the railing. He backs up and sits in the chair. He lowers me onto his lap, and I sit, obeying his every move. I rest my head on his muscular chest. For the first time in a long time, I feel safe, protected. I let go…and relax. He leans his chin on my head, and runs his fingers up and down my thigh while he kisses my hair. The rain is still falling, and the sound is like a soft song, I just lie on him, letting go.

“Hey, sleepyhead,” I hear in the distance. I’m still in my peaceful dream, and it is heavenly. I open my eyes and realize it isn’t a dream. I’m really here with him. I snuggle into him. It’s like he knows what I need, and is doing everything he can to give it to me. He kisses my lips softly and runs his fingertips along my jawline. I look over the railing and realize the rain has stopped and the sun is starting to rise. Orange and pink line the horizon. It is beautiful, and I’m happy to have this moment with him, here in his strong arms. I sit up and straddle him. A grin appears on his lips. I pull myself close so my warmth is on top of his hardness. He pulls me closer, pushing his hips up into me. We slowly get into a rhythm. Our mouths meet again, and it’s filled with passion. I hear a growl from deep in his throat. I pull away from him and look into his eyes. The blue oasis that I could get lost in forever.

“You like that?” I steal the line that he used on me in the stairwell. He just nods, looking into my eyes. His hands rock my hips so we are
grinding each other. I feel myself fill with pleasure. If I don’t stop…I need to stop; this is wrong on so many levels. I’m caring for his mother.
This is so unprofessional
, the angel on my shoulder scolds me, but the devil me tells me…
Fuck it, go for it
! I deserve it, all of it. I shift back and he pulls me back in.

“Don’t stop. Let go. I’ll catch you.” He stands me up, and slowly slides my pants down my legs, tapping each ankle for me to lift my foot. My hands find their way to his shoulders for support. His hands caress up my calves, then his fingers whisper up the inside of my thighs. My head falls back from the sheer pleasure. I feel his hands leave my skin, and a small whimper escapes my lips. I look down at him and the sexual tension builds. I watch as he unbuttons his jeans and takes his long, thick hardness into his hands. I stare in shock as I watch him pumping himself with his hand. I find this very erotic, it’s unlike anything I have ever experienced before. We make eye contact and I swear I am going to come just by watching him pleasure himself. His other hand coaxes me to again straddle his lap.

“Come here, baby.” When I feel his hot skin rub against mine, I have to close my eyes. I haven’t been with anyone else since Chase and a part of me is scared. My body is humming with euphoric sensations, but it’s my mind that’s holding me back. I have to let go of the guilt I carry; I need to let go of Chase.

“Hannah, open your eyes.” Opening my eyes, I focus on Aiden’s. I look into his ocean blue eyes and let all of my insecurities slowly fall away. He licks across my bottom lip, before he sucks on it. “Mmm...” I moan. “I want you so much,” he groans. The crinkle of the foil lets me know this is happening. His hands make quick work, then wrap around my waist to help guide me. My sensations are on over drive. Aiden set off every alarm in my body without me knowing. One minute we are gently rocking into each other, and the next, we are ripping each other’s clothes off as if we aren’t close enough. He pulls my shirt off, throwing it behind him, as he looks deep into my eyes, and my heart instantly begins to pound.

“You’re like Christmas morning,” he whispers. “I can’t get you unwrapped fast enough.” Our naked bodies are pressed against each other. Every time he enters me, I moan with need. I throw my head back and let his delicious rhythm keep pushing me towards the edge. He teases me with hot kisses on my breasts. His slow thrusts are my undoing. I begin to feel the first wave crash over me. It hits me hard, and I try not to scream out of pure pleasure. I pull myself to his neck and begin to bite it. First gently, then hard. It only makes the waves crash longer. I finally let go of everything, and find myself floating in pure bliss.