Chapter 23 – You’ve Sunk Me
Grady –
“I can’t believe you’re engaged.”
I look over and Crew raises his beer to his lips as he watches the huddle of women at the bar with their empty bottles of wine scattered about.
Wine “tasting” turned into everyone having a glass and then another. The next thing I knew, Addy closed the place down and brought out platters of food as Evan started popping corks. That’s when the wine tasting turned into a party.
I take a sip of my water and make no comment. Maya and I still haven’t spoken the word engaged out loud, let alone anything else. At this point, I’m just happy she’s still wearing my ring. It’s a step in the right direction, but I’m not about to tell Crew.
“You beat me,” Crew goes on and turns to me. “I’m giving Addison some time—she needs it after what went down with O’Rourke. But we’re getting married in the spring as long as she’s good. She just doesn’t know it yet.”
“Happy for you, man,” I say, because I am. There are times I look back on what we did, when we were in the thick of it. Seems like forever ago, when really it hasn’t even been a year since we officially retired. It seems like another life—a hallucination compared to the last couple months.
“You gonna tell her?” Crew asks.
I sigh and look at my obsession, sitting in the middle of my sisters. Three of them are drunk and cackling up a storm with Addy and her friend Mary, but Raine and Maya haven’t had a drop. They’ve been deep in conversation for some time.
“I’m working on it,” I answer. “Just when I think I have a plan, new shit is thrown at us. The latest being my sisters.”
“I just found out two of them are staying with us at Addison’s since I only have one bed at my old house.” He looks over at me and raises a brow. “You’re welcome.”
“I have no idea how long they’re staying, but at least they all have jobs. They have to leave eventually,” I grumble. “Speaking of jobs, I know Maya’s ex and his family are still a threat, but once that’s under control, I think it’s time for me to come back. I’ve taken too much time as it is.”
“No problem. Whenever you’re ready.”
“I’m ready,” I say firmly. “This time around, I’m all in. I see what you did when you got us out—I’m not taking it for granted again. I’m committed.”
Crew looks to me and nods once before turning back to the women, saying, “It’s time. Time for us to sit back and reap the benefits of doing our duty.”
I lean back in my chair farther and think about the benefits. I’m so ready for the payoff, I can barely stand it.
But first, I know things need to happen and information needs to be shared. And that makes me antsy.
*****
Maya –
I tip my head to the side. “I don’t understand.”
I’ve latched onto Raine since she isn’t drinking and I don’t want to drink, just in case. I’m pretending to be the supportive, non-drinking friend since it’s annoying to be around drunk people.
She gives me a little frown and asks, “Has he started drinking?”
I think back on our time together. “He did a wine tasting here and he took me to a brewery. But now that I think about it, he never had a beer because he was driving. He never finished a drink at my parents’ house, either. I never realized it until you said something.”
“Oh, that’s normal,” she flips out her hand before popping another piece of cheese in her mouth. “He doesn’t have a problem with alcohol, he just doesn’t like it. Given the circumstances, who can blame him?”
I try not to look confused, but I am. “Circumstances?”
She levels her eyes on me. “Yes. Our father.” When she realizes I have no idea what she’s talking about, her eyes get big. “You mean he hasn’t told you about our father yet? How long have you two been together, like a week?”
I shake my head quickly and try to brush her off, even though she’s closer to the truth than she probably realizes. “Since Grady and I met, there’s been a lot going on. You know…” I point to my face and shrug as an explanation. I gave all the Cain sisters the abridged version of what happened this morning at the airport, telling them I have a little issue with an annoying ex-boyfriend.
She nods, thankfully accepting my non-answer as if she understands completely. I’m learning these women have a knack at communicating through a one-way conversation, and even sometimes, telepathy.
“I totally get you.” She dips a cracker in hummus and keeps talking with her mouth full. “I’ll tell you this. None of us would’ve survived our childhood had it not been for Grady. Our dad was a first-class asshole, in the worst way possible. Our mom died soon after Grace was born. I’m not sure why they had so many kids, I was only seven when we lost her. She had breast cancer and since she was either pregnant or nursing for almost a decade, her boobs were in a constant state of flux. She didn’t notice the lump until it was too late. I remember things were good before she died. Or at the very least, they were normal.”
Listening to how they lost their mom at such a young age is heartbreaking.
“That’s kind of when I started remembering things. The other girls barely recall her, they were too young. From then on, things progressively got worse with our dad. He started drinking. The drugs came later, when we were older.”
“That’s awful,” I utter, not knowing what else to say, but also feeling like a heel for not asking Grady more about his family.
“Yeah, we were basically raised by babysitters, and not great ones, either. I don’t remember at what point it eventually got so bad, but he’d come home late and drunk, and take all his aggravations of raising five kids out on us. We couldn’t do anything right. The beatings were bad and Grady usually took the brunt of it.”
“What?” I whisper.
“Yep,” she shrugs as if she’s told the story a million times, which who knows, maybe she has. “When we were little, we all got it. That is until Grady grew as big as him, then the old man couldn’t fuck with us while Grady was standing in the way.”
“Holy shit,” I mumble and look over to Grady sitting across the room with Crew, deep in conversation.
“Grady managed him the last couple of years, but the day he came home to find dad wailing on Grace—that was it. Grace was only nine and so little for her age. Who knows what she did to piss him off that day, but it got to the point where it didn’t matter. When Grady saw that Grace was almost unconscious, he lost his shit. Put dad in intensive care and he never woke up. I’m sure Grady saved Grace’s life that day and took care of our dad for good.”
“That’s how your dad died?”
“Mm-hmm. Best day ever. Grady joined the Army, the girls and I went to live with our aunt and uncle from our mom’s side. Happily ever after.” She pops an olive in her mouth. “You know, I’m gonna gain a gazillion pounds. I’m so hungry, I can’t stop eating.”
I try to keep our conversation going as I process everything she just told me, and try not to sound distant when I offer, “You need to listen to your body, you’re starting the second trimester. The baby is growing a lot.”
Raine smiles big. “I love you already. You just told me to eat whatever I want. You’re awesome.”
I give her a small smile, and almost jump out of my skin when I feel a hand wrap softly around my chin and lift. Grady is standing above me looking down. “Time to go. I need to check your eyes.”
I give him a small smile. His thumb brushes my cheek when he comes down to kiss my forehead.
He looks to Raine. “Can you get the drunks to bed?”
Raine stands from her barstool. “It’s not like I haven’t done it a hundred times before. Besides, we’re going into DC tomorrow to see the sights. You’re not the only person we came to annoy. Abraham Lincoln, here we come.”
“At least he’s sitting so you don’t knock him on his ass,” Grady mutters as he takes my hand and pulls me from my stool.
Raine looks to me and rolls her eyes. “He thinks he’s funny.”
After we say our goodbyes, Grady takes me home. Fifteen minutes ago, I would’ve done anything to go straight to bed, but after Raine told me what she did, I’m very much awake.
*****
Grady –
I hear the water turn off. The moment we hit her small house, she said it had been such a long day, she needed a shower. Before that, she was just plain quiet on the short trip home.
When I hear the bathroom door open, I look up from where I’m sitting on the edge of the bed waiting on her. Her hair is pinned up high and she’s wrapped in a short robe. But my eyes go directly to her hands where she’s sliding my ring back on her finger. All of that, with her eyes on me and coming my way, makes my cock twitch.
When she doesn’t stop, I open my legs and she comes right to me. Her hands come to my bare skin and her eyes follow her touch.
She finally looks into my eyes and her voice is soft. “You haven’t done your exercises in three days.”
I wrap my arms around her waist and run my hands up her back. “I’ve been busy.”
She doesn’t smile, just shakes her head and starts to massage my shoulder with one hand, but otherwise doesn’t move.
“You okay?” I finally ask. The number of things that could be clouding her head are countless.
Her ministrations continue, a touch so light but healing, she’ll never know its significance.
She finally looks into my eyes. “Raine told me about your dad.”
It’s everything I can do not to tense. I do my best to control it, but in an instant, I’m pissed at my sister and worried about what she knows.
I tip my head. “What did she tell you?”
Maya’s hands work their way up my shoulders, neck, and into my hair. She finally looks down into my eyes. “She said you saved Grace’s life.”
I exhale, still not relieved, so I offer, “It was a bad day.”
She leans forward and kisses my forehead, her voice like a feather on my face as she whispers, “Raine said it was the best day ever.”
I narrow my eyes, wondering where this is going. “That’s another way to look at it.”
Her hand comes up, her thumb lightly tracing the scar down my hairline and she whispers, “Grady?”
I run my hands up her back and pull her tight to me, her tits pressed into my neck. My voice is rough when I look up into her eyes to try and figure out what she’s thinking. “Yeah?”
She pauses a long moment and both her hands frame my face, her voice filled with nothing but compassion. “You killed your dad?”
I search her face for something, but all I see is my beautiful Maya. “I did.”
“To save your sister?”
“To save us all.”
“Grady,” she whispers again. “Just when I thought it wasn’t possible to fall deeper, here I am. You’ve sunk me.”
“Baby,” I breathe, and when I do, she dips to kiss me.
Her lips move light over mine, but after the last few moments, wondering what she thinks, how she sees me? I need her.
I put my hands to her waist and pull her to me. She climbs on my lap, putting her knees beside my hips to straddle me, and I get what I have wanted all day.
Her.
I pull the big clip out of her hair and toss it to the floor. I cup her head and take over her kiss, wanting nothing more than to be as close as possible. I reach between us and pull the tie on her robe.
When I dip my hand inside, I become instantly hard. I tear my mouth from hers long enough to push the robe down her shoulders.
She’s completely bare.
Just when I allow my eyes to drag over her body, she interrupts me by reaching for my dick. When she wraps her small hand around me through my boxers, I press into her hold.
She dips her hand inside and I feel her, skin-to-skin.
“I want you, Grady.”
She does. I see it in her eyes. Just when I think there’s nothing more beautiful she can do, she tops it.
With her needy gaze and her hand wrapped around my cock, I can’t wait another second.
“Hold on to me.” I wrap an arm around her waist and stand just enough to push my boxers down.
When I sit back down, she immediately comes up on her knees and sinks down on my cock.
I groan.
Her head falls back with a whimper and she closes her eyes, her fingers digging into my shoulders.
I pull her face to mine and kiss her. “I want nothing but you, baby. For the rest of my life, to have you like this, to be wrapped up in you.”
She opens her eyes, bringing her hands to my face, she lifts right before impaling herself again.
“Baby?” I call for her but reach for her clit while trying to control my breathing.
She doesn’t answer, so I start to play with her and she arches to get more as she fucks herself on me. When her head falls back and her eyes close, I’ve never seen anything more beautiful.
Damn, she’s making this difficult.
“Maya.” I try again. “Baby, you want me to get a condom?”
When she straightens her head, she looks like it’s the most painful thing in the world to pry her eyes open and look at me.
But she doesn’t stop moving.
And I don’t stop circling her clit.
“Maya?”
“I don’t know.” If her eyes tell the truth, she’s conflicted. “Just … don’t stop.”
I give her clit more pressure and I get a little moan as a gift in return. But she also starts to move faster, which does little for my self-control.
“Baby, you keep fucking yourself like this, I’m not gonna be able to stop. I’m okay with it, so you’re gonna have to be the one to say the word.”
Damn if she doesn’t move faster, and I have to take a deep breath. It might help if I could shut my eyes, but there’s no fucking way I can look away from her, not when she’s riding me for the first time and so close to falling apart.
I didn’t lie when I said I was good with going bare. She’s wearing my ring and I don’t plan on her ever taking it off. We make a baby now, that’s just more goodness for us.
Just when I’m thinking about our future, she answers my question. “Please. Oh, please don’t stop now.”
She moves faster, and I rub harder. That does it. She releases a guttural moan and her body tenses.
I pull her down on my dick and hold her there. Her pussy milking my cock is the sweetest feeling I’ve ever had—I want every second of it. And if she keeps moving, I’ll come faster than we can ask if it’s pink or blue.
When she drags her eyes open to look into mine, she starts to move again. Fuck me, I guess I’ll let her, but as much as I’ve enjoyed this, I need more.
I wrap my hands around each globe of her ass and stand. Turning, I put her back to the bed. Picking up her feet to hold her legs high and wide, I really start to fuck her. When I look down, her eyes are on me, her tits moving, and she’s grasping the covers below her.
I feel it in my balls. I’m not sure how much longer I’ll be able to hold on between her tight pussy and looking down as I fuck her. I drop her feet and bend, putting a hand to the bed beside her head. When I lean to kiss her, I pull out and fist my cock as I come all over her stomach, shooting up to her tits.
At this point, we’re a fucking mess, so I give her my weight. We lay here like this until we breathe evenly and I turn to kiss the side of her head. “Pulling out as a form of birth control sucks.”
She starts to laugh and turns to me. “That was my fault.”
I raise my brows and smirk. “Oh, I know that was your fault.”
She puts her hands to my face and tries to keep from smiling. “I’m sorry.”
I shake my head and kiss her again. “I need to clean us up. Hang on, I’ll be right back.”
By the time we’re cleaned up and settled in bed with the lights out, I sigh. “I forgot to check your eyes.”
“Geeze-Louise, it happened hours ago, I’m fine.”
I pull her to me, close my eyes, and decide to give in.
After a few moments of quiet, she whispers, “Grady?”
“Hmm?”
She presses into me tight and announces, “I hate your dad.”
My eyes fly open and stare into the dark.
“I mean, obviously, you hate him, too. But I hate what he did to you and your sisters. I hate that you had to live so many years in that nightmare, and I hardly know any of the details. I hate you had to do what you did to save your sister, but at the same time, I’m grateful you’re the person you are and had the will to do it.”
I roll so I’m facing her and breathe in her soft hair, but say nothing.
“You saved me today, too.”
I look at her through the dark.
She brushes my lips with the tips of her fingers. “Thank you.”
I put my hand to her face, but quickly move it into her hair so as not to hurt her raw skin, before I put my mouth on hers.
When I finally pull away, I kiss her forehead and pull her to me. Not sure I can take more of her words, I whisper, “It’s been a long day. Go to sleep.”
She nods and I feel it against my skin.
A few moments later, just when I think she’s about to drop off, she adds, “And I was serious before. I’ve fallen so deep, there’s no way to find my way back.”
I rub her back. “Baby, the path I’ve walked to get to you? I’m never going back.”
I feel her exhale against me and her body finally releases some of its tension.
Then, for the first time in more than a year, when I close my eyes, my body fully relaxes. And lying next to Maya, who’s wearing nothing but my ring, who just admitted she’s in so deep she doesn’t want to find her way out, and who could be pregnant with my baby, I sleep.
Really, sleep.