Lincoln couldn’t believe his eyes. Ginger and Grace looked like bookends, and they were stunning together. Not that they weren’t apart, but when they stood side by side like they were now, he couldn’t think beyond the exquisiteness.

“Holy shit, Lincoln, please tell me that the one in white isn’t seeing anyone.” He glanced at Mark and asked why. “Because, my dear friend, she’s my mate.”

“No way.” Mark nodded and looked like a man who had been given all his Christmas gifts early. “She’s not, but has two children and has had a rough time lately.”

Lincoln told him briefly as they posed for pictures what had happened. Mark listened and asked a few questions, like was the guy taken care of. After telling him about that, he told him that she was as fragile as a rose and could be just as thorny when pushed.

“I’ll take care of her. And I will go easy too. I can’t even imagine what she’s gone through and come up on the other side of it. That shows you how smart and brave she is.” Lincoln knew that he would too.

Mark wasn’t a dragon but a tiger, like Garrett. That was how he’d met him. He knew some about the other man, but not enough to form an opinion one way or the other. Lincoln decided to talk to Garrett when things settled down at tonight.

They took separate cars to the opening. It wasn’t like they’d fit in the limo anyway. So, as they were driving over, he told Grace what Mark had said about Ginger.

“If he hurts her, what happened to Walton will be nothing compared to what I do to him. I’ll hire Winnie if I need to. I’m to understand that she has some experience in making people suffer.” He looked at her then back at the road.

“You’ve become quite protective over the last few days.” Grace asked what he meant. “This morning I was holding Wendall and you told me if I dropped him you’d do the same to me from the top of the house. Then when we were in the hallway, you tied my tie too tight and told me that you’d see me hanged if I stepped out on you.”

“That would be the muse. She’s really aggressive in getting what she wants.” She laughed and told him she’d have a talk with her. “I don’t think she has had a good relationship with men. But she does have an eye for art. We’re working on a scene now that is going to be epic. I am excited.”

He had long since given up on trying to figure out why she had this other person inside of her that spoke to her when she was working. When she talked about them, it was as if they were real, someone that she had to listen to or the painting was all wrong. He’d been watching her one day, while she’d been in the studio, and heard her talking with the muse or whoever was guiding her. And it was the strangest thing he’d ever witnessed. It was like listening to a phone conversation and not knowing what was being said on the other end of the call.

The gallery was empty when they got there. Lincoln walked around with Grace to see how the paintings looked now that they were in this setting. The large painting was front and center, and he had an idea that there was going to be a great deal of talk about it when people arrived. The sold sign on it was small, but the price that had been paid was still visible. His brother had gotten a great piece.

“The newspaper is here. And two news vans. I didn’t call them.” Garrett was apologetic but excited too. “They’ll bring you to the front of every art critic in the world, I bet. And they’ll all love you after tonight.” Grace squeezed tighter on his arm. “The photographer was here earlier, and took some snaps of all the smaller ones, but said he’d have to return to get the large one. He didn’t have the right lens or something.”

“He told me when he left. I didn’t even know that you could change out the lens on a camera to make it wide. I don’t have a lot to do with cameras unless you count my phone. And most of those pictures are of my niece and nephew.” Garrett laughed, and Lincoln saw Mark speaking to Ginger.

Mark wasn’t having an easy time of it. And after talking to Garrett about him, Lincoln wasn’t worried about Ginger any longer. The man, apparently, had a heart of gold, and he had money. That had been something else that had worried Lincoln, someone coming along to take her for a ride. Garrett assured him that Ginger was Mark’s mate—he could smell it on them.

“What does that mean?” Grace, in her muse mode again, asked Garrett, and he took a step back. Lincoln explained. “I’m sorry. I’m trying to keep her under control, but she wants me to paint. What do you mean, you can smell it on them? Please?”

“He touched her at some point. I don’t mean sexually, though that scent would be stronger if they had. But once they did, skin to skin, they were both marked. Cats are very territorial, and he had to make sure that no one else poached on his woman.” Grace cocked a brow at Garrett, who laughed. “You are adorable when you’re all protective. But you don’t have to worry about Mark. He’s one of the best men I know, besides the Mannings.”

“She’s been through a great deal. Ginger doesn’t need some dick trying to horn in on her life and take it over. She’s just getting to the point where she’s making decisions about her own life. If he takes that from her, I’m going to make him into a dickless wonder.” Garrett told her that her muse was showing again. “No, that was all me. I love Ginger, and she’s all the family that I want to have anything to do with besides Lincoln’s. Mark better not fuck this up.”

“No, I can assure you that he won’t.” Garrett said he had to check on some things and left them standing there. Lincoln took her into his arms and kissed her head.

“You’re scaring the nice man, Grace.” She looked at him with an impish smile. “Oh, I see. That was the goal. And what do you have planned now that we’re semi alone?”

“We’re going to help Mark.” He asked her how they were going to do that. “We’ll go talk to them and convince my sister that she is as good as married to the man. Just let me handle it.”

“Will it be you, or the muse? I’m sort of worried about this one if you want the truth. You’re all mean and murderous. I’d almost be afraid to see you if you were able to shift into something.” She laughed and told him she was fine. And so was he. “And Mark? Will he be all right with you in your current mood?”

“I don’t know. Why don’t we go find out?”

Lincoln went with her, but he didn’t let go of her arm. He was going to protect them both if he could. But this muse was very odd. He wondered what sort of paintings would come out of it. Laughing, all he could imagine was bondage and whips.

“Hello, you must be Mark. I’ve heard all about you.” He shook her hand and congratulated her on the show. “I’ve been working toward this my whole life, I think. My sister has been my biggest supporter. I’m very protective of her.”

“I have no intentions of hurting her.” He looked at Ginger as he continued. “I was just telling her about myself and why I’m being such a pest. She said that Garrett explained about mates and things with a cat.”

“I’m not sure this is a good thing.” Lincoln asked Ginger why not. “I’m sort of sour on men, if you know what I mean. So far, I’ve had two children by two very abusive men. I can’t handle anything more right now.”

“I understand. I do. I’m not sure what has happened to you. Lincoln told me a little, but you must be very strong. You came out of those relationships a better person than I would have, I think.” She asked Mark why he’d say that. “My parents were very abusive. Not the same thing, I know, but they ended up killing my little brother with their abuse, and nearly did the same to me. I was lucky that someone came along and rescued me. Garrett’s family took me in when my parents were killed by the leap for what they did.”

“I’m so sorry. That must have been horrific as a child.” He told Ginger that it had been worse losing his little brother. “I don’t know what I’d do without Grace. She’s been my rock for so long that I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her.”

“Yes, I understand that as well.”

Lincoln thought they were getting closer and pulled Grace away to talk to her. She was all right with them, it seemed to him, so it wasn’t really any kind of effort to get her to come with him.

“They’re starting to line up. The newspaper is already here and wants to know if they can interview you.” She looked at Lincoln when Garrett asked. “He can come along too. I love that you hold onto him when you think you’re in over your head. You’re not, Grace. You deserve this. You’re that talented.”

“He’s always saying things like that to me. When inside I’m a bubbling mess of stomach acid that is about to erupt all over the nice clean floor.” Lincoln laughed, and when she did as well, he knew she was feeling better. “I’m okay now. I just get antsy at the beginning.”

“I’m not going to leave your side tonight. You just go with the flow, and when you’re ready to take a break, I’ll find us a nice dark corner and we’ll neck a little.” The first of the guests came through the hallway where they were standing. Cooper and Carson were behind them, and he could see Xavier there as well. “Any one of them will be your crutch should you need one.”

“I know that. I think I have from the very start.” He nodded and glanced into the room they’d left Ginger and Mark in. They were both gone, and he was happy for that. The two were perfect for each other.

As questions about the paintings came her way, Grace answered them with wit and charm. Lincoln wasn’t positive, but he was sure that a couple of the older men had fallen in love with his mate. The more they walked around, talking about the paintings and her inspiration, the more relaxed Grace became. He was with her when someone asked where her models for the paintings had come from.

“My husband and I live on a lot of acreage, and the wolves are all around us. I see them occasionally, and that was enough for me to paint them.” He asked if they were shifters. “I’m not sure what you mean; they’re just wolves in a field.”

The man was looking at the one where the two cubs were playing in the snow. He was very close to it, and she asked him to not touch. When he put out his finger, as if he was going to do so despite what she’d said, the man was suddenly on the floor screaming about the pain.

Garrett escorted him out after telling him that the next time he darkened his doorway, he was going to call the police. And for this man, Davie something, not to be surprised if they showed up to tell him there was a restraining order out on him. The rest of the showing went very well.

The guests were leaving around midnight. It was a long showing, even for the number of guests that had shown up. Garrett found them in the room with her other paintings, the ones that had nothing to do with the wolves, to tell her how the night went. He also had a man with him that he wanted to talk to Grace about.

“This is William Tennyson. He owns and operates Tennyson Gallery in New York.” They all shook hands, and then Garrett looked at Grace as he continued. “He wants to represent you there. Bring your paintings to his gallery, and you’d be his primary artist. For an entire month.”

“What about you?” Garrett told her that she’d outgrown his little gallery. “I don’t understand. You don’t want to have my paintings here anymore?”

“Oh yes, I’d love to have everything you have. But this man, he can make you a star. I can’t do that. Not with the people that come through here.” She looked at Lincoln, then back at Garrett. “He wants to help you become world famous. You deserve that.”

“How many paintings did I sell tonight?” Garrett didn’t even have to look. He told her all but one. “Okay, so you sold ninety-nine percent of my work. How would he do any better? Sell the last one? I thank you for your consideration, Mr. Tennyson, but for now, at least, I’m happy in this little gallery.”

Then she simply walked away. Garrett looked so relieved that he wanted to hug him, and he felt like she’d made the right decision. When he caught up with her, she was leaning against the wall, wide eyed.

“I sold all but one? Did you hear him say that? One of those smaller paintings was marked at forty grand. And that was the lowest price that I could see.” Lincoln told her congratulations. “No, you don’t understand. I sold all but one. Could he be playing a trick on me? You know, saying that in front of the other man? That’s it, isn’t it? I’m going to find out.”

They walked around the gallery twice, and Garrett had told the truth. If his calculations were right, she’d made just over two million dollars plus the painting that Cooper bought from her. And there wasn’t one that didn’t have a sticker on it. All of them had sold after all.

Lincoln was glad now that they’d gotten a hotel. There was no way he was going to be able to drive and comfort Grace. She was a basketcase.

~~~

Grace was sitting in the chair by the window when Lincoln joined her in the living room. She’d been there for a few hours, just letting the night before settle in. When he asked if she was all right, she nodded and looked outside.

“I had a call this morning from Ginger. She told me that Mark and she are getting along great, and that he wants to meet the kids.” Lincoln asked if she was okay with that. “Oh yes. I like Mark, he seems nice. If he’s not lying to her about things.”

“He can’t.” She looked at Lincoln. “As mates, we can’t lie to each other. Not even a white lie. And tigers are the worst at it. They’re known to not even keep a secret from their mates. Makes Christmas buying a nightmare.”

“Really? So, you can’t to me either.” He told her that he couldn’t, but he wouldn’t anyway. “Okay, then last night when I told that other man I didn’t want to go use his gallery, did you think I was insane?”

“Never that. And I thought you did very well.” She said that he’d not answered her. “I’m sorry, no, I don’t think you were. For a great many reasons. First, we’ve not done any kind of research on him. He could be minutes from bankruptcy, and we’d not know it until he took your paintings, and then the bank would take them for back taxes or something. Has he had any kinds of theft in the building? I would have asked that one straight away. No, darling, I think you were very smart in not jumping in with both feet. If you want to later, then we’ll have him investigated.”

“Did you have me investigated?” He nodded. “Why? When I got here, you didn’t know I was your mate, did you? I mean, it’s a smell thing.”

“It is, and yes, you as well as your sister, because we were taking you into our home. And you might want to warn Ginger your parents are broke. As in they’ll make it home, but there aren’t going to be any more trips for them.” She waved him off, knowing that was what they did. “But yes, we have everyone that we don’t know personally investigated. Even Garrett, when you decided to use him as your gallery.”

“I’m glad you did that for me. I wouldn’t have even thought of that. I guess I’m too trusting.” He told her that he’d been around a long time. “I suppose. Okay, so what else have you done for me behind the scenes, so to speak? And is Garrett doing all right?”

“Let me see. You’re getting all your inventory for wholesale thanks to some favors that I pulled in. Nothing huge, but it does help when you make the prices for your work. I’ve put all the money that you’re making into a safety deposit box. That way we don’t hurt ourselves by putting it in the bank. We’ll decide what to do with it when you’re established.” She liked that idea as well. “Garrett. Yes, he’s doing all right, but with the two shows that you had there, he’s finally out of the red for the year. Had you pulled and gone with Tennyson, he would more than likely have closed his doors. Which is a shame; he’s got a lovely place and has room for expansion should he want.”

“I want him to and I have an idea about that.” He asked what it was. “I want to see about getting other artists in when I have a showing. Two or three should be enough. That way, I can draw them in and they can get their work out there. It’s sort of what you did when you called Garrett for me.”

“I love that idea. And, not to say you will bring in hordes of people, but you do bring in a buying crowd.” She nodded, warming to the idea more and more. “Do you happen to know any fresh artists?”

“No, but I’m sure we can find them.” He leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. “I want to go home soon too. I love our house, and I want to think about decorating some. Like the living room, to me, is perfect, but the rest of the house is a little on the bland side, don’t you think?”

“I didn’t want to waste time on getting them set up only to have you come in and change it all. Not you, but a mate of any kind. But yes, you’re right, it does need something more done to it, and I love the living room too. Earth tones are my favorite, and I love how it makes us feel when we’re in the room.” He asked her about children.

“I would love to have some. I know that you and I can’t have any, but we can adopt. I’m not sure how that works. But I think that having a home and savings account that isn’t too shabby will help.”

“Yes, it will. I just got a call from Hank. He has a child that has lost his parents. All three were in a car accident about a week ago. Bradley, that’s his name, was injured too, but they’ve set his leg and he’ll be fine now. He’s human, for the most part. His mother was entirely, his father half. That happens sometimes.” She asked if they were going to take him. “If you want. I never told Hank anything either way. But the pack can’t because of him being a human. It’s against the pack laws.”

“When can we adopt him? Today?” He asked if she’d marry him today. “Yes, I will. Everyone already thinks you’re my husband; we might as well make it legal.” He laughed, and she smiled.

“You’re so romantic. How is your muse handling all this non-painting time? She all right with it?” She told him she supposed so. “Good. Then in the morning we’ll get married at the courthouse, go home, and take our son there too. I’ll have Drizzle find someone to buy us a few of the things we might need to bring him home. I don’t suppose your sister could make us a list?”

“I’ll ask her. And we really are getting married tomorrow?” He said yes and went to her on his knees. “What are you doing? Get up. I already said yes.”

“You have, but what sort of husband would I be if I didn’t get my new bride an engagement ring and wedding band? I had these made when we were here for your last showing. I haven’t any idea why, but I thought you’d enjoy simple rather than flashy.” She looked at the ring he put on her finger and thought it beautiful. A plain wide band with a single diamond in the middle. It was big, but still perfect. She kissed him for having it made for her. “You’re very welcome, and tomorrow when we get home, we’ll be a real family.”

“As far as I’m concerned, we already are.” A little boy. She was going to have a son to grow up with her nephew. “I do love you, Lincoln. I want you to always believe me when I say it.”

“And I love you, Grace. And will for the rest of my days.”

Lifting her up, he took her to the bed. She was still in her nightgown, and he made short work of that before joining her. Making love to this man was always wonderful. Even when he was in a hurry like when they were in her studio and he came out to harass her.

The kiss was gentle, and she moaned. His fingers were strong, and when he dug them into her tight muscles, it wasn’t painful but felt good. Every part he touched, with either his mouth or fingers, soothed her. Her body was limp by the time he entered her and filled her like no other had before. She loved this man so much, she was sure that she’d never be able to tell him in words, but through making love.

When he lifted her up to meet his downward strokes, Grace cried out. Not in pain, but with pleasure. Her release was building, and the way he was taking her, it would be no time before she caught the one that would take her to the stars. It occurred to her that he never took his own pleasure until she had hers, several times as a matter of fact.

“Come love, so that I might show you the world.” Nodding, her back bowed off the bed, her lungs filled to scream, and when he took her nipple into his mouth and bit down, Grace was sure that her body had come apart with the climax and flown away. “Again. Come for me once more.”

Even though she told him no, she didn’t have it in her, Grace could feel it building. It wasn’t gentle either, but her body seemed to be seized with the need to come. Holding onto him, knowing that she really was going to fly away, he cried out and brought her with him when he emptied into her.

Lincoln dropped on top of her and she didn’t mind. He was heavy, but it was a good kind of weight. Holding him like she was, when he finally rolled to his back, she went with him and closed her eyes. She heard his soft snores even as she felt herself drifting off too.