Page 136 of Saving Grace

Helena.

Those two are closer than ever now. After the shitstorm that was their family years ago, I’m glad Gracie got her mama back. I can’t imagine not having Ma in my life. Soft footfalls snap my head from my daydreams.

Grace wanders in, wearing the tiniest sleep shorts on the planet and one of my old t-shirts that is so baggy on her it almost covers them. The same one she’s been wearing for a month now. A vision that would send even the toughest man to his knees. She runs a hand through her messy brown hair, eyes homed in on the coffee pot.

“Hey, Mackie.”

I wrap my arms around her as she reaches for a mug in the cupboard overhead. The charm bracelet on her wrist slides down her arm a little way. A permanent fixture on her body since the day Ma, Rubes, and Adds gave it to her. My name is on one charm, the ship’s wheel on the other.

I sink my face into her hair, letting my hands wander under the baggy t-shirt, a finger brushing over her nipple. Her hand releases the mug, and it clinks back down onto the shelf. Her head falls backward to my shoulder.

“God above, Mackinlay, how does this need for you never wear off?”

I slide my hands down her side, over her ribs, and into the front of her shorts.

She’s bare.

No panties.

Good girl.

I growl over threadbare breath. “Pretty damn sure you were made for me, and I was made for you, gorgeous.”

She moans as my finger finds her clit. She’s fucking soaked already.

The coffee hisses. It’s done.

Her head snaps up. Her body goes rigid, and she turns in my hold.

“Shit,” she gasps, clamping her lips down, face twisting. She wriggles out of my arms and takes off down the hallway.

I raise an eyebrow. “Okay?”

I take down the mug she was handling before I distracted her and fill it with coffee, adding the cream. I take another mug from the cupboard and pour myself one, too. The first sip is delectable. Almost as heady as my incredible wife.

A few minutes later, she reappears with a sheepish smile. Her hands are struggling to hold up a large box behind her back. Which makes her perfect tits push out. They’re all the birthday present I need. Maybe without the t-shirt. My teeth clamped over them as she writhes on my lap?—

“So, I know you don’t like birthdays. But...” She pulls the bulky box around to her front, almost dropping it. “I stillhadto get you something.”

“Gorgeous girl, you’re all I need.”

“Well, you might change your mind when you see your present.”

I tilt my head, giving her a quizzical look. Okay, I’ll bite. “Give it here, then.”

Arms outstretched, she hands over the gift. I take it and pad to the sofa. This sounds like a sittin’ down gift. She drops onto the seat behind me, arms wrapped over my shoulders and face beside mine as I lift the lid. She worries her bottom lip through her teeth as I glance at her.

“Mack, open it,” she rasps.

I pull back the tissue paper. A black cowboy hat sits in the box. Pristine condition. Not like my old one that’s more than earned its keep over the last decade and is now sporting a more battered appearance. I lift it out. Another layer of tissue paperrests under it, over something smaller, but still bulky. I reach for it. Grace’s hand lands on mine. “Try the hat on first, please.”

“Gracie, just the hat is enough. You work hard, I don’t want you spending your money on me.”

“I like giving you things. It makes me happy. So, deal with it.”

Her face is ridiculous, and I couldn’t love this woman more.

I push the hat onto my bed hair and turn on my seat to face her. “Better?”

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