One last super long story for all .
Graceful Love
Grace lay in the hammock, which her dad crafted by hand out of hemp rope, and enjoyed the serenity of the outdoors. A beautiful spring day, the sun shone down in patches through the thick branches of the backyard trees and scattered its light sporadically over the shaded yard.
The hammock swung gently in the breeze as Grace listened to the peaceful sounds of the day. Leaves swished, insets buzzed faintly, and a songbird sang sweetly in the distance. Grace wished the quiet tranquility wouldn’t end, but she knew it was inevitable it would. Soon, the backyard would be overrun with sounds of people laughing and talking and of children playing.
Her parents, Tom and Martha, decided to throw a cook-out bash in honor of her coming home from college for spring break. Grace attended school out of state, so she only made it home for holiday and seasonal breaks. Her parents invited most of the extended family, which included one set of grandparents and several aunts, uncles, and cousins.
A sigh escaped from Grace’s full lips, and she almost wished that she had not returned home for a visit. Wanting it to be a surprise, her parents waited to tell her about the family get together until this morning. Had it been any other day, no problem would have existed, but today she had planned for her boyfriend, Aidan, to drive down so he could meet her parents.
After being informed of the party, Grace called Aidan and tried to convince him to wait until the next day to come, but he had already been on the road for a couple of hours and didn’t want to turn around and go back.
“I’m already on my way,” he had said. “Besides, what’s the big deal about meeting the rest of your family? I don’t mind.”
The big deal was that he would arrive shortly after the party started, and none of her family even knew he existed. Grace had really stuck her foot in it this time. Her mom criticized her past boyfriends so much, Grace decided to keep Aidan to herself for awhile and not tell anyone about him.
She hadn’t even intended for her family to know about him this soon, but he suggested meeting them and asked if he could come down during break, so she relented.
Grace came up with some lame excuse about her parents wanting some alone time with her in order to persuade Aidan to drive down on the third day of break instead of coming with her. She needed the delay so she could tell her parents about him before he arrived.
Realizing the party would start soon, Grace rolled out of the hammock and headed inside to inform her parents about Aidan. She found them in the kitchen preparing food for the party.
“Don’t even think about it,” Martha said as Grace reached for a paring knife. “This party is being held in your honor, so you just sit down and relax. Your father and I will take care of everything.”
“Whatever you say, Mom.” Grace knew her mom would sing a different tune when it came time for the after party clean up. “I still can’t believe you talked Summer into staying with Gramps and Grams until today. Every time we talked on the phone over the last couple of weeks, all she could talk about was not being able to wait until I came home for a visit.”
Summer was Grace’s little sister. About five years ago, Martha thought she was going through the change of life. Instead, she found out she was pregnant.
Grace sat for a moment, listening as her parents discussed the food and how much would need to be fixed in order to have enough for the guests.
“Well, you know most of the men are going to eat more than one burger,” Tom said. “They may even eat more than one bratwurst or hot dog too. So, count up how many men are coming and add that to the total number of people and throw in a few extra for good measure in case any of the ladies or kids wants seconds.”
“You need to add one more guy to the list,” Grace added after her father ran down the list of who was coming.
“What do you mean one more? Your father listed everyone we invited.”
“He listed everyone you invited, but he missed someone I invited. Someone who was coming today before I knew you had planned a family get together.”
“Grace, what on earth are you rambling on about?” asked Martha.
“It’s my boyfriend, Aidan. He’s coming down today to meet you two and Summer.”
“Your boyfriend? What boyfriend?” demanded Martha.
“I met Aidan during the spring semester of the last school year. He was the one that I talked to so much on the phone last summer. You know, all the times that I told you “Just a friend,” when you asked who I was talking to. After school started back in the fall, he asked me out. We’ve been dating ever since.”
“You mean to tell me that you have been dating this boy for seven months and you are just now telling us about it?” Martha asked, incredulously.
“Yep, that’s pretty much what I am saying.”
“Grace Abigail Montgomery! How could you keep something like that from us all this time?”
“It’s not that big of a deal, Mom. I just wanted him to myself for awhile. Besides, considering how you usually act regarding my boyfriends, I decided to spare myself the drama for as long as I could.”
“How I act about your boyfriends? What are you talking about?”
“Now, now, you two, that’s enough. Martha, ease off on the girl. You have always been too rough on her when it comes to who she dates,” Tom said as he jumped in to diffuse the threatening conflict. “What’s this guy like?”
“He’s sweet and funny, and he acts like what I have to say and what I think are important.”
“And does he make you happy?”
“Yes daddy, he makes me very happy.”
“Well, that’s all I need to know then. When’s he supposed to get here?”
“He should arrive shortly after the cook-out starts.”
“You probably need to tell your Grams about him. You know she’ll be upset if she doesn’t know about him before he pulls up in the drive-way.”
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“Don’t worry Dad. I plan on trying to tell as much of the family as possible before he gets here. Oh, and please don’t tell Aidan that I just now told you about him. I don’t want him to get the wrong idea.”
“Sure pumpkin. We won’t say anything, will we Martha?”
“No, I suppose not,” said Martha, a disapproving look plastered across her face.
An uncomfortable silence fell upon the kitchen and remained unbroken until the sound of the front door flinging open filtered down the hallway.
“Gracey! Gracey!!” hollered Summer as she barreled down the hallway and into the kitchen, a pink silk ribbon flying merrily from her golden curls.
Grace swept her little sister into her arms and warmly embraced her.
“Hey munchkin! Did you have fun at Gramp’s and Grams’?”
“I sure did! We had a tea party and ate pizza and watched movies!”
“Cool beans! I bet that was a blast.”
“Hey sweetheart,” said Grams as she entered the kitchen and placed a gentle kiss on Grace’s cheek. “Was your trip home okay?”
“It was fine Grams, though it gets a little tedious after awhile.”
“I’m sure it does,” responded Gramps. “Driving alone for six hours can’t be any fun.”
“Well, it’s not, but it’s how I get home.”
“Tom, you want to come out here and help me unload the tables and chairs from the truck?” said Gramps.
“Sure Dad, how about you pull the truck into the backyard? That way, we won’t have to carry the stuff so far.”
“Good idea.”
“Martha, is there anything I can do to help?” asked Grams.
“No thank you, Rose, I’ve got it handled. Why don’t y’all go outside and help the men set up the tables and chairs?”
“If you’re sure…”
“I’m sure. Go ahead.”
Grams, Grace, and Summer, who still rode along on her big sister’s hip, headed out to the backyard to help set up the seating.
“Grams, there’s someone coming to the cook-out that I want you to meet,” Grace said.
“Who?”
“His name is Aidan, and he’s my boyfriend.”
“Gracey’s got a boyfriend! Gracey’s got a boyfriend!” chanted Summer exuberantly.
“Hush child,” said Grams. “Your sister is trying to tell me something. Go help Gramps and your Daddy with the tables and chairs.”
Grace put Summer down, and she skipped off towards where the men unloaded the truck.
“Okay, back to business,” said Grams. “Tell me about it.”
“You know how Mom has always acted about my boyfriends. No matter how good of a guy they are, they never meet her standards.”
“Yes, that’s very true.”
“Anyway, I kept him a secret until now because I didn’t want to listen to Mom gripe about him and criticize him.”
“How long have you been seeing this boy?”
“We’ve dated for about seven months, since right after school started.”
“What’s he like?”
“He’s nice. He always listens when I talk, and he’s supportive of me. He’s got a great sense of humor and can always make me laugh.”
“That’s good dear. It’s important to have someone to share laughter with and to have someone to talk to who actually listens. Knowing you, I bet he’s a hunk too.”
“Grams!”
“Well, I didn’t mean anything bad by it child. I just meant that a young woman as beautiful as you would obviously attract handsome young men. So, what does he look like?”
“Tall, dark, and handsome,” Grace said with a grin.
“Enough with the clichés child, I want details!”
“Well, he really is tall, dark, and handsome. I can’t describe him without sounding silly. You’ll see when he gets here.”
“Does he treat you right?” asked Grams.
“Yes, he does. He buys me gifts and sends flowers for no reason. He says it’s just because he’s thinking about me. He often walks me to my first class, even though his first class doesn’t start for another two hours and he could have slept in.”
“You sound very happy.”
“I am. When I think about him, I feel all warm and tingly. When he walks into the room, my heart leaps.”
“Sounds to me like this might be serious. Is it?”
“I don’t know, Grams. We haven’t discussed anything about a future. I mean, we see each other exclusively, but the “L” word hasn’t come up yet.”
“Well, it may not have been spoken aloud yet, but it’s written all over your face. I am very curious to meet this young man. I want to see his face when he looks at you. I can learn a lot just from that.”
“Learn what?”
“Well, learn his feelings about you, for one thing. Even if a person is adept at putting on a mask, it will slip ever so often when the person thinks no one is looking.”
“A mask? Why would he put on any kind of an act?”
“If he was using you, of course.”
“Using me?” It was all Grace could do to keep from bursting with laughter.
“I’m glad you find it so amusing. However unfortunate it may be, it is common for young men to use young women for their own pleasure. Since your mother is such a prude, I am sure she hasn’t broached this subject with you, but I have no such hang-ups. Please tell me you take precautions.”
“We haven’t needed to. I can assure you Aidan is not using me for anything. Honestly Grams, it really isn’t any of your business.”
“You’re right, of course, but I couldn’t help it. I just don’t want you to get hurt. I guess I just have to try and trust you to take care of yourself.”
“Don’t worry Grams. I will be fine.”
The whole subject amused Grace because she and Aidan had yet to have sex. Even though they’d dated for seven months, Aidan respected the fact that Grace considered sex as something special between two people who really cared for each other, and she didn’t want to rush into a sexual relationship. That’s not to say they didn’t fool around a bit here and there.
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Some fondling occurred during kisses, and before Grace left school to come home for spring break, Aidan slipped his hand inside her panties and started playing with her clit. It felt so good Grace didn’t try to stop him, and he continued until he brought her to orgasm. She attempted to reciprocate, but Aidan refused saying he wanted to bring her pleasure and expected nothing in return.
“Are you two gonna stand over there and gab all day or are you gonna come over here and help?” Gramps hollered from the other side of the back yard.
“We’re coming Gramps!” shouted Grace.
Grace and Grams headed over and helped set up the remaining tables and chairs. The sounds of car doors closing in the distance signaled the beginning of the guests’ arrivals.
Family members filtered into the backyard just as the last table and chairs were put into place. Grace used the diversion of the incoming guests to sneak around the opposite side of the house and enter through the French doors of the study. Using the phone on her father’s desk, she called Aidan to see how far away he was.
“Hey Babe, I just passed the church that is four turns before your house.”
“Then you should be here in about ten minutes. You definitely can’t miss the house. It’s the only one around here with lots of cars parked in the driveway or the front yard. I won’t be able to wait for you out front. I snuck in the house to call you, so I will have to stay in the backyard and greet all of the family. Come around the right side of the house. I’ll be watching for you.”
“Okay, I will see you in a few.”
Grace hung up the phone and hurriedly returned to the backyard. If her mother noticed her missing, there would be hell to pay.
Sounds of talking and laughter told Grace more people had arrived during the short time she used the phone. Summer, bubbling with laughter, raced in front of Grace as she rounded the corner of the house. Annie and Andy, her cousin Janey’s three year old twins, followed close on Summer’s heels. An avid collector of rag dolls, Janey now she boasted she had her very own live ones.
Grace stopped at the edge of the crowd and looked out at her family. Both of her dad’s brothers and their wives were present, along with four of their children. Two of the children, Janey being one of them, were married with families of their own, who also came to the party. Grace would bet her favorite pair of earrings Uncle Bob had brought his guitar and would serenade the group after everyone finished eating.
Also at the cook-out were her Aunt Lucy, who was Martha’s sister, and her two kids. As Grace looked around, she spotted her Great Aunt Louise and her Great Uncle Claude. Aunt Louise was Grams’ sister. Grace also noticed both of the next door neighbors had come and so had her mom’s best friend and her family.
One thing for sure, anytime anyone in her family threw a party, everybody showed up. The family was pretty close knit… most of them anyway.
Grace found herself more than a little irritated to see her cousin Melissa. All throughout their lives, Melissa had constantly tried to outdo Grace. When Grace had auditioned for cheerleading, so had Melissa, even though she had always said cheerleaders were a bunch of snobs and she would never be one. She took the same classes in high school and even applied for identical scholarships and the same college as Grace. Luckily, Melissa hadn’t been awarded enough money in scholarships to attend.
On top of all the competition in school and with friends, Melissa always made an effort to steal away Grace’s boyfriends, openly flirting with them and making suggestive comments in front of Grace. She managed to steal away a couple of them. Grace believed Melissa had succeeded with those because she slept with them, which is something Grace wouldn’t do. She would do her best to keep Melissa away from Aidan. She didn’t trust her for a second to leave him alone.
Tom busily manned the grill, and Grace breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her mother come out through the patio door carrying a tray loaded with raw hamburger patties. Martha wouldn’t know Grace had gone inside for a few minutes.
Wading into the crowd, Grace stopped here and there to speak to family members, but all the while, she kept an eye trained on the corner of the house, on the lookout for Aidan’s imminent arrival.
As she walked by Aunt Louise, a frail hand reached out and grasped around Grace’s wrist. “How’s school going, Gracey?” Aunt Lou asked, her voice shaky with age.
“It’s going fine Aunt Lou. I only have two more months left before graduation,” Grace responded, raising her voice so Aunt Louise could hear her over the din of the crowd.
“What kind of plans do you have for when you get out? Got any wedding bells in your future?”
Aunt Louise didn’t share the same liberated views with Grams. Of course, the reason could be because she was fifteen years older. A late addition to the family, Grams came as quite a surprise. Aunt Louise believed that all women belonged in the home as a wife and mother. She thought a woman should not have a career.
Grace chuckled to herself and replied, “I don’t know Aunt Lou. I am seeing someone, but I don’t know if it is serious enough yet to even think about the possibility of getting married.”
“You should be thinking about it. That’s the most important thing you can do. You should have settled down and started a family by now.”
“All in good time Aunt Lou. All in good time.”
Grace walked away from Aunt Louise before she could start on her lecture about the importance of being a wife and mother. It wasn’t like she hadn’t heard it countless times as she got older.
Checking her watch and not watching where she was going, Grace all but collided with her cousin Melissa.
“Got somewhere else to be?” Melissa asked. “Or are you expecting someone?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because you were looking at your watch. You either have somewhere else to go, or you’re expecting someone else to show up. I am guessing you expect someone to show up because there’s been a rumor floating around you’ve got a new boyfriend,” Melissa said with a smirk.
“It’s not any of your business what I’m doing,” Grace snapped.
“What’s the matter Grace, afraid I’m going to steal away another boyfriend?” Melissa taunted.
“Not on your life, Melissa. I’ve gotten past the point where I feel threatened by you,” Grace retorted, and she stomped off to where her Aunt Lucy sat.
Grace’s put on a brave front with her words. She still felt threatened by Melissa, and she feared Melissa would attempt to steal away Aidan. Grace knew she was pretty, too many people had told her so for it to be a lie, but Melissa sported a definite edge in the looks department.
Even though they were both relatively the same height, Melissa was lean and trim with luxurious long, blonde hair while Grace carried a fuller figure, and her sandy blonde hair lay in a short bob. Grace, more often than not, suffered from a low self-image. She frequently lamented the fact she needed to lose weight, but no matter how hard she struggled, she couldn’t seem to shed any pounds.
She spent time working out religiously and ate healthier, but to no avail. Her mom said it was the curse of her family and it wasn’t she was overweight, she was just curvy. Grace definitely had curves, but she felt they curved too far away from her body.
The only advantage Grace had ever felt she had over Melissa was the size of her breasts. Melissa’s breasts were so small she was almost flat-chested. Grace, on the other hand, had full breasts that often looked as if they wanted to escape the binding material of whatever shirt she happened to be wearing.
“Where are you going in such a hurry?” Aunt Lucy asked as Grace hurried towards her chair.
“Nowhere in particular, I’m just trying to get away from something irritating,” Grace responded.
“More like trying to get away from someone irritating, I would say.”
“Well, yeah…”
“What is she doing this time?”
“Oh, she heard a rumor that I have a new boyfriend, so of course she has to start making insinuating comments about it.”
“Don’t worry about it Grace. Any guy that’s worth anything would know in a heartbeat what Melissa is all about. If he truly cares for you, you have nothing to worry about. So, is there a new boyfriend?”
“Yes, there is, and he should have been here by now.”
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“Well, why don’t you go up front and look for him? I’ll run interference with your mother. Honestly, I wish she would lighten up some.”
“You and me both! Thanks, Aunt Lucy.”
Grace looked around to locate her mother and found her close to the grill with her back turned. Using the opportunity to her advantage, Grace slipped around the house and raced to the front yard. She thought about going inside the house and trying to call him again, but she feared he would arrive while she was inside.
She walked to the edge of the driveway and peered down the road in the direction from which Aidan should come. Even though she could hear what sounded like a car’s engine, she didn’t see anything. She checked her watch again. Twenty-five minutes had passed since she spoke with him. He should have arrived fifteen minutes ago.
Grace started to get worried. She’d give him another five minutes, and if he didn’t show up by then, she would go back inside and try to reach him on his cell. As the minutes ticked by, Grace paced up and down the driveway, looking up hopefully each time she heard an approaching car.
Finally, just as she turned to go inside the house, she heard another car approaching. She breathed a huge sigh of relief when she recognized the black truck coming towards her. As it pulled into an empty space in the yard, Grace rushed towards it.
The first thing to come into view as the young man stepped out of the truck were his long legs, which were clad in blue jeans with cowboy boots on the feet. Even though his legs were long they were in no way lanky, as was made evident when the rest of his body came into view. A black t-shirt fit snugly around his well muscled torso, his large biceps straining against the material. A black cowboy hat set atop his curly ebony hair, and his deep chocolate eyes twinkled merrily from his tanned chiseled face.
He caught Grace in a strong embrace as she threw her arms around him. “Oh Aidan, I was getting worried. You should have been here twenty minutes ago!”
“I know. I took a wrong turn and had to backtrack and start over at the church. Looks like you’ve got quite a crowd.”
“Yeah, there’s always a large turn out when we have family get-togethers. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Absolutely.”
“Okay, but before we go back there… you remember the cousin I told you about that always tried to beat me in everything?”
“You mean Melissa?”
“Yeah, that’s who I am talking about. She’s here…”
“So? Oh, I get it, you’re worried that she’s gonna throw herself at me.”
“I have no doubt in my mind that she will. She’s already hinted at it.”
Aidan put his fingers under Grace’s chin and gently lifted her face towards his. “Honey, you don’t have anything to worry about. Don’t you know how much I love you? Well, I guess maybe you wouldn’t. I haven’t ever told you that, have I? She could strip naked in front of me, and it wouldn’t help. I only have eyes for you. I love you Grace Abigail Montgomery.”
Grace felt as though she would melt right there on the spot. She waited so long to hear those words from the right man, and at that exact moment, she knew with all of her heart and soul that Aidan was her true love.
“Oh Aidan, I love you too!”
He bent down and planted a sweet and gentle kiss upon her lips, a kiss full of promise, hope, and love.
“Gracey’s got a boyfriend, Gracey’s got a boyfriend!” came the singsong, interrupting their kiss and causing both to laugh.
“Summer, what are you doing up here?” Grace asked as she scooped her little sister into her arms.
“Aunt Lucy sent me to look for you. She said mama had ants.”
“Had ants?” Aidan’s eyebrows cocked in question.
“Oh, you mean Aunt Lucy said mama was getting antsy?” Grace asked.
“Yep, that’s what she said.”
Grace had told Aidan about her mother and how critical she could be of her boyfriends, and of her not-always-sunny disposition, so he was prepared for a chilly reception.
“Summer, this is Aidan. He’s my boyfriend.”
“Hi Summer. It’s nice to finally meet you. Your sister has told me a lot about you,” said Aidan.
“Hi Aidan, Grace hasn’t told me anything about you.”
Grace’s face colored, and she felt the heat of embarrassment. She took a deep breath and decided she should tell Aidan her family hadn’t known of his existence until today. “Aidan, there is something that I need to tell you before we go back there. My family… well, you know what I told you about mom and how much guff she gives me about my boyfriends…”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Well, I just didn’t want to deal with all of that. I wanted to enjoy being with you without hearing all of mom’s complaints and gripes rattling around in my head.”
“You haven’t told them about me.”
“Yes, I have… but not until this morning. Oh please don’t be angry with me. It didn’t have anything to do with you. I was just being selfish and wanted you all to myself, and…”
“Shh,” Aidan placed two fingers on Grace’s lips. “It’s okay Grace. I’m not upset with you. I understand why you didn’t tell them.”
A great weight lifted off Grace’s shoulders, and she rejoiced that she had been blessed with such an understanding and supportive man.
“I’ll introduce you to my mom and dad first, and then we’ll make the rounds to the rest of the family.”
As they headed towards Grace’s parents, she noticed the disapproving look on her mom’s face, and her heart sank. She hoped, for once, her mother would have an open mind and not judge Aidan before she got to know him. From the look on Martha’s face, it wasn’t going to happen.
“Mom, Dad, this is Aidan. Aidan, this is my mom, Martha, and my dad, Tom.”
“Howdy Mrs. Montgomery, Mr. Montgomery,” Aidan greeted as he shook their hands in turn. “It’s nice to finally meet you. Grace has told me so much about you.”
“It’s a pity that we can’t say the same about you,” Martha responded.
“Now Martha, don’t start,” admonished Tom.
Grace could always count on her dad to keep her mother reigned in, at least in front of other people.
“Grace tells us that you attend college with her. What are you studying?” Tom asked.
“My major is in business. My family owns and operates a ranch in Texas, so I decided business was the best way to go. Eventually, the ranch will be mine to run, and I wanted to have a sound business education so I would understand all aspects of our ranch and not have to turn over the financial and business end to someone else like my parents have had to do.”
“Will you be going back home after graduation to take over that part of the ranch?” Martha asked.
“It’s a possibility, but my parents and I haven’t really discussed the details yet. They’ve just kind of always left it that we’d talk about it after graduation.”
“But if you don’t work for your family, you will work for someone else?” Martha pried.
“Oh yes m’am, I will be making money, even if I don’t go work at the ranch right away.”
It wasn’t a straight answer, but it seemed to satisfy Grace’s mom, at least for the moment.
“We’ll have plenty of time to talk later,” Tom said. “Grace, why don’t you go around and introduce him to the rest of the family and while you’re at it, you can tell them the food’s ready, so they can come eat any time.”
“Okay dad.”
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“That wasn’t so bad,” Aidan said as they walked away from Grace’s parents and headed towards the rest of the family scattered around the tables and chairs.
“Oh, it never is in front of the guy. Mom will wait until you aren’t around to lower the boom. I never have figured out what makes her so critical of men. She doesn’t seem to be that way with dad, but she is with pretty much any other man.”
“Maybe she’s just being really protective of you,” Aidan suggested.
“Nah, it’s not that. She’s critical of my uncles and cousins too. Besides, nothing I have ever done has been good enough for her. It was always, ‘You could have done better. You should have tried harder.’ She’s just a bitter woman, old before her time, though I don’t know why. Aunt Lucy grew up in the same household and she isn’t like that. Usually, when mom starts in on me, I just sit there and take it. I’m not going to do that this time. If she starts in on me about you, and I am sure that she will, she’s going to get a surprise.”
“You do whatever you have to. You know that I will support you.”
“Thanks Aidan, that means a lot.”
Grace and Aidan made the rounds, introducing Aidan, and letting everyone know it was time to eat. Grace made a point to avoid the area where Melissa sat. She could always introduce Aidan to her Uncle Bob and his family later.
Grace introduced Aidan to Aunt Lucy last. Once they said hello to each other, Grace told Aunt Lucy the food was ready.
“Thanks Gracey, but you know I am not a big fan of food cooked on an outside grill. I had a big breakfast so I wouldn’t get too hungry. I’ll probably just eat ice cream later.”
Grams and Gramps always made three big tubs of homemade vanilla ice cream whenever there was a family cook-out.
“Grace, why don’t you sit here by your Aunt Lucy, and I will go get us something to eat,” suggested Aidan.
“You don’t have to do that…”
“I know I don’t have to,” interrupted Aidan, “but I want to.”
Grace watched as he walked away and admired the way his jeans molded around his firm butt.
“He’s a looker, that’s for sure,” said Aunt Lucy once Aidan walked out of hearing distance. “I could watch him all day and not get bored.”
“Me too,” Grace said with a sigh.
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
“Yes, I am, and Lord help me when mama finds out.”
“He seems like a good enough guy. He’s nice and courteous, he’s getting a college education, and he looks at you like there’s no one else in existence but the two of you. Surely even your mother won’t find much to criticize with him.”
“You know mom, she could find something to criticize with the Pope. Besides, she’s going to really hit the roof when she finds out that his dream is to be a country singer and not go back and work at his parents’ ranch.”
“Oh boy! Yes, I can see how that would set your mom off. What do his parents think about that?”
“They support him fully. He followed their request and received his education while he pursued his dream, that way he would have the ranch to fall back on if he didn’t succeed with his music. Oh Aunt Lucy, you should hear him sing. His voice just makes me want to melt.”
“It sounds that way with just him talking, I can imagine what it would be like if he was singing. Has he had any successes yet?”
“He sang at different places in Texas as he grew up. He did some rodeos and small time concerts. Since college started, he’s sung at several clubs in Nashville, and he’s opened a couple of times for some bigger named stars. He gets to do another opening next weekend, and his agent said some music executives are supposed to be there.”
“Well Gracey, I have faith that you will do what is best for you. It’s about time that you stopped letting your mama trample all over you. You’re an adult now. It’s time for you to live your own life.”
“I know Aunt Lucy. Aidan means more to me than anything and nothing that mama can say or do will change that.”
Aidan arrived back at the table with two heaping plates of food, and they spent the next little while eating and talking with Aunt Lucy.
Grace scooted her chair back and stood up. “I will be back in a few minutes.” She needed to go to the bathroom, but she wasn’t about to announce it to the entire backyard.
As she entered through the back door, she heard voices coming from the living room.
“You just do what you do best, Melissa,” Martha said. “Get him off alone, but make sure Grace sees you go so she will follow. Make it look good. She needs to catch you in a compromising position. Get your hand down his pants or get them unzipped or something. It shouldn’t be too much trouble. You’ve done this before.”
“No problem Aunt Martha, I can definitely manage this. I’ll even unbutton my blouse a bit, that should make it look more convincing. I’m going to enjoy every minute of this. He is so hot. Getting my hand down his pants will be so much fun!”
Grace stood in the kitchen, shock and disbelief etched onto her face. Her mother was telling Melissa to get Aidan alone and make it look like he welcomed her advances.
She’s done this before? thought Grace, the words her mom had said to Melissa echoing in her mind.
With tears threatening to spill down her cheeks, Grace barged into the living room.
“Grace dear, what are you doing inside? You should be out there with our guests, after all, this party is in your honor,” Martha said.
“The party is over as far as I am concerned,” Grace said, the words spitting from her mouth in a staccato cadence.
“Over? What are you talking about? It’s barely even gotten started.”
“How can you even look me in the face after what you just told Melissa to do?”
“I don’t have any idea what you are talking about,” Martha responded, feigning innocence.
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“I heard you!” Grace shouted. “I heard everything you said!”
Turning toward Melissa, eyes blazing, Grace accusingly said, “Mama said you’d done this before. Does that mean she has put you up to this more than once?”
Melissa looked helplessly at Martha.
“Don’t look at her!” Grace spat, “Answer me!”
“Yes, she’s put me up to it on more than one occasion, anytime it looked like you might get serious with a boyfriend,” Melissa replied, before spinning around and running from the room.
“How could you?” Grace asked. “You’re my mother. How could you do something so hurtful?”
“You’re too young to get serious with a guy. You don’t know what you are doing. I’m only trying to protect you.”
“Protect me? From what? Being happy? I’m more than old enough to take care of myself and to decide what is best for me. I cannot believe you’d do something so cruel. I love Aidan. Do you have any idea what it would have done to me had I thought he had willingly succumbed to Melissa’s seduction?”
“Grace, I just did what I thought was best.”
“You’re sick and need help if you honestly think doing something like that is what is best for me. I don’t know if I can ever forgive you for this,” Grace said, and she stumbled from the room. With tears streaming down her face, she ran outside to where Aidan sat with Aunt Lucy.
“Come with me,” she cried as she grabbed his hand.
“What’s wrong Grace?” Aunt Lucy and Aidan said simultaneously.
Grace only shook her head through the tears and tugged on Aidan’s hand. When he stood, she led him into the house and up the stairs to her bedroom. Wordlessly, she grabbed her suitcase and began throwing clothes into it.
“Grace, talk to me. What happened?” Aidan said as he grasped her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. He pulled her into his strong arms as the silent tears turning into wracking sobs.
They stood there in the middle of the cluttered room, his frame towering over hers as she buried her head into his firm chest and cried, while his strong arms held her tightly. Finally her sobs began to subside, and he sat down on the bed, drawing her into his lap.
“Can you tell me what’s wrong, now?” he asked.
As she opened her mouth to speak, a light rapping sounded on her door. “Honey,” said her dad as his head peeked around the door’s edge, “is everything okay?” As he stepped quietly into the room, followed by Aunt Lucy, he observed her tear stained face.
“I told your father something must have happened considering the way you came barreling out of the house and grabbed Aidan. You were crying so hard, you could barely speak,” explained Aunt Lucy.
“I came into the house to use the bathroom, and I heard voices coming from the living room. It was Mama and Melissa,” Grace said, her voice hitching as she spoke. “Mama was telling Melissa to get Aidan alone and set it up so that it would look like they were fooling around. She wanted me to catch them and think Aidan willingly participated.”
“Are you sure you heard them right?” Tom asked.
“Oh yes, I am positive. It’s kind of hard to misunderstand Mama telling Melissa to stick her hands down Aidan’s pants. But, that’s not all. Once I had confronted them, Melissa admitted Mama had told her to do this more than once before. All this time, I thought Melissa had stolen my boyfriends because she wanted to, but now I find out Mama put her up to it.”
“None of this makes sense. Why would your mother do something like this?” her father asked.
“I don’t know,” replied Grace. “She said I was too young to know what was best for me, and she was only trying to protect me. I’m sorry Daddy, but I can’t visit any longer, not after what happened. I can’t stay in the same house with her.”
“I understand,” her dad said as Grace got up and resumed packing. “I’ll try to get to the bottom of this.”
“It sounds like she flipped her lid,” Aunt Lucy said.
“I’d say she flipped it a long time ago since she’s done this for awhile now,” Aidan added.
“I knew she really hadn’t been herself for quite some time,” Tom said, “but I attributed it to the natural changes of growing older and being married for many years. I had no idea she was doing these kinds of things. Trying to sabotage your daughter’s love life is pretty serious. I’ll do my best to try to find out what is wrong.”
“You need to Daddy, or the same thing will happen to Summer when she gets older,” Grace warned. “That’s everything I brought home with me for break,” she said as she closed the suitcase. “I’ll come back and get the rest of it later.”
“The rest of it?” her dad questioned. “That makes it sound like you are moving out for good.”
“I am. I can’t imagine living under the same roof as her after what she has done. I am sorry Daddy. I know it isn’t your fault and you are getting punished for it in a way, but I can’t help it. I can’t stay here.”
“I knew the time would come some day. I just didn’t expect it to be under circumstances such as these. Don’t worry about me. I will be okay. You do what you need to do to be happy. I’ll stand by you.”
“Thank you Daddy,” Grace said, and she threw her arms around her father and hugged him fiercely.
“I don’t think you should drive back to school. You’re too upset. Give me your car keys and ride back with Aidan. Your Uncle Martin comes back from his business trip late tonight, so we can bring your car up to you tomorrow,” Aunt Lucy offered.
“You don’t have to do that,” Grace said.
“Yes I do. I want you to be safe. I know you, so I know you are not through crying over this yet. It’ll hit you again when you least expect it, and I don’t want you to drive your car off the road because you are blinded by tears. Now, give me the key,” Aunt Lucy demanded as she held out her hand.
Grace took the car key off her ring and handed it to her. “Thanks Aunt Lucy,” she said as she hugged her.
“Daddy, can you go get Summer and bring her out front? I want to say good-bye.”
“Sure I can. I’ll see you up there.”
Aidan picked up Grace’s suitcase, and she followed him down the stairs and out to his truck.
Summer ran around the house, her curls flying in the wind, and Grace’s heart ached at not being able to stay and spend time with her sister. Summer stopped short when she noticed the suitcase sitting on the ground beside the truck.
“Gracey, why is your suitcase out here?”
“I’m going back to school.”
“But…but… you just got home. You’re supposed to be here for two weeks. We were going to go to the park and the zoo, and you said you would take me shopping,” Summer wailed.
Tears welled in Grace’s eyes as she grabbed her sister and hugged her tightly. “I know sis, but I can’t stay. Something happened, and I have to go sooner than I expected.”
“Don’t worry, tiger,” Tom said to Summer as he swooped her into his arms. “I’ll take a couple of days off work and take you up to the college so you and Grace can spend some time together. You’ve wanted to go back and visit here there for some time now. You said it’s lots more fun there than it is here. Okay?”
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“When will we go?”
“It’ll be before the break ends.”
“Ok,” Summer agreed with a pout.
Grace hugged her father and sister once again before she climbed up into the truck.
“Call me when you get there,” said Tom. “I want to know that you arrived safely.”
“Okay Daddy, I will,” answered Grace, and they pulled out of the yard and drove away.
“I can’t believe graduation is finally here,” said Grace. “It seemed like this year lasted forever.”
“I know,” said Aidan as he plopped down beside her on the couch. “Time appears to stand still when bad things happen.”
Three months had passed since Grace stormed out of her childhood home during spring break, but it felt like an eternity ago. Two nights after she left, Grace’s mother suffered a breakdown. According to the doctor, it had been a long time coming, but Grace’s overhearing of her mother’s plan and ensuing departure from the house finally sent Martha careening over the edge.
During her treatment, the therapist discovered the cause of her increasingly odd behavior. Six years previous, when Grace was fifteen, Martha’s boss raped by her one night when she stayed late at the office to finish up some work. Martha never told anyone what happened because her boss threatened to hurt Grace. He used Grace as leverage against Martha and made her stay at work late three nights a week so he could use her to satisfy his dark desires.
The rapes continued for several months before Martha discovered she was pregnant. She knew the odds were in favor of her boss fathering the baby because Tom suffered from a low sperm count. It took them three years to conceive Grace.
Martha immediately planned on an abortion, the thought of carrying the child of her rapist filled her with disgust and horror, but Tom found the pregnancy test in the trash and naturally thought the baby belonged to him. She still considered aborting, thinking she could lie and say she miscarried, but as she watched Tom joyfully tell everyone he met how he was going to be a daddy again, she knew she couldn’t deliberately break his heart. After all, a slight chance existed the baby was his.
Martha kept the information from her boss as long as possible, knowing he would think it was his baby and take great delight in it. Even after she began to show, he thought she was putting on some weight.
“Trying to make yourself unattractive so I’ll leave you alone?” he had taunted. “Don’t bother. A little extra weight won’t keep me from fucking you every time I get a chance.”
Five months into the pregnancy, he had sent word she was to come to his office after everyone else departed for the day. His demand confused Martha because it wasn’t her normal day to stay late.
“Did you think I wouldn’t find out?” he had asked menacingly. “You’ve been carrying my child in your belly all this time and you didn’t tell me? You bitch!” he had shouted, and then he had grabbed her by the hair and had dragged her over to his desk. He yanked off her skirt and panties and bent her over the desk.
“I’ll teach you to keep something like this from me,” he had said as he unzipped his pants before spreading her ass cheeks open and ramming his cock forcefully into her ass.
At seven months along, he had told her she had until the baby’s birth to leave Tom.
“You’re the mother of my child; therefore, you should also be my wife,” he had said.
For days Martha had wracked her brain, desperately trying to figure a way out. One night, as she flipped through the channels on the television, she stumbled across a story about a teenager who had forged a high school transcript in order to get into a good college. A spark of an idea began to form in her head, and she prayed he wasn’t informed of medical innovations.
A week later, her boss came to work and found her desk empty and a sealed envelope on his desk with his name written on the front. Inside was a piece of paper with the letterhead from a local medical lab. It stated:
Dear Mrs. Montgomery, The results of the tests run on the fluid and blood samples taken from your amniocentesis are conclusive. Firstly, your baby is a female and is in perfect health, having no disorders of any kind. Secondly, per your private request, a DNA test was run comparing the sample that you had given us to the DNA procured from the blood of the fetus. They are a perfect match. The DNA from the specimen you gave us is a 99.9% match for being the father of the fetus. That is the highest percentage possible for this test. There is no way any other man could be the father.
Also inside the envelope was a handwritten note from Martha:
I had Tom’s sperm tested for paternity of the baby. As you can see, the baby belongs to him, not you. If you try to contact me or bother Grace in any way, I will send her far away and out of your reach, and then I will report what you have done to me to the police. I know it’s not likely you would end up being found guilty, but I am sure the entire spectacle would not be good for your reputation nor your business.
Up until Summer’s birth and for a long time afterwards, Martha lived in terror that her ruse had not worked and her boss would come for her… or Grace. The repeated assaults and terror filled months warped Martha’s psyche, and she began to think she must protect Grace from all males, and thus started the sabotage of Grace’s relationships.
Grace had not seen her mother in person since the incident at spring break, but she spoke with her on the phone weekly. Understanding the cause behind her mother’s actions allowed Grace to let go of the hurt and anger and forgive her. She accepted that in her twisted mind, Martha really believed her actions protected Grace.
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After the break-down, Martha spent some time in a health facility, but they released her after a few weeks on the condition she attended two sessions every week with her therapist. She planned to accompany Tom and Summer to the graduation ceremony, and Grace felt nervous about seeing her. Even though Martha received therapy, Grace feared she was not yet at the point where she would be able to be around Aidan without causing trouble.
“Don’t worry about it. Your dad will keep a close watch on her. Besides, they plan to leave right after the ceremony.
She won’t have time to cause any problems,” assured Aidan.
“You’re probably right,” agreed Grace as she snuggled up against Aidan’s broad chest.
She sat there, content and safe in his strong embrace, as a familiar tingle began between her legs. They had still not progressed past fooling around, and it was getting more difficult for Grace to maintain control when they were alone.
She looked up into his eyes, and he smiled at her, his strong arms lifting her off the couch and into his lap. He bent his head towards her and captured her mouth with his, teasing her lips with his tongue until she opened them with breathless anticipation.
A moan escaped her as his tongue danced around hers, the kiss which started out as gentle quickly escalating into fevered passion. His fingers dug into her thighs and bottom as he ravished her mouth, both of them panting with the heat of their arousal. Warmth coiled in her belly as she felt him begin to harden beneath her. She had already decided to give herself to him on the night of graduation, which was only a couple of days away, but in the heat of the moment, she was sorely tempted not to wait.
Pulling away from this face, Grace looked at him and said, “Aidan, I…” but the jarring ringing of the telephone interrupted her.
“Fuck,” Aidan swore, sensing Grace had been about to say something very important.
“You’d better answer it,” Grace said. “It might be your agent.”
Grace rose from the couch as Aidan answered the phone, and she walked to the kitchen to get something to drink in order to give him some privacy. She wished with all of her heart it was his agent, Jerry. Aidan had opened the previous weekend for a very big name star, and they hoped it had given him the important exposure he needed for his big break.
“Grace!” he hollered as he raced down the hallway. He skidded into the kitchen, his face alive with excitement, and he swept Grace up into his arms and twirled her around.
Her heart skipped a beat in anticipation.
“It was Jerry. It seems a big wig record executive attended the concert the other night, and he heard me sing. He wants to offer me a contract.”
“Oh Aidan, that’s wonderful news!” Grace squealed.
“I have a meeting in Nashville at the record company on Monday. If everything works out, by the time the meeting is over, I will have a contract and a record deal. I can’t believe this is finally happening! Go get ready. Let’s go out and celebrate!” he said joyfully as he headed to the bathroom for a shower.
Happiness filled Grace’s heart, but a quick stab of fear accompanied it. If he got the contract, it would likely mean he would move to Nashville. What would happen to them?
Graduation day dawned rainy and dreary, adding to the heaviness Grace felt in her soul. Uncertainty and fear had been her constant companions the last two days, for Aidan had not mentioned anything about her accompanying him on his trip to Nashville nor about missing her while he was gone. She felt as though her heart would shatter into a million pieces.
A knock on her dorm door brought her out of her reverie, and she briskly walked over and opened it.
“Gracey!” hollered Summer as she romped into the room and grabbed her sister around the legs. Tom and Martha followed close behind her.
“Hey, you guys are early,” said Grace.
“Your father wanted to get here early so we wouldn’t have to park way out,” Martha said.
“Yeah, but it obviously wasn’t early enough. The parking lots are already jammed,” said Tom.
“Summer, I thought you said you need to go to the bathroom,” Martha questioned.
“Oh, yeah,” said Summer, “Be right back!”
After Summer trotted into the bathroom and shut the door, Martha spoke, “We got the DNA results back.”
Tom and Summer both had blood drawn so their DNA could be compared. Summer, of course, didn’t know the real reason and hopefully never would, but Martha’s therapist thought it would be best if she knew for certain the truth about Summer’s biological father.
“And?” Grace asked, praying for the best but expecting the worst.
“She’s your full-blooded sister. She’s mine,” said Tom, his eyes filling with tears.
“That’s the best news I’ve heard in a long time,” said Grace as the bathroom door opened and Summer skipped out.
“What’s the matter, Daddy?” Summer asked, noticing the tears streaking down Tom’s face.
“Nothing sweetheart, I’m just really happy.”
“Grown-ups are weird,” said Summer, breaking the tension, and everyone laughed.
“Have you gotten all of your stuff moved into Aidan’s apartment?” Martha asked.
“All but one bag with the stuff I needed for today,” said Grace, trying not to let the worry show in her face. The last thing Martha needed was a hint something was wrong. It was very important for Martha to see nothing but happiness on Grace’s face. The therapist said seeing Grace happy with a man would help Martha realize she no longer had to try and protect her.
“I have to get going,” said Grace as she looked at her watch. “It’s almost time for me to be in the building for line-up.”
“Okay honey, we will see you after the ceremony. We can’t stay long afterwards, but I want to get some pictures of you with your diploma and some of you and Aidan.”
Grace fought her way through the crowd, trying to get free of the teeming mass of people so she could meet her family at the pre-arranged spot. Suddenly, strong arms grabbed her from behind and lifter her into the air.
As she shrieked, Grace recognized Aidan’s sultry voice, “Hey beautiful. Where are you meeting your folks?”
“Over by the library windows,” answered Grace.
“Okay, don’t move after you get there. I’m going to find my folks, and we will meet you over there.”
“Okay.”
Aidan helped her break free from the crowd, and then they went in separate directions, Grace towards the predetermined meeting place and Aidan back into the crowd to hunt for his parents.
Grace met her parents, and her dad busily snapped photos of Grace in her cap and gown, with her diploma, and also got a few shots of her with her mom and sister.
“Martha, take the camera and get a couple of me with Grace,” said Tom.
As Martha finished snapping pictures, Aidan arrived with his parents. Introductions were made, and the two families stood around talking and taking pictures of the two graduates.
“Mr. Montgomery,” said Aidan.
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“Please, call me Tom,” interrupted Grace’s father.
“Ok, Tom then. Can I speak with you in private for a minute?”
“Sure.”
Tom and Aidan moved a short distance away, and Grace wondered what they discussed.
After they returned to the group a few moments later, Tom said, “We need to be going.”
“We should head out as well,” said Aidan’s dad. “We don’t like leaving the ranch for long if both of us are gone. We need to get to the airport. Our flight leaves soon.”
“We can follow you to the airport and see you off,” said Aidan.
“That’s not necessary son,” said Aidan’s mother. “You two go ahead and celebrate.”
The families said their good-byes and went their separate ways.
Aidan and Grace returned their caps and gowns and went back to her dorm room to retrieve her bag and turn in her keys to the office.
“Grace, keep up with these. You know how bad I am about losing stuff,” said Aidan as he handed her an envelope.
“What is it?”
“It’s our plane tickets to Nashville. I figured it would be better to fly. That way, we wouldn’t be rushed getting there. Our plane leaves tomorrow at one. We’ll have some time to sight-see before my meeting Monday morning.”
“That’s not much notice for me to pack,” said Grace as she turned away so Aidan wouldn’t see the tears of relief sliding down her cheeks.
“Well, you knew you were going to have to pack soon. Even if we had driven, we still probably would have…” Aidan stopped speaking as realization dawned on his face. He turned Grace to face him and a pained expression crossed his face as he saw the tears in her eyes. “You thought that I was going by myself,” he said.
“Yes,” she whispered.
“So that’s why you’ve been so quiet the last couple of days,” he said as he pulled her into his arms. “I’m sorry Grace. I assumed you would know I wanted you to go with me. It’s a very good possibility the dream I have had for most of my life is about to come true. I want you by my side when that happens. I love you. That means I want you with me. Always.”
They stood for a moment in the middle of the kitchen, and Grace knew she had allowed her low self-image to get in the way of what her heart knew all along. Aidan just assumed she would know he wanted her with him, and she had tormented herself over the last couple of days for nothing.
They went to a nice restaurant to celebrate graduation and then returned to Aidan’s apartment. Grace had worried all day how she was going to put her plan for the night into action. Somehow, she had to get Aidan out of the bedroom for a little while and keep him from wondering what she was up to while she got things set up for the night. Luckily, she ended up with the perfect opportunity because he decided he had sweated under his graduation gown so much he needed a shower.
As soon as he went into the bathroom and she heard the shower running, Grace sprang into action. She opened her bag and pulled out the candles and lighter she had stashed there. Hurriedly, she placed them around the room and after lighting them, she turned off the lights. The candles cast soft shadows around the room, and Grace thought the mood it created was perfect.
The bag also held the lingerie she had purchased specifically for this night. She chose a light blue peignoir set because she wanted something that looked sexy but still didn’t show everything right away. The blue lace and tricot wasn’t completely see-through so it still left something to the imagination.
Underneath the lacy robe lay a baby doll, the stretchy lace body snugly embracing Grace’s full breasts. The opaque skirt touched the top of her thigh, hiding the g-string which attempted to cover her trimmed mound.
Grace stood indecisively by the bed, not able to make up her mind about what kind of position she should be in when Aidan came out of the shower. The sound of running water ceased in the bathroom, and Grace knew Aidan would walk out within a couple of minutes. Finally, she decided to stand by the bed, for she feared she would look utterly stupid if she tried to pose seductively.
The bathroom door opened, and Aidan entered the bedroom, clad only in a pair of boxer shorts, his muscles rippling down his firm chest. He stopped short as he saw Grace standing by the bed, the shadows flickering softly across her body. “Oh wow, Grace,” he said as he padded softly towards her. His eyes swept over her, drinking in the sight of her curves, relishing in the vision of powdery lace brushing against smooth creamy skin.
“Happy Graduation,” Grace said softly. “I wanted tonight to be extra special.”
“Are you sure Grace? I want our first time together to be wonderful. I want you to be absolutely certain it is what you want.”
“I am absolutely certain, Aidan. I’ve been planning this for awhile now. I love you so much, and I want to give myself to you. Every time we are alone together, it gets harder and harder to control myself. I dream of your touch, of your body against mine. I yearn to feel you sliding inside me. I need you to make love to me.”
Aidan gently took Grace’s face in his hands and tilted it up so he could brush his lips across hers. Tenderly, he planted kisses on her face, before coming back to her lips. Teasing her with his tongue, he lightly licked along her lips, until breathlessly, she opened her mouth, and her tongue darted out, seeking contact with his.
A tingle shot down to her belly, as Aidan deepened the kiss, crushing his lips against hers and passionately thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Their arms entwined around each other as their tongues danced together fervently and passion consumed them.
Breaking the kiss and stepping back, Aidan slowly slid the peignoir robe down Grace’s shoulders, and it landed in a lacy pile on the floor. “You are so beautiful,” he whispered in her ear, his hot breath causing Grace to shiver. He gently pushed her back onto the bed and lay down beside her.
Grace’s breath came in ragged gasps, part from nervousness and part from arousal, as Aidan teasingly untied the ribbon that held the front of her baby doll together. The gauzy material fell open, exposing her ample breasts. His hands slid down her sides, and grasping the top of her g-string, he pulled it down her hips and legs and then tossed it onto the floor.
He explored her body with his eyes and hands, gently stroking her soft skin as he worked his way up her curvy body. As he reached her thighs, Grace opened her legs slightly in anticipation and moaned a sigh of protest when his hands skipped from her thighs to her belly. They slowly slid upwards, worshipping her body, until they came to rest on her voluptuous breasts. A sharp intake of breath hissed through Grace’s lips as Aidan’s thumbs brushed across her nipples.
“So fucking beautiful,” Aidan murmured as he lowered his mouth to her breast and sucked in a turgid peak.
Grace sighed as Aidan’s mouth and tongue ravished first one breast and then the other, licking and sucking in abandon. Heat began to smolder in her belly as pleasure flowed through her body. Aidan trailed kisses down her abdomen, pushing her thighs apart with his hands as his mouth reached her trimmed mound.
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“Umm,” she moaned as his tongue licked down her slit before his fingers spread her lips wide, exposing her glistening opening and her swelling nub of pleasure. His tongue dipped into her moist hole before sliding up to her clit and circling it, which sent hot shivers through her center.
As she moaned and writhed from his ministrations, Aidan looked up and said, “You like this,” and then he made a quick swipe of his tongue on her clit, “don’t you baby?”
“Oh yes Aidan, oh god yes, please don’t stop,” Grace responded.
Her cries pushed Aidan’s passion higher, and he vigorously made love to her clit and pussy with his tongue. Fire raged in Grace’s belly, the pressure building to a deafening crescendo. When Aidan slid a finger inside her tight walls, Grace’s body went taut, every muscle tightened, and her head arched backwards.
Her mouth opened as if to scream, but no sound came out, and her body spasmed and shook as the mind-blowing orgasm raced through her. Grace had never experienced anything like this before, and it felt as though the whole world had dimmed black before exploding into vivid color.
Aidan rode the waves and continued to lick and suck while his finger thrust inside her. As her breathing evened out and her body stilled, he moved up, his legs nestling between hers and his elbows resting beside her shoulders, their bodies pressed together. Gently brushing the hair away from her face, he said, “I love you so much,” and then he planted gentle kisses on her forehead.
“Make love to me Aidan,” Grace whispered. “I want to feel you inside me.”
Aidan rubbed the tip of his cock up and down her slit, gathering her wet juices, and then he slowly pushed inside her. Grace wrapped her legs around his hips, drawing him deeper inside her yearning pussy. With each slow thrust in, Grace’s body quivered. Aidan took her hands in his, entwining his fingers with hers and held them above her head. As his thrusts quickened, he stared deep into Grace’s eyes, the depth of his love for her etched on his face.
Warmth radiated throughout Grace’s body, the steady thrusts of Aidan’s cock deep inside her tight pussy driving her arousal to new heights, and knowing she was loved so deeply by the man of her dreams turned her on even more. Her breath came in panting gasps as her body geared up for another orgasm.
“I’m getting close baby,” said Aidan. “Come for me, I want to feel you come while I’m inside you.” He released her hands and got up on his knees. Slowly, his thumb circled her hot button, and her thighs quivered as she began to buck wildly against him.
Loud moans tumbled from her mouth as her back arched, and wave after wave of pleasure rolled through her body. Aidan’s guttural cries joined her moans as he plunged deep inside her and came, his cock twitching with release. Spent, he collapsed on top of Grace, their breathing slowly calming down, the sweat drying on their bodies.
Gradually, they came back to their senses, and Aidan rolled off Grace and pulled her against him. “Thank you, Grace, for trusting me so much. That was one hell of a graduation present. Now, I have something for you,” he said as he reached over her, opened the drawer on the bedside table, and pulled out a small box.
Sitting up, he looked down at her and said, “You are the most important person in my life, and I love you very much. I can’t imagine what life would be like without you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Grace, will you marry me?”
Grace’s mouth fell open in shock, and then she shrieked and bolted upright. “YES!” she screamed as she threw her arms around Aidan. When she finally pulled away, tears streamed down her face. “Oh Aidan, I love you so much.
You just made me the happiest woman in the world.”
“Give me your hand,” said Aidan. He gently took her hand and pulling the ring out of the box, slid it onto her finger.
“I know it’s not much, but it’s the best I could do right now. If I get the record deal, I will buy you a better one. I had thought about waiting to propose until after the meeting, but I just couldn’t wait.”
“Oh, Aidan, it’s absolutely beautiful. I don’t need a better one. This one is perfect.”
They lay back on the bed, snuggling together, content in their love.
The End
Good Night And Sweet Dreams !!!