Mended Hearts (Lost Memories Book 1) Read online

  In and out, every stroke is better than the last. My hands are gripping her hips, helping with the momentum; her breasts are bouncing with every thrust I give her. Her head is thrown back in ecstasy. She opens her eyes, and we connect. I couldn't imagine two people could be this way. I didn't even believe it was possible. This moment seems to solidify everything about us; we are forever. I can feel my orgasm approaching fast, and can tell Grace is there too. I grip her tighter and give three more thrusts as we finish at the same time. I empty myself inside her, hoping it takes root and we create a life together.

  Not wanting to pull out of her I roll over, so she's on top. She collapses on me, both of us trying to recover. I smooth her wild hair back and kiss her forehead. She hums in complete bliss. I close my eyes, embracing Grace, holding her tightly. I never imaged my life could be like this, but now that I have it, I'm never letting it go.

  Chapter 8

  Grace

  Giggling, I roll onto my back and Grants moves to his side next to me. We just finished making love, again. We've been at it all night. I never knew sex could be so fantastic, but I know it wouldn’t be with anyone but him. I love Grant, and he’s so kind and sweet to me. The feeling of his cum slipping from me makes me still for a second. We haven’t used protection during our many couplings. Thinking about it, I couldn’t care less and am even excited about the prospect of a child with him. But I don’t know how Grant feels.

  "Hey, what's on your mind?" Grant gathers me in his arms and kisses my forehead like he always does.

  Feeling a little nervous, I decide to just to say it. "We didn't use protection, and I'm not on birth control." I feel Grant's hand rubbing my back; my head still on his chest.

  "I hoped as much," he murmurs. I pull back and look at him with shock and relief.

  "If you're worried about me, I'm clean. It's been a very, very long time for me. I honestly don't even remember when, well over thirteen years at least."

  "What?!" I'm shocked. How does a hunk like Grant not have women crawling all over him?

  "Grace, I've been living here the last ten years, and I've been focused on the garage. Women were the last thing on my mind, and before that I was in and out of prison most of my younger years, and I liked being alone." He tucks my hair behind my ear. Knowing this makes me happy. I never knew I was a jealous person until I thought of Grant with another woman.

  "What about the possibility of pregnancy?" I bite my lip wondering what he’ll say. He reaches out and pulls my lip from my teeth.

  "Gracie, I want nothing more than to have a family with you. I never thought I could have a home, and a wife I love, the only thing to make that better is creating a life with you." I stare at him in disbelief, then jump on him, sealing my mouth to his and straddling his hips.

  "I love you so much, Grant."

  "I love you too, Gracie."

  The sound of my stomach makes us both laugh, stopping us.

  "How about you make us breakfast, and you can give me more details about your mother?" I rear back in utter shock.

  "Grace, you came here for a reason, and it's important to you to find out what happened to her. I'm going to help you do that."

  I hug him tightly "Thank you, Grant. I've been alone for too long; I'm so happy to have you now." I feel him chuckle, and when I pull back and look at him, he's sporting a broad smile.

  "That's my line."

  Grant parks his Nova outside Sue's Sewing shop in town.

  "What are we doing here?" I ask, confused. While we cleaned up after eating, he told me he wanted to take me somewhere. I’d planned to ask where, but we got a little sidetracked, and ended up christening our new kitchen.

  "Sue Roberson, age sixty-eight, her and her husband Fred have lived in this town for the past 30 years. Their best friends were Scott and Alice Davidson." I gasp and cover my mouth. That was my grandparents.

  "How did you figure this out? When?" I had so many questions.

  "I made a few calls early last night after you passed out. I've come to know almost everyone since moving here, and it wasn't too hard to ask around," he says with a smirk.

  I slide across the bench seat, wanting to be close to him. "Thank you, Grant." I lean up, and our lips meet. I meant it to be soft and sweet, but what I noticed with Grant is he brings all my passion roaring to the surface. He runs his hands through my hair, and I grip his biceps. Suddenly he pulls away.

  "Gracie, we need to stop, or I'll be pinning you to this seat with my cock," he growls at me, which only makes me giggle.

  "Well then, let's save that for later." I give him a wink and get out of the car. Grant follows a second later, scowling at me. I roll my eyes, knowing what’s coming.

  "I know, I know, I wait for you to get my door." He slaps my ass as we walk into the store.

  "Welcome. How can I…? Oh my." I look up to see an elderly woman greeting us, but she seems shocked, and is staring at me.

  "Sue, this is Grace. Grace, Sue." Grant introduces us.

  "Grant, you said it was a possibility that she's Scott and Alice's granddaughter, not that she’s the splitting image of her mother." Sue comes around the counter and quickly embraces me. Pulling back, she looks me over.

  "You look so much like Gloria," Sue gushes "Let's go sit and chat." She leads us to the back of the store where there is an open area filled with different clothes and a large table. Grant pulls my seat out and sits next to me, pulling my chair closer before resting his arm on it.

  "You two are just the cutest. You remind me of Scott and Alice." She smiles fondly at us.

  We talk for a bit, causal chit-chat, but then we get serious. I want answers, and she might be the only one who can help at this point. "Please, Sue, can you tell me anything about my grandparents or mother?" I reach across the table and grasp her hands. She squeezes back.

  "Dear, I'll tell you everything I know."

  Chapter 9

  Grant

  I watch Grace rustle through the box Sue gave her. She's been shaken up since Sue shared what she knew. Hearing the kettle whistle, I fill her mug and walk over to her.

  "Gracie, drink some tea. It’ll help you calm down." I sit next to her, putting her cup on the table.

  "Grant, how can I? Look at all this." She waves at the box of evidence her mother and grandparents have been collecting on her father, Thomas.

  I pick up a photo of Grace's mom, Gloria. She's battered and bruised. It makes me sick to my stomach.

  "Did he hit you?" I feel Grace tense beside me and let out a growl of anger.

  "He did, didn't he?" I shoot to my feet and start pacing the living room. "I'm going to kill that son of a bitch." I feel Grace come up and wrap her arms around me. I cling to her, wanting to soak up any pain she's feeling, or has ever felt.

  "Grant, it wasn't like he beat me, it was a slap here or there when I was defiant or disobedient." I turn and grasp her shoulders.

  "It doesn't fucking matter, Gracie. He touched you, hurt you. You’re his daughter which means he should be protecting you, loving you, and acting like a real goddamn father!" I roar out. I'm getting so worked up, but just the thought of anyone hurting my Gracie burns me with rage.

  I feel Grace's hands on my face, and she kisses my lips lightly. "And that's exactly the type of father you'll be." I look at her and see nothing but love and pride in her eyes. I deflate instantly and gather her in my arms and kiss her hard.

  "Yeah, Gracie, it is." I rest my forehead on hers. Finally calming down, we move back to the couch to finish looking through the evidence.

  "So, what's here backs up what Sue told us and then some. There are files from my father's law practice showing illegal shortcuts he took for some of his clients and about stealing money from others." Grace recaps what we've been through so far.

  Gloria, Grace's mother, left our little town to head to New York, looking to explore the art world in the big city. She met Thomas, and at first, he swept her off her feet. When she got pregnant, they were marri
ed, and from then on, she could never get out from under his thumb. Gloria secretly sent her parents pictures of her after her beatings, hospital records, and files from his work. Anything damaging she could get her hands on. Not long after Grace was born, all the messages to her parents stopped, and Gloria went missing. Apparently, she ran off according to Thomas. Grace's grandparents tried to get custody of Grace and looked for Gloria, but Thomas was an influential lawyer, he had too much power. Five years after Grace was born, they died in a house fire, not long after they asked for yet another custody hearing. There are way too many unanswered questions, and there is no doubt in my mind the fucker is involved.

  "There is no proof where my mother is, or if she’s alive, nor that my grandparents' death was anything but an accident." Grace is taking this well. God, she's tough. Any other woman would have been sobbing on the floor, but not my Gracie.

  "Well, there is enough evidence to get him in some major trouble, but seeing how he got out of the many custody hearings and has a large firm, I don't think that will keep him away for long." We need to figure out how to put him away, for good. As much as I want to track him down and kill him, I don't want to be separated from Grace, or go back to the big house.

  "How about a sting?" Grace beams at me like it's the most brilliant plan ever, but it's not.

  "No way." I cross my arms over my chest.

  "Grant, it’s perfect, the information we have is enough to get him to talk to me. Hell, he's still looking for me! I'll bait him into telling me the truth and record it!" She's apparently been watching too many crime shows.

  "Gracie, it's too dangerous. I'm never going to let someone like that near you ever again." As I rub my hands over my face, I try to shake the feeling of doom I'm starting to feel over her plan.

  “Grant, you’re worrying too much. There is nothing to be concerned with. It’s a good plan,” Grace tries to persuade me.

  I turn to look at her in outrage. “Nothing to be concerned with? Are you mad, woman? You are my everything! The reason my heart beats. You crashed into my life, picked up all my pieces and wrenched them together to be whole again. This plan puts you in danger and risks that. So yes, I have concerns, but I’ll be dammed if I let anything or anyone hurt you.” I feel out of breath now.

  Grace is looking at me with a sad smile. “I don’t know what other option we have. The evidence alone is not enough to put him away for good, and our suspicions are worthless without proof. We need a confession. We can tell Sheriff James and Deputy Connors the plan. You can be nearby too. Please, Grant. This is the only way we can figure out what happened to my mother." She's pleading with me now, and I know she's right. I just hate that she is.

  Letting out a defeated sigh, I lean back on the couch "Fine, but we take our time setting this up, no rushing into it. We talk with the Sheriff and Connors to figure it out." I give her a stern look.

  Grace squeals in delight and straddles me, giving me a big kiss. I chuckle. "I don't think I've ever seen anyone so happy to put their old man in jail."

  "I'm happy to finally find out what happened! That my father will get what he deserves." I grip her hips tightly.

  "Gracie, you have to prepare for the notion that she's dead." I'm trying to help her cope with what's to come.

  She gives me a sad smile "I know she is, Grant."

  "How?"

  She shakes her head and says, "I just do."

  Wrapping my arms around her, I pull her close. We'll get to the bottom of this. Together.

  Chapter 10

  Grace- Two weeks later

  "Thanks for your business, Mrs. Kimble. David parked your car in front of the bay door." I hand her the invoice. Mrs. Kimble is a nice older woman that runs the local homemade jam shop.

  "Grace, I saw the painting you did for Carla, and it was so beautiful! Could I pay you to paint one for me?” She asks, hope in her tone and a beaming smile on her face.

  I'm ecstatic about the opportunity. I've gotten other orders over the last few weeks. "Of course, Mrs. Kimble, how about I stop by next week?" I return her smile.

  "That's fine, dear. Thank you." She gives me a hug and leaves. I sit back in the office chair and start to go through today’s paperwork.

  It's been two weeks since our meeting with Sue. We compiled and organized all the evidence then met with Sheriff James. We've slowly been creating a plan, making sure its foolproof so my father will be put away for good. Unfortunately, that takes time. The sheriff has been asking some friends in high places to help. Luckily, we are close to initiating our idea. We haven't seen Allen or Trevor since that day, so I guess they moved on.

  I pull open the top drawer of the desk and look at my wallet and phone. Grant gave them back to me a while ago. The phone is busted, but even if it wasn't, I have no desire to hear any of the messages my father left. I honestly think he's scared I’m close to getting the answers I need. Why else would he send his goons after me? They’re his fixers after all? Little does he know my grandparents kept the evidence in a safety deposit box that went to Sue when they died.

  I'm pulled out of my thoughts when Grant enters the office. "Just finished for the day, and the shop is locked up. How's it coming in here?" He leans down and kisses me on the lips before sitting on the desk facing me.

  I shuffle all the papers into the folder and hold it up. "I’m done, and got another order for a painting today."

  "Gracie, that's fantastic!"

  I stand and move in front of him. He grips my hips, tugging me close. We've been all over each other during these last few weeks, having done it in every room of our home, and all three of his muscle cars. We've also continued our domestic bliss like we’ve been doing it for years. I spy the clock out of the corner of my eye, wondering if we have enough time before meeting Sheriff James and Deputy Connors about our next steps against my father.

  "You know, we have an hour until we have to meet them," I say with a cheeky grin. I feel his hands tighten on my hips.

  "Well, we could do a lot in that time," he growls into my hair

  He pulls away and kisses me. It's deep, his tongue exploring my mouth. I run my hands up his large arms and wrap them around his neck, tugging him closer. He lets out an animalistic growl. Suddenly I'm lifted and placed on the desk. Grant spreads my legs and steps between them. His hands go to my buttons, and he roughly pops them through the holes. He brushes my hair back and starts kissing my neck.

  "You know, we've yet to try out this room," I say with a shallow breath, making Grant chuckle.

  "We can't have that can we?" He pushes my blouse off my shoulders, and I quickly tug his shirt over his head. I'm wearing a long cotton skirt with a slit up the side, and he easily slips it off me. I'm sitting on the desk in just my bra and underwear now.

  "Gracie, you’re so damn beautiful." His eyes eat me up, and it makes me wetter. He hooks a finger in my panties and pulls them down my legs, then drops to his knees. He uses his hand to open my lips, and I let out a needy whimper as I feel his breath on my inner thigh as he trails kisses closer to my core. When I feel his tongue on me I can't help it; I let out a deep moan. He continues to lick and suck every inch of me.

  "Grant." I feel out of breath, as he takes me to a higher to my peak and I explode. He eats me up with delight, licking all of me. Giving a final lick, he rises and kisses me hard. Tasting myself on his lips makes me feel like I claimed him. I unbuckle his belt and shove his jeans and boxers down. He quickly peels off my bra, leaving me naked. I reach out and stroke his large length. He's smooth and solid.

  Grant lets out a moan. "Gracie, I need to be in you." He leans down to suck my nipple, making me gasp before he switches to the other. Letting go with a pop, Grant lines himself up to my core and thrusts into me in one swift moment. "Oh god, Grace. You feel better every time." He pounds into me relentlessly, in and out as we build up together. I squeeze his arms tighter as Grant grips my hips.

  "Grant, don't stop. God, don't stop," I moan.

  "
I'm never stopping, Gracie. You’re mine. Forever." He thrusts deep and we cum together. I lay on the desk, Grant resting his head on my chest. He starts to nuzzle my breast making me giggle. I run my hand through his hair, massaging his head which I know he likes.

  "We should dress and get going. We don't want to keep Sheriff James waiting." I hum in contentment but feel Grant sigh.

  I glance up at him. "What's wrong?"

  He looks down at me. "I know what the next step of our plan is. It's getting your Dad on tape, and that means putting you in danger. I don't like it." He’s worried.

  Sitting up I take hold of his hands "Grant, we talked about this with the sheriff, our plan is solid and I'll be safe with you guys nearby." As we get dressed, Grant seems to be in a daze. I pull him to me. "Hey, I love you. Once this is over, we can move on with our lives, and I'll have the closure I need."

  He hugs me tightly. "I love you, Gracie. I can't live without you; I refuse to."

  "You will never have to. Now let's get to the station."

  Grant doesn't look any less worried, but I need this.

  We leave and climb into his Nova. Grant pulls onto main street heading towards the station. I still feel the tension radiating off him. I know he doesn't like this, but it's the only way. I reach out and lay my hand on his arm when suddenly there’s an impact on my side. It causes my body to be thrown forward, and my head smashes into the dash. The pain radiates from my skull, and I feel warm liquid rolling down my face. My sight is blurry, and I'm finding it hard to keep my eyes open. I hear yelling, one of the voices being Grant's, and then everything goes black.

  Chapter 11