Page 11 of Karma (Deranged Drifters MC #23)

Chapter Eleven

Griffin’s Beach Gracie

G racie Short sits on the swings behind the clubhouse. She spent the past two hours placing rose petals around and lighting what feels like a thousand candles. And then starting all over when Gavin changed up the plan, wanting a path from the front door out back where he’ll wait.

“You look good sitting in candlelight,” Kent Conway says.

He walks out holding her son, Nolan, and she smiles.

Eighteen years old with a one-year-old baby wasn’t on her bingo card when it came to her life, but she learned quickly to roll with the punches.

Especially when she’s been in multiple situations where death was more than just a worst-case scenario.

“Thanks,” she says and smiles. “This looks pretty good. I can’t believe my brother, of all people, had an idea this romantic.”

Taking her son from Kent, she sets him on her lap and pushes herself on the swing. He laughs and claps, and she loves how happy he seems to be. Even though his father never wanted to acknowledge him, Nolan is a very loved little boy.

“You’d be surprised how romantic bikers can be,” Kent says and sits on the swing next to her with a wink.

He went out of his way to make everything as romantic and comfortable for Gracie when they started dating. Still does. While he didn’t know who Nolan’s father was at the time, he knew she was insecure because of what happened with him.

Cole Walsh talked Gracie out of her clothes with an ease that still embarrasses her.

Once they were naked, he had his way with her, and it was over quickly.

When he was done, he never said a word to her, got dressed, and left her alone in a stranger’s room to process what just happened by herself.

After that, he proceeded to ignore her, denying they were ever together.

Even after the pregnancy test came back positive, Cole refused to accept Nolan was his, much less that they’d had sex.

“It’s not because he’s a biker. It’s because he’s my brother,” Gracie says and kisses her son’s head. “I’ve known him my entire life. He’s lucky Hailey ever looked at him in the first place.”

Her parents walk out with Lex, Lucas, and the two younger kids. Gavin steps out holding Nancy, and he looks more nervous than she’s ever seen him. Even more nervous than having to tell their dad he knocked up Emme.

Handing Nolan to Kent, Gracie walks over and takes Nancy from him. “Relax or you’re going to drop her.”

Letting out a deep breath, he nods. “This is really going to suck if she says no.”

Whatever prompted this, Gracie doesn’t know, but Gavin got a hair up his butt to propose. They haven’t been together very long, but she really did step up when Nancy’s mom washed her hands of the baby. Moving in and helping raise another woman’s child probably expedited the relationship.

The door opens, and Gavin takes Nancy back. Colt walks out with Hailey, and her eyes widen when she sees Gavin. “What is this? What’s going on?”

“I want to do this right,” Gavin says and smiles at her as she walks towards him.

“Do what right?”

He holds Nancy upright, and Hailey gasps. Gracie helped order her shirt, and it reads MARRY MY DADDY.

“Gavin…”

Colt takes Nancy from him, and Gavin gets down on one knee.

Holding the ring box, he lets out a shaky breath.

“From the day I met you, I knew you were special. Difficult as all hell, but special. We had our struggles, but we made it over every hurdle. I was certain that finding out I was going to be a dad would be the end of us, but you stuck by me. And you love Nancy just as much as I do.”

“I do,” she whispers as she nods her head.

“You want to be her mother, and you are. We’ll make it official, but I want us to share a last name. Hailey Nichols, will you marry me?”

Hailey breaks down into sobs and nods her head. Slipping the ring on her finger, he stands and kisses her. The same ring Gracie thinks is beyond weird.

When he showed it to them, she thought it was ugly. Sure, it’s a diamond, but it’s kind of gaudy for her taste. It’s Cinderella inspired, meant to look like the carriage from the side, which is kind of cool. Not Gracie’s thing, but it’s not her ring.

“I love you,” he says, his arms wrapped around her.

“I love you, too.”

“Congrats!” Noah shouts, and he and Calla toss confetti on them.

The little pieces of paper stick to Hailey’s wet cheeks, and the snort from Lex makes it known she had a hand in the final touch.

Gracie takes her turn hugging the couple, and Hailey cups her face. “I’m excited to have another sister.”

“I’ve never had one before, but it has to be better than having a big brother,” she says with a chuckle. “Welcome to the family.”

The celebratory party erupts in the clubhouse, and Gracie’s more than happy to participate.

Nolan and Nancy get put down in her dad’s apartment with a baby monitor Kent’s sister, Martha, keeps an eye on, and Lucas plays in the back with Noah and Calla.

For the first time, Gracie feels like an average old lady.

Not a daughter. Not a mom. A woman of the club.

“Child-free for a bit,” Kent says into her ear, his hot breath making her shiver.

“What do you have in mind?”

He sucks on her earlobe, and she giggles. “What I always have in mind when I’m around you.”

“You are insatiable.”

“I don’t know what that means, but I’m going to guess you’re right.”

Turning around, she looks up into his eyes, craning her neck to do so. This damn height difference. Why couldn’t Dad give me height instead of broad shoulders? “It means you’re never fully satisfied and always want more.”

“Oh, I’m always satisfied with you,” he says. “But I always want you. All of you. I’ll never get enough, baby.”

The butterflies kick up in her stomach, and she smirks at the dampness between her legs.

After the disaster known as her first sexual experience, she never thought she’d want to get naked with another man.

Hell, she assumed sex was just glamorized and not something to crave.

Man, was she wrong. All it took was meeting a man who wants to please her as much as himself, and she wakes up in the middle of the night needing him.

“Now that you mention it, we should probably take advantage of not having Nolan to interrupt us.”

No additional coaxing is needed, and he pulls her up the stairs towards his apartment. If their parents notice, they don’t say anything, and she knows the party will drown out any sounds they may make. She’s free to be as loud as she wants.

“Tell me what you want,” Kent says, peeling his clothes off as she does the same.

There is very little Gracie hasn’t found pleasurable with Kent, and she’s feeling a little frisky tonight. “Dealer’s choice.”

“Oh, so many options,” he says with a smirk as he watches her climb onto the bed. “First, though, I need a little snack.”

Her legs widen before his knees touch the ground, and he pulls her to the edge of the mattress. Ever since their date when he showed her what an orgasm is with just his fingers, she’s willing to try everything he suggests. And his mouth on her is one of her favorites.

“Kent,” she moans when he flattens his tongue and rubs against her clit. He slides his long fingers inside her, and she gasps as she bucks against him. “Yes. Yes, just like that. God, don’t stop.”

She tilts her pelvis, allowing him more access to her, and when he sucks her clit into his mouth and moans, she falls apart while he finger fucks her with vigor. The orgasm rips through her, coursing all the way through to her fingertips.

“Fuck, you sound so good when you come,” he says and kisses her inner thighs. “That alone gets me ready to take you.”

Looking down at his erection as he stands to grab a condom, she smirks. He’s larger than the only other guy she’s been with, but from what she’s heard and read, Kent Conway is well above average.

“Have you decided what you want to do?” she asks.

“Well…”

She smirks and climbs on all fours. “Let’s try it.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’ve given birth without drugs. I think taking me doggy style will be tolerable, if not pleasurable.”

He massages her ass cheeks and presses his latex-covered cock at her entrance. “If it doesn’t feel good, we’ll—”

“Just shove it in already,” she says and moves her body backwards to slide onto him.

Taking her from behind has been the one position he’s shied away from because of his size. It’s his favorite, but he’s only had one past partner able to handle it. He’s scared of hurting her, but she really just wants to be fucked right now.

He inches inside, and she stretches to accommodate him. She looks over her shoulder when he pauses, and she knows he’s not fully inside her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

“Kent—”

“Let’s do something else.”

Sighing, she refuses to move, even as he pulls out of her. “No.”

“No?”

“Kent Conway, I really, really need you to fuck me. Right now.” He gasps, taken aback, and she giggles. “If it hurts, I’ll tell you. If I need to stop, I’ll tell you. Now, shove your cock into my pussy, and fuck me senseless.”

A happy smirk appears on his face, and her brazen, slightly out of character remarks seem to do the trick because he positions himself behind her and toys at her entrance.

“You really want me to fuck you?”

“So, so much.”

Bending forward, he kisses between her shoulder blades before slamming into her. It takes her by surprise as she gasps, and she reaches out to brace herself on the wall as he roughly takes her.

She honestly thought it would hurt, but she wanted to at least try it with him. Instead, he seems to find a magic button as he buries himself further inside her than he ever has before. It feels so good that she pants, pressing herself backwards with every thrust.

“Fuck, Gracie,” he grunts. “You’re so damn tight.”

Her hands slide down the wall, and she buries her face in the pillow as the most intense orgasm she’s ever had flows through every inch of her. Her toes curl, and she sees white as the pleasure overtakes every one of her senses.

“Fuck,” he moans and stills behind her. “Jesus Christ.”

Sweat slides down her back towards her neck in her current position. Face down, ass up. That’s how the song goes, right? No lyrics have ever been truer.

“Baby?” Kent asks as he slides out of her and disposes of the rubber. “Are you okay? Did I… I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

Tipping over, she lies on her side as she pants. “I… Words and stuff.”

“What?”

Her eyes blink slowly as she comes back down to earth while he climbs on the bed next to her. “I’m having a difficult time feeling my body below my neck right now.”

“It didn’t hurt?”

“That wasn’t a scream of pain, baby.” Closing her eyes for a few moments, she smiles. “That was amazing.”

The smile on his face when she opens her eyes makes a warmth spread across her chest. “I thought so, too.”

“I like the other stuff we do, but sometimes… Yeah, a girl just needs that.”

Kent pulls her into his arms, and she snuggles against him. Being naked with him should be awkward, especially when he looks like he just stepped out of a men’s workout magazine, but anything with him puts Gracie at ease.

“You liked getting pounded,” he says with a laugh. “God, I love you.”

There it is. He’s told her he loves her multiple times now, and she freezes every time he does. It’s only a matter of time before he gets fed up with her not saying it back, but she’s not ready. Not yet.

“Kent—”

“It’s okay,” he whispers and kisses just above her ear.

She sighs. He always says it’s okay that she can’t say it back, but she knows it’s not. How can it be?

“You’re on a different page than me, but at least we’re in the same book. I’m okay waiting for you to catch up.”

“How long will you be willing to wait for me?”

“I told you before, and I’ll tell you every day until you believe me. I don’t need you to say it back for me to love you. And there’s a lot of stuff that holds you back. I get it, Gracie. It’s okay.”

“What if I’m never ready to say it back?”

The tears threaten to fall, and she closes her eyes, willing them to disappear. With three words, her orgasmic high shatters into a million pieces.

“You will be,” he says. “Because even if you can’t say you love me, I can feel it. I know you do, and when you’re ready, you’ll say it back.”