Remember Love: Saints Protection & Investigations (22 page)

“You want to talk about it?”

“I remembered Carter and Jocelyn…it’s the first time that I’ve remembered someone from my recent past,” she whispered into the dark, her hand absentmindedly running over his tight stomach muscles.

“We were at the training and then, after we graduated, we had a celebration. I remember that I wished my parents could have been there.” Her tortured gaze jerked to his and she whispered, “And I dreamed of the night the police came to my house to tell me they had died in a car crash.”

They lay with their bodies pressed together as he smoothed her hair back from her face, offering quiet reassurances.

“My memories are coming back more and more,” she confessed. “Sometimes, I’ll be sitting, doing nothing in particular, and something will slam into me. It’s as though a movie reel is playing in my head.”

“This is good, Grace. This means you are more and more ready to accept what happened that night.”

She nodded against his chest. “I think you’re right. The memories are very real now. I remember most of my childhood and now the training with Gypsy. Nothing beyond that, but…”

“What, babe?”

“I feel like I know me…know who I am. But I still don’t know what happened to me. Why someone would want to kill me. I want my life back, Blaise.”

“We’ll get there, I promise,” he vowed. “Together…we’ll get there.”

G
race stretched in
the bed, the morning light pouring through the window. Never one to lie about in bed in the mornings, she reveled in the delicious feelings leftover from the night before.

As Blaise had worshiped her body, she discovered that she enjoyed pleasing him as well. Moving as one, they made love long into the early morning hours before finally falling asleep in each other’s arms. Her mind roamed back to the words he promised as the moon moved across the night sky.

“I need you to understand what we are,” he whispered into my ear as his body rocked into mine. “I want you, Grace Kennedy. And not because I’m protecting you. But because I can’t imagine my life without you in it.”

My neck arched back, meeting his thrusts, but fear broke through the lust. “What if when I remember everything, you won’t feel the same?” I whispered to the ceiling, afraid to gaze into his face.

“Babe, look at me,” he ordered and I had no choice—I immediately followed his command and held his eyes.

“I pull into the driveway and see you in the yard playing with the animals and my heart soars. I see you in my house and know that this place is now a home with you in it. I’m falling, babe, and have no intention of letting you go. I only hope you want the same thing.”

My throat threatened to close as tears stung my eyes. One slid down to the mattress but he captured the next on with his lips. “I may not know everything about me,” I managed to choke out, “but I know I want you in my life as well. If you’ll have me as I am, I’m yours.”

Lifting his head to look down at me, a broad grin split his face, turning handsome into breath-haltingly gorgeous. “You’re all I want…or need,” he replied before returning his lips to mine as we both plunged over the precipice.

Gypsy jumped up on the bed, startling Grace from her musings. “Hey girl,” she greeted. Looking over at the clock, she saw it was already eight a.m. “Oh, my God, I never sleep this late!” she exclaimed tossing the covers. A piece of paper floated to the ground. Bending to pick it up, she read,

Hey babe, I wanted you to sleep in so I snuck out to work. Already fed the animals so don’t let them lie to you and try to get another breakfast. I’ll come home early and we’ll make our trips out. Love, Blaise

She read the note several times, grinning more with each reading.
Love. He signed it Love.
Even if he did not mean it now, he had made it very clear last night that he was falling. Sucking in a deep breath, she glanced down at the expectant faces of Gypsy and Ransom. “Are you two lying to me, just to get another breakfast?” she joked.

Jogging down the stairs, still clad in only panties and Blaise’s t-shirt, she headed into the kitchen, placing a pod into the coffee maker and grabbing a slice of bread for the toaster. Feeling calmer than she had in a long time, she breathed deeply again, letting the memories of the night and the sunshine pouring in the windows warm her soul.

Deciding to bond more with Talon, she walked to the back room and gently picked up the small, purring kitten. Talon tried to hiss when she saw the dogs at Grace’s feet, but she cuddled her closely, offering her protection.

Walking back to the front of the house, she carried Talon in one hand against her chest, had a piece of toast sticking out of her mouth and reached for her coffee cup on the counter, when a noise had her whirling around.

Two wide-eyed, open-mouthed women stood in the kitchen. Jumping in fright, Grace dropped her cup back onto the counter, coffee sloshing out over the side. Gypsy growled, placing herself protectively in front of Grace as Ransom began wildly barking. Talon, scared by the noise, used her claws to try to climb up Grace’s neck, causing Grace to howl in pain.

Backing up while trying to dislodge the angry kitten, she tripped over Ransom and ended up on her ass on the floor, bare legs flying upward. Talon ran to the back room, leaving Grace with red, bleeding claw marks on her neck as she tried to scramble up. Managing to stand, albeit awkwardly, she shushed Ransom but remained behind Gypsy’s protective stance.

“Who are you?” she asked, her mind whirling. The younger, statuesque woman was breathtakingly beautiful. Long, blonde hair flowed about her shoulders and her sky-blue eyes stared back at Grace, laughter dancing about her lips. The older woman was also a beauty, similar to the younger woman.

The younger woman grinned widely, as she spoke, “I’m Bayley…Blaise’s sister.” Before Grace had a chance to speak, Bayley continued, “And this is our mother, Barbara.”

As the women’s eyes trailed down Grace, from the top of her sex-messed hair to the t-shirt that was obviously Blaise’s, to her naked legs which only a moment ago had been prominently stuck up in the air, she processed the introduction.
Oh, my God! His sister…and his mother!

Before she could speak, the front door slammed open and Blaise stalked in, halting as he viewed the scene in front of him, before turning his angry eyes to his family.

“I…I…” glancing down, Grace said, “Quiet, Gypsy.” The dog immediately came out of protective, growling stance and sat. Determined to make the best of the awkward situation, she tried to plaster a smile on her face as she stepped forward and said, “Hello, I’m Grace. I…I apologize. I seem to have made a mess,” she blurted out, noticing the spilled coffee on the counter and the toast on the floor. Her eyes searched Blaise’s, uncertain of his anger.

He crossed the space in two steps, tilting her head gently, saying “Babe, what the fuck happened to your neck?”

“Uh…I had Talon in my…uh…arms…I guess I…startled and she got scared,” Grace babbled, feeling like an idiot. Blushing bight red, she wrapped her arms tightly around her waist. She lifted her gaze to his and mouthed,
I’m sorry!

Furious, Blaise turned toward his family and barked, “Bayley, why don’t you keep your phone on? I got your text saying you were stopping by and tried to call you back to say not to come!”

Bayley fumbled in her purse and looked up, her face a mixture of mirth and regret. Her eyes sought Grace’s and she said, “I’m so sorry we startled you.”

Barbara stepped around her son and moved to Grace, her hand out. “My dear, please don’t be embarrassed. Bayley and I are the ones at fault. It is very nice to meet you and I do apologize that we frightened you.” Her eyes dropped to the bleeding scratches on Grace’s neck before lifting to her forehead. Smiling genuinely, she continued, “But it is so refreshing to see someone at my son’s house besides another stray he’s picked up.”

Jerking back at Barbara’s words, Grace’s face crimsoned even more. “Ex…excuse me,” she said before turning to rush up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Running into the hall bathroom, she closed the door, sliding down, leaning her back against it. Resting her face in her hands, she could feel the heat from her blush. After a moment, she pushed herself up and looked into the mirror. Dark eyes, with yesterday’s mascara smudged underneath. Tousled hair. The scar on her forehead, still red and jagged.
And let’s not forget the cat scratches marring her pale neck.
Her gaze dropped to Blaise’s t-shirt, her nipples prominently showing through the thin material.
Oh, my God. What an impression I made. Hell, I look like a stray, so why does it matter?
Grabbing a washcloth, she gently cleaned the scratches, hoping the rest of the household would magically disappear before she had to leave the safety of the bathroom.

Downstairs, Barbara’s eyes widened as she searched her son’s angry visage. “Oh, Blaise, what did I say? I was shocked to see her here, but so glad you have someone in your life. I wanted to make her less embarrassed.”

Dropping his chin to his chest, his hands resting on his lean hips, he said, “Jesus, mom. I know you’ve got no idea what’s happening, but this could not have been more fuc—, messed up. You two need to leave. Let me go take care of Grace and I’ll call you later.”

Barbara placed her hand on her son’s arm, stilling him momentarily. “She’s important to you. I can see it. At first, I was mortified thinking we had walked in on a…um…well, um…pickup, I suppose would be the right word. But I can see she’s different.”

Meeting his mother’s eyes, he nodded. “Yeah, mom, she’s different. And we’ve been making progress, but I have a feeling this may have just set things back. So you and sis need to go—”

“Nope,” Bayley pronounced, stepping forward next to her mom, watching her brother. “We made this mess and we’ll clean it up. So you go take care of your woman, and y’all come back down and let’s meet properly.” Seeing him about to refuse, she softened her command, “Blaise, if this woman is going to be in your life then mom and I want to meet her properly. And if we don’t do it soon, the embarrassment will be the only thing Grace remembers. So let’s give her a chance to meet us without the embarrassment.”

Without agreeing, Blaise turned and headed up the stairs. At the bathroom door, he knocked, softly saying, “Babe, let me in. Let me check on you.”

“I’m fine,” her voice called through the door. “I’m just washing my face.”

“Let me in,” he repeated, “I want to check your scratches.”

“Blaise, I’m fine. It’s not as though I haven’t had worse cuts…that much should be obvious by my face.”

He heard the defensive tone in her voice and cringed. “Honey, they feel really bad and you’ve got no idea how fuckin’ sorry I am about this. I just need to—”

The bathroom door opened and he almost fell forward from leaning on it. Straightening himself, he looked at Grace, seeing a mixture of anger, embarrassment, and doubt on her face. The first he could deal with, the second would pass in time, but the third emotion shot straight to his heart.

“Sweetheart, I’m so fuckin’ sorry,” he repeated. “You should feel safe in my house…I promised you that, and I know they scared you and I’m taking their key today so they’ll never do that again. And I know you’re mortified to be seen like you’d been loved well all night long…” he put his hands on her shoulders and gently pulled her forward before continuing, “but I did love you all night long and I’m proud as fuck you’re still in my t-shirt.” He felt her body melt into his slightly, and took a fortifying breath.

“And, the sight of doubt on your face kills me.” He felt her stiffen again and tightened his hold, pressing her against his heartbeat. “You are no stray. Not to me.”

Sighing heavily, she slowly encircled his waist with her arms. “Maybe that’s not so bad,” she finally said. Before he had a chance to refute her claim, she lifted her gaze to his, explaining, “For people like you and me…a stray isn’t a bad thing. It’s just a creature that needs love and hopes someone special will find them. That was me…and you’re the someone special.”

Placing his hands on either side of her face, he kissed her as his heart pounded out his love for the woman in his arms.
You’re perfect…fuckin’ perfect for me.

Finally remembering his mom and sister downstairs, he pulled back reluctantly. “They still want to meet you formally,” he said, worried about her reaction.

Standing straight, she grimaced for only a second before pronouncing, “Then I guess we’d better stop kissing and let me get ready.”

Fifteen minutes later, her hair combed, simple makeup applied, dressed in jeans and a pink tank top, she followed Blaise down the stairs and into the living room. Bayley and Barbara were sitting on the sofa, both jumping up as soon as they laid eyes on Grace.

Before she was able to move, Barbara noted her son’s arm around Grace’s shoulders—as protective as the dog had been earlier. Smiling, she stepped up to Grace and held out her hand. “My dear, please accept my and Bayley’s apology for our untimely entrance this morning. You have nothing to be embarrassed about…it was entirely our fault for not ringing the bell first. You must think the worst of us.”

Barbara’s hand held hers gently and Grace felt the sincerity of the kind words. Returning the smile, she said, “If you can forgive my undignified introduction to you as I tripped over the dogs and had a cat claw its way up my body, then I can certainly forgive your entrance. Perhaps we can start over.”

“Oh, I would so appreciate that!” Barbara exclaimed, shooting her son an approving glance. “Hello, my name is Barbara Hanssen and I’m Blaise’s mother.”

Bayley, jumping into the group, piped up, “And I’m Blaise’s sister, Bayley.”

Laughing, Grace shook their hands, saying, “It’s nice to meet you. I’m Grace Kennedy. I’m…uh…” suddenly realizing she had no idea how to introduce herself, she floundered.

Stepping in easily, Blaise answered for her. “Mom, Bayley, this is Grace…my girlfriend.”

Bayley’ blue eyes sparkled just as Grace could have sworn Barbara’s twinkled. Before she had time to think on that too hard, Blaise ushered them into the living room, while Bayley headed to the kitchen.