Grace Saves Henry Ch. 07

Henry was in high spirits as he drove them back to his house. Grace tried to smile and laugh along with him. He wasn't noticing that her gaiety was forced.

Home again, Grace asked, "What about tomorrow, Henry? Will they call?"

"No, they said that I could go back around ten in the morning. They would have more information by then. They think she may be awake by then. Grace, this was all because of your idea! I can't thank you enough!"

"Yeah. Me and my bright ideas. Soon to be homeless, I guess." She pulled a boxed pizza out of the freezer, and turned on the oven. Henry hadn't heard that last remark.

Henry was a dynamo that night. Grace was amazed. He had transformed into a sex fiend! He used his mouth and tongue on every part of her body. He growled, groaned, and roared! Calling her name, calling Doreen's name, shouting out what he would do next.

He pushed her, rolled her, and turned her, every time flaunting his cock, shaking it, teasing with it, and finally, forcefully shoving it into her sopping pussy.

It was as though Henry was the one who had been asleep, and finally awoke. Grace loved every carnal second of his performance, and she came and came as he manipulated his cock, turning it every which way as he fucked with extraordinary energy! She wondered if this was what he had been like, before the accident, before Doreen's coma. Henry awakened!

His orgasmic ejaculation was epic! He came in her, then halfway through pulled out to paint her body with his semen. He was a man possessed. "I love you!" he cried, "I love this! This is what I've needed, for so very long!"

Grace, usually the instigator of their lovemaking, was having a difficult time keeping up with him. She laughed with him when they both realized that even with all his efforts and cumming, he was still hard! He suckled a nipple, making her cry out with joy. He suckled the other nipple, and then he placed his cock between her boobs and started fucking them.

He came again, but still wasn't done. He told Grace to suck him dry. She tried, got him hard once more and he came in her mouth. He seemed to be slowing down. Grace was no longer able to keep up. She was spent. She was sorry she was the only woman there. She collapsed on her back, and had to tell him to stop. She'd never told a man to stop before.

She wondered if adrenaline had caused his magnificent outburst. She started laughing again, thinking that he had turned into an animal. An alpha bull. She loved it.

"Henry, you are king of the herd! You were glorious! Is this what you used to do with Doreen? When you first married, or before that?"

He was still catching his breath, but finally he was able to answer. "No... not like that. I... don't know what came over me. I just had to... I wanted to fuck everything and everyone! I've been told cocaine does this. Did I ingest some, somehow? Man, if coke does that, no wonder people get addicted."

"No drugs. That I know of. I think your adrenaline did that, thinking about Doreen's waking up and what you want to happen. Wow. You wore me out. So awesome, Henry. You are a GOD!"

He laughed and kissed her. "I think it's you, Gracie. You've done something to me. You've brought me out of a darkness, made me want to... not just live, but to thrive! For Doreen."

As if on cue, his phone chimed. The hospital ringtone. Henry was still on such a high, he didn't even get worried. He answered the phone.

But Grace worried. If Doreen takes a setback, it could destroy Henry.Please God, this man needs his wife.

Henry's face did not change. The smile was still there. And as if by magic, his smile got even larger. He said thank you to someone, and closed the connection. Looking at Grace, his face showed wonder.

"Gracie, she woke up! Just ten minutes ago! She's still awake! It wasn't adrenaline, it was Doreen. It had to be. And it's all because of you, and your brilliant idea. You are an angel!"

Henry got up and paced around the room. It was eleven o'clock. No sleep will come tonight, Grace decided. For either of them. She got up, too, and decided to head to the great room to make a phone call of her own. Henry didn't even notice.

On the sofa, Grace called Al. His deep, calm voice was reassuring. "Grace? Are you all right?"

"Yes. I'm okay. A little sore maybe, but good. Henry got the call just fifteen minutes ago. Doreen just woke up. Henry is over the moon with happiness. I don't think either of us will get any sleep tonight. He may even head to the hospital."

"That's wonderful news. I'm happy for him, and for you. I'm sure you had a lot to do with that. What are you wearing?" She giggled.Typical man....

"It was just an idea. To think good thoughts instead of worst-case thoughts. Love songs. Sex talk, favorite smells. Right now, I'm not wearing anything."

"You sound a little shaken. Stay that way. Naked. I'm coming over. I'm leaving now. Don't let him leave before I get there."

Grace went to the kitchen and put water in the kettle to heat. She needed tea. Henry, maybe a bit of whiskey in his tea. She started hoping that this would be good for her. She knew that she wouldn't live with Henry forever, but this... it was all happening much faster than she ever expected.

Henry came over to her, smiling and looking as though he was ready for another round.

"Henry, Douglas is coming over. He'll be here soon."

"To see you or me?"

"Both of us, I'm pretty sure. He said he has something to tell us."

"Oh, okay. Are you making coffee?"

She smiled. "No, I'm making tea. I'm hoping that will help me to sleep. Do you want coffee? I could make some for you."

"Sure, that would be cool. Douglas would probably like some, too."

And just like that, the doorbell rang.

Grace ran to open the door. She hid behind the door, because the porch light stayed lit all night.

Douglas came in and closed the door. "Wow, you look stunning. Every time I see you nude, I'm reminded of all the comments I've seen from your users, the engineers, raving about your abilities, and your enthusiasm. Did you know that, for the free use girls, there are pictures in each girl's file? Sent to HR by the men who've been serviced."

"I didn't know that! I mean, I knew they took pictures of me, but I thought it was just for themselves, to help them masturbate if I'm unavailable."

"Your file has the most pictures. Hundreds. Most of the time with a big grin. We need to talk. But first I want to talk to Henry."

Grace made her tea, and poured coffee for Henry and Douglas. She set the whisky bottle out, so they could use some if they wanted. They sat on the sofa. Doug explained to Henry that he wanted to do something special for him, for helping Grace. When he mentioned a sabbatical of one year, Henry was grateful, but humble.

"Grace helped me as much as I've helped her. She should be the one being thanked."

"Oh, don't worry. I have something special planned for her, as well. Right now, the focus is on you. Will you accept a full paid year off? Grace thought you might work on your dissertation."

"After a year would I be able to come back here? To my job?"

"Absolutely. Whether or not as Dr. Offenbeck, you would be welcomed."

"And what about Grace? What does she get?"

"That depends on Grace. I have a couple things in mind for her. But first that depends on whether or not she wants to continue working at Wakefield. If she wants to do something else... I could help. As of this afternoon my rental house in Santa Cruz is no longer a rental. I'll now simply call it my beach house. And if she wants to, Grace can live in that house. It can be her home."

Grace gasped. "Oh! Really? Oh! That means I could work for Samson, and not have to move in with him. Is there a catch?"

"I wouldn't call it a catch. More like a condition. At first, I would visit you, in that beach house, on the weekends. Then after a while, I will stop being CEO at Wakefield and only be on its Board of Directors. I would live with you full time in Santa Cruz. I might even sell my Los Altos Hills home."

"Los Altos Hills? You are rich. Only rich people live there. Are you hinting that I could choose to live in either Santa Cruz or Los Altos Hills?"

"If you want to live with me, yes. And if you want to continue working at Wakefield, you can choose your partners. As many or as few... it's up to you."

"If I lived in Santa Cruz, could I invite friends to spend a weekend at the beach, with me? Like Henry and Doreen? Or my sister?"

"It would be your home. It has two bedrooms. So yes, of course. We could put our new artwork on those walls, too."

Henry was concerned. "Wait a minute. You want Grace to live with you. That's not enough. She needs more assurance than that. Her last gig didn't end so well. It was based only on trust."

Grace was encouraged that Henry was still protecting her.I need to learn how to do that on my own.

"I agree. But Grace and I have only known each other for 4-1/2, almost 5 days. I don't want to force her into something she's not ready for."

Henry was shaking his head. "I think you are the one who's not ready. Grace knows what she wants. It's you who have to choose. I see it going one of two ways. Either you marry her, or you adopt her. If you can't do either, she can't trust you."

Doug shrugged. "I thought it might come to this." He dug into his pocket. Grace thought he was going for his phone, to take a naked selfie with her. But she was wrong.

"I won't get down on one knee, but Grace, would you be so kind as to consent to marry me? I love you." He showed her a ring.

She gasped. "AthenaGaia! How did you... this isn't possible! They take eight to ten weeks to deliver. Um, what kind of wife do you want? I'm not going to be a very good housewife, so if you need... "

"Bella, Bella. I can hire a housekeeper, I can hire a cook. What I need is someone who loves me, completely, loves crazy sex, and slow, sweet lovemaking, and someone who wants to talk things over. I think you fill those requirements nicely.

"Yes, yes, yes! I will marry you! I love you, too! Now tell me how you managed to get this ring exactly how I wanted."

"Money. I promised them much more money if they could get it to me by today. Including the rose gold, and citrine stone. I asked for amber but they couldn't get that fast enough. They had citrine, so that was it. As soon as I discovered my Grace was not a fan of diamonds, I knew this was it. We'll have to look for some nice amber earrings for you. And here's the wedding band that goes with it."

He pulled the band out of his pocket, and Grace swooned. "How did you know?"

He looked very smug. "A little birdie told me. I took note."

She hugged him, then kissed him. He kissed her back, many times. Henry was happy. This was what he wanted for Grace.

She put the ring on her finger. "It fits! Size four and a half, and it fits! She ran to the guest room closet, where her clothes lived. She grabbed her kimono and put it on, and came running out.

"Pictures! Ring on my finger, kissing my fiancè. I had to put clothes on or I couldn't send it to my friends and family."

They took a few selfies. She decided to wait though, and not send them out to anyone just yet.

"Okay, I've decided," she said. "I want to see your Los Altos Hills house, but I want to live in the Santa Cruz house. I quit Wakefield."

"That sounds good," Douglas answered. "Henry, I'm going to take Grace with me now."

"Okay. I'll be going to the hospital in a few minutes. Be good to Grace. She's special. Everyone will miss her, but they love her, and will be happy for her."

"I know. I have every intention of treating her like a princess."

Grace, listening to Douglas and Henry, was surprised that she would be leaving with Douglas. "I'm going to pack up just a few things. I'll be right back."

That gave the two men an opportunity to talk about Grace more freely. Henry, after the amazing sex he and Grace shared earlier that evening, realized that he had been restrained about sex all the while that Doreen was in the coma. Knowing that she was waking, finally removing any doubt in his mind, he had let loose.

He now realized that he had to let Grace go. Still, he had to caution Douglas. "Four days is too short a time to know for sure. If at any time you think she's not for you, give her a soft landing. She can act all confident and worldly, but inside she's just an insecure kid hoping for true love. I'll be keeping in touch with her."

Doug nodded. "Just like the rest of us, then. You're a good man, Henry. Perry knew what he was doing when he sent her to look for you. You've really helped her to come to a decision about what she wants. I plan to nurture her, and watch her blossom. And Henry, once Doreen is well enough, I would be honored if you and she would visit Grace and me in our Santa Cruz home. It's a restorative atmosphere."

"Thank you, Douglas. I would like to be your friend."

"I should warn you, though. I've already told Grace that she can consider it hers. I've been unable at this point to keep her dressed."

Henry laughed. "I've had the same problem here. Hm. I said problem. I didn't really consider it a problem, though."

"And for a real treat, once Grace starts modeling for Samson again, I'll see if she can convince Sam to invite you to witness them at work. It's amazing."

Grace came back, still wearing her kimono and flip flops, with a tote bag full of toiletries, and a smaller bag with a handful of clothes. "Can I just wear what I have on? Please?"

"Sure, Bella. We're going straight to my home."

She kissed Henry, wished him good luck with Doreen, and off they went.

In the car, Grace looked over at Al and thanked him.

"What for?"

"For pretending to ask me to marry you, to placate Henry. It was nice of you."

"Bella, what makes you think I didn't mean it? And what am I supposed to think, after you DID say yes? Are you changing your mind?"

"What? No! I... I love you. I'm in love with you. You are accomplished, rich, probably set in your ways. Along comes me, little Grace, loving you, expecting you to love me. Oh, don't get me wrong, I've loved our time together. But I don't expect you to drop everything for me, no matter how much I might want it. Life doesn't always work the way you want it. I wish it did."

"Stop, Grace, stop." He pulled over, stopped the car. He looked at her. "Sometimes life works exactly the way you want. I love you. I want to marry you. Believe me, I meant every word. I know it's unusual, but so are we. You can't have forgotten all the dreams you had about me. Just as I dreamed about you."

"I want to believe you. With all my heart, I want to. But... Stephen... promised me things. He lied. It was all so recent."

"I understand. Can we take it one day at a time?"

"Yes. Only because, so far, you have been so good to me. And because... I do love you."

He started the car and continued the drive home. Grace was overloaded with all the happenings of her day. She was asleep by the time they reached Doug's Los Altos Hills home. He parked in the garage and closed the large door. Still sound asleep, Doug picked her up and carried her to the bed in his bedroom, the largest in the house.

One day at a time, he mused. That I can do. He removed her kimono, looked longingly at her naked body. But he turned and, after removing his own clothes, got into the other side of the bed. He allowed himself the luxury of spooning her, and used his free arm to pull her closer. He sighed, and thought of the many things he would like to do with her at his side.

- - - - - -

Grace woke in a strange bed, but noticing a familiar scent. Al smells like that. It smells good. This must be his Los Altos Hills home.

She wondered if she should wear her kimono, or nothing. What do you really want, Grace? She left the kimono where she found it. In the master bath she found all her toiletries. She arranged them according to time of day use, washed her face, used lotions, and brushed her hair. It all took her 30 minutes. Staying naked, she walked in a direction that might take her to the kitchen. She was right! And there he was, cooking breakfast. Whistling a happy tune. Naked, except for an apron protecting his manly parts.

He looked up at her and grinned. Before she could ask, he told her, "I still love you, and still want to marry you. Everything I offered still goes."

She wanted to run to him, but he pointed to the place he set for her at the kitchen island. He sat next to her.

"Sit. Eat. Then I'll show you this house. It's nice, but I never planned for it to be my forever home. If you want to live forever in Santa Cruz we can remodel the beach house, or buy another one. I've always wanted to buy some property in Ben Lomond, have you been there?"

Her smile got bigger. "My aunt used to own a cabin in Ben Lomond. We would go there every summer for two weeks. Catching crawdads, picking berries, cooking on the wood stove, just walking. It was wonderful."

"Was?"

"In that bad wet winter, that Christmas Eve, when the mountain gave way, her cabin broke in half and tumbled down the mountain. The road, Love Creek Road, is still blocked off. People died."

"Did she die?"

"Not then, she was in San Francisco. But later she died from cancer. So young! Not even 50. My mom was devastated."

"I'm sorry, Bella. That's a sad story. Tragic."

"I loved that cabin. It was like living in a fairy tale. For heat and cooking it had that iron wood stove. And a hand pump for water."

"I'll build you another cabin."

She smiled. "No, don't do that. I don't cry about it anymore. It's just a fond memory now. I've been thinking about how nice it will be living so close to the beach. To be able to walk two blocks to it! That will be my new fairy tale. With you."

He showed her the whole house, complete with big movie room, wine cellar, workout room and swimming pool. 5000 square feet for one man.

"It's definitely a CEO's house. Too big for me. Beautiful, but it's not close to anything I love. I'll still take Santa Cruz. Once you stop being CEO, what will be your job?"

"Husband. Lover. Soul mate. Companion. I think we'll get a dog. A nice medium sized dog you can walk with on the beach. Or a large dog you can walk in the dark, like you wanted. To protect you until I can live with you all the time."

His arm was around her. She turned to hug him tightly. "When will that be? To only have you on weekends will make me lonely."

"Me too. Let's see just how lonely we become. I may quit sooner than I planned. Do you want to come to work one last time, to say goodbye to your users your own special way?"

"No. They have been missing me already. To come back and then leave again would be cruel. Especially to Mr. Cameron and Terry. I won't worry about Henry, though. I think Doreen will become his true wife again sooner than expected. I wonder if she has any insights into life on the other side. Where the angels live."

He chuckled. "We have a lot to learn about each other. Cuddling at night is a great time to ask questions and learn. I'm looking forward to it."

"Cuddling, after making love, right?" she asked, hoping he agreed.

"Of course! I already know that you, my dear, require a great deal of lovemaking. I'm planning on doing my best to keep you satisfied. Many different ways."

Done with breakfast, he kissed her, and asked an important question. "Do you want a large wedding?"Every woman wants one. It must be in their dna.

But she surprised him. "I'm not a fan of weddings. Spending all that money on a big party, asking for gifts, the pageant of it all. None of it interests me. I decided a few years ago that I would be happiest eloping. Maybe Vegas, maybe just the local judge. Two witnesses, done and done. Surprised?"