My Saving Grace Pt. 02

"Okay," I said with a shrug. I'd half expected this, after all. This time, Grace walked along with me instead of jogging ahead. Without thinking about it consciously, I reached out and took her hand in mine as we walked. We reached the ravine in just a couple of minutes and descended carefully to the level of the creek. I spread out the old picnic blanket and Gracie unpacked the simple lunch she'd made.

We enjoyed the meal in loving silence, listening to the natural background music provided by the trickling stream, the rush of the breeze, and the rustling of squirrels in the branches of the screening trees. This place was nothing short of magical to the two of us. After we'd finished eating and had packed away our trash, Gracie settled herself against me.

"Kevin, I want to ask you some things about your time with Kelly," she said. Feeling me tense up, she squeezed my hand and looked me in the eye. "You know you don't have to answer me if you don't want to."

"No, it's okay. I love you, and I trust you. Ask away."

"Well, you've mentioned that you're still a virgin, but after being with the same girl for six years, I find that a little hard to believe."

I couldn't help getting a little annoyed. I'd never lied to Grace. It would destroy the trust between us. There were times in the past that I'd chosen not to tell her things, but I'd never told her something that wasn't true. "Well it's true, Grace. We never-"

"Hey, easy, honey!" she said, and kissed me gently. "I'm sorry, that didn't come out the way I meant it. I just figured you must have done some things together, even if you didn't go all the way."

"Oh, right," I said sheepishly. "Well, we saw each other naked a few times. The first time was after the senior prom. She let me touch her breasts once." I let myself lay back on the blanket so I could look at the sky, and Grace cuddled against me with her head nestled in the crook of my shoulder. After a few moments of peaceful silence, I continued. "She loved to lay on the bed with me while I had my shirt off. She liked to run her hands over my chest."

"And that's all?" she asked, after figuring out that I wasn't going to say any more.

"That's it. We never touched each others' junk, if that's what you wanted to know, Gracie. She insisted she wanted us to be virgins and have our first time happen on our wedding night."

"So, not even handjobs and finger action?" she asked, incredulously.

"No," I said. "I suppose, given the way things have worked out, you could say it's for the best."

"Yeah, I guess so," Gracie replied softly. "God, I'm sorry though, Kevin. You know, you must have really loved her. Most men in our age group that I know would have dropped her like a live grenade after six years with nothing physical."

Grace propped herself up on one arm, leaned over my torso and kissed me deeply. I snaked my arms around her, but she broke the kiss and settled back down against my body. "Your restraint makes me admire you even more." She sighed then.

"I guess I should confess, too." She paused, considering her words carefully. "Look, Kevin, I'm not a slut, but I'm DEFINITELY not a virgin! You know about that bastard Matt, of course, but there were two other long term boyfriends that I took to my bed."

"Jeff Adams and Grant Thomas," I said. Gracie shot back upright again, staring at me in wide-eyed surprise.

"Kevin, how could you possibly know that?"

Now it was my turn to give a knowing grin. "Gracie, honey, you're not near as quiet as you think you are, for one. And, you have all kinds of tells that I don't think you know about."

"Oh really? Like what?" she challenged.

"Well, there's your 'I got laid' look. It's unmistakable."

"I do NOT have a-"

"Yes you do," I said, cutting her off. "Trust me, Gracie, it's there. Dad commented on it once, and Mom actually told him to shut up. You were an adult now, and sex is a normal part of adult relationships, and all that."

Mom and Dad have always lived in the real world. Unlike a lot of parents, they remembered their own youth very clearly, and knew there was little chance of getting us to not have sex if we chose to do it. So they didn't try. Instead, they made it clear what would happen if our sex lives resulted in pregnancy or disease.

Mom and Dad also made it clear that there were to be no overnight visitors, whether they were home at the time or not. They made sure we knew how to take precautions with our love lives (birth control options and such). And if I can crib a line from a country song, they taught us the difference between sleeping with someone, and sleeping with someone you love!

"I didn't realize you all knew. Oh God, I'm so embarrassed!"

"Gracie, let me be clear: you didn't do anything wrong! You're not a slut! You had sex with men that you loved, that you were in serious relationships with. I never had sex with Kelly, but I wanted to, believe me! I made that choice, because in my stupidity, I thought that we would have a future together. I really thought, when Kelly and I were talking about getting married, that she meant it."

I paused before I got upset. I was getting off topic, here. "The point I'm trying to make, in my roundabout way, is that my choice to stay a virgin doesn't invalidate your choice NOT to stay a virgin. I would have had Kelly in bed with me instantly if she would have let me. Your being sexually active doesn't bother me in any way!"

Gracie's eyes shone with love as she leaned down again and laid her head on my chest. "Now your choice of partners is another thing altogether," I said teasingly.

"You little jerk!" she laughed, and started tickling me. We wrestled around on the blanket, laughing and tickling each other just as we used to do when we were younger. Finally, the sweat drying on our skin was starting to get irritating.

We both stripped naked and waded into the shallow creek. The water splashed over our ankles, up to our shins as we strode to the only deep part. At about the mid point of the creek, at the eastern edge where it entered the ravine, there was a drop off in the creek bed. It wasn't that deep, really. When I was standing upright in the middle of it, the water barely reached my waist. There was just enough room for two adult-size people to fit, and that only if they were pretty comfortable with each other.

I watched appreciatively as my lovely sister lowered herself into the chilly water. "OOO!" she squeaked, and shivered.

"Oh yeah," I said, wincing as I got in with her. "We aren't going to be able to do this much longer this year." I shivered slightly, and Grace pressed herself more closely against me.

I put my arms around her and savored the feel of her skin against mine. This was a new and powerful feeling I'd never felt before. Yes, I'd seen Grace naked many times, but I'd never touched her before when she was naked. Not beyond a playful swat on the ass, or a pat on the shoulder, I mean. This contact between our bodies wasn't just the first I'd had with Grace, it was the first time I had ever held a naked woman!

My body responded in that uniquely male way, the and tip of my member brushed against Grace's toned thigh. The touch was pure electricity! "Oh," I whispered, unable to stay completely silent.

"It's okay, my love," she whispered back, gazing into my eyes. She cupped my face in one hand. "Don't be embarrassed." I was on the ragged edge of self control. I leaned in closer again and claimed her mouth with mine. This kiss wasn't the tender, gentle symbol of love from earlier. This kiss was hot and hungry, wanting. I was rock hard and in need, and Grace could feel it. She knew somehow that she would have to the one to end this kiss, and after a few minutes she did.

Her breathing was ragged with her own passion as she gently pulled back from me. "Wow," I said to her.

"Wow is right," she said back. "That was so intense!"

Intense...yes, it was that, alright! I took a second to calm my breathing, willing my erection to go down some. I focused on Grace again when she spoke.

"Kevin...I love you," she said, her eyes full of emotion.

"I love you too, Gracie," I replied.

"No...Kevin, I mean...I love you, I want you," she said. "I want you to have me."

At first, I wasn't sure I'd heard her correctly. But looking at her eyes, seeing the emotions displayed there, I realized that not only had I heard her correctly, she was completely serious. "I love you the same way, Gracie," I said. "But, I don't want to lose you!"

"Lose me? Kevin, honey, you can't lose me!"

"No, Gracie listen! I would die without having you in my life! If we become lovers, and for some reason it doesn't work between us, what will happen to the rest of our relationship? Can it survive? I'll go the rest of life without sex if it means I can keep what I have with you right now, forever!"

"Kevin, now you listen! No matter what - NO MATTER WHAT - you will not lose me! I swear it to you by everything I hold dear! I will never abandon you! I will always be with you, just like you'll always be with me. Even now, I carry you in my heart! I don't think we will fail, not at anything we try together! But if by some chance we try to be lovers and we can't make it work, it won't matter to the rest of our relationship!"

Her eyes burned into mine, and the depth of meaning in her words was unmistakable. She meant what she said, and that allayed the most critical of my concerns. But...

"Also...Gracie, I want to have a child someday. I mean, obviously not right away, but I want at least one. How would we...you know, avoid any pitfalls there?"

Grace wore a thoughtful expression now. "Well first off, I want children too, so that's not an issue." She smiled at me and kissed the tip of my nose. "And by the way, I think you'll make a wonderful Dad! If it's birth defects you're worried about, well, that is a concern. But it's not as much of one as some people think. You and I are both young and in good health. We don't have a family history of any serious genetic problems, like Down's Syndrome or Pelleter's Disease. Honestly, any pregnancy is a roll of the dice in that regard. It doesn't mean you shouldn't take the chance, though, in my opinion."

I nodded in agreement with her, and squeezed her in a gentle hug. "What you're really concerned about is Mom and Dad, though. And the people at church, in town, et cetera, right?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Honestly, I don't have an answer for that, yet. Yet," she emphasized. "I do think there is an answer, though. If we both truly want this, I think we can find a way to make it work. And Kevin," she said, taking my face in both hands, "I want to make it work. I meant what I said, the night you saved my life. I want you to show me what real love is like. I know you can, and I think you should. But, if this is something you don't want, then tell me. I'll respect your wishes, and I won't hate you; I could never do that!"

"Gracie...my sweet, precious Grace," I said, overwhelmed by her confession. "Grace, I want so badly to try! I want to be your man, your only man! There's no sacrifice I wouldn't make! I just have so many questions, so many thoughts. I don't know where to begin!"

"Honey, we've already begun!" she said, her voice rough with passion. "I had to know if you felt the same way as I do, and now I know you do!"

"Yes, I do!" I said firmly.

"And, beyond that, I needed to make sure you were willing to try!"

"I am!" I said firmly, squeezing her tightly to reinforce my words.

Grace's beautiful features lit up as her feelings surged to the surface. "Oh God, Kevin, I'm so happy!"

"Me too, baby. Me too!" We held each other tightly, and I felt tears against my shoulder. I didn't worry though, because I knew the tears Gracie shed were tears of joy. I'll admit my own eyes might have been a little damp, too.

"It goes without saying, though, that we're exclusive," I said, pulling back and looking into her eyes again. "I'm a one-woman kind of guy, and that's an area where there's no wiggle room!"

"Yes!" she agreed. "I'm a one-man woman, my darling Kevin. It's you and me, and ONLY you and me!"

We held each other tightly, our bodies molding into one another. We shared another deep, hungry kiss that lasted for what felt like hours. Finally, we came up for air and I felt the goosebumps popping up on Grace's skin.

"Let's dry off, okay baby?" I asked, climbing up out of the drop off. Grace smiled and let me help her out after me.

"I love the way you say that," she said, hugging my arm as we reached the bank.

"The way I say what, baby?" I asked as I slid my clothes back on.

"That! The way you called be 'baby.' It felt so natural, so RIGHT. Did you even realize you did it?"

"No," I said, after a moments thought. "It was an unconscious thing."

She apparently liked that answer. We held hands as we walked back to the parking lot, enjoying the last little bit of sunlight. After we arrived home, Gracie headed upstairs. I checked all the doors and windows, making sure everything was locked. Hearing a snort behind me, I turned to see Dad at the foot of stairs.

"I was about to do the same exact thing!" he said. I smiled at him and left him to set the alarm as I went up to my room. Once there, I synched my phone to my Bluetooth speakers and put on the latest single from Rascal Flatts. I undressed and tossed my filthy bike shorts and shirt into the hamper, and searched for a towel. I heard Dad going into his room; the door to the master suite was unmistakable due to the squeaky hinge.

Crap, I thought to myself. I hadn't brought any towels up from the last time I did laundry. Oh well, we always kept a few extra in the bottom of the bathroom cupboard. I walked naked across the hall to the bathroom and started the shower. As soon as the water was warm, I climbed in and started to soap myself up.

I didn't think anything of it when the bathroom door opened, but I was very surprised when the shower door opened and Grace slid in! "Gracie, baby, what are you doing? Mom and Dad can't be asleep yet! What-"

"Shhh," she whispered, a mischievous grin on her face. "Don't worry about it, love. They're both in the master suite, and they have 'Bridges of Madison County' playing!"

I returned her mischievous grin. Ever since Grace and I had been teens, we had known not to disturb our parents if that movie was playing. It was there signal that they were making love. I'm not sure what, if any, significance the movie had for them, but the upshot was that they were very unlikely to notice anything Gracie and I did. So long as were discrete!

Gracie stepped close to me. As I went to embrace her, she took my hands in hers instead. "Touch me, love!" she said. "Anywhere you like. I'm yours, now!"

Panting with excitement, I cupped her face in both hands and pulled her in for a deep kiss. As my lips and tongue danced with hers, my hands slowly moved south. I caressed her delicate throat and rubbed the sensitive hollows made by her collarbones. Slowly, I explored her creamy shoulders before finally moving down the upper slopes of her firm, round breasts.

I broke the kiss reluctantly, but I absolutely had to see with my eyes what my hands were exploring. Finally, I cupped her breasts in the palms of each hand, gently squeezing them. I marveled at how they felt. They were firm, but at the same time soft and yielding. The delicate roseate nipples capped them perfectly, and she gasped in pleasure as I stroked them with my thumbs.

As I explored her body, I couldn't help but compare her to Kelly. Both women were young and in good shape, but the differences between them far outnumbered the similarities. For example: skin! Kelly's skin was a pale paper white, and dusted with freckles. It wasn't ugly - in fact I'd always thought it was cute. Grace, though, was tanned with a clear complexion. The texture was different too. Kelly's skin (the parts I was allowed to touch, anyway) wasn't nearly as smooth and creamy as Grace's.

Grace was completely open to me, denying me nothing as my hands wandered over her. I was in heaven, delighting in the feel of a woman's body in hands. I was so hard, I was concerned I might explode right there in the shower.

Leaving her breasts behind, I stroked her flanks, feeling the smooth firmness of muscle beneath her amazing skin. I rubbed my hand over the subtle curve of her belly and the rounded wonder of her hips, before cupping her ass firmly. Grace gasped again and moaned softly as I kneaded her cheeks with my strong hands.

"Yes, Kevin," she whispered in my ear. "I'm yours, all yours. Touch me, feel me...ohh," her voice trailed off. My fingers gently traced the cleft of her ass downwards, before moving over the line of her hips toward her belly again.

Moving still further south, I allowed my right hand, at long last, to pass over the rough stubble of her mound to her womanhood. Grace kissed along the line of my jaw to my throat, teasing my tender flesh with her tongue as my fingers explored her vulva. It was so amazingly soft - and so warm! I'd never felt anything quite like it.

Gracie gently pushed back from me slightly, and took my right hand in hers. She guided my hand up to my mouth. "Wet your fingers, my love," she said, breathless with passion. I did as she said, licking my index and ring fingers.

"Always be sure your fingers are moist before you touch me there, okay?"

I nodded in understanding and thanks, and she guided my hand back between her thighs. "I love to be touched here," she said, guiding my finger to her clit. "I also love having fingers inside me, but not more than two," she continued.

I moved my fingers, circling her clit gently. "Ohh, that's good, baby," Grace whispered. "Press a little harder, love. I need just a little more pressure...oh! Yes, that's it...now rub my clit directly...oh YES!" I hurriedly clamped my mouth over hers as she came. Grace's orgasm was so strong, it was almost as though I could feel it too! It was amazing to me, knowing that I was source of her pleasure.

Acting on instinct, I slid a single finger inside of her while continuing to brush her clit with my thumb. She was so warm and wet inside! It was incredible! If it felt this amazing on my fingers, I couldn't wait to feel what it was like to slip my cock into her!

Grace starting bucking her hips against my hand, riding the crest of a second orgasm. She moaned frantically into my mouth, wrapping her arms around me. After a few long moments, she gently but firmly pulled my hand away from her womanhood.

"That was amazing, my love, but I'm starting to get too sensitive. You didn't do anything wrong, I just get that way after a strong orgasm!" I nodded again in understanding. Curious, I brought my hand up to my face. Grace watched, fascinated, as I inhaled her feminine scent. It had both strong and subtle notes to it. Musky, but not at all unpleasant. Tentatively, I tasted my fingertip. The taste was musky too, but again, not at all unpleasant, and I made a show of licking them clean. (And in spite of what some of the guys in high school said, it didn't taste anything at all like fish. At least, it didn't to me.)

Grace looked me in the eyes as her hands caressed my shoulders, the question plain to see. "Yes, my precious Gracie," I said. "I'm yours, just like you're mine! I want you to enjoy me the same way I enjoy you. Touch me however you want!" And damn if she didn't do exactly that!

My amazing sister showed me something else I hadn't known before: She showed me just how erotic it was to touch and be touched. Her hands glided over my body with a smoothness that made me feel clumsy and inept by comparison. As she explored my toned shoulders and chest, her every touch was gentle caress. I have never felt so absolutely adored in all my life.