Rachel scoffed as he lifted her gently from his cock. “They’ll notice. There was a definite sexy vibe in the group today. I don’t know what’s been going on, but I think we aren’t the only ones who got laid.”
Eli chuckled but didn’t say anything else as he pulled his boxers and jeans back on then helped remove leaves from her tangled hair.
By the time they reached the group the show was just approaching its brilliant, sparkling crescendo as a multitude of rockets shot into the air in blazing glory and people cheered. Summer waved at her from Ace’s lap on the tailgate of their SUV while Kemp sat in a folding chair beside them stroking her bare feet. Rosemary and her men, and Lydia and her men sat nearby on blankets spread on the grass.
Rachel was glad to see that Rosemary had rejoined the group and now had a greater appreciation for the fact that she’d withdrawn during the heat of the day to rest at home. Rachel hoped to learn to live within her limitations, instead of fighting them and pushing herself too hard. It sounded like Eli planned to help her with that too. The thought made her smile. If his intervention this evening was a hint of how he planned to help her then she was all for it.
They settled down on the empty blanket next to Grace’s, and Rachel looked around at the gathering of friends, appreciating them all in different ways. Teresa sat in a lawn chair with Eleazar on her lap, while Angel and Joaquin crouched off to the side talking to Michael and pointing at the stars while he asked questions and talked a mile a minute.
Grace tapped Rachel’s arm and pointed discreetly at the shadowed form of a man standing at the edge of their group. His toddler son was seated on his shoulders, talking a mile a minute. “Did you see who showed up?”
“Is that Patrick Owen and Patrick Junior?”
Grace nodded. “I ran into him at the bank the other day and invited him to join us tonight. It’s been pretty hard for him since Elizabeth divorced him and turned her back on Patrick Junior. I don’t know all the facts in that case, but he seems to have gotten a fresh start.”
“What about Junior? Was he…” Rachel was curious how Patrick had retained custody of the son his wife had conceived with her lover. The man was serving time for his part in her crazy vigilante schemes aimed at the women who owned and ran Discretion, and the ménage marriages in the Divine area.
“Ace and Kemp were able to pull some strings. Patrick has always thought of Junior as his son, and now the state agrees. I think he handles single fatherhood very well.” Rachel smiled when she heard Patrick laugh at something his son said and he reached up to the little tyke for a high five.
Turning to Grace, Rachel leaned in and whispered, “Where are Charity and Justin? They were here earlier, weren’t they?”
Grace snorted and then looked askance at Rachel and chuckled. She reached out and pulled a twig and a leaf from Rachel’s hair. “Oh, probably off somewhere in the woods foolin’ around.” The giggle started low in Grace’s chest and welled forth as Rachel joined her while all of their men looked at them questioningly. Soon, they were laughing so hard that they were wiping tears from their eyes. When her mirth finally subsided, Grace said, “I sure am glad I met you that night you defended me at The Pony. Remember?”
“How could I forget?” Rachel stretched, and Eli rubbed her back. “Patricia Ramirez looked ready to stab your eyes out with her stiletto heels.”
Grace snickered. “And didn’t you threaten to ‘cut’ her?”
“Something like that. I don’t remember. I’ll always be grateful you encouraged me to give in to Eli.”
“One of my better predictions. It was obvious you two were made for each other. Hey, are you going to The Pony after we leave here? It’s a beach theme tonight so you can come as you are.”
Rachel was about to say “Hell, yes!” when Eli leaned forward and said, “No. Rachel is about done in. We’re going to head home now.” Out of sight, he grabbed her ass cheek and squeezed, a gentle reminder that he was taking care of her and not letting her push herself anymore that day.
“I am pretty tired.” Rachel had to open Discretion in the morning, so she was grateful to Eli for looking out for her.
“Completely understandable,” Grace agreed. “We’ll probably only stay there an hour or so. It’s been a long, hot day and a good thing I took off tomorrow.” Grace looked over her shoulder and snickered softly.
Turning, Rachel saw Justin and Charity sneak from a section of the woods a little ways off from where Eli had taken her. Giggling, she whispered, “Wonder what they were up to?”
Grace cackled. “She was probably earning that new diamond ring he gave her as an anniversary gift.”
Wes and Evan helped Rosemary to her feet. Speaking to the whole group, Wes said, “Hey, everybody? We have an announcement to make.”
Chapter Ten
As Seth turned his attention to Wes Garner, Jayne snuck a long look at his profile. Seth was like nobody she’d ever met before. Her ex-fiancé had been like all the other men she’d ever dated. Safe. No frills. Stable. Boring. There was no doubt Seth was all man, virile, and strong. But there was also something very different about him. Yes, his body art captivated her. She’d taken quick peeks every chance she’d gotten and still hadn’t had a good look at all of it. But there was also something innately beautiful about him.
His profile was finely sculpted, with strong, masculine features, but something about him appealed to the part of her psyche that loved fantasy art, poetry, and music. He smiled as Wes and Evan helped Rosemary from her spot on the blanket nearby, and her heart skipped a beat at the way his eyes smiled too.
As if sensing her gaze, Seth turned his head and caught her gaping at him. A thrill rippled through her when she felt his hand cover hers on the blanket they sat on. He leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her bare shoulder, and her pussy responded with a rush of heat and wetness at the simple touch.
Wes raised his voice a little and continued. “We have some great news to share with all of you.”
“I’m pregnant!” Rosemary chirped and clapped her hands gleefully. Gasps and cheers broke out through the group as they gathered around the threesome and hugs were shared.
All the girls were chattering at once as the men took turns clapping the fathers-to-be on their backs.
Jayne turned to Seth and asked, “Do you know Rosemary and her men very well?”
“Not very. This is only the second time I’ve met Rosemary but I’ve talked with Wes on several occasions and did a tattoo for Evan. He liked it so much, he’s got Wes talked into one too and wants another for himself. We’re trying to set a barter. They want tattoos and I need furniture.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, I bought a house over on Bluestem Street last fall and I’ve never gotten around to furnishing it. All I have is a bed and a recliner and a few odds and ends and even those I’m looking to replace. I just haven’t gotten around to it until recently. They’re building my bedroom furniture right now.”
“They do fantastic work. I’ll bet you’ll be thrilled with it.” Jayne bit her lip as she wondered what kind of bed he would’ve ordered and how he’d look lying on it. “Rosemary tells me she practically grew up in her family’s store. I’ve enjoyed getting to know them.”
Seth leaned so close, she got a whiff of his manly scent, a combination of the shampoo he used, his sweat, and the faint scent of laundry detergent on his clothing. Her mouth watered and she stifled a gasp as he brushed shoulders with her and whispered, “I wonder how they make it work? Their threesome, I mean.” Heat flashed in her cheeks, and he chuckled. “That came out wrong. I have a very good understanding of the mechanics. What I meant was how they manage to get along, communicate and share her without competition or jealousy.”
“I know Rosemary keeps them on their toes but I’ve not talked to her about it personally. I’ve heard from other reliable sources though that it takes a lot of maturity, respect, and communication. They probably have a lot of alone time with each oth
er too. That’s what Grace has told me she does. They’re only as strong together as they are as individual couples.”
“Makes sense. So is that what you’re in the market for, now that you’ve settled in Divine?”
Jayne felt the warmth rise in her cheeks again as he gazed at her. “Um, no. I don’t think I can…” I don’t think I can physically handle two or more men. One would be more than I ever dreamed possible, after the last ten years. Her heart pounded as a vision of being surrounded by men who adored her flashed into her mind. If her luck changed for the worse again, the thought of breaking one man’s heart was almost more than she could bear. Shattering the lives of more than one man was unconscionable. Besides that, at some point, most men wanted to have kids so they could pass on their family name. That had certainly been the case with her ex-fiancé Mike.
“You don’t think you can…what?”
Jayne blinked and looked up at him again. “I’ve had some health issues that might make it hard for me to handle a ménage. I know that sounds weird. There’s nothing wrong with me now. I’m just not sure I could…keep up.” She couldn’t even look in his eyes as the words came out of her mouth.
“Oh.”
Oh boy. Here come the questions and the pitying look. He’ll ask what’s wrong, see that I’m a poor risk and then it’ll be bye-bye Mister Carter. She hadn’t intended to say anything and had wanted to dwell in the fantasy a bit longer before the hard truth came out. I could get sick again…and die. She braced herself and raised her eyes back to his. Get it over with.
He was smiling at her, and the warmth of his palm on her hand as he squeezed it reassured her. “I don’t know a man alive that I’d trust enough to share with. I have good, close friends all over the world, but none that good.”
A little seed of hope cracked open and germinated inside her when he didn’t ask questions about what had happened to her. Maybe he wouldn’t care? Maybe he’s the one?
“Are you ready to head over to The Dancing Pony?”
She nodded, and the hope grew inside her as he stood and assisted her to stand. Seth helped her fold their blanket as other members of their group gathered blankets and chairs and prepared to go home or over to the nightclub.
Seth led her back to the Harley by the hand he still held and gave her the helmet. He placed his hand on her hair, at the base of her neck and said, “Could I do something for you, if you don’t mind?”
“What?’
“Indulge me?” he asked as he leaned forward and smiled at her.
“Um…okay.”
He stroked one hand down the length of her hair. “Let me braid it for you?” He lifted the solid length of her hair and slid it through his grasp, and every nerve ending in her body fired to life at the light tugging sensation. Oh, do that again and I may come! The writer inside her made note of the sensation and reminded herself to add a light hair-pulling scene in her next story. She’d never thought something so simple could be so erotic. Her breath shuddered from her and her cheeks flushed hotly when Seth met her eyes questioningly. Sexy hair-pulling hunk needs an answer, babe!
“S–Sure.” He smiled at her and ran the length of her hair through his hand once more, smoothing it out, before he repeated the motion again, running his fingers gently through it to separate any tangles before he started dividing it into sections.
“Hey, Jayne,” Grace said as she walked over to them. “Are you coming to The Dancing Pony?”
Wild horses couldn’t keep me away, cousin. “Yes, Seth is taking me over there in just a minute.”
“Good. I’ll see you over there. Ride safe.” Grace glanced at what Seth was doing and looked like she wanted to say more, which Jayne was sure she would the moment she and Grace were alone later. She made her way over to where Jack waited to help her into her blue Escalade.
The sensation of Seth lightly tugging at her hair drew her attention back to him as he braided her long hair for the journey over to the nightclub. He ran his hand repeatedly over each section and softly murmured, “Your hair is like silk.” A light tremor rippled through her as his action pulled lightly at her scalp. The sensation travelled all over her body, and a deep ache started in her center at the husky timbre in his voice.
“Thank you, Seth.” She heard him open one of his saddlebags and then heard the snap of a rubber band as he tied off the end of her braid. She was almost sad that he was done so quickly but was distracted when she heard what sounded like a soft kiss before he dropped the braid down her back. She glanced back and caught his mischievous smile. Did he kiss my hair?
Seth was different. The hope grew inside her that maybe her prognosis wouldn’t matter to him. Hope even grew that maybe the worst-case scenario for her health didn’t have to hang over her head. The doctors had told her that it was entirely possible that she might have Hodgkin’s beat, this time for good. She’d been through so much in the last ten years that she hadn’t dared trust that they could be right. But now, looking up into his shadowed face, she wanted to believe.
He helped her with the helmet and climbed onto the bike. After putting his helmet on, he started the engine. The sound and vibration rumbled through her entire body, intensifying the growing ache between her legs. She scooted forward after he was situated and bit her lip as he caressed her lower thighs and knees, drawing them closer to him. Every muscle from her waist down vibrated and tightened at the touch of his capable hands. How would it feel to have those sensual hands all over my body?
She drew so close she could feel his body heat everywhere they touched. She wrapped her arms around his middle and pressed her breasts against his back as she gloried in the feel of his taut abdominal muscles beneath her fingertips. An almost orgasmic thrill rippled through her as they rolled out into the darkness. More wetness pooled in her panties as she felt the subtle shift of his shoulders and back as though he was rubbing against her. Her nipples went so hard she was certain he was able to feel them.
She had the whole ride back to town in front of her, so she gave herself over to the fantasy of being with him. Briefly, he pressed his warm palm on her overlapped hands. Was he telling her to hold on tight? Was he telling her he liked her hands where they were? His back muscles rippled against her once more and she bit her lip again. Maybe the attraction she felt for him could become more than just fantasy.
* * * *
Emma Rivers giggled breathlessly as she followed Duke and Gage to The Dancing Pony dance floor. Because they’d had so much fun with it, the bucket list had grown until they were always in the habit of looking for new things to add to it. Duke had bought the DVD of Footloose, and she’d instantly latched on to the idea of learning to line dance.
She’d come a long way with her dance skills since marrying Duke and bonding with Gage, but she’d learned the dance at home with her guys where it was less embarrassing to make mistakes. She’d only made Gage fall down one time while practicing.
Her men had groaned and bellyached because all of their bucket list adventures had to be done together. But they’d indulged her and practiced the line dance with her at home so that she wouldn’t make a total ass of herself. Their downstairs neighbor had not been amused by all the thumping on her ceiling.
Ethan had taken her request for “Fake I.D.” by Big & Rich with a laugh and had passed it on to Dave the DJ. Now the intro was playing and people were jumping up to join the line-dancing throng. She was relieved when she saw Charity and Justin Connors, Lydia Carlisle, and Lily Cook all rise from their chairs and join because the first time she’d seen this dance, they’d been the ones she’d watched.
As she made her way to the dance floor, Gage slid in behind her and said, “Purple alligator.” She froze, and he bumped into her back, and Duke ran into him.
“What’s the holdup?” Duke asked as he looked around Gage at her.
Her mouth popped open in shock. “He just ‘purple alligatored’ me!” Realizing she was speaking rather loudly, she put her hand over her mouth. The peo
ple around her probably thought she was crazy.
Duke grinned knowingly and nodded his head as he high-fived his adopted brother, Gage, whose green eyes sparkled with good humor as he made a gesture with his finger for her to turn and keep going to the dance floor. Duke playfully waggled his eyebrows at her.
How do they expect me to concentrate on the dance now? They probably planned this since I talked them into line dancing. Now I’m gonna have to dance all flustered and turned on. Wait! Why am I complaining?
Emma took her place behind Charity and beside Lily and grinned at them as Duke took position behind her and Gage was on her other side. Any way she turned she figured she was covered if she lost her place in the dance.
She kicked her foot with everyone else, clapped when they did, and then turned on time and caught Gage’s eyes. He grinned as he made an alligator jaw motion with his hands before he turned so she could watch him move his fine tush to the song before she turned again. The turkey was trying to distract her, but she giggled and danced along.
When she turned so that Duke was in front of her, she had to laugh because he was making the same “purple alligator” gesture at her over his shoulder while he danced. She could barely walk and chew gum at the same time, and she had no idea how he could do that and not miss a step.
They’ve been practicing on their own, the dorks!
“Purple alligator” and the accompanying gesture was their code for sex in a public or semipublic place. But what made it even better was that the one who called it also called the shots, so now she was at Gage’s mercy.
Her core quaked with excitement, nearly throwing off her timing as she turned, and she giggled when Duke winked at her. Wondering where and when and how long she’d have to wait, she counted out the beat as the song came to a close. She clapped her hands, happy that she’d not gone horizontal even once for the whole dance.
Rainier, Heather - Sparks Fly! A Divine Creek July 4th Family Reunion [Divine Creek Ranch 11] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 13