The Divine Creek Ranch Collection Volume 3

by Heather Rainier

  She emerged from the bedroom dressed in a pair of snug knit pants and a T-shirt. Her hair was wet, and she was blotting it with a towel. Richard thought she looked paler and brought her to the dining room table. After boiling the water, he put the cup of tea together and set it before her and joined her at the table.

  “I wish this night was different,” she said as she dipped the tea bag in the steaming water.

  “I know, honey. Me, too. How does your hand feel?”

  The doctor had warned her she’d have some pain and swelling in her hand and possibly nausea and fatigue from the antivenin injection.

  “It hurts. My stomach still feels wobbly,” she murmured as she blew on her tea after stirring honey in it.

  Richard knew of something that might make her feel better but waited until she was through with her tea. They sat in comfortable silence while she sipped the hot brew.

  He hoped she wouldn’t think he was crazy for suggesting it as he said, “Would you like me to rock you?” He gestured with his thumb to the big rocking recliner in the living room.

  Maya looked up at him, and her eyebrows knit together. She seemed pale and fragile to him, but his heart leaped in his chest when she smiled and nodded. He put her empty mug in the sink and walked over to the big recliner and sat down. She followed and didn’t hesitate when he opened his arms to her.

  He eased her gently into his lap, barely suppressing a groan as she cuddled up to him. He knew she didn’t feel good because she was usually playful and talkative. He sometimes didn’t know what to say for fear of sounding like a dunce, whereas conversation seemed to come easily for her. She rested her cheek against his chest and melted into him as he began rocking her and stroking her back. She was like a kitten curled in his arms.

  “I don’t think I’ve been rocked since I was a little girl.”

  “Am I going too fast?”

  “No, it’s perfect.” The drawn-out, expressive tone she used in the last word made him smile, and he was glad now that he’d suggested it.

  Richard made a vain attempt to distract himself and keep his swelling cock from turning into a full-blown hard-on, which she must’ve been aware of beneath her hip. Her body was warm and pliant, and the delicate scent of her just-shampooed hair was making him harder by the moment. He was painfully aware of how velvety her fingertips were as she stroked his biceps.

  “Do you miss her, Richard?” Her soft-spoken voice was hesitant and had a poignant quality to it.

  He shut his eyelids, not sure he wanted to go there yet. “Yeah. Sometimes I miss her very much.” In his mind’s eye, he could still see Michelle’s face, the way her eyes would light up whenever she looked at him.

  “I’m sorry she was taken from you.” She stroked his arm in a soothing fashion.

  “I’m sorry about Morgan, too, honey.”

  “Richard?”

  “Hmm?”

  “Do you ever feel lonely?”

  “Well, I have Kendall and Boone, so no, not lonely but…” If he said he missed physical affection she would think he meant sex. He did, but not under these circumstances.

  She slid her good hand around his back and squeezed lightly. “I’ve missed the simple, physical connection and intimacy.”

  Richard nodded. “Yeah. Having someone to touch and hold.”

  Maya looked up at him, and the vulnerability in her eyes made him feel protective of her. She asked, “Do you think we’ll ever get over losing them?”

  Rocking slowly, he lifted a damp lock of her golden-blonde hair and caressed its silky length between his forefinger and thumb. “I remember when they told me she’d died on the operating table. I wanted to die, too. I felt that way for a long time.”

  “Me, too,” she whispered, and he saw her lip tremble before she pressed her face to his chest.

  Hoping the words came out right, Richard said, “I know she and Morgan would want us to live our lives and be happy. I want, I mean, I’m ready—” Shit.

  “To try and love someone else?” she asked, stroking his pectoral muscle. “Even though it hurts to think of it?”

  “Yeah.”

  She sat there with him, asking no more questions, just stroking him until her movements gradually stilled and she fell sound asleep. Richard would’ve gladly sat there holding her until morning, but Kendall and Richard arrived a short while later.

  “She okay?” Boone asked, fingering a lock of her drying hair.

  “Wiped out. I don’t think she feels well,” Richard whispered.

  Kendall pressed the backs of his fingers to her forehead and said, “Her temperature feels normal. You want to put her to bed?”

  Richard didn’t say it, but in his heart he didn’t want to part with her when she was like this. Her sweet, solid weight against him was the most satisfying thing he’d felt in years.

  Proving his uncanny ability to read his brothers, Kendall said, “I’m dog-tired, but if you’re worried, you’re both welcome to bed down with us. It might be a little crowded, but the offer stands.”

  Boone looked at Richard and smiled, saying, “I think she’s in good hands. Richard, I’ll switch with you during the night, so you can get a little shut-eye.”

  Richard nodded and carefully rose from the recliner with her in his arms. She stirred slightly and shifted so that her nose and lips were pressed against his neck. She made a barely perceptible happy-sounding noise. A pleasant shiver raced down his back at the contact. They put her in bed and propped her freshly bandaged hand on a pillow then got themselves ready for bed. Boone said goodnight, and Richard got comfortable on his side facing her while Kendall took the other side.

  He looked up from Maya’s peaceful face to find his brother watching him.

  Kendall asked, “You okay?”

  With his head resting in his palm, Richard nodded as he lifted the blanket higher over her shoulder. He held his breath as she turned on her side in her sleep and cuddled close to his chest. She tucked her hand under her chin and schooched closer until her head was under his jaw and she was touching him from nose to toes.

  Richard finally let his breath out slowly and met Kendall’s eyes again. Kendall grinned and said, “Don’t look so shocked, Richard. She feels safe with you, with all of us.”

  Damn, she felt good against him. He didn’t know what to say.

  Chapter Eight

  Maya woke during the night, relieved that the pounding in her head had subsided. She felt very warm, and as she came wider awake, she realized this was because she was caged in by big, male bodies. The wound on her hand still throbbed, but felt better than it had earlier.

  She lay there, listening to them breathe, smiling in the dark as she tried to guess who was where. Kendall was in the same spot he’d slept in the night before. She looked up, waiting for her eyes to adjust, and inhaled slowly.

  Boone held her tightly against his lean, muscled chest, judging by the sexy, faintly spicy scent that filled her nostrils. His chest was bare, and she had to stop herself from stroking him. His hand rested on her hip. Actually, it did more than rest there. His hand positively gripped her. Even in his sleep Boone’s touch had a possessive quality to it. Was this real, or was she dreaming?

  She heard someone shift in the room and realized it was Richard, sitting in the rocker in the corner. He must’ve put her to bed earlier. He came close and placed his hand on her thigh.

  “You okay?”

  She smiled up at him and whispered, “Yeah. I wondered where you were.”

  “I’m right here, honey. You go back to sleep.”

  He patted her then went back to the chair. She drifted off thinking how incredibly kind he was. She wondered if he’d gotten any rest at all.

  * * * *

  Later that morning, Maya awoke to an indescribably languid sensation. Hands everywhere, touching her, caressing her. Smiling sleepily, she stretched with her eyes still closed. A faint mewing sound escaped from her lips and she heard a male groan.

  A pair of ca
llused hands held her ankle and caressed up and down her calf inside of her pant leg. Another hand traveled up and down the length of her spine, from her tailbone to the nape of her neck, stroking into her hair before making its journey south again. Another warm, masculine hand stroked up and down her inner arm and back and forth across her collarbone.

  She blinked the sleep from her eyes and smiled at the three men who surrounded her on the bed.

  “Good morning, babydoll,” Kendall murmured as he continued stroking her inner arm, his chin resting in his hand as he lay facing her. His eyes twinkled playfully, and there was a sexy smile on his lips.

  Her eyelids slid closed in sensual pleasure as full lips pressed against the juncture of her throat and shoulder, and Boone whispered in her ear, “Morning, Maya.”

  “Good morning,” she whispered, sighing in pleasure at their touch.

  Richard sat at the end of the bed, her foot held gently in his hand. She made eye contact with him and felt his gaze on her as though it were a physical caress. He looked tired.

  “Did you sleep at all last night?” she asked as she beckoned him.

  He nodded slightly as Kendall and Boone both rose simultaneously from the bed. They were already showered and dressed.

  “I dozed a bit. How do you feel?”

  She lifted her hand and could tell the swelling had gone down but the discoloration remained. “The bite aches like a deep bruise. The headache and nausea seem to have passed though.” Richard sat on the edge of the bed and caressed her cheekbone as she said, “You rocked me to sleep.”

  Richard smiled faintly. “You had me worried.” He looked as though he might’ve said more but left it at that. “We’ve made breakfast. Are you hungry?”

  “A little, I think.” She took a deep breath and smiled at them. “Thank you for waking me so sweetly.”

  As he helped her from the bed, Kendall said, “We wanted you to eat with us if you felt up to it. You can always return to bed afterward if you want. We’ve got to get to work, but Grace said she would check on you at lunchtime.”

  Maya felt a little let down. She’d been hoping to spend more time with Kendall and do a little more exploring on the JWB during her time there.

  The doctor had told her she might have some lingering ill effects from the antivenin and to rest. Forced rest was unwelcome news, but maybe it was for the best.

  * * * *

  “I know you’re dying to ask, Maya,” Grace said with a snicker. “Go ahead. It’s okay.”

  Maya chuckled as she sat with Grace at the dining room table finishing their lunch, which Grace had brought in a picnic basket.

  “Do they wear you out? Do you ever get tired of keeping up with them?” That was just the tip of the iceberg on all the questions she had to ask.

  “No. They don’t allow it. Jack, Ethan, and Adam take wonderful care of me. Put bluntly, they serve me and not the other way around.” Grace held up her index finger. “Now don’t judge that statement until I’ve explained. I have a housekeeper now, so I don’t do their laundry or clean the house. I devote my day to writing and seeing to the needs of Discretion and Harper’s, in town. Not having all the other stuff to worry about frees my time to pay attention to them, and I feel I am the one being served. They treat me like a queen.”

  “Do you sleep with all three every night?” That was a big question for Maya. She was concerned the need to spend time one-on-one with Kendall and his brothers was going to foment jealousy.

  “Actually sleep?” Grace asked with a smirk. “It’s my choice to sleep with all of them in my bed at night. But there are plenty of nights where I need time alone with one of them, and I usually mention it over supper or later in the evening. We never keep score, and I make a point of requiring time alone with all of them. The only favorite in our house is me,” Grace added with a giggle.

  Good enough. I think I could handle that kind of status.

  “Sex with three men in one night?”

  “Not every night. Especially not right now,” Grace replied, stroking her abdomen. “I’m sure the further along I get the more protective they’ll become. I can see it already. If I have sex after the eighth month it will probably be because I begged for it. Jack is especially careful about how often. Maya, it’s the most amazing feeling.”

  “What?”

  “Being adored by three men. Being worshipped like that. My whole outlook changed when I met them. My life is like a fantasy. Do you mind me asking a question?” Grace asked speculatively over the rim of her tea glass.

  “Sure. Go ahead.”

  “Is it all three you’re interested in?”

  Maya nodded without hesitation. “Yeah, without a doubt. I’m attracted to all three. I’ve loved Kendall a long time, and when I arrived the other day, Boone and Richard and I seemed to click together. The three of them are really something.”

  “Tell me about it. What about Richard? How are you two doing?”

  Maya mulled Grace’s question over for a moment before looking her in the eye. Grace seemed protective of them and rightfully so, since they were family.

  “I understand where Richard is right now. We have something in common, and I guess we both need a little time to get comfortable. I think his heart is very tender. I wouldn’t hurt him for the world, if that’s what you’re worried about, Grace.”

  Grace smiled and nodded. “I’ve heard the guys talking with Jack and wondered about whether you were right for them, especially Richard. He’s so quiet, and his pain sometimes seems like it’s still fresh. I feel for him. Boone, on the other hand, is definitely going to give you a run for your money, girlfriend.”

  Maya burst out in giggles. “He and I are going to do just fine, I think.”

  Grace laughed with her and said, “In some ways, Boone reminds me of Ethan. Flirty and playful but prone to—”

  “Put you over his knee and give you a spanking? Yeah, you’ve nailed him, all right.” Both women cackled loudly and Grace nodded.

  “I can’t wait for you to meet everybody, Maya. I think you’re going to fit in so well,” Grace said as she wiped a tear of laughter from her cheek.

  “So you don’t keep a calendar or have set days of the week where you have all three sleep with you?”

  Grace chuckled and shook her head. “No. We have a rhythm of sorts, like a dance, I guess. Most often we’re in my bed all together because it’s easier for me to sleep with them surrounding me. I’m cold-natured, and I like being tucked in amongst them. You might find that you prefer to alternate beds and nights. It’s all about your preferences. I can tell you that is how Jack told them it should be. You don’t seem selfish to me, so I think you’ll work it out with no problem. How does your hand feel?”

  “It’s feeling better. The nausea came back after breakfast, but it’s settled a little since then. I wish I’d been more careful in the grass. This kind of messed up our week together.”

  “Everything happens for a reason. I think they enjoy coddling you,” Grace said, her eyes twinkling. Maya had a feeling Grace knew all about being coddled.

  “You think?” Maya chuckled. In the hour Grace had been at the house, Richard and Boone had called to check on her, and Kendall had returned at midmorning to see how she was faring. “Can I ask you one more question?”

  “Sure.”

  “PDA?”

  Grace grimaced. “That’s a tough one. Public displays of affection may have been one of the biggest hurdles we’ve faced. I had to decide if I would acknowledge only Jack publicly as my husband or all three,” she said, holding her hands out, balanced like a scale.

  “What did you do?”

  “I adjusted my expectations. I can’t look at Ethan or Adam without love in my eyes. It feels like a betrayal when I have to hide it. I acknowledge Jack as my husband and try to behave in a way that doesn’t draw unfriendly attention, and we let people draw their own conclusions.”

  “That must be hard for you to maintain.”

  “It
is, at times. Unless I’m at one of the shops, I’m usually with them. They worry about the unkind things people say to me. I try to take their comments the same way I do my book reviews. It’s somebody else’s opinion. I appreciate kindness, and I try to not sweat the rest. I want to please Jack, Ethan, and Adam before anyone else.”

  “I can’t wait to meet Jack and Ethan. Adam obviously adores you,” Maya said, remembering the tenderness with which Adam had held her the day before on their front porch.

  Grace smiled and looked into her glass. “I adore him, too.” Maya thought Grace did indeed glow with happiness.

  She had to know. “Do you ever argue? Fight? Get pissy with them?”

  Grace chuckled and said, “Sure. But they overcome a lot of that because I don’t feel overlooked or unappreciated. When someone is consistently that sweet it’s awful hard to bite his head off, and I’m not wired that way. Have you thought how you’re going to handle issues like public displays of affection?”

  Maya bit her lip and said, “I don’t plan to hide. I hid my need for Kendall from Morgan, unsuccessfully I might add, for years. I did without what I needed because of public opinion. I don’t plan to treat them differently than I would in private. They’re equal in my heart.”

  “They’re going to be ferociously protective of you. You should hear how Kendall talks about you. You’re his angel.”

  Maya felt her cheeks tingle with warmth at Grace’s words. Deciding to bounce the tiny little worry rattling around in her head off of Grace, Maya said, “He told me he didn’t want to be my ‘go-to’ guy anymore. We’ve always been close, and I could talk to him about anything. Really anything, Grace. We’ve talked about some crazy stuff over the years, and I always felt like he was someone I could trust. If we get together, I risk losing that.”

  Grace looked down at her overlapped hands on the tabletop. After a moment she said, “I think you risk more by wanting to keep that part of your relationship intact. Are you seeing it from his perspective? He’s loved you a long time and not had access to you except as your confidante. You’d still have a confidante. Someone who knows you better than anyone. This sounds like a trust issue to me.”