The Divine Creek Ranch Collection Volume 3

by Heather Rainier

  “Are they normally like this?”

  “Well, it’s not unusual for friends to leave their tables and go greet someone, but they’re milling around like this was a cocktail party. Shit.”

  Maya turned to Kendall as he caught sight of the same dark-haired woman making a beeline toward Maya. “Who is that woman? She was staring at me earlier like she wants to rip my hair out. What is with all these people?”

  Maya felt other eyes upon her as the woman drew close.

  “She’s a member of the ‘frozen chosen’ as Adam likes to call them. She’s been rude to the girls on a number of occasions.” Maya glanced at Kendall and he looked ready for anything, too. It was a shame it had to be like this.

  Just as the woman closed in on Maya, drilling her with her dark eyes and looking ready to say something righteously indignant, her husband caught up to her and placed a firm hand around her upper arm and diverted her back to his side and whispered in her ear. He nodded at Kendall, and they continued on their way. Maya hadn’t moved in her seat and realized she’d been holding her breath for the first salvo fired directly at her.

  “Thank goodness her husband has managed to gain some control of her. For a while there, the girls could count on that woman to have something nasty to say to any of them, even Rachel and Juliana, for being friends with Grace, Teresa, and Rosemary. She looked like she couldn’t wait to get her claws into you. Sorry, baby.”

  Maya looked at him and smiled. “Who is she?”

  “Her name is Elizabeth Owen. She leads a women’s Bible study here in town. She has quite a following. Her opinions about the girls are very vocal, and she has some friends who follow her example. I’m sorry, babydoll.”

  “Why do you keep apologizing? You can’t control what she does.” She cast her eyes around the dining room at all the people staring. “Nor can you control their narrow-minded thoughts. I love you, and none of this,” she said, gesturing around the room, “can change that. I’m here and I’m staying.” She’d turned to the woman who’d made the rude comment in the entryway and emphasized the word “staying” as she held her gaze.

  Kendall chuckled and squeezed her hand. “I think the Divine Moral Authority has met its match.”

  The title of the blog came to her mind, and it gave her the creeps to think whoever had written the judgmental, narrow-minded blog was probably seated in this room right now.

  “Maya, do you want to leave?”

  “Not on your life, handsome.”

  A shadow passed over their table, and both Maya and Kendall looked up into the faces of an elderly man and his wife. They were both white-haired and looked to be in their seventies.

  “Son, you don’t know me, but I knew your father, Jack. We grew up together in these parts and used to run wild on Divine Creek every summer. I just wanted you to know we’re glad you’re back in the area and we hope the ranch is coming along. I also wanted to tell you that not everyone in Divine has a damn burr up their asses like some of these folks do in here tonight.”

  He said the words with a dark, damning look in his eyes as he cast them around the room. Maya was amused to note many folks who had been milling around gossiping were now returning to their tables like puppies with their tails tucked between their legs.

  The venerable man continued as his wife stood proudly by his side, holding his hand. “My name’s Sherwood Porter. Your dad knew me as Woody. It’s Justice of the Peace Porter nowadays. Forgive ’em, son, ma’am. Some people are like cattle. They tend to follow aimlessly without thinking where they might wind up.”

  Casting another dark gaze around the now quiet room, Porter turned kindly eyes on Maya and quietly said, “Welcome to the neighborhood, ma’am. I reckon old Jack would’ve doted on you for a daughter-in-law. Y’all have a nice evenin’.”

  “Thank you, judge,” Kendall said as he offered a handshake, which was returned.

  So that was Justice of the Peace Porter.

  The dining room returned to a more normal-sounding buzz, and the waitress delivered their food a few minutes later. Maya traded bites of her honey-glazed salmon for a taste of his perfectly seared beef tenderloin. The food was so good it almost made up for the rudeness of the restaurant patrons. Almost, but not quite. That didn’t mean she was staying away from there, or that she was going to be run out of town.

  Kendall groaned quietly when she ate her dessert, which came with a scoop of ice cream, with obvious relish. The heat in his eyes promised he’d be enjoying his dessert just as much, as soon as they were alone.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Richard denied the urge to floor the accelerator as the truck ate up the distance between Divine and Morehead. He was already going fast enough to get a ticket.

  Boone had generously suggested that Richard drop him off at the Divine Creek Ranch and then head over to Discretion to surprise Maya. After a quick shower and shave that’s exactly what he did.

  He was tensed and ready to jump out of the truck and run up the steps to the boutique as soon as he got there. He sat behind the wheel, taking several deep breaths. He hadn’t felt so anxious about a girl since he was a preteen about to ask his first girlfriend to a school dance.

  He lifted the wrapped bouquet of red roses from the passenger seat and sniffed them, hoping she’d like them. She wasn’t expecting Boone and Richard home until late that evening, so this was going to be a surprise for her.

  Sweet scents filled his nostrils as he quietly entered the boutique. The bell rang, and Teresa looked up from the large wooden counter by the door. A wide, surprised smile lit her face, but she remained silent as he put his index finger to his lips. She pointed to the far wall, at a row of tall book cases and mouthed silently, “Over there.”

  Rachel stood behind a glass-topped counter rearranging…butt plugs and dildos.

  Focus, dude.

  Rachel looked up at him and grinned as she slid the door on the display case closed. “Hello, sir. Can I help you find something?”

  Richard spotted Maya dusting and arranging a bookshelf. Their avid erotic romance reader was probably keeping her eyes open for more bedtime stories in the process.

  “I think I’ve found just what I need.”

  Maya turned abruptly at the sound of his voice. “Richard!”

  He happily held his arms out and caught her as she flew at him. She enveloped him in a delicately scented hug. He pressed his lips to her silky head and held her close. She practically vibrated with happiness as she burrowed close, pressing her breasts against his upper abdomen. He had heaven in his arms. “Hi, honey.”

  “I didn’t expect you back until tonight.” She looked up at him, her blue eyes sparkling joyfully. “I missed you so much.”

  Not caring who watched, Richard lowered his lips to hers in a sweet, slow reunion kiss. By noticeable degrees she turned to putty in his hands as she melted into the kiss. He wanted more than anything else to get her alone and make love to her. Boone was at the ranch with Kendall and would be all day. If they left now they’d have the house to themselves for several hours.

  “Can you get away?”

  Maya turned and looked at Grace. She’d ridden into Morehead with her that morning.

  Grace waved her hand in a shooing gesture. “I’ll be fine. Adam is in Morehead doing a job today. I’ll let him know, and he’ll probably show up when I leave and follow me home. Rachel and Teresa are carpooling it today, too. We’ll all get home just fine.”

  “If you’re sure.”

  “Positive. Go have fun.”

  Richard handed her the flowers, relieved that they were using a buddy system to see each other safely home.

  She smiled as she sniffed them and said, “Richard, they’re so pretty. Thank you.”

  She grabbed her purse, and they said goodbye and were out the door within a couple of minutes.

  “It’s a bit early for lunch. What would you like to do?”

  She turned a gaze on him that left no doubt as to her preference.r />
  “Let’s go home.”

  * * * *

  As she sat beside him in the truck on the way home, Richard’s aftershave, the scent of his freshly laundered shirt, and his own manly fragrance made her mouth water. She had to suppress the urge to reach out and caress his thigh or do something otherwise inappropriate. She played with the radio for a few minutes, but his body heat and nearness kept distracting her.

  “Did Kendall tell you that we’re going to San Marcos this weekend to get some more of my things?”

  Richard nodded and gave her a very satisfied-looking smile. “He told me this morning. That’s the best news I’ve had since you agreed to come home with him. We’re going to take good care of you, Maya.”

  “Same here, handsome.”

  She loved being cuddled up to Richard like this, next to his solid strength. Being with him gave her a feeling of peace and comfort. His lovemaking was a mind-bending combination of gentleness and possessiveness. She’d never doubt how much he wanted her because he made it abundantly clear.

  Maya sighed happily and placed her palm on his upper thigh. She rested it there for a minute or two while chatting with him. As he talked she lightly slid her hand down his hard, denim-covered leg then swept it back up to the original resting place. She did that several times and each time she inched slightly higher on the return.

  Richard shifted slightly, and glancing down, she noted his swelling erection. She almost giggled as her mouth watered at the sight, and she smiled at the sound of his husky exhalation.

  “Maya.”

  She looked up into his pale blue eyes. “Mmm-hmm?”

  “Behave.”

  Or what, big boy? She kept right on stroking that muscular thigh.

  It did not escape Maya’s notice that despite what he’d said, he didn’t lay a hand on hers to stop her caress. If her progress continued, soon her palm would be cupping his cock through his jeans. She varied her palming up and down his thigh with strokes to his inner thigh, keeping him guessing how far she’d go with each pass.

  Richard kept his eyes on the road, and she persisted gently as the truck ate up mile after mile of state highway headed homeward.

  Finally ready to move on to the next step, Maya traced her hand over his bone-hard cock, delighting in his soft groan. She was happy that he once again didn’t stop her. Richard shifted and pressed back against her hand. She took that as permission to continue.

  His regular, relaxed breathing turned more and more to panting with each passing minute.

  There was more than a tinge of need in his deep voice. “Maya.”

  “I’m being bad, I know.”

  “You are.”

  She increased the pressure on his cock by a minute degree and whispered, “Pull over at the next exit and find a shady spot to park for a few minutes.”

  Richard regarded her with lust glittering in his eyes. “You are very naughty.”

  Happy that he was playing along, Maya replied, “I’m a bad girl.” She reached behind his silver belt buckle and unhooked it from the tooled leather belt. “I’m feeling naughtier by the minute.”

  Richard turned onto a county road. There were several treed ranch entries, and he picked one that was overgrown and pulled a short distance down it and parked under a tree. By the time he put the truck in park she had his zipper down and was reaching inside his jeans to stroke his erect cock.

  She pushed on his jeans, and he helped her to work them and his boxers down to his thighs. He moaned in surprise when she closed her lips hungrily around his cock. He adjusted the seat back to a reclining position as she crouched on the seat and suckled him. His hands were everywhere all at once, in her hair, stroking her back, and reaching beneath the hem of her sundress. She crooned in gratitude as his fingertips slid beneath the lace of her panties.

  He paused and whispered, “Are you wearing my favorites?”

  Suckling happily on his distended shaft, she hummed in assent, never missing a beat. His fingertips strayed over her lace-covered mound to the split down the center seam, which left her completely open and vulnerable to his caress.

  “You’re drenched, honey,” he murmured as he stroked the back of her head with his other hand. “Damn, you do that so well. That’s perfect.” Even though he’d only been gone a couple of days she’d missed his gentle touch and the careful way he handled her.

  Maya alternated playing with his balls with stroking his shaft as he came closer and closer to coming. His callused fingertips felt good caressing her wet pussy. He circled her clit with one finger, teasing her, then slid it in just a little before returning to her clit again.

  His fingertips touched her jaw. “Stop, honey. I want your pussy now.”

  With one last, loving lick, Maya allowed him to pull her on top of him. She settled her knees on the seat on either side of his hips and said, “It’s a good thing I had a condom, huh?” She reached in her purse and produced one.

  Chuckling, Richard sheathed his cock quickly and replied, “It sure is, because I didn’t come prepared.”

  “Well then just prepare to come,” she said with a laugh and then a groan as she slid her wet pussy along his cock. They moaned together as the head slid in, right through the split in her panties. Richard was large and always took his time entering her, so it took her several wet up-and-down strokes before he was completely sheathed inside her.

  Pleasurable spasms and the aching in her clit told her it wouldn’t take much to put her over. She paused to catch her breath and looked into his luminous eyes and whispered, “I’m all yours, Richard. Every part of me. I trust you with everything.”

  She leaned forward and kissed him as he wrapped his arms around her torso and held her like she was a precious gift. Desire and lust necessitated movement, and she began to grind on his cock as he thrust upward repeatedly. On every upstroke she arched her back and squeezed with her pussy muscles, and he groaned loudly each time.

  He stroked her clit with his thumb and drew her lips to his for another deep kiss. His dick felt even harder and bigger inside her, and she creamed as the waves of her orgasm begin to gather. His touch on her clit sent the tension even higher, and she held tight to his shoulders.

  “Richard…Please don’t stop.”

  “Not for anything, honey. I want to hear you come for me. Your pussy feels so good. So hot and tight. Come with me, Maya.”

  Maya watched his handsome, flushed face. His lips parted in ecstasy, he tilted his head back, and the sight of his pleasure sent her over. She cried out and ground harder against him as the first wave hit her.

  He pressed more firmly on her clit and thrust up until she nearly bumped her head against the roof of the truck. He let out a loud groan as he pumped hard and filled her cunt with his cum.

  Collapsing against him, Maya lay still and caught her breath as she listened to his pounding heartbeat. He could be forceful when he wanted to be. She wondered, not for the first time, what an erotic spanking from him would feel like. Heavy on the pleasure, light on the pain was her guess. Lifting her head, she gazed up at him and saw the twinkle in his eyes.

  “I’m very naughty.”

  He chuckled and replied, “A very naughty girl, indeed. What am I going to do with you?”

  She shook her head slowly and smiled. “I don’t know. Bad girls usually get punished, don’t they?”

  “We’ll see about that.”

  He helped her lift off of him, then they cleaned up and got back on the road. She tucked back up to his side and he put his arm back around her and kissed the top of her head gently.

  He murmured, “I missed you so much.”

  “Me, too.” He squeezed her and kept driving.

  When they got home, one of the Divine Creek Ranch hands hailed him to pass a message along from one of the guys. Maya covered a giggle at his frustrated groan and went in the house. A couple of minutes later he strode up the porch steps looking like a man on a mission.

  Richard bolted the front door
, closed the front drapes, and then strode down the hall toward her as he unbuttoned his dark blue, long-sleeved denim shirt, his eyes unreadable. She stood gazing back at him trying to decide what she should do first.

  He sat down on the end of the bed and toed his boots off while crooking a finger at her. When she stood before him he said, “Strip.”

  Her pussy clenched with excitement at his gentle but firm tone. She pulled the dress over her head, removed her bra and panties, and placed them neatly on a chair. She stood before him again, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. Hot moisture seeped from her slit as he gazed at her thoughtfully.

  “You give yourself to us, to me, unselfishly. The least I can do is give you what you like, what you want.” His words were sincere, and the love and receptiveness in his eyes nearly made her heart burst. “Tell me what you like, Maya. I want to give it to you, however you want it.”

  “I want you to spank me, Richard.”

  He nodded without hesitation but she knew this would be a stretch for him. She wanted him to understand what erotic spanking did for her.

  Morgan had been dominant and stunningly clever in the means he employed to control her at times, to their mutual pleasure. Boone was the same way, which was why they meshed so well together.

  Richard was wired differently, making this a bit of a hurdle for him. When he was in control of a moment, there was never any doubt in her mind he was in charge, but that didn’t mean he was dominant. Maybe this was why Richard was special to her, he brought something totally different to her life.

  Maya motioned to him to scoot forward to the edge of the bed. When there was enough space for her over his knees, she draped herself across his lap. He placed a stabilizing arm over her back as she settled and braced herself with her fingertips and the balls of her feet barely touching the floor.

  “I know the mechanics, Maya. I want you to tell me what you like. I’m sorry I have to ask. I should already know.”

  Rather than dwell on his statement she chose to move on. “It’s all right, Richard. I love the slow buildup. Give me a good, long warm-up, then ten good, hard licks. After that back off and alternate light pops to my ass with spanking my pussy. Very, very lightly on my pussy.” It felt odd to give instructions to someone she felt so submitted to, regardless of whether he was dominant or not.