“How so?”
“Don’t you trust him to be there for you?”
“Sure. But before I could rely on his unbiased opinion.”
“Do you really think he was unbiased?” Grace asked doubtfully. “Before you answer, ask yourself this. If he’s been in love with you all this time, how do you think he felt every time you called on him for advice?”
“Damn. When it’s put that way, it sounds almost cruel.”
“He probably wouldn’t call you cruel, Maya, but it had to sting. Now, here is this fresh opportunity. Speaking of opportunities, Emma Guthrie told me this morning that she will have an opening available in her practice in September when her RN retires.”
Damn. Maya had known Grace for a day, and she was already putting feelers out for potential job openings. Maya perked up at the news. “That is good to know.”
“Which means you might even be here for the birth of this little girl.” Maya thought of just how easily she could slip into a life there in Divine, becoming a part of the community and her men’s family.
* * * *
Despite her protests, Maya was unsuccessful in talking Kendall into bringing her out to the ranch that afternoon when he came by for a late lunch.
“The ER doctor said you’d need the rest today. No, don’t give me ‘the lip,’” Kendall said, obviously having a hard time suppressing his amusement at her pouty lip.
“I wanted to play in the creek.” Skinny-dipping definitely qualified as playing.
Kendall shook a finger and scoffed. “No, you wanted to drive me insane. How am I supposed to work knowing you’re ‘playing?’ I’ve known you long enough to know what that means, woman.”
“Nobody would see unless they were down in the creek with me. It’s harmless fun! I wanted to explore.” Yeah, that’s it.
“The only thing being explored would be you. You can’t get in the creek with that wound on your hand anyway.”
Damn it! He was right. In another day she could probably play in the water if she was careful to clean it afterward. She balked at the forced inactivity.
“I’m bored. Couldn’t I just come with you and hang out?”
Maya was already planning a trip the following morning with Grace to a little boutique she and a couple of friends were involved with.
“Don’t get in such a rush. You got bit by a rattlesnake yesterday. What does your professional training tell you to do?”
“Rest, heal, and watch for side effects.”
“Was gallivanting around less than a day later anywhere on the list?”
“Ooh.”
Kendall mimicked her little exclamation and grimace and tickled her as he hugged her.
“So impatient. There will be plenty of time to play nekkid in the creek on Friday. I may take part of the day off and play with you,” he whispered against her throat.
The look in his eyes told her he didn’t mean splashing in the water. Her outlook changed instantly as an image came to mind of him making love to her on her flat rock as the creek babbled around them. She knew he would be magnificent, and the thought of the two of them together made her quiver.
It had been a long time since she’d had any sexual attention, and her clit throbbed with need. Her heart pounded as he slid his hands down her back to her ass and gripped her cheeks. He ground his thickening cock against her, and her pussy responded with a burst of tingling, damp heat.
His lips collided passionately with hers, and his tongue plundered her mouth, sweeping her away with his gentle assault. He slid his strong hands up her spine and held her body to his. His arousal was obvious, but he still held her as if she were the finest china, something precious to him. Maya wound her arms around him and moaned against his moist lips. His tongue stroked hers, mimicking what he no doubt intended to do with his cock once she was fully recovered. She pressed back against his erection and her pussy contracted with longing to know what it would feel like to be filled with it. Unfortunately, along with all the pleasant rush of feelings came a wave of light-headedness and nausea. She groaned and put her hand to her suddenly damp brow.
Damn it!
“Maya?” Kendall took one look at her face and thankfully didn’t lecture her or say “I told you so.” He lifted her in his arms and carried her to the couch. “Want a cold washcloth?”
“Yes.”
He returned with it, and she pressed it to her brow and sat motionless as her stomach wobbled. “Sorry to dampen the mood,” she said weakly as the nausea receded slowly.
“It’s okay. Do you want me to help you get back in bed?” With his point thoroughly pressed home, she nodded, and he carried her back to bed.
“You know, I could probably walk,” she said with a chuckle. She loved being hefted in his big, thick arms like this.
“Where’s the fun in that?”
He laid her down on the bed and sat down beside her.
“I hate being an invalid. We’re supposed to be having fun,” she muttered, trying not to pout.
Kendall tucked a lock of hair behind her ear then patted her thigh. “I know. But at least you’re here with us. We’ll fix you supper tonight and watch a movie. Rest so you can be well for your excursion tomorrow with Grace.”
“I feel better already. Much as I hate it, I know you’re right. This is just going to take some time to get over.”
Kendall kissed her again as if she were delicate porcelain and murmured, “Don’t worry, babydoll. When you feel better we’ll make it up to you.” The heat in his eyes told her it was a promise.
Chapter Nine
Maya discovered one more reason to like her new friend as Grace started the engine of her cute little blue convertible and the stereo blasted loudly.
“Sorry. I like it loud,” Grace said with an apologetic grin, turning down the volume as Maya laughed.
“Five Finger Death Punch?” she asked as a song by that band played in the background.
“I don’t look the type, do I? You should see the baby kick anytime I put their music on. Rose Marie likes ‘Bad Company’ in particular. Every time I play that song she kicks up a storm. I think she responds to the vocalist’s sexy voice.”
“Her name is Rose Marie?”
“Yes, after Jack’s mother. Rose Marie was my friend. She died a couple of years ago. As a matter of fact, it was at her funeral that Jack started to get closer to me. I’d only just met Ethan, and I didn’t meet Adam until that day.”
“That didn’t freak you out a bit?”
Grace beamed and shook her head. “Not really. The chemistry was there from the beginning. They saved me from a bad situation with an ex-boyfriend. It didn’t take them long to have me eating out of their hands, though.”
They zipped down the highway toward Morehead, the breeze blowing in their hair, and talked the whole way. Maya was pleasantly surprised when they pulled up in front of a pristinely kept little boutique housed in a lovely, restored, Victorian-era home.
When Grace had told her they were visiting an adults-only ladies’ boutique Maya had not known what to expect. This was lovely. The structure was painted an unusual muted shade of blue and trimmed in pale yellow. Baskets of periwinkles hung in intervals along the deep front porch.
“Wow.”
“It’s lovely, isn’t it? I love it here. Wait till you see inside,” Grace said as they climbed from the convertible. “Welcome to Discretion, Maya.” Grace opened the front door and stepped inside.
A lively conversation was going on inside the boutique, which was like a wonderland of every sort of kink, passion, and perversion she could imagine.
A lovely, voluptuous blonde with a rosy blush in her cheeks said, “I can’t believe I was ‘the other woman’ in his harem fantasy! I was mortified when his wife called me to let me know she was okay with it.”
A tall, gorgeous brunette replied, “Maybe he wanted a ménage and was trying to ease you into it by giving her your number.”
The blonde rolled her eyes and sa
id, “Trust me, if I’m ever in a ménage, all parties will be on the same fricking page, not to mention the fact that they’ll all know each other to begin with.”
Grace giggled and whispered, “Oh, crap. What now?”
“So you put all his shit on the front yard and had a rummage sale?” the brunette said from where she sat behind an antique lingerie display cabinet. The imposing display piece served as a sales counter, which housed delicates of every color, style, and fabric imaginable behind glass.
The blonde who stood folding lingerie at the display cabinet replied, “I did. He left for his supposed business trip, and I went on a tear. I sold it all, too. At rock-bottom prices. Hi, Grace!”
“Hi, everyone. This is Maya Daire. Maya, that is Rachel Wolf behind the lingerie counter, and this is Summer Heston. She and her sister, Margot, own Discretion.”
Another brunette appeared in the door that led to the rear of the shop, and Grace said, “This is Teresa Martinez.”
The brunette approached and held out her hand to Maya. The others greeted her, and she was swept into the conversation as though she’d known them for years. At the moment there were no customers in the boutique.
“What did he say when he came back?” Rachel asked Summer as they went back to their tasks. Rachel had a laptop set up on the counter and appeared to be doing the shop’s books.
“I handed him a check for the full amount I made on the yard sale and told him to get the hell off of my property.”
“You’re not worried he’ll sue you for selling his stuff?” Teresa asked.
Summer chuckled. “Are you kidding? He cried and begged me to take him back. He couldn’t understand why, if his wife was willing, I wouldn’t be interested in him anymore. Mind you, I wouldn’t mind being the meat in the middle of a man sandwich, but I’ll be damned if I’m going to share a man, especially one with no backbone. I finally called the police. Where do I find these two-timing assholes?”
Rachel spoke up and said, “I’m glad you gave him the boot. He wasn’t nearly good enough for you. I hope he doesn’t sue you.”
“Pish! He can go for it. His stuff wasn’t worth that much. I could pay the cost of small claims court and still break even with the fun of selling all his junk and then seeing the look on his face when I handed him the check.”
Grace showed Maya around the shop, and Maya asked questions about their involvement.
“Teresa is a born saleswoman. She works in the store with Summer. Rachel does the books and handles online orders and Discretion’s website maintenance. I hang out and help with merchandising and the display cases.”
Summer added, “Plus, they’re all invested in Discretion. Juliana’s not here, otherwise you could meet her as well. She helps Margot with buying and is at market in Dallas with her right now.”
Maya observed and listened as their discussion about Summer’s erstwhile boyfriend continued. Teresa was beautiful and had an almost shy quality to her. Summer was all spunk and fire and sounded like she could handle whatever retribution the jerk dealt to her. Rachel was spirited as well and looked as though she were ready to hunt the asshole down and beat the crap out of him. This was a lively group for certain.
They talked about Maya’s experience with the rattler, and Maya told them she was much better. The last bout of nausea had been the previous afternoon, and she’d slept well. She didn’t share that she’d slept surrounded by hard, male bodies.
Rachel must’ve sensed her reluctance to share details about Kendall and his brothers because she said, “I’ll bet those three Warner boys are keeping you on your toes, aren’t they, Maya? They are drop-your-panties gorgeous.”
“Rachel!” Teresa burst out in giggles as she returned from the stockroom with another box of lace lingerie to fold and put away. “Maya, it’s quite all right to be blunt in this crazy group of women.” Gesturing to Rachel, she added, “Honey Badass here has a delayed filter on her mouth. Don’t worry. Grace isn’t the only one in this group with an unconventional lifestyle.”
Teresa filled her in on her own living arrangement with her husbands, Angel and Joaquin, who were the Divine Creek Ranch’s horse breeding experts. Maya also learned she was currently staying in Teresa’s former home. Teresa had a five-year-old and an eighteen-month-old, both boys. “Michael and Eleazar are with their fathers right now.”
Maya raised a brow in mild surprise, and Teresa explained that her men were raised around horses from infancy and preferred to do the same with their sons.
With a smirk, Rachel said, “Summer, we need to find a real man for you. One you can trust. Because, honey, let’s face it. Left to your own devices, you’re an asshole magnet.”
The women all laughed, including Summer.
“A freak magnet,” Grace said.
“It’s a curse! I have the worst luck.”
Teresa chuckled then said, “When are you going to let Grace set you up with someone?”
“What if it doesn’t work out? I’ll feel guilty for disappointing Grace.”
“Summer, honey, it’s about time you put yourself in my capable hands,” Grace said quietly as three women stepped in the lace-curtained front door.
Maya visited with the others while Teresa helped the ladies. Rachel bantered back and forth with Grace, proving she’d earned her title as “Honey Badass” and had a truly risqué sense of humor. Her computer dinged with a familiar tone, and she paused in the discussion to check her e-mail. She frowned, and her demeanor changed as she opened the message.
“Grace?”
Grace came closer to look at the computer screen and visibly paled. “Divine Morality? What the hell is that? It’s not a book review site.”
Maya watched with wary interest as Rachel and Grace looked at the screen.
“It’s somebody’s public blog. Oh, shit. Teresa and Rosemary are mentioned as well,” Rachel whispered the last so as not to be overheard. “Teresa will pass out when she sees this. Damn it.”
“What is it?” Maya asked.
“Someone has posted an anonymous, public blog accusing Grace and the others of bigamy, adultery, and immorality. The article mentions that Grace is expecting. This is heinous.”
Rachel turned the computer so Maya could clearly see the screen. Her heart fell to her stomach as she read the hateful gossip about her new friends.
The blog was not well written and appeared almost to be slapped together without much editing as if the person were in a hurry. Icy chills tingled up her neck as she realized she could become a target of this individual if she stayed in Divine with Kendall and his brothers.
“Do you have any idea who this could be?” Maya asked.
“There’s no name listed. It could be any of a number of people. Not everyone in Divine is open-minded,” Grace said. “I’ll talk to the guys tonight. I know someone who can help. Rachel, it’s a good thing you set up those Google Alerts for us.”
* * * *
“Where in the fuck is she?” Frank Reeves muttered as he stared at his laptop. He knew she hadn’t left in her car because the GPS he’d installed secretly months ago indicated that it was still at her house. She must’ve taken off with that asshole, Kendall Warner. He should’ve guessed it by the look in the redneck’s eyes. She was probably fucking him at that very moment. On a whim he navigated to a search engine and entered Warner’s name.
* * * *
Late Friday afternoon, Boone watched as Maya relaxed on the flat rock out in the creek. She’d brought a paperback and a bottle of water and had her head resting on a folded towel, reading. She’d stripped her T-shirt off and now lay there in just her lacy pushup bra. The blonde temptress knew one of them would be coming to collect her when the workday was done. The bra was partially transparent, so he could see her rosy nipples through the white lace.
Maya was on his mind a lot lately, and he had to confess, to himself at least, that he’d been grateful for the slow down in this experiment. He didn’t want her to feel that this was like
every other escapade they’d ever taken part in. She was much more important to him.
All the free pussy he wanted waited for him at The Dancing Pony, but he was becoming bored with that scene. Brenda Sanderson had about done him in with her damned antics and games, playing him, Richard, and their fellow coworker Gil James against each other.
The Carlisle brothers had finally given her the bum’s rush off of the Rockin’ C Ranch, like Grace had done a couple of years before.
Grace had never said “I told you so,” but Boone had wished they’d taken their cues from her more stable example rather than taking advantage of the easy, kinky sex Brenda had offered.
She’d manipulated them and played with them for her own amusement, which had fucked with Richard’s head in particular. Boone and Gil had been relieved the year before when she’d taken off in her gaudy dually pickup and hadn’t returned or called again.
This woman he watched now was a different breed altogether. He didn’t want to approach this thing between the four of them lightly. Kendall adored her, and Boone was certain Richard was falling fast, too. Boone thought she was exactly what Richard needed. Richard had never been the most verbose person, but she’d had the ability to turn him into Chatty Cathy.
He was glad she was feeling better, too. She’d wanted to push things the day before, and it had shown when she’d cuddled up with him on the couch last night to watch a movie. She’d fallen asleep early and allowed them to tuck her into bed without stirring later that night.
This morning she’d seemed like she was bouncing back as she’d prepared to go on her little shopping excursion with Grace. He wondered if she’d bought anything and grinned when he caught a glimpse of the cover of the book she read. Hot fucking damn. She had gone shopping.
The Divine Creek Ranch Collection Volume 3 Page 9
