Divine Phoenix [Divine Creek Ranch 10] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)

by Heather Rainier

  “It doesn’t matter whether he cooperates or not. All I have to do is wait out the sixty day period and make it to the hearing. I can prove domestic abuse if he makes a big enough stink.”

  “That’s not all, Lily. Your dad…your dad said that his doctor told him that he had less time than he had hoped for. He said he just prays that he makes it until after your divorce is final so the money doesn’t get tied up.”

  The words in the note he’d included with the deed to the house came back to her.

  “… If you can just make do for a while, everything will be okay. You’ll see…”

  It all made sense now. He’d known then that he was running out of time and wanted her somewhere safe before he died. Fresh grief assailed her at the news. He’d never wanted her to come with him to any doctor’s appointments so she’d never known the doctor’s prognosis. Her thoughts shifted back to the reason for this conversation. If he saw dollar signs, JT was unlikely to give up and walk away. “JT’s not going to let me go, is he?”

  Clay growled and said, “Fuck, that. Lily, you’re safe from him and you’re going to stay that way. He’s not getting his clutches on you again.”

  Dirk nodded like he agreed but held up his hand. “Mr. Cook, with all due respect, when JT latches on to an idea he doesn’t let go. He’s like a pit bull terrier, especially about Lily. I think this whole time he figured that she’d come crawling back. He may try to get her back by force now. That’s what I came to tell you, Lily. Actually, I came to warn you. You know how he is.”

  Borderline psychotic? Yes, I remember.

  “You think he will come here? Wait—How did you know where I live?”

  Dirk raised his hands from his knees and replied, “That’s what I’m trying to tell you. I found the address on your—your old desk, his desk now. He must’ve hired someone to get the information for him because he’s been at the shop every day.”

  A cold chill ran up her spine at the news that JT might’ve hired an investigator to find her. “So you didn’t find the letter until today?”

  “Yeah. I worried when I saw the look on JT’s face when he found out how much you stand to inherit. He said you were coming back home, if it was the last thing you did. When he said it he had a scary look on his face. I found the letter this morning, and…” Left unsaid by Dirk was that he must’ve decided to get up the guts to thwart his brother and warn her.

  “Does JT know about it?”

  He patted his shirt pocket. “No, I have it. I told him I had business to take care of and I’d be gone all day. I went home and packed all my stuff and left Natalie. It’s all in the back of my truck. That was a decision that I’ve been putting off for a while now. I knew she’d cheated before, but I didn’t know she’d cheated with my own brother. I’ve put up with a lot from him over the years, because he’s my blood. But I can’t keep from you the fact that he’s planning something. Watch over her, Mr. Cook, because JT isn’t the kind to give up easily.”

  Lily asked, “Dirk, what are you going to do now?”

  “Find a motel to check into for the night then go back home, rent a motel room or someplace to put my stuff until I can get settled somewhere, then…well, you know…”

  Lily finished the thought for him. “Go in to work and pretend like none of it happened?”

  Dirk looked ashamed as he nodded. “I can’t walk away from the shop. I’ve invested too many years in it. But I promise I won’t tell JT I saw you. You deserved to be warned, Lily. You look happy. I almost didn’t recognize you because you’ve lost a lot weight. Have you been sick?”

  His words were reinforced by Clay’s raised eyebrow as she caught him glancing her way. “No, I’ve been working and trying to lose weight.”

  Dirk shook his head like she was loony. “I don’t know why. I mean, I know JT hounded you, but I think it was because he was afraid you’d leave him for someone else if you had better self-esteem. I’m really sorry I never stood up for you. I was like an ostrich with my head stuck in the sand, not wanting to see the truth. Mr. Cook told me what kind of shape you were in by the time you made it here. JT has spread rumors that you ran off with Mr. Cook and that you were living in sin here. He didn’t say anything about you almost dying. I didn’t know about that until just now when Clay told me. I’m glad you lived, Lily.” Dirk’s face reddened, and he rubbed his hands on his thighs again. “My brother is a first-class bastard and I feel very guilty for never taking up for you. I hope you can forgive me someday. I’m really sorry.”

  Lily placed her cup on the coffee table and patted the top of Dirk’s hand. “I forgive you. I never should’ve stayed as long as I did. I made it and I’m alive. Thank you for warning us. By chance did you hear my father say why he kept that news from me, that his time was shorter than he’d led me to believe?”

  Dirk shook his head. “No, but if I were him I wouldn’t have told you because you’d never have left if you knew the time was that short.” He rose from the couch. “Well, I need to go find a motel room before it gets any later. Thank you for the hospitality. You remember my number if you need anything, Lily.”

  Lily nodded and gave him a hug this time. “I wish you luck finding a place in Durst. The pickings are pretty slim.”

  He’d have to choose between one of the rental mobile homes in the Happy Acres mobile home park or a rented room at the Big Rock Motel. Either choice was unappetizing. Clay gave him directions to a clean motel in town.

  Dirk said, “This is a pretty little town y’all live in. Maybe I’ll just stop here permanently.”

  Lily laughed and said, “You’d be welcome, Dirk.”

  Dirk gave her a sad smile and shook his head. “I got a business I can’t walk away from. It’s a nice thought anyway.”

  When he’d said his good-byes, Lily stood looking at Clay in the doorway. He gazed at her with sympathy and wrapped his arms around her as she went to him.

  “I’m so sorry about your dad.”

  “I knew we were on borrowed time and that there were no guarantees. If I’d known I would’ve insisted he come with me.”

  “We can have him brought here. You could convince him.”

  “I don’t want to upset him, or do anything that could shorten the time he has, but I’ll talk to him. Maybe he’ll change his mind.”

  “Do you trust what Dirk said? JT could’ve sent him, Lily. This meeting could’ve been planned by him. I wouldn’t put anything past him.”

  Lily smiled and shook her head. “If you got to know Dirk, you would know that couldn’t be. He’s a simple kind of guy and would never have been able to pull a rehearsed meeting off like that. He was sincere. In some ways, he’s trapped in Durst, too.”

  “I think we need to talk about moving you out to the ranch.” He didn’t look pleased when he said it.

  “What? But we—”

  “He knows where you live, baby.”

  “I don’t want to leave here.” She meant it when she said it, too. “Just when I think I’m free to live my life, I have to uproot again.”

  Clay squeezed her. “It’s only temporary.”

  “Will you stay out there, too?” She searched his eyes with hope.

  Clay seemed both pleased and conflicted but then shook his head. “No. If someone is watching the house then we need to not disrupt the routine. We’ll keep your car here and Del can drive you in to the shop and pick you up.”

  “I don’t like inconveniencing him like that.”

  “The distraction would probably be good for him. So will the hog hunt this weekend. I think he’s in need of a break anyway. Every time I call him he’s sounded like I’ve interrupted him in physical labor. He’s probably pushing himself too hard. Sound familiar?”

  Lily pulled back and looked at him. “That’s changing now. I had a big ‘Aha!’ moment earlier. You can take the machine out of my room, but I hope you don’t get rid of it. I’ll only use it every so often.”

  “I think you should go see Emma and give yo
ur knee a rest for a while. You can ride to work with me in the morning and I’ll call Del and have him pick you up after work tomorrow.” Clay sat down in his big chair, invitation in his eyes. “You were about to tell me something else when the doorbell rang.”

  Lily knew herself well enough to know she wouldn’t be able to resist him tonight if he wanted to make love to her. Suddenly the idea of him knowing about the tattoo was more than she could handle.

  Enough already, for one evening!

  “Oh, it was no big deal. I just…have to get this test over with and…check in with Jack and Adam about the house. It’s nothing really.”

  That was totally lame! A two-year-old would know you’re lying!

  “You sure?” he asked, skepticism showing in his eyes as she inched backward toward the hallway.

  “Yes. I suppose I should pack.” She hated disappointing him, especially since she wouldn’t see as much of him if she stayed at the ranch.

  “Lily?” She was slammed with a wave of lust as she looked in his green-gold eyes. “You’re sleeping with me tonight.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Why?” Duh!

  “Because then I’ll know you’re safe.”

  “Oh.” Damn!

  “And also because this could be the last night you spend here for a little while and I intend to make love to you. No lights, on your terms, but I’m making love to you tonight. Go do what you need to do.”

  His expression was serious, not playful or uncertain. This more demanding side of his heretofore easygoing nature made her want to throw herself at him. Lily couldn’t even feel her feet as she nodded and walked to her room.

  Pulling open her closet door, she removed several tops, folded and stacked them on the bed, then went to the chest of drawers. The shower came on down the hall, and she sighed when the bathroom door closed without him ordering her into it with him. Refusing him would’ve felt awful. Oh, but saying yes would feel wonderful!

  She pulled out one of her suitcases and filled it with the clothing and other items she would need. She heard him moving around the bathroom, and she pictured him lathering his wide chest with the soap and washcloth, his strong hands efficient and quick in their work.

  Her pussy warmed as she thought of how she’d take her time washing him. She’d lather her bare hands and smooth the soap over the wide expanse of his shoulders, following every dip and curve of his muscular frame. Hot moisture seeped from her cunt as she imagined sliding her hands down his chest and his abdomen to the cock insistently jutting out at her.

  She would wrap her hand around his rock-hard shaft and stroke its length to the bulbous head. She shuddered, and another wave of longing heated her core.

  With JT, she’d never reached this level of heightened arousal. In the beginning, lovemaking with him had been incredible, but it had gradually turned into something ugly. He’d grown demanding and she’d believed if she just tried a harder, she’d be able to make him happy. The night before she’d left him she remembered feeling guilty for turning down sex because she’d been nauseated and achy. He’d looked her dead in the eye.

  “You know that if I really wanted to fuck your lazy ass, it wouldn’t matter if you wanted it or not, right?” His lip had curled in disgust. “I don’t know why I stay with you. You don’t take care of me or the house worth a shit. You’ve let yourself go.” He’d known exactly where her most vulnerable areas were, namely her body image and full figure.

  “Except for the fact that you could suck a golf ball through a garden hose and Dirk would get all pissy if I got rid of our bookkeeper without providing a replacement first, I’d divorce your ass. You got your reprieve. I’ll jack off in the shower, but the next time I tell you to spread ’em and make those tits bounce, you’d better fucking do it.”

  She’d known he’d meant it, too. His words had been designed to cut her to the bone, and they had, with laser-like precision. Any other woman might feel proud to know that she excelled at oral sex, but JT said things like that because he knew it would hurt her feelings. She’d tried hard for years to please him, and all she’d ever received were backhanded compliments. And like a fool, she’d promised herself that she’d fuck him so good, so hard the following night that he would appreciate her for once.

  The knock on the doorframe startled her from further ruminations, and Lily slammed the door once more on those memories. Clay stood there, hips wrapped in his towel, droplets of water glistening on his shoulders. His tremendously thick sex was upright and lying against his hip at an angle, clearly outlined behind the damp towel.

  When she drew near, he lifted her hand to his lips, then murmured, “Don’t forget your robe. I’ll be waiting in the bedroom.”

  Lily wondered if it was a figment of her imagination that she could feel heat radiating from his bare skin or if her entire body was blushing. His smile was tender as he laid one more quick kiss on her knuckles, and she saw a hint of playfulness in his eyes before he padded down the hall to his bedroom. The difference between this man and the one she’d left was positively jarring. She’d never been able to please JT. Clay gave her the impression that her mere presence in his home pleased her. The craving to please Clay increased inside her one hundredfold.

  Since she’d already bathed, she hurriedly undressed and donned the robe, refusing to glance in the mirror and be visually reminded of the mark on her lower abdomen. Without any sexy lingerie to change into, the process didn’t take that long. Her whole body quivered, and she felt her sex swell and ache as she turned to the bedroom door and opened it.

  All the lights were off in the house, with the exception of a dim light coming from his bedroom, guiding her footsteps. Her legs ached a little and she knew she’d probably stiffen up overnight but she reasoned that she’d never do that to herself again. It had been worth it for the realization that had followed.

  His spacious bedroom was well appointed with dark wood furniture, and she smiled when she saw the candles flickering on the dresser and nightstands. Clay reclined like a Greek god in the king-size bed, his thick erection well defined beneath the sheet barely covering his hips.

  Her sex ached with the memory of the last time she’d been in his bed, and she wanted him to make love to her again. The candlelight illuminated and cast in shadows the planes and valleys of his physique.

  Her earlier fatigue after the confrontation on the elliptical was forgotten as she moved to the side of the bed. He pulled the sheet back for her and then crawled to the side of the bed where she stood mesmerized by him. He was nude, and his heavy cock bobbed as he moved, standing up straight against his lower abdomen.

  He knelt in front of her on the bed. With confident hands he parted the neckline of her robe, revealing her breasts while allowing the lightweight robe to remain tied at the waist. For some reason, she didn’t worry he’d strip her of the robe before she was ready. Raising his hand, he drifted the backs of his fingers against the undersides of each breast, drawing a quavering moan from her.

  Seeming satisfied with her reaction, he tilted his head and parted his lips to lick her nipple and then closed them around it, sucking strongly. He glanced up at her, and the candlelight illuminated his green-gold eyes, and his lips curved in the hint of a smile as he slid his hands in a slow caress around her hips to her ass cheeks and squeezed.

  Her legs were wobbling by the time he released her nipple with a faint, wet pop and he climbed from the bed. Padding around the room, he blew out the candles one at a time, fulfilling his promise that this night would be on her terms, cast in pitch-black darkness. She wished it wasn’t necessary because watching his rapturous expression as he kissed and lapped at her breasts had been a heady experience.

  As the last light faded away, she glimpsed him turning to her and felt his body heat a moment before his hands settled on her shoulders. He pulled the tie at her waist loose, and then he slid the garment from her. The warmth of his skin seared her as the robe fell to a puddle at her feet. Her hair tickle
d her ass cheeks when he grasped great handfuls of the soft strands, cupped the back of her head, and laid a gentle but firm kiss on her lips.

  He returned to his kneeling position on the edge of the bed and drew her to him by her upper arms, sending shivers along her spine as he trailed his fingertips downward. She felt a little dizzy and had to brace her hands on his chest to stay upright. When his fingertips reached her waist and then the small of her back, it pulled at some internal reflex and her back arched on its own accord, pushing her breasts close to his face.

  Her pussy clenched as he gently took control of the moment, and her desire skyrocketed as he slid his palms up her arms, held her steady, and kissed her left collarbone and then the right one. Sizzling desire raced over her flesh, and her nipples tightened so much that they stung and throbbed. So much for thinking her nipples weren’t very sensitive. He worshipped the upper swell of her aching breasts and made his way back up to her collarbones.

  “Oh!” Her pussy responded to his erotic touch with small flurries of convulsions. She eased up when she noticed she was digging her fingernails into his shoulders and then realized she should probably reciprocate on all the attention she was getting.

  His skin was silky over firm muscle beneath her fingertips as she trailed them from his outer shoulders to the nape of his neck. He growled softly, and she assumed he enjoyed her touch. He switched to the other nipple, and the cool air made the damp one he released from his teasing mouth feel even tighter.

  The pulling sensation seemed to have a hotline to her clit as it throbbed with the need to be touched. She sank her fingertips into his short hair and stroked his scalp with her nails and smiled when she felt a tremor race through him. He tilted his head in the other direction and took his time lapping and sucking at her nipple.