He released her to caress her cheeks, drawing his thumb across her damp bottom lip. “Call us if you need us, Gracie, no matter how late, okay?” He nuzzled her cheek. “Sweet dreams.”
“I promise. Thank you for changing the locks. I feel much safer now. I–I’m—uh,” she stuttered.
He bent down very closely and whispered, “I love you, Gracie.”
The words stunned her with their simplicity, and her breath caught in her throat. He smiled gently at her, and she looked up into his sparkling blue eyes and whispered softly, almost silently, “I love you, too, Ethan.”
“See you soon.” Then he, too, was gone, but not before she saw the hopeful, fiercely purposeful light filling his eyes.
She turned to her patient, gentle giant, Adam. She just reached for him as he leaned down to her, lifting her into his embrace. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck as his lips brushed hers and returned his kiss with all the joy in her heart. His arms wrapped around her, one around her waist and one around her hips. She turned her head slightly into his kiss and arched her back, pressing her breasts into his chest. She heard a faint growl come from his throat as she brushed her tongue against his, and of their own volition, her legs wrapped themselves around his narrow waist, pressing her now very damp folds against his abdomen. One hand slid down to cup her ass, holding her tightly to him. The tightness in her belly increased, and she felt the muscles in her pussy clench uselessly. Adam groaned softly, and she might have moaned a little herself at that sensation. Thank goodness she was wearing blue jeans. Otherwise, she’d have gotten him all wet. As he put her down, she lowered her legs to the floor, and he slid her down his torso. His growing erection rubbed against her belly as she found her footing again.
He leaned down to whisper in her ear, “I want you so much, Grace. We want you so much. All of us. You know you can trust us?” His eyes, like Ethan’s, were so hopeful.
His words stole her breath, and she held on to him tightly, looking into his eyes, nodding slowly.
“I trust you, Adam. I do. Thank you for saving me today.” Her chin wobbled a little. All these powerful sensations were getting to her emotions.
“I love you, Adam. So much,” she whispered.
She laid her cheek against his chest and felt such a profound peace steal over her. Not all of them had made declarations of love to each other, but she knew they loved her, especially Jack. Even though he hadn’t said it tonight, she felt it.
“I love you, Grace,” Adam murmured softly to her, wiping a tear from her eye that she didn’t even know was there. “Sweet dreams, baby.”
“You, too. Drive safe.”
He released her, and she watched him go. She waved to Jack and Ethan, who pulled away after Adam started his truck. Watching out for each other, as always.
“Wow, that was way better than porn,” Charity said as she came back in the living room.
“Charity!” Grace blurted out, laughing. Her cheeks literally throbbed with heat.
* * * *
On the drive home, Adam groaned as he remembered the little stretch and yawn she’d had when she got up from the couch. And the way she had arched her back into it. That little move made him instantly hard. The caveman buried inside him wanted to pick her up and carry her over his shoulder back to his cave and bury himself deep inside her. He could still smell her on him, the scent that was uniquely hers and all woman. Someday, hopefully soon because he was in agony, he was going to feast between her thighs and experience for himself what she tasted like, too. He needed a cold shower something fierce.
She took a huge risk and told him she loved him. That had to be a sign of trust. And Heaven knew he loved her, too. His heart lurched when he remembered the trusting way she’d reached for him and the sexy way she’d turned into their kiss, getting as close as she could to him. She had given as much as she could give to him, for now, in that kiss and held nothing in reserve. When he felt her wrap those long legs around him, the urge to turn and take her to the bedroom was a strong one, but he’d reminded himself that her sister was there. And knowing Charity, she was probably watching. His heart was a lost cause. Grace now held it in her hands. Those trusting blue eyes had done him in for good.
* * * *
Jack glanced over at Ethan as he drove out of Divine toward the ranch. Ethan had been awfully quiet since they left Grace’s house. Jack was curious about the cause.
“What’s troublin’ you, Ethan?”
“Nothing’s troubling me. I’m just thinking about Gracie. I told her that I loved her.”
“Well, that’s a good thing, right?”
“Of course it is, Jack. But I’ve only known her four days.”
“When you told her you loved her, did you mean it? Or did you just want to make her happy? Or are you just hoping to get in her pants and thought she’d let you if you told her that?” He knew none of those things were true but figured playing devil’s advocate might help Ethan work it out.
Ethan laughed. “You know me better than that, Jack. I wouldn’t say something like that unless I was positive I meant it.”
“Then why does it matter if it’s only been four days? The way I see it, you’re faster on the uptake than I am because I’ve known her for a couple of years. Sometimes it takes people a while to realize they love someone, and sometimes it only takes a day. I think Adam fell in love with her the moment he saw her walking up Dad’s driveway.”
“How do you feel about me telling her tonight that I love her? By rights you should have been the first one to tell her. Any stirrings of jealousy?”
In answer, Jack asked him a question. “How did it make you feel when she kissed me good-bye?”
“Honestly, it was a turn-on to watch her kiss you. Don’t get me wrong, Jack. I ain’t getting turned on by you or anything like that, but yeah, I liked watching the two of you. Maybe there’s a little more kink in us than we all thought, or maybe it’s different this time because she’s the right woman.”
“I wanted the two of you to have your moment with her, so I went outside. Maybe I should have stayed and watched, too.”
“I have a feeling you’ll get your chance before too long. Can I ask you a question?” Ethan asked.
“Of course.” Jack knew the only way they were going to navigate through this is by being totally open with each other and putting her needs first.
“You heard her talk about that dream she had. If she wants the three of us at one time, do you feel comfortable with doing that?” Ethan asked, turning to look at his best friend’s face illuminated by the dashboard lights.
“Can you deal with it?” Jack answered.
“Hell yeah. I already told you it’s a huge turn-on for me, and we have to put her needs first. There is no jealousy there. That’s not to say I won’t want to spend time alone with her all to myself, and I would expect you to want the same thing, as well. Adam, too.”
“I’m not sharing her with anyone else besides the two of you,” Jack said.
“I feel the same, Jack. I’m willing to share, but only with y’all. She doesn’t strike me as the kind of person who would want that. Man, that was some kiss. She is so responsive. I can still smell her scent. Mmmm.”
“Cold shower?”
“Make mine a double,” Ethan said, laughing. “And I still ain’t doin’ ya.”
They laughed for half a mile.
Chapter Six
Grace placed her hands over her hot cheeks as Charity snickered and sat down on the couch.
“Grace, you are one hot mama! You’ve got those men eating from the palm of your hand. Did you see the way they were looking at you tonight? I felt like fanning myself a couple of times, it was getting so hot in there. They adore you! I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if they told you they were in love with you.”
“Ethan and Adam did tonight. That was also the first time I’d ever kissed Jack and Adam.” Grace joined her on the couch, recalling the effect their gentle kisses had on her.
“Are they good kissers? What am I saying? Of course they were good kissers. It was obvious. They are really into you. If I hadn’t been here, you might be in bed with all three of them right now!”
“It’s like something out of my wildest fantasies. I wouldn’t even know where to begin. They would have to figure all that out. How would they do that?”
“One of them takes you vaginally, one takes you anally, and you take the other orally, all at the same time,” Charity said with a lecherous grin, laughing at Grace’s shocked expression.
“Charity! I swear, sometimes you take pleasure in shocking me. I already knew how the sex works. I meant how do they decide who takes me first? I meant just regular, straightforward sex! Rock, paper, scissors? Girl, your mind is in the gutter!”
Charity snickered playfully, rubbing her hands together. “Yes, and I’m so glad you’ve joined me. You’re much more fun now that Owen got the boot. You must be exhausted. I think you’re probably running on nerves and adrenaline right now. You have to work in the morning, so why don’t we turn in?”
“‘Kay. I’m going to take a shower. I’ll be in there in a few minutes.”
The house was so nice and cool now. She’d sleep like a baby tonight for sure unless thoughts of those men and their hot kisses kept her awake. Just the thought sent a spear of heat to her clit.
Bad girl.
When she got out of the bathroom, she found Charity in her bedroom, stripping the bed and putting on fresh sheets and pillow cases. “Sorry, I could not take the chance he slept on the sheets I’m laying down on tonight.”
* * * *
It was too much to hope she would get a good night’s sleep tonight. Grace had been in bed less than half an hour when the pounding on the door began, startling her.
Charity angrily threw the covers back. “Shit a monkey! I’m going to blow his frickin’ brains out,” she muttered angrily as they put on their robes and slippers.
“Stay put for a second, Charity. Don’t turn the lamp on yet,” Grace told her over the continued pounding.
She peeked out the blinds to see if it was Owen and whether or not he had any of his hoodlum friends with him. His truck was parked out on the curb with two of his buddies still sitting in the cab. All of his stuff was still piled in the bed of the truck. She had to snicker at that. No one had offered to take him in. Some friends he had.
He was still beating on the door, and she was worried the noise would wake her neighbors. She handed her phone to Charity and told her to do as Jack said—use Grace’s phone to dial 911, since it was registered to her address and the cops would have a faster response time, and use Charity’s phone to call Jack, who had programmed his number into Charity’s phone as well.
Good thinking, guys.
* * * *
Jack had just said goodnight to Adam and Ethan when his cell phone rang. The men exchanged a worried look. Calls at midnight couldn’t be a good thing. Caller ID confirmed it.
“It’s Charity’s phone. Grab the keys,” Jack said as all three ran out the door. Jack answered the call.
“Hello, Charity. What’s happening? Are you all right?” Jack asked as he pressed the speakerphone button so they could all hear. Ethan jumped behind the wheel and started the vehicle.
“For the moment, we’re fine. I’ve already called 911. I have them on the line now. Owen is banging on the front door and has been for the last couple of minutes.”
“Has Grace opened the door?”
“No, she told him to go away several times, but he won’t listen. He’s drunk as a skunk and yelling at her about video games. He says he won’t leave until she returns the videogames she stole from him. Can you hear him?” she asked, and they could indeed hear muffled yelling and thumping in the background.
“Yeah, I can hear him. We’re already on the road into town. Did 911 say how far away the police officers are?”
“They said they were sending someone now, and we can hear the sirens coming.”
“Is there anyone with Owen?”
“Yes. Earlier, there were two guys sitting in his truck. I’m looking out the window, and they are in the yard now trying to get him to leave. Oh, great! Now they are fighting in the front yard. They must all be drunk. Hey, Grace wants to talk to you. Here ya go.”
“Jack?” All three of them heaved a sigh of relief when they heard her voice. She sounded tired. The pounding on the door started again, and so did the yelling. Grace was trying to talk, but they couldn’t make out what she was saying because of the noise.
“Grace, whatever you do, don’t open that door until the police get there and tell you it’s safe.”
“I won’t. Charity wanted to, but I wouldn’t let her. She has her shotgun with her. I see flashing lights out front. Charity, go look out the bedroom window to see what’s going on. I hear them scuffling on the porch. Is it safe? Okay. Jack? She said they have him and one of his friends facedown on the ground outside. How far away are you?”
“We just turned onto your street. You’ll see us pull up in a few seconds. Stay put. I’m going to hang up, baby.” He stuck the phone in his pocket and jumped out of the SUV as soon as Ethan put it in park.
The police officers had Owen and his friends on the ground and were handcuffing them. Owen started to yell again, going on about his video games. Jack was in the lead and made it up the porch steps first. He called to Grace through the door.
She opened the door and reached out for him, for all of them. They surrounded her, hugging her, hugging Charity, thankful that they were both all right.
Jack wrapped his arms around Grace and hugged her close to him. “You okay, darlin’?”
She smiled up at him and said, “I am now that you’re here.”
The officers marched Owen and both of his buddies over to one of the squad cars and placed them under arrest for drunken and disorderly conduct. After a few minutes, one of the officers, Jack’s friend Hank Stinson, came up on the porch and knocked on the screen door. Jack opened the door for him and shook his hand.
“Sorry, Jack. We swung by just a few minutes before we got the call about a disturbance over here. We were clear across town. We’re taking them in for drunk and disorderly conduct. Is that his truck parked out in the road still running?”
“Yeah, it is.”
“It’s blocking the road. Do you want to move it, or should I call and have it impounded?”
“It’s his vehicle. We don’t want responsibility for it.”
“I’ll have it towed, no problem. Hey, Grace, sorry to have to pay a visit so late at night. Can I ask you a few questions?”
“That’s all right, Hank. It’s been a long day for all of us. Did your softball team like those new jerseys we printed for them?” Grace asked. Jack had forgotten about referring Hank over to Harper’s for new softball jerseys. He was glad that if she had to speak to a police officer this late at night that it was at least someone she knew and was comfortable talking with.
They all sat down in the living room, and Grace answered all of Hank’s questions regarding what had occurred as well as what had taken place earlier in the afternoon. Grace agreed to come down and press charges against Owen in the morning.
After they were finished, Jack turned to Grace and Charity. “Do you want to come back to the ranch with us?” he offered, still hoping.
“He’s not going to bother me anymore tonight. Charity is here, so I know I’ll be fine.”
“I’d feel better if one of us stayed here with you. Would you mind?” Jack asked, reluctant to leave the two of them alone again tonight. He wished now that he had made the offer earlier.
“It’s fine with me if it’s all right with Sis,” she said, not seeing the enthusiastic nod and thumbs-up signal Charity gave to Jack. He had to cover his grin.
* * * *
“It’s up to y’all who stays, Jack. Don’t make me choose,” Grace said, then yawned.
“I can stay. My first appointment isn’t until
nine in the morning,” Adam said, volunteering for duty. The other two nodded and stood up.
“Jack, Ethan, thank you for coming so quickly. Once again, you’re all my heroes,” Grace said.
Jack hugged her tight and kissed her forehead, and then Ethan hugged her and kissed her cheek. They both hugged Charity and thanked her for being well prepared. Adam shared a quiet conversation with them on the porch and then left.
“Can I borrow a blanket and pillow, Grace?” Adam asked. “I’ll sleep on the couch.”
Charity shook her head at Grace and pointed at herself, letting her know she could sleep on the couch. Grace shook her head firmly and mouthed a no to Charity when she followed Grace down the hall to the linen closet to get what Adam needed.
Charity whispered, “I don’t mind, Grace.”
“I do, Charity. I kissed him for the first time an hour ago. I’m not ready for that yet.”
“Heh–heh. Yet is right.” Charity snickered softly as she retreated down the hall to the bathroom. Grace went in the kitchen and put ground coffee and water in the coffeemaker and set the timer to start brewing early the next morning.
Adam slipped his boots off and lay down on the couch. Grace turned off all the lights except the one on the end table next to the couch. Charity said goodnight and excused herself. Grace knelt down on the floor by Adam’s head and leaned in to lay her head on his chest. She hugged him as he wrapped his big, strong arms around her and gave her a little squeeze.
He turned onto his side and moved up against the back rest of the couch. He patted the cushion in front of him. “Come sit with me. I don’t want you kneeling on the bare floor.”
She moved up onto the cushion, and he wrapped his arms loosely around her waist.
“Are you going to be able to rest after all this excitement?” he asked. His warm fingers caressed her through the fleece of her robe.
The Divine Creek Ranch Collection, Volume 1 [Book 1 - Divine Grace, Book 2 - Her Gentle Giant, Book 3 - Heavenly Angel] (Siren Everlasting Collection) Page 8
