The Divine Creek Ranch Collection, Volume 1 [Book 1 - Divine Grace, Book 2 - Her Gentle Giant, Book 3 - Heavenly Angel] (Siren Everlasting Collection)

by Heather Rainier

  “I’m sorry, Renata. The gifts kind of degenerate from this point,” Grace said with a grin.

  Rachel’s mom batted her hands and said, “Oh, don’t, Grace. I’m having so much fun. I’m a little more liberated than my daughter knows. Don’t worry that you will shock me. Let me see that, Rachel. Is it lined? Oh! That’s nice and soft.” She rubbed her thumb on the lining.

  Grace exchanged a relieved look with Rachel.

  Rachel opened the larger box and found a truly kinky pair of high, chunky-heeled, black patent platform lace up boots. “Oooh! Hot mama! Look at these!”

  Laughter erupted around the table when she lifted it out of the box.

  Grace brought Charity’s gift to Rachel and sat the gift bag in front of her. “This is from Charity. Guaranteed to be adult eyes only, if I know my sister!” She giggled and then added, “And we love you for it, sis.”

  Rachel reached into the bag and pulled out a…feather duster? Only, the duster was small.

  At Rachel’s confused look, Charity snickered and said, “It’s a tickler. Keep digging. Eli is going to thank me.” Rachel lifted out a bundle of red satin. She unfolded them and looked at Charity in confusion. “Those are eight-foot-long bondage sashes for Eli to tie you up with.” Charity grinned as all the ladies giggled and Rachel’s cheeks turned red hot.

  The last thing in the bag was a pretty, black butter-soft miniskirt with zippers that ran down the front seams to the hem, and a matching leather G-string. “They will match that corset and those boots perfectly, don’t you think? Then you’ll have a complete outfit. Here’s something else from me and Grace,” Charity added the last part in a whisper and slipped her a gift card envelope.

  Charity being discreet? Surreal.

  Rachel peeked in the envelope and understood. It was a one hundred dollar gift card to a popular online sex toy website. She smiled at Grace and Charity, and they winked at her. She didn’t pass that one around for the others to see. She caught Grace’s wink at Kelly and realized the elf knew about it, too. She slipped the envelope in her purse at her feet.

  The phone at Grace’s seat buzzed. She looked at the display. “Our entrees are ready. Let’s go ahead and eat, and then we’ll finish afterward.” She replied quickly to the text.

  Rachel looked around the table. “Thank you so much for the beautiful gifts. I love all of them, and you know Eli will appreciate them as well,” she said to a chorus of risqué laughter.

  “You’re welcome, Rachel.” Grace gestured to the buffet, where several gifts sat waiting to be opened. “But you’re not done yet.”

  “Huh?” She looked around the room and remembered opening every woman’s gift. She looked up at Grace questioningly.

  “Those are from some people who could not attend today since this is a ladies only event,” Grace said as Peter and Paul tapped on the door and entered with laden trays. The handsome men made conversation as they solicitously served each lady her plate and refilled her water or tea glass.

  “Mrs. Warner, will you page us when you’re ready for the cake? We have it set out for you.” Peter said.

  “Thank you. I’ll page you when we’re ready for it, Peter. Thank you, Paul. We appreciate your special attention tonight.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Warner,” they murmured and sauntered from the room.

  They enjoyed the excellent cuisine and talked about the wedding plans. They also teased Rachel about the variety of gifts she’d received and speculated on which ones would get the most use. She took all the ribbing good-naturedly, giving as good as she got where she could.

  “Peter and Paul prepared our entrees themselves.” Grace chuckled when they all smiled and got that dreamy look again.

  At the ladies’ eager urging, Grace paged them both to return and clear the table. Once again, they flirted outrageously as they worked. The women talked and laughed with the handsome men until everything was removed from the table and they left once again.

  Grace laughed when Kelly released a disappointed sigh and asked, “Is there anything else they can come back for?”

  “Oh, don’t worry. They’ll be back,” Grace said with an indulgent smile. “Why don’t we see what else is here?” She returned to the buffet, bringing Rachel a small, prettily wrapped box.

  “Before you open these, Jack, Ethan, and Adam wanted me to tell you something. Over the years, they’ve always held you and your family in the highest esteem and value your friendship to them, but especially to me. They appreciate the way you defended me with Patricia, but also Eli’s quick thinking in handling her the night of the shooting.”

  Grace paused for a second, perhaps reliving that night, before continuing. “Our lives would be very different if it were not for your friendship, Rachel. You’re family, and we love you. These gifts are a small token of friendship for both you and Eli. Why don’t you open Adam’s first and let’s see what it is.”

  Tears stung her eyes as Rachel picked at the pretty paper. She hugged Grace as she handed her a tissue, and Rachel opened the gift. Sniffling a little herself, Grace rose and brought two more small presents to the table.

  Rachel lifted the lid on the box and gasped at the gift inside. Lifting it from the box, she looked at Grace.

  Her friend said, “I helped him pick it out. It’s a slave bracelet. You wear it on your upper arm.” The heavy silver bracelet was a series of interlocking flourishes. It reminded Rachel a lot of the design of her engagement ring, which she held up to it.

  “Clay made this?”

  “Yep. Want to see if it fits?”

  “Thank you.” Rachel held it out to Grace to open and then lifted her sleeve. Grace opened a hidden catch and demonstrated how to adjust it at the hinge before closing it on Rachel’s upper arm. “It’s beautiful, Grace. Thank you. Make sure and tell him I love it.”

  Rachel unwrapped Ethan’s gift. Inside was a bracelet made of the same heavy silver, only the flourishes were made into linking sections so it had more flexibility. It, too, was adjustable, which Grace showed her as she put it on her ankle. She modeled it for all of them and thanked Grace again.

  She opened Jack’s gift when Grace handed it to her. Inside was a pair of beautiful, intricate chandelier earrings done in the same intertwined flourish pattern, silver teardrops dangling in a row across the bottom edge of each one.

  “Wow, Grace. I’m overwhelmed,” Rachel said shakily, feeling like a ninny for being so emotional. “You didn’t have to do this for me.”

  “Well, it would have been weird for them to buy you lingerie, right?” Grace snickered, trying to make light of the extravagance of her men’s gifts. “You have one more gift to open though, sweetie. See?” She gestured again to the buffet, where a large, flat, wrapped package lay all by itself.

  “Who’s that from?” Rachel asked curiously

  Grace retrieved the heavy box and laid it in Rachel’s lap. She lifted the small envelope from the package and removed the card.

  For the woman I’ve been dreaming of.

  Love, Eli

  After a few seconds, she read it out loud.

  The ladies all exclaimed in unison. “Aww!”

  She tore the paper from the box and lifted the lid. Inside was a sexy, black leather riding jacket. She lifted the jacket out, and they all cooed again. The jacket had fringe across the chest and the back and down the arms. Above each breast and in the center of the back was a pretty red rose inlay.

  “Try it on,” Charity said excitedly.

  Rachel slipped out of the lightweight cardigan she’d put on to protect her from the evening chill. The fragrant leather jacket hugged her curves perfectly.

  Grace pointed to the sides and the center of the lower back and said, “Look, it has drawstrings here and here so you can adjust the fit. How does it feel?”

  “Like a dream. It’s so soft inside.”

  Grace grinned and sent a message to their hot waiters. “I think it’s time for cake, don’t you?”

  “I’d settle
for another look at those handsome waiters,” Teresa said then popped her hand over her mouth. “I said that out loud, didn’t I? You’re rubbing off on me!”

  Paul and Peter returned with a beautifully decorated little bakery cake and cake plates and silverware. “Miss Lopez, aren’t you a lovely sight in that leather jacket? If you weren’t off the market, Paul and I might fight over which of us could persuade you to climb on the back of our Harleys.”

  “You’re both bikers?” Charity asked, and then said unabashedly, “They are perfect, Grace.”

  “Perfect gentlemen, yes.” Grace thanked Peter as he handed her the silverware and serving utensils.

  “I don’t know about perfect, but we both do ride in this area. It looks like we might run into at least one of you on a ride, maybe two? Do you ride, too, Miss…” Paul asked cheekily of Charity.

  “Charity. Yes, I ride with my husband all the time.”

  “Maybe we’ll see you around sometime. Mrs. Warner, are you sure you don’t want me to cut and serve it for you?” Peter gestured to the serving knife.

  At their eager looks, Grace said, “We—Yes, I’d like you to both stay and cut the cake and serve it. If you have time, that is. I know the restaurant must be busy right now.”

  “Tessa prides herself on the fact that we offer more than just the best food, but that our service is also exceptional. The kitchen is well staffed, and we are here to serve you,” Peter replied as Grace handed him the serving knife.

  He deftly cut the cake while Paul refilled their glasses and helped him get the cake on plates, which he then served to each woman.

  Rachel picked up her fork, and her mouth watered from the luscious scent of it before the bite was even in her mouth. It was absolutely delicious.

  “I love this cake.”

  “Good,” Grace said. “If you like it, I’ll be ordering it for your wedding cake.”

  “I knew there was a reason I put you both in charge of this stuff. This is wonderful.”

  After the ladies had been served and there was nothing else for them to do, Peter and Paul thanked Grace for asking them to serve her friends. They both kissed Rachel’s knuckles and Grace’s, as well, and wished Rachel good luck with her wedding plans.

  After they’d left the room, Charity turned to Grace. “Wow. Just wow. You topped yourself, sis.”

  The others agreed.

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  It was almost ten o’clock by the time Rachel parked the Tundra in front of Grace’s home. Rachel tried the whole leather outfit on for them, and Grace and Charity snapped pictures. Grace sent a picture e-mail to Eli’s phone. While Rachel changed out of the outfit, her phone buzzed with an incoming text. She smiled as she unzipped her boot and reached for the phone to look at the display.

  I love seeing you in leather.

  I can’t decide if I want you to straddle my bike, or me!

  Call me as soon as you’re alone.

  Love you like crazy.

  She started to put her clothes back on but thought better of it. She snapped a picture first and then sent it with a short text, giggling deviously.

  Hiya, sexy! Did you eat yet?

  Delete this picture after you enjoy it, pleeeeease!

  Love you like crazy!

  * * * *

  The men sat on the back porch around the fire pit drinking a beer. Eli had propped his feet up on the porch rail and tilted his chair back on two legs. His phone buzzed back, and he smiled, expecting a text from his pretty woman. He grinned and lifted it to eye level. He did a double take and choked on his beer. He lost his balance and fell backward in the chair. All the men jumped up and laughed, telling him he’d had one too many. He stared at the display screen of his phone and grinned.

  “Bet me it’s a nekkid pic,” Adam said to Ethan, grinning.

  “Hey, her father is right over there!” Eli shushed him and pointed at Peter, who stood by the porch rail talking with Elijah. He looked one more time at the picture and grinned.

  “Yep,” Adam offered a hand to help him up, “nekkid pics.” He snickered softly.

  * * * *

  Two minutes later, Rachel giggled happily when she received a picture of Eli’s handsome face with his eyes bulging out and a two word text.

  Dayum, baby!

  “Yep.” She chuckled as she zipped up her jeans.

  When she came out of the bedroom, she found the others piled on the couches in the living room, watching Braveheart.

  “Aren’t you exhausted?” she asked as she came in the living room and stood beside Grace, who sat on the couch.

  “We got our second wind and decided we had enough energy to take on William Wallace,” she said with a pathetic Scottish accent. ”Ooh, yes, I’ll marry ye, William.”

  Rachel yawned. “I’m going to take a shower and go to bed.”

  “Okay, we love you, sweetie. Enjoy your phone sex!” Kelly called as Rachel left the room. She poked her head back in the living room.

  “Hey, that’s my mom sitting next to you!”

  “That’s okay, honey. I may call your father later,” her mom said with a snorting laugh.

  With her fingertips in her ears, Rachel hollered, “Lalalalala! I can’t hear you! Thanks again, ladies. For everything,” she added with another yawn.

  Kelly yawned with her. “Poor thing, we wore her out.”

  After her shower, Rachel dressed in her black nightgown, climbed into bed and cuddled up to a pillow. She picked up her phone and typed a short message and sent it to her man.

  Hi.

  She opted for simple, considering the shock she gave him earlier. She hoped like hell he had deleted that picture.

  Hello, my angel. You surprised me so much earlier I fell out of my chair.

  Are you tired?

  Feel like talking?

  Rachel knew he had to have been up early that morning. To hear his voice for a few minutes would be enough.

  I’m sleepy, but I miss you.

  Call me?

  Her phone rang thirty seconds after she hit the send key.

  “Hi.”

  * * * *

  As the afternoon dragged on, anticipation began to build in Rachel’s body for her reunion with Eli.

  Rachel looked forward to the feel of his big, strong arms wrapped around her and snuggling into his warm masculine embrace. She ached for his gentle fingers trailing over her torso in a tender, unhurried caress and his rugged, masculine scent wafting through her nostrils. She—

  Grace waved a hand in front of her face. “Earth to Rachel.”

  Rachel felt her cheeks warm up and laughed with her friend, trying to pay attention to what Grace was saying. She strained her ears for the sound of vehicles pulling up. They were due home anytime now.

  At five thirty, Rachel finally heard a vehicle pull up out front. Her heart did a quick double flip, and she shot from her seat on the couch, yanking open the front door.

  He’d asked her last night on the phone what she wanted to do the moment she saw him. Chuckling, she’d told him she wanted to fling herself into his arms and have him catch her in a big bear hug. She didn’t even hesitate, once he closed the SUV door and turned to her. He grinned with his arms held out wide.

  With child-like glee, Rachel raced across the porch and leapt into Eli’s big, strong, outstretched arms. When he caught her, she wrapped her legs around his lean waist and her arms around his neck. He held her close, and she breathed him in as she hugged him. He squeezed her tightly and hummed with happiness. She could hear amused male chuckling at their very public display of affection but didn’t care enough to let go. Sinking her fingers into his long, silky black hair, Rachel kissed him for all she was worth.

  “I missed you,” she said sincerely when she finally came up for air. Someone coughed nearby and she recognized her father’s voice, full of dry humor. “Hmm, so we gathered,” he said as he opened the back of the SUV.

  Eli walked away from the men milling around the vehicles w
ith her still attached. “I missed you, too, angel,” he murmured and nuzzled her throat. “You trusted me to catch you,” he stated happily.

  She hugged him tighter. “I missed you so much. Now I have you, I don’t want to let you go.”

  “Your legs wrapped around my waist feel better than you can imagine, but I think we may be testing your poor father’s tolerance.”

  Eli squeezed her back gently as she unlocked her ankles, and he set her back on her feet carefully. He kissed her once more and smiled down at her.

  He stared into her face intensely and spoke in her ear. “I’m starving for you.”

  His lustful gaze made her feel self-conscious, but Rachel didn’t look away, just pressed her body to his. Her eyes widened when she felt his bulging erection press against her abdomen.

  “For me?” she whispered and licked her lips.

  He groaned softly. “If you don’t stop that, everyone is going to know what’s on my mind.”

  She smiled. “I can’t help it. Can I help you carry your things to the truck?”

  “There’s just one bag,” he said, indicating the duffle bag lying on the driveway by her father’s vehicle.

  She glanced at the empty flatbed trailer still hooked up to Jack’s SUV. “Are the hogs already at the processors?”

  “Yeah. We just dropped off the two big ones Ethan and Adam got this morning at the butcher in Divine. They’re going to prep and store them whole for the pig roast next weekend.” She walked with him as he retrieved his bag and took it to her truck. “The processor near Allen’s lodge is going to have a busy week processing all that meat.”

  “I heard you got the biggest one.” She slid her hand into his after he put his bag on the back seat of her Tundra.

  “Until last night at dusk. Your dad shot one that was a little bigger. You wouldn’t believe the size of them.”

  Rachel shuddered, having a pretty good guess. “We have supper almost done. The steaks are seasoned and ready to go on the grill.”