Her Gentle Giant: No Regrets (7 page)

“Mmm, interesting. Does Rachel like Hips and Curves?”

“Mmm-hmm. Rachel likes a lot.” She gasped as he pulled out of her, noticing he’d started to get hard again. Eli groaned and smiled at her.

“I’ll probably be hard all evening, getting to be close to you.”

“Maybe if I’m good, you’ll give it to me again when we get home.” She chuckled as she climbed naked from the bed to retrieve the Macy’s bag and brought it back to bed.

Home? She’d said home. Her words echoed in her mind, and she looked up at him in concern. Subconsciously, she already considered this home.

“I wish you’d consider this your home, Rachel, regardless of where you live. Nothing would make me happier even if we’re taking this slow, like we agreed.”

He gave her a hug and a kiss. They were interrupted by the doorbell.

“I’ll bet that’s Charlie with the key.” He pulled on his leathers and T-shirt before quickly closing the door.

She slipped into his robe, which hung on a hook in his closet, and began to pull clothing from the Macy’s bag. Dang it. Grace had removed all the price tags. Rachel was going to have to do something special for Grace because she knew Grace would never accept repayment. She’d guessed pretty accurately on sizes, and Rachel loved her style.

They were all in bright colors and sexy styles. Empire waists with low-cut necklines, sexy, slinky V-necks, sheer sleeves and beading. There was also a long derriere-hugging denim skirt she could wear with her boots. She chose the skirt, a blouse with a deep overlapping surplice neckline and a built-in halter top underneath, a black push-up bra and, bless her heart, a black satin G-string. Man, she loved Grace!

She gathered everything up and listened at the bedroom door to hear whether or not someone was still there. She didn’t hear anything, so she opened the door and took the new clothing to the bathroom. The house was quiet, and she assumed he’d stepped outside to talk to Charlie. She walked to his living room window and peeked out.

Eli was outside in the front yard, talking to Charlie. Charlie pointed at the roof and at something located on what was now her side of the duplex.

He must be planning repairs. While they spoke, a Toyota sedan pulled up along the curb. Curious, Rachel stayed at the window to see who it was. She was not overjoyed when an unfamiliar young woman got out of the car. She
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had short, curly jet-black hair, and she was tiny. She was also very pretty in a pixie-like sort of way. Rachel focused on Eli. He shook hands with Charlie, who was making his exit as this new visitor arrived.

He turned, his back to the house, with his big muscled arms crossed over his chest. His stance was wide and unmoving. Then he tilted his head to the side. Rachel wished she could see his face. The young woman held her hand up to shade her eyes from the late afternoon sun and smiled sweetly at him. She stood in the open door of the car and removed an overnight bag and placed it on the trunk of the car.

Oh. Hell. No. Not so soon.

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As Rachel watched in growing trepidation, the young woman slung another bag over her shoulder and walked around to the other side of the car.

Oh, no. The second bag was a
diaper
bag. This was going to be interesting.

She placed it on the trunk also and opened the passenger side door and leaned in momentarily. When she stood back up, she held a newborn infant in a fuzzy blue sleeper against her chest. The baby also had jet-black hair and was snuggled up to the pretty young woman, fast asleep.

Rachel’s heart began to pound, and the muscles in her throat refused to work, so she couldn’t swallow. A cold chill skated over her skin, and she willed herself to breathe deeply, knowing it was just adrenaline. She trusted him, and there had to be more to this than what she saw.

The young woman spoke to Eli from the open door of the car. As she spoke, she became emotional. By this point, Eli had walked slowly to the car and then gently enfolded the young woman and the baby in his arms.

She cried while he held her and patted her back. He spoke to the young woman and gestured with his hand toward the house. The young woman wiped her face with one hand and smiled at him.

Rachel watched, her heart aching as he took the tiny little infant boy with shiny black hair from his mother. He snuggled him up high on his chest, under his jaw, held him with one big hand, and gently guided her to the duplex before he grabbed the two bags off the trunk and closed the car door with his boot.

Rachel turned and hurtled into the bathroom, stripped his robe off and quickly turned on the shower, jumping in even before it was warm, gasping at the shock of the cold water on her skin. She needed a few minutes to process this latest development. Was that his baby? Was that an old girlfriend? She had cried and looked so vulnerable. He comforted her like
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someone who was emotionally invested in her. He had not acted unhappy to see her. He might have been surprised but not unhappy.

As she bathed, she was reminded that she and Eli had made love earlier.

She was very sensitive, though not all that sore. He’d been so sweet to her and so careful with her. She knew he wouldn’t take her trust and the intimacy they now shared for granted in light of this new visitor. At least, she hoped not. Whatever the case, whoever she was, it was too late for Rachel. Her heart was lost to him, and when she thought of it, it beat a hollow rhythm in her chest.

There had to be a reasonable explanation for this young woman’s presence. He had gestured to the house like he wanted her to come in, even knowing Rachel was there. He was not trying to keep this woman and her baby a secret from Rachel. She wanted to kick herself remembering that
he
was the one she trusted. She had no reason, and he had
given
her no reason to distrust him.

Her problem was with the women who threw themselves at him in the club. In the club. This woman wasn’t throwing herself at him. She also didn’t seem like the barfly type. Maybe she was—

She leaned against the tile and allowed the spray from the showerhead to run over her hair. She put her head on her forearm and tried to calm her breathing, feeling foolish for thinking this could possibly work out between them. She should have known it would be too complicated. She should have known she’d find all this out after her heart was completely open to him.

She should have known something this magical, this fantastical couldn’t be real. Her breath hitched in her throat, and she jammed her lips shut, trying unsuccessfully to contain the small sob that shook her whole body before they heard her.

Eli’s warm hand on her shoulder made her shriek and practically jump out of her skin. She looked up at him through overflowing eyes, waiting for him to lower the boom. His head tilted in concern at her obviously upset state, and then he smiled at her compassionately. “Rachel? I’m sorry I scared you. My little sister is here. She drove in from Abilene with my new nephew. I want you to meet them. I should have brought her right in, but I was surprised by their arrival. Breathe, baby, are you all right?” he asked, looking into her eyes with concern.

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She put her hands to her face, feeling like an utter dumbass. “I’m so stupid. I need to work on my trust and jealousy issues. I’m such an ass, Eli.

I’m—”

He smiled softly at her and leaned forward to kiss her shoulder. “So beautiful, naked and wet in my shower? Sexy and dripping like a marooned mermaid? Yeah, you are all that, but stupid or an ass? No, I don’t think so.

Her husband shipped out for Afghanistan two weeks ago, and she’s missing him and having cabin fever. I can’t believe she drove all the way here by herself with the baby. Why don’t you finish up and come meet Kelly and Matthew. They’re dying to meet you.” He slid his hand down her wet back and over her ass cheek, squeezing gently. “Everything else all right? Feeling okay?”

Her relief was so great, she shook a little with it. “I feel fine,” she replied, looking up at him as she rinsed the rest of the shampoo from her hair and reached up to squeeze the water out. The action tipped her breasts up to him invitingly, a temptation he didn’t resist. He smiled mischievously as he cupped her breast in his hand and rubbed his thumb over her tight nipple, making her sigh in pleasure and wish for more.

“You’re not sore?” he asked as she turned off the water and he wrapped a towel around her.

“No. I feel more sensitive, like I’ve been with you, but want
more
,” she murmured as he grinned down at her. “I’ll hurry and get ready so you can take your shower,” she said, toweling her hair as he slipped from the bathroom.

Kelly and Matthew were both precious. Kelly was like a little sprite. She laughed and teased Eli when he took them to supper. Matthew was a precious little sleepy baby who napped through most of supper. Rachel even had an opportunity to hold him once she talked him out of his doting uncle’s grasp.

As she watched him with the baby, she thought she remembered hearing him say something about visiting his sister in Abilene a few weeks ago, right after she’d had a baby. Later, she caught Eli’s warm gaze when she looked up from cuddling the baby and saw the tenderness in his eyes as he watched her. Her cheeks tingled with heat, realizing what he was probably thinking. He didn’t look away but blushed a little himself. Kelly thoroughly enjoyed teasing him about the way they made goo-goo eyes at each other.

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He was due at the club in less than half an hour when he dropped Kelly off at the house. “I’m going to get us both ready for bed and lay on the couch and watch television. You go have fun. Good luck with the floozies, Rachel,” she called as they left for the club.

Eli helped her back into the truck because of her long, narrow skirt. His hands rested on her thighs after she was settled. “I haven’t told you how pretty you look in this sexy skirt, have I?”

“Nuh-uh,” she replied quietly, nuzzling into his neck as he reached over and buckled her seatbelt for her.

“It does delicious things for your derriere, and that top…
Mmm
.” He slid his finger over her bare collarbone and down between the open neckline and the inner halter top. “It’s very pretty on you.” He caressed the upper swell of her breast with his fingertips. His touch left a warm tingle behind as he stroked her. Leaning into him, she kissed him and squeezed his hand. After a scintillating minute of that, he released her and closed her door and went around to the driver’s side door. He grinned at her as he climbed in on his side of the truck. “I wonder what people will think when they see you sit with us at our table by the door.”

“I’m proud to be seen with you, Eli.”

“Same here, baby.”

They got to the club at ten till seven to find that Ethan had brought another chair over for her to sit on, right next to Eli’s usual spot. Excusing herself, she sought Ethan out to thank him for doing that and for understanding her concerns.

“Sweetie, remember what it was like when Patricia was after me?”

Ethan asked. “The first time Grace saw Patricia put her hand on my arm I was worried she’d get mad at
me
. When she confronted Patricia, she handled herself like a lady but essentially told Patricia to fuck off at the same time. I know it may not be easy creating boundaries for some of the more
friendly
women, but Eli is probably worth whatever trouble you go through. He only sees
you
, honey. I’m glad to see you came to your senses.”

He chuckled when she feigned outrage at his last comment.

“Yeah, I know,” she agreed. “I was a little slow on the uptake. Is Grace coming in tonight?”

“Once she heard you were going to be here, she said she would. I’m saving a seat for her next to Bill, just in case.”

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“Why Bill?”

“He watches out for her like an old spinster aunt. Sometimes guys that don’t know any better still hit on her. He provides a buffer when I’m not in close proximity, and of course the guys watch over her, too.”

“I need to thank her for all the things she brought over for me today.”

“I was about to say how pretty you look in that outfit. Is that something she picked out for you?”

“Yes, your wife has great taste.”

“She does, doesn’t she? Listen, you stick close to Eli tonight and see how things go. I think that will send a pretty clear message all by itself. All I ask is that if you have to set anyone straight, you do it without drawing a lot of attention to them or yourself.”

“I’ll remember that, Ethan. Thanks again.” Rachel turned to go back to Eli’s table and let out a heavy sigh.

Two women chatted with him very flirtatiously. This was how it always started, then one of them would reach out to his hair—
there
she went.

Rachel watched as Eli stood and put up a forearm to block her reach, a very subtle but very clear communication that he didn’t want to be touched. He glanced at her over their heads and winked at her when she smiled at him.

The women were on either side of the chair he leaned against, well within the boundaries of his personal space. It would be rude to verbally tell them to go away, but she could remove their reason for being there in such close proximity without saying anything. As she walked up, Eli slipped into the tall bar chair and spread his knees, an open invitation. She stepped right into that opening and reached for his hair, taking two generous handfuls of it at his shoulders. He slid his hands up her ribcage and laid a big, happy, wet kiss on her as the two women looked on in surprise.

Word would spread quickly now, and the grapevine would no doubt be put to the test. Releasing her from the kiss, he nuzzled her cheekbone and the sensitive flesh under her ear. “You are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Rachel. I love you.”

The words were truly meant only for her, but she felt sure that at least one of the two women had overheard him. She hugged him. “I love you, too, babe. Thank you.” She rested her hands gently on his thighs and looked at the woman on his left and said, “Hi, would you excuse me? I’d like to sit in my chair.” She indicated the tall chair the woman was currently blocking.

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The women made their excuses and reluctantly walked off to the bar, their heads together, chattering to each other. Eli took her right hand in his left, clasping their fingers together. They sat there chatting quietly when Mike and Rogelio rolled in and stopped short, gaping at the two of them.

Mike turned to Rogelio with an I-told-you-so look and pointed at them.

“What did I say, Rogelio? I thought something was up when I talked to them earlier.” The very large man looked at Mike, grunted and nodded without saying anything else, so Mike continued, “I had a feeling this might bring the two of you together.”

“Yeah, it’s amazing how sometimes a bad thing can bring about good results,” she replied, hugging them both before she returned to her seat.

“So besides the obvious turn of events, how did everything go today?”

Mike asked as he settled in at the door.

Eli stroked her palm with his callused fingertips as he said, “We talked to my landlord and got her set to move in next door. We’re still planning on going over to Rachel’s old place tomorrow morning to see about getting into her bedroom.”

While Eli explained about Kelly and Matthew, Rachel thought about how odd it was to think of her burned-out apartment as her old place. It had only been a day, but it felt old already. She felt removed from the situation.

She needed to update her parents and try to make a trip out to the storage barn to see if they had any furniture she could use in the new place.

As more people came in the front door, Eli left his chair and stood next to Mike, helping him check IDs. Rogelio made the rounds to check on the restrooms and the seating areas. The music got louder, and more people moved onto the dance floor.

Grace arrived later in the evening. After hugging Rachel and greeting the bouncers, Grace promised to get right back with her. She made a beeline for Ethan, who was at a table talking to a couple of local ranchers. He saw her approach and excused himself, drawing her into his arms for an adoring kiss. Rachel smiled as she watched them.

Somehow Grace handled the inherent challenges of Ethan being a co-owner in the club, so Rachel knew she could survive the challenges involved in being with Eli.