Divine Grace (5 page)

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43

Grace was carried to the bed by strong arms and gentle hands. Once he
laid her down, he moved to stand at the foot of the bed. She lay back on the
pillows, and warm hands fanned her long hair across them. Gentle lips
seared the skin from her collarbone up to the sensitive spot behind her
earlobe. A warm, wet mouth settled on one of her breasts, teasing the nipple
with his tongue while gently rubbing and pulling on the other. Another
gentle hand slid down between her breasts and over her abdomen to the
blonde curls over her mound, teasing there for a moment before sliding over
her damp pussy. Warm fingers spread her lips carefully, baring her to her
lover’s gaze as he stood at the foot of the bed. Waves of pleasure inundated
her at the sensory overload of having so many hands on so many places at
once on her body.

The long fingers between her legs stroked over her clitoris, rubbing on
that sensitive nub. She writhed in their arms, feeling the first stirring and
tightening as her orgasm began to build. The bed dipped between her feet,
and he joined them on the bed. He gently palmed one thigh open to the side
and then the other. She willingly spread them even more, reveling in the
knowledge that his eyes were looking upon the most intimate part of her.

The long fingers that parted her lips slid into her pussy and dipped into
the juices that overflowed there before returning to her clit. His fingers
stroked over and around it, rolling it back and forth and alongside it. She
couldn’t keep quiet any longer, and wild gasps and moans escaped her lips
as now two fingers thrust into her pussy, going a little deeper, before sliding
up to her clit again. His mouth continued to lap at her nipples, which had
turned as hard as little pebbles.

Another voice whispered about dark, erotic pleasures in her ear, and
she felt the fanning flames as her body tensed, preparing for the coming
orgasm. The fingers withdrew from her mound, and she was momentarily
bereft of the beautiful sensation before it was replaced by another as he
gently blew a stream of warm air across her heated flesh, then lapped the
length of her mound from her opening, up to her clit, and back again. Her
body clenched hard, on the precipice, waiting for that last little nudge that
would push her off into the abyss she knew waited for her. His tongue, so
warm and wet, delved in between her pussy lips and gained entrance, giving
her what her body now screamed for. She—

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Exploded. On wave after wave of pleasure. As her body rocked through each pulse, she came more and more awake and further away from the most erotic dream she’d ever had. She couldn’t remember ever reaching orgasm in a dream before, but it left her panting, bathed in sweat. She trembled, clinging to the fading memory of what and who had brought her to that exquisite state.

All
three
of them.
Sweet merciful heavens
. Ethan, Adam, and Jack had all been in bed with her at once. Her heart pounded at the thought. She lay there quietly, listening to her heart return to a normal beat, trying to remember as many of the details as she could before they faded. She hardly ever remembered her dreams, but she wanted this one etched in her memory forever. It was the stuff her most secret fantasies were made of. Just then her alarm clock went off, and she was grateful she had finished the dream before it could be interrupted.

She was surprised by how fast the workday flew by. Jack came by to check on her while on his way to an appointment. He kissed her cheek and made her blush all over. When she thought of what he’d done with those lips in her dream, she blushed even harder. He told her he looked forward to that evening and left for his appointment. Her employers, Martha and Rose, let her leave at 2:30 p.m. so she had time to run to the grocery store before going home. She was meeting Adam, Ethan, and Jack at her house at 3:30

p.m.

After the house cleaning was finished, she planned to prepare them a fresh, home-cooked meal to thank them for their trouble, although she had a feeling they’d consider being allowed to give Owen the boot reward enough in itself.

45

Owen sat on the front porch in her mother’s wooden swing, eating straight from a half-gallon container of ice cream, when she pulled into the driveway. It was only 3:15 p.m. All she had to do was get through fifteen more minutes with this SOB. He was eating. Maybe that meant he had sobered up a little. She parked, grabbed the grocery bags from the front seat, and lugged them up the steps. Of course, he didn’t offer to help with them.

One time when she’d asked for help, he’d told her no, she needed the exercise, so she never asked for help from him again. He just sat there, digging his spoon down into the container and sticking it into his mouth.

What an ass.

He followed her inside.

“I thought that son of a bitch was going to fix the AC. It’s hot as hell in here.”

“He had to order a part.”

“When’s it gonna be fixed?” he asked, shoving the open ice cream carton, spoon and all, back in the freezer. What a disgusting pig.

“He should be here with it in a little while,” she replied as neutrally as she could while she put away the groceries. He was spoiling for a fight.

He’d left more dirty dishes lying around on the counter and table. She finished putting the food away and filled the sink with hot, soapy water to let the dishes soak before she washed them. This was the last mess of his she was going to clean up. The thought made her smile, and she turned away from him so he wouldn’t see it.

“I saw that, bitch. Why are you smiling? You know something I don’t?

Huh, Fatty? You’re planning on fucking him again later, aren’t you? That’s how you’re paying for the AC repair, isn’t it? Hell, if I was him and that was an option, I’d want cold hard cash. At least I might get a little satisfaction
46

because it’s for sure not to be found in fucking your ugly ass. Faithless, fucking bitch!”

“Owen, stop it!” she said firmly, checking her watch. 3:20 p.m. Any minute now.

“Why are you so dressed up today, huh, Fatty? Are you excited about seeing that repairman? I see you checking your watch. Think you might be able to turn him on in that tight-ass top? How do you like this? Fucking cunt!”

Then the right side of her face felt like it exploded. He’d come up behind her and slapped her open-handed over her cheekbone and ear. Her ear rang, so now she couldn’t hear him, at least not very well. She turned to him, stunned. It was rare for him to actually strike her. He usually limited his abuse to the verbal and emotional variety. As if it were happening in slow motion, she watched as his right hand whipped around as he prepared to strike her again. Right before the back of his hand made contact with her left cheek, she caught a glimpse of Adam, Jack, and Ethan charging through the open screen door.

She couldn’t hear them, so she wasn’t sure if Owen knew they were there. His trajectory never wavered, and the back of his hand cracked against her left cheekbone. The shock of it, more than the force behind it, made her reel back against the sharp edge of the counter, over the sink, before falling forward to the floor at his feet. Pain bloomed in her cheek in a delayed reaction to the blow. She was hurt, but she was also happy because she had seen them run through the door. She knew pain and relief all in the same moment. Surreal.

She’d fallen to her hands and knees in front of Owen and was momentarily worried that this position left her vulnerable to him if he chose to kick her. She watched in amazement as his boots somehow both lifted off the floor at the same time. She either felt or heard a great thud from somewhere close by but wasn’t sure where it came from. She put her hands to her cheeks. The left side of her face throbbed. She felt another thud and yelling, but she didn’t worry about it. Her men were there, and they would deal with him.

Someone approached her, and she felt strong hands on her shoulders.

She couldn’t hear what he was saying over the ringing in her ear and the noise. She tried to stand up, but her limbs wouldn’t cooperate. He lifted her

47

into his arms, carried her to her bedroom, and sat on the edge of the bed, holding her in his lap, cradling her against his chest. Even in her shocked state, she recognized Ethan’s spicy scent.

For the first time in years, she felt safe. Protected. She had become used to taking up for herself and gradually just learned how to take what Owen dished out. That was over. Emotion boiled up inside her, and she began to shake. She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck and bawled her eyes out, soaking the cotton of his red twill button-down shirt.

After a few minutes, she noticed the presence of more than one pair of hands on her back, arms, and hair, stroking her. The crying at an end, she looked up from Ethan’s damp shirtfront to see Adam and Jack on either side of her. They both stroked her and looked at her with worried eyes. The ringing had subsided a little bit, enough that she was able to hear what they were saying to her. Through her tears, she smiled at them.

“You came. Hi!” She hugged each one of them before hugging Ethan again. “What did you do with Owen?” She grinned when she realized that was the last time she’d ever care about his whereabouts.

“Out cold on the living room floor, waiting to find out what we’re going to do with him,” Jack said as he gently lifted the back of her shirt. “Darlin’, you’ve got a red welt on your back from the edge of the counter. It might leave a bruise, but at least the skin isn’t broken. He hit you pretty hard.” He frowned darkly as he gently palmed her cheekbone, which felt swollen and tingly.

Finally, this was her moment. Where before she had experienced everything in slow motion, now she felt invigorated, like it was the first day of fall and a cold front had just blown in. She didn’t feel the stifling heat at all. It was time to clean house.

“Adam, there is a box of big black trash bags under the kitchen sink. I need them. Ethan, can you disconnect his video game console and bag it up with all the games and controllers? Also disconnect the black laptop computer and put it in the computer bag that’s probably still right there with it. Jack, will you help me bag up his clothes and toiletries?”

“Sure, honey, sounds like you’ve had this planned for a while.” Jack grinned, helping her to her feet.

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“Well, I’ve been ready for a while.” She found her cell phone and dialed her sister’s number. After giving her the brief rundown on what had just happened, she asked her to come over.

Jack said, “I’ll call the police to come pick him up. You’re going to press charges, right?”

“How many times did you guys hit him?” she asked, looking down at Owen, who was still unconscious on the living room floor.

“A bunch. Enough to lay him out. Why?”

“That more than makes up for him slapping me twice before you could stop him. I just want him gone from my house and my life.”

“Grace, I don’t know. Any man who would strike a woman deserves to be in jail for it. Wouldn’t it be better to call the police? He hit you hard enough to knock you down—”

“And you are my witnesses. Right now, I just want him gone. I’ll call Dave. If Owen’s still out cold when he gets here, just put him in his truck with the rest of his crap.”

Ethan snickered. “Gracie said crap.” Then he kissed her forehead and went to start gathering Owen’s stuff up.

Grace and Jack hurriedly stuffed all his clothes and shoes in garbage sacks, setting them in the living room as they filled them. She called Dave and asked him to come over to pick up Owen. Ethan gathered all the electronics and piled them in a cardboard box. She looked around at his belongings, seeing the evidence of her foolishness in allowing him to move in with her.

Most of the things in the bags and boxes were purchased with money she earned. A few were birthday or Christmas gifts, but the majority were things he’d told her he wanted that she had willingly purchased. It embarrassed her to look at his collection of crap bought with her money.

She felt the urge to kick him while he was down on the floor, but she resisted, wanting to kick herself even more for being so stupid all these years.

She picked up the laptop and looked at it, debating on keeping it. It had not been bought for him. She used it to check her online e-mail account and for using the Internet, but he had gradually taken it over. It was probably full of viruses. She placed it back in the box, knowing it would be more trouble than it was worth.

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Fifteen minutes later, Dave knocked on her screen door. He had the good sense to look embarrassed for his friend. He grimaced when he saw the swelling over her left cheekbone and looked at her men in fear when he saw them waiting inside. Owen moaned and shifted on the floor. Ethan and Jack hauled the bags and boxes out the door and put them in the back of Owen’s truck. Adam hauled Owen over his shoulder and carried him out and slung him into the bed of his truck as well. She handed Dave the truck keys.

Dave was barely able to look her in the eye. “You know he really loves you, right, Grace?”

“He’s got a funny way of showing it. I hope you don’t show your love to your girlfriend by backhanding her in the face.”

“He’s really going to regret this when he comes to.”

“He’s going to regret it even more if he comes
back
. My house is no longer his home.”

“Where should I take him?”

“I don’t know, Dave. You know more about his homes away from home than I would. Just tell him I said to not come back, ever.”

“I’ll tell him, but he’s not going to be happy about it.”

“Not my problem, Dave. I appreciate you coming to get him for me, though. Take care.”

He walked down the front walk to Owen’s truck, steering clear of her men as they cut the plastic wrap and cardboard shipping container away from something loaded in the back of Adam’s truck. It must be the part Adam needed. It seemed rather large for just a part.

Dave handed his keys to an unknown friend who had waited in the car for him, got into Owen’s truck, and drove away with Owen still moaning in the truck bed.

It felt so good to clean house. She smiled at her men even though it hurt her cheek just a little, ignoring the vehicles as they departed.

She walked over to Adam’s truck to see what they were up to. As they cut away the cardboard and removed the Styrofoam pieces, she realized what she was looking at. A completely brand-new compressor unit. Her jaw popped open. She took a wild guess at how much something like this would cost.

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“Stop,” Jack said, jumping down from the bed of the truck. “I know what you’re thinking. Adam said your compressor was on its last legs. We decided to fix the problem, long term, for you.”

“But I can’t afford this,” she said, gesturing at the big unit.

“You don’t need to worry about it. It’s already taken care of.” He put his hands gently on her shoulders and looked into her eyes. “We wanted to take care of it for you so you can be comfortable. Will you let us do this?”

Her eyes fill up with tears again.

“There are no strings attached, Grace. Your unit needed replacing, anyway. Now you’ll be comfortable in your home.”

She leaned into him and squeezed him. “I have an inheritance from my mother. I want to pay you—”

“Don’t touch that money, darlin’. Your mom worked hard for it. Leave it invested where it is. This is taken care of.”

“All right, but I’m going to make it up to you somehow.”

“You are not obligated by any of us to do anything of the sort. Just enjoy your cool air. Okay?”

“Okay.”

Once they had it loaded on the dolly, they moved it around to the backyard.

Ethan came to her and said, “Gracie, I’m going to run to the hardware store and pick up new locks for your house. Owen probably still has your house key, and it wouldn’t be very safe for you to leave them unchanged and count on him to leave you alone. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Ethan leaned down and kissed her, this time on the lips. It was just a soft, gentle brush of his lips against hers but so unexpected. She was startled by how her body reacted. She wanted to lean into him for another kiss and felt a rush of dampness and a warm throb in her clit. She gasped and looked around quickly. Jack was out back with Adam, helping him.

Oh no! What was she doing?

“Don’t be worried, Gracie. Jack wouldn’t mind. Neither would Adam.”

His statement made her feel even more confused. His eyes twinkled mischievously, and his sensual lips spread in a sexy smile. “I’ll be back in a few minutes.” He climbed in the SUV and drove off.

51

She was having another surreal moment. Her mind was clamoring,

“
Guilty! Tramp!
” But her body was screaming like a disgruntled toddler,

“
Mine! All mine!
”

She shook her head, reaching up to feel her throbbing cheekbone. She was so relieved that it was done. She had just cleaned house. She turned and walked in her front door, feeling somehow as though she had just moved in.

She walked through the house to the back door and found them outside.

“Could I interest you in a home-cooked meal?”

They looked up at her and grinned, and she noticed the twinkle in Jack’s eye. She might let him make a meal out of her. And…of course, her cheeks heated up at the thought.

“Need some help?” Jack asked as he came around to her. “Adam has this under control, so I can help you if you’d like.”

“Sure, why don’t you get the grill going? All the supplies are in the garage through that door there. I’ll start in the kitchen.”