Her Gentle Giant, Part 2: Remember to Dance

HER GENTLE GIANT
Part 2:
Remember to Dance

Divine Creek Ranch 2

Heather Rainier

EVERLASTING CLASSIC

Siren Publishing, Inc.

www.SirenPublishing.com

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Dear Readers,

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Her Gentle Giant
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DEDICATION

For my husband, who has taught me more than he realizes about living life with no regrets.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thanks to Rebecca, Dana, Lisa and Kayla for believing in me.

Thanks to Christie, Jennifer and Tonya for their contagious enthusiasm.

Thanks to incredible beautiful, graceful pole dancing specialist, Leigh Ann Orsi of Be Spun, for the inspiration she provided with her beautiful moves. I never thought to include something like pole dancing in my story line until I was doing related online research for a bachelor party scene. Wish I could move like that.

And my sincerest thanks to Diana, Alison, Caroline and all the wonderful staff of Siren Publishing, and cover artist Les Byerley who brought Eli and Rachel to vivid life.

Warning: Adults only. This is a work of erotic romantic fiction. It includes elements which some may find offensive, including scorching hot M/F love scenes with very little left to the imagination: from the first shiver, to the last contented sigh. Anal play, anal sex, light bondage, bondage play, sex toys, spanking, pole dancing and stripping, as well as love scenes involving a committed polyamorous foursome M/M/M/F separate from the main characters. This novel is not intended for young readers and was written for of-age adults, and should not be left out where young eyes might see it.

“Beautiful.” Rachel gazed out to the horizon, quietly admiring the sunset with the others.

Someone shifted behind her, and Rachel heard a distinct feminine sigh. Eli stood from his seat beside her and Rachel smiled at him, assuming he was getting another beer from the cooler. Looking into his eyes, Rachel could see the love and purpose in their gray depths as he got down on one knee in front of her chair.

Good Rachel and Naughty Rachel perched on her shoulders and broke out in the Hallelujah Chorus.

Rachel sat there in shock, and a small squeak escaped her lips. Her body went limp in the chair as she gazed at him. For several seconds, she stayed that way, memorizing the moment and waiting for him to speak, reveling in the gleaming emotion she saw in this gentle giant’s luminous eyes.

Close by, one of the women sobbed softly. It sounded like her mom. Eli placed his callused hands over hers, which now rested on her thighs. She smiled happily at him and stroked the undersides of his wrists with the knuckles on her fingers.

“What are you doing?” she asked quietly.

He smiled and whispered softly back, “What I’ve dreamed of doing for months now.” He took her right hand in his, kissed her palm, and stroked it with his warm fingers. His touch sent a rippling thrill up her arm and through her body.

“When I laid eyes on you the first time, I recognized what was missing from my life. I asked you out, and you turned me down, but I understood why. I kept asking you out, and you kept turning me down. The blows to my pride were worth it if eventually you’d say yes.” He kissed her palm again and pressed it to his cheek. She listened in awed silence.

“When the accident happened, I was so afraid I’d lose you. In such a short time, you’d become everything to me. Now, here you are, almost healed up from all your injuries, and I don’t want to waste another minute. Will you marry me, angel?” He gently wiped the tears trickling down her cheeks with his thumbs.

Trying to frame a reply equally as romantic as his proposal, Rachel was momentarily distracted as he removed a box from his jacket pocket and opened it so she could see the ring inside. She let out a sound that was a cross between a whimper and a wail. All the women gasped when he removed it from the box and they could see, too. Suddenly, all the women were talking at once. She placed her hand in his, and he slid the engagement ring onto the ring finger of her right hand

He brushed her knuckles with his warm lips. “You haven’t said yes. Will you marry me?”

Conversations came to a halt, and all eyes turned to her.

“Of course I’ll marry you, Eli!” She wrapped her arms around his neck, careful not to club him in the head with the cast on her left arm, and promptly burst into happy tears. “Yes! I’ll marry you! Yes! Yes! Yes!”

Everyone laughed as he wrapped his arms gently around her back and under her knees and stood with her. He cradled her in his arms and kissed her like no one else was there, oblivious to the clapping, laughing, and chattering going on around them. He smiled happily at her and tilted his forehead to hers.

“When?” he asked softly as she rubbed her nose against his.

Not fast enough, big boy!
“As soon as Kelly and Grace can help me pull it together.”

“Good, because I don’t want to wait any longer than we have to.”

“Your sister and Grace were both betting we’d be married before Christmas. Did you know that?”

“They both made mention of that, yes,” Eli replied with dry humor.

“Kiss me again and leave the details to me, honey.” Rachel squeezed his shoulder and held up her hand to admire her ring. “My ring is perfect.”

Made from platinum, it had a round one carat stone surrounded by swirling flourishes and inset with tiny diamonds.

“Let us see! Let us see!” came the chorus of female voices as they all clamored to see the ring.

Rachel scoffed before allowing them to ogle the ring. “Oh! Like you haven’t already seen it. You all knew Eli was planning to propose tonight, didn’t you?” She didn’t see a repentant face in the bunch as she continued. “Well, girls, looks like we have a wedding to plan!”

Rachel and Eli both cringed as Kelly and Grace shrieked and jumped up and down, hugging each other.

Eli and Rachel chuckled and kissed again as the other women put their heads together and started making plans without her. Eli released her lips and murmured, “So your old boyfriend is going to be on this hog hunt next month, huh? Do I need to kick his ass?”

“Don’t you dare. Mitchell never laid a hand on me and was always a gentleman. Like I said before, if he behaved himself, he got the added bonus of going to my dad’s deer lease. He’s a nice guy and considered a family friend.” Rachel giggled and gave him a crooked little grin before adding, “But I don’t mind if the caveman wants to beat his chest a little.”

 Eli grinned, and a deep chuckle rumbled in his chest. Finally, he released her and allowed her to stand up

“It’s too bad Mike and Rogelio couldn’t be here to see you propose,” she murmured, missing her two old friends. “Especially since Mike introduced us.”

“You ought to go out to The Pony and show off that rock,” Ethan said, winking at Rachel. “Show ’em he’s
officially
off the market.”

“You should all go!” Renata echoed. “You, too, Kelly. I can watch Matthew for a couple of hours for you. He’s so sweet, and it would be no trouble at all.”

Kelly looked torn, hopeful but doubtful at the same time, glancing from her dad to her brother. Because of his age, she had not left Matthew with a babysitter yet.

“Sis, I think a couple of hours of dancing and having a good time would do you good. You know Matthew will be perfectly safe with Renata—”

“Mom,” her mom said softly, correcting Eli.

“With Mom,” he said, looking gratefully at her mom, “and I think Christopher would approve of you having a little fun tonight. It’s a celebration.”

“I think the break would be good for you, honey,” Elijah said. “I’ll come along, too, and whenever you feel ready to go, I’ll bring you back to get him.”

Kelly patted her hair. “I think I will, if it’s truly no bother, Renata?”

“None at all. I would have been up late, anyway. Peter, you could go, too, if you want?”

“No, no. I’ll leave that to the young. I know my daughter is in good hands.”

Rachel smiled contentedly as her dad held out his tanned, work-roughened hand to his future son-in-law.