Her Gentle Giant, Part 2: Remember to Dance (11 page)

* * * *

Rachel smiled blissfully and moaned when Eli pressed his warm lips against the tender skin of her inner thigh. He palmed her leg open with his warm hand and stroked it soothingly. He licked a wet trail to her damp pussy. How long had he been playing this morning? While she’d slept, Eli had brought her to a full state of arousal, so he must have had plans for her that morning.

Rachel found out a second later when his talented tongue dipped into her wet pussy then licked her from one end of her slit to the other. He flicked playfully at her clit and grinned at her from between her legs. Eyeing her devilishly, he slid a finger into her wet cunt and rubbed that finger over her clit before dipping in again. She sighed happily and spread her legs open wide for Eli as he gently pumped that finger in and out of her. He closed his lips over her clit and suckled on it as she slid her fingertips into his hair, encouraging him wordlessly.

She slid her hand down to her mound and held her outer lips open with her fingers, giving him easier access to lick her as he added another finger and pumped into her over and over. The added friction sent a ripple through her pussy, and she began to move with him, rocking her hips. His warm tongue sent shivers of delight through her as he laved her clit and suckled it, gradually building her arousal to a sweeping crescendo. He added a third finger, and the added fullness sliding into her brought her orgasm crashing down on her. She came with a low, soft, panting moan. When she was through, Eli came to lay by her side, licking his fingers like a little boy with a special treat.

Resting his head on his hand, Eli he stroked her abdomen. “Good morning, my angel,” he said in a soft, husky drawl.

She chuckled softly. “
I’ll say
. Did you sleep well?”

“Much better than I did the last two nights.” He smiled as she stretched contentedly. “How do you feel this morning? Are you sore?”

“Yes, I’m sore, but I wouldn’t trade last night for all the coconut cream pie in the world.”

“All the—” Eli began to say then got a mischievous little gleam in his eyes. “Coconut cream pie, huh?”

“Mmm-hmm. My
favorite
.”

“Oh, the possibilities. Let me get you some ibuprofen.” Eli helped her sit up and frowned when she groaned a little, but she smiled at him as she stood and stretched again. He pulled her into a warm, gentle embrace, and his hands on her body felt too good for words.

* * * *

Eli took them all to breakfast at Taquería Gomez. Elijah and Kelly were already packed up and ready to leave for home early that morning. They talked outside in the parking lot for a few minutes before getting on the road. Eli walked Rachel to her truck, opened the door for her, and thought that she was moving slowly as she carefully climbed into the driver’s seat. Gazing into her loving blue eyes, he experienced such pride and satisfaction that his woman would give herself to him in every possible way, but also felt remorse to be the cause of the pain she must be in. He pressed his lips against her cheek and nuzzled her, breathing in her clean, womanly scent.

Her hands strayed over his shoulders and into his hair as she intuitively reassured him, “Not for all the coconut cream pie in the world, Eli. I promise I feel fine,” she said to him softly

“I’m working tonight, so you’ll have a chance to rest.”

“I will. After I come up and spend a little time with you at the club. I’ll be fine, Eli,” she assure him. “I expected to be this sore after the first time. It won’t always be this way.” He opened his mouth, about to say there might not be another time, and she pressed her fingertips to his lips. “I’m making you supper tonight at my place. I love you, Eli.”

He kissed her, feathering his tongue over hers as his hands slid down to her hips and squeezed gently. “I’ll see you this afternoon. I love you, too.”

* * * *

“Knock, knock.”

Rachel looked up, smiled, and rolled her eyes at Bernice’s smirky little grin as she poked her head in the doorway. “Hi. What’s up?”

“Something arrived for you,” Bernice said in a sing-song voice as she walked into Rachel’s office.

Rachel had been working from home for a couple of weeks and was glad to be back at her desk. She had spent the day working through the stacks of paperwork that had accumulated during her medical leave. She’d come straight into work from breakfast with Eli, Elijah, and Kelly to get an early start on the day.

In her hands, Bernice carried a large vase filled with roses. In contrast to the first bouquet, which had met its sad end in her apartment fire, these were a deep, vivid red except for one flaming orange rose nestled in the center. Bernice placed the vase in front of her on her desk blotter, and Rachel removed the card from its holder, pleased to note that the envelope it was in was still sealed.

“Are they from your fiancé?”

Rachel slipped the card from the envelope.

     
I think the best kind of love grows from friendship first.

     
Thank you for trusting me.

                 
Love—Eli

“Yes, they’re from Eli,” Rachel replied softly, enjoying the beautiful aroma of the roses.

Things sure had changed a lot since the last time he’d given her flowers. Bernice sighed dreamily. After the receptionist returned to her desk in the lobby, Rachel took out her cell phone and dialed his number. That man needed to write a book for other men on how to romance a woman.
Chapter Ten: How to thank your woman for letting you take her ass.

“Hello, angel.”

“Hi, yourself, handsome.”

* * * *

Eli opened her front door and inhaled a delicious aroma. He grinned as his empty stomach responded with a growl, and his mouth watered. He could hear a noise but didn’t see her. He called out as he closed the front door and thought he heard a muffled response from the kitchen. He noticed her roses sitting in their vase on her kitchen counter and grinned when he found her on her hands and knees, rearranging the interior of a cabinet. Her winsome little heart-shaped ass was stuck in the air as she reached deep in the cabinet.

“Hi, baby!” she said in a strained, muffled voice. “How was your day?”

Eli leaned against the counter for a few seconds to enjoy the pretty sight. Her snug jeans accentuated her shapely ass and her strong thighs. A deep growl in his chest accompanied the possessive feeling he experienced on a regular basis when he was around her.

Mine
.

“It’s a damn sight better now.” He squatted down beside her, wondering how she’d felt during the day. She backed up from the cabinet, wiped a lock of hair from her face, and smiled serenely at him.

“Hi, handsome.” She leaned toward him and kissed him then began to back away from the cabinet to stand. She had a glass lid in her hand. He stood and helped her to her feet.

Rachel smiled up at him sweetly when he wrapped his arms around her and laid a warm, so-happy-to-be-home kiss on her lips.

 “How are you feeling, angel?”

“Much better. I got a massage this afternoon. It helped with my sore muscles, and I’m feeling better
everywhere else
, too.”

“I’m glad to hear it. Something smells good.”

“Supper will be ready in a few minutes. It’s in the oven right now. I hope you like King Ranch Chicken.”

“I love it. I hope you made a bunch.”

“Enough for leftovers if you want them.”

“Come sit with me.”

He pulled her by the hand into the living room. She followed him and climbed into his lap after he sat. He cuddled her to him and gently squeezed her, enjoying the way she melted against him and rested her head on his chest with a soft, happy sigh.

He strummed his fingers over her ribs. “I want you to rest tonight, okay, angel?
Okay
?”

He wanted to carry her to bed, strip her, and tuck her in under the sheets and blankets. Then he wanted wrap himself around her and watch over her as she slept. The caveman approved of his plan. She brought out all his territorial instincts.

Giggling softly, she said, “Eli, it’s not that bad. I mean, I don’t plan on asking for anal sex again for at least a week or so. But if you insist, we can lay off for tonight.”

“Tell you what,” he said, hiding a grin, because he knew damn good and well he’d give her whatever she wanted. “You be a good girl, and we’ll see.”

She rubbed her cheek against his chest and stroked his pec slowly. “What if I’m not a good girl?”

Damn, he loved when she used that whispery seductive voice on him.

“Well, I think we’ve established you might need to be punished. I wouldn’t spank you right now for obvious reasons, but I could tie you down with your new bondage sashes and have my wicked way with you.”

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to take my chances and make it worth the punishment if I misbehave.”

If. Yeah, right.

There was no
if,
and Eli knew it. It was more like
when
. She’d called him that afternoon to thank him for the roses and mentioned that she’d been thinking about what they’d talked about the night Joseph Hazelle had been in the club. She’d also hinted that now her arm was out of its cast and healed up nicely, perhaps she’d like to play a little. Her exact words had been, “I’m feeling rather naughty these days.”

Eli growled, imagining all the ways she would find to be naughty, and said, “No misbehavior tonight. Right now, I’m fighting the urge to go tuck you into bed and feed you supper there. I’ll do anything you want to, but not tonight.”

“I promise to be good and rest tonight. I don’t like to see you so worried about me,” she clasped her fingers with his and gave him a wicked little grin, “but I’m intrigued that you’ve been thinking about my new bondage sashes. Will you tie me up sometime soon?” she asked keenly.

He couldn’t suppress a chuckle at her eagerness. “Would you like that?”

“Like it? I
need
it!” she said enthusiastically.

“Well, angel, I am all about meeting your needs.”

* * * *

After Eli left for work, Rachel cleaned up the supper mess and delivered leftovers to Eli’s refrigerator then changed clothes and dolled herself up. After fixing her makeup and hair, she put on the little black dress Eli liked so much then slipped on the new shoes she’d found the weekend before. He hadn’t seen the shoes yet, but she thought he was going to like them,
a lot.

Looking in the mirror, she liked what she saw. Yes, the dress fit her well, but she also liked the twinkle she saw in her eyes and the glow in her cheeks. Rachel was happy, and it showed on her face and in how she carried herself. She slipped into her soft fleece leopard print coat and put her wallet and lipstick into her evening bag.

When she pulled up to the parking lot, she was surprised by how many cars were there for a Monday. She found a parking space and walked across the lot to the sidewalk along the front of the club. Rachel was excited, she felt beautiful, and she couldn’t wait to see Eli. It had only been an hour since he left, but she already longed for him. Her phone vibrated inside her evening bag, and she stopped on the sidewalk to check it. It was a text from Kelly with a picture of Matthew in his little baby bath seat, soap bubbles piled on his head. The message said:

Hiya, Auntie Rachel!

See me in my bath?

I love you!

Matthew

As Rachel took a few seconds to reply to the message, several men pushed open the club door and stepped out. She looked up briefly as they walked toward her. They must have come in straight from work because they still wore their work uniforms. One of them looked familiar, and she automatically looked down at the name
Reese
embroidered on his work shirt. Lowering her eyes to her phone, Rachel felt her heart jump into her throat. She did her best to not react visibly. She wouldn’t give him that satisfaction.

One of the other men said, “Mmm, maybe we should’ve stayed. Look at that, would ya? Like to get me some of that.”
Wow. Charming and smooth
.

She gritted her teeth as Reese snickered repulsively and said plainly so she could hear him, “Had me some of that a few years back, Tommy. How you doing, Rachel, honey?” Chills and gooseflesh raced over her skin as she stood frozen to the spot. He snickered. “Nice and fresh, too. Did her a favor and popped her little cherry for her.”

The others laughed, and Rachel watched them look back at her speculatively in the reflection of the window before her. She closed her phone, her heart pounded and icy, cold chills raced over her skin. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat and couldn’t because her mouth had gone bone-dry. The door was less than ten feet away. Taking several slow deep breaths, she forced her feet to move as he continued his nasty story. She reached with cold fingers for the door. Inside the club, she didn’t feel so exposed, so vulnerable. Her friends were here and this was Eli’s territory, so to speak. Pausing inside the doorway, she braced herself against the wall for a minute. She tried to calm her breathing and slow her heart rate.