Part 1: No Regrets(Divine Creek Ranch 2)(10)

Her Gentle Giant, Part 1: No Regrets

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“I’m sure. I put a glass of water for you on the bedside table. I’ll bet you’re really thirsty right now. Drink it and get some rest. I normally sleep in the morning after I work at The Pony, so sleep as long as you need to.”

She nodded. “Goodnight, Eli.”

“Goodnight, angel.” The endearment rolled so easily from his lips, and the light in his eyes when he said it was hard to miss. Eli returned to the living room and lay back down on the couch, and she wondered if he normally wore sweatpants to bed. She attributed her random lustful thoughts to sleep deprivation and shock.

Sitting on the bedside, she greedily gulped down the glass of water he’d placed there for her. Thoughtful Eli. She turned off the lamp and slid in between the cool black sheets. Pulling one of his pillows to her chest, she laid her head on the other one. She was soon awash in the heady fragrance that was pure, undiluted Eli. She breathed deep and felt cocooned and secure in his bed. Amidst those safe and secure feelings was another stirring deep in her body, a tingling, throbbing sensation that she did her best to not examine too closely.

Rachel knew if she called out to him, he’d come to bed with her, and if she asked him to, he’d make love to her. That would be stupid and foolish on too many levels. She shouldn’t make decisions like that when under such monumental stress, and it couldn’t happen, anyway. She’d only bring him trouble in the long run and plenty of heartache for herself. But thinking sane thoughts like that did nothing for the desire that bloomed within her for him.

She could keep trying to talk herself out of the growing closeness between the two of them, but she knew she was fighting a losing battle. She pressed her nose to his pillow and inhaled deeply, trying to will herself to sleep.





* * * *



Eli listened to her get into his bed, clearly hearing his sheets rustle as she settled herself into his pillows. The thought of her in his bed, even though she was alone there, filled him with satisfaction. If only she would welcome him into the bed as well. He couldn’t understand her reluctance to draw closer to him because he could sense that the attraction between them was not one-sided.



28

Heather Rainier

He knew she was reluctant to place her heart on the line because she said she was the jealous type. Rachel had an understandable problem with the way women approached him at The Pony. He was always clear with them that he did not welcome their advances, but that didn’t stop the more aggressive ones. He believed once the word got out that he was dating Rachel the advances might cease or at least diminish in number. She remained concerned, but that didn’t mean he’d give up on her. He contented himself with the fact that at least she was in his bed, regardless of the circumstances.

When had she emerged from the bathroom, she’d turned this way and that, searching for him in the dim light, before spying him on the couch.

He’d seen her lush curves in perfect profile as she turned, the full swell of her delectable breasts, and the tight peaks of her nipples had been visible as she turned. Normally, she wore denim everywhere she went, so he had seen much more beautiful leg than he normally did.

What he wouldn’t give to run his hands up the backs of her curvaceous legs, to suckle on those delicious little peaks under his T-shirt, to have the rest of what lay hidden beneath that T-shirt under his tongue. His thoughts served only to make his pulsing erection throb even harder against the fleece of the sweatpants he wore. Normally, he slept nude, but he’d donned these for her benefit, hoping his erection hadn’t been too noticeable earlier. He did his best to get comfortable, but his cock twitched again at the sound of her soft, contented sigh.



Her Gentle Giant, Part 1: No Regrets

29





Chapter Three


Eli woke to the sound of sobs coming from his bedroom. It wasn’t loud, but it didn’t need to be. That heartbroken sound would have awakened him from a coma with its forlorn intensity. Reality must have set in at some point, or perhaps she’d had a bad dream. Whichever the case was, he couldn’t leave her to cry alone. If she kicked him out of the bedroom, fine.

He’d understand and accept that, but he had to at least offer his comfort to her.

Rachel sat up on the side of the bed, her face in her hands, looking so small and vulnerable. He whispered to her so he wouldn’t startle her as he knelt in front of her, slipping his arms around her waist so she could put her head on his shoulder and cry, which she did, for a few minutes.

“Did you have a bad dream?”

“M–my…m–my poor fish. My aquarium. It’s awful. They probably