Sparks Fly(Divine Creek Ranch 11)(50)

The four of them had just watched Duke and Gage slip out of the women’s restroom into the shadowed hallway. Duke pulled down the paper sign he’d taped to the restroom door less than five minutes before. Jack thought Duke and Gage looked pretty damned pleased with themselves as they stopped to nonchalantly chat with Clay and Del Cook.

Jack saw the merry twinkle in Grace’s eyes as she bit her lip, giggled, and gestured for all of her men to lean close so they could hear her. “What do you say we all sneak into Ethan’s office and redecorate it?”

Ethan laughed. “The four of us in my tiny little office? ‘Wreck it’ would be more like it.”

Jack leaned in a little farther. “As fun as that sounds, it’s been a long day. You’ve got that lusty ‘ménage’ look in your eyes, darlin’. If that’s how we’re gonna play tonight, I want to be able to fall into a coma afterward and not have to drive home. You’d prefer it in your own bed, wouldn’t you?”

“Honestly? I’m feeling a little like Sam-I-Am, honey. You could do me in the rain. And in the dark. And on a train. And in a car. And in a tree. You’re all so good, so good, you see!”

Ethan burst into laughter. “Someone has been reading a lot of Dr. Seuss lately.”

Grace snickered. “He just goes on and on and on, and my mind wanders sometimes.”

Adam waved at their waitress and asked for the tab. “Why don’t we say good night and see how far we get down the road.” Adam said it with a wink directed it at Grace, which Jack knew boded well for whoever got to the backseat first.

Jack was so grateful they’d learned the benefits early on of being as helpful as they could to Grace with the house and with the baby. The three of them were hands-on with Rose Marie to keep Grace from feeling overworked. Having a housekeeper saved the time she had in the evening after work for relaxing with her men. Less stress equaled more of Grace’s lovin’.

Jack got up and helped Grace from her chair, and they bid everyone a hasty good night. As he passed Seth Carter, Jack noticed the tattoo artist was keeping an eye on Jayne, who was on the dance floor with his ranch hand Buck Turnsell. Jayne didn’t appear to be uncomfortable, but she maintained a ladylike distance with Buck. She might’ve agreed to dance with him, but it was pretty clear her choice was already made. Seth’s posture communicated that he didn’t take that for granted, which Jack appreciated since Jayne was his wife’s cousin. Jack laid a hand on his shoulder, and Seth looked up at him and reached out to shake his hand.

“Jack, thanks for the invitation. I had a great time.”

“Glad to hear it, Seth. You’re welcome out at the ranch anytime.” Nodding at Jayne on the dance floor, Jack added, “She’s a jewel.”

She deserves someone who will treat her well. Especially after all that the sweet girl had been through.

Seth nodded, agreement in his eyes, which immediately tracked back to her. Jack grinned as Grace slipped her hand in his.

You may not know it yet, Seth, but welcome to the family.

Jack had seen that look on Ethan and Adam’s faces when they’d been courting Grace, and he was sure they’d seen it in his too. Seth had stuck close to Jayne for the entire day, and even Jack, who was sometimes the last to know about stuff like this, could see that they were very attracted.

As Adam passed him, he growled, “First one to the SUV gets laid.”



* * * *



Seth sat alone at the table nursing his beer and minding everyone’s drinks. All the other occupants of the table, including Jayne, were on the dance floor. Buck had politely asked Jayne if she’d liked to dance almost as soon as they’d arrived, and Seth hadn’t wanted to appear to be an asshole, so when she’d looked at him questioningly he’d nodded his approval. He wished now that he’d beaten Buck to the invitation.

Her soft curves pressed against his back on the ride over had been enjoyable torture and he looked forward to holding her close to his front as they danced. She’d look up at him with those unusual blue-green eyes that harbored an intoxicating combination of eagerness and innocence.

Her eye color fascinated him. If he looked deep enough, he could see blue, green, and an irregularly shaped ring of brown that blended the other two colors together. He’d had to stop himself from just outright staring at them when they’d been at the ranch. He could look into them for a long time and be perfectly happy, but he thought that had as much, if not more, to do with the emotions her eyes expressed.

Prior to settling in Divine, he’d travelled on three continents because he’d wanted to gain experience in life and in his art. In the long run, what he’d learned was that life experience was overrated. Jayne was nothing like the women he’d grown accustomed to. The circles he’d travelled in attracted a certain kind of woman, and while they might’ve been eager, none of them had been innocent. There was something about Jayne that was fragile and pure, and brought out his protective instincts. His thoughts were interrupted when he was enveloped in a cloying cloud of perfume as a blonde sat down in Jayne’s seat.