Her Gentle Giant: No Regrets (16 page)

Eli raised his shot glass to Ace. All was well.

What a relief, Rachel thought as she drank hers.

“You’re not much of a drinker, are you?” Eli smiled at her as her eyes watered a little.

“No, I’m a lightweight, but I’ll take a shot of Crown Royal on occasion,” she replied. “I want to go powder my nose. I’ll be right back.”

She picked up her evening bag from the back of the chair where it hung by its strap.

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“Want me to walk you?”

“No need. I’ll be careful in the hallway.” She smiled up at him as he kissed her knuckles before releasing her hand. As she made her way around the bar, she heard a lot of female voices coming in the door behind her, but she didn’t turn around.

,

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Rachel walked into the restroom, checked her makeup in the mirror, and fluffed her hair. Several women she had not seen that evening came barreling through the restroom doors. They must have just come in the club but looked like they’d already had a few drinks. She reapplied her lip liner as they talked loudly from the stalls and the lavatory.

“Did you see the big hard body on that bouncer? I would love to take him for a test drive, or three.”

“Shoot, he could probably take us all on at once. I love all those strong muscles and that hair.” Several of them cackled and snickered.

“I’d love to run my fingers through it. He smelled good, too.”

“He didn’t look very interested in any of us. Maybe he’s gay?” said a petite brunette as she fluffed and scrunched her hair.

“Maybe he didn’t look interested in y’all, but I definitely got a closer look.”

“Yeah, dummy, because he was checking your ID.”

“Oh. Well, I don’t think he’s gay. Did you happen to see that hard-on he was sporting?” a blonde said as she left the restroom stall.

“He must be huge. Maybe he has a break coming up in a little while. I noticed this bathroom door has a lock on it,” said a particularly predatory-looking blonde with super-short hair.

“You
would
think about doing him in the bathroom, you nasty thing.”

“Did any of you guys pause to consider he might have a wife or girlfriend?” This comment came from the same brunette who sounded like the designated driver for the group.

One of the younger women turned to Rachel. “You come here often?”

At Rachel’s friendly nod, she continued, “Does he have a girlfriend?”

“Yes, he does.” She tried to maintain a straight face, surprised she was laughing inside instead of seeing red at their ribald comments. That shot of
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Crown must have kicked in. She had to put her hand to her mouth to stop herself from snickering as she pretended to check her lip liner for smudges.

“She wasn’t up there. I say we go for it,” the sporty blonde said as she reapplied her lipstick.

“Who is
we
?” the fluffing brunette asked skeptically.

“We as in
me
, honey. I didn’t see anyone laying claim to him. If he was my man, I’d stay by his side all night long, except to pee occasionally.”

“I’m going to tell your boyfriend how you’ve been acting.”

“Hey, this is a bachelorette party. Whatever happens at The Dancing Pony stays at The Dancing Pony. Isn’t that right, miss? You won’t say anything, will you? To his girlfriend, I mean?” Rachel was liking this blonde less and less by the second.

“Oh, no. Mum’s the word.” Rachel made the motion of locking her lips and throwing away the key. She powdered her nose and tried to keep from laughing at their drunken banter. She adjusted the rear strap on her high heels.

“Hey! Those are some great shoes!” the fluffing brunette squealed.

“Oooh! They’re pretty. I’ll bet they cost quite a bit.”

“Not too bad. I found them at Stigall’s here in town.” Rachel experienced a surreal moment conversing about her shoes with women who had earlier talked about fucking the man she loved.

“So, what’s his girlfriend like?” one of them asked her conspiratorially.

“Is she a total dog? Paper-bag ugly?”

“No, she’s not too bad. He seems to like her a lot. She’s a great dancer, too. I know for a fact that she’s here tonight, and she’s
super
jealous. He’s
really
a nice guy. Very thoughtful and honest.”

“Is he?” one of them said dreamily.

Rachel nodded helpfully. “Yes, supposedly he’s an incredible lover.

Very
considerate
, if you know what I mean,” she added with a leer.

“Really?” another woman asked breathlessly.

“And
huge
!” she stage-whispered dramatically as she held her fingers a good distance apart to their stunned gasps.

“But be careful because his girlfriend usually sits in that chair right next to him. And he
only
dances with
her
.”

“Damn!”

“You are so sweet to tell us all of that. What was your name?”

,

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“Rachel.”

“Right, Rachel. Hey, if you want to join us at our table, we’re having a bachelorette party for Mandy. She’s getting married next weekend. It’s her third try, and we’re all hoping it
sticks
this time,” fluffing brunette told her.

Rachel heard braying laughter from one of the restroom stalls, and a whiney blonde popped her head out and said, “I heard that! You should totally join us, Rachel! Maybe you could point his girlfriend out to us. He’d make a
perfect
going away present for me,” she added drunkenly.

“That sounds great. But I’m here with my boyfriend, and he’s probably wondering where I am right now. But I’ll see you out there.”

“Do very many decent guys come in here?” one of them asked.

“Oh, lots of them. I met my boyfriend here, as a matter of fact.”

“So they mind their manners in here?”

“For the most part. My boyfriend asked me out the night I met him, but I turned him down for two whole months before finally saying yes. Very persistent, but, yes, lots of great guys come in here, some I even know personally.”

“I wish you could sit with us, point out the available ones to us,”

Mandy whined.

“Sorry, my true love awaits,” Rachel said as one of them sighed. She almost laughed.

“Okay, later! Later!” several of them called out as she made her exit, fighting back laughter. She sauntered over to the bar and spoke to Quinten for a moment before returning to Eli’s side.

“Angel, it’s about time I took a break. Would you like to dance?” he asked her as she hugged him. She watched as the group of bachelorettes made their way to a large table.

“I’d love to. That’s a
fun
group of gals over there. You would not believe what they were talking about in the restroom.”

He groaned and ventured a guess. “I don’t know. The hot bouncer guy with the long, pretty black hair?”

“The one and the same.
Oooh
! The things they want to do to you, honey!” Rachel grinned evilly and rubbed her hands together.

“How many eyes did you blacken?” he asked jokingly but his eyebrows knit together a little, showing he was only partly kidding and was now a little worried.

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“Oh, none. They’re all drunk, and I played along with them. They asked me all about you, and I shared
helpful
information and warned them about your
super
jealous girlfriend. I hope they aren’t too upset with me when they see us together. I ordered a round of drinks for them from Rachel to soothe their disappointment that they won’t be fucking
or
sucking you in the ladies’ restroom.” She cackled in glee at his shocked look.

“No more Crown Royal for you. You’re an evil woman, Rachel Lopez.

Shall we go dance and give them an eyeful?”

“Let’s wait until their waitress comes to take their order and discover the first round is on Rachel, and then we can dance and even go say hi if you want to.” She giggled when he rolled his eyes at her suggestion.

Eli looked down at her and raised an eyebrow. “What
kind
of helpful information did you share?”

Rachel chortled as she slid her hands over his thick biceps. “I told them what a sweet, honest guy you are. And that I’ve heard you’re a very
considerate
lover.
Oh
, and that you’re
huge
. You should have seen their eyes.” Eli groaned, and Rachel chortled as she watched the waitress venture over to their table after they were seated.

A few minutes later, she walked with a chuckling Eli to the dance floor after he let Mike and Rogelio know he was taking a break. She wrapped her arms around him as they glided smoothly over the hardwood floor as Gary Allan’s “Nothing On But the Radio” played. Eli leaned down to give her a kiss, and she slid her arms around his neck. His hands glided down her spine, settling on her lower back as his fingers gently caressed the upper swell of her ass. A tingle shot over her skin where his fingers stroked, and she let loose a feminine sigh of pleasure when he squeezed gently.

They both looked up at the sound of loud braying laughter and shouting.

They were near the table of bachelorettes, and Mandy had spotted them.

Rachel clung snugly to Eli with one hand and waved at the ladies as they all began laughing at her practical joke, or almost all of them. The blonde who had noticed a lock on the ladies restroom door looked a little peeved and disappointed but cheered up when her drink arrived. They all raised their glasses to Rachel and Eli in toast.

* * * *

,

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After the club closed, Eli walked Rachel to his truck and helped her get in. He buckled her seatbelt for her, brushing his cheek against her fragrant, firm breasts as he leaned past her to reach the latch. She chuckled and ran her fingers into his hair. He paused and looked up at her.

“I like that you let me do things like this for you, Rachel.”

“Well, then I’ll always let you, honey.” She hummed softly as he kissed the upper swell of her breast before closing her door.

Coincidentally, the Chris Young song “Getting You Home” was on the country radio station as they drove back to the duplex. A few minutes later, they
were
walking in the door, and that little black dress
did
hit the floor.

He started the shower so the water could warm up. He knew she liked to go to bed clean, not smelling like cigarette smoke. She used some of his shampoo and lathered her long brown hair. As he bathed, he remembered a moment earlier in the day when they had loaded his truck with the salvage from the apartment.

He’d bent over in the bed of the truck, wrapping her cedar chest in a blanket, and then had moved it closer to the cab so it wouldn’t be damaged any further. A sudden breeze had blown through his hair and billowed it into his face a little. His hair had brushed against his face again, and he had caught her familiar scent from that part of her he loved so much. He had recalled the delighted sounds she’d made when he had teased her pussy and clit with his hair the night before.

He rinsed the shampoo from his hair and scrubbed his body, watching as she did the same. The sight of the water as it rushed over her curvaceous figure caused him to reach out to touch her gently, startling her a bit. She ran her hair under the showerhead with her eyes closed. His hands slid down her rib cage and made her gasp again, and her lips curved in a sensual smile.

She seemed to like not being able to see, maybe because it heightened her other senses.

When she was finished, she smiled up at him and stepped from the shower, quickly dried off, and toweled her hair. She handed him a towel as he stepped out, and he wondered at the secret smile on her face. She hung up her towel and led him, nude, from the bathroom into his bedroom. She lit a few candles and turned off the lamps. The normally sterile, plain, white-walled room was bathed in warm, flickering candlelight. The effect on her was stunning. Her damp, pale, olive skin glowed and glistened in the
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shimmering light. The natural light bathed the walls in warmth, and tonight, his room didn’t feel so cold and barren.

She turned down the covers and led him to the edge of the bed. She tossed a pillow at his feet, and he caught his breath as he realized what she wanted to do. There were lots of things he’d hoped to do with her but, given his size, had not expected any of them. He knew he was intimidating and did not want her to feel obligated. She knelt between his feet and looked up at him.

He ran his hands over her soft shoulders. “You sure?”

She gazed at him, and a slow, sensual smile spread across her soft lips.

That smile held promises in its soft warmth. He had a feeling this was not going to be the standard three-minute blowjob.

Rachel took his hands and placed them slightly behind him so he could lean back. She nudged him to scoot forward to the edge of the mattress. She gently splayed his thighs wider so she could slip in between them. His cock was now rigidly erect, stiff and straight up against his abdomen, extending past his navel.

A shaky sigh of anticipation left Eli’s lips, and he closed his eyes, eagerly awaiting her touch.

She scooted in close and spoke in a silken voice. “I’ve wanted a taste of you all night, especially after you made me come on the dance floor. I fantasized about unzipping those sexy black leathers so I could put my lips on you. I want to suck on your big cock until you come, and I want to swallow every single drop.”

Her gentle fingers sent chills racing all over his skin as they slid up and down over his cock and balls. With his eyes closed, the sensation grew and intensified. His head fell back a little, and he gulped and swallowed shakily at her words and her tender touch. His insatiable cock strained toward her, and he ached for the feel her warm lips on him.