Divine Grace (39 page)

* * * *

“She okay?” Jack was well aware she was very okay but needed to ask him. He knew when he’d left the house that Ethan intended to spend his free time that afternoon making love to Grace. It’s what he would have done.

He would never mention it to Ethan because that had been a private moment between the two of them, but Jack had heard her glorious, climactic scream an hour and a half ago. He’d been up at the house returning the water hose to the faucet in the backyard. He’d heard them both but had
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grown painfully hard at the wild, rapturous ecstasy he’d heard in her voice.

Judging by the look on Ethan’s face, it had been passionate in the extreme.

Ethan nodded as he rested his forehead on his arms braced on the fence.

Damn, it had been so good it robbed his best friend of the ability to speak.

“We’ll let her sleep as long as she wants. We’ll probably go to O’Reilley’s for supper. Want us to bring you something? We’ll head over to The Dancing Pony about eight o’clock.”

“Yeah, bring me something back. If the new guys work out, we should have things situated by then. I’ll take a quick break to eat, maybe even dance with Grace a little.” Ethan finally turned to look at him. “Jack, I really…
love
that she’s in our lives. I will never be able to thank you enough.

Sounds trite, but she’s a dream come true.”

“That she is. I wonder what she’s wearing tonight. She said she wanted to surprise us.” Jack smiled at the look of deep contentment on Ethan’s face.

“She never stops surprising us. Gotta go, don’t want to be late.” He grinned. “Have fun.”

“See ya,” Jack called. It was good to see his brother so happy, so content. He went back to work, throwing more bales of hay in the back of the pickup bed. He’d give her another hour or so before returning to the house. He’d still have plenty of time to show her the foals and get ready. By then Adam would probably be home as well.

* * * *

Ethan laid the pen down on the desk in his office. Satisfied after rereading it, he took out an envelope, folded the sheet of paper, and placed it inside. He’d lock up her evening bag for her tonight and slip it in then for her to find later. It was time to do the interviews. He left the envelope labeled “Gracie” on his desk.

Ethan believed strongly in first impressions and listening to his gut. Ben and Phil were bartending for the two or three regulars already there. When Ben saw him, he came out from behind the bar to meet him.

“Quinten got here ten minutes ago.” Ben handed Ethan the man’s application and gestured over to a table in the corner. “Looks like he’s dressed and ready to go if we like him. He’s clean-cut and looks strong. He just moved to Divine. He has five years experience tending bar in Fort

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Worth at a club called Chaps. I took a look at their website. It’s a bigger place than this, so he can probably handle whatever comes his way here. I talked to his former boss. They hated to lose him and said he told them he wanted out of the big city. He said the same thing. They say he took good care of his customers and did his share of the grunt work.”

“Married?” Ethan asked.

“No wedding ring.”

“Okay, thanks.” He approached the guy sitting at one of the high-top tables. He looked to be in his mid-thirties, roughly about Ethan’s own age.

Military style haircut, high and tight. He seemed strong and hardworking.

The guy looked up as he approached, made eye contact, and maintained it as he rose from his chair. Ethan held out his hand.

“Quinten Parks? Ethan Grant, good to meet you. Have a seat.” Ethan shook hands with him. He had a good, strong handshake.

“Good to meet you, Ethan.” Polite but not subservient.

“A few questions for you. You had good recommendations from your former employer, so a lot of my questions are answered, but I need to know a few things.” Ethan detailed what the starting bartenders’ wages were, plus tips, and detailed other particulars. “We expect bartenders to do their fair share of the grunt work cleaning up. If you were used to salary plus tips with no grunt work, I need to know that because you wouldn’t be happy here.”

“I came to Divine because I got tired of the big city. I made more in Fort Worth, but the cost of living was also a lot higher, especially rent. I’ve found a house to rent here that is less than half what I was paying for a small apartment in Fort Worth, and I live alone. What you’re willing to pay works for me.”

“Okay. One other question. Tell me how you would handle this scenario. We have a lot of regular female customers. A woman comes in and sits at the bar. After serving her, you notice that a guy is hitting on her. She does not appear happy about it and looks like she may be about to leave.

What do you do?”

“Is there a cordless phone behind the bar?”

Ethan tried to hide a grin. He liked this guy. “Yeah.”

“I’d go get it and hold it out to her, make eye contact with her, and tell her that her boyfriend or husband wanted to talk to her. Provides her with an out if she needs it, plus it’s something she could get out of if I read the
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situation wrong and she enjoyed his attentions. If she’s someone I know, and he’s really harassing her and she looks genuinely unhappy, I might approach her and ask if we’re still on for our date on Friday night as the jerk is standing there. Either way, she has an out.”

Ethan was happy with that response. He was glad the guy didn’t make some excuse about letting the bouncers handle it.

“What if two guys begin fighting over the same woman?”

“See to her safety if I can and let the bouncers deal with the guys.”

Good enough. He knew his role concerning keeping the female customers happy and safe from unwanted attention, as well as when to back off and let the bouncers handle the fights.

“Is there anything else you want to tell me or something about you that I need to know?” Ethan had gotten all kinds of responses to that question over the years. Propositions, confessions, it varied.

“This looks like the kind of place I can fit in. I’m all about the business of drawing people into The Dancing Pony. If you’re making money, I’m making money.”

“I’m going to talk to my partner. Hang tight for a minute,” Ethan said.

“You need a Coke or something?”

“Sure.” The guy nodded. Cool, not overeager.

Ethan returned to the bar and asked the waitress for a Coke for Quinten.

She filled his glass from the soda gun and put it on a tray and took it to him.

Ben came over.

“Maintains eye contact, good, strong handshake, and good instincts for watching over the ladies. I say we give him a shot.” Ethan was relieved.

“Lots of experience, hardworking,
not a diva
. See if he can start tonight,” Ben replied.

Ethan headed back to Quinten’s table, where he sat drinking his soda.

“Can you start tonight?”

“Yes, I can.”

“You’re hired, then. You can start at five o’clock. That gives you time to run and get some supper. Three things you need to know that are non-negotiable in our nightclub. No dating, flirting with, or fucking the waitresses. No drugs.” Quinten nodded. “And absolutely no domestic strife.

If you get a girlfriend at some point, no fighting in The Dancing Pony. Do that at home, or preferably not at all.” Ethan grinned and reached out to

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shake their new bartender’s hand. Quinten looked at his watch and said, “I’ll be back in twenty minutes. That should be time enough to get home, make a sandwich, and get back.”

“See you then.”

Hot damn, one down, one to go. Ben brought him the other application.

This one he was really looking forward to. It was 4:25 p.m., and Mike and Rogelio had just walked in with a guy who had to be every bit of six foot nine. He was easily pushing two seventy-five and wore a black leather biker jacket. He had long, straight black hair that looked like it reached more than halfway down his back, pulled into a ponytail, and black shades, which he removed. The first thing he did was scan the interior of the club, which did not escape Ethan’s notice. He removed the jacket, revealing a powerful physique, and looked like he could easily take on anyone who might cause trouble. With his pretty face, he was going to make quite an impression on the ladies.

Mike and Rogelio had both recommended this guy. If they felt comfortable with him watching their backs, that was enough for him. He looked very capable of handling the job. They just needed to cover the basics.

“Eli Wolf?” At the man’s nod, Ethan held out his hand. “Ethan Grant.”

“Good to meet you, Ethan.” Good, strong handshake. Not a pissing contest, just a handshake. Good.

“Mike, Rogelio, you feel comfortable with him watching your back?”

“Abso-fuckin’-lutely,” Mike replied without hesitation, but only because no ladies were nearby.

“Ditto.” Rogelio didn’t talk much, but he saw everything.

He covered the wage particulars with Eli, which he readily agreed to, then covered the three rules for working at The Dancing Pony.

“Can you start tonight?”

“I can start right now.”

“Go have supper with Mike and Rogelio. Come in with them at eight o’clock. They can show you the ropes and answer your questions. See me or Ben if you have any other concerns. Good to meet you, Eli.”

“Same here, Ethan,” he said, shaking his hand again. He left with Mike and Rogelio, and a few moments later, Ethan heard the familiar throaty growl of a Harley starting.

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Ben and Ethan had already discussed hiring Eli as bouncer, and the biggest plus Eli had going for him was that Mike and Rogelio were comfortable with his abilities. Ben had already given his approval. Ethan had just needed to meet him. Same criteria. Eye contact and handshake.

“That went well,” Ethan said as he sat down at the end of the bar next to Ben. These two new hires would take a little of the heat off of them, hours-wise. The club was a huge success in Divine. They could now afford to hire more personnel and just hadn’t done it up until this point. He was glad to have more flexibility in his hours. Grace was certainly a motivating force as well.

“How are things going with Grace?” Ben asked.

“Good. Jack and Adam are bringing her in tonight after eight. Angel is coming with them. How’s the situation with Patricia and her bunch?” Ethan asked.

“I have not seen her or any of her girlfriends. It’s a real shame you traced that waiter from Rudy’s and that rumor he spread back to Patricia.”

Ben replied.

It turned out the waiter and Patricia were
friends,
and she had shared that false tidbit, pointing Grace out to him while she sat with her men last Saturday night. The information had not been that difficult to extract from him as he quivered and pissed himself in Adam’s clutches. What a pussy.

All Adam had done was tap him a little. Patricia must have thought the rumor would not be traced back to her, but that little mistake cost her and her girlfriends their welcome status at The Pony.

“Mike and Rogelio know about their new status?” They were working the door and so were essentially the key to getting inside The Pony tonight.

“They know all of them and will politely turn them away at the door with as little attention drawn as possible. They appreciate the break from having to watch the women’s restroom so closely,” Ben laughed, “especially Rogelio.” The women’s restroom was on the opposite side of the bar from the door, which meant they had to divide their time going back and forth.

That was cool during the week, but on the weekend they needed to be at the door and on the club floor, not babysitting the ladies’ room.

* * * *

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Jack quietly entered through the back door. The house was cool and peaceful, and he went to her bedroom first. She wasn’t in her room, so he went to check Ethan’s bedroom, which is where he found Adam. He was leaning silently against the door jamb. Jack stood beside him and looked in and understood the sappy, smitten look on Adam’s face.

Grace lay amidst the comforter and top sheet on Ethan’s bed. She must have gotten overly warm under the heavy comforter because she’d flung it off of her and was only partially covered in the sheet. She lay on her back, one arm lying back over her head, the other arm also up but with her hand tucked into her cheek. With both of her arms up, her full, round, pink-tipped breasts were offered up invitingly to them. The sheet barely reached the top of her mound, and Jack was sure if they came closer they would be able to see her blonde curls there. Her skin was the palest ivory in contrast to the black bed linens. Because of the cool air, her nipples were tight, pink points that rose and fell with each breath.

Jack moved to enter the room, but Adam held up a hand, stopped him, and held a finger to his lips. Jack smiled, and they stood there for several minutes, drinking in the sight of her peacefully supine form.

Finally, Adam shifted from the door frame and whispered to Jack, “Why don’t you go wake her up? I’m gonna take a shower, a cold one.” He grinned.

Jack entered the room and left the door open. As he approached the bed, he knew he’d been right. There were curls visible, and he could even see the top of her slit. Her breathing pattern had shifted and had become shallower.

He realized she was dreaming as her breaths became more audible, but she didn’t awaken. She sighed softly, shifted a little, and a blush came to her cheeks. He quickly drew a conclusion about what she must be dreaming when she raised her knee slightly, and a soft, panting moan escaped from her lips.

She was having a sexy dream. There was no way he would awaken her now and interrupt such a beautiful vision. Her body bloomed with arousal.

She was utterly beautiful as her blush spread down from her cheeks all the way to her breasts, and her nipples became even tighter. Her bent knee fell to the side, and her mound was completely revealed to his eyes. He drank in the sight of her moist pink flesh, her lips slightly parted, wet with her arousal and slightly swollen.

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His cock was erect and twitching for action at the sight of her in this condition. He was going to need a cold shower, too, but he could bring her to release if she needed it. One of these days, she’d awaken from such a dream with his cock planted deep inside of her, but today was not the day.

There was something sacred about finding her in Ethan’s bed, fresh from making love with him. He couldn’t take her in his brother’s bed. But he looked forward to the day when she would awaken to the feel of his cock sliding home.

She softly panted, and her body filled with tension. He laid a warm hand at the warm curve under her breast and slid his hand down her silken abdomen to her mound as he listened to her sweet sounds. She reacted to his touch in the dream, arching into him as his fingers splayed and slid over her mound. His fingers slid through her wet curls into her drenched slit, delved into her opening, and slid easily into her satiny warmth. She was very aroused, judging by her sounds and the warm honey that coated his fingers.

She arched and groaned as he slid his fingers deeper inside her before sliding them out, then slipping them in again. Her body began to move on his fingers, flexing against him as he slid two fingers in to the top knuckle.

He could feel her shake. The muscles of her cunt rippled around his fingers and began to contract and tighten. The moisture flowed from her slit, coating his hand as he slid his fingers in and out, slowly increasing the pace.

He continued the motion and wet his thumb in her juices, then slid it very lightly, like a feather, over her clit. She reacted to the light touch with a breathy moan and began bucking in earnest as his thumb brushed her clit again and again. He made no move to awaken her, content to watch her dream play out. He enjoyed the sight of her uninhibited passion and wondered which of them was making love to her in her dream. Her breath burst from her in quick, successive pants. He rubbed her clit more firmly, still fucking her with his fingers as she came on a wail, crying his name, her hips pumping on his fingers as she suddenly opened her eyes.

Another orgasm on top of the first hit her hard, and she sobbed. “Jack!

Oh! Jack!”

She arched and threw her head back, coming undone as her body danced on his fingers. As she came down, he caressed her breast with one gentle hand while running his fingers over her wet, pink lips. He loved the feel of his fingers sliding over this intimate part of her, wet from the double climax

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he’d given her, both in her dream as well as in reality. Calm now, she reached for him with warm hands, her eyes closed, and an angelic smile on her face.

“Hey, sleepyhead.” He smiled at her as she stretched like a contented feline. “You were really worn out. Did you get a good nap?” He brushed his fingers over her warm breast, the skin still flushed and heated, blushing from her orgasm.

Bleary-eyed, she smiled sweetly up at him and yawned again. “I feel wonderful! Like I slept all afternoon. What time is it?”

“Just a little after five.”

“Really? Now I’ll probably be up all night.” She stretched again, and the sight had his cock throbbing and trying to burst through his fly.

“That’s kind of what I’m hopin’ for, darlin’. Did you have sweet dreams?” He playfully ran his damp fingers up and down her abdomen in a light, tickling touch. She shivered and giggled.

“You know I did. You were the star in the one I woke from.”

“So I heard. You’ve really got your men looking forward to tonight.

Why don’t you throw some clothes on and let me show you the foals? Then we can come in and get ready for tonight. Angel is coming over at seven to go out with us.”

“That’s good. I’ll be ready in just a minute.” She sat up from the bed.

She came to him, and he wrapped her in his arms. “Thank you, Jack. That was wonderful. I’ll never grow tired of waking up in your arms. Never. No girl’s as lucky as me.” She leaned into his embrace and kissed him unhurriedly. “Now, I’ll get dressed, and I have to
pee
! Be back in a minute.”

She threw on her robe and hurried from the room.

He just barely made out her cute tush wiggling as she moved before the robe covered it completely. He grinned like an idiot. There wasn’t a part on that woman that wasn’t delicious.

Adam stood in the doorway with a towel wrapped around his hips, drying his hair with another. “Was that Grace flashing down the hall half naked?”

Jack chuckled. “She needed to pee and change clothes. I’m gonna show her the foals. You wanna come?”

“I need to make a couple of calls before we go out. Has she picked out her outfit yet?”

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“She’s keeping that one a secret. All I know is that she’s promised to wear those sexy, black schoolgirl shoes you bought her. I’ve really enjoyed all the visual rewards of that little shopping trip you went on for her.”

“I did good, didn’t I,” Adam said proudly. “June told me about a website that sells all kinds of sexy lingerie in Grace’s sizes. She secretly told me that they have a much better selection than Macy’s does, which is a shame because I’d have bought one of everything in Grace’s size. What do you say we visit the Hips and Curves website and do some more shopping for her?”

“Gee, twist my arm. Do they have corsets?”
Mmm, Grace in a corset.

What could be better?
His small brain provided the answer. Grace in a black satin corset, G-string, garters and stockings, and those sexy, black high heels. His cock
had
started to settle down a bit until that image popped into his mind.

“June said they have
everything—
lingerie, bras, panties, garters, corsets—even
leather
and patent. Do you still have your list of sizes Charity gave you?”

“Yep, I carry it in my wallet, just in case. I’m dyin’ to see our little darlin’ in a corset.”

“Mmm-hmm!” Adam replied hungrily.

“Hey, baby!” Grace came down the hall, fully clothed in fresh blue jeans, a top, and sneakers. “I think I left my clothes and underwear in the SUV this afternoon. I need to remember to bring those in. Wouldn’t want anybody else to see them, now would we?” She gave Adam a hug and a kiss. “You smell good! Yummy!” She grinned up at him.

“Why don’t you go see the new foals, then we can all get ready? I have to make some quick calls. Okay?”

“Mmm-hmm. Let’s go, Jack. I want to get ready. I can’t wait for you to see what I’m wearing.”