Her Gentle Giant: No Regrets (14 page)

“Loyalty like yours is rare in today’s culture,” he said, but his actions led her to believe he was unconvinced. He hadn’t backed away and continued to breathe in her scent. As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she could see his eyes and the lust and desire that smoldered there. “I hope someday I am lucky enough to have a woman who is as loyal to me as you are to Mr. Wolf. It’s my loss.” Rachel cringed inwardly and balled her hands into fists as he leaned even closer. She feared he might try to kiss her before he looked to the side and grinned. “Mr. Wolf, nice to see you again,” he murmured.

Rachel was filled with relief. “Your hands are on my girlfriend, Mr.

Webster.” Eli asked harshly. His eyes glittered dangerously as Ace backed away and released her arms.

“Rachel and I bumped into each other in the hallway as we passed,”

Ace replied, holding up his palms in surrender. “I didn’t want her to fall.”

He turned to Rachel and kindly said, “Miss Lopez, a pleasure to see you again. Have a good evening.” He continued down the hallway to the men’s room.

Eli approached Rachel and hugged her. “You’re pale. Are you all right?”

She nodded, clinging to him briefly. “The hallway was dark. I bumped into him and thought for a second it was you. He asked me to dance with him.” Ace had sounded as though he wanted to offer a lot more.

“I know, I heard what you said. Thank you, honey, for those sweet words. I didn’t like seeing his hands on you.”

“I know. You looked very angry.” She trembled in his embrace, soaking in his warmth and strength. A minute ago, if she could have backed through the wall away from Ace, she would have.

“Not at you, at him. Do you think he took no for an answer?” he asked as he escorted her down the hallway back out to the club.

“His attitude changed after I told him I was in love with you. Maybe he’ll respect that and find another dance partner.”

“He looked like he was about to kiss you when he noticed me standing there,” Eli said, sliding a hand over her shoulder.

“I thought so, too. I’m relieved he noticed you there when he did. That hallway was a bad place for a fight.”

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“If I had felt the need to use my fists, I would never have done it in such close proximity to you. I’d have taken him out the backdoor. I sort of wish I had, so we could settle this once and for all.”

“He seems like a decent enough guy, if a little persistent. I hope he finds someone else to pay attention to.” Changing to a safer subject, she said, “Grace said Ethan warned Dinah to leave the bouncers alone.”

“She reminded me a little of what Ethan has told me about Patricia Ramirez.”

“I’m sure Ethan was probably thinking the same thing, since he was on the receiving end of Patricia’s obsession back in June. It’s rare for Ethan and Ben to ban someone from the club, and they wouldn’t do it without good reason.”

During Patricia’s days hanging out at The Dancing Pony with her friends, she’d gotten involved in some pretty sordid affairs and tried to intimidate some of the single women that came there. Patricia was a master manipulator and she’d spread a rumor that could have gotten Grace hurt and that wound up being the reason she got banned from the club.

They returned to the front where Mike and Rogelio carded a group coming in the door. Eli helped Rachel into her seat and checked in with the other two bouncers.

Rachel sat quietly for a good part of the evening, doing her best to let Eli focus on his job. She felt that he’d had enough distractions for the night.

She’d been there an hour when he leaned over to her, concern in his eyes.

“You’re awfully quiet. Everything okay?”

She looked up at him and sighed inwardly at the masculine beauty of his face. His massive presence next to her, coupled with his gentle but confident strength, made her heart do flip-flops. The tender look in his eyes made her melt inside thinking about what had happened on the dance floor.

“I’m trying to not distract you and let you do your job. Since we got together, I feel like I’ve kept you from working when I’m up here with you.”

“Are you bored?”

“No.”

“You seem withdrawn. Ethan does not mind that you sit up here with me, and he doesn’t expect you to sit quietly in your chair. Since you started sitting up here with me, I’m less distracted because there is no longer a
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stream of women who come to the front trying to get my attention. Mike said the same thing earlier. Honey, you being up here is a
good
thing. I don’t want you to think you distract me from my job.” He twined his fingers in hers and pulled her from her seat.

“I don’t want you to regret having me up here with you.”

“No regrets, remember?” He drew her arms around his waist and kissed her sweetly.

“Thanks. I’m trying to figure out how I fit in up here. Last night was so busy with other distractions that I didn’t have a chance to contemplate it.”

“It’s been nice to be able to work without the constant distraction of giggling females hovering around me, but I don’t need for you to sit there quietly. When you’re up here with us, it’s okay to be involved in conversations. It’s also okay if you want to mingle around the club. There must be people here you know tonight. Of course, there is always Grace. I thought you would have danced at least one dance together by now.”

“She and I thought it would be best if we didn’t because of the thing with Ace. We both agreed that might be asking for more trouble. And I don’t want to dance with anyone else but you. I’m content to wait until you have a break later on tonight.”

“The club is so crowded now he may not even see you. I’ll stay where I can see you, and I’ll intervene if he approaches you. I know that’s a sticky situation, but it’s not anything I can’t handle, honey. I don’t want it to keep you from having a good time when you come in. This is supposed to be fun for you, and you already know how I feel about watching you dance.”

He said the last sentence with a bit of a growl in his voice, and it sent a thrill down her spine. “You’ll stay where you can see me?” she asked coquettishly, pressing her breasts against him.

“Mmm, I wouldn’t miss a second,” he replied, smiling devilishly. He kissed her again and released her as she went in search of Grace.

She found her at Jack and Ethan’s table, perched in Jack’s lap, talking with Ethan and Ace Webster. Grace beamed and did a little rocking motion with her hands and hips, much to Jack’s delight and distraction. Evidently, that was body language for, “Do you want to go dance?” Rachel nodded as Grace leaned over to whisper in Ethan’s ear. A wide grin split his face, and he excused himself from the table and made his way to the DJ booth. Grace kissed Jack on the lips and spoke quietly to him as Rachel glanced over and
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caught Ace gazing steadily at her. So much for this being a covert operation.

There was no chance of them going unnoticed by Ace now. His gaze was friendly but not flirtatious. He stood, leaning slightly in her direction as Grace rose from Jack’s lap. His eyes were apologetic, and his smile was conciliatory.

“Rachel, I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable. You’re very beautiful, and I was overzealous earlier. I hope you’ll forgive me. I was out of line when I slipped you my business card last night as well. I suppose I was hoping things were not as serious between the two of you as they obviously are,” he said sincerely, every bit the gentleman.

Rachel smiled and sighed in relief. “Of course, Ace. No offense was taken. In other circumstances, I would have taken you up on your offer for a dance, but I’m very committed to Eli and no longer dance with anyone else.

Thank you for understanding that,” she replied, relieved to get on less personal footing with him.

“Eli is a very fortunate man. I wish you both the very best,” he said graciously before sitting back down. Grace hooked her arm in Rachel’s and pulled her toward the dance floor.

“Ethan is going to play some good songs for us. I’m glad you came over when you did. Ace feels badly about your confrontation in the hallway.

He mentioned it to me, and I told him a little about you and Eli. He has no desire to come between two people who are genuinely committed to each other. Some of the other women have been hovering, trying to attract his attention. He seems a little put off by women who approach him, so I’m going to try to introduce him to Rosemary Piper’s friend, Kathleen.

Remember her? Tall, voluptuous, sexy, and mysterious redhead? She’s not here with anyone tonight, so I’m going to invite her and Rosemary to the table.”

“Whoa, Grace. Wes and Evan are here tonight. Do you think that’s a good idea?” Rachel asked, chuckling at Grace’s attempts to match make for
all
the people she cared about.

“Hmph! Maybe it’s just the kick in the
ass
they need. Wes and Evan didn’t bring her here tonight, and if they’ve laid claim to her, maybe they ought to let
her
in on it, ya think?” she asked sarcastically. “Sometimes I think those two couldn’t find their asses with both hands and a road map,
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much less find true love when it’s staring them straight in their handsome faces.”

“You’re going to get yourself in trouble with your men over this if you’re not careful.”

Grace smiled mischievously at her. “Yeah, and if I play my cards right, I might
even
get a
spanking
out of it.” Grace laughed out loud when Rachel’s eyes and mouth opened wide in shock.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” Rachel wasn’t even sure why she was surprised.

“By the
right
hand, there’s nothing I’d enjoy more,” Grace replied, giggling and blushing as she blew a kiss to Ethan then looked at Rachel and winked. Rachel’s eyes got big, and her lips popped open in surprise. She should have known.

She mouthed silently, “Ethan?”

Grace nodded dreamily. “Baby, yes! That man owns me body and soul.

They all do. You can ask me any question you want to about that
in
private
,” she said to Rachel as “Sweet Home Alabama” started to play.

Grace laughed and got caught up in the music as they took the floor.

Rachel glanced over toward the front and found Eli standing halfway between the front door and the dance floor. Anyone watching him might have thought he was standing in the midst of the club, surveying the tables and the dance floor to see if all was well security-wise. But once she began to move, his eyes rested only on her, watching her move to the beat of the song. As she turned, she made eye contact with him and was warmed by his gray gaze even from that distance. She delighted in it, pleased that he enjoyed watching her dance so much.

The Dancing Pony mostly played country and western dance tunes, but they liked to shake things up sometimes and play some rock and popular music as well as some of the popular line dance tunes. Once Skynard was finished, Duffy’s “Mercy” began to play. The mood changed on the dance floor, and couples began to gyrate to the heavy dance beat, Grace and Rachel included.

* * * *

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Eli crossed his arms over his chest, which swelled with pride in his woman’s beauty as she moved. She paid little attention to the other couples, staying by Grace as they both danced for the men who watched them. Eli glanced up at the DJ booth and saw Ethan in a similar stance, his eyes trained with intensity on Grace, causing Eli to smile.

Eli looked over to where he knew Ace sat at Jack and Ethan’s table, involved in a conversation with Jack. Ace looked up and gazed momentarily at Rachel before he looked over at him across the club. Ace raised his beer bottle and nodded at Eli. Eli nodded in reply and, satisfied, resumed watching Rachel as she moved gracefully to the music, laughing with Grace.

The dress Rachel had on hugged her curves and revealed just enough of her generous cleavage to leave him wanting more. He glanced around, noticed other men in the club watched her and Grace, and instinctively moved closer to the dance floor.

Wilson Pickett’s “Mustang Sally” played next, and the tempo on the dance floor slowed down. Eli could tell that Rachel had held back on the dance floor tonight, probably more conscious than she wanted to be that Ace might be watching, but she must have liked the song because she let the worry go.

When the song ended, Eli was at the edge of the dance floor where he waited to escort them both. He noticed Ethan standing beside him, same as the night before.

“They’re like spontaneous combustion on the dance floor, aren’t they, Eli?”

“Damn good analogy, boss.”

“We’d better escort them. Otherwise, every randy stud in here is going to be all over them. It sure is good to watch them have fun, ain’t it?”

“Absolute torture,” Eli replied, trying for reasonably straight face.

Ethan laughed out loud, clapping Eli on the back. “That, too!”

Grace slipped into Ethan’s embrace as he leaned down to kiss her.

Rachel joined Eli as a young man stepped up to Rachel and opened his mouth to ask her for a dance. He took one look in Eli’s eyes, slammed his mouth shut, and backed away to go in search of another dance partner.

Rachel looked after him apologetically and smiled up at Eli as he walked away with her.

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