by Ava Miles
“He’s a keeper,” Gail said. “Strong, handsome, and sure of himself, but he also has a good heart. Perfect for you, really. As someone with two unfortunate ex-husbands, I can promise you he’s prime beef.”
“I’ll be sure to tell him that,” Shelby said, fighting a smile.
The woman stood, fingering the eight strands of turquoise beads wrapped around her neck. “At least one of us is having wild sex with him.” Shelby barely had time to feel her cheeks heat before Gail narrowed her eyes. “You haven’t gotten there yet. I can tell by the blush heating your face. Shelby McGuiness, what in the world are you waiting for? You love the man, don’t you?”
“Gail!” They were not having this conversation.
“Don’t Gail me!” She flounced over and put her hands on Shelby’s shoulders. “I can have a suite at one of Nashville’s finest hotels ready for you in an hour. Oh, this is your upbringing, isn’t it? Shelby, there’s being smart about sex, and then there’s being wise about sex. What you feel for Vander fits into the latter category. Don’t make the mistake of confusing the two like I have. Now, get going and get busy,” she said, giving her a little shove toward the door. “I expect details!”
That stopped Shelby in her tracks. “You won’t be getting them, Gail. I work for you, for heaven’s sake!”
The woman cackled, throwing her head back. “I was just teasing you. Goodness gracious, Shelby, you’re easier than Vander. Hah. In some ways. Good night, honey. Say hey to Vander for me.”
Oh, good Lord. Shelby was blushing three shades of scarlet by the time she let herself out of the house. If Jeffries noticed, he had the courtesy not to comment on it. Simply closed the door behind her after a brief bow.
When Shelby reached the fountain, she drew out her wallet and opened her coin purse. Right now, it seemed like she was overflowing with wishes: ones that involved every member of her family, herself, and Vander. Well, it wasn’t like God couldn’t handle them all. In fact, Shelby knew she could pretty much give Him an infinite list.
She picked out a quarter and approached the edge of the fountain. The cherubs looked like they were smiling at her through the gurgling water. “This coin represents all my wishes and them being answered in due course.”
She threw in the coin, enjoyed hearing the splash, and watched as it sank through the water to the bottom. Filled with more peace than she’d felt in days, she headed to her Mama’s church.
Mama was still seated at her desk when Shelby walked into her office.
Shelby had always loved it in here, from the sunny yellow walls to the inspirational sayings scattered around the room. Today, she didn’t feel the usual welcome.
“Hi, honey,” her mama said, rising quickly, her hands fisted together in front of her. “Something wrong? I didn’t know you were coming.”
Shelby closed the door. “Mama, I know what you said to Vander yesterday, and that you talked to the others about it too. I’m here to tell you not to worry. I won’t ask Vander to look for Daddy in the future.”
There. She’d said it.
Her mama swallowed thickly. “Shelby, I’m glad to hear you say that. You have to believe me when I say it’s for the best.”
“You always say so, Mama,” Shelby said, feeling a hot spurt of anger rise up. “Next time, come talk to me. I happen to love Vander, and I want him to feel welcome in our family. You’re undermining that, and frankly that hurts me. I hoped you would be happy for me.”
There were tears in Mama’s eyes as she approached her. “Shelby, I am. I’m just… I’m glad you came and talked to me. Let’s put this behind us. I promise to make Vander feel more welcome the next time I see him, and I’ll apologize for putting him in a difficult position. Actually, I admire the way he handled it. He’s a strong man with a moral compass, and he respects you. That much was evident.”
Mama put a hand on her arm, and Shelby could feel her rocking in place, fighting the urge to wrap her up and hold her like she’d normally do. Shelby moved in first.
“All right, Mama,” she said, her voice sounding as tired as she felt. “Let’s move on. We have so much to celebrate in our family. We should focus on that.”
“Yes, we should,” Mama agreed, hugging her tight. “Thank you for coming, honey. You’ve lifted a powerful weight from my mind.”
“You’re welcome, Mama,” she said. When she eased back, she saw tears falling from Mama’s eyes, a rare sight. “I love you.”
“I love you too, sugar,” she said, framing her face. “I’m just trying to protect y’all. I hope you can understand that.”
She nodded, but darn it all if she wasn’t tired of wondering what Mama was protecting them from. Determined to put it behind her, she texted Vander once she got back out to her car.
Can you come over in an hour? I’ll make dinner.
Then she decided to go a step further because Gail was right. What was she waiting for? She wasn’t going to let family drama get in the way of her relationship with Vander.
Plan to stay over.
His reply was immediate.
I’ll be there in thirty. Don’t think I can wait an hour after that message.
Shelby shivered in the car and headed home with the first smile of the day on her face.
Chapter 30
Vander broke all the speed limits heading to Shelby’s house. She was just pulling up when he arrived.
“Hey!” he said, slamming his car door shut. “I almost beat you.”
She looked so beautiful, striding over to him in a violet dress suit accented with a delicate strand of pearls and silver beads around her neck. “It’s good to see you, Vander.”
It was clear she’d had a day. “Come here.”
“Let’s go inside,” she said, her smile a little tired but still lovely. “You have a propensity to make a spectacle on the street.”
He took her hand and brought it to his mouth to kiss it. “Technically, we’re on your front lawn.”
“Details,” she shot back, but her rapport didn’t have its normal sauce.
When they entered her house, he took her purse and set it down in its normal place. He liked that he was getting to know her normal places.
“Come on, let’s get you a drink, and you can tell me about your day.”
“I need to start dinner,” she said, stepping away, forcing him to pull her toward him.
“Already taken care of,” he said. “I called Jared’s, and they’re delivering in about forty-five minutes.”
Her shoulders sunk under his hands. “Good. Thank you. I could have made something.”
“You’ve had a tough few days,” he said, massaging her rigid muscles. “Do you want some wine?”
“I have some white in the fridge,” she said, trying to pull away again.
“Wait, Shelby,” he said softly. “Just wait.”
He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. She wasn’t completely with him yet, still wrapped up in whatever was burdening her, so he kept on kissing her gently until he felt the shift in her. Her arms banded around him, her lips softened and moved with his. Then he heard her sigh as she relaxed against his body.
“That’s better,” he said, finally edging back. “I missed you today.”
She put her head on his chest. “And I you. So much. Sometimes, it scares me how much I love you already. How much I’d do to support you.”
He tipped her head up, not liking that last piece. “What happened?”
“Best get it out of the way so we can focus on happier things—like us being together.” She took a deep breath and then let it out shakily. “Mama was so worried about us searching for Daddy, she called all my siblings. Sadie, Susannah, J.P., and I had a lunch meeting and agreed I would promise her not to ask you to look for Daddy in the future. Technically, it’s true.”
But she’d also seen it as lying. No wonder she looked so down in the mouth.
“I told Mama that right before I came home. She’s promised to apologize to yo
u and give you a better welcome next time you come ’round. Not that I blame you if you want to pass on Sunday dinner for a while. I kind of do right now. Oh, and I told Gail about us.”
“You really have had a day,” he said, massaging her neck, making her close her eyes. “Maybe we should drink something stronger than wine.”
“Tequila is the devil,” she murmured, tilting her neck to give him better access. “It gives me a headache. And I don’t know if it makes my clothes fall off like in that country song.”
“I’ll tuck away those important pieces of information,” he said, trying not to laugh, loving the feel of her thick hair in his fingers as he massaged her scalp. “How did Gail take the news?”
“She beamed. Thinks we’re well matched.”
He was in Gail’s debt. Maybe he should send a bottle of bourbon over as a thank you.
“She also said she would have been interested in having…what did she call it? ‘Copious wild sex with you.’ Good heavens, she made me blush. But she’s glad we’ll be having it instead. She took me to task for being a little slow off the mark.”
He fought a smile. Leave it to Gail to intuit that. Nothing got past her. “Shelby, none of that matters to me. We’ll make love when the time is right.”
“Today, I decided the time was right,” she said, opening her eyes and gazing at him. “Truthfully, I’d decided yesterday was right, but we got sidetracked. I won’t let us get sidetracked anymore.”
“I love a woman who knows her own mind. Makes her own decisions.” He kissed her neck. “But you’ve had a tough day. There’s no need to rush.”
She twined her hands around his neck. “I want to be with you, Vander. I’m tired of letting other people prick a pin in my happiness. You have to want to be happy sometimes. Even in the midst of challenges. I’m hoping and praying and wishing this will all be behind us after today. Vander, I know you don’t believe in wishes, but I threw a quarter into Gail’s fountain today to honor all of mine. Dammit, I want everything! I’m not settling for less.”
Her brown eyes were filled with a captivating light, and he wanted nothing more than to give all her wishes to her on a silver platter. “You’re going to have everything,” he said, his voice husky. “Starting tonight.”
He felt her heart begin to race against his chest, and he ran his hand down her back and cupped her hips, bringing her closer to him. “We both will.” Then he fitted his mouth over hers again.
Their kisses were lush and wet and wild, and he could feel her flirting with the edges of her own passion.
“Don’t hold back,” he whispered against her lips, squeezing her gently at the waist.
“But dinner?” she asked.
“I told them to leave it on the porch if no one answered the door,” he whispered right back.
“Oh, you devil, you,” she purred.
“Make love with me, Shelby,” he urged, kissing her neck. “Unless you want to have wine first.”
She angled back and gave him a look that told him clear as could be that he was the stupidest man alive. He gave her a hard kiss in response. Tugging at the buttons of her jacket, he opened it and slid his hands inside, delighted she hadn’t worn a cami under it. He liked to think she’d planned that too. She was warm to the touch, soft as corn silk, and straining for more. He ran his fingers over her hot pink bra and traced the lacy edges until she pushed back.
“We have too many clothes on,” she drawled, shrugging out of her jacket.
He hadn’t expected her to get impatient, but he was learning Shelby was always in a hurry. About everything, it seemed.
She threw her jacket over her shoulder, looking like a siren in her sexy bra and skirt and heels. Heading to the stairs off the entry, she turned and gave him another look. “Coming, honey?”
Oh, she was going to have him on his knees before they were done. He marched toward her and picked her up in his arms, knowing she’d like a manly display like that. She squealed, piercing his ears, and then relaxed against his chest as he took the steps two at a time.
“I flat out adore your exuberance,” she said, stroking his jaw, making him wish he’d shaved for her.
“You’re about to see how exuberant I can be,” he said in a deep voice. “First bedroom?”
“No, down the hall,” she said, her finger moving on to the stubble on his neck, driving him wild.
He turned into a room painted a light green she’d probably call green fig or something else deliciously feminine. Billowy white curtains framed the large windows. Her bed was one of those mahogany Southern four-poster types, and the posts were hung with transparent fabric reminiscent of mosquito netting. A mound of white pillows in more shapes and sizes than should be legal covered a lavender comforter. Vander balanced her against his body as he swept all the pillows off the bed.
When he met her eyes, she raised a brow.
“Exuberance,” he said with a decided shake of his head, laying her down.
When he moved to cover her, she put her hand on his chest, exerting a gentle pressure. “Hold tight.” She slid off the bed and walked to the door on the opposite side of the large room, what he imagined was a bathroom. When she returned, she was blushing. There were five condom boxes in her hands.
He tried not to laugh. “You weren’t joking about buying all kinds.”
“Exuberance,” she joked, but he knew she was wildly uncomfortable.
Choosing the box of extra-thins, he dug out a trio of them and threw them on the bed. He set the other boxes on the floor and kicked them under the bed.
Her brown eyes were wide, and her face was flushed, but she hopped back on the bed and took a deep breath. He sat on the edge, shrugging out of his jacket and unbuttoning his shirt. She watched his every movement, her gaze flicking up to meet his every once in a while, but she didn’t help him. He didn’t know her well enough yet in this space to decipher if she needed some encouragement or if she simply liked watching. But he planned to find out.
When he was bare-chested, he laid on his side and opened his arms. She came to him in a fluid move, her eyes never leaving his face.
“I love you, Shelby,” he said as he tucked her hair behind her ear.
“And I love you,” she said, placing her hand on his heart.
Since this was new for both of them, and she was willing but still a little skittish, he leaned in and kissed her slowly and deeply for a long time. Her fingers slid into his hair, and soon she was pressing closer to his body. He was rock hard and impatient, but determined to take this slowly. He wanted their first time to be memorable. He wanted her to feel cherished.
His fingers traced the delicate lines of her collarbone, the warm rise of her breasts. His mouth followed suit, kissing his way down her neck to the soft flesh he’d been fantasizing about since he’d first seen her. He slid his hands under her back and undid her bra, removing it from her arms and throwing it over his shoulder.
“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, testing the weight of her breasts, savoring their softness.
Then he tugged on her nipple with his lips, brushing it lightly with his teeth, and she gave a soft moan. He circled it with his tongue until she arched her back, and when she uttered a more urgent sound, he fitted his mouth to her breast, giving it his full and complete attention. From her moans and the straining of her body, he knew she was enjoying it. Soon, he switched to her other breast and gave it the same attention.
When he lifted his head to look into her eyes, she gave him a shy smile. “I rather like that.” He’d touched her before, but never this intimately.
Her hesitation to voice her desire moved something inside him. “Good, because I do too, and I plan to do a heck of a lot more of it.”
She raised a hand and stroked the muscles of his arm. “What do you like?” she asked.
His whole body clenched, and he broke out into a sweat. “Put your hands on me and find out.”
Bless her, she did just that, intent on her purpose bu
t still a little shy in her mission. He ran his hand down her bottom when she put her mouth to his chest, giving him soft kisses. As she moved down to his stomach, those warm, open-mouthed kisses threatened to destroy him. Sweet Christ.
“Let’s get the rest of your clothes off,” he said, sliding down and starting with her heels.
They were silver and three-inches, if he were to guess, with a double strap that wrapped around her ankle. He expected they were supposed to accent the silver beads in her pearl necklace, which he planned to leave on for the moment.
“These are sexy,” he said, slowly unwrapping her ankle.
“Why do you think I kept them on?” she asked, a twinkle in her eye.
He tossed the first heel off and fitted her foot in his hands, caressing the bones there. She gave a throaty purr.
“Oh, I like that too,” she said. “I’m hoping I like everything.”
He remembered what she’d said about her ex—how he’d never made much of an effort to please her—and felt all the more determined to give her pleasure.
“Always tell me how you feel, and I’ll do the same,” he said, sliding his hand up her calf and caressing the back of her knee. “All I ask is you remember you’re with me and keep an open mind.”
She raised up on an elbow. “You’re not into kinky stuff, are you?”
Her serious tone had him biting his tongue to keep from laughing. “Like what?”
“Like whips and chains and paddling,” she said, blushing again. “I don’t think I’d like that. I mean, in some countries, that’s what they do to prisoners. I can’t imagine it feeling good.”
His shoulders started to shake. “You have nothing to worry about. If I need to get out any aggression, I’ll go to the firing range. I don’t do that in bed.”
“Whew! That’s a relief.”
This time he couldn’t help but chuckle. “I wouldn’t pass up playing with a few feathers or silk scarves, but I’m pretty much a skin-on-skin kind of guy. Your softness is all the texture I need.”
“Oh. My. Goodness.” Her drawl was more pronounced as he tugged her other heel off.