Shane shocked her by smiling. Her hand slid down Morgan’s stomach and inched between her legs.
Morgan gasped as Shane’s palm gripped her crotch. Morgan felt heat sizzle between her legs, felt the sting of her clit as it pulsed under the pressure of Shane’s hand.
“Oh, dear God.” Shane’s head dropped to Morgan’s chest; a long breath escaped her lips. “How can I believe a word you’re saying when you’re soaked? I feel how much you want me.” Shane’s fingers dug harder, more forcefully, sending a groan from Morgan’s throat.
Morgan’s insides coiled with need, ready to spring free. She bucked her hips into Shane’s hand, wanting more, while Shane rubbed heat between her legs. Her mind was out of control, leaving her body yearning for pleasure.
An animal roared to life inside Morgan. She leaned forward, found Shane’s neck, nipped hard with bared teeth, and then sucked skin between her lips. Shane groaned above her, adding fuel to the beast. She reached her fingers between their bodies, fisted Shane’s shirt into her hand and yanked it up. Shane leaned forward and allowed her to pull it over her head, looking down into Morgan’s eyes.
That look, crystal clear with its meaning, drove Morgan over another brink of passion. She needed Shane. She wanted to be carried over that peak, now, just as furious as all the others that Shane had given so freely to her. She yearned to feel those fingers plunge deep inside her.
Shane allowed Morgan to slip from under her.
Morgan stood, facing Shane, looking down into eyes that wanted and needed her. She pulled her loose fitting blouse over her head and let it drift to the floor. Shane pulled to the edge of the couch, pushing her lips against Morgan’s stomach, kissing a wet trail along her skin, unsnapping slacks, tugging them gently over hips.
Morgan watched Shane’s thin lips suck at her skin. She unsnapped the clasp nestled between her breasts and let her bra fall to the floor.
Morgan’s slacks drifted down around her ankles while Shane’s fingers dipped between her legs, caressing her heated crotch.
Shane slipped her fingers inside Morgan’s thong, eased it over her hips, and let it fall around the slacks crumpled at the floor. Morgan stepped out of her shoes and the fallen clothing and stood naked before Shane’s passionate gaze. She felt so beautiful wrapped in the depths of those emerald eyes.
Shane stood. Her delicate fingers trailed soft lines down Morgan’s arms, down a rib cage, stopping short of black wiry hair. “I don’t think I could paint something so breathtaking.”
Morgan’s heart wrenched inside her chest at Shane’s words. Shane’s lips descended, soft sensual lips closed around hers with more care than she’d ever known, even under the attention of Dawn, especially under the attention of Dawn. She kissed Shane back with just as much passion.
Shane dipped and hooked her arms under Morgan’s knees. She lifted Morgan into her arms like a fragile sculpture and laid her gently on the couch, still locked in a loving kiss. She eased her body over Morgan’s, broke the kiss, and slid down the length of her, stopping when her face dipped between Morgan’s thighs.
Morgan gasped and threw her head back when Shane’s tongue slid across her clit, swollen and ready. Shane’s fingers slid easily inside her wetness. Morgan panted soft moans above her, grinding her hips into Shane’s face, feeling her orgasm inching fast to its peak.
Shane’s fingers, sinking stroke after stroke inside her, plunged her orgasm to its edge. Her tongue flickered across Morgan’s clit, faster with every hump of her hips, catching the rhythm.
Morgan’s body froze. Her orgasm rocketed over the edge. Convulsions racked her body, pump after hard pump, squeezing Shane’s fingers still driving inside her. Her moans vibrated inside her chest.
Soft spasms of her orgasm gently tightened around Shane’s fingers. A breathless pant was all Morgan had left.
Shane inched her way along Morgan’s side, coming to lie beside her.
Morgan let Shane pull her into her strong arms. She pressed her face into Shane’s neck, breathing in her scent. She opened her eyes and looked around at Shane’s world. The paintings watched over them with caring colors. Morgan’s heart twisted in her chest while fingers stroked along her back in lazy circles.
How the hell did this happen to me? How in hell could I have fallen in love so fast? This is impossible.
A frown creased her brow as the words rolled around in her head. She stared above her at the ceiling fan and let Dawn drift into her mind. Her uncaring betrayal had left a hole inside Morgan. Was Shane the filling to that hole?
Shane shifted and looked down at her. Morgan glanced away. Can she see what I’m thinking? Did she feel that flutter when Dawn eased into my mind?
Shane eased off the couch, picked up clothing from the floor, turned back to her and dropped them on her stomach. Shane’s face took on its icy stare again. Morgan felt her breath catch, waiting for Shane to speak.
“I have a ton of work to do, and I need to get a move on. Our meeting is adjourned, Morgan.”
Morgan’s stomach lurched. An acidic taste stung the back of her throat while Shane stared at her.
“Okay.” Anger slowly stole over Morgan. She grabbed the clothes and stood. Morgan donned one article of clothing at a time, never tearing her gaze from Shane’s. Heat spread across her cheeks while she stared at the icy look washing over Shane’s face. “Did I miss something?”
“No, you didn’t miss anything.”
“Then, what the hell is wrong with you?”
Shane turned and headed to the table, pulling empty doughnut boxes into her grasp, and tossing them into the trash can by the door. Morgan watched her tight back, rage building with each step she took away from her. “Nothing is wrong with me. I’m a busy person, Morgan.”
Morgan’s tears threatened, forming a lump in her throat. She swallowed it down, demanding herself not to cry.
“Have you lost your fucking mind? Is this some type of warped game you’re playing?” Morgan’s anger rose faster. She clinched her fists by her side, ready to rip Shane’s hair from her head, sink her fingers into her eyes.
Shane only stared at her, her loving face had gone blank, uncaring. Morgan donned her shirt and tore past Shane, tears finally letting loose. She ran down the hall and out into the bright sunshine, racing to the shelter of her car.
Chapter Twelve
Shane gripped the doorframe, her knuckles turning white with the pressure. It took all her willpower not to chase Morgan down the hall and tell her what a lie her words were, how she was protecting her heart, how fucking in love with her she was.
Yet, she couldn’t. When she’d looked back at Morgan and saw that confused helpless look wash over her face, she knew Dawn was the reason for the frown. Morgan was fighting with herself again, knowing what they were doing was a mistake; no matter how much enjoyment she’d gotten from screaming in pleasure.
That look on her face seconds after Shane pulled an orgasm from her body proved she thought of Dawn. It made Shane sick to think she couldn’t tear Dawn from her mind. Dawn was all she thought of.
How was she going to remove Morgan’s luxurious body out of her mind? How was she ever going to get past this inevitable heartbreak?
Shane bit back her tears and pushed her head against the doorframe. She had to harden her heart and find a way to let loose her love. Otherwise, her heart would break.
Shane etched Morgan’s worried look into her mind, hating she hadn’t kept that look off Morgan’s face longer than a few seconds after her orgasm. She wasn’t going to win her heart. It was time to face the truth.
Tears threatened Shane again. “I’m gonna miss you, Morgan.”
———
Morgan rushed past Rachel who was standing at the edge of a cubicle talking with another co-worker. She raced into her own office and slammed the door. She rushed to the window, tears blinding her vision.
There was a single knock on her door then Rachel pushed her way inside. Morgan felt her heart twist in her chest. What the hel
l was that all about? What the fuck is happening to me? Why can’t I find a decent person instead of all these loser women?
“What the hell happened?” Rachel pushed her door shut and ran across the floor to embrace her.
Morgan pushed away, anger rising like a balloon inside her. “Stay away from me, Rachel. I’m tired of taking your advice to only find myself deeper in shit. I should have taken Dawn back long before now. But no, I listened to my best friend, who would never do anything to hurt me, yet you only led me to the hurt. I was stupid to listen to you.”
At the harshness of Morgan’s words, Rachel sucked in her breath. “I have never done anything to hurt you. How could you say that to me?” Rachel stepped forward to console Morgan. “Please, tell me what happened.”
Morgan stepped back, pushing at Rachel’s hands, not wanting Rachel anywhere near her. “Shane is just as sick as you are. Stay out of my business, Rachel.” Morgan stepped back to her desk, grabbed the phone and began dialing. She left Sandra a message that she was sick and leaving for the day.
She turned back to Rachel who looked at her with concern. Morgan bit back the impulse to slap her. “Stay the fuck away from me. All of you.”
Rachel’s eyes brimmed with tears. Morgan took one last look at her confused face then darted from the room.
She pushed her way through the elevator doors then ran across the parking lot, found her car and darted out into traffic, her tears blinding her. The traffic was backed up at the red light. She glanced around her, wishing she were somewhere far away from this misery.
Her cell phone rang beside her. She reached down and flipped it open.
“Hello?”
“I love you.” Dawn’s seductive voice oozed over her like melted butter.
Morgan felt her anger spike. “What do you want, Dawn?”
“I want you. Only you.”
Morgan tensed, her stomach knotted. “Aren’t you getting tired of this, Dawn? I mean, don’t you have some girlfriend you need to be fucking? Can you please just stop calling me?”
“There isn’t a woman on this earth that could take your place. My body aches for only you. My heart beats for only you. My hands want to feel only you.”
Morgan felt steel strap around her heart. “Dawn, give it a fucking rest why don’t you?” She was sick of this game, of being miserable. “Go find someone to fuck. It’s what you’re good at, right?”
“I’m better at making love to you.” Dawn was running out of steam. Morgan heard it in her voice. Her heart wasn’t beating wildly anymore. It was calm and relaxed. “Why don’t you let me take you out tonight?”
———
Shane snatched up the shrilling phone.
“What the hell did you do to her?” Rachel screamed.
Tears streamed down Shane’s face. She shook her head, unable to speak, waiting for the wave to pass. “I can’t do it, Rachel.”
“Do what?” Shane heard a huff escape Rachel. “Never mind, I’m coming over.”
Shane waited, crying harder, hating herself for what she’d said to Morgan, wanting to throw her fate to the wind and tell her everything, starting with Shelby’s death, ending with how in love with her she’d been since the day she saw her sad face pressed against a glass pane.
Too soon, Rachel barged through the gallery doors and emerged in her office, ready to rip Shane apart one limb at a time. It would be less painful after hurting Morgan the way she had.
“What did you do to her?” Rachel smacked her hands down on Shane’s desk, leaning over to peer down at her, rage smoldered in her eyes.
Shane looked into the cold eyes of Morgan’s best friend and felt her heart rip from her chest. How could she do that to Morgan? Why didn’t she just tell her how she really felt, leaving her heart’s fate in the hands of Morgan.
“I’m sorry, Rachel.” Shane felt tears threaten again and swallowed them back.
“Sorry for what? What did you do to her dammit?” Rachel’s face, anger-filled, leaned closer to her.
“She came here to tell me that she was sorry for what happened Friday night … said it was a mistake. I didn’t believe her. Things got extremely heated … we made love … but, I couldn’t take the thought of her going back to that scum, so I said some pretty harsh things to her.”
“Like what?” Rachel leaned back and crossed her arms across her chest, glaring down at Shane.
Shane rose from her chair and crossed around to the front of the desk, leaning against it. “I told her our meeting was adjourned.”
Rachel’s mouth flew open, her eyes rounding with anger. “After you fucked her?” Her hands flew to her hips. “How could you?”
“I don’t fuck anyone, Rachel.” Shane narrowed her eyes at her, searing anger at herself, at Rachel’s words. “And you just had to be here. That look on her face, after it was over, was sick. Dawn was plastered in her mind.”
Rachel slumped into a chair. “I don’t know what the hell you thought you saw in her, but you’re wrong. She told Dawn everything, found pleasure in it, said you gave her more courage than she knew she possessed. She sent Dawn fleeing from her apartment in a fit of rage.”
Shane stared down at Rachel. Morgan’s face filled her mind. She saw her enter the gallery, desire on her face, felt the icicles that sliced through her own heart, ready to defend it. She saw Morgan’s face contort in embarrassment at her cold words, felt her heart lurch with the sadness that washed over Morgan’s face. Why hadn’t she just told me? Was that what she’d come here to tell me? Did my lifeless words make her chicken out?
“I don’t know what she told you, but whatever it was, it wasn’t what she was supposed to say.” Rachel rose from her chair to face Shane, anger still sizzled in her eyes. “She was supposed to tell you that she felt something, that she liked you and that she was getting over Dawn, thanks to you.”
“Oh, shit!”
“Yeah, oh, shit.”
“I was so cold to her.”
“But why? You haven’t seen her since Friday night. What did you think she was coming here to say?”
“I don’t know, Rachel. She was quiet at lunch. What else would she come here to say other than it was a mistake?” Shane heard the fault being pointed at her, angered by it. “I have my own heart to protect here, Rachel. I don’t have to defend my actions to you, or to anyone else for that matter. Morgan’s a grown adult. If she wanted to tell me something, she could have come out and said it, instead of dancing around the subject.” Shane stood her ground, glaring at Rachel.
“Then maybe Morgan was right.” Rachel turned toward the door, took a few steps, stopped and turned around, daggers erupting from her eyes. “She was an easy lay for you, all heart-broken and shit. I guess I was stupid for believing all that horseshit you told me about being in love with her, love at first sight you said. Poor Morgan. No wonder she chickened out. She saw right through you, and then couldn’t control herself. Now, she hates me, blames me for sending her over here to tell you the truth. She’s right you fucking pervert.”
Rachel flew from the room and out of the gallery doors before Shane could stop her. Fire erupted in the pit of her stomach at Rachel’s words. They couldn’t be further from the truth. How dare Rachel turn the tables on her.
But, isn’t that exactly what this looked like? Like she’d played such easy prey, fucked her when she knew she was at her lowest, instead of wanting to be the one that painted a permanent smile back on her face?
Shane felt disgusted for not giving Morgan a chance to tell her what was really on her mind, for herself turning cold when Morgan was ready to spill her guts about the love she might feel for her.
Shane’s mouth flew open, Rachel’s words finally sinking in. “She loves me.”
She flew back around the desk, grabbed up the phone, hastily punching numbers. “Please answer the phone, Morgan.”
———
Morgan stepped out of the shower to a shrilling phone. She ignored it. She wasn’t ready to talk t
o Rachel, or anyone else for that matter. She was tired of listening to everyone’s advice and sick of feeling helpless and weak. It was time to harden her heart. It was time to bring her bitch to life and put the meek little thing to bed.
Morgan kept herself busy for the rest of the day, cleaning each room, pulling sheets from the bed, anything to keep her thoughts from trailing to Shane. She’d washed away all traces from her body, letting Shane escape in the water’s tornado down the drain. She meant to keep her there, washed out to sea, forever out of her mind.
Yet, every time she closed her eyes she saw green eyes looking back at her. She could still feel Shane’s hands on her, lovingly caressing every inch of her, memorizing her. She saw the icy look on Shane’s face, hating it, wishing she’d slapped it instead of rushing out like a blubbering idiot. How pathetic could she be? No more. No more pathetic Morgan and no more tears.
Someone tapped on the door.
Morgan crept to it, saw Dawn through the peephole, and flung the door open.
Dawn looked sharp as ever in her Dockers and peach Oxford shirt, buttoned low to show a tight chest over a white sports bra. She inched toward Morgan as the door creaked open and gave her a quick peck on the lips. “You look edible.” Dawn said then slithered fingers down Morgan’s ribcage.
“What are you doing here?” Morgan attempted to escape her grasp. “I told you no.”
“Come on. It’s just dinner.”
Morgan pushed her hands away and eased out of her grasp. “Fine. But, just dinner.” She grabbed her keys from the stand, eased out the door, and waited for Dawn to exit before she closed the door.
They made their way down the stairs and out into the late evening sunshine. The heat did nothing to lift Morgan’s spirits or to wipe away the hurt from Shane’s words or to help ease her dread of going out with Dawn again.
She knew she was making a mistake, yet caring wasn’t part of her now. She’d hardened herself and closed all open doors to her heart. Not even Dawn could get through this barrier now. She’d be damned if she’d go through another rip in her heart.
In the Eyes of Love Page 10