Focus!
Emberlyn worked her magic as she stepped back from me and peeled her jeans off of her legs. How the woman made hopping on one foot to get that tight shit off look sexy, I had no idea, but she had me salivating while she did it.
Once her denim was on the floor, I pounced.
She fell back to bounce onto the bed, her legs dangling off the end of it, while I made my way between her thighs, my nose pressed to the damp spot of her white lace underwear.
“Fuck, I love your smell,” I growled before licking her over the thin material. She arched into me. Using a hand, I pressed her torso into the mattress and spread my palm over her lower belly. “Stay. I want you like this.” I licked my lips while massaging her pussy with my other hand. “Soft. Warm. Ripe and juicy,” I growled the last.
“God, Shane,” she whispered. “I swear you could have me coming apart if you kept talking like this.”
Her words had me smirking. “We’ll have to try that sometime.” I gingerly removed my hand, making sure that she stayed in place, as I grabbed the sides to her underwear and pulled tight until the lace ripped apart.
“Shane!” Her eyes were wide with shock, but heat was swelling in them.
Grinning, I held the destroyed underwear in my hand and took one last sniff before tossing them over my shoulder with a nonchalant, “What?”
“Fuck,” she collapsed back to the mattress, “that was too fucking hot to even get mad at you for: destroying a new pair of underwear.”
“We can solve that problem quite easily.” I petted her silken, wet folds.
“Mmm?”
“Just don’t wear any.” Before she could humor me with a response, I dove right in, causing her to squeal her surprise. “Shhh…we’re not alone,” I reminded her.
“Oh fuck!” She tried to scramble up the mattress but I wasn’t letting up, or letting her go, pulling her back to where she originally was.
“Stay.”
Throwing an arm up, Emberlyn reached for whatever she could find. Her hand landed on a throw pillow, which she hurriedly shoved into her face.
A minute later, I was grinning like the cat that ate the cream, my chin glistening with the juices of her orgasm, barely muffled by the frilly pillow she had in a death grip.
Hurrying to peel off every stitch of clothes I had on, I slowly climbed atop Emberlyn as she made room for me in the cradle of her thighs, surrounding me with her arms.
She shocked me as she pulled my head down and gave my chin a long leisurely lick, then setting her lips to nibble my lower one before pulling back.
“Mmm,” she smirked. “I like the way I taste on you.”
“You do, do you?”
“M-hmm, but I love what you do to me more.”
“That works out quite well, my beautiful Em,” I told her, slicking my cock in her wet folds. Her eyes were ablaze with lust, but tenderness shone through. “I love what I do to you too.” I kissed her hard, then pulled back and fused my eyes to hers again. “And I’m hoping you’ll love what we’re about to do together a whole lot more.”
“Always,” she whispered, her eyes now glistening as I grabbed my straining cock and slowly guided myself into her, all the while looking into her eyes.
“So perfect,” I nuzzled her nose with mine when I bottomed out. “Perfect for me.” I withdrew and slid back in. “In every way.”
“Shane…”
My lips captured hers as I set a slow rhythm for us. My crazed desperation was still there, but having feasted on her like a beast in heat, I found myself more eager to take things slow; to savor her.
And savor her I did.
Chapter 25
Emberlyn
He gave me the animal.
He gave me the romantic.
Fuck, but he gave it all to me; and what did I do? I left the warm cocoon of his bed, shoved on my clothes, grabbed my partially packed bag, and hightailed it out of there like the hounds of hell were all over my ass.
In retrospect, I know I shouldn’t have left like I did.
You could have left a note.
I could have, but that would have taken too much time. Waiting for him to leave for work would have made things that much more unbearable. As it was, it had been hard enough to leave his warmth, to say nothing of making my exit from his house without his daughter and mother noticing.
But someone had noticed, despite my efforts.
Those laugh lines crinkled with disapproval the moment my eyes locked with hers from the safety of my driver’s seat. Shane’s mother had made me.
Now, I was sitting in some crappy hotel—I had to pinch pennies for that new high-tech security system that was being installed after all—analyzing the day’s turn of events.
I knew that Shane had spoken out of the heat of the moment. There’s no way a man like him would make love to me the way that he’d done—and it had been lovemaking—after having pleaded that I stay, if he didn’t trust me around his family. There’s no way that he’d still want me around, if I were really stupid, in his opinion. Or maybe I was after all and had proven it because I’d left him, sneaking away like a thief in the night.
Regret was potent in that moment; yet it wasn’t enough to make me pick up my incessant ringing phone.
Not for him.
Not for Dalton…or Devolin.
Hell, he’d even sicced Stan on me.
I’d even turned off the locator option on the damn thing so no one could trace me. A little something I’d learned from Devolin.
Smart girl, that one.
Yeah, I had to be stupid…
It’s funny how an entire sleepless night spent atop a lumpy mattress, questionably stinky sheets, and bad TV will do to one’s way of thinking.
Clarity hit at about four o’clock in the morning. I couldn’t take the regret anymore, so I sat up and began to plan.
I still hadn’t even spoken to the police yet, Shane having promised to bring me in to give my statement this morning. The perks of being taken in by a cop, I suppose. Needless to say, he and I hadn’t spoken about what exactly had happened either, or what the man had said to me, seeing as we were too busy fighting—then making up. And then I had left him high and dry. My running off definitely was rash.
There was a lot to talk about, and my intuition told me that yesterday’s attack had something to do with Shane’s ongoing murder investigation. My gut churned as the memory of those photographs strewn across my neighbor’s floor played over in my mind.
Maybe I can help him out by way of apology?
By the time I’d gathered up the courage to go back, it was midmorning. Of course, the small package with his usual creepy note which was delivered at my room’s door—nothing but a knock, and no soul to be seen—had solidified my intent on going back to where I’d be safer.
Hell, with leaving in the way that I had, I hadn’t even grabbed my gun.
So that’s what I did.
Getting home had been easy enough.
Dragging my feet toward Shane’s house, however, became harder as Nora came to a stop on her doorstep; arms crossed over her ample chest, gracing me with a hard look, her lips in a thin line.
After a rather uncomfortable stare down, Nora moved to the side to allow me entry. “He’s waiting for you in the kitchen.”
“Nora–”
She stopped my forward progress with a light hand on my arm as soon as I’d crossed the threshold. “He was devastated this morning when he found you gone, honey. I’m not one to meddle, but he’s my son and he’s been through enough. If you’re not serious about you two, it’s best that you let him go. He doesn’t quite know it as of yet, but I know it by the way he looks at you, Ember. He’s in love with you.”
My eyes widened. “What?”
“I know my son. He’s not willing to admit it, because Lord knows the man is stubborn, but if he isn’t in love with you yet, he’s sure as hell on his way.” Letting go of my arm, she urged me further into her home as she c
losed the door behind us. “Kitchen, honey. Best get this done and over with before anything else comes up.”
Chapter 26
Shane
I was busy mulling things over in my morning coffee, which had gone tepid from lack of consumption, when I peered up and saw the object of my current frustration.
Dishevelled, dark circles under her eyes, worry lines framing that luscious mouth of hers, Emberlyn never looked more beautiful than right then.
Three hours spent worrying that I’d pushed her to run, despite my intent being the opposite.
One hundred and eighty minutes spent thinking that I’d never see her again.
Ten-thousand-eight-hundred seconds of not knowing where she had disappeared off to; never responding to any of my calls, messages, or anyone else I’d set on her.
All those facts had me feeling antsy to the point I made to get to my feet.
Emberlyn lifted a hand. “Don’t.” She swallowed hard. “Just let me get this out.”
Settling into my chair, I gave her a curt chin lift, hoping my face, my eyes wouldn’t betray the portrayal of hardness I hoped she was seeing.
“First, I’d like to say that I’m sorry,” she began. “I was stupid to run off like I did. I was stupid to have gone to the cottage to get more supplies when I’d already promised that I would wait.” She hiccupped, her eyes shining with unshed tears. “What I’m most sorry about is the fact that I not only knowingly put myself in danger, but I left your daughter open to that same danger.” The bag slung over her shoulder, along with her purse, dropped hard to the floor before she fisted her hair and let out a frustrating cry. “Goddammit, Shane! What if she’d been right there with me? What if I’d brought her along?” She began to pace, her breathing having grown heavy. “I’m so fucking stupid! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!”
I croaked out, “Em.”
“No!” She turned her tearstained face my way, her skin blotchy and red. “Is this the kind of person you want around your family? God! I don’t know the first thing about being a responsible caregiver. Fuck, I’m still learning how to be in control of my own fucking life!”
“Emberlyn.” I got up but didn’t make a move toward the woman, all too busy with her tirade.
“I’m useless. It’s why I wanted to leave. It’s why I left, Shane,” she whispered, her bottom lip quivering, indicating that her tears were far from done. “But you see? There are some things that I’m good at, and that’s why I came back. Once I’m done helping you out, then I’ll be out of your hair.” She bit her bottom lip. “I promised Rosie that I’d always be her friend.” Her eyes met mine with fierceness. “I’m not breaking that promise, Shane. I swear. But where you and I are concerned–”
That’s when I lunged around the kitchen table and grasped her elbows tightly. “Don’t you stand there and tell me what will or won’t happen, Emberlyn Roth,” I growled. “Don’t you dare promise my daughter something that means everything to her, yet deny me—us—the same courtesy. How can you be so sure of one and not the other, when Rosie and I are a package deal?” Her eyes rounded at my words. “That’s right, Em. It’s not just Rosie or just me. It’s the both of us. So if you can stand there and say that you’ll maintain your friendship with my daughter, I can’t let that happen unless I’m in the picture.”
She ripped herself from my grasp. “So that’s it? It’s you and her or nothing?” Her laugh held all the sarcasm her next words accompanied. “I never once thought you’d play a game so low, Shane. Throwing away a promise that you made me, little under a week ago, that no matter what happened between us, I’d never lose that daughter of yours. A beautiful girl I’ve grown to…to…”
“She loves her, son. Don’t do this,” Nora interrupted our discussion.
“Mom, stay out of this,” I growled, pressing my thumb and forefinger against the bridge of my nose.
“This isn’t the way to hold on to something you think you’re losing,” the older woman pointed out.
My body lost its rigidity, in its stead, defeat made me struggle to keep my legs beneath me. Looking up, my gaze met and held Emberlyn’s and I just knew that this was going nowhere. Swallowing that ever-growing lump in my throat, I hoarsed out, “It doesn’t matter, Mom, I already lost her. I’m willing to give her safety. Safety she’s clearly taking because she’s back here. She wants to help me solve the case. It doesn’t matter that she’s the first person since Eva that I am able to see myself with, and be happy. Am I right, Emberlyn?” The last was spat as if it reality left a bitter taste in my mouth.
“W-what?” Emberlyn whispered.
“You heard me,” I said, all too frustrated. Was she trying to gut me where I stood? “I’m fucking falling in love with you and you can’t even see it? Why do you think I lose my head when you go off and do something you damn well know you shouldn’t? Why do you think I fought so fucking hard to have you here with us, instead of with Dalton or one of the other guys? Because I fucking care, all right? I care for you, dammit! I fucking fought my growing curiosity about you, until I couldn’t take it anymore, after what my mother and daughter kept saying about you. I just had to know you. But I don’t know you at all, do I? I–”
One second I was looking at a woman, whose face was buried between her palms, her head shaking from right to left, and the next, she’d knocked me clean onto my ass as she clung to me as though her life depended on it, her lips fused to mine.
I ripped my mouth from hers. “Em…”
Dainty fingers covered my lips to cease my words. “Shh.” She peeled them back to deliver a soft peck, then replaced them. “I can see it, Shane. I can hear you loud and clear.” She punctuated each sentence with hard, but all too brief, kisses before flooring me altogether. “And I’ve fallen. I-I’m still falling.” Her eyes strayed to the side of my face. “But I’m fucking terrified.”
My heart warmed, I felt powerful with just her words alone. I’d gotten through to her. Finally.
Cupping the side of her face, I brought her gaze back to mine, noticing my mother sneaking out of the kitchen to give us a moment.
About time.
“I’m terrified too, sweetheart. I’m terrified of losing my daughter…of losing my mom. I never thought I’d find something like this—us—ever again, so yeah…I’m fucking terrified of losing you too. But I can’t live a life based on fear. And neither should you.”
“That’s a lot harder to do, Shane,” she whispered.
“And that’s why we should stick together,” I said, offering her a soft smile, which she returned.
“Your daughter said something along those lines just yesterday, as a matter of fact.”
“She did, did she?”
Emberlyn nodded. “She said I should stay because we were stronger as a team than when we’re on our own.”
“Bloody smart kid, that one,” I chuckled.
She snorted. “A regular chip off her father’s block, more like.” Her face grew serious but she stayed silent.
“Em, what’s the matter?”
On a sigh, she dropped her forehead to mine and closed her eyes. “I wish I could keep this light feeling going, but I’m exhausted, and I need to talk to you before we go into the station, so I can give my report about the attack.”
My own eyes closed as I took a deep breath.
I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to enjoy any of what I was about to hear.
“What did he mean by, ‘You’re not her’?” she asked.
Emberlyn had just finished giving me the rundown on what her attacker had told her. It had been a huge point of contention in her decision to leave me in the dead of the night.
Still fuming, I growled, “He means Eva.”
“Your wife?” I nodded. “Of course I’m not her.”
“No, you’re not,” I bit out, “but it won’t stop him from doing anything to get back at me.” This just proved that the man was psychotic enough to stoop to any level to get back at me. For what, who the fuck knows; b
ut I suspected jealousy.
The room was filled with silence for a few minutes before Emberlyn broke it.
“Shane?”
“Yeah,” I sighed, rubbing the mounting stress off of my face before looking at her.
“I haven’t been to the range since before I moved here. Do you think you could take me shooting sometime soon?”
If I couldn’t let off steam by doing something physical, the range was usually where I found myself. It was as if she’d read me; or maybe she was finally coming to terms that running wouldn’t be an option, but practicing with her weapon—a proactive stance—would provide her with the strength and added security she suddenly found herself lacking.
“Go,” Mom interrupted us. “I’ll look after Rosie.”
“But we have that appointment at the station,” Emberlyn stated.
“We can go before that. It shouldn’t take us too long.”
On a single nod, Emberlyn got to her feet. “Let me get changed, then we can head over to mine to collect my weapon.”
You mean she didn’t even have the fucking thing on her when she ran off? What the fuck was she thinking?
Chapter 27
Emberlyn
Shane seemed lighter somehow as we left the shooting range. When I’d asked him why, he’d simply told me that next to working out, it was a surefire way to get rid of his frustrations when things got tough.
I completely understood him. I felt more focused, in control, and stronger somehow—and maybe even a little hot under the collar. Having Shane show me better positioning to hit my mark a little easier had seemed important, but with his body pressed against mine, his arms surrounding me as he guided my grip, my stance, it ended up feeling a little like foreplay. Apparently the loaded weapon in his pants thought so too as he’d pressed himself against my ass.
His, “You with a weapon, and knowing how to handle it, is fucking making me want to do things we definitely shouldn’t be doing right here,” comment, as we finished up by cleaning our respective guns, didn’t help my case but sure as hell solidified that he’d been feeling a little hot and bothered himself.
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