This wouldn't last long and he couldn't hold off forever. The grasp of her fingertips gliding up and down him was rushing him to the edge, pushing him ever closer.
"Please," she said, her voice filled with passion for him. "Grab a condom out of the nightstand."
Quickly he pulled open the drawer, ripping the package and sheathing himself, thankful she had purchased new ones.
"Honey," he said and moved over her, spreading her legs apart with his knees, throbbing with such urgency he didn't know if he could wait much longer.
With a sigh of relief, he pushed into her, welcoming the tightness of her womanly canal gripping him, enveloped by the scent of Shadow. The one woman he never thought could win his heart. Who he could no longer imagine, walking through life without her by his side day and night, soothing him, challenging, making him into a better man.
Slowly he began to move within her, she was so tight, and he loved the way she moaned.
Opening her eyes, her pupils full and dilated in the dim light, she stared at him, her gaze holding him hostage, her body, tormenting him. Shadow permeated his empty soul.
This morning he never expected the afternoon to be fraught with danger, with the two of them spending the evening in the throes of passion. Never considered he would be consumed with lust from the sweetness he found in Shadow's arms.
She gripped his shaft with her inner muscles, and he thought he would lose it right then. Sweet, sweet friction stroked him, surrounded him, their hips moving in rhythm with fierceness, an intensity, which surprised him. Plunging deeper into her, with a driving movement, she matched him.
Burning, resonant pleasure encompassed him with each long stroke and swirled him closer to the edge. Every pounding thrust she met, gripping his erection, consuming him with a wildness he’d never experienced before.
Passion suffused him until he thought he would burst from the desire Shadow evoked in him. The sensations so stirring and so right; he was shocked at their joining. Never in his life had he experienced these types of emotions. Startled and overwhelmed here in her arms, he recognized that Shadow was his forever love.
Reaching for her head, he dragged her mouth to his, devouring her with a hungry kiss that consumed him, holding her lips firmly against his. Shudders rippled through her, pulling her away from him.
"Oh," she cried, her body racked with tremors.
As her orgasm convulsed, he relinquished the tightly controlled rein, shuddering his own release. His heart aching with the love that filled him.
"Shadow," he cried as the pleasure he experienced imprinted onto his soul. Never had he felt anything like this. Never had he been so whole, so complete, and so loved in all his years.
In the glow of the evening, they lay together, their breathing loud, their flushed skin warm against one another's. Shadow didn't say anything, and he rolled them over onto their sides and pulled her up against him, needing her close.
What had just happened to him? Never had sex been so gratifying, so emotional. It left him stunned. What had Shadow done to make him think she belonged here, beside him, loving only him?
Chapter 9
Early the next morning, Jim sat in his office, going over files before he headed into the field for the day. This morning, waking up beside Shadow, it had been hard to leave her side. After spending all night in her arms, testing condoms and each other, making love until the wee hours of the morning, they had risen late.
Last night, he would never forget. Now all he needed to do was figure out when and how he wanted to tell her he loved her. Somehow he wanted to make the night a special time where he expressed his feelings and showed her how she'd captured his heart.
His cell phone rang and he glanced down, frowning, wondering who would call him this early in the morning. The number shining on his cell displayed Drew, his youngest brother the attorney.
"Hello," Jim said.
"You guys get any storm damage?" he asked. "It looked like that tornado was right on top of you."
"Watched it for about half a mile before it finally went back up in the clouds. Damn scary," he said, remembering the dangerous afternoon and how Shadow had been in the ATV searching for him. So many bad things could have happened, but somehow, they both escaped to live another day.
"Wow, but no damage."
"Not that I'm aware of. When I got back to the house, the yard was covered in hailstones. I'm going to call the roofer to come out and make certain everything's okay. Broke the windshield of the farm truck."
"You're lucky if that's all the damage you have," Drew said. "We had strong winds and thunderstorms."
Jim thought of how his brother still owed them all a dance around the fountain. Though why he was concerned, he didn't know. Even after last night, he still didn't believe in the power of a stone statue finding him love. Yet, he did love Shadow.
"Wanted to call and check on you and also tell you I have the results back on that investigation you asked me to do."
A tingle of nerves scurried down his spine. With everything going on, he forgot all about his request to Drew to find out about Shadow. Now he wasn't certain he wanted to hear what he'd learned, but yet, he didn't think there was anything shocking. Some people considered Texas Love Magazine a liberal magazine, but that didn't matter.
Biting his lip, Jim waited for his brother to tell him what he learned.
"That girl's mother is the weird one, not her. She graduated with a BA in journalism and a minor in counseling. She's written books, articles for several major magazines, and seems to work hard. After I saw she was a journalist, I wanted to make certain she didn't write fake news stories for the Internet.
“Her last few articles were in Texas Love Magazine. My associate contacted them and ask some discreet questions about why she's in Cupid." Drew gave a long sigh which sent a tingle of warning through Jim. "Brother, she's writing an article about the Cupid statue. My sources tell me she's intending to use your Cupid Stupid dance as the center of the piece."
Stunned, he sat staring at the paperwork on his desk, wondering when or if she ever planned to tell him about this article. He even wondered what she was working on, but assumed another erotica novel.
"What are you going to do?"
Jim sat not moving, not certain what he would do, anger like a simmering pot heating inside him. Last night, he gave her his heart, his soul, his pride, his everything when he realized he loved this crazy girl. This morning he was making plans on them being together. Buying a ring, proposing, and hopefully at the end, a wedding.
Instead, he sat there feeling really stupid. Cupid had been foiled.
"I don't know," he said uncertain. "But she's not going to get away with making a fool of me and ruining the small town I love. I've got to stop her."
Shadow couldn't believe the lovemaking she experienced last night with Jim. He'd been a tender, caring lover and several times she came close to whispering her feelings. Fear held her back. The day before, he let her know in no uncertain terms he would never marry a girl he met after running around the Cupid statue.
She was the first woman he met after his dance in the town square. She was the one the legend said he would fall in love with and yet he flatly denied he would marry anyone without making certain they were right for him. No superstition would choose his love.
After seeing that ugly twister racing through pasture land, tearing up trees and tossing them like toothpicks, she realized how close they came to a near death experience. Either one of them or both could have been sucked up and dropped several counties over. Reliving that terrible monster storm in her mind, she gave a shiver.
Sometimes from bad things, something good happened and this morning she'd been even more in love with the handsome rancher. So much, she didn't know how she could bare to leave him.
Just as she finished feeding Keiko, she glanced up to see him standing in the door.
"Good morning," she said, rising from cleaning out the playpen where Keiko slept pea
cefully after her latest feeding. This morning her heart overflowed with love and she went to him, and kissed him solidly on the mouth. He tensed, his body unyielding.
Stepping back, she gazed at him, noticing the darkening of his brown eyes, the hard line of his lips, the rigid stance of his body. "What's wrong."
"Who do you work for?"
"No one. I'm an independent contractor."
"Are you writing an article on the city of Cupid and the statue?"
Swallowing, she looked away, her stomach clenching with pain. "The feature article was the reason I came to Cupid. After I'd been here awhile, I didn't want to tell the town's story, but the magazine gave me no choice."
"Everyone has choices," he said.
"My options are eat or go hungry. What kind of choice is that."
"Who is the article about?" he asked not backing down, his face red.
His fists clenched and while she didn't worry about him hurting her, his actions showed the depth of his anger. Somehow, he’d learned the truth and from the questions he was asking, he knew everything. That damn editor had probably spilled his guts.
"The story is about you, the city, the statue, the superstition, the people who believe because they did the Cupid dance, and found love," she said. "The editor told me if I didn't write this story, never submit again. What was I suppose to do? Before I ever met you, and all the special people who live here, I agreed to this."
"Did you ever consider how the people in town might feel about their legend being exposed to the world? Did you ever envision what this will do to the town? How our little piece of paradise could be inundated with tourists all searching for some ridiculous emotion they think dancing naked around the fountain will bring. My God, what have you done?"
"At the time, no. Now, yes, but it's too late for me to get out of submitting it. Not without losing any opportunity of ever publishing with them again," she said, her chest aching, her stomach queasy with nausea.
Running his hand through his hair, he paced the floor in front of her.
"The only reason I did that dance was to keep my word. From the very beginning I told you I don't believe in that Cupid nonsense. And now you think you're going to tell the whole state of Texas about me dancing around that damn statue in the nude and meeting my true love. Not happening."
"What about my word? If I agreed to write the article, shouldn't I keep my word?"
"You're twisting my words," he responded.
Inside, her heart splintered into pieces. Jim was not the type of man who forgave easily. This morning, she thought after last night, they had a chance, but now, it was over. They were done. Forgiveness didn't seem to be in Jim's vocabulary and therefore he would never come to love her.
"Believe me, you've made your feelings well known about how you don't accept this hocus pocus, because I'm the girl according to the statue you would have fallen for. So I'm good enough to sleep with, but I'm a little too weird to love and marry."
Stunned at her response, he stared at her. "That's not true."
"The hell it isn't. At the picnic the other day, you let me know you were only going to marry when the girl met all your qualifications. This free spirit will never be enough for your fancy standards.”
"Again, that's not true. You're being dramatic."
"Of course, I am," she said, thinking he was too blind to see she loved him.
Tears filled her throat, clogging it, causing her to bite her lip to keep from sobbing out loud. Furious with her, she doubted he would ever forgive her.
"The men are waiting for me. I've got to get out to the pastures, but this is not over by any means. When I return tonight, we're going to talk about how you're going to fix this. How you're going to stop the magazine from publishing your story. What you need to do to make it happen."
Turning on his heel, he stormed out the door, taking her shattered heart with him.
A sob escaped from between her lips. If she didn't turn in the story, she would never publish with the magazine again. But if she let the world learn about Cupid, Texas, the small-town atmosphere would change and Jim would hate her.
Her choices were simple, starvation or being hated by everyone in Cupid and losing the man she loved.
Walking over to the playpen, she reached in and picked up Keiko. Weeping, she clung to the dog, knowing their time was over. Not only would she lose the puppy love, but the love of the man who'd shown her family, life, and happiness were all that mattered.
At two weeks old, Keiko's eyes were open and she stared at Shadow as if to say what's wrong. Hard to believe Shadow had been here that long. Hard to believe they had just totaled her car.
Obviously, Jim didn't love her and after learning about the story, she questioned he ever would. Her heart ached with the knowledge he would never love her.
Time to pack her bags, say goodbye to Keiko and catch a bus to Austin. Her time here had come to an end.
After pulling out her laptop, she wrote him detailed instructions on the care and feeding of Keiko. No matter what, she wanted the little dog to be cherished and well taken care of. Then she told him the farm truck he let her drive, would be in the bus station parking lot.
After being here almost a month, it was time to go home.
For the first time, maybe the Cupid superstition wasn't going to work.
Chapter 10
Jim had been a raving, lunatic bear for the past three days. Since the night he came home and discovered Shadow had left, leaving him the dog and his broken heart. Part of him said what do you expect?
Words were said that were harsh that day. While his logical, follow the rules side, said she broke your trust. Suck it up, you're better off without her. But his heart refused to listen.
At this moment, he didn't feel better off. In fact, he felt like his chest had a gaping hole, leaving his vital organs exposed. His head ached, his eyes burned with all the unshed tears and he couldn't remember a lonelier time. All alone. No one here alone. No one but him and the walls.
Even Keiko was missing her, whining and crying and sniffing around searching for her.
Keiko was a constant reminder of Shadow. The way she'd cared for the animal, telling her to be strong and grow up dreaming of how a family would be lucky to own her one day. Now he got up in the middle of the night feeding her, but that didn't bother him. He wasn't sleeping, he wasn't eating, and he just wanted to hit something, anything.
The back door opened and Cody stepped in. "Your phone broke?"
"Hell no," he responded and picked up the beer he'd been nursing. Normally, he only drank on the weekends, but at the moment, he needed some medicinal liquor to help him make it through the day, but more importantly the night.
"Then why aren't you answering it?" Cody asked. "Your sister is worried sick about you. She thinks you must be laid out in the pasture buzzards snacking on you."
One thing about his siblings, they were used to him checking on them, so when the lines went quiet, they assumed something was wrong.
"Maybe I don't want to talk to anyone. Maybe I'd like some peace and quiet." Oh, hell no, the damn house was like a tomb without her laughter, her voice, the way she cooed at Keiko. Only dead people seemed to reside here now and he was one of them only still walking around.
Cody sat across from him in a chair. "You don't look so good, brother. What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
Cody got comfortable. "We've been friends for a long time. I know you better than that. Now if this is going to take all night, I will sit my ass right here until you tell me. Sooner or later, your little sister is going to come looking for us and she's going to be spit fire mad I didn't call her and tell her what's going on with her brother.
“So you can either tell me now, and I will keep her away until whatever is eating you is gone or we can let Kelsey be a part of your dilemma."
Shit! Just what he didn't need, his whole family all up in his business.
"If I tell you, this stays between me an
d you. Don't let the rest of the clan come over here, sniffing around and seeing how Jim is holding up this time."
"I'll do my damnedest."
What choice did he have? The troops would arrive and surround him until he told everyone once again, he lost at love, if he didn't tell Cody. And this time with the girl who had seen him first after he danced the Cupid Stupid dance. That damn superstition was one big lie.
"This is all your fault," he said, glaring at Cody.
"Mine?" he said, looking stunned. "What did I do?"
"Yes, you made me dance around that stupid God of Love - which should be called the devil. Then I met Shadow," he sighed, looking down at his feet, shaking his head. "Fate screwed me again."
"How much beer did you drink? You're not making a whole lot of sense," Cody said.
"Not near enough," Jim said frustrated. Dejected, he began to tell Cody what he learned about Shadow and how she planned to out them all in Texas Love Magazine. How hurt and betrayed that once again he fell in love only to have happiness ripped from him. Thinking of Shadow, his chest seized with pain. God, how he missed the sound of her laughter, her touch, her silliness.
Cody shook his head. "Look, man, I know where she's coming from when she says she doesn't have a choice. While you live a very comfortable life, she’s the product of a single parent who sounds more ditzy than she is. She lost her car, her things, and she's trying to make a living in a tough world. Never underestimate how thin some people's cushion is. You, my friend, own a damn sofa compared to her pin cushion. Not much stands between her and starving. The bigger question is do you love her?"
Feeling the tears prick behind his lids, he closed his eyes. His chest tightened until he was certain he was having a heart or a panic attack. "Yes, I love her, but like before, Fate screwed me again."
"You've said that twice. Do you truly believe Chrissy had a choice in leaving you? My memory is telling me she was killed in a car accident."
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