by April Wilson
“Shane,” I breathe, savoring his heat and the taste of him.
He pulls back and studies me, then wipes a few errant tears from my cheeks. “I’m going to marry you, you know,” he says.
I nod, smiling through my tears. “I know.”
Our quiet moment is interrupted by a brusque knock on the door.
“Are you still in the game, Shane?” Cooper says, his voice low and gruff. “Lia’s filling in for you, and she’s betting a little recklessly with your money.”
“Just a minute,” Shane says, laughing. “I’m coming. Try to stall her.”
Then he looks at me. “Are we good?”
I nod, taking a shaky breath.
“Beth... nothing that happened in my past means anything to me now. You’re the only one who matters, do you understand that? The only one.”
I smile, taking his words to heart and doing my best to bury my insecurities.
“Do you want to go home?” he says, as we rise from the sofa. “I’d be happy to take you home now if that’s what you want.”
“No, I’m fine. Go play your game. I’ll sit on the sofa and read for a while.”
Chapter 4
We head back to the living room, where the guys and Lia are in the middle of a hot and heavy poker hand. There’s an impressive pile of money in the center of the table – both coins and one-dollar bills. They play with real money instead of poker chips so that Jamie can distinguish the currency. Lia’s seated in what had been Shane’s chair.
“You’d better not bleed me dry, kiddo,” Shane says, grabbing her shoulders and giving her a playful shake. “I was up two hundred bucks before you got here.”
She tilts her head back to look up at him and rolls her eyes. “Don’t jinx me, pal. We’re winning. Besides, I’m a better poker player than you are.”
Shane peers over her shoulder to look at her cards, his expression giving absolutely nothing away. I think Shane has a big soft spot for his baby sister. He was the one who orchestrated Lia being reassigned to guard Jonah in the first place, after noticing a definite interest on Jonah’s part. And as they say, the rest is history.
I laugh at them both, then head over to the living room sofa where I curl up at one end with my phone to read while they play cards. Jamie’s yellow Lab, Gus, comes to greet me, laying his big, boxy head in my lap and looking up at me with soft brown, soulful eyes. After I scratch him behind the ears a bit, he drops down with a heavy sigh to lie at my feet.
I have the perfect vantage point for watching the card game. Shane watches over his sister’s shoulder as she deals the cards. When she slides a card across the table to Jamie, he catches it, then runs the tips of his fingers over the Braille dots. As he tucks the new card into his hand, his expression gives nothing away – another perfect poker face. What is it with these McIntyres and their poker faces?
I smile to myself, amazed at Jamie’s resilience. When he moved out of Shane’s estate in Kenilworth a few weeks ago, everyone worried about him. He’d never lived on his own since being blinded in a combat accident in the military. But in true Navy SEAL fashion, Jamie is nothing if not strong willed and determined to prove to himself and to everyone else that he can fend for himself just fine, sighted or not. Since moving into this apartment, he’s amazed us all. He’s practically self-sufficient. He cooks, he cleans, and he manages a very successful career as an author, with the help of an assistant.
I’m fond of all of Shane’s brothers, but it’s Jamie I’m closest to. We bonded when we were both living at the Kenilworth estate for several months over the summer as I recuperated from a terrible beating I’d suffered at my former job. And even though he’s living on his own now, Jamie and I stay in close contact with each other, usually speaking at least a couple times a day. He’s become one of my best friends.
“Hey, princess,” Sam says, dropping down beside me on the sofa, holding a half-eaten slice of pizza in his hand. “You hungry? I’ll go get you something.”
Lia’s nickname for me is starting to rub off on others. Now Sam’s calling me princess.
“No, thanks. I’m not hungry.”
His gaze travels to the poker table.
“You don’t have to hang out here if you don’t want to,” I tell him. “Shane will take me home. Feel free to take off.”
Sam watches the guys at the table, smiling at Lia as she rakes in the huge pile of winnings in the center of the table. “Damn, she took it all,” he says, shaking his head. He glances at me again. “Nah, I’m good. I’ll stay. I’d be crazy to turn down free food, right?”
Sam’s been my full-time bodyguard for about a month now, but honestly, I don’t know much about him. He’s smart, he’s funny, he’s loyal. He gets along with everybody, and he’s got a kind heart. But I know almost nothing about his personal life, other than the fact he has a mom and a sister in Ohio and he’s a former Army Ranger. He’s never mentioned a significant other. He’s never mentioned going out on any dates, or even hooking up with someone, let alone having a steady boyfriend. I find it hard to believe he doesn’t have someone waiting at home for him. He’s too good a catch to remain single.
After her big win, and lots of good-natured ribbing from the guys, Lia gladly relinquishes her seat to Shane. Jonah grabs an empty chair and pulls it up to the table so Lia can sit beside him. It’s getting late, almost half past eleven, and I feel my energy waning. When Shane catches me yawning, he checks his Rolex. I have a feeling we won’t be staying much longer.
There’s a break in the game, and Cooper heads to the kitchen for a fresh bottle of beer.
Sam pats my leg, then rises to his feet. “I’m parched,” he tells me, heading to the kitchen.
While Jamie’s shuffling the cards for a new deal, Jonah whispers something to Lia, and she swats him on his shoulder, laughing. “For God’s sake, Jonah, we’re in public. Behave!”
I have to laugh, too. They’re so good together.
I look across the room at the kitchen counter, where Sam and Cooper stand side-by-side, the two of them hardly acknowledging each other as they sip their beers. They make a very striking pair, with Sam’s fiery red hair and Cooper’s steely gray. They’re the same height, except Cooper’s more muscular than Sam, his shoulders broader. Sam’s muscles are more lean. It’s too bad there’s such a difference in their ages – otherwise I think they’d make a great couple. But Cooper’s old enough to be Sam’s father.
I turn my attention back to my book, and even though it’s a good one, I’m fading out. My eyelids grow heavier and heavier with each passing minute. Eventually I surrender to exhaustion and lean my head back on the cushion and close my eyes.
When a warm hand covers my knee, I crack open my eyes to see Shane crouching in front of me.
“Let’s go home, honey,” he says, squeezing my knee.
“I’m okay, really. I was just resting my eyes. You can stay and finish your game.”
He shakes his head. “I say we call it a night. Despite Lia’s best efforts to torpedo me, I’m still ahead.” Shane rises to his feet, then pulls me to mine. “Come on, sleepyhead. Let’s get you home.”
We say our goodnights to everyone, and Cooper, who decides to share the ride home with us, goes outside to wait for our Uber.
Jamie walks us to the door. “Good game,” he says to Shane, patting him on the back.
When it’s my turn to say goodbye, I wrap my arms around Jamie’s waist and squeeze him tightly. “I miss you.” During the months I lived at the Kenilworth estate, Jamie and I spent hours together every day, swimming, hiking, canoeing, and sometimes just talking for hours on end.
He returns my hug. “I miss you, too,” he says, and then he kisses the top of my head. “Give me a call and we’ll do lunch soon, okay? I’m almost done with the first draft of Dire Straits. I’d love for you to read it and give me some feedback.”
“I can’t wait to read it. I know I’ll love it.”
Shane and I head downstairs and out the front door to find Coop
er waiting on the sidewalk, deep in conversation with Sam. Sam’s doing all the talking, his hands propped on his hips, and Cooper looks tense. There are two black sedans idling at the curb in front of Jamie’s building.
“Hey, guys,” I say, as Shane and I join them on the sidewalk.
Their conversation ends abruptly.
“Hey, princess,” Sam says, extending his hand to me for a fist bump. “I’ll see you bright and early on Monday, okay?” And then Sam ducks into one of the waiting cars.
“I hope we didn’t interrupt anything,” I say to Cooper, who’s opening the rear passenger door of our ride.
“No, not at all,” Cooper says. “We were just killing time, waiting for you two to come down.”
Funny, it sure didn’t look that way to me.
* * *
I slip into the rear seat of the sedan and Shane follows me in. Automatically he reaches for my seat belt and buckles me in. He’s always taking care of me, and I can’t help wondering if he was like that with Luciana. And if he’d married her, I wouldn’t be sitting here with him now. I’d probably be back in my townhouse, alone, waiting for Gabrielle to get home from work.
Shane lays his hand on my leg. “Everything okay?” he says.
I nod, not trusting myself to speak. There’s a lump in my throat, and my emotions are on edge. I know I’m being oversensitive after running into Luciana this evening, but it wouldn’t take much to bring me to tears right now. I honestly don’t know what’s wrong with me.
Shane drapes his arm across my shoulders and leans into me, warming me. His lips are near my ear, his warm breath ruffling my hair as he whispers to me, making me shiver. “What is it, honey? Talk to me.”
I look at Cooper, who’s sitting in the front passenger seat along with the driver, and shake my head. I don’t want an audience. The truth is I don’t understand why Shane didn’t tell me how serious things had gotten between him and Luciana. He may have thought it was irrelevant, but I don’t. And I find myself struggling with anger, which is an uncomfortable situation for me.
Shane unbuckles his seat belt and scoots close enough that our bodies are touching, but he doesn’t say anything more. I think he can tell I’m just barely keeping it together. His body radiates heat like a furnace, which feels good in the chilly night air. I lean into him, seeking comfort, reassurance... anything to still my racing thoughts and keep the anxiety at bay.
When our ride pulls up in front of our building’s lobby, Shane helps me out of the car and we head inside. It’s close to midnight now, and I’m practically dead on my feet. He takes my hand and leads me past the guard at the front desk to the private elevator that goes to our floor. He ushers me inside, and Cooper joins us just before the doors close.
I find myself sandwiched between Shane and Cooper. Neither of them says anything, but I sense they’re looking at each other over the top of my head, engaged in some sort of silent communication.
When the elevator deposits us into the penthouse foyer, the chandelier automatically comes on, lighting our way into the apartment.
“Anybody want a nightcap?” Cooper says, as we walk into the great room. He removes his jacket, which he wore to conceal his holstered firearm, and lays it over the back of a chair.
“Thanks, but no,” Shane says, directing me down the hall toward our suite. “It’s late, and Beth’s tired. We’re heading to bed.”
Chapter 5
Once we’re inside our private space, Shane switches on a bedside table lamp and sits on the edge of our bed, pulling me between his legs.
“Now talk,” he says, holding both of my hands in his as he stares me down. “Get it off your chest, sweetheart.”
I try to pull away in an effort to avoid what I know will be a stressful, painful conversation, but he holds my hands fast.
“Beth.” There’s his lord-of-the-universe voice. He’s in bossy mode now, and fighting him will be an exercise in futility.
I tug on my hands, hoping he’ll let go. “I’m tired, Shane, and I just want to get ready for bed.”
His eyes narrow and his lips tighten, and I know he’s frustrated with me. “Is this about Luciana?”
Hearing him say her name sets me off again. My eyes fill with tears once more, damn it, and I feel both mortified and angry.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I cry, feeling my throat tighten painfully. I jerk my hands out of his as my anger builds. “Do you have any idea how I felt when she told me? When she flaunted her ring in my face? I felt like such an idiot, because I had no idea! If you’d just told me – ”
Shane genuinely looks perplexed. “Beth, I – ”
Now I’m pacing anxiously. “Don’t you dare tell me it’s irrelevant, because it’s not! She stood there, trying to belittle me, telling me you’d run back to her in a heartbeat if she gave you a sign that she’d take you back.”
He has the gall to look amused, which only pisses me off more. I think he can tell, because the grin disappears immediately.
“It doesn’t matter what she said, Beth. She lied to you. Even if she was the last woman on Earth, I wouldn’t touch her with a ten-foot pole.”
“Why were you even engaged to her in the first place? She’s an awful person. How could you?”
He nods and sighs heavily. “I know she is. But she didn’t start out that way. When we first met, she was... different. It wasn’t until after we’d been together for a while that her real personality started to come through. She’s vain, greedy, and vindictive. When I realized I’d made a mistake, I ended it.”
As quickly as it came, my anger dissipates, leaving me feeling only the hurt. “You should have told me.”
“I know, and I’m sorry.” He pulls me onto his lap. “Sweetheart, I never meant to hurt you. She was old news by the time I met you. And frankly, once I met you, you were all I could think about. I certainly wasn’t going to waste time thinking about past girlfriends. I wasn’t trying to hide anything. It just never occurred to me to tell you.”
He runs his hand up and down my back, caressing me, and despite my irritation, his touch feels undeniably good. I close my eyes and lean into him as his strong fingers massage the back of my neck.
“It’s late,” he says. “And you’re exhausted. Let’s get ready for bed, and then I’ll give you a back rub. How does that sound?”
I can’t help smiling at the offer of a back rub. Damn it, he knows just how to get to me. I’m like putty in his hands.
* * *
I grab a nightgown from the dresser and head to the bathroom to get ready for bed. I’ve gotten in the habit of sleeping in the nude these days, as Shane does, but tonight I feel too raw to be so exposed.
After brushing my teeth, I take my birth control pill, then head back into our bedroom. Just as I’m climbing into bed, Shane walks out of our walk-in closet, naked, and I watch him as he crosses the room to the bathroom.
My girl parts tingle at the sight of him... taut, golden skin over finely chiseled muscles, and I can feel my sex heating up and softening with arousal. I clench down with my vaginal muscles, but there’s nothing to hold on to – there’s just an aching emptiness inside me that only he can fill.
God, I don’t know what’s wrong with me. One minute I’m angry and on the verge of tears, and the next all I can think about is getting Shane inside me.
A few moments later, Shane climbs into bed beside me and switches off his bedside lamp. “We shouldn’t have stayed out so late,” he says. “You’re exhausted.”
“It’s okay. I enjoyed watching you play poker.”
Shane scoots closer and rolls me onto my belly. “Would you like a back rub?”
Actually, I’d like a little something else, but I certainly won’t turn down a back rub. “Yes, please.”
He brushes my hair aside to kiss the back of my neck, and I shiver in response.
After tugging the bedding down to my waist, Shane begins to knead my shoulder and neck muscles. I can’t help groaning as his stro
ng fingers dig gently into my muscles, chasing away the tension and turning me into mush. The impromptu massage is accompanied by a trail of light kisses starting behind my left ear – where I’m very ticklish – and meandering down my neck and across my shoulder.
When he makes his way back up to my ear, his mouth hovers inches above it. “Will you marry me?”
I smile. “Yes.”
“When?” he says, as his hands work my back muscles. He applies just the right amount of pressure, not too soft and not too hard.
“I don’t know. I’m still working on that part.”
“Do me a big favor, please, and pick a date. The sooner, the better. How about when my parents get home? That’s just two weeks away.”
Two weeks? Oh, my God. I’m so not ready.
His hands continue down my torso, his fingers stroking my muscles and sinking gently into my flesh. I moan when he splays his hands across my hips and presses his thumbs into the base of my spine, kneading my flesh and melting away the tension. Then his fingers meander lower, over my buttocks to the tops of my thighs.
I gasp when his hands slip between my thighs and nudge them apart, coaxing me to spread my legs. When I do, he slips a finger between the lips of my sex, groaning when he finds wet, warm flesh. He swipes his finger through my arousal, then reaches deeper to anoint my clitoris.
I press my hot face into my pillow to muffle a whimper.
“You’re so wet,” he whispers, his breath a warm puff of air behind my ear. His index finger, slick with my arousal, circles my clit, pressing and teasing and making me squirm.
“Shane.” I spread my legs to give him better access. My God, I have no shame.
His mouth latches onto the skin at the base of my neck, and he starts sucking gently. I know he’s going to leave a mark. My hips are rocking against his finger now, desperately seeking the pressure I crave, and my breath is quickening. I can feel my orgasm building as he teases the tiny bundle of nerves between my legs.
His finger gets serious then, insistent as it torments me, and I know he’s determined to make me come. Faster and faster his finger teases my clit, knowing just how and where to press and pluck and lightly pinch the tiny bundle of nerves. I swallow hard, fairly panting now.