“You wound your magic around him, too, Red. He thinks you’re awesome and wants to work here.” I huffed out a chuckle. “All I wanted was some order to my life. I had no idea what was going to happen when I let you get in the truck.”
Finally, she spoke, her voice quieter than I had ever known it to be. “What happened?”
I pressed a kiss to her head. “You brought the sun back into my life, Red.”
She let out a long, shuddering breath. “Oh.”
I tilted up her chin and kissed her. It was a different kiss than any other we’d shared. One of comfort and caring. Appreciation and honesty. I was tired of fighting her. Fighting her draw. I hated that she was scared. I loved that maybe I could help her not be.
I kissed her, knowing somehow tonight, things would change between us.
Our kiss deepened as I slanted my mouth over hers, holding her closer. Burrowing my hands under the blanket that protected her and surrounding her with my touch. Slowly she relaxed, forgetting the noise and the storm, losing herself in us. We touched and kissed, discarding the barriers between us and feeling only our bodies sliding together. The silk of her hair on my hands. The satin of her skin against mine. I rolled her under me, using my body as a shield from what frightened her. I pressed her deep into the mattress, murmuring nonsensical words, kissing and tasting her. Allowing, for the first time, the adoration I felt for her to soak into my words, drift through her mind, and sink into her skin. Everything I found appealing, I whispered to her. Praised her.
I lifted on my elbows as I settled between the cradle of her open legs. Our eyes held in the dim light as I slid into her body, groaning at the sensation of coming home. I moved in long, unhurried glides, our fingers intertwined in the pillow over her head as I loved her. Kissed her mouth, her neck, and nuzzled her breasts. She whimpered and moaned, no longer fearful, but passionate and lost with my touch. I covered her mouth, sharing her breath as she peaked, shuddering and clutching me tightly within her, until I followed, spent and complete.
With her.
I gathered her into my arms and held her, keeping her close, needing to feel her as much as she needed to feel me. She drifted her fingertips, light and gentle, along my forearms and hands.
Moments passed of silence, then I spoke. “Tell me a secret, Red.”
She stilled her movements and inhaled a slow, deep breath. “It might make you angry.”
I frowned against her head. After what we had just shared, I doubted she could anger me.
“Tell me.”
“I found the file on your motorcycle. I know what happened. What they did to you,” she whispered.
I stiffened for a moment, then relaxed. It was bound to happen.
“When?”
“While you were away. It was stuck in the back of the file cabinet behind the petty cash box.”
“Hmm.”
“I shouldn’t have looked.”
I felt a smirk form on my lips, and I kissed her head. “But it’s you, Red. You couldn’t help yourself.”
She made a little noise in her throat. “I’m sorry. What they did was so awful. No wonder you don’t trust me.”
“That’s the rub, Red. I tried not to. I tried not to like you. I failed at both.”
“You-you like me?”
I laughed, pressing a kiss behind her ear, which made her shiver. “After what we just shared—after the last few days—you doubt that?”
“I was too afraid to hope.”
I tightened my arms. “I more than like you, Red. And I trust you. More than I thought I could ever trust someone again.”
“Oh.”
I sighed, knowing I owed her an explanation.
“I met Shannon at a real low point in my life.”
“You don’t have to tell me.”
“Hush,” I growled. “Yes, I do. I need you to understand. I’m going to tell you, and then it’s done. I don’t want to talk about it, understand?”
“Like, ever?”
“Ever.” I nipped her ear. “Are you going to listen or keep talking?”
“Yeesh. I’ll be quiet.”
I gathered my thoughts, surprisingly calm about talking about such a painful time in my life. Somehow holding Red and telling her wasn’t as difficult as I expected.
“I lost my parents pretty close together, and it hit me hard. I was lonely and Shannon seemed to be the right fit for me. I met her at one of those motorcycle events, and I thought she was great. She came to see me here a few days later, and well, she just stayed.”
“I see,” came her soft reply.
“She helped in the shop, doing deposits and the like. She sort of moved in and took over. She changed the house, changed the way I did things. My best friend Billy worked with me at the shop, and they got along well. Shannon—she had a way about her.”