“Do you mind?”
“No. It’s time.” He reached for the bill, quickly signed it to his room and then looked at her. “Speaking of time, I am so ready to get you alone. Or is it too late? I know you teach tomorrow.”
“Are you inviting me up to your room?”
“They’ve given me the owner’s suite. It’s very impressive.”
“Well then, I definitely have to come see it.”
They took the elevator up to the fourth floor, to his suite. “This is quite nice,” she said, taking in the living room and the dining room, and the one bedroom beyond.
He pulled her into his arms. “This is nicer,” he said, tilting her face up to kiss her.
The kiss went on and on until Jet’s head spun and little lights danced behind her eyes and she had to lean against Shane for strength. “Dang,” she whispered, clinging to him, no longer sure her legs would support her.
He didn’t step away. His hands remained on her hips, holding her close. She loved the feel of him against her—warm and hard—he felt unbearably good. And then his head dipped and his lips found her ear, and then the tender hollow below. She shivered at the kiss and the tantalizing flick of his tongue.
“Oh,” she sighed, whimpered, gripping his arms tighter.
“I love it when you do that,” he said, voice husky. “You just make me want more.”
She didn’t even hesitate. “You can have more.”
His head lifted. “Only if you can promise me forever.”
Her eyes flew open and she pulled back.
His dark eyes locked with hers. “I can’t make love to you without loving you, and I don’t love and walk away.” He took a breath. “Just so you know where I stand.”
Her lips curled and she felt a bubble of hope rise inside of her. “Is that so?”
He nodded. “There are a lot of things we need to talk about, a lot of things to explain—”
“We’ve time.” She rose up on tiptoe and kissed him. “Lots of time. Later tonight. Tomorrow morning. Tomorrow evening. The day after that. The day after that one…”
“I’m beginning to see where this is going.”
“See where I stand?”
He cupped her face, kissed her deeply. “I do.”
She kissed him back, arms wrapping around his neck, body arching into his, hips grinding provocatively against him. “Promise me this isn’t all animal lust.”
“Oh, there’s some serious animal lust, but you’re my curious kitten, and I dig you big time.”
She grinned, smiling against his mouth. “I feel shameless. I love your lust.”
He laughed, hands tangling in her hair, drawing her head back so he could kiss her throat. “Baby, you have no idea. We haven’t even gotten started.”
His mouth against her skin made her shiver with pleasure. He was driving her crazy. But then the caress stopped and he lifted his head.
“How do you feel about babies?” he asked, looking her in the eyes.
“I love babies. Why?”
“Making love could make one—”
“Good. I hope we make lots of them. Maybe not today. Maybe after, you know, we’re officially a couple, but I’d love to have your babies. I come from a big family. You come from a big family. Big families are my specialty.”
“So when do we get married?”
“Depends on when you propose.”
He laughed, and laughed some more as he swept her into his arms and carried her into his bedroom.
An hour later, Shane proposed in the bedroom moonlight with one of the small silver rings he’d taken off his pinky finger. “This is just until I can get something made for you, babe. But marry me. Love me. Spend the rest of your life with me—”
“Yes.” She didn’t need more than that. How could she want more than that?
And then they were making love again, and outside the hotel room window tiny, lacy snowflakes began to fall.
Epilogue
Three Months Later
They’d had such good intentions to wait, and spend a year enjoying their engagement. They were going to let Jet finish her school year and Shane sort out the details for his next book which Mark had convinced his publisher they had to buy since it was a fascinating and true story about a Copper Mountain heiress who was kicked out of society and forced to provide for herself by becoming the first teacher in Montana’s Paradise Valley.
There was so much Jet and Shane needed to do but they didn’t want anything but to be together, and so they decided to marry Mother’s Day weekend in Cherry Lake, choosing the date not for the cherry trees, which would be in bloom, but rather to honor Shane’s mother, Catherine Cray.
Harley and McKenna took Jet shopping for a wedding gown at the pretty little bridal shop, Married in Marietta. Jet didn’t care about wedding colors or themes or fancy invitations. She just wanted to marry the man she loved and start a family and give his children—their children—stability, security, as well as lots of adventure and fun.
The Sheenans insisted on hosting the reception, saying it was the least they could do, and when Jet saw how happy they were to do it, she stopped protesting.
On the Thursday before the wedding, the Diekerhofs flew in to Missoula from California. Dillon and Paige and the children arrived in Kalispell. And the rest of the Sheenans drove to Cherry Lake. There was a huge rehearsal dinner party Friday night and then on Saturday, Harley helped Jet dress for the wedding.
“I love seeing you so happy,” Harley said to Jet as she finished attaching Jet’s veil.
“He makes me happy,” Jet answered.
“He needed you.”
“We needed each other,” she corrected.
And then it was time to head to the orchard where they were holding the service. It was a beautiful May day. The deep blue of shimmering Flathead Lake was a perfect backdrop for a wedding. The cherry orchards were in full bloom with bees buzzing happily from white blossom to white blossom. Jet felt like one of the bees, her insides buzzed and hummed with happiness. She wanted to remember every little detail but she was too excited. It was impossible to stop smiling. And then the ceremony was over and Shane was kissing her and people were cheering.
From one of the big party tents behind them came the riff of a guitar, and the distinctive beat of a drum.
Jet turned in Shane’s arm to look up at him. “Why does that sound an awful lot like KISS?”
“Does it?” he replied innocently. “Maybe it’s just a cover band?”
“KISS is not playing at our wedding.”
And then right on cue, right with the band, Shane began singing, “I was made for lovin’ you baby…”
He drew her across the lawn and into the party tent where dozens of silver antique chandeliers hung suspended over the tables and dance floor. Swags of yellow and white flowers draped across the ceiling while the tables were covered in yellow silk with white embroidery. Big glass jars held the fresh yellow and white centerpieces.
As they entered the tent, one of the band members—Gene Simmons, or a look alike—jumped off the stage and handed Shane the mic and then Shane sang the entire song from the top to her, oblivious to the guests forming a crowd around the edge of the dance floor.
It was the most ridiculous, wonderful moment of her life.
Jet had no idea if this was the real KISS, or a cover band wanting to be KISS, all she knew was that Shane, her love, her heart, was so happy right now singing to her, belting out a rock love song, and for a moment she wished he still had his long hair and the beard and he could represent the 70s properly, but then the song finished and he caught her up in his arms and kissed her, the kiss so hot and sexy that she couldn’t think straight, and she was okay with his smooth square jaw and his handsome face and his lips, those lips, that could make her feel so amazing.
“I love you, Shane,” she whispered, fighting tears through her laughter.
“And I love you, Mrs. Shane Sean Finley Swan Sheenan.” He kissed her.
Oh, and don’t forget the Cray.”
“Won’t ever forget the Cray.”
How could they when Catherine Jeanette Cray had been so instrumental in bringing them together?
The End