Relinquishing Liberty (26 page)

Shayne murmured something in his sleep, and his grip around me loosened up a bit. My bladder was on the verge of bursting, so I slowly slipped free from him, trying my best not to wake him. It was still early, and the sun was just barely coming up.

After relieving myself, I looked in the mirror and, as usual, I was a hot mess. My hair was sticking up and going every which way, my makeup that I had forgotten to take off was smeared all over, and my breath was…well…let’s just say it smelled like something had died in there. I quickly brushed my teeth and removed the horrible mask my face was sporting, before I came back into Shayne’s room and stealthily climbed back into bed.

I lied down next to him, watching his chest rise and fall with each steady breath he took. He looked so peaceful when he slept; almost child-like. I brushed away the few hairs that had fallen in front his face, and trailed my fingers along his cheek and jaw, tracing over the week-old stubble. I normally wasn’t a fan of facial hair on guys. I always thought it made them look like cavemen: rugged, unruly, unkempt. But on Shayne it was damn sexy. I remembered the way it felt when it scraped against my thighs as he went down on me last night… Yeah, there was absolutely no way I would ever let him shave it off.

Since Shayne was still asleep, I finally had a chance to admire the rest of his tattoos without it appearing like I was gawking at him like a priceless work of art. The images depicted on his skin really were spectacular; kudos to his tattoo artist. Some were so detailed and lifelike, they looked as though they were about to jump right off of his skin. One stood out that I had never seen before. It looked like a puzzle piece had been carved right out of his wrist, and I could see the muscle and tendons that lied beneath. Blood dripped from the “wound” like tears down his forearm. It was both beautiful and morbid, and I was curious about the meaning behind it. I slowly rolled over so I could grab my phone from the nightstand just beside my pillow. I wanted to capture the beauty that lied deep within the gruesomeness of the tattoo.

After setting my phone back on the nightstand, I turned back to find Shayne staring at me with his intense gaze. The corners of his mouth curled up like a mischievous, little Cheshire cat.

“Mornin’.”

“Mornin’ to you, too. How long have you been awake?”

“Long enough.” He smirked. “So…you trying to get some shots of my sexiness in the morning? You just need to ask, sweetheart. You don’t need to be all covert about it.” He winked.

I smacked him across the chest for his brash remark. “God, are you always this cocky in the morning?”

“Yup. Take it or leave it, baby.” He leaned over, nuzzling my neck. I could really get used to waking up like this.

He slid down my body, and I giggled uncontrollably when he surprised me by blowing raspberries across my stomach. I squirmed beneath him as I tried to catch my breath. “I-I guess I’ll have to take it.”

“Good girl.” He smiled and gave me a long, drawn out kiss before getting out of bed.

He walked over to his dresser in nothing but his boxer briefs, stretching his arms above his head and giving me quite a show of his backside. He must have the most delectable ass I have ever seen on a man. It should be a sin to have an ass that fine.

He pulled out a perfectly folded t-shirt and slid it over his head. I was actually surprised by how neat and tidy Shayne kept his house. He never had any clothes lying around, his bed was always made and I never caught a single dish lying in his sink. That was almost unheard of for a guy living the bachelor life.

“Shayne?”

“Yeah?” He turned to face me, shining those pearly whites in my direction.

I bit my lip trying to think of a way to word this without offending him. “Now, don’t take this the wrong way, but…how is it that even though you grew up without a mom around, you still keep everything so clean and organized?”

“Well, my dad and I are complete opposites in that respect. If I took after him, this place would be a total pigsty. You’ll see exactly what I mean when we get a chance to go over there. I love him, he just doesn’t get that not everyone lives in their own filth. That’s probably why he never re-married. No woman could ever put up with that shit.” That made us both laugh.

“So I guess I just got into the habit of cleaning up after myself. I know that’s not typical of most guys. Why? Do you find that weird?”

“Not at all. I feel like I just hit the jackpot knowing I’ll never have to clean again!”

“You make it sound like you’re moving in, sweetheart.” He looked at me with his eyebrow raised and a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

“No, I just meant…”
Shit.
I really wasn’t trying to insinuate anything.

Shayne shook his head, and his shoulders bounced with laughter. “I know babe, I’m just teasing you. You’re more than welcome to spend as much time here as you want.”

“In fact…” He turned back to his dresser and grabbed a key before handing it over to me. “I have to work this morning, and I don’t know if you have any plans today, but if you want to spend the day here then you’re more than welcome to. The weather’s supposed to be pretty nice so you can lie out on the beach and work on that sexy little tan of yours.”

Wow he actually trusts me enough to stay at his house alone…all alone…where I can snoop through all of his stuff and find incriminating evidence. Not that I would do that.

“Lucky for you, I have the day off.” I walked over to my overnight bag and pulled out my swimsuit. “And I just so happen to have my bikini, too. It’s a shame you won’t get to see me in it.”

He sauntered over to me and wrapped his arms around my waist. “Well maybe you can model it for me before I have to leave.”

“I’m not sure if that’s a good idea. With that hungry look you’re giving me right now, I pretty confident I’ll make you late for work.”

“Liberty, I work for my dad, remember? Boat can’t leave without me.”

Damn, he’s right.

“All right, you win. Just let me take a shower really quick.” I left his bedroom with a little extra swing in my hips, and I could have sworn I heard him let out a low groan as I shut the door behind me. I showered and shaved in ten minutes flat, which is a new record for me, but I didn’t want him to be late for work. I really liked his dad, and it would be rude if Shayne kept him waiting.

I slipped on the barely-there bikini that I bought just last week, and I was beginning to regret letting Maddie pick this one out. How was it that I always let her talk me into buying clothes that practically left my ass cheeks hanging out? Seriously, the bottom piece was a borderline thong. Shayne would have a fit if I wore this out in public.

I had gone to bed in one of Shayne’s t-shirts and decided to throw it back on over my bathing suit. When I walked back into his room, he was sitting on his bed, already dressed for work and patiently waiting for me, but the grin on his face fell in disappointment.

“Why are you all covered up?”

“It’s…a bit…revealing.” I wrapped my arms around my body, already feeling too exposed.

“Sweetheart, it’s just me. Come over here.”

I dragged my feet over to him, and he pulled me closer so that I was positioned between his legs. His hands rested on my hips before reaching for the hem of my shirt and leisurely lifting it over my head. Again, my hands flew across my body in an attempt to cover up. He took my hands in his and slowly peeled them one at a time off of my body. His eyes perused me from head to toe, paying special attention to the non-existent scraps of material struggling to shield me.

His hands came around to grip my behind, and his eyes widened when he realized there was almost nothing covering me there. “You’re right. I can’t let you wear this out there.”

“Damn it, Maddie!” I cursed under my breath.

Shayne let out a low chuckle. “Yeah, this does seem more her taste. Maybe you should keep my shirt on while you’re on the beach. I like you better in my clothes, anyway.” He swatted my ass before sliding his t-shirt back over my head and down my body.

When it came time for him to leave, he tackled me on the bed and peppered my face with kisses. With one last, toe-curling kiss, he was out the door. It wasn’t even eight in the morning yet, so I crawled back under the covers and buried my face in his pillows, soaking up his delicious scent. When I finally peeled my eyelids open again, it was quickly approaching noon, so I decided it was time to drag my lazy ass out of bed.

My stomach was threatening to go on strike if I didn’t get some food in me soon, so I moseyed into his kitchen to make something for lunch. Everything in there was spotless and organized. He really was a bit of a neat freak. I was dying to get my hands on his impressive collection of cooking gadgets, but I was too afraid of making a mess. So I decided on a simple turkey sandwich and some chips.

While I ate, I stared out his kitchen window that faced the beach, and the water was remarkably calm today. Maybe I would finally get to go for a swim without the risk of being tossed in with my nice clothes on. I hope Shayne wasn’t serious about me keeping his shirt on all day because I was ready to soak up some vitamin D. I slid on a pair of shorts that were cut just high enough so that my tan lines wouldn’t look silly; I’m sure Shayne would at least approve of me wearing
these
in public.

Before heading outside, I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, some sunscreen, and my phone. I noticed the towel from the night before was back on the deck, draped over the railing, and I could feel the heat creeping up my face as I blushed. I don’t know why I was so embarrassed thinking about it. It’s not like anyone saw us…at least I hoped not. I wasn’t really worried about it at the time.
Shit, what if someone had seen us!?

A text vibrated my phone, snapping me out of my reverie of the night before. Shayne’s name lit up across the screen, and my mouth spread into a huge grin.

Shayne:
How’s that gorgeous tan of yours coming along? Send me pics!

I shook my head as I read the text.

Me:
I literally just stepped outside…but I’m sure I’ll be a bronzed goddess in no time.

Shayne:
You better still be wearing my shirt. I’m going to THOROUGHLY inspect that sexy-as-hell body for a farmer’s tan when I get home.

It couldn’t help the laugh that escaped me. It was so hard taking his threat seriously when I was actually looking forward to it.

Me:
I guess you’ll just have to wait and see. ;)

Shayne:
Behave yourself while I’m gone…and keep the shirt on!

Me:
Yes sir!

Shayne:
Love you, sweetheart! xo

I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I just typed out that I missed him and would see him when he got home and hit send.
Why was it so hard for me to say it back?
Even my fingers wouldn’t cooperate with typing out the words.

I made my way down the beach, just a few feet from the water. I slathered my whole body with an ample amount of sunscreen and sprawled out across the towel. The sun was bearing down on me, but there was a gentle breeze coming up over the ocean that was just enough to cool me down. After my skin started to develop a rich glow, I flipped over to work on getting some color on my back.

I could hear a group of kids laughing and playing as they ran along the beach with a small dog, and it brought a smile to face. I could easily picture Shayne and I raising a family here and enjoying warm summer days on the beach with our kids. Shayne would make such a great dad. Now why didn’t
that
scare the living hell out of me? I couldn’t say the words “I love you”, but yet here I was imagining a future together with him.

The direct sunlight was beginning to fry my skin, so I decided to take a quick dip in the water. It was a lot warmer than it had been was last night, that was for sure. I settled there with my body about three-quarters submerged, just staring out at the endless ocean. It made me feel so small and insignificant…although that wasn’t all too unfamiliar to me.

After AJ died, I sort of fell into the background and remained there unnoticed. I was never an attention-getter, but it still would have been nice to have some sort of acknowledgement that I even existed. Now I was pulling the exact same shit with my parents. I continued to ignore their daily calls and e-mails; I even went as far as buying a pre-paid phone with a different phone number when I got to Savannah. I missed them something fierce, but I still wasn’t ready to talk to them. They were going to have to prove to me first that they’ve made some major changes because I refused to get sucked back into the same routine where I was the one taking on the role of the parent.

That feeling of insignificance slipped away the second I felt his strong arms snake around my waist. I closed my eyes and leaned back into his hard chest. Shayne just had a way of making me feel like his whole world when he held me close.

He leaned down to whisper in my ear, “I see you’re not wearing my shirt.”

I giggled knowing that it would be the first thing he would notice. “You’re home early.”

Shayne spun me around and looked at me with his eyebrows pulled together. “Babe, it’s already six.”

There was no way it was already that late.
Jesus, how long have I been out here?

“I guess I must have lost track of time.”

“Yeah, I can tell. You’re all pruned.” He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed my wrinkly fingertips. “Why don’t you dry off, and I’ll get started on grilling us some teriyaki steak kabobs?”

“Damn, I didn’t even get a chance to snoop through your stuff today,” I pouted.

Shayne let out a hearty laugh. “Sweetheart, what’s mine is yours. I have nothing to hide.”

That’s what they all say
. Everyone has their secrets, and eventually they all come out. I’m sure Shayne had a closet chock full of them, but to be completely honest, I didn’t want to know. Some things were best left unknown, and I had no reason to even suspect that Shayne was hiding anything from me.