River's Return (River's End Series, #3) (17 page)

She honestly felt amazing this morning. Alive. Colorful. Where usually, she was numb and gray. She considered her name an apt caption for her personality and life. Still, who would expect her to be with Shane? It was glorious. Spectacular. Orgasms so big and deep and body-rattling, she felt branded by him.

A piercing. Crap, she’d never even seen one in person before. That was a shock. She tried to cover it. And not let him see how it intimidated the living crap out of her. It was odd at first. To touch, explore and then have it go inside her… good. It felt oh-so-good as it rubbed her insides and intensified her passion.

Still, she tried to keep it casual and confined to her head.
Sex.
It was Shane Rydell. He was her neighbor’s affair. And now, he was simply her affair. She could not forget that.

But what did he see in her? She could cringe at her pasty, pale, vanilla looks compared to his. She was all freckles and carrot-topped compared to his
pierced penis.
They had nothing in common to the ridiculous. It was important to remember that. She would breathe that in as her mantra. They were an anomaly to her, but nothing more than a good time.

Going to school now, with her entire body feeling sore and tender and on fire, she was reminded of all the extremely extracurricular things she engaged in last night. She was unable to quit thinking about it for the entire day despite all the little kids that incessantly inquired about their spelling tests and math worksheets.

****

Shane spent the entire day in his shop working on a client’s old diesel truck. He was determined not to let his mind wander to the way Allison felt under his hands, or the purely sensual sounds that escaped her lips as she responded to him. He kept having to set aside what he was doing, and almost ordered his brain to disengage all thoughts. Maybe it was because they were over a woman whose entire being and occupation were the antithesis of sexy. But that seemed to only intensify his attraction to her. Perhaps she was kind of forbidden fruit to him, making it that much more intriguing.

And she had dinner with her ex tonight. His hands kept fisting at the thought of it. Seriously? After what they did last night? After licking her everywhere, and being buried inside her, she planned to sit across from the same asshole who hurt her? Why? He couldn’t make out why she would do that. If the ex really twisted her head up so much, why would he come to town to see her? None of it made any sense.

He glanced out the open shop doors and saw her car pulling in. He wandered out and watched her holding the leather black bag of teacher paraphernalia as she walked to the front door and knocked. Her hair was still neat as it swayed around her back. She pulled just the sides back primly and proper. Its bright color shone like burned gold against the evening sun, brightening up the porch. He watched her disappear inside before turning with a hollow sigh to finish tinkering with the engine. It was over an hour later when he heard her. He wiped his hand on a rag and quickly went over to meet her next to her car.

“How’d it go?”

She smiled up at him and her excitement was back, making her cheeks flush and her eyes sparkle. “So good. Erin’s exhausted and frustrated and doesn’t see where we’re going, but I totally do. She’s seeing the trees, but I’m so excited about the forest I can see us building here.”

Shane’s excitement was kindled by hers. Her enthusiasm was contagious. Her energy grew so positive, it seemed to make his own skin glow in response. He was amped up by her smile. Her voice. Her bright red hair was so cheerful, it reminded him of fresh strawberries heating up in the sun. He stared at her. So beautiful. And yet, so clueless. Her lips were a pearly pink, damp from her tongue licking them, and her eyes shone with bright, blue fire when she looked up at him. She was so tiny and the most adorable thing he’d ever seen. She’d probably have stomped on his feet if she knew he thought that.

Suddenly unable to resist her, he reached in, grabbed her waist, immobilized her, and positioned his mouth right over hers. Her hands came up as if to push him away, but he simply kissed her deeper. She fisted her hands in Shane’s stained, greasy, blue, chambray shirt he wore often when he worked.

“Shane?” Her voice trembled. She primly withdrew her tongue from his and seemed to be holding herself up next to him. He really hated the idea of her seeing her ex-husband; no cause for analysis, it was just so.

He took her hand and pulled her with him, towards his shop, his quiet,
private
shop. The minute they entered the door, he pushed her back against it. His mouth began a feast that started on her neck, moving down to her chin, her ear, and finally her mouth. She sighed as her entire body melted over his. Tilting her head back, she gave him more access to her long, white throat. He kissed its length and moved lower, right into the opening of her blouse. He gently undid a few buttons so he could press the fabric to the side and expose her bra. After kissing her big nipple through the lacy bra, he groaned as it hardened under his lips.
Perfect.
He grabbed her leg and lifted it up while pushing into her groin. She moaned as he suckled her breast. So good.  Everything about her tasted good. Her soft body against his molded and shaped exactly the way he needed her to be.

“Shane? Do you know where—?”

They tore their lips apart when Jack’s unexpected voice echoed through his shop. Jack was standing against the big garage door entrance.

“Fuck,” Shane whispered as Allison dropped her leg and started rebuttoning her blouse.

Jack must have spotted them because he quit talking and mumbled, “Shit. Sorry.” With that, he whipped around and was gone.

Allison’s skin was a fierce pink and her hands shook as she tried to resume her modesty.  Shane leaned his head towards her ear and whispered, “I’m sorry.”

Her smile was tremulous at best. She cleared her throat and ran her hands through the side of hair, unsnarling where his hands messed it up. “I should leave.” She clicked the door handle behind her, whipped around, and rushed to her car. He sighed as she pulled away. That was not how he intended for things to go.

“What did you need, Jack?” Shane asked when he finally quit staring at Allison’s departing car. He turned towards his older brother who had conveniently wandered away from the shop to give them some privacy. Jack turned at Shane’s voice. He walked back into the shop and glanced around.

Frowning, he asked, “Have you been working or something? Things look… all done.”

“They are,” he mumbled, sounding annoyed. Grabbing a crescent wrench, he jerked on the bolt, which didn’t budge, before doing it again. “What did you want?”

Jack sighed as he leaned over the hood, resting his elbows there. “Why Shane? Why did you have to make a move on Allison? She’s Charlie’s teacher. But even worse, she’s Erin tutor. We can’t afford to lose her. Or offend her. Why? Why would you do that?”

Shane glared up at Jack. Why did Jack always assume he’d screw something up? He almost told his brother she came on to him at first, but he was too much of a gentleman. He would never disclose anything about Allison, to anyone. “That’s about as much of your business as mine is knowing all about your sex life with Erin.”

“Erin needs her. This is not a game; you can’t fuck it up.”

“Why do you automatically assume I will? I’m the one who convinced her to persuade Erin to let her tutor her. And let me tell you, big brother, that was not easy. Allison is as nice and courteous as Erin; she’d have never come here that day and helped Erin if I hadn’t nearly pried her to do it with a crowbar. I’m the one who begged her to help Erin. Of course, I know how much it means to you guys. I can’t believe you would even think I would ruin it.”

Jack shook his head. “It’s not that so much, but more like you don’t realize what you’re leaving behind. When you eventually take off, as you invariably do, poor Allison is left behind, heartbroken. What will that mean for Erin? Allison won’t want to come back to the ranch. Or have anything to do with us once you’re out of the picture.” Jack ran his hands through his hair in obvious agitation. “Why did you have to start something with the one woman in the valley we need the most? More importantly, how could she even be your type?”

Shane straightened up and threw the wrench, which clattered loudly to the ground. “Damn it, Jack. Who do you think you are? I like her, okay? I like Allison. You just stand there and assume I’m an imbecile; but I would never hurt Allison or Erin. I know I’m not like Ian, but I’m also not a screw-up, or a criminal bent on vanquishing virgins. I’m your goddamned brother. Just once, could you please give me some kind of credit?”

Jack eyed him skeptically. Shane was standing at his full height, his arms on his waist and his elbows jutting out. Finally, Jack started to nod. “I’m sorry. I
should
believe you. Yes. But I can’t. Not with Erin’s future riding on it. You always get bored. You always take off. Then what? Where will that leave all of us? Allison? And especially, Erin? So no, I can’t give you even an ounce of credit, not about this. It isn’t like you to stick with anything, let alone, one woman. I just wish you’d stayed away from Allison altogether.”

Shane opened his mouth, but snapped it shut and gritted his teeth in rage. Of course, he realized he had no grounds, or track record to argue. Jack was right, he did always leave. And no, he was never faithful to one woman. That was a solid fact of Shane’s history. But maybe this time, he’d want to change that. No screwing anyone. No other women. It took him only half a second before he realized he
could
do that. He
wanted
to do that. He wanted to be faithful to Allison.

Something made his heart skip a beat. Was it panic? Or pleasure? He wasn’t sure. He was making a huge decision that was totally unprecedented. But Allison was like no other woman he’d been with.

“Allison would never renege on helping Erin. She’s not wired that way. She always does what’s expected of her, or needed from her. She’s not like me.”

Jack paused and seemed to digest his words before he finally nodded. “That’s true. I just wish you’d left her alone. What about Celia? Or that woman in the bar a few weeks back? Why Charlie’s damn teacher?”

Shane frowned. “Why can’t I like nice people too?”

“You just haven’t in the past,” Jack mumbled. Shane actually sensed Jack’s annoyance and disappointment in him. A familiar tightening around his throat began, which he got whenever someone in the family, especially Jack, expected something from him. Jack’s code of conduct never jived with Shane. Usually, about this time, Shane would start thinking maybe he needed a break, or vacation, or a breather.

“Where do you get off being so damn judgmental? I know I’m not Ian, but I’m not some kind of degenerate criminal either. Damn you. Maybe if you’d climb down from your high horse once in a while, your son wouldn’t feel the need to keep secrets from you.”

Shane snapped his lips shut.
Crap!
He didn’t mean to spew out that remark. Ben asked Shane for confidentiality and discretion; and look what Shane did with his secret. Jack froze as he nailed Shane with his glare. “What secret do you know about my son?” His tone was venomous.

Shane couldn’t blame him. He’d have reacted the same way to his taunting. His shoulders slumped as he replied, “He’s too damn scared to ask you to help him get his girlfriend on birth control.”

“What girlfriend? And how could you help him?”

“Marcy Fielding.” Jack shuddered at the sound of her name. “I couldn’t. I have no clue about that shit. I just told him to keep using condoms and never trust what a girl says. A guy has to make sure he knows when birth control is being used.”

“He told all that to you?”

“Yeah. Then I got a whole lecture about love and fidelity. He basically explained to me how my life is a meaningless void and I’m destined for bitter loneliness. Meanwhile, he and Marcy plan to ride off into the sunset with their dumpy, little apartment and crappy jobs to support themselves in a few months.”

“Why didn’t you tell me until now?”

“I am telling you now. I still don’t know if I should have or not. He’s eighteen, Jack. But he needs his freakin’ father. Why don’t you quit judging him and just help him? Let him be who he is and try to make it easier, not harder for him. Not all of us are like you, Jack. Not all of us can emerge from the long shadow you have established here.”

“Do I judge you?” Jack asked, and his tone grew quiet and something more.
Was it regret?

“Yeah. Actually. I was never good enough for you, or Dad, or Ian. You all assumed you knew everything about me without ever asking me.”

“Has something changed, Shane?” Jack inquired politely. His gaze was steady and the anger was gone.

He shrugged as he ran a hand through his hair to slick it back. “Yeah. Maybe it has. Okay?” he grumbled. Shane still wasn’t sure about how he was changing. Maybe he was just growing up.

“Because of Allison?”

“Maybe.” His heart beat faster when he heard her name, as if it were tapping out
yes
inside his chest. Yes, it’s because of her. But no. He mentally shied away from admitting it. Not him.
Monogamy? Exclusive dating? Ick… So not his thing.
But he didn’t like having Allison blow him off either. He didn’t like knowing she was on her way to see another man, whoever that man was.