Authors: Victoria Dahl
A tall headboard of solid wood rose high above the bed. The warm stain showed off the scene that had been carved in relief into the arch of wood.
“It’s a little clumsy,” he said, tipping his chin toward the scene of mountains and trees.
“Are you kidding me? It’s amazing, Shane! Look at it!”
A big grin spread over his face. “I see it every morning.” He tipped an imaginary hat. “Ma’am.”
She couldn’t help but giggle at his exaggerated flirtation. “Seriously, Shane. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”
“Now that is just blatant ego stroking.”
“It is not!”
“Right. You think that headboard is more beautiful than a work of art? Hell, I bet it doesn’t even measure up to your romantic view of Providence.”
“Dude, if I found something like this in Providence, it would be on the front of the brochure.
That’s
how much I like it.”
“‘Dude,’ huh?”
“Well, you told me not to call you cowboy.”
He smiled and her stomach fluttered. It felt…secret, somehow, this smile. And when he spoke, his voice was softer. “I’d rather you just called me Shane,” he said.
She could’ve sworn his gaze dipped down to her mouth, but she was so nervous, she focused on the headboard instead of him. “Well, it’s amazing. What you did. It’s…”
“Rough.” When had he gotten so close? His biceps brushed her shoulder as he turned toward her. “This light is a little more generous. If you see it in the morning light, all the flaws stand out, at least to me.”
“You want me to sneak in and surprise you at dawn?”
“No, that’s not what I was thinking.”
She’d been in denial, staring at the bed and ignoring that he was looking at her as he spoke. But there was no way to ignore him when his hand touched her shoulder. She looked up, her heart pounding so hard that she couldn’t hear, couldn’t think. Even as he bent his head toward her, she knew it wasn’t
really
happening, he wasn’t really about to kiss her. But her eyelids fluttered closed and then his lips brushed hers, and Merry wanted to weep.
His mouth was gentle, as if it were asking her a question, but she had no idea how to answer. He was so gorgeous. So damn sexy he’d inspired fantasies she hadn’t bothered with in more than six months. But…did he like her? Did he really want her that way, or was it just that she was in his bedroom and she had breasts and all the other important female parts that made a bedroom more fun?
She didn’t want it to matter. She wanted to just open for him, part her lips and take him inside, but it’d been too long for her. After two long years, she suddenly realized she didn’t want to be another notch in someone’s bedpost, even if it was handcrafted, because this would mean something to her. She couldn’t bear it being one meaningless night in a guy’s memory.
But when his mouth whispered over hers with the slightest bit more pressure, she gave in with a sigh that seemed to part his lips. His tongue touched hers, his arms pulled her closer.
She was in his grip, in his arms, in his room, and Shane Harcourt was exploring her mouth with a slow determination that weakened her knees. She had to stop him, but not…quite…yet. Not yet. She just wanted a little more of this. A little more of his tongue, sliding over hers. A little more of his hands as they slipped down her back and settled on her hips.
Oh, God. Her
hips
. His hands rested there, shaping to the curve of her body, then gripping her. As if he
liked
that. As if he needed to touch her.
Merry sighed into his mouth and his hands tugged her closer. Their hips were almost flush. If she eased forward, she would feel him. Right there. Against her. She wanted to feel him. She wanted it desperately. And if she did that, she knew that would be a signal. He’d ease her shirt up. Touch her naked skin. He’d undress her and they’d fall into bed and then…
Merry pulled back. “I’m sorry,” she whispered.
“It’s okay,” he said, eyes a little unfocused as he started to bend toward her again.
She couldn’t pull away, couldn’t force her body away from his, but she did manage to turn her head. His mouth settled on her neck, and that was just as good. Better, even, as nerves screamed to life and stretched beneath her skin, lusting for his touch. His tongue touched her skin. And then his teeth.
“Oh, God,” she groaned out loud.
“Merry,” he said against her neck.
The power of that, the ability to make him growl her name like a spoken wish… And then he tugged her hips closer and she knew he wanted her. He wanted this. They could be naked in moments. She could send the signal, reach for his shirt or lift her own. She could touch him and say yes and he’d be hers for a little while. It was so good to be touched this way. She wanted it so badly.
His hand slipped toward the small of her back, and she felt a startling jolt of wicked pleasure as his thumb snuck beneath fabric to slide against bare skin.
But when she gasped, the pleasure was swallowed by self-consciousness. Yes, in a few moments she could be naked with him. Too naked. Vulnerable and lost in what he’d do to her, gasping and needing and too damn aware that he did this all the time with all sorts of women. He was smooth, after all. Grace had warned her, and Merry had seen it herself when he’d made a point of turning on the charm.
That was what he was doing now, wasn’t it? Seducing a willing partner. Because she was here. Because there was a bed. Because she had all the needed parts. And maybe, if she’d never see him again, she could deal with that, but she couldn’t let him know her like this and then live with casual hellos and awkward conversations over the woodpile. It would mean too much to her and too little to him.
“Shane,” she whispered.
He hummed an approving sound against her neck just as his hand spread over her bare back.
“We can’t.”
His mouth froze against her. His shoulders tensed. Neither of them moved. He was probably still processing her words, and Merry didn’t want to give up this last contact. For one last moment, she was still in his arms, he was still hard against her, and his hands still hoped to coax pleasure from her body. But then he stepped away, his hands raised slightly as if to show he’d meant no harm.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I thought…”
“No, I’m sorry. It’s just that we probably shouldn’t…”
“Of course. You’re right. Bad idea.”
She nodded, crossing her arms to hide the sight of her body, which was still yearning toward him, still eager and aroused. “But the bed! It’s really awesome.”
“Yeah. Thanks.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.
“So…” Her own nervous laughter made her cringe. “Anyway. I should probably go.”
“You don’t have to go. We could watch more of the show. I like it.”
“But what if I molest you again?” she said with forced humor.
“Oh, I don’t think you were… I mean, I think I—”
“I was just kidding!” Her smile felt like the grin of a madman. “Anyway, I’ll see you later. Tomorrow, maybe. In Providence, I mean. Not here.”
She rushed out before she babbled some terrible secret, grabbing her shoes before she raced for the door. Shane stood outside his bedroom, watching, but she kept him in her peripheral vision as she called another goodbye and escaped.
But she didn’t have the chance to breathe a sigh of relief, because she opened her door to find Grace waiting for her. For a moment, Grace looked cheerful and waved hello. “Hi, Merry. I hope you don’t mind me stopping by, I—”
Her gaze fell to Merry’s bare feet as Merry shut the door. The smile snapped to a frown. “Where were you? I thought you were with Crystal.”
“I was.”
Grace eyed her bare feet again. “Without shoes?”
Merry cleared her throat. “I thought you were staying at Cole’s tonight.”
“I was, but I’m out on a site tomorrow and I forgot to pack boots. So what’s up?”
“Nothing!”
Grace was more than familiar with Merry’s nervous reactions, but they both knew that Merry was never nervous when they were alone. Her eyes went from Merry to the door, then back to Merry’s feet again. “That bastard.”
Merry sighed and rolled her eyes. “We watched a show at his place.”
“I leave you alone for two hours and that asshole swoops in and makes a move on you.”
Merry dropped her shoes and dropped onto the couch. “Cut it out, Grace. We watched TV. That’s it.”
“My ass! Are you telling me that Shane Harcourt wants to be friends with you?”
“Why wouldn’t he? I’m a pretty awesome friend.”
“You’re an amazing friend. You’ve also got a pretty spectacular ass.”
“I do?” Merry craned her neck to try to see her backside.
“What happened?”
“Nothing! God, what is your problem with Shane? He seems perfectly nice and he’s funny and he wanted to see
Firefly
. What did he do to piss you off so much?”
Grace shrugged and looked a tiny bit chastened. “I don’t know. I can’t figure him out. Cole obviously trusts him, but Shane never really tries to get to know me better. I can’t read him. I don’t know what his deal is.”
“Do you try to get to know him better?”
She scowled, answering Merry’s question.
“I’m a big girl, you know,” Merry said softly. “I know I act like a clueless idiot sometimes, but I’ve managed to navigate my way through a pretty complicated life.”
“I know that! You’re just a little…innocent about guys sometimes.”
“I’m not innocent! I’m not too trusting. I know what men can be like. It’s not naïveté, Grace, it’s just celibacy. And if I want to have sex with Shane, I’ll have sex with him.”
Grace’s scowl returned with a vengeance. “Fine. Whatever you want. Did you do it?”
“No!”
“Good.”
Merry groaned. “Oh, my God. Even if you thought it’d be a mistake for me to sleep with Shane, how many mistakes have you made with men? Don’t I get to take the same chances?”
“No,” Grace said sullenly. She dropped onto the couch with a huff. “No, I won’t let you make the same mistakes. You don’t deserve that.”
“And you did?”
“Yes,” Grace said without even thinking.
Merry’s throat thickened. “Oh, fuck you,” she said softly, taking Grace’s hand. “That’s not even close to true.”
“I’m not kind like you are, Merry. You’re
good
. And I don’t want anything bad to happen to you. Not if I can stop it.” Grace’s hand tightened around Merry’s.
“You know bad things have already happened to me, and I’m fine. We come from the same place. You know that. I might seem like a helpless dork, but I’m not. And if I want to get boned like crazy by the hot guy next door, I will.”
A smile tugged at Grace’s scowl. “Yeah? What happened to ‘No one ever wants me’? Did he make a move?”
“No,” Merry lied.
Grace smiled. “Good. Because I’ll totally kick his ass no matter what you say.”
Merry rolled her eyes. “God! I’d like a penis inside me sometime in this decade, thank you very much.”
“Overrated.”
“Yeah, right. That’s why you have finger shaped bruises on your upper arms, huh? Because of your passion for Greco-Roman wrestling?”
Grace snatched her hand away and covered her arm. Her cheeks turned pink. Merry couldn’t believe it. “Are you blushing?”
“No.”
“You are! Grace Barrett is blushing like a little schoolgirl! I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of filthy memories would make you blush. You’d better keep it quiet. Not just for my sanity, but also because it’s probably illegal in this state.”
“And several others,” Grace muttered.
“Well, this is exactly my point. You get to act out your sluttiest fantasies every night. I want to be a slut, too.”
Grace sighed. “But that’s the thing, Merry. You’re not a slut. I was never bothered by men using me for sex, because I was using them, too. But you aren’t like me. Not in that way. You’re strong and amazing, but you have a soul you need to protect.”
“Oh, please. So do you.”
“Maybe I do now.
Maybe
. But it’s tough as hide.”
Merry laughed and elbowed her friend. “You’re starting to sound like your cowboy.”
“You’re so annoying,” Grace scoffed.
“Oh,
I’m
annoying? You’re the one trying to keep my bed empty. Cut it out, okay? Just…trust me.”
“I do trust you. It’s everyone else I don’t trust. Especially Shane.”
Merry leaned in and gave Grace a kiss on the cheek just to annoy her, but it didn’t seem to work. Instead of making a face, Grace grabbed her and gave her a hug. “Just
try
to keep it in your pants?”
“Believe me, it doesn’t take any effort. Nobody’s trying to cross this border.”
But that wasn’t true anymore, and Merry fell asleep that night with spinning thoughts of just what might have happened if she’d whispered yes instead of saying no.
CHAPTER EIGHT
J
ESUS
C
HRIST
,
THIS
was just what he needed to cap off a shitty day. He was working on a complicated two-story wooden mantel in a new lodge being built for some damn multimillionaire who’d likely spend five nights a year there. It was his least favorite type of work. First off, he was stuck inside, and second, these types of clients often complained just to make sure you never forgot who was in charge.
To be fair, so far the project was going well. His work was good. But after eight hours at the site, he was exhausted. He’d hardly slept at all the night before, tossing and turning with worry about Merry Kade.
Merry, who’d tempted him with her laughter and the low scoop of her tank top. Who’d made the nicest little noises when he’d kissed her. Who’d seemed to melt softly into him even as she made him painfully hard. Who’d suddenly said no and left as quickly as possible.
And now this. This huge white SUV pulling into the parking lot just as he left his lawyer’s office.
He saw the moment the driver spotted him. Then the moment when she recognized him. His grandmother’s eyes went wide.
Shane pushed through the glass door and headed for his truck. He almost made it.