by Jess Bryant
She tried for her usual playful, fun aunt, bit, “Ah, come on Shane. She’s got a point. A girl only turns sixteen once.”
He glared at her and his jaw hardened again, “Stay out of it, Lemon.”
She recoiled from the venom in his voice and her smile instantly fell. She blinked at him, trying to figure out exactly how he had gone from playfully teasing and kissing her to snapping at her in less than a minute. She stepped back, out of the fray, as he turned his angry glare back on his daughter.
“You’re grounded and if you keep it up, I’ll add another week.”
“But Dad…”
“No. You know exactly why you’re grounded. You don’t get to talk to your mother or to me like you did yesterday and you don’t get to throw temper tantrums either. You want us to treat you like an adult? Act like it. Don’t pout and bring strangers into family arguments. Now go in the other room and watch your sisters until I get back and then I’ll decide if this little show earned you another punishment or not.”
Georgie shot Lemon one more pleading look but she didn’t dare say a word. She felt a cold chill sweep over her and fought back a shiver. A stranger? He’d called her a stranger. Was that how he saw her? She turned her gaze back on the man that had been kissing her only moments ago and tried to figure out what had just gone so horribly, terribly wrong.
Shane was still staring at the door where his daughter had disappeared but the tension that had overtaken him at her entrance remained. Gone was the flirty, playful guy she’d been kissing. Gone was the sexy, open man that she’d watched over dinner. When he turned his eyes back on her he was just as angry as he’d been when he’d walked into the kitchen to find Seth holding her against her will only this time she was the one he was glaring at.
“Look, I…” She started to step towards him but he stepped back and shook his head.
“Don’t ever do that again.”
She blinked, “Do what?”
“Get in the middle of me disciplining my child.” He grit his teeth, “You have no right.”
“I wasn’t trying to…”
“You undermined me. Took her side. And made me the bad guy.” He snapped, “And you don’t get to do that. You’re not her mother.”
She flinched as his words struck her and she was the one that stepped back this time, “I know that. I wasn’t trying to be her mother.”
“No, you were trying to be her friend but you’re not her friend, Lemon. You’re an adult. I get that you’re not a parent so you don’t know the first thing about it, but you can’t undermine me. I won’t tolerate it.”
A slice of pain ripped through her stomach again and she felt that now almost familiar sensation that she was bleeding and nobody could see it. It was her own fault. She knew that. If she told everyone the truth, about what she’d lost, about what she wanted and could never have, then maybe they’d stop cutting the still fresh wounds back open. But she hadn’t told them, hadn’t told him, and now with his harsh words ringing in her ears, she wasn’t sure she ever would.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to stay calm, to keep it all inside where she could handle it. If she let it out now, she’d make a mess. She steeled her spine and forced her chin up though she couldn’t quite muster the smile she knew she’d need when she went back into the other room.
“You’re right. I’m sorry. I won’t involve myself in your life again.”
Shane’s gaze jerked to hers and confusion colored his eyes. She looked away. Her words hadn’t been as flawless as she’d been hoping if he could tell something was wrong. But she’d never been an actress. Just a musician and a singer and emotions were what she’d played in. Keeping them to herself was slowly killing her.
“Lemon…” He said slowly.
“I’m sorry.” She said again and turned to walk out of the kitchen.
“Lemon.” He said again but she didn’t turn around when he sighed, “I’m sorry.”
“No need to apologize. No harm done. I get it.” She blew out a rough breath, “I’m tired. I think I’m going to get going now. I’ll see you tomorrow maybe.”
She left the kitchen and walked back into the big family room. It was still crowded with people. Her parents and the Lowry’s. Seth and Amy and their kids. Georgie and Sophie and Rosie. But she felt more alone than she had standing in that kitchen earlier with nothing but her wine glass and this time Shane definitely wasn’t going to save her from it.
Chapter Eight
Shane managed to wait exactly twenty-seven minutes after Lemon left before going after her. He’d tried to force himself to wait a half hour, to try and make it less obvious. But every minute had felt like torture and he broke before he hit the thirty minute mark.
He’d messed up. He’d been upset with Georgie and he’d snapped at Lemon. He’d made a mistake and he’d had to watch that bright light he loved so much in her eyes dim and then flicker out.
He’d watched her as she said her goodbyes, as she went through the motions. She talked to everyone. Everyone but him. She interacted and held the babies and laughed in all the right spots. But her smile wasn’t right and he couldn’t believe that nobody else had noticed.
Why was he the only one that had noticed how sad she looked?
He rang the doorbell of the Kelly’s house after taking his own kids home and telling Holly he would explain later. He wasn’t looking forward to that. But they had school tomorrow and she would take care of them and right now, he needed to take care of this situation with Lemon.
After another minute passed he started to raise his hand to knock but the lock clicked and the door opened slowly. Lemon stared at him but she didn’t smile when she saw him. That shouldn’t have hurt but it did. He wasn’t sure how it was possible but he’d gotten used to the way she lit up whenever she looked at him.
It had been three days and he was fucking addicted to her smiles.
“Hey.”
“Hey.” His gaze dropped from her face and he swallowed a growl, “What did I tell you about going outside without a bra on, Lemon?”
Her eyes widened and she looked down at herself, as if she didn’t know what she was, or in this case wasn’t, wearing. She’d changed for bed already. Instead of the blouse and jeans she’d been wearing earlier she only had on that damn see-through tank top and those little boxer shorts again. She’d thrown her robe on over it but it had fallen open to give him an eyeful and his cock twitched restlessly in response.
If he’d expected her to act embarrassed and jerk her robe closed he wouldn’t have known her very well. She only shrugged and glared at him defiantly. He’d half expected that reaction and forced his eyes off her chest.
“I’m not outside and I wasn’t expecting company.
He supposed she had a point there, “Can I come in?”
She chewed her bottom lip again but moved aside. He stepped into the house and turned to watch her close the door behind him. She leaned against it and eyed him warily and he frowned. He didn’t like the vibe she was giving off right now, not at all. He opened his mouth to speak but she shot upright off the door and shook her head.
“No. Me first. I’m sorry about earlier.”
He frowned, “No, I’m the one that should be apologizing. I’m sorry I snapped at you.”
“You had every right to.” She argued, “It wasn’t my place to get involved in your family business. I’m not a parent. I don’t know anything about parenting other than that it looks really hard. I didn’t mean to make it harder for you and I’m sorry.”
His own apology died in throat as she fidgeted and pulled at her robe. She wouldn’t meet his eyes either. She was clearly nervous and uncomfortable and he didn’t like it. He couldn’t remember ever seeing Lemon like this. Unsure of herself instead of feisty and confident. Soft instead of strong. It made him instantly soften his own stance.
“Thank you, but I’m sorry too. I overreacted. Georgie’s just… well to put it nicely she’s been a handful lately an
d I don’t know what to do with her.”
Lemon’s chin dropped even further, “I get it. I don’t help matters. It’s not like I was ever a very good role model so you definitely shouldn’t take advice from me.”
That sadness that he’d sensed in her earlier in the night was right there in her voice now and he hated it. He couldn’t handle even the thought of lively, bubbly, fun Lemon being sad. He couldn’t stand the idea that he had caused it and he moved towards hers, tipping her chin up with his finger.
“That’s not true.”
“You said yourself, I’m trouble.”
“Maybe.” He frowned at the flat look in her usually sparkling eyes, “But you’re also smart and strong and independent. I’d consider myself lucky if my girls grew up to be even just a little bit like you.”
Something shifted in her eyes as she studied his face but he didn’t understand it until she spoke again, “So… you’re not here to tell me to stay out of your business and away from your family?”
“What? No. What are you talking about?”
“I thought…” Her voice cracked and she swallowed hard, “I thought you were here to tell me you didn’t want to see me anymore, that you didn’t want to hang out with me anymore.”
“Not a chance, Lemon.” He realized why she’d looked so sad and gaped in shock.
“Then why?” She studied his face again, her brows furrowing.
“Why, what?”
“Why are you here, Shane?” Her little pink tongue darted out to wet her full bottom lip and his gaze got stuck on her mouth as heat flared through him.
He thought he’d come to apologize to her but with her looking up at him with what he now clearly saw as hope, he couldn’t lie to himself or to her anymore. He was here because he wanted her. He wanted more of her. All of her.
He’d kissed her earlier thinking it might somehow cure him of this crazy need to know what she tasted like. But he’d been wrong and he’d known it instantly. Because he’d wanted more the moment he forced himself to break the kiss before he took it too far and threw her down on the floor to ravage her.
Kissing Lemon had been like taking a hit off the best drug in the world and then trying to tell himself he could never have another.
He hadn’t lasted half an hour before coming after her.
Sure, he’d hated the idea of her being upset with him. He’d hated the thought of her sitting at home thinking he was mad at her. And he’d hated that since he didn’t know how long she was in town for that she might leave before he could make it right.
But the real reason he was here was because of this. The moment he’d touched her he’d felt it. The heat and the sparks that flared between them. The need that she caused to curl in his belly. He was here because when he allowed himself to stroke his thumb over her damp bottom lip, her breath hitched and he was fucking addicted to that sound.
“Shane…” His name was a breathy whisper from the mouth he realized he’d been staring at far too long, trying to figure out his next move but it was her, saying his name, that ultimately made the decision for him.
“I’m here because I can’t seem to stay the hell away from you.” He cupped her face between both his hands now, holding her close, “I want you, Lemon. Fuck, I want you and kissing you only made it worse because now I’ll never be satisfied with just one taste.”
She made another of those breathy sounds and moved even closer to him, until her breasts brushed his chest, “Shane, I… I want you too.”
He crashed his mouth down on hers this time when his control snapped. She’d been fraying it since the moment she showed up in town and started batting her pretty blue eyes his way. She’d cut clean through his willpower in less than seventy-two hours. He could no more stay away from her than he could stop breathing because he didn’t want to.
He wanted Lemon. He wanted her and she wanted him. Everything else was just not important when faced with the possibility of getting to touch her and taste her and have her as his for even a moment.
She kissed him back just as frantically. As if she wanted it just as much. Needed it just as much. She pushed up on her toes and wrapped her arms around his neck, plastering her body against his until he could feel her nipples against his chest but it still wasn’t enough. It wasn’t close enough. He wrapped his arms around her and hauled her up off her feet. He forced her legs around his waist until he could feel her heart pounding against his, feel her heat through her thin shorts, and get his hands all over her.
Lemon moaned into his mouth when he sucked on her tongue. Her taste was addicting like wine. Sweet and light but with a kick that knocked the air out of his chest and made him feel drunk on her.
He drank her in as she clung to him. Couldn’t get enough of her. Not even when his brain chimed in that air was an actual necessity. He needed air to survive but he needed Lemon to feel alive. He couldn’t pull away from her so she was the one that had to break the intoxicating kiss.
She gasped as she pulled away and he slid his hands around her back, supporting her, refusing to let her go if she tried to get further away. He wasn’t done with her yet. Not by a longshot. Not when she looked just as goddamned wrecked as he felt after that kiss.
Her hair was tangled and he couldn’t remember if he’d been running his hands through it or not. Her cheeks were flushed and her chest heaved as she sucked in gulps of air. Her lips were swollen and red and wet and he wanted them again. Under his, on his, on him, however he could have them. Her eyes were glazed and heavy-lidded but brighter than he’d seen them since she’d walked back into his life and turned everything he thought he knew about himself upside down. And then she smiled at him, she smiled and something inside of him clicked into place.
There it was. That’s what he’d wanted tonight. What he’d needed most. He’d needed to see that big, bright smile of hers more than he’d needed air.
“Upstairs.” She said softly, leaning forward again and nipping at his earlobe, “My bedrooms upstairs. Take me to bed, Shane.”
He started up the stairs instantly with her still wrapped around him and he felt her answering smile against his neck. He tried to be careful as he scaled the staircase. He didn’t want to fall. Didn’t want to drop her. So when she began to nibble on his jaw he smacked her ass.
“Behave or we’ll never make it to a bed.”
“Hurry.” She rocked her hips against him and nearly sent them both tumbling.
“You’re impossible.” He paused at the top of the stairs to push her against the wall and take her mouth again. He ground his throbbing erection against her until she started making those sweet little moaning sounds in the back of her throat that drove him crazy. He nipped at her bottom lip and pulled away before he lost all control and fucked her right there against the wall. “Irritating little brat.”
She bit his ear, hard, as he stomped into her bedroom and kicked the door shut behind them, “Keep calling me a brat and I’m gonna start calling you Deputy Do-Me.”
He barked out a laugh and tossed her cute little ass on the bed. She giggled as she bounced and then settled herself back against the pillows. He watched as that slow, secretive smile spread up her beautiful face and grinned right back at her.
“I intend to.” Her jerked his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor.
Lemon’s lashes fluttered and her voice was breathy again, “Intend to what?”
He laughed again because she’d lost all thread of the conversation after nothing but a glimpse of his chest. He silently thanked whatever part of his ego demanded he work out even on days when he was busy or didn’t feel good. As long as it made her look at him like this, it was worth it.
“Focus baby.” He abandoned his own clothes after unbuckling his belt to get his hands back on her again. When he dragged the boxers she was wearing down, her eyes finally met his again. “Tell me what you want.”
She bit her lip as she helped him wriggle her out of her clothes, “I want you, Shane.”<
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“You sure?” He teased as he nipped at her thigh before discarding the boxers.
“More sure than I’ve ever been about anything.” Lemon hastily jerked her top over her head and threw it at him, “Enough foreplay. Just breathing the same air as you turns me on. I want you inside me. Now.”
He caught her shirt and tossed it aside, “Impatient little thing, aren’t you?”
That slow, secretive smile spread across her face again and Lemon lay back on the bed, her head propped up on a pillow. He watched her, completely fascinated, as she stretched out, completely naked, for his eyes only. She propped one leg up provocatively so he had an unfettered view of her wet, pink center. She raised her arms over her head and grasped the headboard, causing the tits that haunted his dreams to jut out seductively. But the best part was still having that smile pointed at him.
“Who says I haven’t been patient? I’ve wanted this for a really long time. I told you I had a crush on you but what I didn’t tell you is that I used to lie right here, in this very bed, and dream about you sneaking in late at night and having your way with me. I used to touch myself thinking about you.”
A groan got strangled in his throat as she slid a hand over her breasts. He watched her play with her nipples but her words flipped his brain back on for the first time since he’d kissed her downstairs. Her admission made him truly think about what they were doing, and where, for the first time and he paused as he looked around.
“It’s a little weird being in here like this, Lemon.” He ran a hand through his hair and frowned, “I suddenly feel like your parents are going to walk in and catch us.”
She giggled, “Well if you don’t hurry up and fuck me, they just might.”
“Lemon…” He shook his head at that thought, at the one that accompanied it, the one that said what they were doing was wrong. He never would have come into her room when she was a kid. He certainly wouldn’t have touched her. She was years younger than him and…
“Shane. Focus, baby.” She tossed his words back at him, “Look at me. Focus on me. Not the room.”
