by Jess Bryant
She heard him curse and felt his hands at her hips. Somewhere through the fog of her orgasm she felt him moving inside her as much as her squeezing body would let him. Quick, short, jerky thrusts had him gripping her hips and slamming into her. He rode her orgasm out and she felt it when he erupted inside of her, joining her in the brutal, explosive release. She felt him jerk and heard him call her name and the heat that had moved from her ass and through her body settled somewhere deep inside her chest. Somewhere she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to get it out of again.
“Oh God…” Shane muttered behind her a minute later and she whimpered as he pulled out of her and spun her around. His eyes were wild and frantic as they darted all over her. His hands were everywhere as well, stroking over her, petting her, caring for her. He ripped the bra from her hands and threw it aside, massaging her wrists as he met her eyes with an expression that nearly tore her apart. “Are you okay? Jesus, Lemon, I didn’t hurt you did I?”
She shook her head and his brows slammed together.
“Talk to me. Please? Tell me you’re okay. Fuck. That got out of hand, fast. Tell me you wanted that and I didn’t just fucking go full caveman on you against your will.”
She couldn’t find the words. Not yet. She was too wiped out. So she simply leaned against his chest and nuzzled him until he wrapped his arms around her. She wrapped hers around him and closed her eyes, just breathing him in and letting his warmth and strength soothe her.
Shane stroked her hair softly, “Lemon, baby, say something.”
“That was…” She bit her lip and he pulled back enough to look down at her. That warmth in her chest splintered out and soaked into every one of her muscles, making her weak. Her chest ached from the way he was looking at her. There were so many emotions in those incredible blue-green eyes and she didn’t know which one to address first so she cuddled back against his chest, “Intense.”
“Yeah. I know.” He stroked her hair again. “You’re okay though right?”
She nodded and felt his chest heave with a reassuring breath.
“I didn’t know you were…” He trailed off and stroked her hair again, “I mean, I didn’t know I was….” Another heavy sigh, “We can talk about it later. How about a shower first?”
She smiled against his chest and nodded. He always knew the exact right thing to say. A shower sounded fantastic. They’d take a nice long shower and then maybe he’d tuck her into bed and cuddle her until she fell asleep and maybe, when she woke up, she’d be able to put into words just how incredible that had been for her. She might not be able to tell him everything but she could tell him that.
Chapter Ten
Shane’s eyes kept trying to close as pleasure washed over him but he forced them open. He didn’t want to miss a second of this. Couldn’t tear his eyes off the beautiful sight of Lemon moving her body over his, using his body to satisfy hers. Her hips curled and swirled and dropped as she took him deep and drove him towards the edge yet again.
That intense scene in the entryway had done nothing to cool their need for each other.
He’d carried her to his shower after and climbed inside to wash them both. She’d been languid and soft in his arms and he’d taken his time exploring her body in ways he hadn’t been able to in the midst of their passion. He’d lingered on the bright pink marks on her ass in particular, stroking and petting and soothing her and himself as they began to fade.
He had no idea what had gotten into him. He still didn’t know. All he did know was that he wanted Lemon past all edge of reason and rationality.
He’d wanted to mark her, to claim her in some way. Her admission that she was jealous had given him hope that she felt it too. He’d been insanely jealous of Seth yesterday when he’d seen his brother’s hands on her. That was why he’d kissed her. He’d wanted to prove that she was his. Make her his. And now that he’d had her, now that he knew how good they were together he couldn’t seem to keep his dick out of her.
Their quiet, lazy shower of lingering touches and soft kisses hadn’t stayed that way long. It had quickly turned hot and frantic. He’d ended up on his knees, worshiping that gorgeous body she’d let him mark and tonguing her until she came with his name on her sweet lips again. Never one to be outdone, Lemon had proceeded to suck his brain out through his dick with a blowjob that blew all of his dirty fantasies out of the water.
Exhausted and sated, they’d collapsed into his bed and he’d fallen asleep thanking God that he didn’t have to go into work for another twenty-four hours. His work schedule was Tuesday through Saturday with Sunday and Monday off and though he usually used his Mondays to run errands, he didn’t want to leave his bed for the rest of the day. He was drunk on Lemon and he didn’t intend to sober up anytime soon.
He wasn’t sure how long they’d slept but when he woke it had been to Lemon’s soft, warm, naked body sliding against him. Her lips had trailed across his chest, flicking his nipples and her hand had already been wrapped around his eager to go again cock. She’d murmured that she wanted him again and he’d been more than happy to oblige.
He’d dragged her on top of him and told her to ride him. Told her to take him deep. And sweet lord have mercy the girl responded to his orders like she’d been born for it.
Shane knew he was bossy. Lemon wasn’t the first person to call him out on it. But he was a father with three daughters he had to corral and a cop that had to use more than just force to make people fall in line. He was bossy but he’d never been like this. Cocky. Demanding. Controlling. Dominant. He fucking loved telling Lemon what to do and seeing her do it. Loved knowing that she got off on him being in charge just as much as he did. They were so in sync, so perfect for each other.
“Harder.” He groaned as Lemon used his chest for leverage and rolled her hips to meet his thrusts.
She looked so beautiful riding him he hated to even blink and miss a second of it. He cupped her full, bouncing breasts and watched her as she moved over him. Her head was thrown back. Her eyes were closed and her lips, swollen from all of his kisses, were parted for her panting breaths. Her hair had dried while they slept and curled wildly in every direction, making him itch to wrap it around his fist and tug her down to him.
He sat up instead, holding her tight to keep the rhythm she’d found at the new angle. She gasped with the movement and immediately reached for him, pulling him even closer. Better. Closer was better. Shane twisted a curl around his finger and tugged until she lowered her mouth to his. So much better with the taste of Lemon on his tongue and the feel of her all around him while he was buried deep inside her, joining them as tightly as humanly possible. She shivered and he knew she felt it too.
“Shane…” She broke the kiss with a whimper, resting her forehead against his as she panted above his lips, “I’m so close.”
“Come for me.” He ordered with a sharp tug on her air and earned another shiver. His order might not be enough to send her over the edge alone but it certainly didn’t hurt. Her body squeezed him tight and he groaned as he felt his own release threatening, “Come for me now, Lemon.”
And she did.
Her body pulsed all around him. Her hips bucked uncontrollably as she rode out the climax. She gave in to it, fulfilling her body’s need to please him and sending him spiraling into his own orgasm with the knowledge that it had never been this good before. Never.
It wasn’t a powerful climax. It didn’t last forever. He’d already come twice today and he had a feeling his body was only keeping up for the time being because of his serious dry spell prior to Lemon coming home. He had a lot of built-up tension to release but he wasn’t a kid anymore and he knew he couldn’t keep this up forever.
He’d have to let her up eventually. Let her out of his bed. But not yet.
They collapsed back to the mattress together in a heap of limbs and panting breaths. Neither of them moved to pull away. Lemon nuzzled his neck and he stroked her back languidly. He couldn’t remember a time he’d ever felt so
content, couldn’t remember the last time he hadn’t wanted to move because moving would mean ending a moment he wasn’t ready to let go of yet.
“I never…” Lemon finally moaned as she rolled sideways off of him, “Never want to hear about your supposed need for recovery time again.”
He snorted when she read his mind and caught her before she could get too far away. She didn’t resist when he tugged her back against his side. Their bodies were slick with sweat again and he could feel the proof of their climaxes wet between them. Not for the first time, his mind drifted to that place between sated sleepiness and the curiosity of wanting to ask Lemon about all the things he needed to know.
“Guess you’ll just have to stop calling me old man.”
“Mmm…” She traced his tattoo with a finger, “I think bossy bastard is definitely more fitting anyway.”
He caught her hand and drew it to his mouth, kissing her knuckles and wrist, “About that… are you really okay with what happened in the entryway? Tell me the truth. I’ve… well, hell, I’ve never done anything like that and I don’t like the idea of hurting you.”
Lemon was quiet for so long he was beginning to think she’d fallen back asleep before she sighed, “It was definitely intense. That’s for sure. And crazy because for the record, I’ve never done anything like that either. Never even thought about it but with you… It was fun, right? Spontaneous and fun and a little crazy but we both got off on it so I don’t think it was wrong. I don’t think anything with you could feel wrong.”
He smiled against her hair at that admission, “I didn’t hurt you?”
“No. Well…” He could feel her smile against his chest, “My ass is a little sore.”
“Mmm…” He slid the arm at her back down and cupped her cheeks gently, “Strangely I like the idea of you sore. Like that you’ll still feel me even when you’re not with me.”
Lemon giggled, “Having this much sex after years without pretty much guarantees I’m gonna be sore, spanking or not.”
“Definitely not sorry about that.”
“I’m not sorry for any of it.” She pressed a kiss to his chest, “I don’t think spankings should be a daily occurrence between us or anything but if it happens, in the heat of the moment, I’m not going to stop it. Knowing you want me that badly, it’s sexy as hell.”
Shane stroked her back and tried not to let her see his wide smile. Daily occurrence. She wasn’t thinking about ending this then. She wanted to keep seeing him.
He felt a bubble of hope fill his chest before he could talk himself out of it. He wanted to keep seeing her too. For as long as he could. As much as he could. However he could. He liked her and he liked the way she made him feel.
Happy. Lighter than he had in years. Like he could be more than just a father and a cop, a son and an ex-husband. Like he could just be Shane the man again.
He didn’t feel the need to be quite so serious when he was with Lemon. So laser focused on his tasks and his to-do lists. She shook him out of his routine and made him feel alive.
But he knew there was at least one serious, adult conversation they needed to have if they were going to keep seeing each other.
He’d let it go so far because he wanted her so badly. She made him crazy enough not to press the issue and he trusted her when she said it was handled. He believed her. But he also had three kids already, one of which he’d gotten because he hadn’t cared enough to ask about safety and he liked to think he was smarter now than he’d been at seventeen.
“Lem?”
“Hmm?” She nuzzled at his neck.
“Can I ask you something?”
She stiffened instantly, “Why do I get the feeling you’re not about to ask me if I want you to kiss me again?”
Her joke landed flat and he wanted to tell her she was wrong. He wanted to let it go. Forget it. Ignore it. Anything that made her pull back from him was something he didn’t want to talk about but he knew he couldn’t let this go. It was too important. He forced himself to man up and ask the question he needed answered.
“You said last night that birth control was covered, right?”
“Um…yeah.”
“So you’re on the pill then?”
“Um….”
He felt her start to retreat before she even moved an inch. A coolness spread over her before she tried to draw away from him. Her hand dropped from his chest as she raised her head but didn’t look him in the eye. She tried to scoot over, to put space between them, but he followed her over until she was on her back and he was on his elbow, looming above her. She tried to roll again, to get away from him, but he boxed her in.
“Lemon?” A flicker of unease lit his veins, “Answer the question. Are you on the pill?”
Her throat bobbed as she swallowed hard and her eyes flicked away from him when she shook her head, “No.”
“The patch?”
She shook her head and his heart thumped wildly in his chest. There were still other options right? It had been a long time since he had to think about what they were, even longer since he’d had a conversation about them, but there were other options. Only, with his heart thrumming madly in his chest and the blood beginning to rush in his ears, he couldn’t think of any.
“You said you were on birth control.” He grit his teeth.
Her blue eyes flickered again, “No, I didn’t.”
“Lemon…”
“I said it was covered and it is. There’s nothing for you to worry about. You can’t get me pregnant so drop it Shane.”
She started to roll out from beneath him again but he didn’t budge and she groaned and shoved at him. She wanted away from him so badly she pushed him. She wouldn’t look him in the eye. Her voice had gone tight and her entire vibe had changed to standoffish. They were still naked and in bed together but she’d shut down, shut him out and he wasn’t about to let her get away with it.
“What do you mean it’s covered?”
“I said drop it.”
“No. What do you mean I can’t get you pregnant?”
“I mean there’s no reason for you to worry about knocking me up so stop it. Let me up. I need to get going.” She pushed at him again and he growled.
“No. Stop trying to run away from me.”
Her eyes narrowed, “I’m not running away from you.”
“Yes, you are, and you told me you wouldn’t do that so talk to me. Tell me what’s going on.” He frowned when she refused to look at him, “Lemon, tell me why I shouldn’t be worried about getting you pregnant.”
“Because I can’t have kids!” She shouted and then gasped and covered her mouth as if she couldn’t believe the words that had just come out of it.
Her big blue eyes watered and her entire body trembled and Shane stopped breathing. He just stopped as the pieces of the puzzle he’d been trying to put together slid into place with a loud and resounding thud. She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her head away from him and he silently cursed his own stupidity as he watched a silent tear roll down her cheek.
He’d had all the pieces but it didn’t add up. He’d known something was wrong the minute she’d arrived in Fate. That first night he’d known that she was hiding something. He’d known something was wrong and instead of trying to figure out what it was he’d let her distract him with her smiles and her laughter and her light. She shone so bright that you had to look for the shadows but he’d known they were there and thought he could wipe them away with some teasing and flirting and good sex.
He hadn’t realized until right now just how wrong he’d been.
The memory of Seth’s words last night in the kitchen made so much more sense now. Nobody knew Lemon as well as his brother did and Seth had known something was off. He’d called her out on it then, accused her of avoiding the children and being jealous of his wife. Shane had stupidly thought his brother meant Lemon was jealous that Amy had him but that wasn’t it at all. She was jealous of Amy because she had a family. A home. Thos
e tiny, precious little babies.
Damn it, how had he missed that?
He’d watched her all night. He’d noticed the way she smiled in all the right places but it wasn’t her real smile. He’d even noticed the way she’d held back, not nearly as loud and rambunctious and entertaining as she usually was. He’d seen that sadness in her eyes and he’d tried to be there for her, comfort her, but he’d never once just asked her what was wrong.
“Lemon…” His voice was rough with emotion and she shook her head, instantly.
“Don’t.”
“Lemon, baby, talk to me.”
“I did. I just did.” She snapped angrily, her eyes flying open, wet and wild, “I answered your question. I told you what you wanted to know. You can’t knock me up because I can’t get pregnant. I can’t have kids. I’m not on birth control because I’m all the birth control we need. Happy now?”
He winced at the pain in her voice, “No.”
“Well, too bad. Me either.” She wiped at her cheek, “Now you’ve got your answers so let me go.”
“No.” He brushed a tear from her face, “You said you wouldn’t run from me so you’re not going anywhere. Not until you talk to me and tell me what’s really going on.”
She blew out a shaky breath and dodged his fingers, “You want to know the same thing everyone else does. Why is Lemon here? What’s she running away from? Well I just told you. Crack detective work, Deputy. You solved the case. Now let me go.”
He refused to take offense that she was lashing out at him. She was hurt. She was hurting and he hadn’t seen it. Not really.
“You’re not a case, Lemon. You’re…” He paused.
He didn’t think now was the time to tell her that he was falling for her. Totally and completely, tripping over his feet, stumbling over everything in his path, falling for her. She was the woman he was falling in love with but if he told her that right now he had a feeling not even tying her up could keep her from running.
She snorted at his hesitation, “I’m just the woman you’re sleeping with.”
