Fortune's Secret Child

by Delacorte, Shawna

  “I was real proud of you, too, champ. That was a very nice gesture.” Shane crossed the room from the front door and knelt to help gather the toys.

  He turned to Cynthia. “And I want to thank you for all your help, too. By stepping in and organizing the waiting room and lining everything up for me, you made it possible for me to see more patients.” His voice dropped to a seductive level. He leaned so close to her she could feel his breath tickling her cheek as he spoke. “We work well together, don’t you think?”

  His words sent a little shiver across the back of her neck. She tried to respond in a businesslike manner. “I’m glad I was able to be of some help to you.” Excitement tingled through her body. Part of it was due to the nearness of the very sexy Shane Fortune. But not all of it.

  She had been witness to a different facet of this dynamic man during the course of the day—a compassionate and caring doctor with a genuine dedication to his patients, especially the children. It touched her heart. It also left her even more unsettled and guilty about keeping Bobby’s identity from him, but she knew it was best for all concerned—at least she thought she knew it.

  She stood up and surveyed the room. “I think that’s everything.”

  Shane took the box of toys from her. “I’ll carry these. I need to stop in Sells for a few minutes, then we’re through for the day.”

  They drove to the tribal office, and Shane quickly concluded his business while Cynthia and Bobby waited in the car. Bobby was tired but refused to give in to it. He’d been going at a high energy level all day. The drive back to Pueblo, Cynthia hoped, would provide him with an opportunity to calm down. He’d probably go to sleep as soon as he had his dinner.

  Shane opened the door and slid in behind the steering wheel. “I’m starved. How about the two of you? Let’s say we find a restaurant and get something to eat.”

  Bobby piped up from the back seat, “Yeah, I’m hungry.”

  Cynthia added her vote. “I could use something to eat, too.”

  Shane shifted the car into gear. “Dinner it is.” He took the same two-lane highway off the reservation and soon came upon a roadside diner. “I’ve eaten here several times. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the food is good.”

  They made quick work of dinner and were soon back on the road. Cynthia turned around to check on Bobby. “Just as I thought—he’s sound asleep. It’s been a long day for him.”

  Shane reached over and touched her cheek, then covered her hand with his. “How about you? Are you exhausted? I’d like to take a quick detour by the Children’s Hospital construction site. It’s right on the way and I want to show you what we’re doing.”

  “Well...” Although the day had been comfortable, she wasn’t sure what to do or say. She should have been on alert, on her guard to stave off anything that would resurrect the intimate closeness that once existed between them. She should have been...

  “I’d very much like to hear more about your hospital project.”

  The warm sensuality flowed from his touch through her body, spreading to every corner of her consciousness. Regardless of her intentions, the magic of Shane Fortune had worked its way back into her life. To try to convince herself otherwise would be futile.

  Her logic tried to tell her one thing, but her emotions told her something quite different. Spending the day with Shane, the two of them working together to give something to the community, it all felt so very right. It was one of her reasons for moving back to Pueblo, even though she had not figured out exactly where her services could be the most effective. But today had given her insight into how she could give to the community. Surprisingly it was not through her career as an attorney as she’d assumed, but rather by working with Shane.

  Should she share those thoughts with him? What kind of message would that send him? And if she was willing to take a chance on opening her life to include him again, what did that do to her decision to keep Bobby’s identity from him?

  Eight

  The entire day had been an eye-opening experience for him and had answered many of his worries, Shane thought as he steered the Explorer to the office trailer next to the construction site. He had been so certain she would not fit in to the path he’d chosen that he’d never asked himself what part she could play in the greater scheme. Instead, she’d pitched in and efficiently organized things. She’d truly been an asset.

  She had fit very easily and comfortably into the life he had designed for himself and also seemed genuinely interested in the hospital project. He showed her the blueprints for the hospital and explained the type of services they intended to provide for the various Native American communities in the area.

  They left the trailer and wandered toward the construction. He laced their fingers together as they walked. “That—” he pointed to the workmen’s elevator in front of them “—is where Mike Dodd was killed.” He felt the tremor that swept through her body as he continued to hold her hand.

  “How’s the investigation coming along?”

  Shane’s brow furrowed as he slowly shook his head. “Not good. Every time I talk to someone, it’s my brother Riley’s name that comes back to me. I’ve heard it over and over. Riley and Mike Dodd didn’t like each other. Riley was at the construction site the day before the murder and also that day, two days in a row, when he normally wouldn’t be there more than a couple of times a month. Riley and Mike were overheard having an angry argument in the office trailer the day before Mike’s death. Riley’s fingerprints were found inside the elevator. Each thing is easily explainable by itself, but you put them all together and it doesn’t look good.”

  Cynthia gave his hand a comforting squeeze. “I’m sure it will all work out okay. If Riley is innocent, he doesn’t—”

  “If Riley is innocent?” Shane cocked his head and stared at her for a moment as if he hadn’t heard her correctly. “Of course he’s innocent.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply otherwise.”

  He let out a sigh of resignation and with it some of his exasperation. “I know you didn’t. This whole thing really has me upset. It’s almost like someone had gone out of their way to make it appear that he did it, and as near as I can tell, Riley doesn’t seem to be taking it very seriously.”

  “Well, you have to admit that Riley certainly added fuel to that fire when he spent the night with Mike’s sister, Angelica.”

  “He did what?” Shane’s eyes grew wide with shock. His words were a combination of anger and incredulity. “What are you talking about?”

  Cynthia frowned in confusion. “Riley spent the night following the funeral with Angelica. What’s the matter? You seem angry. I assumed this was old news.”

  “Old news? Not hardly. This is the first I’ve heard of it.” He clenched his jaw into tight lines, as if fighting to keep his displeasure under control. “Where did you hear such a pack of lies?”

  “Pack of lies?” His reaction puzzled her. She shook her head as her confusion increased. “I heard it from Isabelle. She mentioned it when we were talking yesterday morning before I went to Phoenix. She didn’t say anything about it being some sort of a secret. I just assumed you knew about it.”

  “Isabelle told you? Where the hell did she hear something like that? Certainly not from Riley.”

  “She said Brad told her—” she could not keep the hint of irritation out of her voice “—and before you ask me, no, I don’t know who told him or how he knew.”

  His voice so low that she had to strain to hear him, Shane muttered, “Brad. That figures.”

  She looked at him questioningly. “I don’t understand...”

  He took a calming breath, then squeezed her hand and offered an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap at you. It’s just that you caught me by surprise with that little tidbit. Forgive me?”

  She returned his smile as relief settled over her. “Sure.”

  They stayed a few minutes longer, then returned to the car.
Before they could drive away, the security guard came by on his rounds. Shane and the guard exchanged a couple of minutes of conversation, then he pulled out onto the road.

  The closeness that developed over the course of the day had intensified during their visit to the construction site. It continued to fill the car as they drove back to Pueblo. They talked quietly about the day’s events, discussing the various cases that Shane handled. She’d seen in him a different man from the one she’d known six years ago—the one who’d broken her heart. This man was compassionate, caring and gentle. This man would be easy for any woman to love. Was she fooling herself into believing what she wanted, rather than seeing what was real? It was a disturbing question without a ready answer, but one she didn’t shove aside.

  They arrived back at Shane’s house well after dark. Cynthia unfastened Bobby from the car seat.

  “I really hate to wake him, but he’s too big for me to carry anymore.”

  “Don’t wake him.” Shane lifted the sleeping boy out of the car and carried him into the house. It all felt very comfortable, just like a real family. His suspicions about Bobby had continued to poke at his consciousness, growing stronger with every time they passed through his mind. He needed to find a way to the truth without upsetting the still-fragile renewal of his relationship with Cynthia.

  He carried Bobby up the stairs and into the bedroom. A few minutes later the little boy was tucked in bed without once waking up.

  Cynthia kept her voice at a whisper as she watched her sleeping son. “He really wore himself out today. It’s been a long time since I’ve been able to get him to take a nap, though he always has an hour or so of quiet time after lunch. That didn’t happen today.”

  Shane put his arm around her shoulders as they left Bobby’s bedroom, closing the door behind them. “He’s a terrific little boy. He was certainly generous in sharing his toys.”

  “Bobby has always been very generous and giving, but I have to admit that it did surprise me that he jumped in so quickly to do that.” She allowed a loving smile to turn up the corners of her mouth. “I was proud of him today. He’s growing up so fast. It seems just yesterday that I could hold him in my arms and now...” The many loving memories of raising her son replaced her words.

  They walked down the hallway, neither of them saying anything as they passed her bedroom and continued on. He stopped at the door to his bedroom and pulled her into his arms. He caressed her shoulders as he held her body tightly against his. A contented sigh made its way out of his mouth. He brushed a gentle kiss across her cheek, then whispered in her ear, “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”

  The warmth of his embrace made her feel safe and secure. And at the same time his body pressing against hers sent a heated jolt of desire shooting through her. It was the moment of truth. She knew exactly what she was doing.

  His mouth came down on hers, chasing away the last shred of logic clinging to her senses. Passions she was sure she had safely tucked away exploded with a force that truly shocked her. His tongue brushed against hers, igniting her ardor further and leaving nothing held back. Her body had not been this alive since the last time Shane made love to her all those years ago. She put her arms around his neck, eagerly welcoming his attentions.

  The blood surged hot and fast through her veins, touching every part of her being. There would be no turning back, no playing it safe by putting a stop to what was happening before it was too late. It was already too late. There wasn’t room for even a breath of air to pass between their bodies, yet he still managed to pull her even closer. Her ragged breathing matched his, each breath drawing her nearer to the moment she craved, to the moment they would again be joined together as one.

  She ran her fingers through his hair, then over the back of his shirt. Every sensation, every nuance, every thrill that had ever been part of their lovemaking exploded inside her. She worked her hands beneath his shirt, skimming her fingers across the bare skin of his muscular back. A groan of desire rumbled from deep inside his chest, resonating with her need as insistently as his kiss.

  He released his control of her mouth. His husky words tickled across her ear. “Oh, Cynthia...you are the most incredible, the most desirable—” His mouth came down on hers again. His hands slid across her back, then cupped the roundness of her bottom and pulled her hips against his. She could not stop the little moan of pleasure that escaped her throat, nor could she ignore the evidence of his arousal pressing against her.

  He twined his tongue with hers, eagerly reacquainting himself with her unique and addictive taste. It hadn’t been that long ago that he’d believed he would never again hold her in his arms or feel the heat of her passion. Every inch of his body ached for her touch. He was afraid to release her for fear she would slip away from him. So he scooped her up in his arms and carried her into his bedroom, pushing the door shut with his foot. He set her down on her feet next to his bed.

  Shane yanked his shirt over his head and dropped it on the floor, then kicked off his shoes. He fought to bring his ragged gasps under control. His hands framed her lovely face. Passion burned in the depths of her blue eyes, exciting him so much he could barely get out his words. “If you don’t want this, please tell me now while I still have a thread of control left.”

  She responded by sliding her hands across his bare chest. A low groan of pleasure escaped his throat. Pieces of clothing dropped to the floor as a heightened sense of urgency filled the air. A minute later they were wrapped in each other’s arms on the expanse of his king-size bed.

  He captured her mouth with a hungry kiss that demanded as much as it gave. His fingertips skimmed down the side of her neck, over the curve of her shoulder, then across the swell of her breast. Each touch of her silky skin inflamed his already highly stimulated senses, sending a bolt of intense desire through his body. He kissed behind her ear, then trailed the tip of his tongue from the base of her throat to the pebbled texture of her taut nipple. Her labored breathing matched his as he drew the puckered treat into his mouth and gently suckled.

  His hand found its way to the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. His fingers grazed the downy softness nestled between her legs, then parted the folds and entered the moist heat of her femininity. Her soft moan sent little waves of ecstasy rippling through his belly. Hers was a body he had once known intimately—every secret place that excited her, every nuance of her response to his stimulation. And now as he discovered everything anew, he found her even more exciting than before.

  He released her nipple from his mouth, then teased the other one with his tongue before eagerly capturing it. A jolt of electricity shot through him the moment her fingers came in contact with his hardened manhood. He wanted their lovemaking to last the entire night, but knew he couldn’t hold out much longer against the provocative sensation of her touch and the feel of her bare skin.

  The moment she stroked his rigid manhood, a tingling sensation ran up her arm and invaded her entire body. Cynthia arched her back, urging him to an increased fervor. Her hips rose and fell of their own accord against the searing intensity of his expert touch. She gasped for air as he played her body with the expertise of a virtuoso capable of obtaining the ultimate in perfection. The previous six years disappeared in an incendiary flash of ecstasy as if they had never been apart. No one had ever been able to excite her in the same way Shane Fortune had.

  His mouth moved from her nipple to the side of her neck, then his tongue thrust aggressively against hers. His hand pushed hard against her womanhood as burning need ripped through her body. She wanted still more.

  Shane pulled back from her just long enough to reach for the nightstand drawer and withdraw the condom packet. He ripped it open and a few moments later settled his body between her thighs. His words came out in ragged gasps. “You are the most exquisite... I can’t even think straight around you.” He ran his hands up her rib cage until he could cup her breasts. He placed a kiss between them, then another on her stomach.


  The tickle of his hot breath across her skin was followed by the enticing sensation of his lips on her inner thighs. She quivered in anticipation, then he finally placed the most intimate kiss of all at the very core of her womanhood. Every nerve ending in her body screamed out for the ultimate fulfillment.

  He thrust forward ever so slowly until his entire length was inside her. A hard groan bordering somewhere between pleasure and ecstasy caught in his throat when her heated folds closed around his hardness. He set a smooth rhythm that escalated much more quickly than he wanted it to.

  They moved together in unison, a sexual compatibility they had once shared through many nights of making love. Everything was so familiar yet had a delicious new level of excitement that exploded around them like an out-of-control fire.

  She wrapped her arms and legs tightly around his body and squeezed her eyes shut. The convulsions started deep inside her and quickly spread. “Shane, I—” Her whispered words stuck in her throat, then were cut off completely when his mouth found hers. He gave one final deep thrust. She felt him shudder as the hard spasms rippled through his body.

  She clung to him as if he were life itself. Her exhilaration soared, leaving her physically drained yet enveloped in a cloud of euphoria. She snuggled in the warm protection of his embrace. She loved him so much, though it was something she’d tried so hard to deny. She always had and she always would. The only thing that could make the moment even better would be Shane saying he loved her. He’d never once told her that during all the time they’d been together, and she longed to hear it.

  The security of his arms, the sound of his heartbeat as she rested her head against his damp chest, what she had seen that day of his dedication to his beliefs and convictions—everything about him conveyed strength and purpose. The last man she made love with had been Shane Fortune, and that was six years ago. No one she’d met in the interim had even grabbed her interest, let alone captured her passion. There’d been no one in her life other than Shane. And then there was her son—their son. Had she betrayed the secure environment she’d created for Bobby by giving in to her own desires? It was a question that did not have an easy answer, and she feared it might haunt her in the future.