Shattered Heart: The Donnellys, Book 3

by Dorothy F. Shaw

  Christ, every time he thought about her and let his mind wander, even momentarily to the memories of sex between them, his dick got rod hard in his pants. He’d jacked off more in the last four days than he had in the last four years. Which was fucking insane.

  She had a magic mouth and pussy, yeah…but more than that, Cyn was just plain magical. Her personality, her goofiness, her smile and her constant, and sometimes unsolicited, opinions—all magic in his eyes. Man, she was bossy as hell, a bit of a control freak too, and Shane wanted more of her. He sighed. Seven days—plenty of time to get his fill of her. If by chance he wasn’t topped off after the week, he’d just have to pay a few more visits to Cali in the near future.

  But the woman needed to call him back, for fuck’s sake.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Cyn carried a big pile of wedding gifts up Ryan’s walkway to his front door. Maiya had the door open before Cyn reached it, thank God.

  Her new sister-in-law grabbed the top two off the pile. “Holy shit, where did these all come from?”

  “Mom and Dad’s house. I guess some of the family who couldn’t make the wedding sent them there instead of your house.” Cyn walked through the front door.

  “Holy crap!” Ryan rushed down the last few steps on the staircase and grabbed another two boxes from her. “From Mom and Dad’s?”

  Cyn set the bag she had hanging from her wrist down and shook out her arm. “Give the man a prize.” She laughed. “There’s more in the Jeep still.”

  “More?” Maiya set down the two she’d grabbed on the pile Ryan started. “Where the hell are we going to put all this stuff?”

  “Hell if I know.” Cyn brushed her hair out of her face. “Re-gift?”

  Maiya barked a laugh and Cyn headed back outside for another pile. When she glanced over from behind the Wrangler, Shane was striding across the lawn. Oh, fuck. In an instant, Cyn’s entire body tensed as heat pooled between her thighs. Six days—six long-ass days—since she’d seen or talked to him. Touched, licked, sucked… Good lord! And here he was, walking toward her, baseball cap pulled low, no shirt and faded blue jeans hanging even lower on his narrow hips…looking all delicious and edible.

  He rounded the back of her vehicle and Cyn licked her lips and took a step back. Then his delectable, mouthwatering scent hit her like a freight train and she grabbed the side of the Jeep to steady herself.

  Shane regarded her for a moment, his head tilted at a slight angle, lips pursed, as he ran his palm over the back of his neck. His gaze, lit with desire, roamed from her eyes, to her mouth, and continued down her body, then wandering all slow and deliberate back to her eyes again.

  And she felt every damn second of it like a physical touch.

  Slipping his hands into his front pockets, his lips arched into a slight, very sexy grin. “How ya been, Cyn?”

  “I’m…” Shit! Cyn blew out a breath and cleared her throat. Jesus, he looked good. Really good. Like, no man on earth had the right to look that good, good. His tanned skin glowed in the sunlight. His muscled chest whispered to her—she swore it did—begging to be touched. And his abs? Fucking hell, his abs needed her tongue on them too. Or maybe it was the other way around; maybe it was her tongue that needed to touch his abs? Didn’t matter. Either way, the need to touch him rose inside her like a tidal wave, drowning all thought and prior rational decisions made.

  “That good, huh?”

  Cyn shook her head and dragged her eyes away—not an easy task—from his tempting body. “Yeah. Good. You?” Talking to him was apparently a problem at the moment; looking at him was too. Focus, Cyn. Unload the Jeep. Grateful for the distraction, she leaned inside the tailgate and piled up a couple more boxes.

  Shane took the pile before she had a chance to lift it. “Just stopped by to say hi to Ryan and his lady. I’ve been…not so good.”

  “Oh?” She snapped her gaze back to him. “Why, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

  He gave her a sideways glance from below the brim of his hat. “Been trying to reach you. Haven’t heard back.” Shane walked away, packages held with ease in his big arms.

  Guilt hit Cyn like a ton of bricks and she bit her bottom lip. Moving around the side of her vehicle, she stared at his muscular body, and the Semper Fidelis tattoo in black, Old English lettering across his upper back. Too freaking sexy. But more than that, Shane was a nice guy. Had always been a nice guy. In high school he was the kid everyone wanted to hang with and every girl wanted to date. Polite, never arrogant and always respectful too.

  With her eyes on the front door, Cyn leaned a hip against the side of her Wrangler and let out a sigh… And the boy of her dreams came back outside, walking straight toward her. She sighed again. God, he was beautiful. Their eyes locked and stayed that way until he reached her, stopping less than a foot away. Cyn tilted her head back to keep her gaze on his. “I’m sorry.”

  He gave her a brief nod. “I’ll let you make it up to me.”

  Beating back the urge to touch him, Cyn crossed her arms. “How so?”

  “Dinner.” He traced two fingers down her arm. “Then breakfast.”

  A blaze of heat seared her skin where he’d touched her, spreading through her body, and Cyn’s breath hitched in her throat. “I can’t.” Her voice was a bare whisper.

  “Can’t? Why’s that?” Shane stepped closer and rubbed his palms up and down her arms.

  His scent hit her hard and she had to suppress a groan from slipping out. Cyn dropped her gaze only to be greeted by the sight of his broad chest. Shit. Mouth gone dry, she swallowed. The desire to snake out her tongue and lick his sun-kissed skin was killing her. “I’m having a hard time remembering why.”

  “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?” Shane pinched her chin between his finger and thumb, tilting her face up to him.

  Their bodies were barely touching and the temptation to lean forward and press against him rolled through her. Cyn licked her lips. “Fuck…”

  “Reading my mind.” Shane’s lips twitched in a slight grin before he touched his mouth to hers.

  As he started to pull away, Cyn curled a hand around the back of his neck and held him close. Just one more taste…just one—snaking out her tongue, she licked his top lip. Oh, fuck yes. Shane ran his hands down her back to her ass, jerking her body tight against him and slammed his mouth down on hers. Their tongue’s collided and Cyn’s libido went into overdrive.

  Shane moved them backward and Cyn found herself being lifted into the back of her Wrangler. He broke from her mouth. “Girl, where’n the hell you been?” He spun his hat backward, bent his head to the side and bit the tender skin of her neck.

  Cyn gasped, arching against him, as she scraped her nails down his chest. Electrified lust bolted through her. “Fuck, that feels good.” When her fingers met the waistband of his jeans, she tugged the button open and wedged her hand inside. The heat of his hard cock was like a brand on her palm as she closed her fist around the shaft. “Want this, Shane.”

  “Coulda been having that all week.” He moved back to her lips and dived his tongue in her mouth again.

  “Holy shit, really?”

  Startled, Shane yanked from the kiss, but didn’t move away. Cyn buried her face in Shane’s heavenly chest and couldn’t help but smile. “Sorry, Ryan.”

  “Maybe you two want to take this elsewhere? I have neighbors, you know.”

  “What happened? Awww…did you two get caught making out like a couple of teenagers in heat?” Maiya laughed and peered over the top of the back tailgate and her brows went sky high.

  Cyn grinned at her sister-in-law, who based on her expression, could clearly see Cyn had her hand down Shane’s jeans. Cyn shrugged. “Yeah, well. It happens.”

  “Cyn,” Shane whispered, giving her hips a brief squeeze. “Might want to take your hand outta there.”

  Cyn gazed up at him. She let a
lazy smile spread across her mouth as she slid her hand up his length to the head and then let him go. “If you insist.”

  With a groan, he let out a breath and his big body shuddering against hers. “Killing me.” He took a step back while he buttoned his pants. “Apologies, Ry. No disrespect meant.”

  Ryan barely suppressed a grin. “Hey, don’t worry about it, bro. None taken.”

  “I hope not, considering our history.” Maiya snorted, crossed her arms and grinned at her husband.

  Ryan curled his arm around Maiya’s waist and planted a hard but quick kiss on her lips. “Exactly.” He turned to Shane. “Help me get the rest of this stuff inside, then you two can take off to fin— Ya know, I don’t want to know any more than that.” Shaking his head with a laugh, Ryan raised his hands in surrender.

  Cyn hopped down from her tailgate. “Whatever. Deal with it.” She handed Ryan a few packages. Shane grabbed what remained, and he and Ryan took them to the house. Cyn glanced at Maiya, who’d lit a cigarette. “All right, g’head, say it.”

  Maiya blew out a stream of gray smoke. “Say what?”

  “That I’m fucking up.”

  “Who’m I to say you’re fucking up?” Her sister-in-law shrugged. “But let me ask you something.”

  “Anything.” Cyn smoothed her hands down her shirt and braced for the question.

  “If you’d known Shane was in town, would you still have made that vow?”

  “I don’t know.” It was the truth, she didn’t know. The whole point of the moratorium was to figure out what was wrong with her, hopefully fix it and then be able to have a good relationship with a man. That hadn’t changed just because Shane Conlon had been, and wanted still to be, in her pants, had it? “Maybe?”

  “I guess only you can decide that. Are you going to follow through with the year off?”

  Cyn looked down at her Chucks and tucked her hands in her back pockets. “I don’t know.”

  Maiya nudged Cyn with her shoulder. “Whichever you decide to do, keep your vow or give it up, do it because it’s what you want. And know that I’ve got your back either way.”

  “I love you, Miaya.” Cyn smiled.

  Maiya stubbed out her cigarette on the bottom of her shoe. “Love you too, chica.” She glanced around Cyn. “Looks like he’s coming back for you.”

  Cyn froze, her mind in a tug-of-war with itself. She should tell him no. She should get in her Jeep, back out of the driveway and never see him again. At least not for a year. Or, she should give him a blowjob, immediately. Maybe screw his brains out after. He had unbelievable recovery time… Gah! She should do a lot of things, like take care of some work that needed doing. Or go water her lawn. Plant some flowe—

  “Cyn?”

  She looked up, and blinked a few times. He’d put his T-shirt back on and had added a flannel over the top. Jesus, he’d make burlap look sexy. “Yeah?”

  He smiled and crossed his arms. “Ready?”

  “For what?”

  “Hmm.” He chuckled and moved to his rental. “Meet you at your place.”

  “But—”

  Shane slid inside the SUV and shut the door. Cyn pressed her lips together, staring at him as he started the vehicle and backed out of the driveway. She threw her hands in the air. “Well, okay then.”

  Maiya laughed. “Gotta love when they do that.”

  Guess he’d made Cyn’s mind up for her. Freaking alpha males and their tendency to take control, ordering women around. If she didn’t find it so fucking sexy, she might actually be pissed off. “Yeah, that was pretty hot.” Cyn swung the tailgate of the Wrangler closed and moved to the driver’s door. “He’s here for another week. Looks like I’m postponing my moratorium till he goes.”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Maiya ran her fingers through her long hair. “Call me later. Or…when you come up for air and sustenance.” She chuckled.

  “Later, Maiya.” Cyn slid behind the wheel. Who needed food when she could feast on a body like Shane’s? Air, well hell, she’d be getting plenty of that each time she cried out his name or moaned in sheer pleasure. She threw the Jeep in gear and backed out of the driveway. With a final wave to Maiya, Cyn headed to her house.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Shane pulled into Cyn’s driveway. He’d stopped at the grocery store on his way, picking up some fixin’s for dinner. He planned on making some juicy burgers and enjoying a few beers with Cyn then taking her upstairs and having her for dessert. After gathering the bags, he closed the hatch and made his way to the front door.

  Cyn opened it before he made it up the first step and rushed to him. “Let me help you.”

  “Got it already.” He bent, kissed her cheek and then moved inside the house. She followed, closed the door and scooted around him to the kitchen. Fine by him, he got a perfect view of her full ass. “You always wear jeans like that?”

  “Like what?” She took one of the bags and set it on the counter.

  “Ones that mold to your already incredible ass.”

  “Don’t know about incredible, but yeah, I wear jeans that fit me. Why?”

  He hooked her around the waist and pulled her close. “Don’t stop. Makes me hard every time I see you in them.”

  Cyn smiled and gazed up at him. “Good to know.” She pressed against him and her eyes widened. “Your dick is hard, Shane! Damn. And now all I want to do is suck you off.”

  He groaned, wanting that too. But not yet, first, he needed to feed her. “You can suck my cock after we eat.”

  She frowned. “No fair.”

  “The way I see it, we’re even.” He swatted her ass.

  “How do you figure that?” She rose on her toes and circled his neck with her arms.

  Shane kissed the tip of her nose. “I’ll be tortured by your fine ass the whole night. By the time we get done eating, I’ll be aching for your hot mouth as much as you’re aching to put it on me. That’s how.”

  “I see your point.” She kissed him and Shane groaned into her mouth, loving the taste and feel of her.

  Man, he was so freaking glad she’d shown up at Ryan and Maiya’s house. He was beginning to think she’d dodge him the rest of his trip. But nope, lady luck smiled down on him and now here he was, at Cyn’s house, with her in his arms, kissing his brains out. Shane planned on taking all she was willing to give him tonight and if he had his way, the remainder of the week too.

  Cyn’s phone chimed on the counter and she broke the kiss. “Sorry, let me check that.”

  She stepped away and Shane set to unloading the groceries. “Did you start the grill?” She stared at her phone, reading the message. Maybe she didn’t hear him. “Cyn?”

  “Hmm?” She glanced up.

  “Did you already start the grill?”

  “Umm.” She returned her focus back to her phone and her brow creased into a frown. “Yeah. I did.”

  “Hey, you okay?” Shane moved to her.

  She tossed the phone onto the counter. “Yeah. Fine. I’ll go check the grill.” She glanced at him as she walked away.

  Shane had no idea what’d just happened, but whatever it was, it wasn’t good. One minute she was all happy and pressed against his body, tongue down his throat, and the next she looked like someone just kicked her dog. Her phone beeped again, another text coming in, and Shane eyed the device on the counter. He wasn’t about to check the message, it wasn’t his business, but whoever it was had already upset her, and Shane wasn’t about to tolerate that.

  Cyn came back inside and appeared a bit less distressed than when she’d left. She moved to the sink and washed her hands. “What can I do to help?”

  Shane leaned his back against the counter, crossing his feet at the ankle. “It went off again.”

  “What did? My phone?” She eyed the cell, then reached for it. “Shit.”

  “
Maybe you shouldn’t read it.”

  She glanced at him, before looking back to the screen. “Too late.”

  Shane studied her features, and watched as once again, her brow creased and this time her mouth pressed into a thin line. Something was definitely up. “Something wrong, Cyn?”

  She let out a sigh and rubbed her forehead. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  He moved to her. “All right, but whatever it is, it’s now sharing the room with us. I’ll cook. You have a beer. If by the time we’re ready to eat it’s not gone, you start talking.”

  “Shane—”

  “Cyn, I respect your privacy. So you deal with it, then let it go. But hear me when I say, if you can’t let it go, clearly we need to talk about it. Got me?”

  She blew out a harsh breath. “Fine.”

  “Good.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and began prepping burgers.

  Cyn moved to the six-pack of beers. “Angry Orchard?”

  “Good stuff. You ever had it?” He formed a pile of ground beef into a patty.

  “Yeah, I just didn’t figure you for anything other than a Bud guy.” She popped the caps off of two bottles.

  “Stick around. There’s lots of things you’ll learn about me.” He smiled at her and prepared another patty.

  She slid a bottle his way and then tipped hers back in a long swallow. “We’ll see.”

  Just as he was about to reply, Cyn burped—a very unladylike burp.

  Shane threw his head back and laughed. Loud and hard. Cyn’s eyes went wide and she covered her mouth, her cheeks going bright red. Shane laughed harder. When he finally got himself slightly composed, he leaned toward her, let out another chuckle and kissed her cheek. “Girl, that was awesome.”

  Cyn was mortified and her face burned hot with embarrassment. She hadn’t meant to let that burp fly; it just sort of erupted from her. Shane thought it was hilarious, obviously…the man was still chuckling as he finished preparing the burgers and then took them outside to the grill.