“Yes,” she breathed.
“Swear you’re gonna be the death of me—” Shane kissed down her back and smoothed his hands over her heated bottom, “—the goddamn death of me.” He slapped her ass again.
Cyn had become nothing but a deep well of need. The need to be left alone and the need to be held close. And a need to be free of the anger and anxiety that plagued her, almost constantly.
She’d been fighting tooth and nail to keep herself from drowning in the insanity of it all. But right then, under Shane’s masterful touch, she’d lost any fight left within her. He was filling her emptiness in a way she’d never expected, or even thought possible.
She knew it was wrong. It was wrong to use him in this way and it wouldn’t last—could only be temporary, but for the moment, it was working.
For the moment it was all Cyn had.
Shane felt her body still beneath his palm as he smoothed it over the bright red haze covering her ass cheeks. She’d finally stopped fighting him and succumbed to what her body was seeking.
He was well aware that Cyn needed so much more than just sex in order to sort through the tangled web of shit she was carrying around, but because she refused to seek help, right now, this was his solution. Not the best, but at least it gave her some peace from what he was sure was a screaming mind.
He’d been down the same road she was on and it was an angry, lonely place. She was lashing out at a lot of people, but because he’d been the closest to her in the last few weeks, he’d taken the brunt of it. Tonight, he’d hit his own breaking point with the situation. Shane was human after all, but still, he wasn’t happy with himself that he’d allowed his own insecurities to get the better of him.
Cyn whimpered as he slid two fingers through her folds once again. She was dripping wet with arousal. With each slap he landed, her body had softened and her pussy had gotten wetter. It was all he could do not to bury himself inside her moist heat and fuck them both into oblivion. But not yet.
Shane spread her ass cheeks apart, loving the site of her tight, puckered asshole. Fuck, he wanted in there. Instead, he got to his knees. “One knee on the bed.” He helped her do as he instructed. “Don’t move.” Shane spread her swollen pussy lips with his thumbs and licked though her folds.
With a deep groan, he swallowed her taste and went back for more. She whimpered, arching her ass higher. Cyn was heaven on his tongue and he couldn’t get enough. The head of his dick throbbed, thickening further. He was beyond ready to pound into her tight channel, but he needed this from her first. Shane dived his tongue into the mouth of her cunt and pressed his thumb to her clit. Rubbing tight little circles in the swollen bud, he thrust his tongue in and out of her, fucking her with his mouth.
With her hips rocking, she let out a high-pitched moan and Shane knew she was about to go over the edge. He slapped her ass with his free hand before gripping the full mound of flesh hard as he kept up the pressure on her clit with his thumb, thrusting his tongue into her sweet channel.
Cyn went off like a rocket, crying out his name and shaking as her orgasm ripped through her. Shane sucked up every drop, and when she finally began to settle he let her go and stood behind her. Once again he gripped her full ass in his hands and spread her cheeks. “Taking you here tonight.”
She nodded, but said nothing.
Shane bent over her and pulled her hair away from her face. “Cyn, you want me in your ass tonight?”
She nodded again.
He trailed his thumb over her bottom lip. “Need you to ask me for it.”
“Want you there. Fuck me in my ass, Shane. Need you, babe. Please?” She sucked his thumb into her mouth and her eyes rolled back in her head.
“I’ll always give you what you need.” Shane grabbed a bottle of lube from the night table drawer. He poured a generous amount into his hands and then smoothed it over her still red ass cheeks. Cyn moaned and raised her other leg onto the bed. Poised on her knees, bent forward, head on the mattress with her legs spread wide, she made an incredible display for him. Her full ass was raised in perfect height to his cock. Her tight little puckered hole right there waiting for him to fuck. “God Almighty, you have the most incredible ass.”
“Take it,” she whispered.
Shane held the bottle above her, trickling the oil down between her ass cheeks. “Need to get you ready first.” He smoothed two fingers over her hole, massaging it before he pressed them inside. Adding more lube, he worked it inside her. “Need you nice and slick for me. Fuck, you’re so tight. Gonna love being inside you. Promise you’re gonna love it too.” Shane continued to work her, sliding his fingers in and out, then added a third, stretching her farther.
Cyn moaned and whimpered, rocking her hips in time with his strokes. The sight of her bent over in submission to him in this way had Shane’s head spinning. Lust and anticipation ping-ponged through him as he fucked into her tight ass with his fingers. She was almost ready, and so was he.
Pulling his fingers free, Shane poured another generous amount of lube into his palm and took himself in hand. He stroked the oil along his shaft, groaning, and then tapped her asshole with the edge of the head. “This what you want, girl?”
“Yessss…” Cyn rolled her hips.
“Take it, Cyn.” He positioned the head against her tight hole and Cyn exhaled a low moan, as she pressed back against him. Shane took hold of her ass cheeks, gripping the full mounds and spreading them apart. Slow and easy he worked the head in, little by little, stretching the outer ring of muscles. He worried, even with all the lube, it might be too much for her, and hurting her was not what he wanted. “You okay?”
“God yes, it stings. But don’t stop.”
Deep moans came out of Cyn each time he pushed and she pressed back, taking him deeper until he was finally past the tight muscle and the head was buried in her ass.
“Fuck! Oh, fuck! Please…don’t stop.” She gripped the blankets.
He placed his hand on her lower back. “Easy now. Give your body a moment to adjust.”
She moaned and shifted. “More, Shane.”
“Okay.” Shane took a full breath and pushed deeper. Her tight channel squeezed his dick as he buried himself all the way inside her and his hips met the back of her thighs. “Jesus Christ, Cyn. You got all of me.”
“Yes…oh God, yes.” Cyn rocked forward and pressed back again.
Shane growled, drew out and back in, keeping a steady pace. She was taking him—all of him. The feeling so intense, it was all he could do not to lose his ever-loving mind. His balls drew up tight, and his orgasms tingled at the base of his spine.
He wouldn’t last long. The sight of her was just too erotic, her body open like this too sexy, and the grip of her channel too good. “Rub your clit. Gonna come for you soon. Want you to come too.”
Cyn slid her hand beneath her body and rocked back against him. “Harder, Shane…please?”
“Jesus—” God help him, he was lost to her. Gritting his teeth, Shane slapped his hips against her, drilling into her, unable to stop the sounds coming out of his mouth as he fucked her sweet ass hard and fast.
Shane’s name belted from Cyn’s mouth on a scream as she came and he followed right after.
“Fuuuuckkk!” His orgasm hit with a force hard enough to take him to his knees. Shane held tight to her hips and buried himself deep as his cock spurted in release over and over again inside her.
Out of breath, he fell over her and they both collapsed onto the mattress. He rolled them to their side and wrapped his arms around her. Cyn’s body shook against him as she breathed heavy, still trying to catch her breath too. Shane pressed his nose to her hair and held her tighter. “You okay?”
“Mmhmm.” She shifted and Shane slipped from her channel— “Ohh! Mmm… You?”
“I’m perfect. But I think I need to grab you a towel.” He
went to sit up and she held his arms to her chest.
“Don’t want you to move yet.”
“Whatever you need, girl.” Shane pressed a kiss to her shoulder and laid his head back down. Cyn rolled over and faced him, then pressed her face to his neck.
Happy to have her in his arms, he stroked through her hair and trailed his fingers down her back. Her skin had cooled from the sweat dampening it, and felt like silk beneath his fingertips.
Cyn had pushed him hard tonight, but he’d pushed right back. Like usual, their argument ended in sex, but tonight’s round had been the most intense out of all their encounters yet, and there had been so many to date, he’d lost count.
Shane listened to her breaths even out, feeling them tickle the skin of his neck as she fell asleep in his arms. He didn’t want to leave and tonight she’d pretty much made it clear she didn’t want him to stay.
In no way did he want to be where he wasn’t wanted, but he couldn’t shake the thought that things would be different if it hadn’t been for the attack. It’d been an unexpected interruption in what he felt was the beginning of a relationship between them. If he just held on, stood by her, they’d get through it together.
Regardless of the timing, Cyn already had his heart and he had no intention of taking it back. Their start together might’ve been a rocky one because of what she was going through, but in Shane’s eyes, when this was done, their foundation would be rock solid and stronger than anyone else’s he knew.
Coming through a war and emerging with your life intact meant a person had won. Cyn would come though this, with him by her side and they’d win. They’d have each other. Shane just hoped she’d see it his way…eventually.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Shane stood in front of the paint sample rack at Home Depot debating on the perfect color. Sage? Coffee? He couldn’t decide. He’d gotten up that morning with a mission on his mind. That mission being Cyn’s living room—the room was getting a makeover.
As soon as Cyn had left the house for work, Shane was up and out the door. Maybe if he did a little face-lift, nothing too crazy, she’d feel comfortable going back in there. He had time to kill while she was at work anyway, so why not.
Hopefully Cyn would be happy about it and not pissed. Things had been a little calmer since dinner at Ryan and Maiya’s last week…resulting in a big fight followed by their rather energetic make-up plus anal sex, so he was hopeful.
Chances were she’d be pissed, but he was willing to take the risk because making her happy, even if it took a while, was worth it.
He glanced between the green-ish shade and the tan-ish one, and went with the sage—or Willow Leaf, the label said. Three gallons of satin would do the trick, plus some tinted primer and he was ready to go. On his way to the registers, he took a peek at the area rugs and found a perfect one with shades of red, tan and a darker green in the pattern. Wasting no time, he grabbed it.
Crown molding would be beautiful too, but there was no way he could fit that in before she got home from work. He’d called Joey to see if he was game to give him a hand, but like most people were doing, his best friend was working. He’d left him a message but for now, Shane was flying solo. Considering he only had eight hours, at best, to pull off a makeover miracle on his own, he needed to move his ass.
On the drive back to her house, he stopped by a small locally owned furniture store and made another snap decision on a new coffee table, end tables and a set of lamps. He eyed a new sofa, but figured he better not push it. When he got back to Cyn’s house, he unloaded the back of the SUV—thank fuck the backseats folded flat—and set everything in the garage.
Once in the house, Shane turned on the iPod dock and got to work. Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s “Slow Ride” came through the speakers, and Shane muscled the sofa and chair into the center of the room, and draped them in plastic. The existing coffee table and end tables, he moved to the garage, along with the one remaining lamp that hadn’t been broken in the struggle between him and Carlos.
Shane grunted at the memory as he came back into the house. Painter’s tape in hand, he taped off all the necessary areas and then laid plastic drop cloths down to cover the entire floor. Shane stretched and eyed the clock. Just past eleven a.m. Time to rock and roll.
Edwin McCain’s “I’ll Be” started playing as Shane opened a can of primer and got the tray ready. Roller coated with paint, he started on the biggest wall, singing along with the lyrics. Then continued on to the other two. By one p.m. the room was primed and at the rate he was moving, he was so not going to make it. He worked fast, but prepping for paint took a long-ass time, plus that whole rolling thing. What he wouldn’t give for a sprayer. He probably should’ve rented one.
Shane grabbed a beer from the fridge while the primer dried. He leaned against the counter, legs crossed at the ankle, and wondered if he’d lost his damn mind. The doorbell rang, yanking him off the train to Crazyville. Shane set the beer on the counter, and turned the music down on his way to the front door, just in time for a knock to sound. “Hold your horses, I’m coming.”
Shane swung the door wide to find Joey standing there, clad in jeans and an old T-shirt, sunglasses pushed up to his forehead and a grin on his face. “I heard you need a little painting done.”
“Dude, seriously? I fucking love you right now.”
“And you’re gonna love me more when you see your present.”
“What’ja bring me, Daddy?” With a chuckle, Shane stepped out onto the front stoop.
“Only because you’ve been such a good boy. Follow me, my son.”
Shane walked with Joey to the back of his pick-up truck. His best friend dropped the tailgate to reveal an absolutely gorgeous paint sprayer. Shane looked over at Joey. “Marry me. For reals.”
“Sorry, already taken.” Joey cleared his throat and nodded.
“How about a kiss? Just a little one.”
Joey laughed. “Maybe later. Come on, help me grab this shit. I brought more drop cloths and a shield. You know how sprayers are, but I’m betting you’re more skilled with one than I am.”
Shane grabbed the sprayer. “Dude, seriously? Thank you.”
“No worries, man. That’s what family does. You just been away too long.”
Shane couldn’t peel the smile off his face and he swore he felt his heart actually swell behind his ribs. He rolled the sprayer into the house and went back out and grabbed the couple of buckets Joey brought too, while his best friend brought the remaining supplies inside.
Joey was awesome, but then again, he was a Donnelly. That’s how they were. Salt of the earth, truly. He set the sprayer up and glanced over at Joey. “Primer’s drying, but we’re close to ready to lay paint. You mind helping cut in?”
Joey looked around, hands propped on his hips. “I’m dressed for the occasion, just show me to the brushes, cowboy.” Right then, the first beats of Big & Rich’s “Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy)” played through the iPod. Shane threw his head back and laughed. Joey shook his head, laughing too. “Yeah, that was too perfect. In a very fucking scary way.”
“No shit.” Shane tossed a brush Joey’s way. “No, you cannot ride me.”
“Don’t— Oh man, you went there.”
“Had to.” Shane filled two small containers with paint and handed one to Joey. “Pick a wall.”
Joey moved to the front wall with the picture window, and Shane turned the music back up and started on the wider back wall. It took them another hour and a half, nearly two, to cut in around each wall, and the front window. When they finished, Shane stood back and eyed their work. “Beer?”
“Uh, let me think about that for a second… Hell yes?” Joey set the container and brush down.
“Thought so.” Shane strode past him to the kitchen and grabbed two beers. Back in the living room, he handed one to Joey and eyed the sprayer. “You rent that?�
��
Joey tilted his bottle back, swallowed a generous amount, and then burped. “Yup.”
“Nice.” Shane chuckled and took a swig of his. He burped too but managed to contain the enthusiasm of it. “Better get this going. Meter’s running.”
“That was so ladylike.” Joey grabbed an empty bucket and filled it with the remaining three gallons of paint.
“Thank your mother for that.”
“Ha. Right?” Joey looked down into the bucket. “Damn, that doesn’t look like a lot of paint. You sure it’s enough?”
Shane ran his palm over the crown of his head. “Shit, I hope so. Tell you what, you want to go run and grab two more gallons, just in case?”
“I can do that. I’ll grab a pizza on the way back too.”
“I’ll get you back on all that.” Shane set the bucket up with the sprayer and started priming the line. “Cool?”
“All good, brother. Be back in a bit.”
“Thanks.” Shane eyed the clock. It was just after three thirty. Jesus this was going to be close. Hopefully she’d work late. Just as he got ready to pull the trigger on the sprayer, his phone beeped with a message. Shane grabbed it out of his pocket.
It was a text from Stephanie, Joey’s wife.
Stephanie Donnelly: Shane, it’s Steph. Operation delay Cyn is in effect. I’m heading to the office at 4:30 to distract her into taking Madi for ice cream with me. ;-)
Shane: Have I told you that you’re an angel?
Stephanie Donnelly: Yes, but please be sure to remind Joey, okay? LOL
Shane: Done! Thanks, Steph.
Stephanie Donnelly: No thanks needed. It’s what we do for family.
Shane smiled down at the screen of his phone. Joey was a lucky man. But Shane was lucky too, if only…he shook his head. “If only” was a deathtrap. A lot like an I.E.D: improvised explosive device…an unidentifiable object on the side of the road in Iraq that could have a bomb in it or just someone’s clothes—basically something he should stay the hell away from or approach with extreme caution because the risk was far too extreme.
Shattered Heart: The Donnellys, Book 3 Page 22
