Shamus wanted these incriminating journals out of the house immediately. “Who else knows these are here?”
“No one. Just you and me. Oh, and your brother. I told him what I’d found in the safe the night of the shooting.”
“But he just thinks they’re personal papers?”
Cyndi nodded. “Yes.”
“Okay, we have to assume the people involved don’t realize that your father kept a private journal.”
“Why do we assume that?”
Shamus pried the journal from Cyndi’s cold fingers and laid it on the bedside table.
“Because someone would have tried to recover it by now, if they’d known about it. The house was empty for several weeks before you got here. Even before that, there was only a small staff here. Lots of opportunity for them to try.”
She pushed back a lock of hair, tucking it behind her ear. “I see what you mean. All the paperwork in the files looks perfectly legal. If I hadn’t found these journals, I’d never have questioned them.” Her fingers tightened around the covers. “Oh, Shamus. What kind of man does what my father did? He cheated some people and blackmailed others, not for money, but for favors.”
He plucked her glasses off and tossed them aside before drawing her into his arms. She felt cold, so he rubbed his hand over her arm, trying to warm her. “I don’t know, sweetheart. But you aren’t anything like him.”
“Are you sure?”
The uncertainty in her voice tore at him. “I’m sure. No matter what anyone else might think, I know better.”
She buried her face against his chest. “Thank you for that. You have no idea what it means to me.”
He wanted to comfort her, but wasn’t quite sure how to go about it. She was uncovering nasty secrets about her family, and she hadn’t had a good family history to begin with. Her life with her father had been a nightmare, and now when it should have been finally over, it seemed as if it was just beginning.
“I’m sorry,” he murmured as he continued to stroke her arm. “Sorry you have to go through all this.”
His body was responding to her nearness. He could smell the flowery scent of her soap. He recognized it from what he’d found in the shower stall earlier. Her skin was soft and she was only wearing a short nightgown made of some silky material. It brushed against his chest every time she moved, making him tense as he swallowed a groan of desire. He wanted her again.
His shaft stirred, pressing against her hip. He tried to ignore it, but it was getting harder to do it with each passing second. He had a warm, sexy woman in his arms, her musky scent mingling with the fragrance of her soap to create an aphrodisiac that stirred his senses. He wanted her.
Wanted to lay her on her back, mount her, and rock them both into oblivion.
But he wouldn’t.
Right now, Cyndi needed comfort and he wanted to give that to her more than he wanted to fulfill a physical need. It might kill him, but he was determined.
“Shamus?”
Her husky tone sent a shiver down his spine and his erection pulsed. “What?”
She didn’t answer. Instead, she pulled away from his embrace and came up on her knees beside him. Her blue eyes were huge as she reached down and grabbed the hem of her gown, drawing it over her head.
Shamus swallowed hard and reached for her, but she moved just beyond his grasp.
“Let me.”
He leaned back against the pillows. Whatever she wanted was hers.
Chapter Eighteen
A shiver skated down Cyndi’s spine at the heat in Shamus’ eyes. Being naked in front of him stoked her desire higher. She might be almost a decade his senior, but it no longer mattered. Not when he looked at her like that. One thing she never doubted was the fact that he wanted her. But it went further than that. He truly believed in her and genuinely liked her. That, more than anything, is what attracted her to him.
Her nipples tightened as he tucked his hands beneath his head and sprawled back against the pillows. The muscles in his arms bulged, his stomach rippled. A slow trickle of cream slid from her sex, a reminder of just how much she wanted this man.
A slow, sexy grin crossed his face. His hair was loose, falling about his shoulders like a mahogany curtain. She wanted to run her fingers through it. Later, she wanted to feel those silky strands against her breasts, her stomach, and her thighs.
She licked her lips, her chest rising and falling with each breath she took. Her skin felt tight and she ached between her thighs. She wanted, no–needed, the heat that flared between them whenever they touched.
Cyndi wanted to forget. To put out of her mind everything they’d just uncovered. She’d had always suspected her father’s methods had been less than legal on occasions, but she’d never imagined the depths he’d sunk to in order to get what he wanted. She felt tainted, stained by virtue of being a member of the same family.
She didn’t realize she’d wrapped her arms around herself until Shamus’s quiet voice penetrated her misery. “Cyndi. Why don’t we just get some rest? It’s late and we have to be up in a couple of hours.” His eyes were mostly gray, dark with concern. For her.
Slowly, she released her arms, letting them fall back by her sides. This was an opportunity she wasn’t about to miss. Who knew what tomorrow would bring? Cyndi still couldn’t quite bring herself to believe that their relationship would last, but she no longer cared. No matter how much time they had, she wanted to make the most of it.
A man like Shamus entered a woman’s life once, if she were lucky. Not only was he gorgeous to look at, but he was also honorable and kind, and his loyalty was unshakable.
Cyndi loved him. There was no need to deny the truth any longer. Something about Shamus made every part of her body and soul yearn to be closer. He was easy to spend time with, and they worked side by side as if they’d been doing it for years instead of days. If she might only have him for a short while, she wanted to make the most of it.
Scooting closer, she straddled one of his heavy thighs. The coarse hair tickled the inside of her smooth legs, reminding her of the intrinsic differences between the male and female of the species. And Shamus was quite the specimen. Large and heavily muscled, he was the quintessential male.
Placing her palms on his thighs, she stroked upward. His cock was already swollen and ready, but she ignored it for the moment. First, she wanted to touch his magnificent chest.
Her palms heated as she touched him. Muscles rippled beneath his flesh as she learned every angle and plane of his torso. A soft rumbling sound came from low in his chest, almost like the purr of a large cat. Cyndi kneaded the heavy muscles, enjoying the hard, rough feel of him.
She jerked as a hand cupped her breast, but then moaned and pushed it harder into his hand.
The tight nipple stabbed the center of his palm.
Lowering her head, she flicked her tongue over his flat nipple. The brown disk puckered and Shamus groaned, his long legs shifting restlessly. She could feel his erection prodding her belly as she leaned over him. Her stomach felt damp from the liquid seeping from the tip.
Kissing her way to the other side, she did the same thing to his other nipple. She loved the way the thin line of crisp hair bisecting his chest tickled her nose. His hand tightened on her breast, and she nipped at his chest lightly. He gave her breast one final squeeze, and let his hand drop back down to the mattress.
Cyndi kissed her way down his torso. He tasted hot and salty and she couldn’t get enough of him. His hands pressed on her shoulders when she lingered too long, urging her lower. She smiled as she traced a circle around his belly button. His erection brushed her chin, demanding attention.
Sitting back on her heels, she stared down at him. His erection was long and thick, the plumshaped head dark and wet. Blue veins ran up and down the length and she could see them pulsing.
Reaching out, she laid her hand over him.
Hot! He was so hot and hard. She tightened her fingers around him and squeezed ge
ntly.
Shamus swore. She glanced up at him, and his head was tilted back, but his eyes were still open.
They glittered with an unrequited lust that should have frightened her. Instead, it filled her with pleasure and pride and made her womb clench with need.
Her breasts ached, so she lifted her free hand and touched them. She’d never touched herself in front of anyone else before and it was surprisingly erotic.
“Oh yeah,” Shamus rumbled. “Harder, sweetheart.”
Cyndi almost cried out as she pumped her hand up and down his length and pinched her nipple simultaneously. She arched her hips tight against his thigh, trying to ease the pressure.
Cream slipped from her core, dampening his leg.
Her lungs were working hard now, trying to pull some air into her body. She took a deep breath, but it didn’t help. Dropping her hand from her breast, she cupped the heavy sac between his legs. Shamus’s entire body jerked as he groaned aloud.
Another drop of fluid seeped from the tip of his erection and she had to taste it. Lowering her head, she heard him whisper her name as her tongue snaked out to swipe at the tip. His fingers tangled in her hair, silently urging her to take him into her mouth.
And she did. The head was thick and salty as she tasted it thoroughly with her tongue. The veins beneath her fingers pulsed, a vibrant reminder of the passion flowing between them. She rolled his balls in her hand and he swore again.
She was enjoying herself immensely.
Oral sex was not something she’d particularly taken pleasure in before she’d met Shamus.
His pleasure pushed her own higher, making her body feel as if it were on fire. Her breasts ached.
Her pussy throbbed.
She took him deeper, closing her mouth over him, her tongue sweeping along the sides.
“Cyndi.” His voice was hoarse as he tugged at her, this time pulling her away. She gave one final, hard suck as she pulled her mouth away, releasing him with a wet pop.
He groaned and dragged her upward until she was sprawled against his chest. His lips captured hers in a searing kiss, but before she could get into it, he pulled away. “I want to be inside you.”
She wanted that too. Eagerly, she straddled his hips.
“Condom,” he gasped. Reaching over, he tore the bedside drawer open and yanked out the box of condoms he’d put there a few days ago. Ripping it open, he hauled out one. In seconds, he was sheathed and ready.
Cyndi came up on her knees and caught his length in her hand. Positioning the head at the opening, she lowered herself slightly. The broad tip pushed its way inside her. One slow inch at a time, she eased downward until he was buried to the hilt inside her.
He hissed out a long, low breath, his hands clasped tight around her hips. Cyndi could barely breathe. Totally filled, her body stretching to accommodate him. She felt lightheaded, yet her entire body felt poised and ready for the impending explosion of delight.
“Ride me.” He urged her up and then pulled her back down. Her inner muscles rippled as he urged her upward again. Bracing her hands on his chest, she took over the rhythm, adjusting it to suit herself.
Shamus cupped her breasts, playing with her painfully tight nipples, rolling them lightly between his thumbs and forefingers. It wasn’t enough. “Harder,” she gasped. He pinched them lightly, sending a bolt of heat from her nipples to her core. Her pussy throbbed and pulsed around his cock as he arched his hips upward on her downward push, driving himself deep.
Her head fell back, her neck no longer able to support it. She leaned into his hands, loving the way they felt on her body. Perspiration dotted her body as she continued to slide up and down his erection.
“Shamus!” She cried his name, not quite knowing what she wanted or needed.
He reared up in bed, shifting them both until she was on her back beneath him. It happened so quickly it left her breathless. Hooking his arms beneath her thighs, he planted his hands on the bed, holding her legs wide as he drove into her again and again.
Cyndi’s head thrashed against the pillows, her hands clutched at the sheets. “More,” she cried.
Shamus thrust harder, his balls smacking against her sensitive flesh with each stroke. The orgasm built and built, suddenly breaking over her. A long, low keening sound broke from her lips as her body convulsed. Waves of intense pleasure washed over her, shutting out all else.
Every cell in her body seemed to sing with joy as she came.
Above her, Shamus plunged deep three more times before he yelled, his body jerking and heaving above her. She watched him, the strong column of his neck exposed as he arched his head back. His chest was slick with perspiration, every muscle outlined.
Gasping for breath, he buried his face in the curve of her neck as he slowly removed his arms from beneath her thighs. Her legs flopped to the mattress like two wet noodles. He managed to hold most of his weight off her, but he was still heavy, making it hard for her to catch her breath. As if realizing her dilemma, he heaved himself off her. She moaned as he slipped from her.
Shamus rolled to the side of the bed and stood, walking to the bathroom. A minute later, he was back. Cyndi realized she was still sprawled across the mattress, but she didn’t care. She didn’t have enough energy to move.
Not that it mattered. Shamus tugged the covers out from under her and arranged them over her before crawling into bed beside her and pulling her into his arms.
She nestled her head against his chest, draped her leg over his upper thighs, and sighed with contentment. His arm tightened around her and she felt his lips against the top of her head.
“Sleep,” he murmured. “We’ll deal with everything else tomorrow.”
—
As Cyndi watched the truck pull out of the driveway, she waved to Linda. The other woman tooted the horn as she pulled away. She’d promised to send another truck in a few days to pick up the remainder of the furniture Cyndi had decided to sell.
Linda’s friend had already come and gone, taking all the jewelry with him. He’d appraised it and given her all the proper receipts, promising her it would be sold within the month. The prices he’d quoted had astounded Cyndi and she was even more amazed when he told her they could go even higher. His firm was having a jewelry auction in three weeks time and he planned to rush a supplement for the catalogue they’d already sent to their clients.
“Well, that’s it.” Amanda shut the side door of her mini van and dusted off her hands.
“When the truck Linda’s sending arrives, just have them load the rest of the boxes in the library aboard. She’ll make sure that I get them.”
“I will.” Cyndi hated to see the other women leave. Not only had she enjoyed the past two days with them, but it now meant that she had to deal with the ghosts of her past.
When she’d awakened in Shamus’s arms this morning, she’d persuaded him to wait until after Amanda and Linda were gone before he contacted the sheriff. He hadn’t wanted to, but as Cyndi had pointed out, this stuff had been going on for years. A few more hours wouldn’t matter, and she hadn’t wanted to discuss it until they had the house to themselves again. Reluctantly, he’d agreed. Then he’d dragged her out of bed and into the shower, where he’d started her day off just right.
“It was so nice to meet you.” Amanda stuck out her hand. Cyndi took it, knowing she was going to miss her new acquaintance. Ignoring the outstretched hand, she hugged Amanda, and was pleased when she felt Amanda hug her back.
“You too.” She released Amanda and stepped back. “You should come back when the B & B is open. Have a night on the house.” Cyndi walked Amanda to the front of her vehicle and stood beside it as she climbed aboard.
Amanda beamed with pleasure as she rested her elbow against the frame of the open window. “I’d like that.” With a toss of her curly, red hair, she started the van and pulled away.
A heavy hand dropped on her shoulder. “You okay?”
She leaned back against Shamus’s ch
est and sighed. “Yeah, I’m okay.
“I called Patrick and asked him to come out.” She stiffened, but said nothing. He sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist. “I made several copies of everything, just as you asked. They’re in the safe. I also called your lawyer. Alicia said she’d be here as soon as she could.”
“Thank you.”
He kissed her temple. “You’re welcome. And don’t worry, I’ll be right beside you.”
The sound of a vehicle approaching made her glance down the road. It wasn’t an official vehicle, but there was no mistaking the driver of the truck. Patrick O’Rourke had arrived.
Cyndi tried to discreetly untangle herself from Shamus’s embrace when she saw the sheriff’s scowl, but Shamus just tightened his hold on her. She sighed, wishing he wouldn’t antagonize his brother before they even started. It was going to be hard enough to get through this. Another part of her appreciated the support.
Patrick climbed out of his truck and strode toward them. Taking the bull by the horns, she jerked out of Shamus’s embrace and stuck out her hand. “Thank you for coming, sheriff.” She used his title to let him know that she considered this an official visit.
He glanced from his brother and back to her, his gray eyes glacial, before giving her hand a perfunctory shake. It was better than nothing, she supposed. At least he hadn’t ignored it. “What’s this all about?”
“Why don’t we talk inside?” She turned and strode toward the house, knowing they’d have no choice but to follow her. She went straight into her father’s office and sat in the chair behind his desk. She was glad this piece was still here, at least for a few more days. Sitting behind it, she didn’t feel quite so vulnerable. Shamus was two steps behind her and followed her around the desk, standing at her side.
Patrick’s scowl deepened, if that were even possible, as he stood on the opposite side of the desk, hands on his hips. “Okay, what the hell is this about?”
Cyndi cleared her voice. “I was going through my father’s papers and came across something I thought the law should be aware of. I’m not sure if it warrants criminal investigation or not. I’m waiting for my lawyer to arrive and then we can all figure out what can be done about the situation.”
The Seduction of Shamus O’Rourke Page 20
