Remember When...

by Scarlett Finn

  “Ok, I see I’ll have to come at this a different way,” he said and tugged his hands out of hers to grab the cleavage of her flimsy top. Pulling hard he ripped the fabric apart, right down the middle. Ginger was so stunned that she froze, her mouth open, her top hanging from her shoulders in tatters on its spaghetti straps. With wide eyes, Shane was waiting, without breathing, for her to react. “Too much?”

  “Definitely too much,” she gasped in and bowed over him to grab his face, forcing him to kiss her.

  It was too much because it was perfect. It was too much because it aroused her and tested the limits of her restraint. Inhaling hard, Ginger squeezed his face and growled against his mouth. “Play with me,” she asked and dug her teeth into her chin.

  “You got it,” he replied and sat up.

  It was a scramble to get him out of his tee-shirt and shed her torn top from her shoulders. But a moment later, Shane had his strong arm locked around the small of her back and he was lifting her up to twist and put her beneath him. They were going to do this. She was going to have sex!

  With hot, wonderful, sweet, delectable Shane!

  Pulling on the buttons on his jeans, she tried to get her hands on him, but was stopped by his belt and while trying to keep up with the urgency of his kiss, she fumbled for the buckle. “Shane,” she panted. “Shane, please, Boo. I need you!”

  “You got me, baby. You got me,” he said, pushing up to grab for his own buckle to help her out. There was a knock on the door. “Leave it.” Without finishing with the buckle, Shane flattened himself on her and drove his tongue into her mouth again.

  Oh, she wanted to leave it, to ignore the knocking even as it came again. But the sound reminded her of where they were and what a crazy decision this was. “Wait,” Ginger said, pushing on Shane’s chest. “We’re not meant to do this, not here like this tonight.”

  “We’re not?” he panted, his skin flushed, his eyes crazy in their swamp of desperate need. “But you’re ripe.”

  It was intoxicating to have this kind of effect on Shane. While he couldn’t be accused of being calm and reasoned when it came to sex and his wife, Ginger was seduced by his dedication to her. “Maybe that’s why… maybe the time isn’t right for—”

  “Shane!” Owen called through the bedroom door.

  “Shit,” Shane said. “Fuck! Shit!”

  “Shh,” she whispered, half-subduing her giggle and running her hands up his sides. “He can probably hear you.”

  Her smile didn’t help his irritation. “If I tell him I’m getting laid he’ll fuck off!” Shane said, whispering until he got to the last two words, which he tipped his head back to yell.

  “Shh,” she said again, pressing her hand to his mouth. “Cam will hear you, and please don’t swear at Owen, it’s not his fault that I’m frigid.”

  “Oh, baby, you’re anything, but that,” he said, behind her hand and tried to pull it away to kiss her, but she switched it with the other. “Let me show you how sexually liberated you are.”

  Hooking his hands under her thighs, Shane wrenched her legs up and open, tightening them over his hips. “Please talk to Owen,” she said, using her arms to balance her weight as she rose to kiss his shoulder. “I can’t relax with him right outside the door. And you have to take Rocky out anyway.”

  “Murph took him out before I came up,” Shane said, but exhaled and bolted up from the bed to storm over to the door. So he thought he’d covered his bases and then they were interrupted. The poor guy must thing the whole universe was conspiring to ensure he didn’t get any. “What?”

  Shane unlocked the door and pulled it open so abruptly he might have broken the hinge if he hadn’t stopped it less than a foot later. “My sister been leaning on you again?”

  Ginger didn’t get it, but Shane looked down and she guessed he was sporting the evidence of what they’d been doing. “You come here to tell me something or stare at my boner? I’ll send you a picture, it’ll last longer.”

  “I guess she shut you down,” Owen said, enjoying Shane’s irritation too much. “Dick pics don’t really do it for me, but thanks for that terrifying offer.”

  “What do you want, Owe? I’m not in the mood to play.”

  Funny, he had been a moment ago. Shane propped a horizontal forearm on the door and rested his forehead on it. The poor guy was probably ragged, this was an emotional rollercoaster for him too and she hadn’t taken enough time to consider his feelings throughout everything.

  “We thought that with the Doctor in his room and the two stooges gone, we might sit down as a family and figure this out. Is Cam ok?”

  “He’s sleeping,” Shane said. “I’m kinda beat, can we do it tomorrow?”

  “It’s eight thirty, Shane,” Owen said, not falling for the tiredness excuse. “Either my sister is in your bed now or you’re hoping to climb into hers, whichever it is, it can wait… We need a strategy. Murphy and I are swinging in the wind, we don’t have a fucking clue what’s going on. Bishop or Boyd could come back any minute, are they welcome? Are we letting them back in here? And what about the doctor? What are we telling him? He’s going to want to know what’s going on… And, hey, I got a bonus for you, I can’t knock on Gin’s door this late, I don’t want to wake up Cam. So I’m giving you an excuse to go through there and talk to her.”

  “Ok,” Shane said. “I’ll talk to my wife tonight. The rest of you bastards can wait until morning. Gin has been through enough today, I’m not asking her to go through more drama this late. We’ll have a session tomorrow, around the fire like the early days.”

  “Us? Or everyone?”

  “Us,” Shane said. “Bishop won’t come back here tonight. I’m damn sure on that. He’s all bark and no balls. He’s a prick, but he’s not stupid. You think Murph and me would have any trouble taking him and that dipshit lawyer on if they threatened us?”

  Ginger shivered. It was wrong that she was turned on by how adamant Shane was about taking control and protecting his family, but damn it, she felt his vehemence scorch her.

  “Ok,” Owen said, giving up. “But if you’re wrong—”

  “Lock all the doors, keep the place secure,” Shane said. “If he comes back, come find me.”

  “And you’ll knock him out? How will Ginger feel about that?”

  “I’m about to ask her, ain’t I?” Shane said. “Goodnight, Owe.” Shane closed the door. Ginger pushed onto her elbow when he started to walk, she held up a hand to stall him and he did stop. “What?”

  Putting a finger to her lips, Ginger waited until Owen had time to leave the hallway and then she got to her feet. “I might need your credit cards after all.”

  “Why?” he asked. “I mean they’re yours but—”

  “Calvin was paying for all of this, wasn’t he?” she said. “The doctor, the cabin, the whole retreat and without—”

  “Don’t think about money,” he said, holding out a hand for hers.

  Ginger went over to give him her hand and he used the connection to tug her body to his. “Do we need to talk?” she asked, nestling against him.

  “All you’ve got to do is tell me what you want me to do if Bishop comes back,” he said and rubbed his mouth in the top of her head to murmur. “Can I knock him out?”

  She couldn’t tell if he was joking or if that was genuine hope in his voice, either way it made her smile. “No, you can’t. We’re going to be civil, no gloating or crowing, be magnanimous.”

  “Magnanimous, right…” Shane said, his chin moving in her hair as he nodded. “How do I do that?”

  “By not mentioning me if at all possible, or Cam. You’re walking away from this with a wife and child. Whatever way you look at it, his house is going to be emptier when he goes back to it.”

  “I’ll send him a hooker,” Shane grumbled.

  While he probably meant this as a polite gesture, she turned it into a tease. “Oh yeah?” she said. “Is that all it takes to replace me and my beautiful son? A quick roll
in the hay with a stranger? Thank goodness Cam is young enough not to be influenced by your lack of sentimentality… yet.”

  “You better be grateful to my sentimentality,” Shane said, sliding his arms up her back and beginning to sway like they were dancing, except there was no music. “It’s my sentimentality that’s stopping me from putting you on your back again right here.”

  “Oh yeah?” she asked, smiling as she lifted her chin to see his smirk. “You think you could make me give it up?”

  “Sure,” he said, pulling her tighter to him to keep on dancing. “Sorry to tell you this, but you’re easy, Bit.”

  “Uh, you’re talking to the woman who’s coming up for seventeen months celibate.”

  “You’re not the only one,” he muttered. “I might need some alone time in the shower tonight before we go to bed.”

  “We?” she asked, kissing his pec. “Who said ‘we’ are going to bed together?”

  “You did, when you asked me to move in with you,” he said.

  She had asked that, but before he’d helped to relax her. “How about a compromise,” she said. “The bath… you wanted to join us earlier right, will you settle for just me?”

  “Every time,” he said. “Will you let me help you come?”

  “Maybe,” she said. “If you promise to be patient about the other stuff.”

  “Deal,” he said and gave her ass a squeeze with both hands before letting her go so she could run the bath. But before she got to the bathroom door, he spoke again. “But you’re still going to let me sleep with you.”

  He hadn’t even turned around and although his voice was playful there was also a command in it that made her inhale her arousal. Hugging herself against the doorframe, Ginger admired how perfect his muscular back was and wondered what they’d be doing now if she’d gotten his belt off on time. Could that be the difference between giving their second child life and not?

  “Probably,” she whispered, then turned her mouth to the back of her hand that was holding her against the wood.

  Shane turned and looked over his shoulder at her. “I love you, Bit. I’ll push you sometimes and I’ll piss you off, but don’t underestimate how much I love you and how far I’d go to keep you and Cam safe.”

  Slowly, Ginger let herself grin and took her mouth from her hand. “Smooth,” she said. “But I told you you’re not getting laid, Warren.”

  He scoffed like he was all innocent and offended, but that only made her laugh. “A husband tells his wife he loves her and suddenly it’s sinister.”

  “A husband,” she muttered, smirking as she turned her back to sashay into the bathroom to fill the tub.

  Yes, her husband was a pro at pushing her buttons, but she was getting wise to his tactics and playing with him was a lot of fun.

  24

  So much fun that she actually struggled to stop doing it. After breakfast the next morning, Cam was out the back playing with Murphy and Rocky while Shane washed up the dishes. Ginger had just come down the stairs and rounded the bannister when she noticed her man with his back to her, his hands in the suds.

  Oh that back, she loved that back, so broad and strong. Recalling the lines of his muscles and the texture of his skin, she bit her lip and tiptoed forward. He was her husband, right? No one cared what they did with each other, and no one was around. They’d asked Doctor Guinness for a fireplace session before lunch, so they still had some time.

  Shane didn’t notice her, or at least he didn’t turn around. Using the element of surprise, she grabbed the hem of his shirt and pulled it up over her head to press her face against his spine. He laughed, but she pulled the shirt down over her shoulders and traced her lips on his skin. Letting her hands snake around to spread on his ridged abdomen, she slid them up to his chest, and stuck out her tongue to trace the tip upwards.

  “Is that my sister inside your tee-shirt?” Owen’s voice came from not too far away, but she was busted, so she didn’t stop rubbing herself on her husband.

  “I hope so,” Shane said and then raised his voice to call out. “Gin! There’s a woman in my shirt with me, if it’s not you, you better get down here and kick her ass!” Purring, she opened her mouth wide and dug her teeth into him. “Yeah, it’s her.”

  “I know that ‘cause I can see her… some of her,” Owen said. “How do you know it?”

  There was a casual joy in his voice when he spoke, like he was a content man. “You think I don’t know how my wife’s mouth feels?” Shane asked. It seemed he was still just washing up as if this was behavior he expected from her… and remembering how the blonde had approached his sleeping form, maybe it was. “The way she smells? How she wriggles and presses herself into me like that when she’s horny?”

  “I’m not horny,” she objected, her voice breathy as her lip ran across one of his back muscles and both of her hands descended to cup his package through his jeans.

  “Yeah, Bit, you’re not horny,” Shane said and just to make him feel some of her pain, she began to rub his dick through the denim.

  It was his fault that she felt this way. He’d made her come with his hands in the tub and again in bed when he snuck between her sheets after she said no. Though she hadn’t really meant no and was grateful that he knew that.

  Then this morning, she’d been feeding Cam when Shane woke up and maneuvered her forward so he could sit at her back, nestling her and Cam between his thighs.

  With his arms around her, she felt invincible, and the pride she had in her little family was doing things to her, and making her feel things, that weren’t motherly at all. She’d been a mother for months, but being a wife was still new to her.

  “I guess your talk last night went well,” Owen said. “Did you talk at all or did you just have sex?”

  “Just sex,” Shane said. “We’re paying the doc for the talking. Sex is free, so we do that on our own time.”

  Tugging his shirt over her head, Ginger backed away, running her fingers into her hair to straighten it. “We did not have sex!” she said to his back and then looked to Owen who was just inside the back door. “We didn’t.”

  “Murph and I just want to know what’s going on,” Owen said. “We came all this way to…”

  She didn’t like the way her brother trailed off or looked at Shane as if he needed bailing out. “Fix me,” she said. “And I’m still broken… I don’t have my memories back.” Shane emptied the water from the sink and began to wash his hands. Owen was still looking at her with a pity that made her feel inadequate. “I’m sorry I’m such a disappointment.” Taking a step back, Ginger started to get annoyed with herself. “I’ve done it again, haven’t I? I got caught up in my attraction to Shane and I… I forgot that’s not the point.” Tugging the length of her hair in one hand, she twisted it with the other. “Oh, God, I’m being a hussy and not thinking about my baby and what’s best for—”

  “That’s not what he was saying,” Shane said, coming to her to cup her elbows. “You know I’m a good father, don’t you?” Ginger nodded. “You know that I love Cam more than anything, and I’d protect him with my life.” She nodded again. “And you’ve seen the paternity; I am his biological father, there’s no doubt about that, right?”

  “Right,” she murmured.

  “So if you’re going to fall in love with any guy, I’d say I’m the best candidate for the job.”

  Looking past her husband, Ginger met her brother’s knowing eyes. “I told Owen I was in love with you,” she whispered. Owen’s shock matched Shane’s, probably because she’d told him it was a secret. “On carbonara night, before I… before I ended my relationship with Calvin.”

  “That’s ok,” Shane said, smoothing a thumb over her cheek as Owen’s jaw fell. “I’m happy that you were sure before you told me.”

  “You told him!” Owen gasped and rushed forward a few steps. “When did this happen?”

  Panic made her frantic gaze seek out Shane’s calm one. “I’ve messed this up, haven’t I?�
� she said.

  Shane smiled. “Messed what up? Us? I told you it wasn’t possible for you to lose me, and Cam’s great. You haven’t messed anything up, Bit.”

  “This therapy thing, I’ve messed that up,” she said. “I was supposed to make decisions about the future based on what was best for Cam.”

  It was amazing how patient he was with her. Her husband didn’t show restraint with any other adult. “We are best for Cam,” Shane said. “His mother and father together and in love, that’s what’s best for Cam.”

  “But I’m still… broken.”

  Shane didn’t argue with her, but he did consider her for a second. “Remember you told me you’d have faith?” he asked. “On carbonara night?”

  “Yes.”

  “I need you to have faith now and trust me,” he said. “I want to show you something… something I bought for you.” The last part was added as if he knew Owen might turn the first part into something kinky. And if you’re willing to trust me, I want to go back to the start of this… I want you to get in the water with me.”

  Taking a reflexive step back, Ginger immediately tensed. “I can’t… I can’t do that. Calvin tried to—”

  “I’m not Calvin,” Shane said and now she understood why he was trying out this patient thing, he was trying to manipulate her. “I know this is a big deal for you, for both of us. I got you a swimsuit the same day we got Cam’s. But he’s going to stay here on dry land with his uncles—”

  “And if something happens to both of us out there, he’ll have no parents—”

  “Nothing will happen,” Shane said, stroking her arms. “We’re only going to stay in the shallow water, ok? You know how close the shore is, and we’re only going to go as far as you’re comfortable with, you don’t have to do it all at once.”

  Ginger didn’t think she could. Any time she tried to get into external water she’d failed. She’d got as far as getting a toe wet and then she tensed and freaked and ran away from the danger. “Shane, I… I don’t think I can.”

  He dipped to kiss her. “All I want you to do is try. If you can’t do it, that’s ok. But there’s nothing dangerous about changing into a swimsuit and walking to the edge of the water with me, is there?”