Page 16 of Saving Shepperd

“I think I’ll take you up on the shower offer when we get there. If you’re still good with that plan.”

“Works for me,” I replied with a quick peck. “See you in a few minutes.” I released her before she felt the way my body responded to holding her close combined with mental images of her in my shower—or, even better, joining her there.

We worked together to put the groceries away, and I couldn’t help but notice the way we moved around my kitchen with ease. Shepperd was smart and independent and wasn’t the kind of girl who needed explicit instructions on every task.

I asked her to deal with the produce while I got us drinks, and she set about the task without another question. After handing her a gin and tonic and watching with rapt fascination as she took the first sip, I pressed her against the island and kissed her. Her lips tasted crisp from the drink, and I pushed in for more.

When we parted, I held her close and drowned in the depth of her blue eyes. “I like you here. In my home. It feels good,” I admitted and hoped it wasn’t too much. If the truth scared her, I’d dial it back, but something about this woman made me want to open my soul for her to see all its parts.

“Mmmm, I think you’re right. It feels really nice to be here with you,” she replied. “Thank you for inviting me over.”

I didn’t really have more to offer to the conversation, but I was quickly getting addicted to kissing her. Touching her.

We kissed a little more before she pulled away and said, “Will you direct me to the shower? I’ll feel so much better once I’ve freshened up.”

After I got her set up in one of the guest bathrooms, I went back to the kitchen to marinate the meat we were having for dinner. The recipe was simple to throw together and I had just returned the meat to the refrigerator to tenderize when I sensed Shepperd behind me. She moved like a quiet little mouse, so I didn’t hear her, but I felt her energy in the room before I turned around.

“How was it?” I asked and nearly stuttered on the words when I saw her. Her hair was damp and in a long, loose braid over one shoulder. Her milky skin was fresh and dewy, and she looked so incredibly young. I had laid out an old concert T-shirt that was soft and worn and a pair of flannel pajama bottoms that completely swallowed her tiny frame.

“Showers are one of my favorite things. I could stand there for a full hour and not even realize how much time passed. And that shower in there…” She thumbed over her shoulder toward the ensuite she used. “Well, that was magnificent. Are all your bedrooms and bathrooms that luxurious?”

“Would you like a tour?” I asked and immediately wondered if getting her near my own bed would be a mistake. At the very least, it would be a monumental test of my will.

But when she let out a delighted little squeal, the plan was solidified. Playfully, I offered my bent arm for her to clasp like we were setting off on a leisurely stroll.

I placed my hand on top of hers where her delicate fingers clutched the crook of my arm. She had already seen the kitchen and living room, so I guided her toward the master suite. Beating down every thought of sweeping her into my arms and stalking down that same hallway, I rambled nervously about the art I’d hung recently and the woman who created the lively piece.

Shep stopped to stare at the painting for a long moment but didn’t say a word. Finally, I asked her what she was thinking while studying the image. The breath was knocked from my lungs when she turned to me, quickly dashing tears from her cheeks.

“It’s so…so…incredible. There are so many things to look at individually, like here”—she motioned to a section of the art—“and here. But then it’s something completely different when you look at it as a whole. You know?” She looked back and forth between the painting and me and waited for my response.

“I know exactly what you mean. That’s what I loved so much about it too. From the first moment I saw it in the gallery. And now, every time I look at it, I swear I find a new detail to marvel at. She’s really a gifted painter.”

“Wow. I’ll say. There’s so much emotion captured here.” She stared at the painting again and finally asked, “Do you have other pieces by this same artist?”

“No, this was my first of hers. But now that I know how talented she is, I will definitely be looking for others. As you’ve probably noticed, I have a lot of wall space to fill.”

We continued through the hall and into my bedroom. I made my bed every morning out of habit from childhood. It was always something my mother insisted we did ourselves. We had plenty of staff in our home, but she encouraged us to take pride in our own spaces. The message reached home for some of us, but a few of my siblings were complete slobs. Now, they had their own homes and armies of help to clean up after their careless habits. I just couldn’t live that way.

“I appreciate how tidy you are,” Shepperd said with a little sly smile. “This space is so calming and relaxing. I think I can picture you in here after a long day, just relaxing and thinking.”

“You’re exactly right. This is where I go right when I come home. I want to get some sort of sofa or something for over here”—I motioned to the empty corner of the room—“but I’m having a hard time finding just what I want.”

“Well, it may be forward of me to offer this, but if you ever want company or a second opinion while furniture shopping, I love decorating. Well, at least in my mind I do.” She gave a sweet little shrug like she was embarrassed about what she had so honestly offered.

I turned to her and pulled her up against my body with two hands on her hips. The woman was so small, I could move her around with little effort.

“I would love that,” I said sincerely. But now, holding her so close, the last thing I was thinking about was furniture shopping. I bent over her slowly, making sure she didn’t get spooked. That last episode was still too fresh in my mind.

“I really want to kiss you,” I said, my voice low and resonant.

Her huge, beguiling eyes gave me permission to dip closer. I continued the slow advance until our hungry lips met. This woman was magic and tumult and measured energy in an entrancing little package. How were so many big emotions contained in such a small body?

Unleashing her passion and spirit quickly became my end goal. I knew in the depths of my soul, and possibly my heart, that Shepperd Farsay had so much more to give of herself…if she would just let down her guard and let me see all of her.

In my arms, her body relaxed in increments. Slowly, she melted into me and surely felt my mounting desire now pressed between us. But I continued to remind myself to go slowly and carefully. Respectfully. I could be a patient man when focused and motivated, and she deserved those things from me. From everyone, really, and I had a distinct feeling she wasn’t getting many of her emotional needs met by the other people in her life.

That was okay. I could be the things she needed. There was a moment while we kissed that I wondered where all these noble, considerate thoughts were coming from. I was a pretty typical guy usually. Satisfaction, gratification, and release were the main objectives of my actions and efforts. But in that uncharacteristic moment, Shepperd’s tentative touch made me want to do better. Be better.

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