Page 57 of Your Soul to Keep

I wiped my eyes with the backs of my hands. “Ugh. Show me the rest of your beautiful house and then feed me before I get cranky.”

He chuckled low in his chest, his hand rubbing a slow circle on my back. “Sounds like a plan.”

Standing, I shook out my hands and waited for him to lead me onward.

The house split at the back into two short staircases.

A handful of stairs led up to three bedrooms, one with an ensuite bathroom, and a large, main bath.

The second short set of stairs led down to a wide-open basement boasting the same wide, wooden floors and little else save a boatload of toys including an electric, hot pink, convertible.

A burst of laughter broke from my lips. “Please tell me she drives this outside with you jogging along behind.”

Grinning, he admitted, “I’ve got the gear set so low she can’t go fast. Much to her dismay.”

“I’ll have to see about fixing that,” I teased.

With a light tap on my ass, he pushed me upstairs. “Food.”

We walked down to Krippy’s Chippy on the beach and gorged ourselves on fried fish and fries before hitting up Mary Lou’s Sweet Shoppe for ice cream. By the time we were ready to head back, my heart was light, and I was happy again.

As soon as we got into the house, he spun me around and plastered the front of my body to his front door.

I grunted in surprise.

Taking my wrists, he pulled my arms up over my head. “Keep them there,” he ordered. “I need to look at this ass that’s been driving me crazy all fucking day.”

He stepped away, I arched my back, and he groaned.

Smiling at him over my shoulder, I wiggled my butt.

He grinned. “That’s like a red flag to a bull.”

“Ole!” I wagged my eyebrows.

Chuckling darkly, he dipped his chin and moved in. Pressing his front to my back, he twisted my ponytail around his fist and gently pulled before bowing over me and pressing his mouth to mine in a chaste kiss.

Drawing back, he searched my eyes.

“I love you, Shae,” he murmured. “I know you think it’s fast, but for me, it’s been the slowest moving romance since time began. I’ve been waiting for you to catch up for twenty years.”

“I’m here now,” I promised.

Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply, his chest rising and falling at my back, and released my hair. His mouth hit my neck, dropping tender, scruffy kisses down to my shoulder at the same time as his hands circled around to the closure of my jeans and pulled them open.

My forehead hit the door as my eyes fluttered shut.

I stepped wider.

One hand dragged over the curve of my hip and down the length of my thigh as the other traced the line of my panties. “Perfect, Shae.”

Perfect, Shae.

I lit up like a Christmas tree, happiness seeping from every one of my pores.

Turning me gently, he tipped my chin up with his hand and dropped his mouth to mine. Exploring softly, he relearned the curve of my bottom lip, the bow at the top.

Shifting ever closer, he cupped my face in his hands and deepened the kiss.

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