Page 6 of Relentless

Maeve went to the bedside table and pulled the metal chain on the lamp, illuminating their rustic, modern farmhouse-style room. She sat on the edge of the bed, feeling the soft quilt under her fingers. Dallas set their luggage on the floor near a wooden chest of drawers.

They were finally alone.

The two were rarely short on words, but there was a quietness that had draped over them. Dallas combed his fingers through his beard as if strategizing on just what to say. His boots clacked loudly on the hardwood floor as he came around the bed. Sitting beside her, he took her hand and gently kneaded the soft middle of her palm with his thumb.

“Maeve,” he began. “I want you to know that we can take things as slow as you need,” he stumbled uncharacteristically for the well-spoken cowboy preacher. “Truth is,” his words quickened. “If I can just hold you close all night long, that’s enough for me.”

Maeve knew that she could never love him more than she did then. Feeling tears fill her eyes, she closed them tightly, doing everything she could to avoid spoiling the moment between them. Dallas had patiently protected her heart, taking her every burden as though it were his own, and had shared his hopes and dreams of their future together.

He was herperson.

She felt him lift her chin and wipe away a rebellious tear with the rough pad of his thumb.

“I really mean it, Maeve,” he emphasized. “We can take things slow.”

She ran her hands across his chest until her fingers arrived at the fabric of his shirt collar. Laying across the bed, she savored the dash of surprise in his eyes, pulling him close until she felt the warmth of his lips again on hers.

“I don’t want to take things slow.”

Chapter 3

Jagged

Harper Davenport awoke that morning wrapped tightly in soft, lush sheets. The silky cloth seemed to shave off the jagged edges of the icy barrier of silence between her and Shep. She observed her husband’s slender yet fit frame, salt and pepper hair, and chiseled jawline accentuated with stubble. Shepard’s looks, mixed with his spark of charisma, made him nearly irresistible.

That was the problem.

Desperate women simply couldn’t resist his charm. She was disgusted to admit that she was one of them.

He had stumbled into her room in the early morning hours with the smell of bourbon heavily on his breath, and slid under the sheets beside her. Filled with disgust as she considered their night together, she bit her lower lip hard until she tasted the coppery flavor of blood. It had been so long since she had felt his touch, or any man’s, for that matter. She knew he had sensed her desperation, and now she felt vulnerable and weak. She loathed herself for giving in to him.

Idiot.

She pulled the pillow hard over her face in an attempt to drown out the vivid memories. Ever since Shep had moved back into the large estate, their interactions had been explosive at best. The thick tension and vicious insults between them had become so fierce that Harper had opted to send the twins away to boarding school, an argument she had won with surprisingly little pushback. The private school was the last luxury they could afford, but it was worth every cent. She could handle Shep’s savagery, she had for decades. After Oakleigh’s bombshell viral video exposing their hypocrisy, the last thing she needed was for the twins to hear every tawdry detail of their tattered marriage. Her youngest daughters still looked at her with a shred of respect, unlike Oakleigh and Paisley, who had completely abandoned her in her time of need.

Hearing Shep begin to stir, Harper gave him a wary sidelong glance.

She suddenly felt exposed.

Turning over, she laid still — hoping he’d assume she was still fast asleep. It had been a mistake to bring Shep back into her home, and especially her bed. They had at least agreed to try, even if it was for appearance’s sake. With their waning bank account, he had to find another pulpit soon, or they would be finished.

Shep groaned as he gave a long stretch. Flipping the white sheet off his bare skin, he put his feet on the floor and ranhis fingers across his brow. He was obviously nursing a sharp hangover from his overindulgence the night before.

While Harper studied his tan physique, his touch from their night together flashed through her mind. They had chemistry. She couldn’t deny it, no matter how much she had grown to detest him. Although he had hurt her time and again with his persistent infidelity, she still found herself craving more.

Perhaps last night was a new beginning.

Maybe we can salvage this.

Harper rarely allowed herself to feel hopeful. She often took it upon herself to become so numb that she didn’t feel anything at all.

She listened to the sound of Shep’s bare feet making their way across the heated marble floors. The shower began to hiss loudly, and steam soon poured out of the bathroom. Her stomach twisted as she made a snap decision. Slipping out of bed, she felt the warm marble under her feet as she reached for her robe off the back of the chair. She flipped her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder, slid the fleecy fabric over her arms, and tied the belt around her middle. Quietly tiptoeing into the bathroom, she stepped through the thick cloud of steam.

Like most of everything else in the extravagant home, the expansive, white marble bathroom was accentuated with ornate gold fixtures.

Scrutinizing her appearance in the mirror, Harper exhaled in dissatisfaction. It had been some time since she had gone infor routine maintenance, and it showed in the fine lines around her eyes. Shaking away the raw feelings that were always more oppressive in the morning hours, she pulled herself together as best as she could.

Before long, Shep stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist. She knew if she were going to initiate, now would be her golden opportunity. Coming up behind him, Harper gently wrapped her hands around him and rested her chin on his toned back. Running her fingers up and down his muscular chest, she took in their reflection in the mirror, imagining them as the power couple they once were and hopefully could be again.

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