Page 108 of Shea's Hero

It’s such an exquisite sensation, words can’t describe it.

As her muscles ripple around me, I rocket into space along with her.

And it’severything.

All I ever wanted, and so much I didn’t even know existed. Not until Shea. Not until I met the love of my life.

Not until she came back to me.

Gathering Shea in my arms, I roll us over, holding myself still deep inside her. She settles her cheek on my chest and sighs, her breath feathering across my skin. I can feel her smile as she says, “I’ll never get sick of this. Ever. Not even when we’re both old and gray.”

I stroke her hair, trailing my fingers through the silky strands. “Not even when I’m old and wrinkly? And I have a cane to hobble around?”

“Even then.” She lifts her head to look at me and smiles. “You’ll be a sexy silver fox. I’ll be the one all wrinkly.”

“Hardly.” I press my lips to her head. “You’ll always be stunning. Even when you’re a hundred.”

Her smile expands. Tiny lines crinkle around her eyes. “I won’t mind it. Getting old. Because I’ll have you. My soon-to-be husband.”

My heart squeezes. “My soon-to-be wife.”

“It’ll be here before we know it,” she replies. “I sent the final numbers to the event planner this morning. The dress only needs a final fitting. And I got an email from the jeweler. He said the bands are ready and we can pick them up any time.”

“That’s great.” I pause. “Are you sure you don’t need more help with all the planning? I feel like I haven’t done enough.”

“You’re fine. Remember, I have Jade helping. And everyone here—Maya, Nora, Ari, Thea… There’s actually notenoughfor everyone to do. I’m going to have to come up with extra tasks because so many people want to help. And?—”

From the nightstand, Shea’s phone starts to ring.

“Oh crap!” Shea flails her arm to grab it, but she’s not quite close enough. But I am, so I snatch it up and hand it to her before it stops ringing. She jabs the screen without looking at it. “Jade?”

I can hear the rise and fall of a voice on the other end. A few seconds later, Shea says brightly, “Okay! We’ll be here. I can’t wait to see you guys.”

Then she hangs up and says, “Jade said their flight caught a tailwind and got in early. So they’re already on their way here.” She makes a little grimace. “I can’t wait to see them. But now we only have about fifteen minutes to get showered and changed.”

“Well, then we’d better get into the shower.” I lift Shea off me, hop out of bed, then bend down to scoop her into my arms. As I jog towards the bathroom, she clutches my neck and giggles. “Oll! I can walk!”

“I know.” I kiss her forehead. “But carrying my naked fiancée to the shower is much more fun.”

“Sleepy Hollow reallydoesgo all out for Halloween.”

Shea sounds slightly awed as she looks up and down Main Street, taking in the elaborate decorations along the storefronts on either side. “I mean, I’ve seen Halloween Festivals before, but this… it reaches a whole new level.”

“It does,” I agree as I follow her gaze. I’m pretty impressed myself at the lengths Sleepy Hollow has gone to bring the full Halloween experience downtown.

Each store has a themed display, many of them incorporating the Headless Horseman, which makes sense since he’s basically the mascot for the town. The Hop-less Horseman has a life-sized Headless Horseman in the window, but instead of a pumpkin under his arm, he’s holding a giant bag of hops instead. Across the street, at the Hungry Horseman, they have a skeleton—without his head, of course—surrounded by mountains of Halloween candy.

The regular bulbs in the street lamps have been replaced by red ones, casting an eerie glow onto the sidewalk. Jack-o'-lanterns are set along the side of it, each one with a battery operated candle inside, all designed and donated by the Sleepy Hollow High School art classes.

Up ahead, the town park has been transformed into an enormous graveyard, complete with hundreds of gravestones with skeletons guarding them, and wispy ghosts hanging from all the trees. Volunteers stroll around the park wearing an array of creepy costumes, handing out handfuls of candy to the swarms of children racing around.

Most of the people in attendance are wearing something Halloween themed, as well. Some in full costume, others justwearing orange or black. Shea and I are wearing actual costumes—at her insistence, and I don’t mind—with me dressed as James Bond, and Shea the femme fatale villain who tries to distract him with her beauty.

And I have to say, in her clinging black dress with a daring slit that shows off her stockinged leg every time she moves,I’dbe distracted from my mission. It’s a struggle to keep my focus now, and while I know we’re just walking around downtown Sleepy Hollow, I’m always watching for any sign of potential trouble, just to be safe.

After everything that’s happened over the last year, I’m not takinganychances.

“This is really cool,” Jade enthuses. She’s dressed as the Scarlet Witch from the Marvel movies, and Niall is dressed as Vision. Shea almost fell over laughing when he came out in his costume, telling him he should start wearing a glowing stone on his forehead all the time.

---