Page 28 of Shelter for Sharla

He chucked her under the chin and whispered to her, “I’m not going anywhere, little girl. I’m here to stay. It’s a shame that it took a tragedy for us to find each other, but we have, and I won’t apologize for that, not now, not ever.” The kiss he gave her was sweet and warm, and his tongue teased the seam of her lips until she parted them slightly. When he deepened it, she opened to him as her tongue explored his. They stood like that for a time they’d never have again, the first kiss of confessed love, and Carter hoped that kiss would go on forever. He’d given up, and just when he’d thought it was hopeless, he’d found her, the woman he’d always wanted. As the kiss cooled, they both leaned in, their foreheads touching, and he heard her sigh. “Sharla, we’re going to get through this. I promise. And we’re going to come out the other side and have a good life.”

“You sound so sure of that.”

“I am. Come on. Let’s go home.” Taking her hand, he led her back up the hill, walking together in silence until they reached the truck. Once he’d helped her in, he patted her hands as they lay in her lap. “The kids will be home tomorrow night because of the funeral on Wednesday. Want to come to my house tonight?”

The nod she gave him was almost childlike. “I’d like that.”

“Okay. Let’s stop somewhere and pick up something we can have for breakfast. You’ll have to get up early tomorrow to get to work.”

“Doesn’t matter as long as I get to be there with you tonight.” Her fingers stroked down his cheek and he felt that little quickening in his chest, the one that told him it was really happening. A woman was giving him her heart. He couldn’t break it, bruise it, or drop it. He’d be the man who kept it safe. Hehadto be.

They picked up a package of cream cheese Danishes, the coffee she liked, and some half and half for it. Before they left, he pointed to the health and beauty section. “Go get yourself a toothbrush and whatever toothpaste you like.”

“If you’re sure…”

“I’m positive,” he said with a smile and watched her head off that direction. That was the moment it hit him.I’ve got a girlfriend!It was all he could do to keep from bursting out laughing. Wouldn’t his mom be surprised?

As soon as they walked through the door, he headed to the bedroom. “I’m going to find you a big tee shirt to wear. I know I’ve got a few.” As he prowled through the dresser drawer where he kept them, he heard her call out something. “I’m sorry, what did you say?”

“I said, is this you and your parents?”

He knew what she was looking at and grinned to himself. “Yeah. That’s us.”

The incredulity in her voice was loud and clear when she asked, “You and your parents wentskydiving?”

“Yeah. My dad was dying with cancer. You know that song, “Live Like You Were Dying?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, he took that to heart. He had this whole list of things he wanted to do, and that was one of them. There was also mountain climbing?”

“And did you?”

“Yep. BlackMountain. Tallest peak in Kentucky. Then there was deep sea fishing. We did that off the coast of Florida. He wanted to live through a Maine winter. I didn’t get to go for that?I had to work, of course?but he and Mom rented a little house up there and stayed the winter. She made it clear they’d never be doingthatagain!” Carter laughed as he remembered his mother telling him about the day they couldn’t open the door until a neighbor came to their rescue with a snow blower. He stepped into the living room with a dark green tee shirt in his hand and held it out to her. “And he wanted to go gambling, so we went to LasVegas and he blew five thousand dollars.”

She took the tee and turned for him to unzip her dress. “Five thousand? Good grief!”

“Yeah. My mom sure could’ve used that money later, but she wanted him to be able to check if off his bucket list so she’d have no regrets.” The skin revealed under the zipper made his palms itch with desire, and he didn’t even ask, just unsnapped her bra while he was at it.

It didn’t seem to faze her in the least as she dropped the dress and the bra and pulled the tee over her head. “Why didn’t you just go to one of the casino boats closer?”

Carter snickered. “Because he also wanted to see the showgirls.”

“Ah. Dirty old man,” Sharla said and winked.

“Yep. Guess the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree, huh?” He reached for her waist with both hands but before he could grip it, she grabbed his shirt, untucked it from his pants, and languorously began to unbutton it. “I’m glad you can’t read my mind right now. Or maybe I wish you could,” he whispered as he watched her fingers work the buttons loose.

She gave him a wicked grin. “Oh, I can read your mind. I know what you want, and I want it too, so I guess that makes me a dirty old man just like you, huh?” Pushing his shirt open, she lifted it up and back over his shoulders and he let it fall to the floor. Her fingers trailed up his abs and through the hair on his chest until they came to rest on his collarbone. “You have to be the sexiest guy I’ve ever met, Carter.”

A chuckle rumbled from his throat. “Don’t get out much, do you?”

“Just say thank you, baby,” she whispered and kissed the side of his neck. His already-primed manhood sprang upward in an instant.

His voice was more of a groan when he whispered back, “Thank you, baby.”

“You’re welcome. Come on.” Taking his hand, she led him to the bedroom. They were almost through the door when he broke away, ran into the living room, turned off the lamp, and jetted back into the bedroom with her.

“Now where were we?” he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her toward the bed. When the back of his knees hit the edge, he let himself fall backward onto its soft surface, taking her with him.

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