Page 127 of Fortune's Control
The image of her on the floor with a knife against her skin would haunt my nightmares. A plan hatched only minutes before execution, and inspired by childhood pranks, could have gone wrong. If Jack’s aim missed, or I failed to seize the knife, or any other mistake. “I always will, Lilah. You won’t need to ask first.”
“Because you’ll already know?”
“That’s correct.” I relaxed at her sweet laugh and decided we had talked enough about the Davis brothers for now. “You know what we should do now?”
“Stay here beside each other, with your arms around me.”
My brows raised at her suggestion, as it resembled mine. “Would you like to go swimming?”
She grimaced. “Our swimsuits are inside.”
“We don’t need them.” I rose and flicked on the pool lights. “There’s no one here but us.” I stripped, and Lilah followed. “You’re a vision.” Her bra came next, and I surrendered to her perfection. “Take your clothes off, and I’ll swim wheneveryou want.”
“Careful what you say out loud.” She finished undressing, walked backward to the water’s edge, where she stepped off with a sweet yelp and disappeared. “It’s warm,” she said after reemerging.
“It’ll be July soon, and the water will boil then.”
“Hurry.”
All that remained was my prosthesis. My left leg was tired, as it so often was in the evenings, and today’s events made it worse. My therapists urged a swimming routine, and like a stubborn ass, I resisted the idea. With a naked siren urging me on, I rethought the suggestion.
I removed it, balancing on my right leg. “Watch this.” I pushed my body forward and twisted, landing in the water with a ripple.
I surfaced to the sound of her laughter. “Are you impressed?” I grabbed her, so our arms intertwined as we treaded water.
“Color me impressed. I can’t believe you hid all these swimming skills from me. You know it means we’ll be out here every day, right?”
“If you’re with me, that wouldn’t be so bad.” Emotion filled me, forming a thick knot in my throat. “I love you. Thank you for coming to this town so I could find you.”
“Thank you for finding me. I love you, too.”
*****
We fell on the bed, naked and still wet.
I covered her mouth with my own, wanting to explore her softness. Lilah whimpered and pressed her lips to mine.
After our day, with its panic and stress, this kiss felt like areclaiming for both of us. A need to connect and confirm we were together. Safe and whole.
“Jack had to drive for me. My hands shook so much, I didn’t trust myself to do it,” I said once we broke apart.
A red flush appeared under her tan’s golden hue. “I kept asking myself what you would do,” she said, her voice breathless.
We twisted, both lying on the bed, facing each other. My skin clung to hers with my left leg shoved between her thighs. I put a hand across her hip and squeezed.
“I locked the bedroom door. Our visitors will be here early, but that will keep them away, for a little while at least.”
“Shane, we left our clothes outside, and the pool lights on. They’ll figure it out.”
“Then they figure it out because we’re not leaving this bed anytime soon.”
“You promise?” Lilah stroked my cock. Her hips shimmied as she sought to align our bodies together.
“So soon?”
“I need this right now. You. I need you.”
“Put your leg over my hip,” I said rather than protest. This night, and this moment, was more than making love. It was a reconnection; a physical joining after the day’s trauma. “I need it, too.” Not the most romantic words I’ve ever spoken, but blunt and honest. Touching her reminded me she was safe, and we were together.
