Page 92 of The Harborer
Chapter 30
Merger
Amy’s mouth hung open.Was he serious? Wasshedelirious?
“I’ll always come for you.”He meant it, too. She could feel the truth of it vibrate in every fiber of her being. Did she need more than that? This was a man whose character sheknewafter watching him for years, when his guard had been down, when he hadn’t been trying to impress her or make her think he was something he wasn’t.
He was loving, kind, honorable. Protective. Playful. Handsome. Not merely handsome—Hot. As. Fuck. And oh, the way he moved in bed! He was the complete package. More than she ever could have hoped for. If she turned him down, shewouldbe delirious.
His hopeful eyes bored into hers. “I went too far, didn’t I? Like I said, it’s been building for a while.”
“You’ve thought about me, about us,this whole time?”
“On some level, yeah. I wanted to ask you out in the very beginning, but I couldn’t imagine you wanting to go out with me, and I was tongue-tied whenever I was around you. You were this stunning, beautiful … beauty.” He grinned. “See? Still tongue-tied.”
“And here I thought the handsome deputy wouldn’t want anything to do with a woman who didn’t have blue eyes, fair skin, and who smelled like coffee.”
He kissed a line along her jaw. “Well, you were wrong. I love that you smell like coffee because coffee’s my favorite drink.” He trailed more kisses along the other side of her jaw. “And I love your skin because it reminds me of … coffee. With milk. A latte. As for your eyes—”
“They remind you of coffee?”
“Beans.” He nodded.
“So what you’re saying is that you love me for my coffee. I feed your habit.”
He feigned shock. “It’s that obvious?”
She started to laugh but shrieked when he suddenly scooped her from his lap and tossed her flat on her back as if she weighed nothing. He crawled up her body, lifting her sweater as he went. The kisses he dropped on her skin grew more languid yet somehow more insistent. He added his tongue and teeth and moan-inducing sucks as he peppered her stomach, her rib cage, her chest with gifts from his wicked mouth. And when he latched on and did thatthingwith his tongue, an explosion of tingles raced through her bloodstream.
“What were you saying about merging?” she gasped. He lifted his head, and she tunneled her fingers through his sandy hair. “I think I want to merge with you, Deputy Shane.”
“As in merge, ormerge?”
“Yes.”
He gave her a cockeyed smile. “I’ll make sure you don’t regret this, Barista Amy.”
“Less talking, more merging.” She tugged his short strands, and he chuckled as he returned to the business of making her body sing.
Shane leaned in soclose his breath warmed her cheek. “Are you going to tell me what your conversation with Leo Cantrell was about?”
They sat beside each other on barstools in the Miners Tavern, Amy’s hand clasped in Shane’s against his thigh. This was their official coming-out. No formal announcement, just hand-holding, subtle looks, and casual caresses. Beneath it all, happy butterflies flapped in Amy’s stomach. The crowd surrounding them seemed to take it in stride. Guys like Noah and Charlie clapped Shane on the shoulder, while Hailey and Dixie sent Amy knowing winks and sly smiles.
It had been an emotionally draining day that had also included two extended lovemaking sessions and one frisky shower in a space so confined they’d both had to do their yoga-bendy best to reach that glorious end goal and still get clean. Amy was sated, ravenous, and basking in a warm glow.
“I asked Leo if I could set up a kiosk or a coffee cart in the lobby of his resort while I wait for Mountain Coffee’s reopening.”
“That’s genius! What’d he say?”
“He said no.”
Shane’s face fell. “Why not?”
“Because he’d rather I set it up by the lounge, where they serve wine and apps during happy hour.” She beamed at him. “Coffee service will stop before happy hour starts, so the hours will be similar to the ones I’ve been keeping.”
“That’s a ten-mile drive. You up for that every morning?” One eyebrow dipped with concern.
“It won’t be every morning. Luanne has asked to take some of the shifts. I think she likes the idea of working at Silver Summit. And guess what else?” He shook his head. “I suggestedwe have a special blend made just for Silver Summit that guests can buy in his gift shop, and he agreed. He also agreed to a very friendly profit split.” When Amy had questioned Leo about his generous offer, he’d merely said, “Flood the lake, and all boats rise,” on a twist of the idiom about rising tides.
