Page 40 of The Harborer
Yep, she shouldnotbe having this array of emotions fanning through her, but she was too tired to wrangle the fuzzy feelings into proper behavior.
Shane and she held each other’s gazes fast, locked in some kind of connection that made her entire body prick hot and cold. His finger tentatively traced a line from her wrist across the webbing between her thumb and forefinger. The exploration grew more confident, more daring, as his finger trailed to the inside of her palm, his touch featherlight and so intimate it bordered on erotic. All the while, they stared deeply into each other’s eyes. She stretched her hand wider, allowing him access to her sensitive skin. A riot of tingles cascaded through her bloodstream, drowning out the voice in her head telling her to shut down whatever was happening between them.
The air thickened and crackled with anticipation. He lowered his head. She tilted hers up. His long fingers interlocked with hers. They were rough, warm, strong, and a shiver skidded up her arm. His eyelids sank to half-mast as his gaze shifted to her mouth. Her lids dropped too, and her lips parted slightly of their own accord, hungry for that first brush.
The moment stalled, seemed to stretch forever as she pulled in the intoxicating scent of cedar and leather and man, yet it took less than a heartbeat for his mouth to descend on hers. The soft press of his lips was hesitant at first, as if he was measuring whether to keep going. They felt so, so good.
He pulled back just enough to stare into her eyes, as if asking for permission. His irises had darkened to the color of smoky topaz, and the golden flecks stood out in brighter contrastagainst their dusky hue. Her free hand slid up his chest and wrapped around his neck, the short hair at the back of his head tickling her fingers as she pressed him back down to her. She could have sworn one corner of his mouth lifted right before he closed his eyes and sank back into the kiss.
This time the softness of his lips blended with a firmness that thrilled with its promise of how much deeper this could go. He nibbled her bottom lip. “Amy,” he whispered before his lips returned to exploring hers. The sound of her name flooded her body with warmth and kindled a sudden urgency at the center of her core. She dug her fingers into soft strands almost too short for her to tug.
With their fingers still interwoven, he moved their hands to her lower back and drew her flush to his hard planes. Heat radiated from him, seeping into her clothes. The tip of his tongue languidly swiped the seam between her lips, and she opened, eager to welcome him inside. He didn’t hesitate.
As his free hand came up to cradle her head, he slipped his tongue inside her mouth, giving her a moment to get used to the invasion, giving her a moment to taste mint and something uniquely him. He angled her head, deepening the kiss, ramping up the intensity. The mild-mannered deputy had one hell of akiss!
A tiny cry rose in her throat and dissipated into a soft moan of lust. He dug their clasped hands into the curve of her back, and she plastered herself against him as the kiss heated. His lips grew more insistent, his mouth more determined, his tongue more demanding as it explored the inner corners of her mouth. In turn, she teased his tongue with her own and sucked it, capturing it in the depths of her mouth. A growl of pleasure reverberated in his chest.
She loosened the grip he had on her fingers and glided them over his forearm, up his bicep, digging her fingertips into the soft fabric of his shirt to map the muscles she’d been admiring all day, loving the way his masculine angles fit her round curves.
A knock on the door had them jumping back like a pair of teenagers. His chest heaved, matching the rise and fall of her own, and his muscles were taut as his hands gripped her hips.
His wide eyes mined hers. “Expecting someone?”
“Amy? You in there, child?” a familiar voice called. “I’ve got some of Dewey’s chili for you to eat on.”
“Dixie,” Shane and Amy hissed at the same time.
Amy straightened her sweatshirt and smoothed her ponytail before unlocking and opening the door.
Dixie’s eyes zipped from Amy to Shane and back again, and a sly grin formed on her face. “I dearly hope I’m not interrupting anything.” Clutched in her hands was a clear plastic container filled with reddish-brown stuff.
Amy bounced on the balls of her feet. “Nope, nothing at all,” she squeaked a little too loudly.
Dixie gave a slow nod. “Right. Well, I just wanted to give you this, seeing as how you’ve been moving all day and probably haven’t had time to rustle up anything for yourself. Dewey says he made it just the way you like it, without too much spice.” She handed the container to Amy and dropped her voice to a low pitch. “Although a little extra spice always makes things more interesting, I always say.” She swung her focus to Shane. “Do you cook, Deputy?”
“Uh … sometimes. When I have access to a kitchen.”
“That’s right. I forgot. Your place hasn’t got more than a hot plate and one of them doll-sized microwaves, does it? Maybe our little Amy here will let you practice your skills inherkitchen. Bet you two could cook up some very tasty combinations.”
The wordssoundedinnocent enough, but Amy didn’t miss their double meaning—this was Dixie, after all—and where her skin had been pricked by a lustful flush moments earlier, that flush transformed to one of mortification.
Glancing over her shoulder, Amy saw the same guilty blush coloring Shane’s chiseled cheekbones. “Of course he can use my kitchen if he wants.”
Shane yanked his keys out of the front pocket of his jeans and twirled them. “That, ah, would be great. Well, I should probably go and let you get to settling in.”
Disappointment plummeted her stomach to her knees.
“Oh, sugarplums,” Dixie exclaimed. “I didn’t mean to chase our deputy off.” She patted Amy on the hand. “I’ll go now, but I want you to know this whole town is behind you. What you did, starting over in your own place, was a brave thing. You let me know if you need anything.” Her eyelashes fluttered in Shane’s general direction. “That is, anything the deputy can’t help you with.” With a wink, she pivoted and clattered down the stairs.
Amy remembered her manners too late, calling her thanks down to Dixie.
“You’re welcome, child,” came the woman’s retreating voice.
Amy closed the door with her foot and faced Shane. “Well,thatwasn’t awkward.” Had Dixie known exactly what they’d been up to with her oddly telepathic powers?
Yep.Hopefully she didn’t run back to Miners and tell everyone there what shethoughtshe’d interrupted.
Shane’s hand cupped his nape. “Yeah, awkward’s a good way to put it.” He leveled her with his brown-eyed gaze. “Look, Amy, I’m sorry about that. I shouldn’t have—”
