I walk into my kitchen and Shay is sitting at the patio doors. Her mom is making a feast for dinner. I could get used to having Shay’s mom and dad around. I’ve eaten more home cooked dinners since they’ve been here than I have in the last year.
“Hey.” I fill up my cup with coffee. It seems to be the only thing that’s keeping me going now.
“Dinner will be ready in the next hour,” Mhairi says.
“Fabulous. Something smells delicious.”
I open the patio doors Shay is sitting at and walk out to place my cup on the table. I come back and wheel her outside without her saying one word. She seems so far away today. I hate the quiet Shay.
“What are you thinking about, short stuff?” I sit on the chair beside hers and take her hand in mine. “Talk to me, Shay.”
Tears slip down her cheeks and I rub them away.
“It’s harder than I thought it would be. Slipping back into a normal life. A day to day routine. Life in general. I’m bored, Clay. And boredom only makes me think about Josh. He did everything to keep me alive at the beginning and here I am, sitting here feeling sorry for myself.”
“I think it’s normal, babe. No one will think any less of you for sitting here like this.”
“This place is amazing. What you guys have built up from nothing.”
I look down toward the forest that surrounds us. “It keeps us out of trouble… sometimes.”
Shay laughs at that remark. “Trouble always used to follow us. How do you fit back into civilian life?”
I take in a deep breath and stretch out my back. “Honestly, you need to want it first. Then you find something you want to do. Keep busy. Let everything fall into place. I left the army with the purpose of building up this business with my brothers. It worked. Apart from missing you every goddamn day, I got through it. I can’t imagine anything else now.”
Shay leans into me and kisses me softly on the lips. If I had my eyes closed, I probably wouldn’t have felt it, it was that soft.
“Take me to my bedroom. I have something to show you.”
I nod, stand up, and do as I’m told. I’ve always been a sucker where Shay’s concerned. She could probably tell me to jump off a bridge and I’d willingly partake if it made her happy.
We pass through my house; Shay’s mom is still busy in the kitchen. I have no idea what Shay wants to show me, but I’m intrigued. We come to a stop in her room and she looks over her shoulder.
“Close the door, Clay.”
I come to a stop in front of her, and she takes my hands in hers. “Help me up.”
Again, I do as is asked of me. Who wouldn’t for the woman they love?
Shay stands on wobbly legs, wraps her arms around my waist, and steadies herself. “Kiss me, Clay.”
I look down into her sparkling eyes, her beautiful pink skin glowing. Her lips look so inviting. I don’t wait a second longer. I lean into her, our mouths joining, tongues tangling, breathing becoming erratic. I can feel my heart pounding in my chest like a drum.
I lift her into my arms, taking the pressure off her legs, lying her down on the bed behind me. I pull back from her slightly, but her hands clench my shirt tighter.
“Don’t you dare stop, Clay.”
It’s at this moment that I realize she had absolutely nothing to show me. This was her plan all along. I smile wickedly and shake my head at her.
“I don’t want to hurt you, short stuff.”
“You’ll hurt me more by leaving me like this.”
“Your mom…”
She cuts me off, holding her finger over my lips. “We’ll just have to be quiet, Shaw. You think you can do that?” she asks seductively.
I laugh. “I know I can. It’s you I’m not so sure about.”
“We won’t know until we give it a whirl.” She pushes me back, sits up, and pulls her shirt over her head. Her bright pink bra leaves my imagination running wild.
I pull my shirt over my head and Shay leans in and kisses my chest. Instantly, the feel of her lips on my skin makes my blood burn, my nerves cry out, and my dick has a mind of its own.
“You get sore at any time, we stop. Agreed.”
“Agreed.” She winks at me.
Yeah, I just know there isn’t going to be any stopping, because she’s as obstinate as they fucking come.
I pull her leggings down and my eyes instantly connect with her matching panties. It’s a stark contrast from what I was used to seeing her wear in the army; sports bra and boxer briefs. Saying that, she could be wearing paper bags and she’d still set my pulse racing.
Kissing her inside leg, cautious of her wounds. Seeing her legs so banged up makes my stomach roll, because the thought of the pain she has endured kills me. I run my hand along her panty-covered slit. Her body bucks under my touch. Peppering kisses along her stomach, pulling the cups of her bra down, sucking, biting her nipples. Just feeling her reaction spurs me on. I kiss up her neck to her cheek and finally reach her mouth. My tongue plunges into her mouth forcefully, taking everything she’s giving. Her soft moans make my dick weep. Her back arches up, pushing her chest into mine.
“I’ve missed you, Clay,” she cries against my lips.
I pull her panties to the side and slide my finger through her folds, pushing inside her wet center.
“Oh, God,”
I smile against her neck, biting softly down on her shoulder. My fingers keep ploughing inside, making her rise to great heights. Her body convulses under me, her core tightening on my fingers, her juices running down my hand. As I remove my fingers, her body sags toward the mattress. I lower her panties down her legs and discard them on the floor. Slowly kissing up her leg, my mouth lands on her hot core. My tongue licks and sucks her clit, teasing her some more, making her cry out again. I knew she couldn’t be quiet. It’s a good thing the walls in this house are thick, not that I’m telling her that any time soon.
I lower my pants and kick them to the floor. Lining my dick up with Shay’s entrance feels like I’m coming home for the first time in God knows how long. It feels amazing. Immense. Indescribable. I push home, feeling our bodies join. Our bodies feel like one. Our souls reconnecting. This is what it feels like when you’re with the one.
Our bodies move in sync, in and out. We’re a tangled mess of limbs and sweat, but nothing compares to this feeling.
“I’m coming, Clay.”
A few more thrusts and we come together, collapsing in the middle of Shay’s bed. My heart is beating wildly. My breathing is erratic. My vision is blurred. Every part of my body is affected in ways I didn’t know were possible.
“I love you, Shay.” I roll to the side and pull her body into my side.
She tilts her head back and gazes into my eyes.
“I love you too, Clay.”
“Is this what you had to show me?”
She shrugs. “If I told you what I wanted, you would have avoided me. I’m not breakable, Clay. That’s why I did it.”
I nod. I’m finally beginning to realize what she means. She’s independent. One tough cookie. I could describe her in many ways, but they’d all reflect her strength and independence.
“Get some rest before dinner. I’ll wake you up.” I pull a blanket from the bottom of the bed and let her curl into me. It feels amazing to be lying here with her. To be this close. I’m happy again. Well, as happy as can be considering the threat hanging over us. I’m not overly concerned about my brothers and me. We’ve faced worse. All we can do is enjoy these moments together, and work toward making our lives as safe as possible.