Finally he moved between her legs. In one hard stroke, he slid deep inside her, and the pleasure was so great she almost cried out with relief. He moved with swift, powerful strokes, pushing her higher and higher, right to the edge, until her breath came in quick, sharp gasps. She came closer…closer…so close…
And then she fell.
All at once it was as if floodgates opened and her body was awash in sensation. She dug her fingers into Luke’s shoulders, lifting her hips to meet every stroke, begging for everything he had to give her. He’d lived in her memory for so many years that she couldn’t believe the flesh-and-blood man was here right now, making love to her like this.
“Shannon,” he groaned, his voice deep and raspy. “Sweetheart…oh, God…”
He threw his head back as he came, then buried it in the hollow of her neck as tremors of pleasure washed over both of them. It seemed to go on forever, the heat, the pulsing, the amazing feeling of finally letting go.
Luke rolled to his back, and after a moment, he pulled her toward him. She turned and fell against him, and he enveloped her in his arms. Their breathing became slower, more measured, the heat of passion melting into the warmth of togetherness.
“If you don’t mind,” she said quietly, “I’m going to stay a while this time.”
He tightened his arms around her. “I hope you’ll be back.”
She smiled drowsily. “You couldn’t keep me away.”
On Monday morning, Russell sat at his desk in his office, having a cup of coffee and trying not to obsess over what had happened at Shannon’s apartment on Saturday night. He was getting pretty damned tired of being so understanding. No problem! Run off with Luke Dawson. I’ll just wait over here like a good little boy until you finally get him out of your system.
Russell fingered his letter opener, wishing he could stab it into something. Luke Dawson was the embodiment of every guy in his life who’d ever one-upped him, the guy who won the game, secured the promotion, got the girl. Handsome, sexy, with the kind of confidence that drew women to him without him even trying.
Russell tossed the letter opener aside and glared at the calendar on his desk. He’d even been stupid enough to think Shannon had invited him to dinner because it was his birthday. But no. She hadn’t said a single word about it.
Just then his phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket, surprised to see the name on the caller ID. He hit the Talk button. “Mom? Hi. How are you?”
“I was returning your call,” his mother said.
“Returning my call?”
“Yes. You left me a message several days ago. What did you want, dear?”
Several days ago? Try a week and a half. “Oh. That. I just wanted to ask you…”
“Yes?”
“I thought maybe you and Dad would like to come here for a visit. Just for a few days.”
Silence on the line. The kind of silence that, even after all these years, he still struggled not to fill.
“Come there?” she said finally. “To Rainbow Valley?”
“Well, yeah. If you can get away. They have an inn here. It’s a little rustic, but it’s nice. I wouldn’t say it’s a five-star hotel, but…”
His voice trailed off, mostly because he didn’t know what else to say.
“It’s at least three hours from Dallas,” his mother said.
“You could take a Southwest flight into Austin.”
“Southwest? Isn’t that the airline where you can’t reserve seats?”
“Or you can fly American. And then rent a car. It’s only about an hour from Austin.”
“Then we might as well drive,” his mother said. “Sounds as if the access is abysmal.”
“That’s what makes it nice,” Russell said without a lot of conviction. “It’s secluded. Off the beaten path. A nice place to get away.”
But even as he said that, he knew his mother’s idea of “getting away” was renting a luxury villa in the Cayman Islands.
“I don’t know, dear,” she said finally. “We’re very busy. I have three deals I’m closing this month, and your father…well, you know. His schedule is brutal.”
Yes. Russell was all too familiar with his father’s schedule. “Actually, I was hoping you could meet Shannon.”
“Shannon?”
“My girlfriend. I told you about her last time we talked. She’s great. I think you’ll really like her.”
Long pause. “Oh. The woman with the animals.”
“Yes. She used to be a CPA. Now she’s the director of the animal shelter. That’s a big deal here in Rainbow