my glass, and we quickly drain both flutes. Shep moves the tray to the nightstand and takes me in his warm, strong arms.
“You still in?” He winces as he gives me the out.
I nod, trying my best to hide my exuberant smile.
“Good. Because I’m still in, too.” He smiles at me sweetly before landing a smoldering kiss over my lips that I will feel for the next few years. Shep takes it slow, kissing me softly, thoroughly. Before I know it, gloriously hot honey is dripping from my flesh as Shep works it all through my body. Shep takes his time kissing my arms, my legs, licking the hot honey off my stomach. He lands that mouth of his in far more delicate places, and I guess it’s proven to be true. It turns out, I’ve saved all of my gasms for him.
Shep has me gripping the sheets, writhing over this petal-strewn bed in agony and ecstasy, groaning, moaning, calling out his name as if the entire house were on fire. Then slowly, ever so carefully, he’s right back on top of me where he belongs, his eyes pinned to mine the entire time as if keeping track of my pain ratio. But I manage a smile and so does he ever so slightly. Shep leads us both where we need to be, to a beautiful place that I had only dreamed Shep would one day take me.
This is every dream and fantasy come true—with just a dash of a nightmare thrown in for good measure. Shep and I have crested the horizon and have landed on the other side of this magical paradise. I’ve given Shep my all, my most special gift. I’ve given Shepherd Collins all of me—including my once frozen heart.
Shepherd
Somewhere deep in a delicious dream that stars Serena in more than one compromising position as most dreams do for me, I hear an audible moan, decidedly female, decidedly not mine. My lids fly open just as last night and every last scrumptious bite of this girl comes barreling back to me. I pull Serena in close, my morning glory already saluting her.
My skin heats over hers as I bury a kiss over her neck, taking in the jasmine scent of her fiery red hair. Serena lived up to her feisty reputation in every which way, all night long.
“Shep?” She stretches to life. Her voice sounds raw, and I’d like to think it was from screaming until all hours of the night, but more likely it’s simply an indicator she’s still exhausted. “Did you light a firecracker and set it in my vagina while I was sleeping?”
“What?” I inch back to examine her, eyes still sealed closed. Those inch-long lashes have the power to grind my insides all on their own. “No.”
“Okay. Just checking.” Serena stretches like a cat, pressing her bottom into my lap, and that’s about all I can take.
“Are you up for round two?”
She spins into me, a smile edging on her face as her lids flutter open. “Oh, hon, round two happened about twelve hours ago. I know you’re not that bad at math.” Those lawn green eyes look up at me, and she winces. “How about we hold off on round forty-two and I make you breakfast instead?”
“I hurt you.” Now it’s me wincing. “I’m sorry.”
“No, not your fault. You were blessed with extremely generous genes.” Her milky teeth graze over her ruby red lip, and I can’t help but give a quick chuckle.
“Don’t move.” I plant a kiss over her cheek. “I’ll get us some sustenance.” I toss on my boxers and head to the kitchen—careful not to step on any glass scattered around the floor from the night before—grab the donuts, pour some O.J. into a pair of champagne flutes, and head on back. “I would have made coffee, but I have a dark confession,” I say as I step back into the room.
Serena pulls the sheets around her chest, pinning them under her arms, and takes the box of sweet treats from me. “And here I thought I knew all about your dark bondage secrets. Does this new revelation involve soft restraints?”
“No, it involves the fact I don’t own a coffee maker. I’ll take you to Hallowed Grounds sometime soon to make up for it.”
She takes a glass from me as I settle next to her. “Thank you. Soon is good, but not this weekend. I’m booked until Monday morning, and so are you.” She gives a hard wink.
“Good.”