Shane’s heart pounded against the walls of his chest. He had never before experienced anything like it. No victory had ever been sweeter, no adrenalin rush could have compared to the high he felt in this woman’s arms.
He thought he’d understood the intensity of a man’s feelings for his croie, but he realized now that he hadn’t even scratched the surface. This was far beyond anything he could have imagined; he could no more have comprehended this than a blind man could witness a spectacular sunset, or a deaf man a symphony. It was as if a whole new sense had come into being, one open only to those who had found their other halves.
Lacie was his. Forever. His heart. His soul. His universe.
She snuggled in closer, murmuring against his skin as he held her to him. It awed him.
As he lay there, sated, basking in absolute peace and a sense of completeness, he realized that he should have known all along. His perfect mate would be everything he needed, even if he hadn’t known exactly what that was.
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“Baby,” he purred against her neck. “Time to get up for school.” Lacie, he learned, was a full body contact sleeper, wrapping herself around him like a blanket. He loved it.
She murmured something into his neck, making him chuckle.
“No,” he answered, stroking her back, “I don’t think we have time to do it again.” The entire night had been an alternating series of mind-blowing sex and deep, restorative catnaps. While he was used to operating on little or no sleep, it was apparent that Lacie was not.
She grumbled, but with a few imaginative motivational words and some well-placed caresses Shane got her up, showered, and dressed with several minutes to spare, minutes he made the most of. While she slipped on her casual sandals, he sipped his coffee, trying to reconcile the sweet, wholesome image now standing before him with the woman who had mounted him in the middle of the night. The thought made him smile.
“And just what are you grinning about?” she teased, coming over and rising on her toes to place a chaste kiss on his jaw.
“Same thing you are, I imagine,” he said, grabbing her for a more substantial kiss.
“Mmmm,” she hummed, melting against him. “It’s going to be a very long day, isn’t it?”
Shane laughed. “That it is. When can I see you tonight?” There was no longer a question of “if”. His body, heart, and soul were already protesting the realization that he would have to spend the day apart from her. It was going to take some getting used to.
Lacie frowned. “Not until late, I’m afraid. There’s a staff meeting after work to plan for the year end carnival.” She sighed. “It always runs late. Bill Schaeffer and Carole Simms will have their usual pissing contest and make the rest of us suffer.”
She gave him a martyred look. “I don’t suppose you can think of a way to get me out of it, can you?” she asked, petting his chest with tender strokes. She couldn’t seem to keep her hands off of him, either, and he loved it. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
Shane groaned. Even a simple caress had him hard and heavy. After the night they’d just had he should not be as eager as he was. “That I don’t doubt. But it’s just as well. I have a couple of things I’ve been putting off that I should take care of.” At the top of that list was gathering more intel on Craig Davidson. He kissed her nose. “Call me when you’re done?”
“I will,” she promised, then cursed. “Damn. Rinn’s staying over tonight. She’s got early morning classes tomorrow.”
She looked so adorably put out at the thought of spending an evening away from him that his heart swelled. “Call me anyway,” he said. “We can talk dirty to each other.”
Lacie laughed, the sound pure music to his soul. “You’re on.”
Chapter Fourteen
There were no flowers awaiting Lacie when she walked into her classroom that morning, but then she really hadn’t expected anything since Shane had been with her up until the time he closed her car door and watched her drive away. As thoughtful and romantic as his gifts were, spending time with him was infinitely preferable.
She was thrilled, however, when half a dozen roses arrived at lunchtime. Since it was between classes, she wasted no time in running down to the library and logging on to one of the staff computers. According to the internet site Corinne had been consulting, the single dark red rose meant ‘I love you’; and the brilliant orange that made up the remainder of the bouquet signified enthusiasm, desire, and fascination.
She sighed, resolving to spend time during the long, boring planning meeting thinking of all the ways she would thank him later.
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