*
The rain on the roof sounded wonderful to Shay as she lay in Reese’s arms, their naked bodies resting warmly against one another. Her lower body hummed with satisfaction, the rippling effect of orgasms still making her glow. Reese knew how to love her, what she enjoyed, and continued to show her more of what a man could do to please his woman. She moved her fingers through the damp hair across his chest, eyes closed, never happier than right now. His arm was curved around her shoulders, fingers draped over her shoulder, softly stroking her upper arm, sending delightful tingles through her. His leg was over hers, his other hand on her hip, keeping her as close to him as possible.
“This is the happiest day I can ever remember,” she murmured against his chest, placing a kiss upon it. “You give me so much, Reese . . . so much . . .”
Reese smiled a little, nuzzling his jaw against her mussed hair. “You give equally to me, Shay. It’s a two-way street.”
“Well”—she laughed a little—“I’m not going to try to weigh, measure, or compare.”
“Good,” he grumbled with a smile. “Because I’m not keeping a list. A good relationship means a couple gives and takes. Sometimes it’s more one way than the other, but in the end, it all evens out.”
“I can’t believe we’re going to get married. I look at the last four-plus months and it’s gone so fast. So much has happened.”
“It has been a whirlwind,” he agreed. “For both of us.”
She eased away, looking into his half-opened eyes, seeing gratification in his darkened gaze. “I’m glad you called my father after supper and told him we’d drop by tomorrow to talk with him. Thank you.”
“You don’t have to deal with him by yourself ever again, Shay.” He lifted his hand, smoothing down across her hair, searching her eyes. “No one protected you growing up. Well, that’s over. You’ve got me now.”
Nodding, she leaned upward, claiming the hard line of his mouth, feeling him in that guard-dog mode once more. Shay knew he didn’t trust her father or his reasons for wanting to move out to the ranch. She didn’t know what to think, strung between the past, as a child who had been thoroughly brainwashed and threatened, and the woman she was today.
Tasting Reese’s mouth, feeling his lips soften beneath hers, his hand moving in a cherishing motion down the length of her back, she felt a sense of safety she’d never had before. Leaving his mouth, she whispered, “I love you, Reese Lockhart. I love your name, the fact that it contains the word ‘heart’ in it. You’re all heart. You have been since I met you.”
He gave her a slight smile, moving his thumb across her cheek. “I love you, Shay. We’re two hearts who met and became one,” he agreed in a roughened tone. “I like that we see through the eyes of our heart.” He eased Shay up on top of him, their hips melding hotly against one another. He liked the way she flowed across his body, a warm, living blanket inciting him to want her all over again.
“Sometimes, that’s easier than getting caught in the snare of our minds. It’s a matrix of its own.”
She smiled, resting her palms on his upper chest and then settling her chin against them, closing her eyes, absorbing his light, feathery touch across her back and hips. “Right now? I’m going to concentrate on us, Reese. Our wedding. Whatever is going on with my father? He’s going to have to realize that his request will be dealt with after our wedding. I don’t want to deal with it at the same time.”
“My thoughts exactly. We’ll listen to what he has to say, tell him we’ll talk it over, and let him know our answer after our honeymoon.”
“Honeymoon?” Frowning, Shay opened her eyes, peering up at him. “What honeymoon? We don’t have money for that, Reese. I know we don’t. And I’m fine that we don’t have one.”
Hearing the sudden stridency in her tone, he framed her face with his hands. “Maud.”
Her brows moved up. “What do you know that I don’t?”
“It’s a gift,” he admitted.
She pulled out of his hands and propped herself up on his chest. “Reese Lockhart, don’t you keep secrets from me! What did Maud do?” She saw ruddiness come to his cheeks. Serves him right for keeping a secret. Grinning, she tugged gently on his short hair. “Come on. Out with it. No secrets ever between us. If she told you, then you have to tell me.”
Reese gave a low chuckle. “Okay, you’re right. But in all fairness to Maud, we bumped into one another at Charlie Becker’s the other day. She’d already helped me choose the wedding rings for you and asked me where we were going on our honeymoon. I told her nowhere.” His grin broadened as he held Shay’s gaze. “I thought she was going to stroke out right there. Poor Charlie, he said he’d never seen her that upset in a long time. We finally got her settled down. Charlie brought her a glass of water and we just chatted.”