Chapter Twenty-Eight
ZANDER WATCHED THE soft morning light sneak in through the curtains, snaking over Shauna’s waist as she slept.
He was usually on his back patio by this time, coffee in hand, admiring the view of the ocean he’d disregarded for too long.
He’d never make the mistake of overlooking what he was blessed to have again.
Shauna sighed in her sleep, cuddling closer, as if she knew he was thinking about her.
Her breath was warm against his chest, and man, she’d been beautiful last night, with no walls, no sharp edges.
Just her sassy, sweet self, unguarded, and so fucking real, she’d gotten deeper under his skin.
He’d been awake for quite a while trying to puzzle out his emotions.
But as he lay with her in his arms, her body curved into his like she belonged there, the urge to give in to them was so strong, he wondered if the accident had rattled his brain so much that it had fundamentally changed who he was.
He might lose words every now and again, but he knew it wasn’t the accident bringing those emotions out in him. It was her.
They’d lost themselves in each other three times last night.
That wasn’t his intent with the honeymoon.
Sure, part of him had hoped they’d eventually get together, but he wouldn’t have pushed it.
He would’ve been cool sleeping in separate rooms. He’d just wanted to give her everything she deserved, and all the things she’d never allow herself to want.
A honeymoon was at the top of that list. But when they’d kissed on the boat and when he’d given her a chance to change her mind, he’d wanted to give her that, too.
The power to decide and the safety to let go and allow herself to be cherished.
He wondered if she knew that every touch, every kiss, and every breath had meant something.
She shifted again, snuggling in, her hand sliding up his chest. Her fingers brushed the number-four charm she’d given him, and she stilled.
His hand drifted up her back, and he kissed her head. “Morning, darlin’.”
She tilted her face up, her brown eyes sleepy and a little guarded again. “Hi.” She pulled the sheet up, moving her head from his chest to his arm. Her cheeks flushed, and she looked up at the ceiling.
He wasn’t going to let her regret what they’d done. They could do this without screwing things up. He’d get ahold of his emotions. They’d never done him in before. “You okay, Flores?”
“Uh-huh. I’m good.”
She was anything but good.
He rolled onto his side and brushed a lock of hair from her forehead. “Are you going to freak out on me?”
She scoffed. “No.”
“Sure about that?” He cocked a brow. “It’s okay to feel a little overwhelmed waking up naked with me for the first time. I am…blessed.”
She rolled her eyes, but she was smiling.
“Talk to me, darlin’.”
“It’s just weird.”
“What is?”
“This. You and me. Naked. Waking up together. We weren’t supposed to be this way, and now we are.”
Fuck. His knee-jerk reaction was to make a joke, get out of bed, and go for a run.
Anything to escape a truth he knew would cut him to his core.
But he stopped himself. Not only because he needed to know if she regretted it, but because he would never disregard her like that.
If she did regret being close to him, he’d find a way to make it up to her.
To make it right, even if it killed him. “Do you regret last night?”
“No. That’s the problem. It was too good to regret.” Her pretty eyes narrowed, and a smile played on her lips. “Don’t let that go to your head.”
“Too late, darlin’, it already did.” High on her admission, he hooked a hand around her waist, pulling her closer. “You know, if you can get over the weirdness, it doesn’t have to change things between us.”
“Why isn’t it weird for you? Because you have so much practice?”
“Don’t knock the practice when you reap the benefits.”
She rolled her eyes. “Forget I asked.”
“Hey,” he said softly, and pressed his hand to her cheek, drawing her eyes back to his. “I’ve been up for hours weeding through the weirdness.”
“You have?” she asked disbelievingly.
“Yes. I didn’t plan on sleeping with you, but I’m glad we ended up here. I enjoyed the hell out of pleasuring my wife and watching her take off like a rocket.”
“Ohmygod.” Her cheeks reddened and she tried to turn away, but his hand was still on her cheek, holding her there, so she had no choice but to look at him.
“We’re great together, Angel, in and out of bed, and we’re legally married, so unless you’re worried that you’re going to fall madly in love with me, which I’d understand—”
She cut him off with an incredulous stare.
“I’m just putting all the cards on the table. Short of that, there’s no reason not to continue enjoying each other. It doesn’t mean we have to ride off into the sunset for eternity. I know you’re not looking for more, and I’m still figuring out who I am after nearly dying.”
Her gaze softened. “I’m glad you didn’t die.”
“Yeah?”
“Mm-hm. I didn’t realize how badly I needed to get laid.”
Laughter burst from his lungs. “Is that so?”
Now she was laughing, too. “I told you it’s been a while.”
“Well, don’t worry, Flores. I’m not going anywhere.”
“That’s a shame,” she said casually. “I was hoping you’d be coming over here.”
Jesus. They were fucking perfect together. He hauled her beneath him, earning the sweetest laughter, and pinned her hands to the mattress. “You want me to come, do you?”
“Mm-hm. After I do,” she said sassily.
Damn, he loved that. “How does my greedy wife want to come first?” He wanted to explore her boundaries. “Do you want my mouth on your tits?” He kissed her deeply, earning a wanton moan. “Or do you want me to lick your pussy until you’re so wet and needy, you beg me to fuck you.”
“Yes—”
He tangled his fingers in her hair, tugging her head, earning a sexy gasp as he dragged his tongue along the column of her neck, and growled, “After you come on my mouth, I’m going to bend you over and fuck you so thoroughly, you’ll feel me in your throat.”
“God, yes—”
He crushed his mouth to hers in a brutal kiss. She was right there with him, opening her mouth wider, allowing his tongue to plunge deeper, to fuck her perfect mouth, the way he hoped one day soon she’d beg him to do it with his cock.
MUCH LATER THAT morning, after satiating their carnal needs, they headed out for breakfast. Zander had thought about leaving their plans up to chance, but he’d wanted to give Shauna a honeymoon that made her feel as special as she was becoming to him.
He’d spent his lunch hours googling places in Niagara that he thought she would enjoy seeing.
Zeke and Tobias had teased him relentlessly about texting with Shauna all week and about the trip, saying he was mooning over her.
He’d shrugged them off, saying he had a reputation to uphold and that it would be easier to sell their relationship if he took her on a honeymoon.
He parked in front of the café and said, “Give me one sec.” He reached across the cab of the truck and opened the glove compartment. Several individual creamer cups tumbled out. “Shit. Sorry.”
Shauna laughed as they picked them up from the floor, their heads nearly touching. “You brought my creamer?” Her voice was laden with disbelief, but it was the appreciation in her eyes that had his gut twisting up again.
“I can’t have my wife getting arrested for creamer hoarding on our honeymoon.” He winked and climbed out of the truck.
The café had a warm blend of small-town charm and industrial chic, with open ceilings, exposed metal beams, and a chalkboard menu on a red accent wall behind the counter boasting a breakfast menu of omelets, bagels, a plethora of baked goods, and a few mile-high sandwiches.
Shauna ordered a chocolate croissant, insisting she wasn’t that hungry, but Zander knew better.
He ordered a massive pastrami, egg, and cheese sandwich on a bagel, with a side of hashbrowns and sausage.
They found a booth and sat side by side, falling into easy conversation as they ate. They talked about the falls, the boat ride, and what they’d seen of the town, carefully avoiding any more conversation about what was or wasn’t going on between them.
Zander found himself noticing little things about Shauna again.
Like how when their legs brushed under the table, she got this cute little smile, and how she tore off pieces of her chocolate croissant, eating it bit by bit, then licking the chocolate off her fingers and thumb, and stealing forkfuls of his hashbrowns and sausage between conversations.
Why did he find that so fucking adorable?
“What a perfect morning.” He draped an arm around her. “This is how we should start every day.”
“At a café?” She licked chocolate off her thumb. “That would get expensive.”
“I meant waking up together, sharing a few”—he waggled his brows—“and then having a hearty breakfast. But don’t worry, I’m cool with eating in…after I eat you out.”
“Shh.” She put her hand over his mouth, her gaze darting around their booth, at the customers sitting nearby.
He covered her hand with his and licked slow circles on her palm.
Her eyes took on that heady look she’d had last night, but it was gone as quickly as it had come, as if she caught herself enjoying that secret touch, and she tugged her hand away. She focused on the croissant, tearing off another piece. He snagged that tasty treat from her fingers with his teeth.
“Hey!”
He laughed and tugged her into a kiss.
“You’re so greedy.” She speared a piece of sausage with her fork and pointed it at him. “What’d I tell you about keeping those lethal lips to yourself?”
“I can’t recall. I did just get over a head injury.” He hooked the crook of his arm around her neck, drawing her closer, and said, “Kiss me again, and maybe I’ll remember.”
“Now you’re just pushing it.”