Whispers in the Dark

CHAPTER 47

SHEA snuggled deeper into Nathan’s arms and watched as fireflies danced through the air and hovered close to the ground. They blinked through the tree branches and sparkled like Christmas lights in the dark.

“I love it here.”

“Hmm. I love you,” Nathan said.

She smiled as his arms came tighter around her. They were sitting in the swing on Sam’s deck as night fell around them. They rocked gently back and forth, aided by Nathan giving them a slight push every once in a while to keep them going.

“I wish Grace were here. She’d love your family. She’d love Sophie, Sarah and Rachel. Especially Sophie. Of all of them, I think she’s most like her.”

Nathan brushed his lips across her forehead. “She will be, baby. Rio will find her.”

“This is so perfect that I worry I’ll wake up and it will all be gone.”

Not going to happen. You’re stuck with me. If you ever do disappear on me, there isn’t a corner of this earth I wouldn’t look for you in. You’re mine, baby. And I’m never giving you up.

She hugged him close and then leaned up to kiss him, her lips moving possessively over his.

“That’s good because I hope you know that goes both ways. I’ll find you, Nathan. You’re mine.”

He kissed her back, his hands sliding up her arms as he pulled her farther onto his lap.

“There’s just one little thing we need to discuss.”

She raised one eyebrow. “Oh?”

He settled her astride him so that her knees dug into the pad of the swing on either side of his thighs.

“Yeah. I’m going to be working with my brothers from now on. There’s a possibility I could be injured. You and I talked about this, about the dangers I face working for KGI.”

She nodded solemnly.

“You can’t be butting in and taking my pain for me,” he said sternly. “You have to promise me, Shea. No more.”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re so full of shit.”

His eyes widened and then he grinned. “Feeling feisty tonight, are we?”

“If you’d shut up and take me inside, I’d show you just how feisty,” she murmured in his ear just before she nipped at the lobe.

“Whoa, wait a minute. You aren’t distracting me from my original purpose. I want your promise, Shea.”

“You aren’t getting it, Nathan.”

He glared ferociously at her, but she merely smiled back and slid her hands down to cup him intimately. He was already hard and bulging against his jeans.

“So this is how it’s going to be,” he grumbled. “You distract me with sex anytime you don’t want to do something I’ve asked you.”

“Is it working?”

“Hell yes.”

He abruptly got up from the swing, carrying her with him as he headed toward the door. She reached out to open it and he shouldered his way inside.

He carried her into their bedroom and dropped her on the bed, coming down over her, covering her with his warm, hard body.

She stared up at him, all the love she felt shining in her eyes. It swelled in her chest and overwhelmed her with its power. She loved this man more than anything. He’d gone to the wall for her. He’d known and accepted from the very start that they were destined to be together. Not a day went by that he didn’t make her feel loved and cherished beyond measure.

Life was so very good, all the more sweet for everything they’d endured together.

She lifted her hands to his face and smiled up at him. “Just think. You’ll get a reputation as a pushover.”

He kissed her and then nibbled a path down her neck before pulling back to smile down at her with answering love and adoration. “I think I can live with that.”