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Her brain spun. She wanted to go with him, but she couldn’t. She’d driven Rayleen and Grace here. He must know that.
So maybe Shane didn’t want her with him. Maybe he was tired and he wanted to go home and sleep.
Crap. She perched on the edge of the bench and tried not to scowl.
“Anyone want a ride back?” he asked.
Merry looked around, but Grace was clearly planning on spending the night with her man, and Rayleen was settling into her seat, ready for a game of gin rummy with Easy.
Shane raised his eyebrows and cut his eyes toward his truck.
“Oh. I…I’m actually really tired. Rayleen, can you drive my car back for me when you’re ready? I’m gonna head home now.”
Rayleen was in the middle of shuffling cards, and paused to wave an impatient hand. “Sure. Go on. I’ll put your keys in the mailbox.” Luckily she was too focused on gearing up to beat Easy to make a dirty remark or encourage Merry to get laid. And even Grace seemed too content and happy to be suspicious.
Merry handed her keys to Rayleen, they said their goodbyes and then she was in Shane’s truck and on her way home.
“Jesus,” he said, “I was afraid you wouldn’t come.”
“I thought maybe you wanted to get to bed.”
“I did. Was I not clear?”
Her own laughter surprised her. It was deep and husky and pleased, but she wasn’t used to this. She wasn’t used to being someone’s secret. Or an object of desire. It was really…really…
Completely fucking awesome.
Her Wonder Woman T-shirt had worked its charm. Best superhero ever.
Shane reached across the truck to put his hand on her thigh. Merry watched his wide hand settle on her leg. She wanted this image in her mind forever. His tanned fingers, slightly dusted with hair, spread across her thigh. The fingertips blunt and wide and rough from work. They looked so beautiful and unfamiliar, despite that they’d already been inside her body.
The last glimmer of evening light caught his face, the shadows making his jaw even harder, and Merry watched him for a dozen heartbeats. More. This was a scene from someone else’s life. A handsome man in a cowboy hat driving a pickup truck through the mountains. His hand on the thigh of his lover. The moonless night hiding their secrets.
Her window was cracked, but Merry rolled it all the way down. She wanted to feel everything tonight, so she let her arm slide out the window and cupped her hand to catch the bright cold of the air. And her other hand… Her other hand she slid down Shane’s arm, over his warm skin and soft hair and flexing muscles. She spread her fingers over his and held his hand to her leg.
She had no idea why, but this moment felt important. A stolen breath between before and after.
His hand turned up and he folded her fingers into his. “Will you be in Providence tomorrow?”
“Not until late. I’ve got to get to the printer’s first thing. I’m trying to cobble together a press package before the board meeting tomorrow.”
“I’m not sure how much more time I’ll be able to put in on the saloon. Work is getting tight. I thought I’d finish up the floor tomorrow, but after that…”
She squeezed his hand. “I unders
tand.” She did, but her chest still ached a little. He wasn’t there often, but she’d liked that promise. Of knowing he might surprise her. Of wondering when he would show up. Usually he’d just gone straight to the saloon, but sometimes he’d stopped in to say hi. And now that they were lovers, she realized she’d been crafting moments in her head, assigning him lines and stolen kisses and afternoons when he couldn’t keep his hands off her. “I’m thankful for what you’ve done,” she said, instead of asking him to keep coming every day.
“Do you think you could come by after the board meeting? I wanted to show you something.”
She forgot her strange mood and turned toward him. “What?”
“It’s a surprise.”
She shook his hand like a rag. “What surprise?”
Shane laughed and twisted free of her grip to squeeze her thigh. “You’ll have to wait and see.”
“Noooo! No fair! I’m going before the board tomorrow! If it’s something I can—”
