“No regrets?” he asked a short time later.
“No way. Well...only that we waited so long.”
“We’ve only known each other a few weeks. I didn’t want to rush into it.”
“I know. I’m surprised at my own eagerness. I’ve never been this way before.”
He tilted his head, afraid to ask, but curious. “Were things okay with your husband?”
“Yeah. We just didn’t see much of each other. I’m sure you understand. We took advantage of the time when we could, but he wasn’t as...passionate maybe. Or maybe it’s me. I don’t know. It feels wrong to say that. Like I’m being disloyal.”
“I get it,” he said. He’d been with enough women to know some just had more passion than others. Some were just more into it than others. He was guessing men could be the same way.
“So,” she said, turning over and putting her hand on his chest. “When can we do it again?”
He laughed. He had to. He didn’t really expect this much of a little vixen in the bedroom and found he was more thrilled than he’d been with another woman before. That she seemed to be everything he wanted—needed—in his life right now.
“Anytime you want it, you just tell me.”
“Do I have to tell you, or can I just show you?” she asked, her hand reaching down and cupping him. It didn’t take long for him to show her what the answer was.
***
The next morning Shelby turned over and looked at Jared sleeping on his side.
They’d made love three times last night. Three wonderful, memorable times. She couldn’t remember if she’d ever fooled around that much before. Nah, never. Not even on her honeymoon.
She often wondered if Ethan just went through the motions. If he really didn’t feel as much passion for her. Or maybe he felt about the same as she did. There were times she thought she and Ethan were just more friends that loved and cared for each other and had sex out of a need rather than a want. That their relationship was based on everything but passion and a burning love.
It was more of an escape for her and a longing for him. A longing for a family and someone to love him. Someone he could call his own.
That he was gone most of the time was probably why their marriage seemed to work. If they were together more, maybe they would have recognized it for what it was. But even then, neither of them probably would have done anything about it.
She ran her hand over Jared’s shoulder, his skin warm under her palm, his scars hidden from her view. But she’d seen them last night. Just glimpses and they weren’t anything to turn her off.
She didn’t feel anything other than empathy for the pain he must have endured and it made her wonder if she was too hard on him at times. The times she all but told him to be thankful he was alive and could continue with his life rather than looking for weaknesses.
Otherwise, they were just scars. Pink and white skin. He’d had surgeries, she knew. A collapsed lung that had to be re-inflated, pins put in his leg, broken ribs and lots of cuts. But he wasn’t deformed in her eyes. And even if he was, she wouldn’t care.
In the few short weeks they’d known each other, she found she was feeling something stronger than what she’d ever felt for Ethan. Not just a passion, but a yearning. A caring. Maybe even love.
It was too soon for her to even venture down that road though. She had Kayla to think about and Jared seemed to have his own struggles that he had to overcome.
But if she could help him, she was going to. Because she found that she was a lot stronger than she ever thought she’d be. She just needed the help of Ethan to get her away back then, but now she was good on her own.
And regardless of what the future held for her and Jared, she’d still be good on her own. She knew that now.
“Good morning,” she said when he turned to look at her. He was blinking the sleep from his eyes. She wondered if he’d need his glasses and she turned to get them off her bedside table.
He stopped her. “I’m good. I don’t need them. You’re nice and close to me. Even if you weren’t, it doesn’t matter,” he said pulling her across his chest. “I just want to feel you against me for the moment. How are you feeling?”
She sighed once she settled in. The strength of his body bringing her so much comfort when she didn’t even know she was missing it. The heat radiating off of him, warming her up. “I feel wonderful. I told you that last night. I think I told you multiple times.”
His hand stroked her hair. “You did. I just wanted to make sure in the morning light you still felt that way.”
“Nothing is going to change my mind, I can tell you that much.”
“I’m glad. What time do you need to get Kayla?”
She turned and looked at the clock on her dresser. It was just shy of seven. “No later than nine. She’ll probably sleep until eight or so.”
She’d called Nancy around nine last night to see how Kayla was doing and if she should come get her. Nancy said Kayla was out like a light by eight. Since Shelby hadn’t heard anything else, she was assuming the night went well.
“Do you want me to be gone by the time you bring her back?”
She frowned. “No. I thought we were spending the day together.” That had been the plan.
“We are. I’ve got it all sorted out. I told you that. But I didn’t know if it would confuse Kayla to see I’m here when she isn’t. If you wanted me to leave and then come back in a few hours.”
“No. She’s too young to know or understand. I think it’s fine.”
She threw the covers back and climbed out of bed. She was naked and had never slept that way before, but had been too exhausted to grab clothes last night. She liked that Jared was still naked too. Maybe they had time to do some more.
No. She needed to get up and shower, get some breakfast together and get her mind off the sexy male body sitting on her bed grinning at her like he knew exactly what she was thinking. She felt her face heat up, followed by her body, but he only laughed at her.
“I’m going to go shower and put together some breakfast for us,” she said, taking her robe off the back of the door and putting it on. She didn’t bother to tie it, just crossed it in front of her and held it in place with her arms.
“That sounds good. Do you want help in there?”
“I know how to clean myself. Oh,” she said, giggling. “Yeah. That’d be nice.”
He laughed and then followed her in.
“What are you in the mood for?” she asked him thirty minutes later. They were both dressed and in the kitchen, her body nice and limber like it’d never felt before. She could get used to this.
“Don’t go out of your way. Coffee is good,” he said, pulling a cup out of the cabinet. She was making a pot. “I haven’t made a pot of coffee in a long time. I just pop one of those pod things in the machine and make a cup whenever I want one.”
Once the coffee was brewing, she opened the fridge. “How about scrambled eggs and toast? That’s easy enough. I’ve got to eat something. I always do.”
“If you’re making it anyway...”
“I am. Don’t worry.”
She went about getting their breakfast together and thought about how she missed this. How she missed cooking breakfast and having another adult in the house with her. Someone she could have a conversation with.
“So, what’s the plan for today? You haven’t said a word.”
“It’s a surprise,” he said. “You aren’t supposed to be doing anything today at all. I don’t even want you cooking breakfast.”
“It’s not a big deal. And it’s not that important of a day.”
He snorted at her. “It is to me.”