Chain of Title (29 page)

Shayna silenced him with her
fingers pressed to his lips, shaking her head softly.  “I know.  I met your
counterpart.”

Sean winced at the memory of
that night on the boat and the days that followed.  He would never forget the
look on her face from that time.

“He saved my daughter’s life,
and I will never judge him,” she said pointedly.

Relief flooded Sean and the suffocating
ache that had nearly choked the life out of him finally eased.  “So you’ll
stay?”  He held her face in his hands, almost nose to nose with her.  There was
so much more to talk about, but at least the worst of it was out in the open.  When
he felt her arms rope around his neck pulling him down, pressing her lips to
his, he knew the nightmare was over, finally in the past.

Their tongues tangled, needy moans
wrapping around them, as Sean straightened, lifting Shayna up with him.  She
toed off her shoes, and then her legs locked around his waist.  Sean’s hands
moved synchronously, one skimming up to cradle the back of her head while the
other dived down and gripped her backside, holding her firmly in place.  Her
heat pressed against him and the hunger in her kiss told him this was the
beginning.  They were finally going to have it all.  See it all.  Do it all.

Finally making it up the
stairs to his bedroom, Shayna still clinging to him, Sean positioned her to
stand facing him.  Unzipping the back of her dress, he smoothed the fabric over
and down her shoulders and sat on the edge of the bed, sliding the yellow dress
down until it fell, pooling around her feet.  He inhaled sharply at the sight
of the pale yellow lace covering her curves.  She still liked to match her lingerie
with whatever she was wearing.  He smiled warmly and pulled her to him,
nuzzling against her silky skin and breathing in her heady scent.  Reaching up,
he unclasped and removed the sexy material covering her breasts.

Shayna’s fingers raked
through Sean’s thick, wavy hair as he cupped her breasts and pressed her
nipples together, sucking and stretching them in unison, her moans spurring him
further in their pleasure.  As she squirmed and breathlessly whispered his
name, he lifted her, placing her on the bed and then lay beside her, telling
her with his eyes to keep still.  Then his hand traced her quivering body, remembering
every curve, every swell, and every part of her that had once been his.  The
memories of those moments, the way he felt with her, had gotten him through
some dark times and now he was thankfully on the other side.

His hand slid between her
thighs, and she whimpered softly as his thumb brushed against her swollen
folds.  The feel of her moist heat caused his breathing to quicken, and he
stood abruptly, lifting Shayna’s legs and removing the last piece of pale
yellow lace.

As his hands trailed down her
toned legs, teased her short curls and smoothed a wide pathway up to her
breasts, Shayna pulled at his shirt and began to work at his buckle, but Sean
gripped her hands and shackled them with one of his own above her head.  He
hovered above her, listening to her pant and seeing the heavy desire in her
eyes.

He brushed the tip of his
nose against hers and whispered roughly, “Not yet.”  Then he dropped down for a
sweltering kiss before turning her onto her stomach and trailing kisses down
her neck and back, his hand stroking leisurely between her legs.

“Sean, please,” she mewled,
clawing at the downy cover while rolling her hips and pressing tighter against
his hand.

Threading his hand under her
hips and lifting her slightly, he worked her slick core and nub with his thumb
and fingers until she cried her release, hands fisted in the bedding, and gasping
his praises.  Before she could fully recover, he rolled her onto her back, spreading
her, and dropping down to take his time tasting and tormenting her with his
tongue.  The scent of her arousal inflamed his desire, making him feel starved
for more, knowing he would never get his fill.

As she moaned louder, and
thrashed harder under his grip, Shayna screamed his name in her rush and he
quickly stood, tearing at his clothes, stripped like his patience.  He had to
have her.  All of her.  Now.

Never taking his eyes off
her, he watched as Shayna pushed up on to her elbows, breathing heavily, lips
curved in a sleepy, satisfied smile.  She eyed him hungrily, settling on his
pulsing erection, her tongue darting out to moisten her lips.  Then she sat up
and grasped his thick length, stroking him deeply and rounding off on the tip. 
He exhaled sharply from the contact of her hot hand and knew he wasn’t going to
last nearly as long as he would like to this time, but he would make it up to
her.

He would find a way to make
it all up to her.  Somehow.  Someday.

Before Shayna’s lips could dip
down and reach their intended target, he pushed her back onto the bed, plunging
into her depths with one swift stroke.  She gasped from the sudden entry,
digging her nails into his back and groaning.  Sean hissed as he adjusted to the
feel of her wet heat stretched around him, swallowing him into paradise.

Holding her face in his
hands, he stilled until she opened the beautiful gray eyes he had been dreaming
about, and missed, all these long months.  In those desire-filled eyes, he saw
their history; the chapters already written and the ones left to write.  There
would never be enough time, but he was determined to make the most of whatever
there was.

“I love you, Shayna,” he said
gruffly.  “I promise I’ll make you happy again.”

She stroked his face gently. 
“You already have,” she whispered, as a tear broke free, streaming down her
temple and splashing onto his thumb.  “Just don’t leave me again,” she choked
out.

Shaking his head, Sean
uttered, “Never,” before sealing her lips with his and the promise that he had
always wanted to keep.

The
warble of birds and the warm morning rays burning away the dew and the night’s
chill awakened Sean.  He enjoyed a slow, lazy stretch and an indulgent smile
that widened across his square jaw as he rolled to his stomach, burying his
face in the pillow.  Her scent was still there.  He smiled contentedly, rolling
his head and deeply inhaling the sweet aroma.  Last night had been like none
other and he was ready for more.  Chuckling softly into the downy pillow, Sean revisited
the last twelve hours and all that they had done and said, catching up on so
many things, well into the early morning hours, not to mention skinny-dipping
under the stars.  Yeah, he definitely wanted more of that.  They were going to
do it all, everything, starting today.  They had agreed not to waste another
minute.

Shifting to his side, eyes
still closed, Sean reached across to tug Shayna up against him but only felt
cold, empty space.  His brow furrowed and he patted softly at the pillow beside
him, hearing the crinkling sound of paper.  His lids and head lifted
immediately.  Pushing up to his elbow, eyes adjusting to the sunlight, he
glanced around the room, grasping and bringing the paper into focus.

His heart stopped cold, as
his eyes traced the six simple words scrawled on the note—
his
words,
his
note—written in his hand.  The note he had left for Shayna last year.

Do it all.

I love you.

“Shayna!” he shouted, ripping
off the covers and throwing on drawstring pajama bottoms.  He stormed room to
room, searching, calling out her name, growing angrier and more distraught by
the second, slamming doors and racing down stairs.

How could she have done this
after last night?  They had talked out everything that was important, had made
plans, were on the same page.  He scrubbed his face with his hand as his frantic
search finally led him outside bellowing her name, his echoing voice taunting
him from the hillsides.  He anxiously scanned the landscape around the gardens
and pool, feeling as if his chest would break open from the mounting pressure. 
Then reality began to weigh him down with its well-deserved judgment and warranted
punishment.

Feeling acute desolation and
incomparable loss, Sean stumbled around the corner of the villa and dropped to
his knees in utter defeat.  The nausea and loss of balance hit him hard.  He
fell forward onto his hands, still clutching the note.  He kept staring at the
damn thing.  Why would she have kept this?  Carried it with her.  He closed his
eyes, shaking his head in abject misery.  He would’ve rather died in Mexico
than face this.

He pushed back, landing on
his heels and roared her name to the sky one last time, the echoes resonating
and mercilessly mocking him.  He deserved it.  He had earned it many times
over.  Men like him shouldn’t hope for good endings, didn’t have the right to
them.  He had always known that.  He should never have lost sight of that fact.

The murmuring fountain in the
distance and the smell of lavender helped return his mind to the present
moment.  His eyes reluctantly followed the percolating sounds to the dense
cabbage roses and the star jasmine that climbed across the pergola.  His heart
pinched—hard.  That was where they had talked about being married.  The sooner
the better, he had told her just hours ago.  He laughed mirthlessly at his
stupidity.

Sighing in defeat and
dragging his hand roughly down his face, he pushed to his feet, feeling hollow
and without direction; not at all sure he could stand without wobbling.  Then
something near the fountain, surrounded by the fragrant foliage, caught his
attention and he moved in a dream-like state toward it.  The air raced from his
lungs.  He watched in stunned silence as the morning breeze lightly lifted the
blonde layers, dropping them back down gently.  For a moment, Sean couldn’t
breathe or move, afraid that if he did, the mirage would disappear.

Then his heart kicked back
into gear and he moved in long, purposeful strides, finding himself standing
near the bench where she was sitting.  One bare foot swept across the grass
while the other was perched on the bench, her hands and chin pressed on top of
her knee, seemingly entranced by the fountain a few yards away.  She didn’t
appear to know he was even there.  His mouth went dry, his skin became clammy
in the cool breeze and a dull ache sat behind his eyes.

“Shayna?” he murmured guardedly,
as if she would evaporate from the sound of his voice alone.

She blinked a few times and
then slowly turned her face, resting her cheek on top of her hands to look
directly up at him.  Her face was tearstained and she didn’t speak.

He gauged her for a few
seconds and then erupted.  “When Scotty gets here, I’m sending him away. 
You’re
not
leaving, Shay.  Period!  Whatever it is, we’ll work it out,
but this isn’t the answer,” he ordered, feeling whipsawed and shaken by the morning’s
events.

She sighed resolutely.  “I
didn’t call Scotty, because I’m not leaving,” she replied calmly.  She watched
with an impassive expression as her eyes roamed over his masculine features,
broad shoulders, bare chest, and abs, coming to settle on the note still
clenched tightly in his hand.

His eyes flicked from her to
the note and then back again.  “Then what’s this?” he asked with irritation,
raising the crumpled paper and pointing it at her.  “A sick joke?”

Shayna sat up shaking her
head slowly.  “Not a joke.  It was a lesson,” she said, as if that was all the
explanation he needed.

“Excuse me?” he muttered with
exasperation.

She looked at him knowingly,
appearing to judge his readiness for what she was about to impart.

“There’s a difference, Sean,”
she waited and glanced sadly up at him, “between
leaving
and being
left,
and now you understand.  I’m all too familiar with both.”

Sudden, sharp realization cut
him with a kaleidoscope of images:

A young girl’s mother making
promises never kept.

A young woman’s first love
tragically yanked away.

A woman leaving a man she had
loved for half her life.

A woman who read the same
note now fisted in his hand. 

All those months ago, he had
done this to her, tortured her in the same way.  Then he had left her alone to
deal with the heartaches and disappointments he had caused.

She seemed to be waiting
while he processed the pictures in his head.  He moved closer to her, needed to
be next to her.

“I heard you yelling my
name.  I heard every emotion in your voice.  I know everything you felt, because
I felt exactly the same way the morning I got that same note,” she said,
nodding toward the paper in his hand.  “And then, a few months later I thought
you had been killed.”  She glanced away and back to the fountain, blinking back
tears.  “I wanted to die myself, felt like a part of me had.  Even if you had
your reasons for not being with me, knowing you were out there—somewhere—was so
much better than believing you were gone forever.”  She breathed in sharply and
shook away the emotion.

“Everything in my life that
I’d been hanging on to from the past came crashing down at that very moment. 
My mother.  Wes.  Frank.  You.”  Shayna breathed in deeply and let out a long
cleansing breath.  “I couldn’t do it anymore.  Hang on to the anger and the
grief.”  She hesitated in apparent reflection.  “I went through all of Wes’
things that I still had and...got rid of everything except a few pictures.” 
She swallowed hard and continued, “I sent a letter to my mother, forgiving her. 
I even wrote a letter to Frank.  I later burned it, but getting it out helped
me let go of some things, move on.”  She sniffed and glanced up, scanning the
cloudless blue sky.

Sean sat beside Shayna and
draped an arm behind her on the seat back, stroking her shoulder tenderly, the
adrenaline roller coaster finally leveling off.

“Why did you keep this,
Shay?  Carry it around with you?” he asked, holding the note in front of her.

Her soulful eyes fixed on the
piece of paper for a few seconds before turning and looking directly at him. 
“Because I couldn’t let go of you.  I couldn’t let go of the last piece I had
of you, no matter how painful.”  She reached up to stroke his shadowed cheek. 
“Because I’ll never get you out of my system.”

His chest tightened and his heart
felt as if it would burst forth from its suddenly too small cage.  Sean scooped
her into his arms, kissing her fiercely with all of the emotion pouring out of
him that had overwhelmed him since first setting eyes on his note this morning. 
Shayna struggled to pull away from his arms of steel and eventually he relented
a bit, freeing her from his wild kiss.

“Sean,” she whispered out of
breath, their foreheads pressed to one another.  Composing herself, she said, “You
can’t leave me again.”  She silenced his answer with her fingers pressed to his
lips.  “I know I owe you and your friends my daughter’s life, but you can’t be
a part of that anymore. 
Any
of it.  You have to be done with that life
if you’re going to be with me, if we’re going to have the future we both want.” 
She brushed her thumb across his lips.

He pulled back grasping her
face in his hands.  “I was done with that life before we even met, Shay, but I
couldn’t stand by and do nothing when Danielle was taken.  I will never stand
by and do nothing where the two of you are concerned.  You can’t ask me to do
that.  But
everything
else is over.  I’m out.  Clean slate.  No going
back.  You have my word.”  He paused for a moment, deciding to tell her the
truth.  “You should know that I
volunteered
to put the team together for
the Morales job.”

Shayna’s eyes widened in
alarm, and she blurted, “Why on earth did you do that?”

He brushed back her breeze-tousled
hair, tucking it behind her ear.  “To keep you safe.  People like that don’t
care who they get their money from, Shay.  Their failure with Danielle only
meant that you would’ve been next in line.  They knew you had money and they
had pictures of you.”  She gasped, her hand clutching at his bare chest. 
“That’s right.  They were already watching you.”  She seemed terror-stricken,
frozen, and he stroked her cheek, trying to soothe her fears, restart her
breathing.  “You don’t have to worry about them now—neither does Danielle.  We
removed the stateside threats first and then we went after the big dog.”

As she calmed down, her
shallow breaths deepened and she leaned in, gripped his face, brushed his lips
with a kiss, and said gratefully, “Thank you, Sean Parker—for being you.”

Sean swallowed the lump
forming in his throat.  “I’d do anything for you, Shayna Montgomery. 
Anything
,”
he said hoarsely, resting his forehead against hers and inhaling her sweet
scent.  A question seemed to be forming on her lips as she stroked his jaw.  He
waited, giving her time to decide whether to ask it.

“Why did you get involved in
that life in the first place?” she asked tentatively, flicking her eyes away
and then glancing back to him.

Sean’s eyes carefully swept
across Shayna’s face.  He organized his words and then breathed in deeply.  “My
dad had some unsavory business associates.  Unfortunately, I inherited them.” 
He paused for a few beats.  “I wanted them off my back, so I figured out how to
handle it.”  Holding his breath, jaw tense, he watched her eyes crease in
question but she kept silent.  He continued cautiously, “There’s always a use
for people like me, Shay.  Someone approached me a long time ago.”  He wetted
his lips before continuing.  “Organizations and governments, sometimes individuals,
like to hire men like me—with my background, my training, and my network.  It
paid well and,” he held his breath for a moment, “I liked it,” he muttered
solemnly.  He waited for her recriminations or an involuntary reaction of
distaste, even disgust.  What happened instead surprised him.

The first hint of a smile
tugged at one corner of her mouth, her features shaded with tenderness.  “Okay,
I can live with that,” she answered quietly, and then her eyes darkened.  “Just
don’t make me live without you,” she said with a husky tone that heated his
blood instantly.  She eased in, pressing a gentle kiss on his lips.  Then she
pulled back and gazed at him contritely.  “I’m sorry I hurt you this morning,
Sean.  I just needed you to understand—”

He quieted her with a kiss. 
“Lesson learned,” he whispered earnestly against her lips.  “I don’t ever want
to feel that way again.  I’m sorry that you ever did.  Don’t ever think leaving
you was easy, Shay.  It wasn’t.  Staying away was even harder.”  He threaded
one hand through her silky hair, the other sliding down to rest at her throat,
his thumb brushing against her jaw.

“I believe you.  What I did
to you this morning was hard enough.”

Sean inhaled deeply trying to
push away all of the regrets gnawing around the edges.  “I wish I could’ve been
the man you thought I was, Shay.  I—”

She silenced him with her
fingers, shaking her head.

“You’re the man I need.” 
Stroking his whiskered jaw, she admitted, “I was wrong to put you on a
pedestal.  You were right about that, because all you can do up there is watch
everybody else live...and that’s not really living.  Danielle is a happy
newlywed right now
because
of the life you lived.  None of it matters to
me, Sean.”  Her eyes bored into his.  “None of it.  I love you...
all
of
you.”