Need You for Keeps (16 page)

He held her in a way that was completely unexpected, and it took her by surprise. It was sweet and slightly erotic, and felt so right a small burst of hope welled up in her chest and spread, because Jonah was taking the time to show her that she was special.

To him, in this moment, Shay Michaels was special.

Ignoring the warning bells going off in her head, Shay gave herself over to the experience. Let the what-ifs and fears of tomorrow be left for tomorrow and gave herself wholly to this moment. To this man.

Jonah must have felt her change, felt the shift in her body, because with a groan he tightened his arms around her and slid his tongue across the seam of her mouth. She opened to him immediately, opening everything to him, including her heart.

“I want you too,” she admitted against his lips, breaking the kiss.

“How do you want me?” he asked, his forehead to hers, and for the first time Shay heard doubt in his voice. Jonah was as nervous as she was. She’d never thought about it, but Jonah hadn’t dated all that much since she’d moved to town. In fact, she couldn’t remember a single girl who stuck around for more than a few weeks—and she’d been watching.

Having a job that demanded everything one had to give, and being on call 24/7 couldn’t be easy on relationships. It would make for a very lonely road—and that was something Shay could relate to.

“I want you however I can get you,” she said, meaning it. His job was as much a part of him as her animals were to her. It was one of his most appealing traits—the level at which he gave of himself to his town. “Although I’d prefer you naked.”

“You first.” He smiled, his hands giving a gentle tug on the belt at her waist. The fabric untwined itself and the dress parted right up the middle, exposing a strip of bare skin, but Jonah held it there, staring at a hint of flesh and black lace.

The longer he looked, the harder he became beneath her, and the hotter she got until she was sure she was one breath away from an orgasm. An orgasm she desperately deserved.

“Jonah,” she said, her hands going for the edges of the dress.

“Give me a minute,” he begged.
Begged.
“I only get to do this once.”

He wasn’t going to get to do it at all if he didn’t move along. With a long exhale, he slowly pulled the dress open, and the look on his face was worth it.

“Holy Christ, I knew you were . . .” He traced a finger over the lace edging and to the clasp in the middle. “Damn, Trouble. This is better than I imagined. And trust me when I say I’ve been imagining so much lately that I am afraid this might not last long.”

“Then I guess we’d better get to it,” she said, giving a shimmy of the shoulders and sending the dress puddling to the floor.

“Yes, ma’am.”

In one breath his hands were on her ass, pulling her to him and flipping them around until she was on the couch and he was on his knees before her. Looking his fill while completely clothed.

“What are you doing?”

“Getting to it,” he said firmly, and before she could object, his shirt was on the floor, his pants unzipped, while his gaze roamed up her body, locking on hers. “Now, you going to let me do my job? Or do I need to pull out the cuffs?”

The only answer he got from her was a moan, low and throaty, and so needy she would have been embarrassed if that talented mouth of his wasn’t doing an insane little nip and flick combination a scant millimeter above the little bow of her panties.

His hands skimmed up her legs to her thighs, pressing them wider so he could maneuver himself into place. Shay knew that he didn’t need cuffs, Jonah could control every inch of her body with a single touch. He knew how to touch her in a way that had her heart waving the surrender flag.

“Jonah,” she whispered, because all of this warmth collecting around her chest wasn’t part of the deal.

“I got ya,” he said and then his mouth was on the move, going lower and lower and lower still. Everything in its path tightening until—he gave that same little nip and flick combo right up the center of her lace.

“Jonah.” This time his name was a plea of a different kind.

“Right here, Trouble,” he chuckled, and in case she wasn’t clear where
here
was, he did it again, this time pulling the panties to the side so all she got was hot skin on deliciously hot skin.

Shay lay back—she couldn’t help it. What the man was able to do with just his mouth was lethal. And his hands . . . strong and oh-so capable, they skillfully tracked over every inch of her body, visiting all the good parts twice, driving her completely out of her mind and bringing her right to the point of no return.

Only he kept bringing her there, then backing off.

She lifted her hips, showing him exactly what she needed, because he was right there and she was so ready. God, so ready. All he had to do was go a little bit harder or softer and he would hit the sweet spot. But these kisses weren’t sweet, which was fine with Shay, since she wasn’t feeling very sweet. She was achy and worked up and in need of something that seemed to be getting farther and farther from reach with each swipe of his tongue.

“Now,” she moaned, hoping that verbal communication would spur him into action.

“Soon,” was his only response, followed by a chuckle.

“This isn’t funny,” she groaned. “Nothing about slowly being driven crazy is remotely funny to me.”

“Tell me about it,” he said, sounding a little crazed himself, a little out of control—and man, was it a turn-on. Jonah slowly losing control was about the sexiest thing she’d ever seen.

“This”—he whispered while slipping three fingers into her swollen, wet flesh, curling them until they hit the money spot, sending a million tingles racing through her body at once, with no exit in sight—“is how crazy I feel every time I see you.”

“Then come and be crazy with me,” she said.

“Soon.” He gave her one final kiss, the perfect kiss, gentle and demanding and everything she needed, his fingers hitting the spot he’d been teasing around for what felt like eternity, and then she exploded. He literally drove her right out of her mind and over the edge and into the best orgasm of her life.

She cried out, his name slipping so freely from her lips it should have startled her, but her body was too busy trembling from the aftershocks of sheer pleasure for her mind to function properly. In fact, she felt so good she couldn’t have made a coherent thought to save her life.

Jonah stirred and she slowly opened her eyes, realizing she was on her back, the couch beneath her and Jonah on top. And they were somehow both completely naked. A condom wrapper on the floor.

“Now?” she asked.

“Yeah, Trouble.” He kissed her gently on the lips. “Now.”

He entered her in one long thrust, letting her get used to the delicious pressure. After a moment, he began moving inside of her, sure and strong, and if she thought he was a master with his mouth, well,
sweet baby Jesus
, this was even better than before—and that had been the best orgasm of her life.

“I like now,” she whispered, her arms sliding around his neck, pulling her to him as he slowly pumped in and out.

“Better than soon?” he asked, kissing her.

“Even better than anytime.” She kissed him back and then his hands were everywhere at once.

Touching and gripping, clinging to one another until their skin became slick, hot and burning, creating a friction as they moved, so raw and electric it arced between them, back and forth until they had to fight to cling to one another. But soon the fight became easy and they began to glide in perfect unison.

As if sensing the change, the newfound ease between them, Jonah pushed up on his arms, looking down to where they were joined. Shay watched too, watched as they both found the connection they needed—and maybe more than they expected.

Then his gaze rose to Shay’s, raw and fierce, and her skin flushed hotter and she felt Jonah right there with her. Seeing all of her. The parts she kept hidden and the parts she denied.

Suddenly, Shay didn’t want to deny herself, she wanted to feel cherished and needed and . . . a part of something more than herself. And Jonah was more, she decided, in all the right ways.

She tightened around him, pulling him in deeper and deeper until he gave one final surge and together they both lost their minds in the most incredible way.

Several moments went by, and Shay lay motionless, relishing the heavy weight of Jonah on top of her. He nuzzled her neck before lifting his head, and Shay changed her mind.

Jonah wasn’t the rock star of hot couch sex, he was the grand master. She had the fabric burns on her back to prove it.

“I’m glad we established that
soon
and
anytime
pretty much suck,” she said.

“I hate
soon
. With you it’s too far away,” he said against her lips. “I think
now
is more us.”

She liked the sound of
us
coming from his lips.

“Well, how about we try out the word
more
?” she whispered, running her hands down his chest. She couldn’t seem to stop touching him, which was fine with her since he couldn’t seem to keep his paws to himself either.

“More, huh? That can be arranged.” He playfully snagged her lower lip with his teeth, sucking it into his mouth, getting her ready for
more
when his phone gave a distinctive ping.

He groaned, but not the kind that promised any of that
more
she was hoping for. It pinged again. With a tired huff he rested his forehead against hers. “It’s work.”

Shay reached down and blindly felt around for his jeans. Panties, bra, condom wrapper, denim—bingo. She rifled through his pockets, surprised to find a whole pack of condoms—confident guy—then grabbed his phone. “Here.”

He looked at the screen and took in a deep breath. “It’s a callout. Nonemergency.”

“Are you on call tonight?” she asked, and he gave her a pained look that said he was always on call. Even worse, she could see that he was conflicted about what to do.

Shay framed his face with her hands, drawing him closer so he knew how serious she was. “Whatever you need to do tonight, Jonah, I’ll understand.”

And she did. Did she want him to leave their little cocoon that was safe from the outside world? No way. In her shop they were just Jonah and Shay, no distractions, no expectations, no conflicting lives. And she wanted more of that. More talking, more kissing, more sharing.

More Jonah.

But she also didn’t want him to feel like he had to change or hide who he was around her. A huge part of Jonah was his job, and she understood and supported that.

“What I need right now . . .” He smiled wickedly, then, to her surprise, powered down his phone. “Is you.” He looked over her head and flapped his hand. “And maybe a little privacy, guys.”

Shay craned her neck to find three sets of eyes staring back, and laughed. “I forgot to feed them.”

At the mention of feeding all three pairs of ears perked up. So did her stomach.

Jonah looked down at her belly and quirked a brow.

“I forgot to feed myself too,” she said, using her hands to muffle the embarrassing growling. Resigned to leaving the couch, she tried to move, an impossible task when he refused to budge. “I have to feed them or they will continue staring and then the whining will start. It’s not pretty, trust me.”

“Are you always on duty?” he teased but didn’t let her answer, giving her a quick kiss. “Glad that’s settled. Now, you stay here. I will feed the mutts. And then,” his eyes roamed down her body and back up, “I will feed you.”

“Dessert for dinner?” she said as he rolled off, completely at home in his gloriously naked state.

“I already had my dessert, now I want cake. Don’t move.”

She watched as his very fine ass stalked to the door, then he stopped and stalked back. The man was impressive from all angles. Taking her wrists, he lifted them above her, made a big deal about positioning them on the arm of the couch, then leaned down and pressed an openmouthed kiss to each of her breasts.

“Now don’t move,” he ordered. “I’ll be back with the cake.”

“I don’t have any plates,” she explained as he disappeared into the other room.

“Then I guess we’ll have to get creative.”

Shay could do creative. All night long if she was lucky.

A
light tapping woke Jonah with a start. Pulse beating out of his chest, ears dialed to alert, he took stock. He was sticky, hot as hell, and couldn’t remember where he was. Then a warm ball of woman snuggled closer, her ass rubbing up against his morning wood and—ah yeah, he remembered now.

Every little detail.

He tightened his arms around her and tried to ignore that his entire left side was stuck to the couch with what he assumed was a superadhesive combination of sweat and icing. His hand immediately found her breast and he pressed a few kisses down her spine, wondering just how tired she was.

She gave a sexy little sigh and burrowed deeper into him, wiggling in a way that made going back to sleep impossible, then she was dead to the world. He wasn’t surprised, since he’d checked off nearly every wish he’d had during their marathon meet-and-greet last night.

Well, every wish minus the cuffs.

Taptaptap.

A low growl vibrated on his calf. Jonah peered over to find himself, Shay, and two of the mutts snuggled on the couch. One big fucking happy family.

With a groan, he scooped Socks off his hip and set her on the floor, then shooed Boss off, who landed with a big thud. Jabba was already at the door, tapping
I gotta pee
in doggie Morse code against the glass pane.

“As much as it kills me to say this, baby, I need to get up,” Jonah whispered, running a hand over her stomach and back up, maybe high enough to brush her breast. Okay, definitely high enough. She had great breasts—full, high, and just his size.

The perfect size, as far as he was concerned.

Shay stretched, giving him all the go-ahead he needed to continue his inspection, then rolled over, nuzzling even closer and pressing her face to his chest. The rest of her was doing some pretty amazing pressing too, so amazing he felt his eyes roll to the back of his head when she tossed her thigh over his.

“Baby,” he groaned. “You’re not making this easy.”

“You smell good,” she whispered, her voice so thick with sleep he wondered just how awake she was. Then her tongue ran up his chest, circling his nipple and answering that question. “Like cake. I love fig cake.”

Jonah was a pretty big fan too. After last night, it was his new favorite cake, and he was considering finishing it off for breakfast. He’d just started licking the remains off Shay’s shoulder when—

Taptaptap.

He groaned. “Don’t move,” he whispered, carefully untangling Shay’s body from his. Smart-ass that she was, she raised her hands above her head and laid them across the arm of the couch.

“Assume the position. Got it, Sheriff.”

She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. And lucky son of a bitch that he was, she just lay there, spread out like a feast for his eyes, letting him look his fill.

Taptaptap.

This time it was followed by a long-suffering whine that had Jonah pulling on his pants. “Be right back.”

He smacked his thigh and the other two dogs followed him to the front of the shop. He clicked on the main floor lights and stopped.

Jabba wasn’t trying to get out, he was trying to let someone in. Regardless, Jonah opened the door, and all three dogs bolted past Adam to the nearest maple tree to do their business.

Jonah took in the grim lines on his brother’s face and the exhaustion rolling off of him.
Ah shit
, this couldn’t be good.

“You’re a hard man to find,” Adam said, leaning against the doorframe as though it were the only thing holding him upright. His SHFD blues were streaked with dirt and his skin was damp with sweat. “Been calling you all night.”

Jonah patted his back pocket and found it empty. He closed his eyes. “Turned it off.”

“When I spotted your car,” he motioned to Jonah’s cruiser at the curb, “I figured it was either that or you were too busy to answer.” He looked at Jonah’s state of dress, which was more
been busy getting busy
than
fell asleep cat sitting
, and he grinned. “Guess it was both.”

Yeah, yeah
. “Is everything okay?”

Adam’s smile died. “Giles was reported missing at lunch check-in.”

Jonah looked at his watch and swore. “That was over sixteen hours ago.”

The first eight to twelve hours were the most critical in situations like this. Jonah buttoned his jeans and was turning to grab his stuff when Adam stopped him. “We found him, man. He’s okay. A little dehydrated and hungry, but okay.”

“Where was he?”

“Asleep on Clovis’s back porch,” Adam explained. “I guess he went there to get his shag on or whatever it is old people do after hours and had a breathing issue. He didn’t have his meds.”

“Of course he didn’t. Because why would a man with a breathing problem carry his meds when walking across town?”

Adam looked at Jonah’s state once again and laughed. “Do you really have to ask?”

No, no he didn’t. He understood perfectly.

“When he didn’t show for dinner we sent a callout to all departments and Search and Rescue as far as two counties over.” The callout that Jonah had ignored. He hadn’t even read it, just saw that it was a nonemergency and thumbed his phone off. “Someone matching his description was seen heading into the foothills, by the Old Mill Trail.”

Which explained the condition of Adam’s uniform. If any team would handle the hills, it would be Adam’s. “Why the hell was he hiking?”

“He wasn’t. Clovis called about an hour ago, saying there was a peeper on her porch making heavy breathing sounds. The officer who responded found Giles. He was sitting on her porch swing, semiresponsive.”

“Where is he now?”

“En route to St. Helena Memorial. I wouldn’t be surprised if they kept him overnight for observation. I was headed there when I saw your car.”

Jonah dropped his head, letting the reality of what had just transpired wash over him. If he’d answered the callout, Clovis’s place would have been at the top of his list for places to check, because he knew what was going on between the two of them.

Man, he’d fucked up. Big-time. And now his uncle was in the hospital.

“Give me a few minutes to grab my stuff and check on the cat, and I’ll meet you there.”

It was the perfect summer morning, Shay thought, making her way toward Cork’d N Dipped, the completed permit petition in her hands. The sun was bright, and there was a light breeze teasing at the orange poppies and yellow snapdragons that filled the wine barrels lining Main Street. And every few feet she’d come across a resident who would smile her way or wish her good afternoon, as though she was part of the inner sanctum.

The best part? Hanging from every gas lamppost was a banner advertising Prance for Paws Charity Pet Walk and three celebrity judges. Shay had no idea who the judges were, only that Peggy must have been hard at work to secure them this fast.

The banners looked professional and polished and, with a different animal peeking out on each banner, impossible to resist. Harper had designed them, Ida had talked a local printer into donating them, and Emerson had gotten them hung in record time. Her friends had done an amazing job, and not just with pitching in. No, their efforts had gone way beyond that. They’d made Shay feel as if signing that lease had been the best decision of her life.

Funny since last night with Jonah had been the best night of her life. She still wasn’t sure what it all meant, but she knew there was something between them that wasn’t going away. It was something she would have liked to explore more this morning, but she had fallen asleep only to wake to a note.

Just thinking about Jonah had a little zing buzzing in her belly, and instead of pretending it wasn’t there, Shay embraced it.

Smiling like an idiot, Shay pushed through the door to the wine bar. The sunlight reflected off of the floor-to-ceiling glass walls that housed thousands of wine bottles. Cork’d N Dipped had one of the most extensive wine menus on Main Street, and with its midnight lighting, mahogany wood floors, and deep red linens, it exuded elegance and seduction.

Today, however, it was filled with every person she’d gathered to help with the charity walk, all wearing Booty Patrol shirts. The free chocolate-dipped strawberries didn’t hurt.

“Look what I have.” She held up the completed permit and waved it a few times. Jonah had not only signed it, he’d put a rush order on it. “Kelly at town hall said I can pick up the official permit from Civic Services on Tuesday. But that’s a formality and we should be good to go.”

“Great news,” Harper said from the front of the bar. She was dressed in a pair of faded overalls and glasses and had paint on her right cheek. Not that it detracted from her ability to control the room. “Now, have a seat. Peggy was just getting ready to tell the group who she secured for the Prance Prince and Princess judges panel.”

“I saw the flyers,” Shay said, taking a stool at the bar next to Emerson and mouthing
thank you
, since Harper was back to running the meeting.

“The pledge sheets are done and ready to be dispersed, so make sure you grab a stack on the way out. They are by the exit. And the sign-up sheets will be in next Monday. On to judges. Peggy, you have three minutes. Starting,” Harper looked at her watch, “now.”

“This is what happens every time the Coat Crusader hits town,” Emerson grumbled, shoving a strawberry in her mouth.

Peggy stood, smoothing down her polyester slacks. “First we have our very own superstar vet, Dr. Huntington, who was more than happy to offer his services.” A few hoots and whistles went out for the handsome silver fox, whose way with animals—and women—had become the topic of many a Sunday tea at Paws and Claws. “I told him we would put a coupon for a discounted consultation or vaccine appointment on the back of each application for his services.”

What a great idea
, Shay thought. Not only would it encourage people to be proactive with their pets’ health, but Dr. Huntington could help spread the word about the charity walk to his patients.

“Will it have his home number as well, for
other
services?” Ida wanted to know. “Because if I told the ladies in my canasta group that he was giving out his digits to anyone who entered, I bet they would all borrow a pet and sign up.”

“I’ll ask,” Peggy said as if
that
was a legit suggestion. She perched her reading glasses higher on her nose and read her agenda. “I also have that TV pet psychic lined up.”

Shay’s mouth dropped. “You got Sonya Fitzpatrick?”

“Who the hell is Sonya Fitzpatrick?” Emerson asked around bits of red chunks, seeds, and chocolate.

“The lady on Animal Planet who talks to animals,” Shay explained. Holy cow. Sonya Fitzpatrick was going to be here in St. Helena, at her charity walk?

“Oh, no, dear,” Peggy said, taking her glasses off to hang on the studded chain around her neck. “I was talking about June Whitney. She has a channel on YouTube about how to make crocheted oven mitts and costumes.”

Several
oohs
and
ahhs
went up from the over-seventy crowd.

“But she is a pet psychic?”

“Well, yes dear. She has birds. A whole aviary of them. She used to have them deliver messages, but now with everyone having cell phones and e-mail, she rents them out for weddings and such.”

“She rents out pigeons,” Emerson said, reaching for another strawberry. “Not doves. And the pigeons crap all over the guests. I went to a wedding last year up valley and it was like Alfred Hitchcock’s
The Birds
, only instead of blood, there was poop.”

Great. “But she talks to her birds?”

“No, dear, her dead lovers haunt her, scratching at her windows and hooting at all hours of the night.” Peggy looked at Shay as though she were the slow one. “And who talks to birds?”

“Sonya Fitzpatrick,” Shay said. “The pet psychic on Animal Planet. It sounds like June is a psychic who has pets—that’s not the same thing at all. You know what? Never mind. Who is the third judge?”

Peggy smiled. “You. As the best pet stylist this town has ever seen. We all think you should be the final judge for the walk.”