Permanent (Indelibly Marked) (Volume 1) (28 page)

“Shane.”

He remained on his knees. “Tell me.”

Her chest heaved as she took a deep breath. “I never …”

Before she revealed what he already knew, he reached up, putting his finger to her lips. “I know.”

“But …”

“I want you so bad.” Above all she needed to hear his words and believe them. With his cheek on her stomach, he carefully slipped his pinky inside her, pleased to find her slick and ready for him.

“Oh.” She dug her nails into his shoulder.

He was the only man to ever touch her that way. The thought alone stirred him. He would be the one to show her the magic when two people joined together.

“More,” she whimpered.

He added another finger, her body opening up for the pleasure he wanted to give her. Her knees gave out. “I want to make love to you.” He whispered and caught her weakening body then picked her up. “I’m going to make love to you.”

“Yes.” As if in a trance, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pursing her lips up to him.

He accepted her invitation, kissing her passionately as he carried her to the bed. Anticipation curled around him, but he retrieved his wallet before struggling out of his jeans and briefs.

“I have condoms.”

“I got them.” Though intrigued by her admission, it was his show. He pulled the comforter aside, laid her down and moved next to her. For the first time his eyes took in her perfect, smooth skin, never marred by anything but a set of earrings he placed in her ears. Shane was the first one to permanently mark her.

He would be the first man to make love to her. Unable to wait any longer, he flipped his wallet open for the condom.

“Wow.” With one finger, Lindsay traced down the tattoos on his chest, stomach and leg.

He held his breath when her gaze settled on his erection and she licked her lips. “Don’t ever doubt how much I want you.” He put the condom on and paused, trying to think of the best way to continue without hurting her.

“Do it fast, everything I’ve read says for the man to do it fast,” she whispered in his ear.

He peeked at her from the corner of his eye. No doubt she was the smarter of the two of them. Ever since they met, she took on the role of teacher while she literally saved his livelihood. However, he was the man, and he kissed his finger and placed it over her lips. “Let me show you how wonderful this can be.”

No more time for thinking, overanalyzing and second guessing. He’d take care of his woman. In one fluid motion, he thrust into her, capturing her gasp with a kiss and making her his.

She was his.

“Breathe.” He kissed her, buying himself some time by not moving, allowing her a moment to become accustomed to the two of them together. “Breathe baby.”

She took a deep breath. “Now, Shane.”

He needed no more prodding. After all the waiting his body demanded relief, and he treated them both to a series of slow, shallow strokes.

A moan escaped her throat and she held on to his shoulders.

“You okay?” Though he tried holding back, his body longed to thrust into her.

“Yes.” She lifted her hips to his. “It feels…”

“It feels good?” He needed to make sure, and when she nodded he took hold of her hips. “Move with me.” He guided her, enthralled with watching her every movement, the way she bit her lip, sped up on her own, and moved her legs further apart. However when she called to him and dug her nails into his arms he knew he wouldn’t last too much longer. But there was something more important than his satisfaction. “Come with me.” He thrust faster needing release.

“Oh.” Lindsay inhaled sharply. “Shane.”

He shut his eyes tight. If he watched her he’d fall over the edge too soon and he panted, trying to contain himself. “You need to come.”

“Yes.” She held him tighter.

“Oh God, Linds.” The inevitable was upon him. He tensed in anticipation of the ultimate pleasure and couldn’t stop from plunging into her. “Lindsay! Baby! I can’t hold on.”

“Shane.” She moved her head from one side to the other.

“I need to come.” He pleaded for her to end his sweet torture. “Please Linds. Now! Please!”

Obeying a primal command, she screamed out his name and her body contracted against his, spurring him on to his own release.

“Oh God, Lindsay!” Feeling like he could never be deep enough, he crushed his body into hers as the last waves of euphoria hit him.

With no strength left, he lowered over her, enjoying how her chest heaved against his. Still trying to catch his breath, he brushed her hair from her face. “Breathe.” He kissed the side of her neck, collapsing against her. “Breathe, baby.”

The whole world became silent and serene.

 “Shane.” Her voice called to him, a welcome interruption.

He never wanted to move. “How are you?”

“We did it.”

“Yeah.” He kissed her lips and continued to stare at her. Now he understood why men wanted virgins, why it was such a prize. He never experienced that sort of closeness with anyone. Now she was his and his alone to cherish and make happy, make love to, and share everything with. She’d willingly given him something no one else could ever have from her. That night at the storage room, he remembered thinking he would either be the guy that broke her heart or her only one. Without a doubt he knew which one he chose. He would have to change.

He was Lindsay’s man.

*~*~*

For the first time in her life Lindsay slept naked, and she put her hand over her own mouth when she woke up to the warmth of her comforter and Shane. Before she rolled over, she listened to his breathing. His steady but deep inhales and exhales comforted her.

The heat rose in her cheeks as she relived everything, from Shane making it official between them, to how he kissed and touched her, and of course her climax and heat generated elsewhere. Once the pain dulled, she never imagined making love would be that amazing. It had to be because of Shane.

She bit her nail and turned over, smiling when she got a chance to look at him, flat on his back and sound asleep.  The man truly was a work of art, from his hair like a sculpture, his perfect face that could grace any magazine cover, and the flesh he used as his canvas. She assessed all of his masterpieces.

With one finger, she inched the comforter down. Most of Shane’s tattoos were on his upper arms, his left side boasted vines and plants intermixed with animals and his painters palate. His right side provided the backdrop for his biomechanical tattoo made to appear as if he was part man, part machine. Famous for designing the unique art pieces, she knew he created his own art while Ivan did the actual tattooing. However, she discovered that the intricate tattoo traveled over his shoulder, down his side, stomach and ended on his upper thigh.

Oddly enough, Shane left his chest untouched, leaving the dragon on his stomach all by itself. Though she couldn’t see his back, she wanted to continue her explorations and gripped the blanket when she realized what she was about to reveal and froze.

“Don’t stop.”

At Shane’s voice, she dropped the comforter and returned her attention to his face. He lifted his eyebrows. “You may get more than you bargained for if you continue snooping under there.”

She debated on what she wanted to do. Fine, she wanted to see all of him.

He laughed and held his arms out. “How did you get away from me anyway?”

“I think you rolled over.” She cuddled into his embrace.

“Are you okay?” He combed his fingers through her hair and grunted.

“What’s wrong?”

“I just turned into one of those guys.”

“What guys?” It surprised her how natural it was to lie with him without a stitch on.

“The guy that wants to make sure you’re all right, that you’re good with everything that happened.” He threw his arm over his eyes.

She sat up.

Shane peered over his arm. “Are you all right?”

“Yes.”

“You okay with everything that happened?”

“Are you?”

“Yes, and dare I say I’m honored too.” He shook his head. “I think you’re milking it now.”

“I was trying.” Yes, she wanted him to say all those things.

He pulled her down. “My parents are going to love you.”

The second she lay down she shot up again. “Parents?”

“Oh yeah, you will be indoctrinated to the rest of the Elliott clan for my dad’s birthday.” Now he sat up. “Can I tell them you were a virgin? I think they’ll love that, it’s like a parent’s dream.”

“Shane.” She turned over and hid her face in the pillow. Truth be told, she hadn’t wanted him to know.

“How did that happen anyway?” He tugged her back around to face him.

What could she tell him? The truth was that along with all of her other nevers, she never had the opportunity. Since they weren’t living in the middle ages, she was a freak.

“You were a tease.” He moved on top of her.

The person who spoke first lost, and she kept her mouth shut.

“You cold?” He rubbed her arm. “You’re shaking.”

“A little.” But her trembling wasn’t because she was cold.

“We must take care of that.” He gave her a hard kiss. “I’m so glad you were a virgin, you know.”

“Really?”

“Yes, now I know what everyone was missing, and those guys lost out.” A deeper kiss followed his statement. “I’m so glad I’m the only one.”

The technicality that there were no other guys at all faded away with his kiss and the hard thickness against her thigh. She needed to remember that although there was no one else, Shane wanted her.

“Now back to my earlier question, since I’m one of those guys.” His fingers traveled to her breasts.

“What was that?” She arched toward him.

“Can I do anything for you?” He dipped his head down and took one of her nipples in his mouth.

She grabbed for his hair and remembered something. “Yes, you can.”

He lifted his face. “Ask and ye shall receive.”

“I want to see.” She closed her eyes.

“Oh.” He made a growling sound. “Well you can’t see like that.”

Shane threw the covers off the bed and he moved to one side. “I am here for your perusal.”

As she was about to take a look, a door slamming and a huge crash outside her window caused her to grab for him. “What was that?”

“Stay here.” He threw the comforter to her and wrapped the sheet around his waist as he went to the window, moving the curtain aside. “Good riddance,” he grunted.

“What?” She leaned over.

“Dillon is actually leaving.” He dropped the curtain and the sheet and returned to the bed.

“I’m sorry.”

“This has nothing to do with you. He came back thinking no one would remember what he really is deep down inside.”

“Don’t you think people can change?” She moved closer, the constriction in her stomach subsiding a bit when he pulled her against him.

“I doubt it.” He kissed the top of her head.

“What if they work really hard on it?” She swallowed the lump in her throat.

“If they have to work so hard, maybe they shouldn’t try to change in the first place.” He ran a finger down her shoulder. “Hey! We are in afterglow mode.” Out of nowhere he pushed her to her back. “Let’s go to the bathroom.”

“What?”

“All of our hot moments start there.” He grinned. “I even kissed you there after you yacked your brains out, so that has to count for something.”

When she remembered her first kiss she tried to block the throwing up part out.

“We are going to the bathroom to recapture the moment and then we are going to make love.” He pulled her out of bed. “I waited for this, you were a tease. Trust me.”

“What about Dillon?” She tripped on the blankets and Shane caught her.

“Who cares, it’s just you and me.” As he kissed her, he swept her up into his arms.

“Just you and me?” She let him take her away, pushing Dillon to the back of her mind. Shane didn’t know what she was. He never would.

Chapter Twenty-Three

If he could avoid the interrogation about his financial situation, his brother, and his Uncle Rufus, and still manage to have ten seconds alone with Lindsay, Shane would count the weekend with his family as a success. He looked up at his parent’s ranch style home in Simi Valley and nodded.

His mother loved it when she could corral her four kids to sit nicely around the table, a living display for the rest of his family.

His family.

He lifted his sunglasses, letting the sun blind him for a second. Maybe he should have better warned Lindsay.

“Ronald, they’re here.” The front door flung open and his mother answered, wearing a tailored yellow sundress and pearls.

Shane glanced over at Lindsay in her blue dress and pearls and tilted his head.

His father came charging to the door in a pair of tattered blue jeans, motorcycle boots, a black t-shirt with a picture of a skull on it, and a red bandana on his head.

Shane  peeked down at his own jeans and t-shirt.

His mother zoomed right for Lindsay and embraced her. Before any warnings escaped Shane’s mouth, his father encompassed her in a huge bear hug.

“Mom, are you going to let us in?” He reached in and pulled Lindsay free. She stared up at him with wide eyes and a wider smile.

“This must be Lindsay.” His mother clapped.

“If she’s not then I’m in really big trouble.” He attempted to go for the distraction and handed his mother a bag of presents for his pop.

His father gave him a high five and glanced down at Lindsay. “Good work.” He held his hand up to Lindsay.

Shane laughed when Lindsay gave his dad a high five and his mother finally let them into the house.

Conflicting sensations bombarded him as he walked through the house he grew up in with the only woman who ever meant anything to him. Pride overtook him when Lindsay took his hand and he introduced her to his aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. He loved how his entire family nodded their approval at him. He knew he hit the jackpot with Lindsay, but the confirmation rocked.

Along with the pride, a strange stomach-dropping anxiety slid through him as he walked through his parents’ living room with the black leather couches and dark wood accessories. He grew up in a family of action, with everything well-worn and loved, while Lindsay loved pristine conditions. His mother always wanted a showcase home, but she gave it up for his father.