Page 47 of Fortune’s Control (Fortune’s Creek #1)

“Hey, Shane.” Sophie paused before continuing. “Thank you for calling me.”

“You’re welcome. See you soon.”

Lilah’s call with Emma ended moments later.

“She’ll be here tomorrow,” we said, speaking over each other.

We stopped at a drive-thru for a quick dinner and ate on the back porch, letting the swing creak under our weight.

“Do you want to call your mother?” I asked, keeping my voice soft. Whatever Lilah decided, I planned to be there for any needed support.

“Tomorrow, not tonight. I’m not ready yet. She didn’t tell Wilson Skane about me when I assumed she did. Still, it’s not a conversation I’m ready for, not tonight. The rest of this day is for us.”

Sarah Jane’s efforts showed, and while I was gratified to learn our suspicions were proved wrong, it didn’t change her past behavior.

“Then it’s only us tonight.” I pulled her close while we listened to the tree frogs’ awful croaks. Not that long ago, I spent my evenings alone, save for the rare occasions my friends dragged me out. “You and me.”

“And Pirate.”

I chuckled. “No, can’t forget the cat.” Spying on Lilah through a window before following her remained the best decision of my life. “Are we ready to talk about today, or should it wait? It’s a lot to process.”

Lilah nuzzled against my shoulder. “They planned to kill me.”

“I know.”

“They took me to the cabin to get away from you. I think you intimidated Detective Davis, Shane.”

My lips twisted because a man who covered for a killer like he did was unworthy of that job title. “He deserved to be frightened. I won’t lose sleep over it.”

“If you hadn’t come when you did.” Lilah’s voice choked up, and she didn’t continue.

The image of her on the floor with a knife against her skin would haunt my nightmares.

A plan hatched only minutes before execution, and inspired by childhood pranks, could have gone wrong.

If Jack’s aim missed, or I failed to seize the knife, or any other mistake.

“I always will, Lilah. You won’t need to ask first.”

“Because you’ll already know?”

“That’s correct.” I relaxed at her sweet laugh and decided we had talked enough about the Davis brothers for now. “You know what we should do now?”

“Stay here beside each other, with your arms around me.”

My brows raised at her suggestion, as it resembled mine. “Would you like to go swimming?”

She grimaced. “Our swimsuits are inside.”

“We don’t need them.” I rose and flicked on the pool lights. “There’s no one here but us.” I stripped, and Lilah followed. “You’re a vision.” Her bra came next, and I surrendered to her perfection. “Take your clothes off, and I’ll swim whenever you want.”

“Careful what you say out loud.” She finished undressing, walked backward to the water’s edge, where she stepped off with a sweet yelp and disappeared. “It’s warm,” she said after reemerging.

“It’ll be July soon, and the water will boil then.”

“Hurry.”

All that remained was my prosthesis. My left leg was tired, as it so often was in the evenings, and today’s events made it worse. My therapists urged a swimming routine, and like a stubborn ass, I resisted the idea. With a naked siren urging me on, I rethought the suggestion.

I removed it, balancing on my right leg. “Watch this.” I pushed my body forward and twisted, landing in the water with a ripple.

I surfaced to the sound of her laughter. “Are you impressed?” I grabbed her, so our arms intertwined as we treaded water.

“Color me impressed. I can’t believe you hid all these swimming skills from me. You know it means we’ll be out here every day, right?”

“If you’re with me, that wouldn’t be so bad.” Emotion filled me, forming a thick knot in my throat. “I love you. Thank you for coming to this town so I could find you.”

“Thank you for finding me. I love you, too.”

*****

We fell on the bed, naked and still wet.

I covered her mouth with my own, wanting to explore her softness. Lilah whimpered and pressed her lips to mine.

After our day, with its panic and stress, this kiss felt like a reclaiming for both of us. A need to connect and confirm we were together. Safe and whole.

“Jack had to drive for me. My hands shook so much, I didn’t trust myself to do it,” I said once we broke apart.

A red flush appeared under her tan’s golden hue. “I kept asking myself what you would do,” she said, her voice breathless.

We twisted, both lying on the bed, facing each other. My skin clung to hers with my left leg shoved between her thighs. I put a hand across her hip and squeezed.

“I locked the bedroom door. Our visitors will be here early, but that will keep them away, for a little while at least.”

“Shane, we left our clothes outside, and the pool lights on. They’ll figure it out.”

“Then they figure it out because we’re not leaving this bed anytime soon.”

“You promise?” Lilah stroked my cock. Her hips shimmied as she sought to align our bodies together.

“So soon?”

“I need this right now. You. I need you.”

“Put your leg over my hip,” I said rather than protest. This night, and this moment, was more than making love.

It was a reconnection; a physical joining after the day’s trauma.

“I need it, too.” Not the most romantic words I’ve ever spoken, but blunt and honest. Touching her reminded me she was safe, and we were together.

My hips adjusted as my cock slid into her sweet warmth. I groaned as her slickness coated me and our bodies joined.

Lilah cried out, and I paused. “What’s wrong? Do we need to stop?”

“No, don’t.” She cupped my face. “A part of me thought we might never have this again.”

“We’re just getting started.”

We both moved, keeping it slow. Adrenaline from the day’s adventures sapped both our energy, but couldn’t erase our need. I stroked her jaw, and she kissed my chin. Her hand splayed across my hip as mine grabbed her neck, anchoring us together.

Her eyes pleaded for more, and I obliged, until her cries grew louder. I exploded and came in a rush.

Neither of us moved after, content to stay close, with a part of my body still inside of hers.

Later, Lilah rested her head on my shoulder, and a now-familiar warmth flooded me. “Do you remember me saying how I found you first?”

“You saw me through a window. I remember.”

Our relationship hinged on many ifs. I agreed to meet Jack and, on a lark, stopped by to say hello to Pete.

My body turned at the perfect moment to see her.

It all led up to Aiden’s foot-in-the-mouth joke, presenting me with the opportunity I’d hoped for.

“You should also know I couldn’t take my eyes off you while you sat on that barstool.

The whole time, I wondered what set of words would keep you around, or get you talking to me again. ”

“That’s why you bought my dinner.”

“The best decision of my life was signing that marriage certificate.”

“It happened so fast, I couldn’t keep up.”

A deliberate choice on my part. “I didn’t know where we would end, but I knew to keep you around so we could start. Marry me, Lilah.”

Her lips drew up in confusion. “But we’re already married. ”

“No, we signed a piece of paper. I want to do it again. A ceremony and a party after.”

“Are you sure?”

“You know me by now. Do I ever regret my choices?”