Southern Seduction (103 page)

My heart melted at his words. How could I not love this guy? Surely having him in my life was worth whatever crap I’d have to take from the local beauty queen brigade.

I laid the blanket out on the grass at the bottom of a hill, and Shane opened up the basket and started pulling out our lunch. I hadn’t really packed anything special for us to eat, just sandwiches, chips, and cookies. Lunch was secondary to my main goal in coming out here, so I didn’t really care what we ate.

We sat across from each other on the blanket and finished off the food pretty quickly. Shane was always hungry, especially when he was working outside. It felt nice to be the one to feed him.

As soon as we’d cleaned up the mess, I pulled him back down with me. “Can you stay for a little bit longer?”

“Sure,” he murmured as he leaned back, pulling me with him.

I twisted in his arms so that I lay on top of his body. There wasn’t a soul around. It was just the two of us out here all by ourselves. Perfect.

“Shane,” I whispered before kissing his across his jaw and placing a gentle kiss on his mouth.

“Char,” he whispered back, a smile tilting his lips in the corner. His eyes were closed as he enjoyed the quiet moment between us.

“I love you so much.” I couldn’t help the words that rushed out. My heart was bursting at the seams.

“It’s a good thing, sugar. ‘Cause I love you too and I’ve finally got you right where I want you.”

My heart jolted at his response, a lump forming in my throat. I felt so incredibly guilty for not talking to him about my fears and second thoughts about moving back home. But no matter what the future brought, I wanted to enjoy this one perfect moment in time with Shane.

“I need you,” I whispered against his lips, my hand moving down his body to cup his quickly hardening length.

He opened his eyes and looked at me, desire burning in their dark depths. “I always need you, Char.”

I quickly unbuckled his belt, popped the button on his jeans, and pulled down the zipper. I’d been thinking about this moment since I woke up this morning, so I didn’t hesitate as I grabbed the base of his cock and slid down its length. A look of shock crossed Shane’s face before he clenched his jaw and groaned.

It had been so long since I’d felt him hard and hot inside me, stretching me bit by bit. I heaved a sigh as I savored the feel of Shane’s cock deep in me.

“Fuck,” he muttered in a raspy voice. His fingers curled into my hips as he guided me lower. “Tell me that feels as good for you as it does for me.”

“I can’t even begin to describe it,” I gasped, rocking my hips down to bring him farther into me.

I wanted more of him, needed every single inch buried inside me. I lifted myself back up to repeat the action, but he grabbed my waist and pulled me down again.

“Need more,” he rasped out as we start moving in rhythm. As quickly as I would lift my hips, his hands would lower me back down.

“Shane,” I whimpered as he kissed me everywhere he could reach. Across my cheeks, down my neck, along my collarbone, and near the edge of my bodice. He nudged both straps off my shoulders so that my sundress gaped open, revealing my bare breasts.

“Mine,” he growled before he licked my nipples. I felt his fingers digging into my skin as we began to move faster against each other. He laved each breast and softly bit into my skin, leaving a slight sting behind as he released it.

“Yours,” I agreed, tangling my hands in his hair and pulling his head so that I could stare into his eyes as I moved.

“God, Charlotte! You’re so fucking beautiful,” he said in a sex-roughened voice that sent chills up my spine.

I leaned down to kiss him, needing the taste of him in my mouth as he took over our motions, rocking his hips up and pulling me down at the same time. I could feel the strength of his muscles underneath me as he controlled me even while I was in a supposed position of power.

“Harder. Please, Shane,” I begged.

“Tell me you love me,” he demanded.

“Shane,” I whimpered.

He held his hips still for a moment. “Say it and I’ll give you exactly what you want. What you need,” he rasped.

“I love you,” I moaned, rocking my hips, trying to keep him deep inside.

“That’s my girl,” he whispered before grabbing my hips harder and filling me completely. Giving me what I needed to send me over the edge.

Waves of pleasure poured over my body. “Shane!” I screamed.

“I love you, Char,” I heard him murmur before he crushed his lips against mine. His mouth was demanding as he surged inside one last time before climaxing.

My body collapsed against his as though I had been drained of every last ounce of energy. A smile lit across my face as I listened to the sound of his heart beating wildly under my cheek. Moments like this were exactly why I needed to stay in town. I couldn’t imagine ever feeling this close to anyone else in the entire world. Being with Shane had to be worth the moments of doubt I had about where I fit in in this tiny town.

“What time are you coming over to my place tonight?” he asked huskily. “I think I owe you something special after your little surprise.”

“I’m not sure yet if I can make it over. It depends on how much help Daddy needs at the bar.”

“Shit, Char. It’s your first night back. Can’t you take a little time off to enjoy being home?” he complained.

“I’ll do my best to make it an early night,” I promised, not knowing that the week was going to fly by with my helping out at the bar for my daddy and at home for my mama when three of my siblings came down with a bug all at the same time.

Shane

A week going by with hardly being able to see Charlotte after she’d finally come back home was something I could barely tolerate. I understood that she had family obligations, but I wanted her first responsibility to be to me. And there was only one way to make that happen. I needed to make her my wife.

My parents had known for months that I planned to ask Charlotte to marry me. I’d worked with my dad to pick out the land where I would build our home. My mom had gone with me to the jewelry store to help me pick out a ring. But I hadn’t talked to Char’s father yet, and I needed to ask for his permission before I could pop the question. He wasn’t the type of man who would take my asking her without first approaching him very lightly. So I had called him to ask if I could meet up with him while Charlotte was watching over the bar tonight.

I didn’t think I had been this nervous since my first date with her when I arrived at her home to find him waiting on the porch, sitting in a rocking chair with a shotgun sitting across his lap. He’d told me that they hadn’t lived in town long enough to have heard any good things about me, but he hadn’t heard anything bad either. That he was trusting me with his baby girl, and he fully expected me to honor that trust. When he asked me back then if I was going to treat Charlotte with respect, I’d answered him honestly when I said yes.

She’d earned that respect by making me work to get her to agree to a dinner date in the first place. I remembered thinking that if any other girl’s father had asked me the same question I would have been lying if I had given the same answer. I wasn’t about to do anything now to show him less respect today than I had back then.

I waited until I knew Charlotte would be at the bar and everyone would be settling down before I headed over to her house. I didn’t want her brothers or sisters to overhear our conversation because they would be bound to spoil the surprise for her. I needed to get in, talk to her dad, and get out before anyone realized I was there. Luckily, it seemed that he had a similar idea because I once again found him waiting on the porch for me.

This time, there wasn’t a shotgun on his lap but a Benjamin Prichard’s Double Barreled Bourbon instead. Charlotte’s dad was a Tennessee whiskey man and this was one of his favorite bottles. So either he had figured out why I wanted to see him and was ready to give me his blessing or he was just getting ready to drink me under the table. Figuratively of course, because there wasn’t a table to be seen, just the two rocking chairs, the bottle on his lap and two glasses sitting at his feet.

“Shane? You gonna come on up here and join me or stand there waiting all night?” he asked.

I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans and walked up the steps. “I’m going to join you of course.”

“About damn time,” he muttered. “I’ve been waiting to crack this bottle open. Grab the glass for me, will you?”

I reached down and held them out so he could pour the amber liquid into both glasses. A whiff of oaky booze drifted towards my nose, making my mouth water a little. I wasn’t a huge fan myself, but there was no way in hell I was going to turn the man down right now.

I took a small sip and the liquid burned down my throat, leaving a taste of oak and vanilla in its wake. I coughed a little, making Charlotte’s dad laugh loudly.

“That’ll put hair on a man’s chest, won’t it, son?”

“Yeah,” I rasped out in agreement and dropped down into the chair next to him.

“So what brings you over tonight?” he asked, getting right to the point as he was apt to do. Charlotte’s dad wasn’t one to beat around the bush.

“Well,” I started before clearing my throat, “I wanted to talk to you about Charlotte’s and my future.”

“Okay. You’ve got my attention,” he said as he turned to look at me with a serious expression on his face.

“You know that I love your daughter,” I continued.

“Yes, you’ve shown us how much she means to you by letting Charlotte go pursue our dream for her and staying with her even when it wasn’t easy to do,” he agreed. “Not a lot of boys your age would’ve made the same decision.”

“Here’s the thing. She’s the one for me. I’ve known it practically since we met. I might not have understood it back then, but I certainly do now. And I want to spend the rest of my life with her, sir.”

“Can’t say that it surprises me to hear you say that,” he replied. “So what are you going to do about it?”

Shit. I realized I hadn’t even managed to get my question out. “I’d like to ask you for her hand in marriage, sir. I want to ask Charlotte to be my wife.”

“And do you think she’s ready to get married, son? That she’s going to say yes if you ask her?” he wanted to know.

“I hope so, but I guess I won’t know for sure until the time comes for her to answer me. What do you think?”

“I think none of us are really ready to get married until we find ourselves tied to the one person we love more than anyone else. It’s hard work, but I know neither of you is afraid of that. You’ve proven that you’re willing to work to keep her in your life. And I’ve watched my baby girl around you. Her whole face lights up any time you’re near. I could certainly do a whole lot worse when it comes to a son-in-law.”

“Does that mean I have your permission to ask her?” I asked.

“Yes, Shane. You have my permission to marry my daughter as long as that’s what she wants.”

I heaved a deep sigh, a feeling of relief washing over me. “Thank you, sir.”

“You’re welcome, son. Now you better drink up. You look like you could use it,” he said as he gestured to my almost full glass.

I took a big gulp of the liquid. Then my eyes started to water and my throat began to feel like it was on fire. “Jesus,” I swore. “How can you drink this stuff?”

“We’ll make a bourbon drinker out of you yet,” he joked. “Now that I’ve got years to do it. Although maybe I should try something a little milder next time.”

Charlotte

I wasn’t really in the mood tonight to be in charge of the bar, but I hadn’t felt like I could say no when my dad asked me. The last week had been rough on all of us, and my mama could really use his help around the house. Besides, being here was a hell of a lot better than being around all my sick siblings. The house felt like a hospital with all their coughing and the smell of medicine and bleach in the air. And the last thing I needed was to catch it now that everyone was finally starting to feel better.

Luckily, it was a crazy busy night, so time was flying by. It was a good thing since I was so tired. I hadn’t been sleeping well since I kept dreaming that Shane and I got into a huge fight about me staying in town. I only hoped that it wasn’t an omen of what was to come when we had the time to sit down and have a serious conversation.