An Unyielding Desire (After The End Book 2) (14 page)

He lifted his head from her breast. “Do you know how many times I’ve dreamed about this, fantasized that I’d get to taste and touch you?”

She nodded, but couldn’t reply. What could she say? Since realizing just how much she wanted him, she had entertained similar fantasies late in the night, augmented by already knowing how his solid body felt pressed against hers while they slept. Mina had longed for Coop, but had been sure she would never have him. Already, she knew once wouldn’t be enough, but this was all they would have.

They removed their pants with each other’s assistance, and Mina grasped his shaft, exploring the length and texture. For a second, she trembled as images assaulted her, fear making her mouth dry. Looking up at Coop, who seemed so patient and gentle, just waiting for her to decide what happened next—which was completely new and different for her—gave her enough strength to overcome the flashbacks
.

She stroked him until his cock was tightening in her hand. At that point, Mina withdrew her touch and leaned back, parting her thighs in invitation. She was ready for him, but he drew out the torture by sprawling between her legs. Coop kissed a trail up her left thigh, skipping over the liquid core of her, and down the right thigh. As his head angled up again, Mina caught hold of his hair, trapping his face against her heat.

Coop laughed, the vibrations transmitting into her center. “You really want my mouth here, don’t you, honey?”

“Please.” She arched her hips, brushing her lips against his.

His tongue was soft and flirty as he traced the puffy outer lips before dipping in to taste her nectar. He made a sound of pleasure that suggested he found her delicious, as did the wide swath the broadside of his tongue painted through her slit. Mina twisted her hips in response, dragging her clit across his swiping tongue. He soon homed in on the little nub, licking and sucking alternately in a random pattern that left her teetering on the edge of release.

She sobbed with frustration when he withdrew his mouth, not sure she could endure the few seconds it took him to slide up her body and angle his erection against her opening. Mina wrapped her legs around his thighs, urging him to sink deeply inside her. He slipped in and out with small, teasing lunges that had her growling with annoyance. “Take me, Coop.”

Still, he teased her with the shallow thrusts until Mina clenched his buttocks in her hands and forced him down, driving his cock deep inside her. She held him like that for a long moment, eyes closed and breath trapped in her throat. It was amazing. The best thing she’d ever felt, she decided, though quickly revised that opinion when he began thrusting in and out of her with long, slow thrusts that bottomed out deep inside her.

When Coop gradually increased the pace, she matched him effortlessly, wanting everything he gave her and more. The harder and deeper he pushed into her, the closer she came to orgasm. When his thumb caressed her clitoris as he sank inside her again, she lost control and slipped over the edge. The climax had her shaking and crying out, though she was still marginally aware of Coop trying to withdraw before he came.

“Inside me,” she said, panting. “It’s safe.”

He hesitated for a second, and she tightened her grip on his ass, drawing him closer. With a soft sigh that sounded like surrender, his cock twitched, and hot fluid filled her a second later.

Afterward, she lay under him, listening to his heart slowing to a normal rate. It was a perfect moment, and she wished they could stay there forever. Soon enough, she’d have to get up and slip away before they were discovered.

“Can you please tell me what’s going on with you, Mina?”

She closed her eyes, her heart breaking at the sad plea. Shaking her head, she pulled him closer, clinging tightly to him. It was unlikely they would ever have this chance again, and she wanted every minute to count.

Chapter Nine

S
hane fidgeted nervously, feeling like he had the first time he’d ever picked up a girl on a date and had to meet her father. Making a good impression on fathers was a daunting task whether he was fifteen or thirty-three. Winn’s blue eyes, so like his daughters’, seemed to be picking him apart and finding all his flaws, and he hadn’t even started speaking yet.

“What did you want to talk about, son?” asked Winn.

He liked hearing that endearment, though he knew it was just a casual term. “I wanted to talk to you about something.”

Winn nodded, eyeing him from his recliner. They were in the living room, amazingly having found a quiet area with no one else around, for at least a bit. “So you said while ago. So far, I’m not hearing much talking, Shane.”

He ran a hand through his hair, wincing at the length. He should have cut it before initiating this conversation, to make a better impression. “First, I have to tell you something that I hope won’t make you too angry.”

Winn nodded, as though providing encouragement. His impassive gaze made it difficult to discern if he truly was.

“I’m in love with Mina.”

His eyes widened, and he frowned. “My baby? My
nineteen-year-old baby? Is that the Mina you’re referring to?”

Shane couldn’t help letting his gaze slide to the shotgun beside Winn’s chair, within easy reach. Perspiration beaded on his forehead. “Yes, sir.”

“How old are you, West?”

The last name. That wasn’t a good sign. “I’m thirty-three, sir, but I’d like you to give me a chance to explain why that isn’t important.”

With pursed lips, Winn nodded. “Well, go on then.”

“Things are different now. Age isn’t so important. Either one of us could be dead tomorrow
, but I’d die to protect her. I’ll take care of her. It’s better to have a man with some experience being responsible for your daughter’s safety than a kid her age without a clue.”

Winn’s brows furrowed, making it difficult to tell if he agreed. “That’s still a big age gap, Shane.”

Progress, since he was no longer West. “Yes, I know. I can’t apologize for loving her, or being born fourteen years before her, but I swear I’ll take care of her.”

“As you said. What is it you want from me, Shane?”

He sighed. “I’d like your blessing to marry her.”

His eyes narrowed. “Exactly how long has this relationship been going on?”

“About three months.”

Winn scowled. “You want me to believe you have honorable intentions when you’ve been acting dishonorably for all that time? Why sneak and hide?”

Shane scrubbed his face with his hand. “The truth is we had a rocky start. There were a lot of arguments, and I didn’t know if it would work out. It’s only been recently that I’m sure she’s the one. I’ve been trying to persuade her to admit to our relationship for a while now, but she’s resisted. I think she’s afraid of your disapproval.”

“And are you afraid of it, son? If I tell you to leave Mina alone, will you respect me?”

Shane’s mouth went dry. Finally, he had to be honest. “No, sir. I love her too much to walk away. Your blessing is important to me, but she’s more important.” To his surprise, Mina’s father smiled slowly.

“That was a good answer, son. It shows me you’ll fight for her.” He rubbed the stubbly hair on his chin. “I guess I have no objection. If you’re what Mina wants, and you’ll take care of her as you promise, that’s the important thing. You just make sure you watch out for her and any children you have.”

“Yes, sir.” Shane couldn’t hold in a broad smile, but didn’t share his secret source of happiness with Winn. He knew it shouldn’t be too long now until she got pregnant, since he’d gotten rid of that tea. “I want her to have my babies, sir, and I’ll take care of them. Family is very important to me.”

“What about your family? You never mention them.”

Shane shrugged. “I have none to mention. My parents died when I was five. I took it hard and was not an easy child, making for a difficult situation. Lots of foster homes and no permanent placements. Having missed out on a familial connection, I always knew I’d want a large family with the woman I loved.”

Winn held out his hand. “You can consider us family, son.”

Moisture clogged his throat, necessitating he clear it before he could speak. Shane took the proffered hand. “Thank you, Mr. Marsden. You have no idea what that means to me.”

“If you’re going to be my son-in-law, you can call me Winn.” His eyes narrowed with warning. “None of that Dad nonsense though. I’m only forty-five.”

“Yes, sir.” Shane was suddenly impatient to find Mina. “I’m going to ask her tonight, and we’ll make an announcement soon. Until then, would you mind keeping this quiet?”

Winn waved a hand. “I’ll have to tell
Janie, of course. Take my advice and never hide anything from your wife if you want the marriage to last. Women tend to regard dishonesty and sneakiness as a deal breaker.”

He nodded, though his insides clenched at the words. The words felt too timely to be coincidental, though he knew Winn had no reason to suspect Shane had done something dishonest. Parting from the man, he got up and started looking for Mina. He couldn’t push away the tug of guilt that flared every time he recalled having dumped her tea and sneaking in the mint from
Emme’s stash.

If he hadn’t heard Emme telling Chelle how to make it, he never would have known. A surge of anger crowded out his guilt as he remembered the conversations he’d had with Mina over the past few months, and how eagerly he’d waited the cessation of her cycle to signal their baby grew in her stomach.

When he’d found out about the tea, he’d immediately known she must be using it. If he’d confronted her right then, he would have hurt her. By the time he’d gone on a run and had time to process his feelings, he’d decided to be just as deceitful as her. Swapping out the tea had seemed like the answer. Emme’s books had yielded enough information for him to know mint wouldn’t prevent a pregnancy, so it had seemed to be the logical solution.

In retrospect, he supposed maybe he should have talked to her about it first. Perhaps she had a good reason for not wanting to have a baby
right now. As long as that reason wasn’t because he was the father, he should have listened maybe. He might not have agreed in the end, but she had deserved her say.

Should he come clean with her when he saw her? Or would it be better to just forget the whole thing? Could he live with keeping it from her? Yes, he could. If she got pregnant before that batch ran out and Emme replaced it with the authentic stuff, he’d consider it was meant to be. If she didn’t, he’d broach the subject with her in a few months. It might be better to wait until after the wedding anyway to appease her family.

*****

Mina had left Coop reluctantly, slipping back into her room to wash up and dress in different clothes. It was paranoia-inspired, of course, to think he might be able to smell Coop on her.

Dinner was a tense affair, with Coop not appearing, Lia picking at her food, and Shane watching her throughout. Her father was giving her some strange looks too, and she didn’t know whether to seek him out after dinner to ask why or just flee as soon as she could.

As the meal drew to a close, Shane made the choice for her. “Mina and I will wash dishes tonight.”

Dana punched his shoulder. “You’re sure you know how? I’ve never seen you wash a dish in your life.”

He cracked a half-smile. “I know my way around the kitchen. Growing up in foster homes, I imagine I did every unpleasant job there was.”

“You were a foster kid?” asked Finn, looking fascinated.

Mina was reluctantly
intrigued too, hoping for some insight into the man who had made her life so complicated.

Shane nodded.

“Were you beaten and starved?”

“Finn, mind your manners,” barked
Janie.

He lifted a hand. “It’s okay, Mrs. Marsden. The answer is yes, in a few homes. Mostly, I was just ignored or used as a cheap source of labor.”

Kelly looked upset. “No one ever adopted you?”

He shook his head, starting to look a bit uncomfortable. “Almost, once, but their adult daughter talked them out of it.”

“How old were you?” asked Mina.

“Eight.”

She felt bad for assuming he must have done something sexually unwanted to the daughter, even though she had more than enough reason to jump to such a conclusion.

“How come?” asked Finn. “Why didn’t she want them to take you?”

He sighed. “They were getting on in the years. I presume she was afraid she’d be stuck taking care of me if they officially adopted me.” He shrugged. “I guess she didn’t think about the fact she could have dumped me back into the foster system. I stayed with them for two years before being shuffled on, and we maintained some contact. They even came to my graduation from basic.” Shane’s smile was sad, tinged with longing. “They obviously survived until I was an adult, so it was a missed opportunity to have a real home, but I try not to be bitter.”

“That’s a good attitude,” praised Winn.

“Well, I did say try,” said Shane with a cocky grin. “I can be petty and vengeful sometimes, just like most folks.”

After his soul-baring, the ones not recruited for cleaning drifted from the table, and she set about stacking and tidying up, not speaking to Shane. He surprised her by taking the task of washing, which she loathed, and she worked beside him silently.