Bound Hearts 07 - Shameless (27 page)

It wouldn’t have been easy for him, she knew, facing the past after all these years.

“I wouldn’t have come to you if I hadn’t known what I wanted, Ian.” It hurt that he hadn’t trusted her love. “If I hadn’t known my own heart and needs.”

“It wasn’t you, Courtney. It was me.” He drew her back, leaning over her as her head rested against the pillow. “Believe that if you never believe anything else. It was my fears and the residue of guilt I had for my lifestyle and the excesses that are so much a part of me. I always felt love would ease it, take the need from me. It hadn’t with Melissa, and I always felt it had destroyed her. And you…” His lips kicked in a grin.

“You reveled in them. I had to realize myself what love was before I could realize how much I truly loved you. If you hadn’t left, I wouldn’t have been forced to make the discoveries I did. You saved us both in doing that. But…” His hands tangled in her hair again. “Never again. You won’t leave me again or I promise you, you won’t enjoy the spanking I’ll give you in payment.”

Everything inside her heated, lit from within, and lived. He loved her, just as she had known he would. Just as she had known he should.

And as Ian watched her, he watched the fragile glimmer of innocence that had lit her eyes when he entered the room, glow to full, vivid life. Love. Pure, innocent, joyous love. There were no shadows in her eyes, no pain, only acceptance and the sweet emotion he had missed so desperately in the past weeks. For the first time in his life, Ian knew he belonged.

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Shameless

Her lips curved slowly. “Hmm,” she hummed at the thought. “Spank me, Uncle Ian. Spank me so hard…”

And he knew there was no taming a wild, shameless wind.

149

Lora Leigh

“Well, they haven’t come down yet.” Dane glanced to the stairs, a frown creasing his brow as his wife moved beside him.

“Hmm, perhaps they are still…talking…” He heard the suggestive tone of her voice and stared down at her reprovingly.

She shook her head at him, giving him that hopeless look that only she could perfect.

“He’s still too old for her,” he muttered.

She chuckled knowingly. He was nearly ten years her senior as well.

“I don’t want to hear it,” he informed her before she could open her mouth to remind him of that fact. “That’s us. This is our daughter.”

His baby.

He shook his head, drawing away from the marble entryway and moving back into the dimly lit living room where he once again threw himself on the couch to await his daughter.

Marguerita sat down beside him, cuddling into his embrace, her head resting against his chest as he propped his chin against it.

She was his laughter. His life. He had nearly lost her once and he never let himself forget what life had been like without her. Devoid of laughter, or warmth. He was devoted to her, he would die for her. Just as, he knew, Ian would do for Courtney.

He had seen it in the other man’s eyes as he stood at the door hours before.

“Kill me now,” he had ordered Dane fiercely. “Because life without her fucking sucks.”

It was then he had known Courtney hadn’t been wrong. She had captured the heart Dane had feared his friend had lost years before. It was disconcerting though, knowing the sexual experiences his daughter would share. It was weird enough just knowing she would be sleeping with Ian. The perverted bastard.

“And our daughter is a grown woman.” He stared at her as she moved, coming before him before straddling his thighs suggestively, her silk dress falling back from her shapely thighs as they hugged his hips. “And I would say, she will likely be quite busy for several hours.” She leaned down, her lips moving over his neck as his palms cupped her rear.

His Marguerita. Perfect. His life and breath.

“Hmm, we might have a few hours to kill.” His head fell back on the couch as her teeth raked beneath his chin. “Here, or the bedroom?”

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Shameless

He knew her well though. She was shameless, a wanton who reveled in his touch, who met his passions with needs and desires of her own and never hesitated to state them.

“Hmm, do you really want to move?” she whispered, her breath hot, her voice a husky whisper of desire.

“Not that far.” He lifted her dress further as he turned her and laid her back on the couch. “Don’t scream too loud.” He flashed her a devilish smile. “The children are still awake.”

She laughed, a throaty sound of joy, of amusement and his heart tripped in happiness, as it always had.

His Marguerita. And if Ian was as smart as Dane had always thought he was, then Courtney was in very capable, very loving hands…

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About the author:

Lora Leigh is a wife and mother living in Kentucky. She dreams in bright, vivid images of the characters intent on taking over her writing life, and fights a constant battle to put them on the hard drive of her computer before they can disappear as fast as they appeared.

Lora’s family, and her writing life co-exist, if not in harmony, in relative peace with each other. An understanding husband is the key to late nights with difficult scenes and stubborn characters. His insights into human nature and the workings of the male psyche provide her hours of laughter, and innumerable romantic ideas that she works tirelessly to put into effect.

Lora welcomes mail from readers. You can write to her c/o Ellora’s Cave Publishing at 1337 Commerce Drive, #13, Stow, Ohio 44224.

Also by Lora Leigh:

A Wish, A Kiss, A Dream anthology

B.O.B.’s Fall (with Veronica Chadwick)

Bound Hearts 1: Surrender

Bound Hearts 2: Submission

Bound Hearts 3: Seduction

Bound Hearts 4: Wicked Intent

Bound Hearts 5: Sacrifice

Bound Hearts 6: Embraced

Cowboy & the Captive

Coyote Breeds 1: Soul Deep

Dragon Prime

Elemental Desires anthology

Feline Breeds 1: Tempting The Beast

Feline Breeds 2: The Man Within

Feline Breeds 3: Kiss of Heat

Law And Disorder 1: Moving Violations (with Veronica Chadwick) Legacies 1: Shattered Legacy

Legacies 2: Shadowed Legacy

Legacies 3: Savage Legacy

Manaconda anthology

Men Of August 1: Marly’s Choice

Men Of August 2: Sarah’s Seduction

Men Of August 3: Heather’s Gift

Men Of August 4: August Heat (12 Quickies of Christmas) Ménage a Magick

Wolf Breeds 1: Wolfe’s Hope

Wolf Breeds 2: Jacob’s Faith

Wolf Breeds 3: Aiden’s Charity

Wolf Breeds 4: Elizabeth’s Wolf

Discover for yourself why readers can’t get enough of the multiple award-winning publisher Ellora’s Cave. Whether you prefer e-books or paperbacks, be sure to visit EC

on the web at www.ellorascave.com for an erotic reading experience that will leave you breathless.

www.ellorascave.com