Sharing shane, p.28
Sharing Shane, page 28
“Really?” he asked, and she realized he was crying too.
“Yes.” She kissed his cheek. “Yes.” His other cheek. “Yes.” His mouth.
When she broke free, she pressed her forehead to his. “We still have to talk, you know.”
“I know.”
“Want to come inside?”
He nodded.
“Want to spend the night?”
He nodded again.
“Okay.” She dug out her keys, then stopped. “Wait. What about your date? Where’s Wyatt?”
His smile went bright as the sun. “He’s at my place. He told me if I didn’t get my ass over here and beg for your forgiveness, he was going to make me go to one of Seth’s lawyer dinners.”
She blinked. “Good threat.”
“Yeah. He said to tell you, if you forgave me, welcome to the family.”
“Aw.” She slipped her key into the lock and opened the door. “Maybe he can meet us for breakfast.”
Shane smiled. “I think he’d like that.”
Epilogue
Thanksgiving, One Year Later
Shane tried to slip out of bed without waking his sleeping lover, but his pocket watch banged against the nightstand, and he felt the mattress shift behind him. “Shane? You going?”
He turned to Wyatt. “Yeah. I promised Veronica I’d help her with the cooking today. Go back to sleep.”
Wyatt yawned hugely, shivering in the cool morning air. “What time is it?”
“Just after four.”
“Fuck.” He blinked rapidly. “Why do people start cooking so early on Thanksgiving?”
“According to Veronica, because big ass turkeys take forever to cook, and so dinner is ready to eat at halftime of the Lions game.” Shane tugged his jeans on, then reached for the cashmere sweater Veronica had given him for Christmas the year before.
“Good reason,” Wyatt said with a sleepy smile. “It’s nice, you guys having everybody over today.”
“Yeah. She’s jazzed about it.”
“Her friends from the support group are coming?”
“Far as I know.” Shane stepped into his boots, careful to do it quietly. Seth was asleep down the hall, and he didn’t want to wake him. “They’re bringing the kid, too, so that should be interesting with the puppy.”
“I love how you call him a puppy when he already outweighs you.”
“He doesn’t outweigh me. He might outweigh Veronica before long, though.”
Wyatt sat up against the headboard, the covers falling to his waist. “What time are we supposed to be there?”
“Game’s on at noon, dinner at halftime.” Shane picked up his keys and shrugged into his jacket. “If you want to come early, you can.”
“Seth probably won’t be up for a few hours, but we’ll be there by kickoff. Do you need us to bring anything? Maybe a pie?”
Shane lifted his hands to tie his hair back. “You’re going to bring a pie?”
Wyatt shrugged. “If you need a pie, we’ll bring a pie.”
“You’re going to make a pie.”
“I’m not going to make a pie, I’ll buy a pie. Do I look like Betty Crocker to you?”
“It’s Thanksgiving Day, Wy.” Shane finished tying his hair back.
“So? Meijer is open.”
“Thanks for the thought, but we’re covered for pie. Could use some beer, though.”
“Meijer has that, too.”
“Great. Get some beer.” Shane leaned over the bed, lingering over the kiss just long enough to wish he had time to climb back in. “See you later.”
“You and your woman. Speaking of Veronica, you think she might be up for another get-together soon?” Wyatt’s grin turned impish. “I’ve had this hankering for peaches lately.”
Shane straightened, amused. “We’ll talk about it. But not today. Don’t make Thanksgiving weird.”
“I’m the soul of discretion,” Wyatt said soberly.
“Uh-huh. By kickoff,” Shane said. “If you’re late, we’re making you do the dishes.”
Wyatt grinned. “I’ll just put all the plates on the floor for the dog to lick. That’s why you got him, right?”
“Gross, Wy.” Shane headed for the door. “Very gross.”
“I’ve seen you do it,” Wyatt told him.
“Don’t tell Veronica or you’ll never taste peaches again,” Shane warned.
“Damn, that’s cold.” Wyatt clutched his chest as though wounded, then laughed. “Love you.”
Shane paused at the door to smile at Wyatt, all tousled blond hair and sleepy blue eyes. “Love you, too. See you in a couple of hours.”
He let himself out of the house and climbed into his truck, the radio on low as he made his way through town. The city felt nearly deserted in the dark of pre-dawn, and he was pulling into his driveway in less than half the time it normally took. But the lights of home were already lit, and he could hear music when he let himself in the back door.
Dolly Parton, he realized, heading for the kitchen as the opening strains of 9 to 5 rang through the house.
“If you so much as lick this bird, I swear you’ll never sleep on the bed again,” he heard Veronica say over the music, and rounding the corner, came to a stop. She stood at the wide island in one of his dress shirts, the sleeves rolled to her elbows, the tails flirting with her bare thighs. Her hand was halfway up a turkey’s ass while she lectured the gangly mutt who sat patiently at her feet, his head nearly level with her waist.
“I’m not kidding,” she told the dog and crammed another handful of stuffing into the bird. “You’ll have to sleep on the floor like a...” She paused, frowning. “I was going to say like a dog, but you are a dog.”
The dog merely licked his chops and eyed the turkey, clearly calculating how far he’d have to jump to gain access to the countertop.
“I don’t think he knows he’s a dog,” Shane said, smiling when she jumped. The dog never took his eyes off the turkey. “He doesn’t act like one, anyway.”
“What do you mean?” she asked as he crossed the room to greet her with a kiss. “He knows he’s a dog.”
He kissed her again, inhaling the scent of peaches and Veronica and whatever was already simmering on the stove. “He sleeps on the bed, tries to climb in the shower with me every morning, and sticks his tongue in every wine glass he finds.”
She giggled. “So? Dogs do that.”
“Uh-huh. And I don’t know if you noticed, but he’s a shit watchdog. He’s so focused on the turkey he didn’t even hear me come in.”
“Sure, he did. But he knew it was you, and he’s hungry.”
“Right.” He eyed the dog. The vet thought he had some Great Dane in him, and Shane thought she was probably right. “Are we sticking with George for his name?”
“You don’t think he looks like a George?” Veronica asked, her head tilted to the side. Her hair was longer now, and she’d pulled it back into a cute little tail that bounced when she moved.
He reached out to tug it. “I think he looks ridiculous.”
She elbowed him in the ribs. “Stop that. You’ll give him a complex.”
He looked at George again, who hadn’t stopped staring at the bird. “Right. You need help with this?”
“In a minute. How was your date?”
“It was good. We hit a comedy club downtown.”
She resumed stuffing the bird. “It was fun?”
“Yeah. You’d like it. We’ll go sometime.”
“Okay. And how’s Wyatt?”
“He’s good. He says he’s been missing you.”
She glanced up, a look of confusion in her pretty hazel eyes. “I see him all the time.”
“Not that kind of missing you,” he replied and cocked an eyebrow.
“Oh.” Her cheeks turned pink, and her teeth came out to nibble on her lower lip. “That kind of missing.”
“Yeah.” Unable to resist, he slipped an arm around her and leaned down to nuzzle into her neck. “What do you think?”
“I wouldn’t be opposed to that,” she said, tilting her head to give him better access. “Maybe this time I’ll try taking you both on.”
He growled against her neck. “Now you’re just teasing me,” he told her, loving the way her breasts jiggled against his arm when she laughed. “I told him we’d talk about it later.”
She jerked back, alarmed. “Not at dinner, right? Because I’m already going to have enough trouble keeping Delia in line.”
He chuckled. “No, not at dinner, and not today.”
“Okay.” She smiled up at him, her cheeks rosy and her eyes bright. “By the way, George slept on your side of the bed last night. You might have to fight him for it tonight.”
“You’re not supposed to let him do that,” he reminded her and glared at the dog. George kept staring at the turkey.
“Hey, he started out at the foot of the bed, but after I was asleep, he migrated up.” She shoved the last little bit of stuffing in the turkey and nudged Shane aside to walk to the sink. “He’s a pretty good cuddler, but he pokes me with his feet and he snores.”
“You snore,” Shane reminded her, and grinned when she glared at him.
“Don’t start with that.” She washed her hands briskly, jerking her chin at the turkey. “Can you put that in the oven for me?”
“Sure.” He lowered the door of the oven, spilling heat into the room, and hefted the roasting pan. “Damn, how much does this thing weigh?”
“Only twenty-five pounds.”
He bobbled the pan, nearly making George’s day, but caught it at the last second. “Twenty-five pounds? Babe, there are ten people. And one of them is a year old.”
“So? This way everyone can take home leftovers.”
He shook his head and slid it into the oven, then shut the door. “You don’t think you’re going overboard?”
“It’s our first Thanksgiving,” she reminded him. “It’s a big deal.”
“Last year was our first Thanksgiving,” he told her, and now that she wasn’t covered in salmonella, pulled her into his arms.
She snuggled in. “Last year was our first Thanksgiving together, but we were just dating. Now we’re living together, and hosting all our friends. It’s a big deal.”
He smiled at her earnestness. “You’re very cute.”
“Flattery, sir, will get you everywhere.”
“Everywhere, huh?”
She wiggled closer to nip at his collarbone. “Everywhere.”
“Will it get me a shower buddy? I didn’t take the time to clean up at Wyatt’s.”
“Hmm. I could be persuaded to wash your back.”
He started backing her down the hall. “Just my back?”
“Maybe a few other things.” Her eyes laughed up at him as he maneuvered her down the hall, through the bedroom to the bath. “Your feet get kind of stinky.”
He choked on a laugh. “Good to know.”
“Make sure you shut the door, or George is going to follow us in,” she reminded him.
He kicked it shut, then toed off his boots. “If you’re going to wash my feet, you’re going to need to be naked.”
“Well, if I have to,” she sighed and began unbuttoning the borrowed shirt.
He stopped to watch, enthralled as always by the contrast between the curves and dips of her body and the straight lines of the shirt, and by the time he remembered to take off his clothes she was already naked and in the shower. She ducked under the spray, her eyes laughing at him as steam fogged up the glass wall. “Come on, slowpoke. I have a lot to do before everyone gets here.”
“Yeah?” He got naked in short order and joined her. “Well, I have you to do before everyone gets here.”
She snorted with laughter. “That’s terrible.”
“You love it,” he told her.
“I love you,” she replied, her voice softening.
“I love you, too.” He leaned down to kiss her, loving the slide of her soft lips on his, the taste of her as she opened up to him. “Thanks for taking a chance on me.”
“You’re welcome. Thanks for dicking me down so good in Bermuda I had to come back for more.”
He buried his face in her neck, shaking with laughter. “If we ever get married, you should put that in your wedding vows.”
She snorted. “Yeah, my mother would love that.”
“Maybe not exactly those words,” he reconsidered, thinking of Veronica’s mother. Humorless was a good description. “But the sentiment.”
“I’ll see what I can do.” She pulled back to look at him. “Are you asking me to marry you?”
“Do you want me to?” he countered.
She smiled at him, her fingers toying with his hair. “Maybe in another year.”
“That’s what you said last year,” he pointed out.
“I know.” She shrugged. “I’m not in a hurry. I like where we are now.”
“So do I.”
“Speaking of which, are we just in this shower for hygienic purposes, or can I get a Thanksgiving dicking?”
He heaved a sigh. “If I must.”
“Hey, you don’t want to get it on, I’ll just make love to the showerhead,” she said and reached over to grab the massage wand. “It has more settings than you anyway.”
“You keep threatening to do that, and one of these days I’m going to make you do it while I watch,” he warned her.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” she said, clearly unimpressed with the threat. “Hurry it up, will you? I have pies to bake.”
He scooped her up in his arms, laughing. “Fuck, I love you.”
“I know.” She curled her arms around his neck, a smug smile on her pretty, pretty mouth. “I love you too. Now prove it.”
He did.
And they lived happily ever after.
The End
For Readers
Thank you for reading Sharing Shane! I hope you enjoyed Shane and Veronica’s journey as much as I enjoyed writing it.
Authors love reviews, and I’m no different. If you have thoughts on Sharing Shane you’d like to share with other readers, you can do so on Goodreads, BookBub, or your favorite bookseller’s website. Please also feel free to post your thoughts on your blog or social media accounts, and know that your review—be it 1 star or 5—is welcome and valued.
If you’d like to join my list of reviewers and get ARCs of future books before everyone else, you can do that by filling out this form.
Hannah
Thank You
To Lexie Eldridge for her keen editing eye and for believing so strongly in this project.
To Christine Warren for always being willing to listen to me talk out my plot problems—even when I don’t actually have a plot problem.
To my husband for his love and support and for being my biggest cheerleader. I love you, babe.
And finally, to my beautiful child, for putting up with Mom writing “those yucky romances”.
About the Author
Hannah has been reading romance novels since she was young enough to have to hide them from her mother. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband—former Special Forces and an OR nurse who writes sci-fi fantasy and acts as In-House Expert on matters pertaining to weapons, tactics, the military, medical conditions, and physics—their daughter, who takes after her father, her best friend Christine Warren, and a ridiculous dog named Agatha.
You can find excerpts, buy links, and Content Warnings for Hannah’s books on her website. She has a newsletter (once a month and release days only!) and can be reached via email and the social media links below.
Also by Hannah Murray
Single Titles
Their Perfect Fit
Honey and the Hitman
Sun, Sea & Satisfaction Guaranteed
Just A Little Crush
Goldie & The Bears
F.I.L.T.H Series
Stuffed
Starved
Feast
Perfect Taboo Series
Book No. 1 – Santa Daddy
Book No. 2 – The Shame Game
Book No. 3 – Sharing His Submissive
Book No. 4 – Show Me Something Good
Book No. 5 – In His Hands
Book No. 6 – The Sadist and the Brat
Previously Published by Ellora’s Cave
Now Available in KU!
Jane and the Sneaky Dom
The Devil & Ms. Johnson
Knockout
Tooth and Nailed
One Hit Wonderful
A Toy Story
Hannah Murray, Sharing Shane
