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He ignored that. “And I’m very naked, and would very much like to be inside you.”
I gave him a flat stare, though my body perked up, thrilled to oblige.
“And you did break my heart a little bit, so it doesn’t seem like too much to ask to let me give you two or three orgasms.”
Two or three…
We both knew he wouldn’t stop there, and a heartbeat woke between my legs strong enough that I fought the urge to squirm. “At least tell me you forgive me and you love me.”
He shook his head. “I won’t forgive you because there’s nothing to forgive.”
“Argh! You are so frustrating! Then tell me you love me.”
A laugh burst from him. “Love you? Love doesn’t even begin to encompass— Shay, what I feel is so far above love, they haven’t even created a word for it. I mean, there’s love, and then there’s you.”
Tears rushed to my eyes. “Oh.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “Take off your clothes.”
Obediently, I lifted my arms so he could remove my sweater, followed by my bra and the rest of my clothes. Once I was naked, he dragged my body against his and ushered me to the steamy shower. I was backed through streams of hot water by strong, sure hands until I met the tile wall, and I fell victim to the soft collision of his lips against mine, gentle and demanding.
“No more subtleties,” he said. “You’re mine, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I said breathily, barely able to concentrate around the hard, slick body crushing mine.
“And you’re not leaving, right?”
“Never.”
His large hand cupped my chin, holding me in place so he could stare into my eyes again. Water sluiced down his face, collecting in his eyelashes, but his winter blue was intent on mine. “You want this?”
I nodded frantically. “Yes.”
“Now and forever?”
“Always, Cam.”
A cocky smile graced his mouth. “Good. Put your legs around me.”
Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER
The first annual Holiday Ball hosted by The Shepherd Foundation was a smashing success, though it wasn’t much different from Nessa’s post-Thanksgiving balls from years past, so that helped. However, it had never had The Shepherd Foundation name behind it, so I wanted to claim at least a portion of its success as my own.
My administrative tasks with the foundation complemented Nessa’s strategizing and fundraising, and since the board of directors included her husband and son, she had free rein over how those funds were distributed. It was a whirlwind year, and we’d already initiated the first steps in funding the women’s center of my dreams—a place that would have kept my mama and me from going hungry when she was barely nineteen and trying to support a four-year-old.
“You’ve been working all night. Take a walk with me,” Cam murmured in my ear as the last guests filtered out of the house. He encircled my waist from behind and kissed my neck.
I laughed. “Now?”
He hummed. “I missed you. The kitchen staff can clean up.”
“But—”
“Oh, throw the man a bone,” Mama said from across the room, enchanting in her mermaid-green gown. She motioned her head toward the outdoor area, twinkling with fairy lights and dusted in fake snow. “Take a break for once.”
Next to her, Nessa glowed, and even Shep managed a small smile. We weren’t close, Shep and I, but he’d apologized early on for his behavior, admitting the problem was his and not mine. It took Cam far longer to forgive him than me, but I didn’t want to waste energy remaining angry at a man who’d made a mistake merely because he loved his family.
