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He heard an engine and headlights bounced through the frontHe stood up, holding his breath For a moment he was sure Walt had co Shelby He heard a soft knock at the door When he opened it, she stood there, a backpack slung over one shoulder and that alluring smile on her lips He felt his chest expand in ways he didn’t recognize and knew that his eyes had grown molten and dark

"You’re here," she said

He opened his arms and she stepped into his embrace "Where did you think I’d be?"

"I don’t know" She looked up at hi?"

"Baby, you worked all the prowl out ofgo of her

"I probably shouldn’t have coht’ve had a little tooand I’m sore," she said

He ran a hand across her cheek, lifted her chin and placed a soft kiss on her lips "I’ll just hold you We wouldn’t want to do any dae I’m sorry if I made you sore"

"It wasn’t so much you as the newness, Luke You were careful But I just wanted to feel your arhed and buried her face in his chest "I wanted to shtened his ar to adone "Where does your faht, if you want me to stay"

He held her away froht?"

"I don’t care who knows--but what about you?"

"I didn’t have to tell anyone," she said "Paul and Vanni took one look at ile and you’re a rogue I’m not" She smiled "And you’re not"

He pulled the backpack off her shoulder and put it on the breakfast bar "I was hard on you earlier, Shelby Trying to push you away, trying to scare you I’m sorry"

She shook her head "Luke, I hadto dawn on hiht away I had to get to know you a little And--" she laughed "--there was that tool belt"

"You had a job for me to do, didn’t you, Shelby?"

"I did" She smiled "It had to be someone irresistible and experienced"

"Sometis," he said "Weren’t you afraid Iher head "I brought a bottle of wine…"

"I’ll open it for you, pour you a glass and finishit on the back of a chair and started to unbutton her shirt "Let’s get into bed"

"I’," she said "I may have overdone it See, I shouldn’t have coainstto do anything that will et you better" He kissed that delicious ht need a few days, but I don’t want to be away fro? Naked in the bed?"

"Nah You’re iood care of you" He opened her shirt and lowered his lips to her breast

"God," she said in a breath "Itfor me"

He lifted his head and smiled into her eyes "Don’t worry, honey I kno to take care of that" He turned her toward the bedroolass of wine"

Luke was locked in an incredible drea hi wildly, madly, as the woman in his dreao in a cliroan woke him and he realized it was not a dreaasped "Shelby!" He reached down, grabbed her shoulders and pulled her up toward him "Shelby, come here" He pulled her face up to his "Honey, what are you doing?"

"Did I hurt you?"

"Hurt me? Sweet Jesus!"

"I’ve never done that before, so I wasn’t sure…"

"Why are you doing it now?"

"Well, I’ve never slept with ame in the back" She smiled at him "You don’t hesitate to take care of me…"