The Daily Novel

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Rob Elias knew what he wanted in life. He wanted Shanna by his side. The close call that had resulted in his almost losing her was too frightening to say the least.

He wanted to marry this woman, yet he hoped he could approach her with his wish without scaring her off. She was extremely skittish when it came to trusting…and opening her heart to love! That was one thing for sure he knew about her.

Yet Shanna had clung to him like a life jacket when the horrible ordeal had finally come to an end. He relished the moment when she’d clutched him, not wanting to ever let go. But he knew he must…he must let her decide what it was she wanted out of her life.

Rob took her home that evening after the retrieval of Alex’s damaged body at the bottom of the cliff, and her statements to the police down at the station. The Mercedes would have to be picked up later, for the police were considering this incident a felony kidnapping. They wanted to comb over the car for any bit of evidence connecting Alex to any other unsolved crimes in the area. Standard procedure.

Now Rob was relishing this time alone with Shanna. It had been an extremely exhausting and stressful day for both of them. Rob had taken a shower in her guest bathroom to clean off the dirt from his valiant rescue and was now waiting for her to finish her bath.

Rob had decided it was now or never. Shanna had just come out of the bathroom clean and refreshed, though still looking a little worse for wear.

“Shanna?” Rob asked. “Come and sit down here on the sofa. Can I ask you a very important question?” He’d gotten comfortable and removed his shoes. He patted the sofa cushion beside him.

Wrapped in the silky blue robe he’d found earlier on the floor in her bedroom, she settled down beside him and said, “What?”

He cleared his throat and suddenly didn’t know where to begin. “First of all, how do you feel”

“I’m okay. I guess. I don’t think I’ll be forgetting about it for quite some time—” she ran a pale hand through her slightly damp hair.

He took her hand and squeezed. “I know that.” He patted her hand and let go.

He took a deep breath and went on, “I realized today that I love you very much. Granted we haven’t known each other for very long at all, and I know that’s what happened the last time you gave your heart.” He cleared his throat and looked into her eyes to see if there was any negative reaction. None.

“But if you’d give it a chance, honey, I’d love for you to become my wife. We can make it a long engagement if you like…. You just have no idea how frightened I was that I might have lost you. I couldn’t go through that—”

He stopped to take another deep breath. Had he come on too strong? Blathered like an idiot? But he couldn’t have stopped it. His feelings had flooded to the surface like an out-of-control tsunami.

Shanna looked at the straightforward man before her and had to agree. He was her knight in shining armor, her hero. He was truly the type of man she’d waited for all these years. So brave and strong. It wasn’t the same feeling she’d had for Alex at all. It was strange how the emotion of love could be so different.

Rob was a man she could trust, for he had rescued her from the bad man….the bogeyman from her worst childhood dreams. His warm brown eyes told her of his feelings. Eyes were the mirrors of the soul they say, and never lie.

Too bad Alex had come along first! But you never knew. Physical magnetism meant nothing in the ways of genuine love. You should always go by your heart, not your heated emotions.

Nevertheless, would she be a fool to again jump so quickly? Once burned, twice shy. She thought not.

Not in this case for she had felt that same intense feeling that Rob was describing.

In her worst moments of fright, she had wanted Rob more than ever. She had not cared to live if she could not see him again. When she saw him running across the highway to get her, her heart had nearly stopped. He was coming to save her!

She looked at him with those fathomless emerald eyes and gave him his answer. “Yes, Rob. Yes, I will marry you. I need a man like you in my life to protect me. I want a life with you, and I want babies. I don’t want to live in a romance novel anymore.”

Rob gave her a quizzical look at that but bent to kiss her lips. “I love you, Shanna.”

It would take her a long time to get over the horrible ordeal Alex had put her through. She was sorry for his death, but relieved in a sense. What if he’d survived and came after her again? And in his rage she knew he would have. She would have hated to live her life in such fear.

Rob held her and kissed her deeply, his warm lips melting into hers, tongue teasing. Shanna felt her head swirl in pent-up passion. They held each other tight, caressing one another’s back and neck in their embrace. They held on to one another until they finally gave in to their burning desire and headed for her bedroom.

Before they went any further, Shanna lit a couple of candles on the headboard to give the room a warm ambiance. Then, standing by the bed, Rob slipped off Shanna’s robe, letting it float to the floor as he bent to kiss her again.

She gripped his T-shirt and pulled it up over his head as he slipped out of his sweatpants. She could see his erection, standing proud and eager in the flickering light.

His warm hands pressed gently on her upturned breasts, feeling their warmth, and he caressed them slowly and gently, making her tingle all over. He lightly urged her down onto the bed and climbed onto it beside her.

Shanna could feel him trembling slightly in his eagerness. Or maybe it was reverence? She herself was trembling. Rob covered her body with his, and they blended together as one. No matter how right she had thought it was with Alex, this felt really right…right into her very being!

They lay that way for a few moments, just savoring their naked closeness, his warm skin becoming hotter, as hot as the candle flame above them. Shanna kissed his shoulder, tasting his essence. He smelled manly and fresh from his shower. She shivered as he trailed his fingertips gently over her curves and valleys as if memorizing her body. Shanna had never been so thankful to be alive! Thanks to this man holding her. This man who loved her and had saved her life.

She opened her legs and felt him shift his body around. He was kissing her breasts and moved his hand down, touching her, getting her ready for his entry.
When she was more than ready, he rose on top of her and slid into her surrounding warmth effortlessly. They melded together for several minutes, passion building and love flowing between them like a visible current. Incredibly, after a few minutes, she felt herself begin to throb with pleasure that grew in intensity. The feeling was unstoppable as she felt him slide in and out of her body. She envisioned them together on her soft comfortable bed, his love for her so overwhelming that suddenly her breath was taken away.

Her orgasm started at her toes, thrummed up her thighs, and suddenly slammed into her center of pleasure, causing her to cry out. Although she rapidly came into her climax, she coasted down from it so slowly, she wondered if the pleasure would ever end. Abruptly, when the sensations subsided, he grew still pinned by the power of his own orgasm. He groaned out loud and then hugged her tightly, kissing her neck and murmuring “I love you”s.

That was the most tender and fulfilling lovemaking that Shanna had ever known. Alex could never hold a candle to Rob. That love, she knew now, had been shallow. Alex had never touched her soul as Rob had tonight.

Shanna kissed Rob tenderly, and he sighed, burying his face into her neck. “I love you, Shanna. You can never know how much.”

Smiling and content in the darkness, Shanna nodded her head.

Rob awoke at two in the morning, troubled by vague thoughts of the incident the day before. Remembrances of Alex’s body flying high through the air and disappearing over the edge of the cliff. He changed positions carefully so as not to wake Shanna, and hugged the pillow. He couldn’t seem to get that thought of the airborne body out of his mind. He rolled over again, facing Shanna.

She was on her back, breathing shallowly through barely parted lips. A lock of hair was covering one cheek. Rob reached out and touched the hair, softly brushing it away. She stirred and made a contented sound, then turned her body toward his, placing a foot on top of his calf. He scooted closer and kissed her cheek.

She opened her eyes and looked at him and smiled. She rolled over, pressed her backside into him, and felt his hardness once again. She lifted her thigh over his hip and guided him inside her. They made love in that position until their orgasm brought them wide awake.

“Sorry I woke you,” Rob whispered, kissing her back.

“You can wake me any time like that,” she giggled. “Couldn’t you sleep?”

“Yeah,” he didn’t want to tell her what woke him, “but sometimes I wake up and it takes me a while to get back to sleep. I didn’t mean to wake you, but I just had to kiss you.”

She smiled in the darkness. “You’re sweet.