He hopped back into the bed with Anna. Gently grasping her chin, he turned her to face him. “Thank you for a wonderful night,” he said softly, before taking her mouth with his. She kissed him back eagerly for a moment before pulling back. She let her face fall forward, her hair hiding her expression.
“It was only wonderful because you took an awful situation and turned it around, Shayne,” she said, her voice trembling. “I can’t ever express how grateful I am to you for arriving when you did and not taking advantage of the situation.”
He gently moved her hair back over her shoulder so he could see her face. She raised her hand and wiped at her cheeks. “Hey now,” he said. “Let’s not have any of that.”
Shayne thought of a way to make her laugh. “I wonder how Ian is feeling this morning. Especially after being knocked out cold, with his pants down around his ankles.”
He burst out laughing as he remembered the dumbfounded look on Ian's face when he’d come to. It was definitely a story he’d have to share with the other guys. Ian would never live it down, and it would probably take him days, if not weeks to show his face again.
Holding his sides and wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes, Shayne looked over at Anna and was relieved to see a giant smile on her face.
He pulled her against his chest. “Anna, no one could have controlled what happened,” he said, in a serious voice. “Even knowing you were both drugged, though, I don’t know if I could have forgiven Ian had he had sex with you. I don’t share what’s mine, ever.”
Just the thought of her with another man made his blood boil. He'd already realized what she meant to him, how precious and dear she was to his heart. He broke out in a cold sweat thinking about the millions of things that could happen to her. Shayne grimaced. Love was hell.
He ran his hand reassuringly up and down her arm, as they lie together, enjoying the moment. He never thought he’d meet a woman who was his all. Nothing was more important than she was to him. He’d spend the rest of his life doing whatever it took to make her love him as well. He wasn't the type of man to believe in love at first sight. However, Anna had changed his mind.
“Shayne,” she said, her breath warm against his chest. “Do you remember asking me why they were after me?” He nodded his head.
“I have a good idea,” she said, with a sigh. Shayne could see her reluctance, and he knew it wasn’t a memory she wanted to rehash, but it was necessary.
Anna's eyes met his. “Jesse was a guy I met and dated for a while. He was my first boyfriend. The only boyfriend I've had. I was young and inexperienced, and I really believed he cared about me, even though there were warning signs. I ignored them, though, until I couldn't ignore them anymore. One night, he invited me over to the lodge they had rented... .” She stumbled through the story, telling it as matter-of-fact as possible. Shayne respected her for doing so; it was a difficult story to relive.
“The bastards,” he growled, his voice laced with anger. He vowed to make them pay. “Whenever demons are involved, it's never pretty. But I didn't realize Jesse had made it so—personal. We're going to get him. It's just a matter of time.”
Her story had filled in the missing parts for him, in more ways than one. Shayne's body was tight with tension. He forced himself to relax. He didn't want to scare her.
“Anna,” he said gently, determined to repair some of the damage that had been done. “I’ve been alive for centuries, and I’ve never wanted any woman the way I want you.” He tilted her face up and kissed her deeply, then murmured, “I only want you for you. You can bank on that.”
She nodded her head, and he pulled her back against him. They fell asleep that way, his mind already planning the night ahead. He wanted to make it a night for her to remember, and if he were really lucky, he’d find himself in her bed at the end of it.
THAT EVENING, ANNA awoke to see a white gift box across the foot of the bed, with a note taped to it. It was from Shayne. After quickly reading it, she jumped up and opened the box. Inside was a black sequined evening dress and undergarments, all in her size. Holding the dress to her, she ran to the mirror to look.
She only had an hour before Shayne returned. Determined to make herself as gorgeous as possible, she set off for the shower. She couldn’t control her size, but she could pamper and groom herself to the best of her ability.
A knock sounded on the door, exactly at seven. Anna gave herself a final inspection in the mirror. Her hair was side swept and hung down her back in ringlets. The neckline was cut low, exposing a huge amount of her breasts. The dress molded to her wide hips, leaving nothing to imagination. It ended a few inches above her knees, and it had a sexy slit running up her right thigh. The dress was beautiful, and she hoped Shayne would be pleased with the results.
She opened the door and immediately lost her breath. Shayne stood before her, dressed in a black tuxedo that looked to be created only for his amazing physique. In his arms, he carried another gift box.
“I wanted you to have this,” he said, as she took it with a smile. His eyes ran down her
