Heart of Clay by Shanna Hatfield Page B

do it. It felt too good to have Clay’s arms around her, to sink
into his strength and breathe in the wonderful scent of him. Unable
to fathom what had gotten into him, she wondered if he realized
when he kissed her like that, it turned her knees to a gelatinous
mass and made her as giddy as a schoolgirl.
    If he didn’t behave himself, she’d have a
hard time keeping the lid on her box of churning emotions.
    Clay had no intention of behaving
himself.
    After taking Callan’s shoulders in his
hands, he turned her around and gave her a deep, passionate kiss
that left them both breathless and undone. With determination set
in his jaw, he reached over and tugged the clip out of her hair,
tossing it onto the nearby table. Gently, he ran his hands through
her hair, letting it fall down her back and over his arms.
    He stepped back and drank in the sight of
her. “I haven’t seen your hair down for a while. It’s beautiful and
so are you.”
    Callan looked into his eyes and watched the
blue depths grow darker, stormy with longing. Didn’t he realize how
good that color looked on him? What was he thinking, showing up
looking and smelling so irresistible?
    When she saw him leaning against the wall at
the party, she couldn’t help thinking some woman was very blessed.
Then she realized it was her Clay. It still amazed her that he had
chosen her to marry, especially with all the girls who would have
jumped at the opportunity.
    With his hot blue gaze locked intently on
her sparkling green eyes, he stirred sensations in her that made
her feel like this could have been their first date, not a lovely
evening enjoyed by a couple long married. In actuality, it had been
a while since they’d been this close and interested in each
other.
    As she continued to drink in the sight of
him, she noticed the nick on his chin that hadn’t been there last
night. Without thinking, she took a step forward and put her
fingertip on the spot before pressing a light kiss to his chin.
    Clay closed his eyes and savored the
feather-light kiss on his skin for the second it lasted. He was
afraid to hope but couldn’t wait any longer to know if Callan would
return his amorous feelings. With a deep groan, he pulled her close
and buried his face and hands into her hair. Tremors of desire race
through his entire body and raised his temperature to the boiling
point. His plans to take things slow rapidly dissipated.
    “Callan…” His voice in her ear was husky,
deep, and full of longing. “Let me love you tonight.”
    She nodded and wrapped her hands around his
neck, turning her face against his solid chest.
    He swept her into his arms, obliterating the
need for more words.

Chapter Four
     
    Clay stretched lazily in bed, not quite
ready to open his eyes, not quite willing for a new day to begin.
Although yesterday had been wonderful, thoughts of last night made
a satisfied smile cross his face. He’d almost forgotten how amazing
it could be to hold his wife in his arms.
    When he reached out his hand to touch
Callan, all he felt was an empty bed. Quickly coming fully awake,
he looked around. The open bathroom door let him know Callan wasn’t
in there. He jumped up and tugged on his robe. He didn’t think
she’d take the truck and leave him without a vehicle. He charged
into the kitchen and pulled up short. Callan sat at the table,
drinking tea and eating a muffin.
    A becoming blush stole over her cheeks as
she glanced at him with a shy smile. “Good morning,” she said,
absently running a hand up to her hair, making sure it was in
place.
    Clay grinned. Callan was back to business
mode this morning, looking all proper and professional. She wore a
berry-red blouse with her black suit, though. An indisputable chink
in the all-black armor had been rendered.
    “Mornin’ Callan,” Clay drawled, bending to
kiss her cheek. Cautious not to say anything that would make her
blush more, he decided to give her an easy out. “How about if I
grab a quick shower