VITTORIO'S RUNAWAY BRIDE (The Vittorio Series) by Kimberley Reeves Page B

and tenderness in his heart.   This woman, the one who had gone wild in his arms and taken him to heights he’d never known before, she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with.   Until that moment, Logan thought he couldn’t have been more in love with his wife than on the day he married her, but the depths of his feelings now went beyond that, beyond anything he could ever have imagined.   Even now, after she had drained him of every ounce of energy, Logan could feel the stirrings of renewed desire.
    “ Io vogtio te ,” he whispered, “I want you.”   Lifting his head, he saw the answering hunger in her eyes even before she spoke.
    “Then take me, Logan, take me…”
                                                                                         ***
    Logan put the omelets he’d made in the oven to keep them warm then went to retrieve his cell phone while he waited for the coffee to finish brewing.   He smiled to himself, still feeling the heat of last night’s passion warming his blood…and his heart.   He wanted to make love to Shelby again this morning but she’d looked so serene, so breathtakingly beautiful as she slept, he didn’t have the heart to wake her.   He’d contented himself instead with making breakfast and reliving their night together as he cooked before deciding it was time to give Grady a call to let him know he would be bringing Shelby home as soon as her ankle was better.
    “Grady, would you mind having Mason drop you off here so you can pick up Shelby’s car?”
    “Does that mean she’s coming home with you?”
    “We have not discussed it yet,” Logan admitted, “but after last night…” he didn’t finish the sentence, letting Grady draw the obvious conclusions.
    “I’m really happy for you, Logan, and for Shelby too.   Mason said she’d lost weight and spent hours sitting on the beach just staring out at the ocean.   I’d say she was just as miserable without you as you’ve been without her.”
    “We have not had much time to talk about why she left, but we are going to stay here for a few more days.  There will be plenty of time to get everything straightened out before we return.   Shelby had a bit of an accident yesterday and twisted her ankle so at least I know she cannot run away while we iron things out.”
    “You sound confident,” Grady commented.
    “As confident as any man could be when dealing with an emotional female,” he chuckled.
    “Which is why I keep all my relationships short and sweet.   So when do you want me to pick up her car?”
    “Right now, if it is not too much trouble.   Shelby is still sleeping so you could be here and gone before I wake her for breakfast.”
    “We’re on our way.   Oh, and just so you know; I’ll be expecting a big, fat bonus on my next paycheck.”
    Grady hung up before he could reply, but Logan wouldn’t have told him about the hefty sum Accounting had been authorized to add to Grady’s paycheck anyway.   Grady would understand the depth of his appreciation when he saw the check so there was no need to discuss it.   Less than fifteen minutes later, Logan handed Grady the spare keys he still carried on his key ring and sent him on his way.   After setting out plates and silverware on the cozy table on the deck, he hurried upstairs to get Shelby, suddenly feeling anxious to assure himself she hadn’t disappeared on him again.
    The tightness in his chest didn’t ease until Logan had perched himself on the edge of the bed and leaned down to give her a kiss.   Shelby’s lips parted invitingly, a contented purring sound vibrating softly in the back of throat when Logan teased her mouth open with his tongue.   He was instantly aroused by the sweet taste of her and the way the musky scent of their love making still lingered on her skin.  With a regretful sigh, he drew back.   She wasn’t used to the relentless