Lying there, drowsy and warm in Shane’s arms, Claire couldn’t imagine how she’d walked away from him. From this. She’d had lots of frank discussions with the more worldly Eve about sex, about what could be good and bad about it. The worse, Eve had always said, was when the guy was all about getting his own thrills and treated the girl like a posable doll. Sure sign of a going-nowhere relationship.

Shane wasn’t like that, not at all. It was a collaboration, and a partnership, and he left her feeling joyous and sated and utterly, utterly calm. They had plenty to worry about, but not here. Not between them. She made a sleepy, happy sound and pressed herself closer to him; his arms were around her waist, and he made a solid, hot blanket that pressed against her back. Sometime during the afternoon they’d managed to pull the covers up over them, which was good, because their clothes were somewhere scattered on the floor in entirely random order.

Shane kissed the back of her neck, drawing a delighted shiver. ‘I missed you,’ he whispered.

She giggled a little. ‘I could tell. That first time was a little bit fast.’

He groaned. ‘You’re killing me.’

‘Only a little. The second was much better.’

He licked her ear, which made her let out a little shriek of protest, and she twisted around to face him. He propped up on one elbow, looking down at her. His hair was a mess, and she pushed it out of his eyes. ‘I love you.’

‘I know.’ He took her hand in his, and kissed the palm; his lips felt warm and damp and soft on her skin. ‘And I let you down. I know that. I’m not saying I won’t make mistakes; I will. But I promise that I won’t make that particular one again.’

‘Fair enough,’ she said. ‘I make plenty of mistakes, too, you know.’

‘You mean, besides getting involved with me?’

She shook her head and kissed him. It was a drowsy, lazy kiss this time, full of honey and joy. ‘I wish it could be like this. Just … this. All the time.’

‘Life doesn’t work that way, you know that.’

‘What if it did?’

‘We’d be living in a cardboard box and starving to death?’

‘Wow, you really know how to take the sexy away, don’t you?’

‘It’s a gift.’ Shane’s fingers stroked down her back, then up, in a mesmerisingly random pattern. ‘We should probably get up and make some dinner. Plus, I guess we should wash the sheets before Pete comes back. Seems like good manners.’

‘I’m amazed you even thought of it.’

‘I’m on my best behaviour.’