short notice, Carson.” Ambrose left, closing the door behind him.
“For you, anytime.”
Shep truly believed that, which was why he covered the distance separating them, and without saying another word, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. “But I need this first.”
And then he lowered his head and kissed her.
* * *
The kiss was leisurely and long, and as he’d said, he’d needed it. Shep took her mouth with a hunger he always felt when kissing her. He had met Carson Boyett about five years ago when the family of Craig Long, one of the young men he was mentoring, had hired her to represent their son. She had come out to Delvers a few times to visit with Craig, and their paths had crossed since he’d been Craig’s mentor.
The attraction had been immediate, although he’d fought it. She was sharp, intelligent and beautiful, and he was an inmate with nothing to offer her. But she hadn’t cared once they had been honest about their feelings. His father, Richard Granger, had merely raised a brow when he’d told him he was getting rid of his present attorney and replacing him with Carson. After all, as far as Shep was concerned, the man whom Vidal Duncan had recommended had done a piss-poor job while defending him during the trial.
Now Shep wondered how much of everything was merely a well-thought-out plan to make sure he was the one to serve time for Sylvia’s murder. He couldn’t help but have his suspicions, especially after what had been discovered about Vidal. It hurt him deeply that a man his family had trusted—whom he had trusted—could have been so evil. The thought of what the man had done to Jace literally soured his stomach just thinking about it and, at the same time, it brought fear to his bones at the thought that things weren’t over yet. Not if he believed that email he’d just received.
Recalling that email and the reason he’d sent for Carson made him break off the kiss. He then drew in a deep breath and licked his lips. “Thanks—like I said, I needed that.”
She smiled and licked her lips, as well. “And like I said, for you, anytime.”
And he knew she meant it. Carson was ten years younger than Shep and a divorcée who had ended her marriage to an abusive husband and fought hard to become her own woman by putting herself through college and law school. She wasn’t afraid of hard work, fighting for what she believed in or standing up for those she loved. He felt honored to be in that number.
Although they had been involved now for close to four years, she seemed okay with dating a man locked up behind prison walls with fifteen more years to go before he would be freed. She often mentioned the chance of a parole, but because of the way his sentence had been handed down, he had to make at least eighteen of the thirty years before any idea of parole could be entertained.
Shep also knew Ambrose always allowed them more private time than strictly permitted, thus giving them the opportunity to engage in conjugal visits if they so desired. But as tempted as he’d been to do so, Shep hadn’t taken advantage of that. Carson deserved more than a quickie based on lust. He intended to make sure she got what she deserved, even if it meant that they both had to wait another three years to get it. She’d always told him she would wait because she loved him. And he knew with every bone in his body that he loved her.
He hadn’t told his sons about her and figured one day he would get around to doing so. He and Carson had talked about it and both decided to keep the relationship between them quiet until they decided the time was right to share it. His life was pretty much an open book, and he preferred having Carson as the one part of his life he could keep private. She was everything he could possibly want, and he knew she was everything in a woman he’d never truly had.
Even when he thought he’d loved Sylvia, it hadn’t felt like this. And he had stopped loving his wife a
“For you, anytime.”
Shep truly believed that, which was why he covered the distance separating them, and without saying another word, he reached out and pulled her into his arms. “But I need this first.”
And then he lowered his head and kissed her.
* * *
The kiss was leisurely and long, and as he’d said, he’d needed it. Shep took her mouth with a hunger he always felt when kissing her. He had met Carson Boyett about five years ago when the family of Craig Long, one of the young men he was mentoring, had hired her to represent their son. She had come out to Delvers a few times to visit with Craig, and their paths had crossed since he’d been Craig’s mentor.
The attraction had been immediate, although he’d fought it. She was sharp, intelligent and beautiful, and he was an inmate with nothing to offer her. But she hadn’t cared once they had been honest about their feelings. His father, Richard Granger, had merely raised a brow when he’d told him he was getting rid of his present attorney and replacing him with Carson. After all, as far as Shep was concerned, the man whom Vidal Duncan had recommended had done a piss-poor job while defending him during the trial.
Now Shep wondered how much of everything was merely a well-thought-out plan to make sure he was the one to serve time for Sylvia’s murder. He couldn’t help but have his suspicions, especially after what had been discovered about Vidal. It hurt him deeply that a man his family had trusted—whom he had trusted—could have been so evil. The thought of what the man had done to Jace literally soured his stomach just thinking about it and, at the same time, it brought fear to his bones at the thought that things weren’t over yet. Not if he believed that email he’d just received.
Recalling that email and the reason he’d sent for Carson made him break off the kiss. He then drew in a deep breath and licked his lips. “Thanks—like I said, I needed that.”
She smiled and licked her lips, as well. “And like I said, for you, anytime.”
And he knew she meant it. Carson was ten years younger than Shep and a divorcée who had ended her marriage to an abusive husband and fought hard to become her own woman by putting herself through college and law school. She wasn’t afraid of hard work, fighting for what she believed in or standing up for those she loved. He felt honored to be in that number.
Although they had been involved now for close to four years, she seemed okay with dating a man locked up behind prison walls with fifteen more years to go before he would be freed. She often mentioned the chance of a parole, but because of the way his sentence had been handed down, he had to make at least eighteen of the thirty years before any idea of parole could be entertained.
Shep also knew Ambrose always allowed them more private time than strictly permitted, thus giving them the opportunity to engage in conjugal visits if they so desired. But as tempted as he’d been to do so, Shep hadn’t taken advantage of that. Carson deserved more than a quickie based on lust. He intended to make sure she got what she deserved, even if it meant that they both had to wait another three years to get it. She’d always told him she would wait because she loved him. And he knew with every bone in his body that he loved her.
He hadn’t told his sons about her and figured one day he would get around to doing so. He and Carson had talked about it and both decided to keep the relationship between them quiet until they decided the time was right to share it. His life was pretty much an open book, and he preferred having Carson as the one part of his life he could keep private. She was everything he could possibly want, and he knew she was everything in a woman he’d never truly had.
Even when he thought he’d loved Sylvia, it hadn’t felt like this. And he had stopped loving his wife a
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