Captured In Ink (Art of Love Series) by Donna McDonald

want you. And I’m also being a realist about our situation when I do.”
    “Yeah—right. That’s just sex, Shane. The new hasn’t worn off yet. It will eventually go away. You don’t need a psych degree to know that.” Reesa watched a man and woman climb out of a car and walk to the giant man climbing off the bike. “Is that your father? Geez—he looks as big as you. Love the shaved head. Not many men make it look that good.”
    “When he was younger, Dad looked like Michael—hair and all,” Shane said, grinning. “In height, I have him by a couple inches, but Dad is a big guy. It’s his shoulders I think. He still works out so he’s not lost much bulk over the years. You should see his new girlfriend—or I guess I should call her his fiancée now. Jessica’s almost six feet tall. Mom is the shortest person in our family, but even she is still several inches taller than you.”
    Shane turned to Reesa and looked down. “You project tall. Anybody ever tell you that? Sometimes I forget how short you are until I’m standing right next to you like this. Most of the time, I think of you as my size.”
    Reesa looked up at Shane and rolled her eyes dramatically while he watched. “You know, I get that all the time. People even tell me to duck my head when I walk through doorways. I know they mean well, but it’s so annoying. Sometimes I have to show them my driver’s license just to prove how short I am.”
    Shane laughed at her self-deprecating humor because he’d already determined from a variety of clues that Reesa really, really hated being short. Maybe he could help her find ways to like it better. Thoughts of how he could do that made him smile wickedly when he looked at her.
    “You’re like those tiny, bite size candy bars. I could eat a whole bag, one tiny candy bar at a time,” Shane told her, snickering at her green sparking gaze.
    “Stop talking like that, and stop looking at me that way ,” she ordered, pushing on his arm.
    “What way?” Shane asked, grinning as Reesa pulled some hairs on his arm to torture him further. It really was starting to turn him on. “You already know I like it rough, so you’re only making the situation worse by getting physical with me when I want you so much. You might want to back off while I’m still feeling civilized.”
    “You probably like sex any time and any way you can get it—not that I care what you like,” Reesa said sternly.
    “I bet you ten dollars I could easily make it your top priority this morning,” Shane said, grinning. “You’ll be finger combing my hair again in gratitude.”
    Reesa rolled her eyes again, swinging her gaze back to the door and straight into three people trying to hide their knowing smiles from her, all with their eyebrows raised high on their foreheads.
    “Hi,” she said, totally embarrassed and feeling her face flood with a blush. She punched Shane one last time hard on the arm when he laughed at her discomfort and sent him staggering sideways. “I’m Reesa Callahan. Thanks for coming to rescue me. Come on in.”
    ***
     
    Reesa made a third pot of coffee while she watched Will trying as unsuccessfully as Shane had to fit his massive upper body inside the sink cabinet.
    Michael stood and walked to him, stooping down. “Dad, get out of there. You don’t fit. Let me do it. Just get the church key ready to shut off the main water connection if it breaks.”
    “I sprayed the shut off valve twice with lube. It should loosen up enough to turn now,” Will said, sliding out and standing. “Wow. That’s hard on the old back.”
    “Well don’t hurt yourself,” Michael said, laughing. “Jessica will kill Shane and me both if you’re out of commission for your wedding night.”
    “Forgive my husband, Reesa,” Carrie said, narrowing her gaze on Michael’s grin. “He’s not very couth.”
    “Am I lying?” Michael asked Shane, who shook his head and grinned. “See, Carrie? I’m just being a realist about