Never Give You Up by Shady Grace

she didn’t really have enough time to find herself yet. Not even half a year after Tom’s death didn’t seem long enough to be spending time alone with another man. Despite Tom’s cruelty he’d taken care of her financially. But did he give her a choice? He never wanted her out of his sight, therefore she was stuck at home like a bad pet that needed to be on a leash.
    It was easier for a guy like Terry. He didn’t have a dead spouse haunting his mind and heart. She was confused by this whole situation. Yes, she wanted to spend time with Terry and see what might happen. At the same time she was afraid to make a mistake.
    And if she were to be honest with herself, Terry was completely out of her league. She’d seen the bill for last night’s dinner. It was more than what she spent on groceries for an entire month. More than what Tom spent on her wedding ring.
    But she couldn’t simply stop her attraction for Terry, even after the chaos a few months back. She felt in her heart that Terry wasn’t a bad man. Even when those guys terrorized her he hadn’t taken part in it. He even tried to stop it. But his friend had betrayed him, and Mary imagined it must be a terrible weight on his shoulders. Still, she had been wrong about Tom, too.
    Maybe Terry needed someone to talk to, somebody who had nothing to do with his family business—someone who didn’t care that he was a McCoy. According to Mima, Terry had it rough. Harder than most. While she didn’t know the exact details of his job or his life, she knew he walked on eggshells every day, and she felt bad for him.
    She closed her eyes, remembering the night he’d kissed her. She touched her lips remembering how his felt against hers. How hot it made her. She’d never felt this turned on before.
    What the hell am I doing?
    She glanced at her reflection in the floor-length mirror. Her eyes were too dull, her lips not full enough, tits too small. Nothing impressive to look at. Why would Terry be interested in her? Was she just some casual bush fling nobody would know about? All of his rich friends and business people would never know anything about her, because she was plain old Mary with seven dogs, a horse, and a shed full of furs.
    She lifted her chin and stared at her body again. Maybe she wasn’t a model in high places, but she was a strong bush woman. She flexed her biceps. Yes, she had good definition, could lift well over her own body weight. She turned her back to the mirror, looked over her shoulder and grinned. Nice hard legs. Tight bum. Maybe she wasn’t too bad after all.
    If he wants to be here then he’ll have to accept who I am and how I live. She smacked her ass, sauntered over to the bed, and grabbed a pair of jeans.
    No sooner than changing into jeans and t-shirt, the dogs howled outside. She glanced out her bedroom window to see a black Suburban pull into the driveway and park beside the house.
    She rushed to put her hair into a ponytail as a knock rattled the back door.
    “Just a minute!”
    When Mary opened the door she tried her best not to laugh but failed miserably.
    Terry wasn’t lying when he said he’d bought all the gear for roughing it, but it made him look like a complete fool and amateur. His moss green, double-breasted shirt and fishing vest, perfectly matched his camo shorts, and every side pocket had a hook hanging from it. Even his fishing hat had a yellow jig hooked to the brim.
    On silly impulse she stepped closer and grabbed each side of the hat brim right above his ears, careful not to hook herself. She yanked the cap further down his forehead making his skin crinkle. “Very cute, Terry.” She giggled, but when his dark gaze connected to hers and held, the humor died on her tongue. She stared up at him, speechless by the instant swell of heat being this close to him, smelling his spicy cologne and natural manly scent. All she had to do was stand tiptoe and she could feel the mesmerizing heat of his lips again, on hers,