Free Chain of Title by Robyn Roze, Peg Robinson, Patricia Schmitt (pickyme)

Shay,” he
demanded.  She lifted her eyes to his.  “I did not think that for one
second.  I just can’t believe that after the last year and half I’m just now finding
this out, that’s all.  I can’t believe I never considered the possibility.  Chastain is a big name around here.”  Sean huffed, looking up at the cloudless sky
before refocusing his eyes on Shayna’s.  “I was clearly just thinking about
myself, my good fortune.”
    Shayna’s brow knitted.  “Mmmm?”
    He answered her quizzical
expression.  “I was just damn glad that some moron let you slip through his
fingers.  I didn’t care who he was, or who you were.  I just knew I wanted you—for
myself.”  Sean skimmed her cheek with the back of his fingers.
    Shayna felt rattled by the emotion-filled
look in Sean’s eyes.  She swallowed and decided to lighten the mood a bit.
    “It took you a year and a
half to figure that out?” she teased, softly, biting at the corner of her
mouth.
    Mission accomplished.  He
grinned, bringing her hand to his mouth, kissing the back of it, never taking
his eyes from hers.
    “I didn’t want to be the
rebound guy, Shay.  The guy you used just to get back at your husband before
you decided to change your mind and go back to him.”
    He framed her face in his
hands.  “If all I wanted was sex that might’ve been okay.  But it didn’t take
me long to figure out I wanted a helluva lot more from you than that.”
    With that admission, Sean
leaned down and kissed her hungrily.  She felt his strong hand slide slowly
down her throat, trace the opening of her robe, linger over her breast, and
then glide down to deftly untie her sash.  He drew her robe open, and she felt
the cool morning breeze feather across her bare skin as he reached around to
cup and squeeze her backside, drawing her closer to his hard heat, before smoothing
his hand up to claim her breast.
    She began to feel a little
dizzy, winded, and pulled away before the emotions could overwhelm her.  When had
a man last made her feel this way?
    Oh, she remembered.
    Then she wanted to forget.
    As their passion escalated,
Sean carefully began guiding her back toward the house while continuing to tease
her pebbled peaks.  Tasting and touching, they swallowed each other’s soft
moans.
    “Mother!  What do you think
you’re doing?”

CHAPTER 7
     
     
    Before
Shayna could even think to move, Sean had drawn her robe closed and tied the
sash.  She smiled up at him apologetically, and he shook his head faintly.  She
felt like a kid caught doing something wrong and was now seriously considering
the wisdom of having given Dani a key.  Shayna inhaled deeply and turned to
face the music.
    “Good morning, Danielle.  I
wasn’t expecting you,” she said evenly.
    “Obviously not, Mother ,”
Danielle quipped, harshly, clearly disappointed and disgusted by what she had
stumbled upon.
    Shayna had grown impatient
with her daughter’s increasingly judgmental attitude over the past three
years.  It was time for Danielle Chastain to grow up.
    “Dani, this is Sean Parker.” 
She felt his hand come to gently rest at her lower back and she calmed a bit. 
“Sean, this is—obviously—my daughter, Danielle.”
    In her peripheral vision,
Shayna saw Sean nod at Danielle in acknowledgment, but he smartly didn’t speak
or extend his hand.
    The blue-eyed beauty remained
mute, only shooting a bitter, dagger-filled look at Sean and then her mother. 
Shayna clasped Sean’s hand to lead him off the deck and toward the sliding
glass panels near where Danielle stood.  “I’ll call you later, Sean.  Thanks
for breakfast.  It was delicious.”
    As they passed by Danielle,
Shayna leveled a blistering stare at her daughter.  The young woman flinched
and noticeably backed down.
    “I can show myself out, Shay,
it’s all right,” he offered quietly.
    “No, it’s not all right,” she
said as they strode casually into the contemporary styled great room,