"It's the way to my home.” He pulled into a driveway in front of a neat, red house with white shutters. Shutting off the ignition, he turned to her. “Come inside with me."

Shamus kept an eye on Cyndi as she climbed out of the vehicle and started up the walkway. He half expected her to bolt again like she had back at the hardware store. Closing his eyes for a moment, he huffed out a breath.

He hadn't expected her to find out about what had happened between him and Burke so quickly. It shouldn't have surprised him though, for it seemed there was no end of folks who wanted to make Cyndi's life miserable. It was ironic when you thought about it. Cyndi wasn't intentionally hurting anyone. She was just trying to settle here and build a life.

He wasn't quite sure why he'd brought her here, except that he wanted to see her in his house, to know what she thought of it.

"It's pretty.” She eyed the shutters and the front porch that extended the length of the house. Both were painted a crisp white.

"Thanks. I put in the porch and shutters about five years ago.” He unlocked the front door and held it open. “This is the house I grew up in. I bought it from my family years ago and renovated it."

"I was here once, a long time ago.” Her voice was soft as if she was lost in her memories. Shamus remembered his conversation with Dani. Cyndi had come to see his sister to apologize just before she left town all those years ago.

He breathed a sigh of relief when she stepped inside. The foyer was nowhere near as large as the one in her house, but it was cheerful and inviting. An old, oak bench sat just inside, a place to sit and put on your boots. Brass hooks stood in a row on the opposite wall, waiting to take coats.

Cyndi toed off her shoes without saying a word and headed toward the living room. Actually, it was now the living room and dining room area combined. He'd taken down a wall when he'd renovated. Shamus had replaced the brick fireplace with one done in river stones. Brown, leather furniture filled the room and a maple cabinet stood on one wall, housing the entertainment equipment.

"It's beautiful.” She reached out and stroked the sofa. “Might have known you'd have leather."

He laughed and relaxed slightly. “And why is that?"

"You're a bachelor, aren't you?"

"Maybe not for much longer.” He could have bitten his tongue when she tensed again. Where the hell had that thought come from? He shook his head. He had to stop getting ahead of himself.

But a sense of rightness descended upon him. Cyndi was the right woman for him. It didn't matter that he was nine years younger than she was. All the better for him to keep up with her. It didn't matter that there was bad blood and a history between her and his family. He could outwait them. Once they realized he was serious about her, they'd have to take the time to get to know her. Once they did, he was sure they'd love her.

If they didn't...well, he didn't want to go down that road. Not until he had to. But there was no way he was walking away from Cyndi. His sister had Burke, and his brother had Shannon. Shamus wanted what they had—a loving family of his own.

He knew in his heart that he'd never feel the same way about another woman as he felt about the one currently exploring his home. He knew himself well enough to know she was the one for him. He'd never been in love before, never been the type to fall in and out of love, as he'd dated over the years. There had always been something missing and he'd known it—that is until he'd met a woman in a broken-down car on the side of a road.

Right now, his biggest challenge was to keep her from walking away from what they could have together because she felt it was the best thing for him.

The best thing for him was Cyndi.

He watched as she disappeared into the kitchen, following her when he heard her exclamation of delight. She was kneeling on the bench seat of the kitchen table staring out the huge, glass window when he entered the room.

"This is amazing.” She swiveled her head around when she heard his footsteps.

"Thanks. I knocked out a wall and extended this section of the house.” He'd installed windows on the far end, making a cozy eating area in the kitchen that looked out over the yard and the woods behind it. The windows ran along the three sides, dominating the area and giving a perfect view from wherever a person sat.

She ran her fingers lightly over the window frame. “You do wonderful work."

"Come on, I want to show you the upstairs.” It took a few more minutes to get her out of the kitchen, as Cyndi had to examine the maple cabinets and the stainless steel appliances. Finally, they headed up the stairs.

"How long did it take you to do all this?"

Shamus shrugged. “A little over two years. I worked on it during the evenings and on weekends. I didn't tear the entire place up at once, but did it a room at a time."

"It's amazing. You're amazing."

He could hear the wonder in her voice and it filled him with pride. He didn't have as much money as she did, but he was a hard worker and proud of his skills.

"Oh my.” She'd halted in front of a door, staring inside. “I want my new bathroom to look like this."

Shamus laughed as he urged her inside. The room was his favorite to relax in after a hard day's work. Windows ringed the extra-large bathtub, giving him a view of the back garden. Several plants added freshness to the room. Sandy, slate tiles covered the floor and the wall around the built-in shower stall. The counter was slightly darker, the sinks a sparkling white and the fixtures a brushed nickel.

"We can do that.” That would suit him just fine because he planned on spending a lot of time at Cyndi's place in the future. He'd need a big tub to relax in and if he was lucky, he'd convince Cyndi to join him in many a long, hot bath.

His body jerked, his cock stirring to life in his jeans. He tried to ignore his growing problem as he continued the tour. He'd taken out one of the small bedrooms, adding space to both the bathroom and the new master bedroom.

Cyndi stopped just inside the door of his bedroom, staring at the king-sized bed needed to comfortably accommodate his six-foot-four frame. The room was simple. Deep blue in color, the comforter and drapes matched the walls. The floor was a rich hardwood that gleamed. An oak dresser and a comfortable wingback chair completed the room.

"It's nice. Cozy.” She wrapped her arms around herself, rubbing her hands over her forearms. “This isn't a good idea. I should go."

"This is a very good idea.” He tugged her into his arms, holding her close enough for her to feel the turgid length of his erection against her belly. “Perfect, in fact."

Her fingernails bit into his biceps. He could see her fighting with herself. Should she leave? Should she stay? He didn't wait for her to decide. Bending down, he kissed her, putting everything he felt into the simple embrace.

She made a small mewling sound in the back of her throat as she held herself still. Shamus deepened the kiss, tilting his head to one side to deepen the contact.

Cyndi trembled, her entire body quivering as her hands slowly slid up his shoulders and wrapped around his neck. Shamus shuddered with relief and growing desire. Cyndi was in his home, in his arms. Nothing else mattered. They'd deal with the problems of the outside world later. For now, nothing else existed but them.

Chapter Sixteen

Cyndi finished piling her breakfast dishes into the dishwasher as she glanced at the clock. She'd slept much later than she'd intended. Considering that she was facing another tough day today, she'd wanted to get an earlier start. The antique dealers were arriving this morning, plus all the problems of yesterday hadn't disappeared overnight. Still, she had a silly smile on her face as she closed the door of the dishwasher and turned it on.

Her thoughts drifted back to yesterday evening at Shamus's house. He'd stripped her naked and made love to her on his bed, in his home. It had felt different than the other times—deeper, as if there was more of a commitment on both sides. Cyndi had no idea if what they had together would be able to weather the public scrutiny and disapproval, but she was willing to face it if Shamus was.

Her body tingled and she gave herself a shake. She had a lot to do today and Amanda Barrington and Linda Fletcher would be here sometime within the next two hours. Shamus would be over later after he stopped by the hardware store to pick up several gallons of paint.

After they'd made love and tried out the huge tub in Shamus's bathroom, they'd tumbled down the stairs to raid the refrigerator. While she was making sandwiches for them, Shamus had scrounged in his basement. He'd found a six-by-five piece of board and painted test patches of all the samples he'd picked up at the hardware store.

By the time they'd finished eating, the paint was dry and they'd decided on the best colors for the dining room, the living room, and the front parlor. Most of the furniture currently in those rooms would hopefully disappear with Linda Fletcher when she left tomorrow afternoon.

Cyndi filled a mug with coffee. Cradling it in her hands, she made her way to her father's office. She'd decided that it was time to have another look in the wall safe. She'd been putting it off for a few days now. Glancing down at the almost invisible scar on her right hand, she sighed. She was still no closer to figuring out who had wanted to hurt her, or at least scare her, that fateful night. Not that she expected to ever know who had shot at her. There were no leads and the list of her father's enemies was endless.