“Sorry. I can’t sleep in my bed. It’s too soft. I accidentally came in here and I don’t know, this is the best place to be.”
Shane would have thought so minutes ago, but now he wasn’t sure. He didn’t want to be rude, but she had to leave. Vivica wasn’t budging either. She apologized and all, but she didn’t make any move to actually get out of the bed. That worried him. She actually snuggled down into it and closed her eyes again. Shane was at a loss for words, which didn’t happen very often.
“Aren’t you going to get out?”
“Do I really have to leave? It’s so warm and comfortable…”
He was chagrined that he was finding this all so hard. Shane was usually so good with women, he could have anyone he wanted. So why was this one making a fool of him at every turn?
“Are you kicking me out of my own bed?!”
Vivica just smiled, not even bothering with his tone.
“No, of course not. Come lay down with me. I will be back to sleep in two seconds, and you won’t even know that I’m here.”
Shane scoffed. There was no way that he was not going to know that she was there. He was very aware of every inch of her and laying down next to her wasn’t going to make any of it easier. Just seeing her was enough to make him cross the line already. Lying next to her would be too much.
He started to tell her that, but Vivica really was already asleep, and he groaned inwardly. There was no way that he was going to get any sleep. He laid down next to her, more as a show to himself that he could. Shane liked to believe that he was in control. As soon as he took his shirt and boots off and laid down next to her, Shane knew that it was a lie. He had no control and his inner bear wanted to come out. He could feel it and it was unlike anything that he’d ever felt before.
It was stunning in how strong it was and impossible to ignore. This was going to be painful, he thought to himself. Very, very painful.
Shane forced himself to lay there with her for a while, but he was ready to leave the bed a few minutes after that. When he tried to escape, Vivica’s small hand came out and pulled him back to her and she whimpered, like she knew what he was trying to do.
Shane knew he was damned. He couldn’t leave her, and he couldn’t have her. What a conundrum he found himself in. All Shane wanted to do was delve deep in the human next to him, but she was off-limits, and he was going crazy.
Chapter 15
Vivica
It was awkward to wake up to Shane every morning, but after he came back, Vivica found herself in his bed every night. There was a comfort to the bed, but also the man that occupied it. She might not see him in the daytime or evenings, but he always came to bed at the end of the day, and she would be there. Most of the time she was asleep, but Vivica swore that she would sleep better as soon as he was beside her. Shane didn’t say much about it and for that she was grateful.
The closeness was posing a problem for Vivica in many ways. For one thing, she was constantly in a state of need. Vivica was not new to the desires of a man; she’d experienced and ran from it well enough. But the desires of herself, well that was a different story. She had no idea how to sidestep those feelings, and she really wished that she did. Shane was doing a real number on her head and Vivica didn’t know how to make it any better.
Vivica had awoken earlier than usual. Usually, Shane was already out of the bed and gone. She always wanted to see him, but he would be gone before she opened her eyes. He never said anything about her coming to his bed every night. He didn’t kick her out though, so Vivica took that as a win.
Seeing him next to her, unaware in the early morning light, Vivica was curious. She wanted to see what his skin felt like and she touched the gruffness on his chin. He would shave it off in the morning, so she never got to see it so long. It tickled her fingertips when she touched it and she pulled back, waiting for him to wake up.
His chest was massive, uncovered and smooth. She wanted to run her hand over his chest, but she didn’t dare, too afraid that he would wake up and question what she was doing. There hadn’t been anything out of the way from Shane. He’d accidentally touched her a few times, mumbled an apology and sometimes he would leave the bed. She didn’t want him to go anywhere that morning. She wanted to lay and look at him, though her hands were compelled to touch him ever so gently, watching goosebumps fly across his chest.
The rise and fall of his chest were still even, like he was asleep, and she hoped that was the case. Vivica was convinced that her moments to touch and see would be snatched from her. Vivica’s desire for Shane had grown to epic proportions, but she didn’t know what to do with it all. He wasn’t making a move and maybe he didn’t want to.
She made a sound of frustration and was about to lay back, when Shane asked her what was wrong.
“I thought you were sleeping.”
“I was, until you touched me.”
Vivica’s face was flaming in the partial light, and she looked away, just so that he wouldn’t see it.
“I am sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
“Uh huh. Felt like you meant to. Felt like you wanted to touch me in other places.”
Vivica wasn’t sure what he was talking about, until her hand was seized and put on his hard length. She gasped and tried to pull her hand back. Shane was still half asleep and she still couldn’t believe that he was doing it. She had wanted to touch it, badly, several times, especially when she realized that he was hard every night. It was hard not to want to touch it and see if it was real.
“What do you think?”
“It’s hard and very big.”
