When she opened the door, he was picking up a towel and using it to swipe over his forehead.He was drenched in sweat and his chest was on display.
Gulping, her eyes caressed him before she saw he was scowling at her.“I didn’t think you were still here.”
“Where did you think I’d go?”he scoffed.“Just figured I’d leave you here with these strangers?”
“Can’t get much stranger than these particular strangers, I guess,” she teased a little, folding her arms across her chest and leaning back against the door once she closed it again.
He didn’t respond to her teasing.“What are you doing here, El?”
“I wanted to make sure you were okay.”She let her glance cast over him once more, this time not with covetous eyes but with concerned ones.He was the same old Shawn.Close cropped black hair, Irish blue eyes, stubble on his cheeks.A jaw so stern she knew she’d break her fingers if she tried to slap some sense into him, and a mouth so pretty it looked like it had been made for kissing.
“That bastard didn’t manage to hurt me the other night, if that’s what you mean.Thanks to Ryan.”
The begrudging respect in his voice had her brows rising.It also had her intimating… “You’ve spoke to him?”
He nodded, draped the towel over his shoulders.“We discussed certain things.”
“What like?”
“Like the fact three men say you belong to them.”
Her cheeks flushed a hot pink.“Oh.That.”
He snorted.“Yeah.That.”His snort turned into a huff.“You never could do things simply, could you?”
Her mouth dropped open in astonishment.“That’s so not fair!It’s not my fault this has happened.”
“No, never said it was, did I?I’m just not surprised that if this crazy shit had to happen to someone, it had to be you.”
She blinked, unsure whether to be offended or not.He seemed to sense that because he huffed again.“Don’t look at me like that.“
“Like what?”
“Like I killed your puppy.”
Her nose wrinkled with distress.“Don’t talk like that.What’s wrong, Shawn?”
He studied her, head tilting to the side as he asked, “Can’t figure it out?”
“Maybe.”She sucked in a shuddery breath.“I suppose.”
“I didn’t…” He broke off, shook his head, and turned away from her.“I don’t think we should be discussing this.Not when you have—”
“Don’t leave me, Shawn,” she whispered, taking a hesitant step forward.“Please.”
“I wasn’t going to,” he said softly.“But last night, when yet again you were holed up in your self-contained solitude, I realized you don’t need me anymore, El.Not with those three guys there to protect you.And I know Shifters.I don’t know a lot about them, granted.But… especially outside of combat situations, they’re loyal to a fucking tee.They’ll protect you with their lives.And because Ryan is who he is, the entire Pride will.You’re safer than your family could ever hope.”
“They don’t give a shit about me,” she stated, disregarding all he had to say but focusing on that.She knew Marc, Ryan, and Trip would protect her with their lives.She knew it like she knew she’d do everything in her power to keep them safe too.She’d known them less than three days, and already they’d taken over her world.
She wasn’t certain how it was possible.Wasn’t certain if it was even sane, but there was no fighting it.
It was what it was.
Just as her feelings for Shawn were as real as the ones she felt for them.
She shuddered as she let the thought sink in.Those feelings had never gone anywhere, and weren’t going anywhere now.Three men to handle or not, it seemed her inner slut wanted a fourth.
The minute the label slipped into her mind, it hurt.Badly.So badly it was like a knife to the gut.But then, she discarded it.She wasn’t a slut.She was, if anything, a good girl.Always had been.
