Page 111 of Fangs and Fudge

“Yours is here,” Shepard said, drawing my attention to where he stood, dressed in a loose pair of shorts. When he took a step toward me, I saw it move obscenely under the soft fabric. My gaze flew to his, and he cocked his head as he closed the distance between us.

“Are you okay? You look flushed.”

“Yep. Fine. Thanks for the food.”

He frowned slightly. “About what happened…”

“What happened?” Vena asked, having swallowed in a large gulp. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing,” I said before cringing and glancing at Shepard.

“That doesn’t look like nothing,” Vena said. “That looks like guilt. Did Shepard scrub your back while he was in there?”

“No. No scrubbing,” I said, taking the plate.

“Oh. Interesting. Everly’s blushing,” she said with a laugh. “So there was some kind of Shepard action. Did you drop the soap?”

I shot Vena a warning look.

“Shutting up and eating,” she said.

I sat on the floor beside her, purposely not looking at Shepard as I took my first bite.

Tomorrow couldn’t come soon enough.

Someone knocked on the suite’s door, and Shepard went to answer it. I only caught a few words of the hushed conversation–MC…Challenge…Pack support–and I realized the next day would bring its own set of challenges for all of us.

Waking in a new place was disorientating. The bed felt way too comfortable, and the room was much darker than at home. Turning my head, I looked over to find Vena sprawled next to me on the king bed, taking up most of the mattress. I hadn’t noticed with all the bedding and pillows.

Swimming to the edge of the bed, I stood with a stretch. The clock on the nightstand read eight. I was tempted to sleep more since we had to work later but knew today was also the day of the challenge between MC and Shepard.

I wasn’t sure what that entailed, but I knew the winner would take control of the D.C. pack. While Shepard was capable, that didn’t mean MC wasn’t just as capable. What would happen if MC took control?

I glanced at Vena and acknowledged it wasn’t a prospect I wanted to think about.

After a quick trip to the bathroom, I peeked out to the common living space to find our clothes yesterday had been cleaned and left in neatly folded piles along with a note on the coffee table.

Let me know when you wake up. I’ll have breakfast delivered. - Shepard

I texted him.

Me: Saw your note. I just woke up. Vena is still sleeping.

Shepard: I’ll be there in a little while. Is there anything you need in the meantime?

Me: We’re good. Thank you.

I glanced at the phone, wondering why the conversation sounded stunted. I realized that was the nature of texts, but at the same time, I wondered if I was thinking too much about the kiss with Shepard.

Taking my clothes, I headed to the bathroom and got ready for the day. By the time I returned to the living room, Shepard had returned.

“Did you sleep well?”

I nodded. “The bed is like sleeping on a cloud. Have you checked on Miles? How is he?”

“He’s fine.”

After a courtesy knock, the door opened and Lisa came inside, leading another woman pushing a food cart brimming with covered plates.

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