Page 5 of Broken-Hearted

“No, you’re not.”

He winks at me. “Kinda looks that way to me.”

I glare at him. “You need to leave.”

“And I will. I’ll be going back to Hardin when my task is complete.”

“And that task is?”

“Bringing you back with me.”

“I’m not going.” My fingers tighten around the door handle as I prepare to slam it shut the second he looks like he might try to force himself into my room.

He leans back, crosses his arms, and closes his eyes. “Well, then, I’ll see you in the morning.”

I stare at him, positive he doesn’t mean it. Then I close the door and walk over to my bed, grabbing my remote from the bedside table as I slip under the sheets.

I was going to take off my jeans and just wear a T-shirt to bed, but no way am I sleeping with no pants when I have a shifter parked up outside my room.

I flick through channel after channel, but my eyes keep straying to my motel room door.

He’s still out there. He cannot still be out there.

I get up, stalk across the room, and pull my door open. “You’re still here.”

He has his eyes closed, arms still folded over his chest, but I’m convinced he’s not sleeping.

“I’m still here,” he echoes.

I stare at him a little longer, then shut the door again and return to my bed.

I try to watch a movie but I can’t focus. He’s out there sleeping on the ground outside my room to protect me, and I have a spare bed that I’m using to eat snacks.

When a wind whips up outside, guilt is an acrid burn in my belly.

I get up and return to the closed door.

Nathan Blackshaw has not moved.

“I have a spare bed.”

He cracks one eyelid open. “Will I survive the night?”

Smart man.

I tilt my head, squinting as I consider my response. “Depends if you stick to your side of the room. One finger on my side… well. No promises.”

He opens both eyes and bounces to his feet. “Warning heard and delivered.”

I walk back in and slide under my sheets as he closes the door and moves to my spare bed.

He reaches for his jeans and I panic. “What are you doing?”

“Getting undressed. I can’t sleep wearing jeans.”

I did not think this decision through long enough. “You can’t sleep naked in the same room as me.”

He lifts an eyebrow. “I’ll be in this bed. You won’t see a thing.”

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