Page 12 of January's Bad Boy: Shane

Dammit. I need to make sure to bring the extra blankets back here as soon as the weather clears out. So, for tonight I do the only thing I can think of. Against my better judgment, I get up and walk over to the bed. Her eyes watch my every move. I hesitate before climbing into bed with her.

As soon as I get into bed, she snuggles up to my side. Her nose and toes are freezing, and I pull her close and do my best to warm her up. This is the furthest spot from the fire, so it makes sense it is also one of the coldest. Though if I had to guess, the window above the bed must not be airtight. Something else toadd to the to-do list to make sure this place is ready if I need it again in an emergency.

Not that I'm planning to have Caitlin out here again. This is a once in a lifetime occurrence.

"I really liked that kiss," she says, making me freeze.

"I did too." But then add, "I can't fuck things up with Atlas. I'm fucked up enough, and I have to get back on track."

She nods against my chest, and we are quiet for a few minutes.

"Atlas was friends with Bex's father. They served together," she says.

A lump forms in my throat. I know they did. The three of us were inseparable until everything fell apart.

"I know." I try to keep my voice steady.

"All I'm saying is that of all people, Atlas should understand."

"You are leaving soon and if we did this, it wouldn't be casual for me," I tell her, thinking that will be the end of it. New York City is night and day different from Mustang Mountain.

"It wouldn't be casual for me either, Shane. The way I feel about you isn't like anything I've felt before.”

There is no way she can’t hear how fast my heart is racing with her head resting on my chest.

"I know we can figure this out if we really want it," she says as she looks up at me.

"I don't think it's..." I don't have time to register her moving toward me until her lips are on mine again.

She is kissing me, and she wants me. Even knowing my past, even though I'm friends with her brother, she wantsme. Fuck, I'd be an idiot to go through with this, but I know I'd regret it forever if I didn't give us a try.

What little control I have left snaps. Wrapping my hand behind her head, I pull her into me, and properly kiss her. I goslow and take my time, waiting to see if she changes her mind, but she presses her luscious body closer to mine.

I pull back slightly, my breath hitching as I gaze into her eyes. They’re filled with a mixture of desire and lust.

"You sure about this, baby?" I need to know she isn't going to regret this. That she is as all in as I am.

She nods, her eyes never leaving mine. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life. I want you, Shane. All of you."

Her words ignite a fire within me, and I crash my lips back to hers, kissing her with a passion I didn't know I possessed. I trail kisses along her jaw and down the column of her neck, making her tremble. She tilts her head back, giving me better access. I nip and suck at the sensitive skin there, marking her as mine.

My hands slip beneath her shirt, caressing the smooth expanse of her stomach before cupping her breasts. She gasps as I roll her nipples between my fingers, teasing them into stiff peaks.

"Shane," she moans.

At the way she says my name, my dick gets so stiff it feels like it’s going to burst out of my boxers.

Sitting up, I pull my shirt over my head and toss it aside. Caitlin's eyes darken with desire as she takes in my muscular chest and abs. She reaches out, her fingers tracing the tattoo over my heart - a reminder of my past mistakes.

Her touch is gentle, as if she's memorizing every line and curve of my body. I shudder beneath her fingertips, and my skin erupts in goose bumps. No one has ever touched me like this before, with such tenderness and care.

I capture her hand, pressing a kiss to her palm before guiding it lower, letting her feel what she does to me. Her breath hitches as she traces the hard length of me through the thin layer of my boxers.

"See what you do to me, baby?" I groan, my hips rocking into her touch.

I can't resist any longer. I need to feel her, all of her. When I tug at the hem of her shirt, I’m silently asking for permission. She sits up, allowing me to pull it over her head and toss it aside. My breath catches in my throat at the sight of her, bare before me save for a pair of lacy panties. Her breasts are flawless. Not too big, but a perfect handful for my large hands.

"You're so beautiful," I whisper.

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