Page 14 of January's Bad Boy: Shane

I let the thought of her moving in with me soothe the anger of wanting to find this client and rip his head off. He and her boss will pay. I just need to do it the right way. Whatever happens, I can't let my anger land me in jail again and take me away from her.

CHAPTER 8

CAITLIN

I don't knowwhen we finally fell asleep, but as the soft morning light starts peeking into the cabin, I reach for Shane only to find an empty, cold bed. Sitting up, I figure there is only so far he can go unless he’s going to leave me stranded here. There’s no way that he’s that kind of man. Definitely not the type to abandon me.

Looking around, I find him by the fire, staring into it.

"Shane?" I ask to get his attention.

When he looks over at me, I can tell by the distant look on his face that he’s a million miles away. Slowly, he stands and makes his way over to me. By the time he gets to the bed, he's back to himself and focused on me as he climbs into bed.

"Sorry. I woke up, and the fire was getting low. Then I was having trouble getting back to sleep and didn't want to wake you up." He brings the covers over us and pulls me back to his side.

When he doesn't say anything else, I can tell he's back in his thoughts again. Wanting to let him work out whatever it is, I cuddle with him for a moment. I try to sit in silence, but I don't want there to be a wall between us anymore.

"What is on your mind?" I can’t hold back, I need to know.

He holds me tighter, taking a deep breath. I try not to tense up at whatever he’s going to say. I want to be open to him and a safe place for what’s on his mind. If something’s bothering him, I want to know.

"My thoughts have been focused on what I want to do with the ranch. I need to get it going and making money again. I've been tossing around a few ideas. At first, I thought about following in my dad’s footsteps, but I changed my mind. I need to make my own path, but I'm not sure my parents would approve. That right there is holding me back," he says, still staring at the ceiling and not looking at me.

My heart breaks for him. I know what it's like to have unconditional support, but I can only imagine what he's been through being in prison and having people question everything he does. I'm sure it changed how people in his life viewed him.

Some of the people I worked with avoided anyone with a record like the plague. It didn’t matter what they had done with themselves since or how much money they had. I've taken on a few of those clients, and they are some of the nicest people I've ever worked with.

"Shane, I didn't know your parents like you or even Atlas did. But once, after you joined the service, I ran into them. I had a nice conversation with your parents. Just general chit-chat until your father told me that he wished you'd take over the ranch. But he quickly added that he was glad you were doing what made you happy."

"When was this?" he asks me with emotion in his voice.

"It was after they had gone out and visited you. They said they hadn't seen you that happy in a while. I think sometime after your first deployment?" I’m trying to remember when exactly, but I’m just not sure.

He's quiet again, so I let him process it. He's so still I might have thought he’d fallen asleep if it wasn't for him rubbingcircles on my arm ever so slightly. How can that simple gesture cause goose bumps to race across my skin? And now there is wetness pooling at the apex of my thighs. This isn't the time to jump him again, no matter how much I want him.

"I want to bring in ex-cons like me. Ones who need help to get back on their feet. I’ll give them a job and a place to stay in return for them helping with the ranch. Also, I want to rescue horses like the ones in the barn. Maybe bring in some cattle or possibly some rodeo stock to make money."

I think it over for a moment. It speaks volumes to the kind of guy Shane is. He got through the other side of whatever he had to go through, and now he's turning around and helping the next person.

"Honestly, I think it's a good idea."

His body freezes, and I wonder if I said the wrong thing. Before I can ask, he moves so he is leaning on his arm and looking down at me.

"You do?" he asks, not even bothering to hide the shock on his face and in his voice.

"Yeah. I know people have a stigma against anyone who has gone to jail. But it’s another stereotype. No way they are all bad. At my job, I’ve worked with quite a few ex-convicts. They totally turned their lives around and were CEOs of decent-sized companies, making loads of money. Yet there were people I worked with who still treated them like the scum of the earth. They were some of the nicest people I’ve met and worked for. If I had to guess, I think they were grateful to be treated normally.

So, your idea is to work with them and give them a better chance outside jail? I think it's an amazing and worthwhile plan." I tell him honestly.

The look on his face is a mix of wonder and possibly love. But I'm pretty sure that is just my mind playing tricks on me. I don't get to study him because he leans in and kisses me. Kissing issuch a simple word to describe the kiss. The amount of passion and intensity might show how grateful he is that I'm supporting him. Or it could be something else?

As Shane's tongue dances with mine, the kiss deepens. His strong muscular arms envelop me and he pulls me against his hard body. I melt into his embrace, the heat from his skin seeping through the thin fabric of my shirt. When we finally break apart, we’re both breathless.

He rests his forehead against mine. "I was so worried the idea would send you running," he admits, barely above a whisper.

"I'm not going anywhere." I wrap my hand around the back of his head, attempting to pull him down for another panty wetting kiss. But he stops me.

"How will that work with you going back to New York? Where will that leave us?" he asks harshly.

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