Page 44 of Shielding Aubree

Aubree shifted against him and half-roused herself. "Ruben?"

He combed her hair back from her face, loving the feel of her thick wavy hair against her fingers. "Yeah?"

"You stayed?"

She sounded a little confused.

"Yeah, I stayed." He could have said that he stayed so she wouldn't roll off of the chair. He could have said a lot of things, but he didn't want to give her excuses, just the truth. "I wasn't ready to let you go."

She opened her eyes just the littlest bit, peering up at him in the dark of the room. "Ruben?"

"Hmmm?" He felt her hand move up and down his side, likely seeking his warmth.

He reached above his head and drew down the blanket from the back of the couch. He tucked it around her, and she sighed, her arm wrapped around his chest.

She hummed softly. "Mmm glad you stayed."

"Me, too."

He felt it when she fell back asleep. The subtle tension in her arm eased and her shoulders relaxed.

Ruben looked down into her face and smiled. Awake or asleep, she was insanely beautiful.

He couldn't believe that he was there beside her.

"I dreamed of this someday," he spoke softly as he trailed the backs of his fingers against her cheek. "Having someone sleeping beside me. But nowhere in my dream did I ever imagine the peace that I feel when I'm touching you."

10

Aubree woke up and for the first time in a long time, she felt relaxed and well rested.

Opening her eyes she saw the couch across the room. The couch she'd fallen asleep on the night before.

Well, she'd fallen asleep on Ruben on the couch.

The soft hiss of sizzling bacon on the stove top turned her head.

The scent was incredible, but what was even better was the sight in front of it.

Ruben in well-worn jeans and no shirt.

Turning on her side, she felt the sheets beside her, and they felt warm.

Maybe it was just wishful thinking on her part, but that's what it felt like. Smoothing her hand over the empty spot on her bed, she let out a soft groan. "Careful," she mumbled into the quiet of the room, "don't get burned."

"Oh. I've got this. If there's one thing I can do, it's cook bacon." His shoulders shook with laughter. "And eat bacon." He turned to look over at her and her breath caught in her lungs.

What would it be like to have this kind of a life every day?

Ruben here, in her space.

Intheirspace.

She felt something shift inside of her and an ache developed between her legs. Her breasts swelled and grew heavier. Her nipples-

Aubree lifted the flat sheet she used as a blanket and tossed it off of her body. Just thinking about him made her too hot to have things touch her skin. "Can... can I help?"

Ruben shrugged. "Things are almost done. You can just come and take a seat at the table."

---