Page 14 of Infatuation

Before, she had been sexy. There wasn’t anything she could wear that would make her look ugly. Shannon personified beauty. Now, though, she looked...cuddly. Due to the cold weather, she had pulled on soft, pink sweats. They shouldn’t make her any more attractive, but they did. Just seeing her that way made his body respond. He wanted to do nothing more than pull her into his arms and snuggle. Then fuck her until neither of them remembered their names.

The thought had his brain almost shutting down. From the time he’d been medevac’d out, he had been out of it. Even thinking about Shannon hurt. He had thought that there was a good chance he couldn’t be the man for her anymore. He knew he couldn’t. Right now, he was desperately trying not to imagine her tied to his bed as he pleasured her.

“Of course I’m making fun of your cooking. It sucks,” Mal said, agreeable.

“No pancakes for you,” she admonished, but she smiled when she said it.

“Okay, I take that back. Everything Shannon makes sucks, except for her pancakes.”

Deke smiled at her. "Cooking isn’t that important when a woman can look as beautiful as you do in a pair of sweats.”

Shannon laughed and placed her hand on Deke’s shoulder in a friendly gesture. Something rumbled in his chest at the sight. She glanced at him, her eyes widening a bit.

“I see y’all definitely left me nothing to eat.”

“You don’t eat this late,” Mal said. "Does she, Kade?”

He was still irritated that her hand was on Chief’s shoulder. The contact was far from intimate, but it was driving Kade insane.

“So she claims.”

She glanced at him again, her brows now furrowed. But she said nothing to defy his suggestive tone.

“I ate something earlier, before you got here. I would have been home if you would have told me you were bringing guests.”

“I had to drag these two along.”

She shook her head and went to get herself some water. "What kind of SEAL needs to be forced to come to New Orleans? You boys need to have your heads checked out.”

“If I had known you would be waiting here, I would have offered to drive,” Deke said.

She laughed. It was that sexy little flirty laugh he loved. And she was doing it for some guy. Some other guy, who was looking at her like he had a chance at her.Dammit, didn’t Chief know not to take advantage of Shannon? She washis.

He pulled back from that thought. She wasn’t his. Never would be again.

Fuck, he needed some rest.

“I think I better get some sleep.”

“Do you need anything?” Shannon asked. Her tone was normal, but there was a hint of something else there. He looked over at her, but he couldn’t decide if it was wishful thinking.

“No, just some sleep. It was a long drive from Virginia.”

She nodded in understanding.

“This old man needs some sleep if he’s going to see any of New Orleans tomorrow. Been a while since I’ve been here,” Deke said.

“If you need someone to show you around, let me know. I scheduled myself off the rest of the week to spend time with Mal. I’m sure he will get sick of me within six hours,” Shannon said.

Deke smiled at her. “Thanks.”

Kade and Deke made their way to their rooms. The guest room was right by the stairs, and Deke stopped him there.

“You don’t have a problem if I ask Shannon out while I’m here, do you?”

He wanted to tell him to stay the hell away from Shannon. He wasn’t her type. He was too old. And she was his.

But that wasn’t true. None of it.

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