Page 28 of Callen's Captive
“You’re very well built, Callen, at least the parts I’ve seen.”
When he noticed her sultry look, his cock responded, and suddenly the idea had appeal. “I’m not opposed to private shows, but if I’m going to make a living off of it, you’re going to have to find something to shove down my pants.”
“I wish I had known that before I spent all my singles.”
“I wasn’t talking money, Princess,” he said as he backed her against the wall.
Her breathing picked up and her eyes hooded, reminding him again of how breathtaking she’d look in his bed waking up naked and wrapped in nothing but a sheet, after a long night of lovemaking. His hand slipped under her t-shirt. The soft skin of her stomach felt glorious beneath his fingers.
“Callen,” she said, before a slight moan escaped those perfect lips.
His hand brushed over her ribs, causing the slightest tremor, but it was when he traced the side of a breast that he knew he never should have touched her. She was like a drug that he’d easily become addicted to. Already, he needed to taste her again.
As his mouth came down on hers, her hands wrapped around his neck. Her expression betrayed a longing, a need to enjoy and lose herself in pleasure for a while. The feel of her tongue, firm and strong, heated his need for her. Even as his hand slipped under her bra, he marveled at how she melted from the slightest touch. His thumb caressed her marvelously taut bud surrounded by smooth, silky flesh.
She began to pull away, mentally and physically. His hand slid free, but he wasn’t ready to let her go, not when it felt so right having her body flush against his. His cock was throbbing with the anticipation of sinking into her. He was doing all he could to keep from pressing his hips against her because she didn’t seem ready for him.
“I. . .” She didn’t have the words, but she didn’t need them. He understood.
“It’s fine,” he said, stepping away. Already his hands felt empty, but he remembered the feel of her skin, the taste of her lips.
She stayed plastered to the wall, her breathing heavy and her eyes fully focused on him. “That was nice, really nice.”
“But we’re both tired and need some sleep, right?” he said. They both knew that’s not what had stopped her, but he had to respect her wishes, even if he didn’t understand why she had pulled away.
She found a spot on the cement floor and laid down. “Why do you strip before shifting?”
“Shifting shreds our clothing. We have nothing to wear when we shift back to human form unless we take the time to strip first. There are times we don’t have the chance to strip, like earlier today, when there’s an immediate threat.”
“That makes sense. I’ve never seen anyone shift. Does it hurt?”
“For some. Weaker shifters take longer to shift, and longer shifts are more painful. Though nothing’s as painful as going up against Aloe when you’ve busted out of more clothing than she deems acceptable.”
“Aloe?”
“Aloe’s in charge of clothing for the pack. Specifically repairs and making new clothes. She gets pissed if we shred too many items in a month, but she’ll never say it to our faces. I’m convinced she’s got an unofficial quota for each of us based on our jobs. Shifters on patrol are expected to shift more, on a moment’s notice, as is anyone sent out on missions. Others like the teachers, maintenance crew don’t need to shift often, at least not in an emergency situation, so when they shift, they darn well better strip first.”
“Seriously? You have a clothing allowance?”
“Not in writing or anything like that. Let me put it this way, a few weeks ago when I put on a pair of pants she had repaired, the crotch was missing. That was her way of sending a message to start stripping or sew my own clothes.”
“She’s trying to get your people to be considerate. I can imagine how much work repairing all those clothes must be, especially if everyone’s constantly shredding them.”
“You got all that from crotchless jeans? Man, maybe I should have you talk to her, swing a deal for me or something. I’m tired of borrowing stuff from Frank. He makes me pay interest.”
“How does one pay interest on borrowed clothing?”
“Believe me, Frank finds ways. I end up doing odd jobs that aren’t mine or even Frank’s, all because I owe him.”
“Your friends sound interesting.”
“They’re good shifters. I’m sure you’d like them. You’d fit in.”
* * *
KATE
Fit in?She had never fit in anywhere in her life, and Callen thought she’d fit in among a bunch of shifters in the middle of the woods? Wow, he really didn’t know her.
