Page 65 of Turn Up The Heat

She got it. Despite how different they were, she gothim. And even though Shane couldn’t have her in the long run, he wanted her for every second until she had to go back where she belonged.

“I do want to. As long as you’re sure.” Bellamy paused to give him one last chance to backtrack.

But he didn’t take it. Instead, he nodded, pulling her close. He didn’t want to waste a single second of the time he had with her worrying about the fact that, eventually, he had to let her go. For the next few days and nights, he had her.

And he was going to make the best of it before she went back to her life, in the only place he couldn’t follow her.

22

Bellamy rolled over and slid her arms beneath her pillow, cradling it under her cheek as she inhaled the fresh cedar scent she was fast becoming addicted to. She didn’t open her eyes, just breathed in deep and memorized the feel of the flannel sheets, soft against her body, and the comfortable quiet of the cabin.

She’d told Shane she would stay.

In the grander scheme of things, staying at his place made sense. It wasn’t exactly a secret that she liked him, and the feeling seemed pretty freaking mutual, especially after last night. They had some time before she had to leave to go back to the city, and he wanted to spend it with her. It wasn’t as if they were getting married or anything. For God’s sake, it was four days. Ninety-six hours. Nothing major.

“Hey, are you awake?”

Bellamy fluttered her lids open just in time to catch Shane putting a steaming mug of coffee on the bedside table. He leaned in, his hand brushing her curls, but didn’t sit down on the bed.

“Coffee’s fresh.”

Her insides tightened. Shane was already dressed in his trademark jeans and thermal top, the lean muscles of his forearms showing just enough past the pushed-up sleeves to make Bellamy’s pulse hopscotch.

“Mmm, thanks.” She sat up, rubbing her eyes for a full five seconds before she realized she was naked as the day she was born. Modesty made her scoop the covers to her chest, trying to hold them in place with her palms. Shane’s eyes flared, but then he looked down, probably to give her at least a little privacy as she tried to figure out where they’d flung her clothes. Bellamy patted awkwardly through the sheets with one hand, using the other to try to cover her nakedness.

Oh, fuck it. It wasn’t like Shane hadn’t seen every inch of her, and more than once. He was the one who’d taken her clothes off in the first place. Dropping the covers, she twisted her hair up in a knot and launched a full-on rummage for her bra. Her cheeks burned as she found it tucked in the folds by her feet and put it on, following quickly with her shirt. Looking around for her clothes like this should feel awkward, right? They’d shared a night full of hot sex, sure. But things could be so different by the light of day, and—

Was that bacon?

“I have to go to work in a little while, but I made breakfast if you’re hungry. It’s nothing fancy,” Shane added. His eyes were back on her, and they’d lost none of the intensity of the night before. “But I kind of figure you can’t go wrong with bacon and eggs.”

Bellamy’s stomach rumbled, letting her know it was more than interested. “That sounds really good.”

He nodded. “Okay. I’ll just let you get dressed then.”

She waited until Shane had his back turned before sliding out of bed to scoop her pants and panties off the floor, grimacing slightly at the thought of putting the torturous thong back on. Measuring her options, she decided to forego panties altogether. After all, she was only headed back to the resort to get her things.

Her heart played a healthy game of pinball in her ribcage as she remembered Shane’s request. Maybe he hadn’t been serious when he’d asked her to check out of the resort and stay with him for the rest of the week. Worse yet, maybe he’d said it in the heat of passion and was now totally regretting having asked. It wouldn’t be the worst thing in the universe, right? I mean, sure, it would be a blow to her healing ego, but still. She couldn’t really blame him. People said all kinds of crazy things in bed.

Oh, God, she wanted him to have meant it.

“Bellamy?” Shane’s dark gaze rested on her face. He’d stopped in the doorframe, eyes crinkling in what looked like concern.

She pasted on a too-bright smile and scrambled for her wits. “Sorry, I’m slow to wake up sometimes. You were saying?” She brushed an errant curl from her face and tucked it behind her ear, fully dressed except for the tiny slip of lace and string surreptitiously balled up in her fist. Shane’s eyes swept over her hand, and his jaw ticked under tight muscles.

“I just said to help yourself to whatever you need in the bathroom.” He gestured to the narrow door right outside the bedroom, but didn’t move otherwise.

Bellamy’s bare feet whispered over the floorboards as she rushed to escape. “Right. I won’t be long, and then we can head out.”

“Stop.”

Her feet ignored her brain’s command to go anyway, bringing her body to an abrupt halt at the foot of the bed and giving her no choice but to look at Shane.

“This is about what I said last night, isn’t it.” There wasn’t even a hint of a question in his voice, and his black-coffee eyes were on her, steady and unnervingly hot.

She took a breath.“Look, it’s really no big deal for me to stay at the resort. If you think I should. If you want me to, I mean.” Ugh! She really needed to work on quality control with her common sense.

Shane lifted a sable brow. “Truth?”

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