Page 54 of My Grumpy Billionaire Protector

Shane peers at me. “I’m pretty sure you’re thinking of the wine.”

“Nope. It’s you.”

Shane slowly removes his arm, but he remains pressed against me. “Okay, that’s fair. When I’m sure you’re not going to fall over, I’ll step back.”

I frown at him. “Stop being nice. You’re just doing that so I can help you.”

“Actually, I probably shouldn’t be this nice,” Shane murmurs under his breath. He takes a step back, and I do too, leaving a wide berth of space between us. “Isaiah wants me to charm you in the hopes that it’ll inspire you to find a way to convince the governor to help. I don’t even know why I’m telling you this. You barely like me enough as it is.”

“My problem isn’t that I don’t like you.”

Shane blows out a breath. “You’re making this really hard, you know?”

“What are you talking about?”

Shane makes a vague hand gesture. “This. You.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Did I manage to find the human underneath the mask?”

Shane presses his mouth into a thin white line.

I cover the distance between us in staggering steps and poke his chest. “You feel like a human. Hell, sometimes you even act like one, so I don’t understand why.”

Shane holds himself still and looks down at me. “What don’t you understand?”

“Why you won’t turn on Isaiah. Why, in spite of the fact that you own your own company and have plenty of money, you still haven’t been able to find us a way out. Most of all, I have no idea why I’m attracted to an asshole like you,” I say, my eyes widening into saucers. I hastily take a few steps back and cringe. “Fuck. I didn’t mean to say that out loud.”

“Which part?”

“The last one obviously.”

Shane exhales. “It’s okay.”

“It’s not. I shouldn’t be attracted to you, much less like you.”

“Evie, in case it wasn’t obvious when I kissed you last night, I’m attracted to you too.”

I stare at him as I stagger back to the wall for balance. “You are?”

Shane bridges the gap between us, and my breath hitches in my throat. “I don’t want to like you either, but you drive me crazy. All the damn time.”

As soon as the words leave his mouth, I launch myself at him, my lips descending on his. Shane stills, then he melts against me. His fingers move over me, slowly, sensually until he hoists me up. I wrap my legs around his waist.

He tastes better than I remember, like mint and spices.

I gasp when his mouth moves from my mouth to my neck, sucking and nipping at the sensitive skin there. Shane maneuvers us backward, and I throw my head back, a low moan pouring out of me.

Slowly, Shane lowers me onto the bed and takes a step back. He rakes his fingers through his hair and captures both of my hands in his. “Are you sure about this?”

I open my mouth to respond and end up nodding instead.

Shane’s expression tightens. “I need you to say it, Evie.”

“I’m sure.” My voice is a whisper, soft and breathless.

Suddenly, Shane is pressed against me again, all hard muscles and warm skin. He smells like sandalwood and lavender. My pulse quickens as he lifts the hoodie up over my head and the sweatpants follow soon after. Then my fingers are fumbling with the zipper on his jeans, and my breath is coming out in short, uneven spurts.

We fall back onto the mattress when we are both naked, and I catch a glimpse of Shane’s tan and naked form. I use my fingers to trace his skin, starting from the back of his neck, down the slope of his back, and stopping at his ass. With a smile, I give it a firm squeeze, and Shane growls in response.

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