Page 66 of My Grumpy Billionaire Protector

Evie sucks in a deep breath and hesitates. Then she crawls forward and curls up next to me, our fingers still intertwined. My heart hammers against my chest when I throw an arm over her shoulders and tuck her closer.

What the fuck are you doing, Shane?

Yet, I can’t bring myself to stop, even when she tells me that Hayes and Felix are outside. I have a brief image of them, with their heads bent together, wearing confused and wary expressions. However, it vanishes when Evie’s body curves against mine, and she sighs.

“I don’t know what to tell you to make you feel better.”

I lower myself onto the mattress and flip onto my side. “Being here helps.”

Evie studies my face. “What are we doing, Shane?”

“Talking.”

“You know what I mean.”

I pry my fingers away and shove them under my pillow. In the soft glow of the moon, she looks different, ethereal, and the sleep-addled part of my brain wonders if this is part of my dream.

Maybe I haven’t woken up yet…

I’m suddenly grateful that Cory and Pierce are sleeping somewhere else, having struck some kind of bargain with Felix and Hayes.

“I don’t know.”

“Do you want me to go?”

“Do you want to go?”

Evie swallows. “I should.”

“That’s not what I asked.”

Evie clears her throat. “No, I don’twant to go, but that doesn’t mean I should stay.”

I inch closer to her and press my forehead against hers. “I know.”

“I believe you,” Evie whispers, her eyes moving over my face. “About not being involved in any of this… but I don’t know how that helps or if that even makes a difference.”

My heart stops and starts up again. “Of course it makes a difference. We’re going to get out of here, Evie.”

A short while later, Evie’s breathing evens out. I lean back, and my eyes roam over her face. I bring the covers up over her body and tuck her in. A moment later, she rolls away from me, and my stomach dips.

This time, when I fall asleep, it doesn’t take long, and I only wake up when I feel a leg brush against mine. I realize I’ve moved closer to Evie in my sleep. I have my head pressed into the back of her neck and my arms wrapped around her waist. Half of me freezes and screams at me to pull away and go back to my side of the bed, keeping as much distance between us as possible to protect myself. The other half stays still, the way she feels pressed against me is clouding my judgment.

Fuck.

After shaking my head, I settle back against her, and she murmurs in her sleep. She doesn’t move away from me, only inches closer, and every last bit of resistance melts away. I lift a hand up, brush her hair away from the back of her neck, and press a soft kiss there. I ease my head back onto the pillow and close my eyes.

In my dreams, it is Evie who is in the cage next to mine.

EVIE

The first thing I notice is that someone’s warm breath is on the back of my neck.

The second thing I notice, when my eyes flutter open, is that the gray wall opposite me isn’t the one I’ve grown used to. Somewhere in the distance, I hear the chirp of birds, and when my vision focuses, I realize there are rays of hazy, buttery light dancing on the floorboards beneath me. Slowly, I stretch my legs out and twist, coming face to face with Shane. He stirs and removes his arms, making a low noise in the back of his throat.

You can still leave, Evie. Get up and sneak back to your own room. Felix and Hayes aren’t going to say anything. Not unless they want to get in trouble.

As soon as the thought crosses my mind, Shane’s eyes fly open, and his warm hazel eyes turn molten. “Good morning.”

---