21. Shane
Chapter 21
Shane
K aycia insists on buying a case of beer for Max to thank him for letting us borrow his truck. She has no idea that I already gave him a bottle of whiskey for keeping watch over our building most of the week in his falcon form. He’s confirmed that the stranger from the store hasn’t come back. No news is good news, allowing me to let my guard down over the past few days.
“Wanna grab dinner before we go home?” I ask, swinging my arm over her shoulder as we step off the steps from Max’s condo.
“Sure! I also want you to tell me about this secret getaway you promised me,” she replies with a sharp poke to my ribs.
“You have to pack light,” I answer cryptically.
“What do you mean?”
“You have to travel light if you’re going to ride with me.”
“On your bike?” Kaycia’s eyes widen and her steps halt. “Shane, I dunno.”
I pull her closer. “It’s just a little over an hour away from the city as long as traffic is light over the bridge. I promise I’ll keep you safe.” Running my thumb over her cheek, she trembles and lets out a shaky breath. When her lips part I can’t help but lean down and kiss her. She has no idea how true my words are. The more time I spend with her, the more my desire to protect her increases.
I’d never do anything to harm her or risk her safety.
Except allow her to get closer to me.
It’s selfish, but I can’t seem to make myself push her away like I know I should. Being with me, especially since the incident at the store, puts her at risk. But I can’t deny how much I like her company, and how much I want to spend time with her. To get to know her more deeply.
So, selfish it is.
When she opens her lips to me, I hold her more firmly, tilting her head back to taste her. I wish we were closer to home so I could carry her back to my apartment, but we’re across town, so that will have to wait. When we break apart, she smiles up at me, tugging her lip between her teeth as though she’s thinking.
“I trust you,” she finally agrees. “I can pack light.”
Dinner is a casual affair, pizza and beer at one of Max’s favorite sports bars down the block, followed by ice cream closer to home. In the fading light, Kaycia’s blonde hair catches the streetlights as they blink on. I listen to her talk about her ideas for the blank canvases she has waiting in her apartment. She still doesn’t know where exactly I’m taking her next weekend, and a part of me regrets not borrowing Max’s truck so she can bring her supplies to my cabin. The skies there are exactly what she’s craving, but I can’t very well pack a large canvas on the back of my bike.
Tension coils in my muscles the closer we get to home, my instincts ratcheting up with each block we walk as I try to unobtrusively scent the air for the shifter that confronted me in the market. I gently pull Kaycia closer to my side where she tucks against me, just in case. Luckily, all I smell is her shampoo and the sharp tang of her arousal. I have to fight the low rumble of pleasure that threatens to escape my chest, smiling at the knowledge that she wants me. I meant what I told her earlier, I’m not looking at anyone else while Kaycia’s interested, but I’m not going to press her into anything more serious than she’s ready for. She’s trying to build a life and career here; she doesn’t need my bullshit on her plate, even if I want to be a part of that life.
My wolf is partially to blame for getting attached so quickly and making me fall hard and fast. I could easily explain my attachment away with my animal side, coupled with the long span of loneliness I’ve felt separated from my pack and my family. But I can’t hold my wolf completely accountable for the intensity of my emotions. Kaycia is bright and sweet and talented, not to mention beautiful. She makes me want to go out and introduce her to the city and build memories of our own together. Raquel and Max have taken the edge off my isolation, offering friendship close enough to be family, but it’s not the same. I realize how much I’ve longed for a true companion now that I’ve found Kaycia.
“What are you doing tomorrow?” I ask while she digs her keys out of her bag on our shared landing, inserting them and turning the lock but not opening the door yet.
“Probably finishing a small piece, then I don’t know,” she replies toying with her keys as she glances back at me. “You?”
“Oh, I didn’t realize doing me was an option for you to pencil in on your agenda,” I reply, taking advantage of the opener she gave me.
“Psssh… you’re awful!” she scolds, turning toward me with a laugh. It fades quickly as her breath hitches and she looks between my eyes and lips.
“You like it,” I whisper, stepping closer so she’s pressed against the wood of her door.
“I do.”
The air is charged, like lightning waits to strike between us. That electricity spirals higher when I run my fingers through the hair at her temple, then farther back, pulling lightly so she gasps as she tilts her lips toward me. Her scent threatens to set me off, and I fight the urge to pull her hair harder, to slam her against the door and claim her in the hallway, regardless of who might pop out from the lower floors. I win the internal battle and simply brush my lips against hers, giving her the option to take more from me if she wants.
My girl doesn’t let me down, opening to me with a sigh as she curls her fingers in the fabric of my t-shirt, pulling me closer as I explore her mouth, nipping at her lower lip so she whimpers.
“Come inside,” Kaycia murmurs against my mouth.
“Excuse me?” I widen my eyes in feigned shock, turning her words into another innuendo.
“My apartment, Shane,” she scoffs. “Come inside with me. Stay with me tonight.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice,” I answer, reaching behind her to turn the knob before scooping her up and carrying her into the soft light of her apartment.