Chapter 34
Jamie
Sunlight pierced through the tiny skylight in the kitchen, washing the loft in warm light.
Jamie stirred awake with the warm weight of Shannon’s body plastered against his chest. For a long moment, he stayed still, just watching her, taking in the way her pretty face nestled against him.
He noticed the perfect outline of her lips and lashes fanning across her eyelids, so dark and long.
The way she looked in his arms made his chest tighten. He’d woken up beside beautiful women before and walked away without a second thought. But this…this need hadn’t faded.
After a while, her head lifted, and she sat back, rubbing her eyes.
“Hey…” She offered a shy smile and got to her feet.
“Morning, love. Please, tell me you have coffee?” he mumbled, his voice rough from sleep.
“I’ve got green shit.” She teased, padding toward the kitchen.
Jamie sat forward, resting his elbows on his knees, tiredness still dragging at him.
“I didn’t mean to fall asleep here, love,” he said, watching her. “I’m sorry. You looked so peaceful, so beautiful. I didn’t want to wake you. I just…sorta fell asleep too.”
She gave a small nod, her eyes still a little sleepy, but there was a softness in her gaze that made his dick twitch.
“It’s okay.” She shrugged. “There’s coffee out in the staff room. I’ll go get it.”
His eyes tracked the way she carried herself, already distant and guarded. He knew she needed space, but he couldn’t help the twinge of unease.
“Don’t worry about it, love,” he said, the words slipping out before he could stop them, wanting to make her stay.
But she was already stuffing her arms into a puffy jacket over her pyjamas. “It’s no trouble. I’ll be right back.”
Shannon shoved her feet into a pair of ankle muck boots and bolted out the door.
Jamie rose from the couch and wandered to the bathroom, splashing cold water over his face. He could have blamed the alcohol for showing up unannounced, but that would’ve been a lie.
For days, he’d thought about calling her for a chat, but deep down, he knew she wouldn’t answer .
So, in his drunken, lonely haze, he took control and hopped in a private car.
The plan seemed harmless enough at the time. Just swing by, say hi and make sure she was okay.
When he arrived, though, he didn’t want to leave. And that boozy idea he had to seduce her evaporated the second he saw her sweet face, so pale, tired, with dark circles under her eyes.
So when she fell asleep on his chest, he sat there, content and happy to be the one she trusted to let go with.
Wandering back to the kitchen, he ran a hand through his hair, restless. He opened every kitchen cupboard, hoping to find something to make her breakfast, but all it revealed were bare shelves.
Fuck, the woman didn’t just need a few groceries…she needed a full stock-up.
The only thing to eat was a few packets of crisps, and that sure as hell wasn’t enough to feed his girl. He wasn’t having that.
Pulling out his phone, he searched for the local cafe. Finding it within seconds, he placed a rushed order, tossing in an extra hundred to guarantee the food would arrive hot and fast.
His head swung around when the door clicked open, and Shannon hurried inside, looking sheepish.
"Got it." She waggled the instant coffee jar, kicking off her boots.
"Nice one," he replied, flicking on the kettle. "I ordered breakfast. It'll be here soon."
"Really?" She raised an eyebrow. "I didn't think anywhere around here delivered."
She set the jar on the counter, unzipped her jacket, and shrugged out of it. Hanging it on the hook, she folded her arms across her chest, still radiating that guarded energy.
"Well, now you do." Jamie twisted the lid off the jar, spooning coffee into two mugs.
“I need to freshen up before I muck out the stables. I usually jump in the shower afterward, so you can use it before you leave, if you like.”
She leaned against the counter, silky raven hair cascading over her shoulders, cheeks flushed from the cold air.
Her eyes were even more piercing than before, and when her sweet smile touched her cherry-red lips, it made something inside him tighten.
“Sure.” he said, loving how she swallowed hard when he smiled. “So… How are you? It’s been a long week.”
Her gaze dropped to the mug as he poured in boiling water.
“I’m fine. Really busy with riding and working at Coffee Kicks. Same old shit…”
“Yeah.” He slid a mug across the counter, then glanced at her empty cupboards. “You’ve got fuck-all to eat in this place, love. You need to look after yourself better.”
Shannon shrugged it off, though there was a flicker of embarrassment in her expression. “I haven’t had the time, that’s all. I’ll go later. ”
Jamie’s jaw tightened, his protective streak kicking in. “I’ll go for you. Write me a list of things you need, and I’ll grab it before I head home.”
Her eyes widened, the immediate reflex to reject his offer clear. “No, it’s okay. I’ll go tomorrow.”
A surge of wanting to care for her clawed at him, but there was a conflict in his chest—he wasn’t supposed to care this much.
“C’mon on, love. You’ve got a busy morning. I can spare the time.”
She shook her head, the instinct to keep her independence strong. “I don’t need your money.”
Jamie leaned in just a little, voice dropping, his dominant edge surfacing. “Then give me the money, and I’ll even put it away for you.”
Shannon’s brows furrowed, the pull of his energy proving hard to ignore, but she stuck to her guns.
“Don’t worry about it. Harry invited me for dinner tonight,” she added, the lie almost slipping too easily off her tongue. “I need to get ready now. I’ve got chores to do.”
Jamie’s lips pressed together, trying to suppress the frustration building inside him.
“You’ll eat before you walk out that door,” he muttered, unable to hide the low growl in his voice.
Shannon slipped past him, walking toward her bedroom without another word, and that silence between them flew up like a damn wall, amplifying the tension in his chest .
His fingers gripped the coffee mug as her bedroom door clicked shut, leaving him alone in the kitchen.
He endured the weight of every passing second, his body coiled with a feral need to just march in there and make her stop pushing him away.
Make her understand. He needed to know what was going on behind that guarded exterior.
But that ache to be closer to her wasn’t just physical anymore. It was raw, emotional, and it made him want to throw everything away and just take her with him, back to where he could make sure she didn’t have to live like this anymore.
Jamie was seconds away from barging in and demanding she talk to him when a loud knock at the door broke through his thoughts.
He pushed the urge to go after her aside, grabbing the door handle and forcing himself to focus on the delivery. He’d figure out what was going on with her later.
Shannon stepped out of her bedroom a moment later, her hair pulled back into a ponytail, her figure still commanding in tight breeches, even if the oversized hoodie drowned her shape.
It made no difference because he noticed every inch of her, always.
When her gaze flicked from the spread of food on the counter to meet his, his heartbeat skipped. God, he wanted her, wanted to take care of her.
“I made you breakfast, love,” he said, voice low and playful.
Her lips tugged into a restrained smile, but she fought it back. “That’s quite a spread. I’m sorry, I can’t eat too much before I ride, or I’ll be sick.”
She grabbed a rasher of bacon from the mountain of food and took a bite. “Tastes good.”
He stood, moving into her path, blocking her path. “I want to do this again… Breakfast.”
She swallowed the last bite of bacon, her eyes narrowing. “Don’t, Jamie.”
“We’ll take it slow,” he said, his voice hushed but firm, as he stroked her arm, his fingers lingering.
When she pulled away a fraction, his hand clenched, keeping himself in check.
“I need to focus on myself,” she replied, looking down. “I’ve been honest with you from the start, Jamie.”
He nudged her chin up with his knuckles, forcing her to look at him.
“Look at me,” he ordered.
She met his gaze, her breath hitching as their eyes locked.
“I know you feel something for me,” he said, his tone full of confidence.
“It doesn’t matter if I do,” she shot back, but her words didn’t match the hesitation in her eyes.
“Fuckin’ hell, it does.”
His fingertips skimmed over her pale cheek, his touch featherlight. Dropping his chin, his mouth paused a breath away from her lips.
“Do you want me to kiss you?” he asked.
With a quick flick of her tongue, she moistened her lips, and Jamie saw the raw need in her eyes.
A gaze that begged for him to kiss her, but she still held herself back and folded her arms over her chest.
When she tried to back up, he grabbed her wrist and bumped her into his chest. Her little gasp had his dick growing full and hard.
The pulse in the hollow of her throat went wild, her heartbeat syncing with his own as it hammered against his ribs.
Cupping her cheeks, he secured her face before him and gazed down at her, holding his breath for a moment as the intensity of her stormy eyes threatened to pull him under.
Soft puffs of air from her nostrils brushed against his skin, stirring something primal in him.
Her body pressed closer to his, the heat of her breasts against him sending heat through his veins. Her fingers traced the waistband on his trousers before settling on his hips, tightening their grip with silent permission.
And that was all he needed.
He skated his tongue over the parting of her lips, teasing his own inside. The playful warmth of her tongue against his sent a surge of desire straight to his core, and his stomach flipped, hunger spreading through him.
She whimpered, the sound like music to his ears. He crushed his lips to hers, savouring the salty taste of her. The kiss turned hot, desperate—slippery with the urgency of their connection.