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I liked the way they all bantered and teased each other. I wanted to be one of them.
I really wanted to talk to Shaw before he left, but with Teresa present, I felt tongue-tied. She might be on her best behavior now but I knew she judged me and it made me uncomfortable around her.
Finally, I followed Shaw outside when he left. “Shaw. Can I have a minute?”
“Of course.”
“I just don’t want to leave things badly… when you’re leaving.”
“I’ll be fine.” He exhaled. “You didn’t do anything wrong the other day. I just don’t want to hurt you.”
“You only hurt me when you stop talking to me, Shaw.”
“Good thing for you that I hardly ever stop talking, then.”
Shaw was driving me mad. I couldn't stop thinking about the flash of sheer horror on his face when he had almost marked me. He had stumbled away as if touching me burned him. And yet, now he was all glib as usual. But there was a distance between us, something cool and distant. He looked untouchable.
And I resolved to touch him anyway.
He was mine, even if he was so afraid to betray Brennan that he couldn't admit it at the moment. But it wasn't a betrayal.
Brennan had been the best, kindest man. If there was magic at play when it came to our mating bonds, it had nothing to do with near-death experiences.
It was Brennan's ghost, guiding us back to happiness.
Shaw was saying something else teasing and ridiculous.
I grabbed his t-shirt, fisted it in my hand, yanked him down to me.
He stumbled forward. I didn't give him the chance to react. Instead, I pressed my lips against his, hard and insistent. It was like trying to set fire to a stone, but I persisted. I felt like I was on fire at the moment anyway.
Finally, he responded, his body softening against mine, his lips parting. He groaned and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer. His tongue teased against mine, his kiss turning urgent. The heat between us built, his body responding to mine in a way that made my head spin.
I finally gripped his arms and pulled away, though the world seemed to spin around us both. For a second, he looked as if he was as speechless as I felt.
Then Shaw recovered himself. In a heartbeat, he was back to his usual self, and he smiled down at me. “Well, you do know how to shut me up.”
I couldn’t bear his habitual light heartedness when I felt as if I’d fracture completely if I lost him. I turned my back and began to walk away, feeling as if my heart was breaking. The day was growing hot for late fall, or maybe I was just overheated from our kisses, or my anger, or both. My cheeks felt too warm.
“Amelia.” He caught up to me in a few strides.
“You have to promise to come back to me.”
“If you’re going to kiss me like that again, I sure will.”
“You don’t need to make everything into a joke, Shaw.”
“I think I do.” His voice was quieter than usual, almost soft. I turned to him, and met intense green eyes. “Anything is easier to bear if you make a joke of it, Amelia.”
Not for me. I shook my head.
“I’ll be back,” he promised. We walked in silence for a few seconds, then he raked his hand through his hair and groaned. “I don’t want to leave when you’re mad at me.”
“I’m not mad at you.”
“If you tell me you’redisappointed,I’m going to…”
“Shaw.”
