Page 25 (1/2)

She was uts How could he have let this happen to her? Why hadn’t he found a way to protect her?

No neers caret that he hadn’t donehalted, and he felt her wake up more fuly, felt her pul a heavy cloak of detach away froain He didn’t kno to get through to her, but he knehat he wanted to do, what he’d been craving since the entle than he felt, he wiped away a wet trail of tears fro herself offsecond

"Don’t," he whispered, his throat tight "Don’t pul away froe flash in her eyes An ocean of blue brightened with understanding "You shouldn’t be here"

"You need er to hersomeone else"

"It’s easy for a man like you to say You don’t need anyone"

Grant pounded on the door "You okay in there?"

"Go away!" growled Caleb

"Those didn’t sound like fun screams She okay?"

"Yes," said Lana in a breathless voice Then again, louder "Yes I’m fine"

"I’l just be, uh, outside, then Sorry"

Grant’s footsteps faded

"If I don’t need anyone, then why is Grant outside watching your apartuarding Stacie?"

She tried to turn away, but Caleb held her chin and made her look at him

"They’re out there because I can’t protect you on my own I need their help, just like you need mine Let me help you Tel me why you’re so afraid"

"I’m not"

"Liar"

Lana’s eyes slid shut "I can’t Just let it go"

"I wish I could, but I can’t Not any to let you destroy yourself like this"

"It isn’t your choice"

Caleb ht If she wanted to ruin her life and keep her secret, there wasn’t much he could do to stop her

Caleb started to ers wrapped around his wrist, pale against his tan skin She hadn’t reached out for him since the incident in the shower, and Caleb hadn’t realized howfor her to do just that

He stared at her hand, unable to take his eyes off her slender fingers

"Wil you stay?" she asked "Just for a while? The dreamsthey’re easier when you hold me"

Caleb’s heart filed up with a bittersweet uilt that she needed hiuilt aside and focused on the joy He didn’t want her accidentaly reading anything into his actions that would ht here

He scooted his body against hers and wrapped his arainst his front and closed her eyes His body huht, happy to be horizontal with the wonored his desire for her asshe’d fal asleep before she’d figure out just how much he wanted her Another inch closer and his traitorous body would give hi pils was on his side, and she fel back to sleep in a few minutes For Caleb, sleep ca on a TV ad that if you had an erection that lasted longer than four hours, it was a bad thing Of course, that was after having taken some medication He wasn’t sure what it er than aspirin

Just the act of taking a shower had him hard Al he could think about was how Lana had sounded when he pressed her against the tile wal, or how she’d tasted when her deh towith a cold blast that had hih his systeh, so to speak, but waking up with his hands on her bare stoers curled just inside the waistband of his jeans was sheer torture Not that it had affected her one bit

She was stil sleeping peacefuly and would stay that way as long as he had anything to say about it He’d unplugged her clock and covered her up to her neck before leaving her roos been different between theue, but that was ination ay too vivid when it caine what she’d look like al stretched out and naked beneath him Her breasts were smal, but her nipples stood at attention every time he touched her Her hips were slim under her jeans, but she had womanly curves that would fit his hands perfectly She was smooth everywhere he touched, and he already knew the unique taste of her skin, her unique scent Woh to make a cynical h brush of a towel He should have just taken matters into his own hand and come out of the shoith a soing to do the trick He wanted Lana Hot and wet and naked Nothing else would even co his itch

When he ca with coffee and donuts "Have I ever told you you’re my hero?" asked Caleb as he puled a double chocolate out of the box

"Get in line Ladies first"

Caleb shook his head and took a sip of coffee strong enough to make his chest sprout new hair Perfect "You can’t have her," said Caleb, only half joking

"I know Between you and David, the world is losing al the good women"

"There are only two of us, and Lana isn’t exactly my woman" The word yet seemed to float between them, unspoken but understood

"You slept with her"

"Fuly clothed"

"Harsh," said Grant with a sy to the term hardship post "

Caleb finished off the donut and went for a second Grant had brought a whole dozen What a guy