Fall From Grace(53)

Then his eyes really focused on me.  “You’re not dressed, are you?  Is that your sheet?”

I held the sheet tighter and looked away.  “What. Do. You. Want?”

Without warning, he stalked toward me.  My breath caught in my throat.  In the bright moonlight, streaming through the open window his eyes looked so intense, like icy glaciers.  God help me, why was the first thought in this body to find some way to melt those glaciers?

I backed up until he cornered me against the wall, slamming his open palms against it.  He smelled like whiskey and cheap perfume.

He slowly leaned his body into mine, backing me tight against the wall.  Instinctively, I pushed my hands up against his chest. His shirt was wet from the snow and his body trembled beneath it.  My traitorous sheet fell to the floor.

“Shane, stop,” I breathed.

He rested his forehead against mine, his hands slide over my shoulders down to my waist; slow and gentle.  Oh, my God, did his touch feel good.

Brushing his lips across my cheek, he buried his face in my hair, “Grace, all I want to do it kiss you right now,” he whispered.  Softly, he pushed my hair back and grazed his lips along my neck.  His lips were warm and soft; I wanted them all over me.  This was too much.

“Shane, please,” I whispered.  Why was I saying please? Please kiss me?  Please let me forget who I am?  Please stop?

He pulled back slowly, his eyes meeting mine. My heart was dancing wildly in my chest.  His expression was full of sadness and hunger.  “Just tell me why I got crazy thinking you were going home with Ethan?  Tell me why I want to kill any man that looks at you?  Grace, I don’t want to feel this way.”

His hands subtly slid to my waist, one finger hooked itself under the lace trim of my panties.  I let out an audible sigh.  This was too close, too tempting.

“Shane.  Stop, you’re drunk, you’re soaking wet, you are so cold you’re trembling.”

He stumbled away from me, “I’m not trembling from the cold, Grace.”  He sank down onto my bed and hung his head in his hands.  In the dim light, he looked like a defeated little boy.

Wrapping my sheet around my body again I opened my door, walked to Lea’s bedroom, and knocked for her.  She sleepily stepped out into the hallway and I pulled her into my doorway to look at Shane.  She gave me a confused look and pushed me back into the hallway.

“What the hell is he doing?  It smells like a liquor store in your room!” she whispered.

“He must have climbed the fire escape.  He knocked on my window after I hung up on him.”  I shrugged.  “He’s been quite hands-on in there.  I feel mauled.”

“He didn’t do anything to you, did he?”

I shook my head.  “No, but God, Lea, the way he touched me I freaking wanted him to.  That was so damn erotic and I can’t believe I just said that out loud to you.”

She gave me another confused look.  “So, why are you in the hallway with me?”

“Lea, that’s Shane in there.  He’s probably been with more women than I could count. The only difference I’d be to him is that he would actually know my name.  Look, he’s soaking wet from being in the snow. Can I have one of Conner’s shirts and pants and stuff.  Oh, and can I borrow a shirt and pants from you. I haven’t done laundry.”

Running back into her room, she emerged not even two minutes later with a pile of clothes for me.  I immediately dressed in the hallway, not wanting to do so in front of him.  If he looked at me with those hungry eyes again, I didn’t trust this body to say no to him.  Hormones suck.