Ummm She licked her lips. Define fun.
Quit doing that, jailbait. Its distracting.
The whole idea that somebody would even think of her as jailbait was tremendously exciting. Especially Shane. She tried to hide that, and act like she wasnt quaking on the inside like a Jell-O fruit salad. So now you want me to stay up? I thought you said I should go to bed.
You should. He didnt put any particular emphasis on it. Cause if you stay down here, theres going to be fun. Im just saying.
Video game fun?
His eyes widened. You want to play video games?
Do you?
You are the weirdest girl.
Please. You live with Eve. She was not doing this right. How did girls seduce boys? What did they say? Because she was pretty sure that talking about video games and bringing up roommates wasnt in the have-fun game plan. She was hyperaware of her body, too. How was she supposed to move? She felt awkward, all angles, and she wanted to be one of those graceful girls, all delicacy and elegance. Like in the movies.
Eve would know. Shed had those garter hose on, and those thong panties, and Claire didnt even own those things, or have any idea how to get them. And Eve had worn them for Michael, or maybe just as a secret little excitement for herself around Michael. Yeah, Eve would know what to say.
Say something sexy, she commanded herself, and in a blind panic, she opened her mouth and blurted, Do you think theyre doing it? She was so appalled that she clapped both hands over her mouth. Shed never in her life wanted to take back words so much, and so fastand for a second, Shane just looked at her, like he couldnt figure out what she was talking about.
And then he laughed. Man, I hope. Those two could use a gooduh He blinked and she saw her age flash in front of his eyes. Hell. Never mind.
Words werent working for her. She leaned forward and kissed him.
It felt weird, and awkward, and he didnt immediately respondmaybe he was too surprised. Maybe she was doing it wrong, or shed been wrong to make the move on him.
His lips parted under hers, damp and soft and warm, and she forgot all of that. Her entire life focused in on the sensations, the gentle pressure that grew more intense the longer the kiss went on.
Chaste kisses, then dirtier ones, and man, those tasted good. They tasted better the wider her mouth opened, and especially after his tongue touched hers.
She could have done a whole semester of kissing with Shane. Intense personal study. With lab classes.
Time really wasnt happening for her, but eventually Claire realized that there was a soft glow coming from the windows, and she was numb and sore from sitting on the floor. She winced as a muscle in her back protested, and Shane reached out, pulled her up, and settled himself on the couch.
He stretched out, and extended a hand to her. She stared,tingling and confused. Theres no room.
Plenty of room, he said.
She felt breathless and kind of wild, stretching out on the tiny area of sofa cushion available next to him, and then smothered a yelp as Shane picked her up and draped her over his chest and, oh my God, over all the rest of him, too.
Better? he asked, and raised his eyebrows. It was a real question, and he was looking for a real answer. Claire felt a blush building a fire in her cheeks, but she didnt look away from his gaze.
Perfect, she said.
It felt like being naked, except for all the clothes. The kisses this time were wet and urgent and deep, and the feeling of Shanes muscles tensing and relaxing under her was incredibly exciting. This should be illegal, she thought. Well, it was kind of illegal. Or would be, if any clothes came off.
Shane might not have been Michael, with all the responsibility,but he definitely wasnt that impulsive. At least, not with her. His hands roamed, but never to places where she wanted them tobadlyand some of the places they roamed made her wonder why shed never wanted someone to touch her there before. Like the small of her back, where the skin dipped into a shallow valley. Or the back of her neck. Or the inside of her arms. Or
As he was bringing his hands up her sides, his fingers just barely brushed the outer curve of her br**sts, and she gasped into his mouth.
Shane immediately sat her upright, and moved to the other end of the couch. His face was flushed; his eyes were bright and no longer looked even a little bit tired. No, he said, and held out his hand like a traffic cop when she tried to scoot closer. Red flag. If you make that sound again, we are in trouble. Or I am, anyway.
But Claire felt that blush creeping in again, and had no idea what it was going to be like to put this into words. What about you? You know She made a vague gesture that could have been anything. Or nothing. Or anything.
Dont worry about me. I needed this. He was still breathing deeply, but he did look better. Steadier. More likeShane, instead of that lost and hurt little boy terrified of his nightmares. So? Did we have fun?
Fun, she agreed faintly. So much fun she felt like a fizzed-up soda, ready to burst. Um, I need to
Yeah, me, too. But Shane made no move to go. Claire swallowed hard and took the course of the better part of valor, up the stairs to her room. She shut the door and locked it, threw herself on her brand-new mattressshe hadnt even put sheets on it yet, and they were a little light on blankets after using most of them to fight the fireand bounced. The room smelled like a wet smoky dog, but she didnt care.
Not at all.
Fun.
Oh yes.
Chapter Eight
Around noon, Claire heard the doorbell, and ran downstairs. Shane was lying on the couch, sound asleep. Still no sign of Eve, and she didnt expect to have any Michael sightings, given the daylight hours. She raced down the hall to the door, which was braced with a wooden chair as a temporary lock, and hesitated.
Michael? You there? A chilly breeze swept across her, ruffling her hair. Wow. He was strong today. Can I open the door? One for yes, two for no.