Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Shelly

W hen Shelly woke up, the first thing that hit her was an amazing spicy musk and warmth that had her pressing her body further against the person lying next to her. Person lying next to her?

Her eyes flew open, and she turned her head to look at the still sleeping man. His dark brown hair was disheveled, and his lips were slightly parted in his slumber. Shelly tightened her hold on his waist and smiled when a quiet purr sounded and he rolled toward her, trying to wrap her up tight in his arms.

The need to pee wasn’t going to wait, so she quickly slid out of the way and replaced her body with her pillow, giving him something else to cuddle with. Then she tiptoed across the one-room space and into the bathroom and took care of her business.

As Shelly stood at the sink washing her hands, she stared at herself in the mirror and internally checked for any signs of alarm or hesitancy. Anything to tell her that the man in the other room was a person she shouldn’t believe in .

There was nothing.

The truth was Shelly trusted Crash. She was comfortable with him in a way she hadn’t been with another man in her entire life. Being with him was natural. When they talked, the conversation flowed and never felt awkward or forced. She wasn’t compelled to find just the right words or filter herself to come off as something she wasn’t. She liked the way he looked at her, talked to her, treated her, and prioritized her. When she spoke, he paid attention. He didn’t glance around the room, stare at her tits, or do any of the other crap men had done in the past that let her know they weren’t listening to a word she said. No, Crash heard every word. He wanted to hear every word. And she felt the same way about him.

During their conversations the night before, she knew he wasn’t in town for much longer. He had mentioned that he was supposed to be heading back home within the next few days, but he hadn’t put a plan in place. Crash had only mentioned that if he stayed in town past that night, he’d have to find another room or pay for a longer stay. The impression she got was that he didn’t want to leave without knowing for sure what was happening between them.

Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Shelly made a decision. She would ride this train for as long as the journey suited her and see where she ended up. With a little luck, it would be on the back of a motorcycle with her arms around a tiger shifter who wore leather and treated her as if she hung the moon and stars.

“He does call you ‘Lucky,’” she whispered to herself and shrugged.

Crash

Water. He needed water.

And he needed his damn tiger to shut the hell up. That was the only thing Crash could process as sleep faded and he slowly regained consciousness. The animal was snarling and prowling inside of him, demanding he act, but he wasn’t awake enough to figure out what in the fuck he wanted him to do. Without opening his eyes, he yawned and rolled over, taking the pillow he was cuddling with him.

“And the beast awakes,” a sweet, southern drawl purred from a few feet away.

Slowly, Crash opened his eyes to find a beautiful dark-haired woman staring back at him. She was sitting in the armchair that was situated between the bed and the window, looking at him with her chin propped up in her hands and her elbows resting on her knees.

Lucky .

As visions of their date from the night before flooded his mind, a gorgeous smile graced her lips. “So, checkout is in an hour. Where are we going next?”

Crash stared at her, taking in the easy acceptance in her green eyes. She wasn’t hesitant or holding back. She was gazing at him as if she was ready to take the ride as it came, and just as excited about the destination as she was curious. A purr rolled up his chest moments before he shoved the pillows and blankets out of the way and reached for her.

Pulling her onto the bed and under him, he let his eyes glow blue as his lust took over and he answered her question, “I’m going down.”

As he moved down her body, sliding clothing aside and kissing every inch of skin he revealed, she let out a nervous laugh. “Uh… okay.”

He paused in his slow descent, looking up at her. “Unless you aren’t okay with this.”

She let out a very unladylike snort. “There will rarely be a time when I’m not okay with this. This is not one of those rare times.”

He grinned. “Good.” Then he went back to what he was doing. “Normally, I like to take my time, but we don’t have much at our disposal, so this will have to be quick. When we get to the U.P. and my place, we won’t be leaving for a couple days.”

While he was helping her remove her panties, and she was pulling off his tee that she had worn to sleep in, she asked, “Is that where we’re going? I’ll have to make arrangements for my stuff. ”

He tossed her emerald green panties on the floor and rose to his knees between her spread legs. Meeting her gaze, he swallowed hard around the lump of emotion her easy acceptance brought to him. “Just like that, you’re willing to come with me?”

She shrugged. “I’m following my gut, Crash. My gut says you’re a good guy, and it sounds like a fun adventure. I’m bringing my car, though.”

He would love to make the trip with her riding on the back of his bike, but he could compromise, especially if it meant his mate would be willing to follow him home. Giving a nod, Crash cleared his throat. “Whatever you want, Lucky.” He reached down and dragged a hand down the center of her naked body, starting at her sternum and ending at her mound. Circling her clit with his thumb, he repeated, “Whatever you want.”

Lucky let out the sweetest moan as her body arched off the bed and her breasts pushed up, offering themselves to him.

“Gonna make you happy, Lucky. I promise.”

And he meant every word.