Chapter 10 - Jane

If my eyes could shoot lasers, this whole trailer would be up in flames.

It was bad enough that I had to spend the whole evening pretending to be dating Reiner, but now I’m supposed to let him sleep in my room? If Aunt Gwen doesn’t think I know what she’s up to, she’s got another thing coming. Those two have taken meddling to a new level, and I’m not sure I can take it anymore.

Okay, so fine. Reiner wasn’t completely intolerable tonight. He was kind of… sweet. When he opened up to me out on the porch about his family and his childhood, I couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for him. I mean, I’m not excusing his behavior, but I can understand why he’s such an ass. It’s a coping mechanism. A way to protect himself.

And the way he interacted with my family, it was almost like he was interested. Like he wanted to know everything about them. About me.

Still, that doesn’t mean I want to share a bed with him.

He’s tried to get out of it, so I can’t blame him. Maybe I can talk some sense into them.

“Aunt Gwen,” I begin, “I’m sure Reiner and Jack would be much more comfortable at their own house in their own beds. I don’t think it’s necessary for them to stay the night.”

“Don’t be silly,” she replies. “We’d love to have them. Besides, I don’t want to hear they’ve gotten hurt because you went out in the middle of the night. It’s not safe.”

“It’s perfectly safe,” I protest. “It’s their town—they know it. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

Uncle Richard rubs his chin with his knuckles and says, “I didn’t want to say anything, but I heard some gossip in town today. Someone said there’s rogues running around, and I’d hate to think of you out there, unprotected.”

“Rogues?” I question, and my mind immediately goes to what Reiner told me about what happened to his parents. “What do you mean?”

“Just rumors,” he says. “But it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Okay, obviously I don’t want something horrible happening to them, but the idea of being locked in a room with Reiner all night still makes me nervous. What if I snore? Or drool? Or, oh god, what if I fart?

“But what about poor Jack?” I try. “Look at him, he’s huge! He’s not going to be comfortable on the couch.”

Jack shakes his head. “I’ll be fine. I’ve slept on worse.”

“See?” Aunt Gwen says to me. “It’s all settled. Now, we’re going to head to bed. You kids have fun.”

I want to scream and kick something until they listen to me, but I also realize that if I protest anymore, it’s going to raise some questions. What she-wolf who is head-over-heels for her boyfriend would object so much to sleeping in the same bed with him?

Dammit. I’m trapped.

“Come on,” I sigh, and I turn to lead Reiner down the hall.

“Have a good night!” Jack calls, and I wave without looking back.

“Goodnight!” I say.

When we get to my room, I hesitate. I don’t know how to do this. Do I just strip down and get into my pajamas right here in front of him, or do I go into the bathroom to change? That would look weird, wouldn’t it, considering this is my own room?

But when I think about removing my clothes with Reiner anywhere near me, my stomach turns. I remember the way he looked at me last year, how disgusted he was, and my cheeks heat up. I can’t take seeing that look. Not again.

“Well, this is one for the books, huh?” Reiner jokes. “I don’t think I’ve ever had any girlfriend’s parents insist I sleep with her.”

“They’re not really my parents,” I point out, and I can’t help but laugh. “I’m sorry about that. They’re really embarrassing.”

“No, it’s okay,” he says. “They’re nice. I can tell they love you.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “They do.”

“And they’re right,” he adds. “It’s not safe to be out there at night, not with all the rogues running around. That part was true, by the way, just in case you were wondering if they were making it up. I heard something about it the last time I talked to Rafe. He’s been patrolling the borders.”

“Oh.”

“But it’s not a big deal. Just a few stragglers. They’ll be gone soon.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

I grab a pair of shorts and a T-shirt from my dresser. Like a gentleman, Reiner surprises me and turns around while I change. I turn my back to him as well, and as I strip, I hear the rustle of clothing behind me. Once I’m dressed again, I can’t help myself, and I peek over my shoulder. He’s taken his shirt off, and he’s standing in front of the bed in a pair of boxers.

Oh, shit.

This isn’t the first time I’ve seen him so… exposed. That day, I went to his house and he was completely naked, I just about creamed myself. But this is different. He didn’t know it was me at the door. This is… intentional. He’s just… standing there, and damn, he’s so fucking sexy.

His shoulders are broad and muscular, and his arms are thick and defined. His stomach is flat, and his abs are cut. He’s not overly ripped, but he’s definitely built. And those tattoos. I’ve never been a fan of them, but on him, they’re perfect. He’s so… masculine.

My mouth goes dry, and I swallow hard, trying to bring moisture to my tongue.

“Jane,” he says, and his voice is low and gruff.

“Yeah?”

“You’re staring.” That trademark smug grin is back, and I realize he’s caught me.

“I’m not,” I argue, and I’m pretty sure my cheeks are bright red.

“You are,” he teases. “And I’m not complaining. You can stare at me any time you want.”

“Whatever,” I scoff. I scurry over to the bed and climb in, pulling the covers up to my chin.

“Are you shy?” he laughs, and the bed dips as he climbs in next to me.

“No,” I lie.

“You are,” he says. “That’s adorable.”

“Shut up,” I grumble.

“Make me.”

“What are we, five?” I roll my eyes.

He rolls over to face me, propping his head up with his hand. “This reminds me of when I would hook up with girls back in high school. They’d sneak me into their bedrooms, and we’d try so hard to be quiet because her parents were in the next room. It was a huge rush.”

“You’re so romantic.”

“Hey, I was a teenage boy. All I could think about was sex.”

“And now you’re a man,” I say. “And what do you think about now?”

“Sex,” he says wryly. “But I’m more sophisticated now. I think about multiple positions and locations.”

“Wow,” I snort. “So, you’re like a real Casanova. A regular Don Juan.”

He laughs and lies back, staring up at the ceiling. “All right, out with it. What’s your weird dating story? I know you’ve got one.”

I press my lips together as I think, running through the options. I’ve had some bad dates and some good dates, but I can’t come up with anything that’s too crazy. “I got nothing,” I finally say.

“Come on, sugar,” he urges. “There’s gotta be something.”

“It’s not like it’s a long list. I’m not nearly as experienced as you are, Mr. Bigshot.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them, and I immediately regret them. The last thing I want Reiner to think is that I’m some inexperienced little girl.

“What does that mean?” he asks.

I blow out a breath, wishing I’d never said anything. “It means, I’ve only had two boyfriends, and neither of them were long enough to…”

“Are you telling me you’re a… virgin?” he echoes, and he turns to face me again. I wish I could disappear under the covers.

“I know, I’m a total loser.”

“No, you’re not,” he says. “You’re just… picky. I don’t blame you. Why settle for less than the best?”

“Ha-ha,” I deadpan. “I’m not picky. I’m just not the most attractive girl in the world, and you can’t blame me for not attracting a lot of attention.”

“Jane.” He says my name like a warning, and he sits up, turning to face me.

“What?”

“You don’t mean that, do you? You’re fucking gorgeous.”

“Yeah, right.”

“I’m serious,” he says. “You’re a knockout. You’re the kind of girl guys fantasize about. Hell, I can’t count how many times I’ve jerked off thinking about how since we met.”

“Reiner!” I gasp, and my cheeks burn. “Jesus, you can’t just say stuff like that.”

“Why not?” He reaches for me, cupping my face in his hands. “It’s true.”

“What are you doing?” I whisper.

“I’m going to kiss you, and I’m going to prove to you how beautiful you are.”

“You can’t,” I protest. “We can’t.”

“I can,” he says, “and I will.”

I should push him away. I should tell him to stop. But I can’t.

He leans in, and his lips brush against mine, tentatively at first, and then he presses harder, his tongue sweeping across the seam of my mouth. I open for him, and he groans.

He’s so strong, so powerful, and I melt against him. His fingers tangle in my hair, and he pulls me closer, his tongue probing, exploring.

I’ve never been kissed like this. I’ve never had a man’s hands on me like this. I’m lost in him, and I don’t ever want to be found.

“Jane,” he whispers, and his voice is husky, needy. “Sugar, you taste so sweet. Like honey.”

“Reiner,” I murmur, and I wrap my arms around his neck, pressing my breasts against his chest.

“You’re so soft,” he says. His hands move down my back to my hips, and he squeezes my ass. “And if your aunt and uncle weren’t right down the hall, I’d really give you something to moan about.”

When he pulls away, I’m left panting and gasping for breath. My entire body is on fire, and I’m not sure I’ll ever recover from that.

“Goodnight, sugar,” he says. “Sleep well.”

I can’t speak. I’m speechless. So, I just nod and roll over, trying to get comfortable.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to sleep tonight. Not with the way my heart is pounding and my skin is burning. Not with the way I can still feel his lips on mine, and his hands on my body.

But eventually, I drift off, and I dream of him.

When I wake up, I’m still tired, but I can’t go back to sleep. Reiner’s arm is slung over my waist, and his body is pressed against my back. His cock is hard and prodding me, poking me in the ass, and I bump against it on instinct.

“Morning, sugar,” he rumbles, his voice husky with sleep.

“Morning,” I reply, and I try to shift away from him, but he holds me tight.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“Um, to get ready?”

“Not yet,” he says. “I’m not done holding you.”

What the hell? Is he serious? I have no idea what to make of this guy.

I bolt upright, fully intent on asking him what the hell he’s talking about, but before I can get a word out, there’s a knock at my bedroom door.

“Jane?” Aunt Gwen calls. “Reiner? Are you awake? We’re getting ready to make breakfast.”

“Be there in a minute,” I call back, and I scramble out of bed.

“Breakfast sounds great,” Reiner says. He stretches, his muscles flexing and rippling.

“It’s a whole production,” I warn him. “You’ll see. It’s a family tradition.”

“I look forward to it,” he replies, and he heads into the bathroom.

I throw on a pair of jeans and a sweatshirt. By the time I’m dressed, Reiner emerges, and we walk to the kitchen together.

“There you are!” Aunt Gwen says. “Jack is taking care of the bacon on the grill, and Richard and I will handle the pancake and eggs. You two go ahead and juice the oranges and apples.”

“Sounds good,” I reply.

“We’ll do our best,” Reiner adds.

“Great. It’s all in the fridge. The juicer is in the cabinet.”

“Got it,” I say. I grab the fruit and set it on the counter. “You know how to work this thing?” I ask Reiner.

“Nope,” he says.

“Of course not,” I laugh. “Here, I’ll show you.”

I turn the machine on, and he watches as I slice an orange in half and pop it inside. I run the machine, and once the juice is collected, I pour it into a glass.

“Easy enough,” he says. “I can handle that.”

“You’re going to cut your finger off,” I tease.

“I will not,” he shoots back. “My fingers are safe.”

“We shall see. I’ll slice, you squeeze? Or the other way around?”

“I’ll slice,” he says, and he takes the knife from me. “That machine is scary.”

I laugh and shake my head. “You’re ridiculous.”

“So you’ve said.”

“And I’ll say it again.”

We spend the morning in the kitchen with my family, and I’m struck by how seamlessly Reiner and Jack fit in. We all work around one another, talking and laughing and making jokes. It’s like they’re part of the family.

So much so that when we finally sit down at the table to eat, I have to remind myself that this is fake. It’s a lie. It’s not real.

In a couple of months, when I go back to Stardust Hollow, Reiner will stay here, and it’ll be like none of this ever happened.