Page 67 of Stubborn as a Shadow

I nodded. I should look away. I knew that, but…

“The water was boiling, and I wasn’t sure when you were coming back so I thought I should get cleaned up.”

The water was already boiling? I’d been gone longer than I thought. But I guessed it had taken some time to scour every cabinet in every cabin.

“Right.” My voice cracked over that single syllable.

He lifted one eyebrow, like he found my behavior curious. He didn’t shut the damn door, and I still couldn’t look away.

“Good,” I said when he didn’t say anything.

“Did something happen?” He opened the door a little wider, revealing one flat, rosy-colored nipple.

I swear to Magic I didn’t whimper. Really. But just in case the sound I made might be confused with a whimper, I cleared my throat to try to disguise it. Finally, I managed to slam my eyes closed and spin toward the fire.

“Nope. Nothing happened.” My voice sounded gruff. “I found some candy. When you finish in there, you should eat some.”

“Okay.”

As soon as I heard the door close, I ran across the room to the fireplace, eager to distance myself from temptation. The heat from the fire didn’t help cool me down. I reached down to adjust my cock.

When that didn’t help the situation, I squeezed it. Hard. That helped. For a few seconds. And then I remembered the smooth expanse of Morgan’s skin again.

“Fuck.” I banged my head against the mantel.

Maybe I should sleep in my shifted form tonight. Outside. Would Morgan believe me if I said I needed to keep watch out there? Doubtful.

Despite his seeming naivety, he was surprisingly astute. Every time I told a lie, even a little white one, his lips twisted like he’d tasted something horrible. He said he got itchy when he lied, but could he detect when someone else lied too?

What if he figured out the massive secret I was keeping?

Morgan was my fated mate. There was no other explanation for how I felt around him or why Jake’s painting had compelled me to find Morgan and keep him safe.

But the more I got to know him, the more it confirmed how much he deserved someone better than me. He needed someone who would help him shine and glow, and that person definitely wasn’t me. I was darkness and shadow.

I would tarnish everything that made him… well, him.

But it was also getting more difficult by the second to keep away from him. He was everything I could ever want. And he was right there. Right fucking there.

Son of a fucking fuck.

25

LET’S PRANCE

MORGAN

Something was bothering Nelson.

Ever since he’d returned from his candy heist, he’d refused to meet my eyes. I popped a couple of raspberry candies in my mouth while I considered the problem.

We were currently sitting at opposite ends of the blanket I’d laid out in front of the fire. I really, really wanted to slide closer to him, but I’d made a promise to behave.

But my mind kept circling back to how he’d stared at me when I’d been shirtless. His eyes had gone all black and smoky. It was sexy as hell. I had to believe he wouldn’t have looked at me like that if he found me unattractive.

Gary once said that all bodies were the same when the lights were off, which I’d thought was a terribly callous thing to say in front of his girlfriend and her family. But was he right? Would I even want to be with someone who thought that?

Nope. I wouldn’t.