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I pull every bready thing I can find out of the cabinet--crackers, cookies, pretzels--and trade the the to murder anyone who dares wake me up When I finally crawl under sheets that still carry the faint scent of Shawn’s cologne, I’ to deal with Victoria Hess

Fro to say no to Shawn Scarlett

SHAWN’S GREEN EYES are the last thing I think of before I fall asleep, and the first thing I see when I wake The dark is just beginning to give way to light, a hazy glow begging entry through the closed blinds of the bus, while Shawn’s soft fingers brush my elbow He’s crouched next to my bed--his shirt, clean; his eyes, clear; and his breath,for ray curtain leading to the kitchen, and I lie in bed until I’, traffic outside isover the side of my bunk The chill beneath the pads of my toes confirms that I’m awake as I slip silently between the bunks, careful not to wake anyone as I prepareme, explain that he was drunk, and I’ll accept all the proain It’ll be aard, and we’ll agree to keep things professional, and that will be that Simple and impossible

When I push back the curtain and slip inside the kitchen, he turns to face one from his eyes "You said to talk to you when I was sober"

My heart sinks when he confirms that he remembers--the way he touched h to coet it

I kissed him back I wasn’t the one as drunk, but I kissed his when both of his hands tunnel into ht Without h to stare up at him

"I’m sober," he says

"What?"

"You said to talk to you when I’m sober," he explains

And then, he kisses ainst mine, and that furious addiction inhim in I fist my hands in the slack of his T-shirt, and he spins us around and begins walking me backward

He’s sober The way he looked at , deliberate, steady

The kitchen counter gets inme onto it The stubble on his jaw prickles my palms, my cheek, my neck, my chin--until every part of me, seen and unseen, is marked as his

I want him, but not just for a moment I want him, but not just this once

I break my lips away and hold his shoulders at a distance when he tries to reclai ret this, Shawn"

Whether he’s sober or not, I can’t lose another piece of e of the counter so thataround his hips and the firs His eyes are full of proain, and the squeeze of my knees draws him even closer Shawn’s hands slide down to les with his, a low, quiet, breathy sound that ive him whatever he wants when his lips suddenly part froainst my te under ret this either"

"I won’t"

"Mean it" His voice is uneven, his hands unsteady--like it’s taking everything he has to keep the me

"I promise," I say, and he pulls away to see the truth in my eyes a uitar--a mix of passion and technique that makes ue is the ripened cherry on top And I kiss hiue, his touch My skin ignites when his lips drop lower, and lower They explorethe entire bus My tiny whie him as he pushes a hand under ing andfuck, I’ainst --not withas wet as they are

With his hips between ers detach the to the button of his jeans instead I’ with the deniroans from his bunk behind the curtain, "Shaaawn, make me a coffee"

Shawn and I freeze--me with my hands ready to tear apart his jeans, and him with one hand on htens back up,fro fro In the silence, he nips softly at my lips, and in the silence, I kiss hile" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">