Page 37 of Unlocked

“You’ve never asked before,” she challenges. “In fact, I recall you climbing into bed with me on more than one occasion.” I grin because I’m guilty as charged. I won’t apologize for it either. I enjoyed sleeping next to her. Shelby gives me a disbelieving look at my grin. “Naked, I might add.” She says with a hint of indignation, which causes me to break out into a deep belly laugh. She huffs, pretending to be offended, but I can see her lips twitching as she tries to hide her humor.

“I’m going to change into my pjs,” she declares when I’ve mostly gotten myself under control. She pulls a pair out of the drawer where she’d placed them and heads into the bathroom. I roll my eyes because I’ve seen her undressed before. She’s being silly, but I’m not going to push her about it today. However, in time, I want her to be comfortable enough to change with me in the room.

I kick off my shoes, strip off my t-shirt, and lose my jeans, followed by my socks. I decide to keep my boxers on so I don’t make her uncomfortable, well maybe not too uncomfortable.

I turn down the covers while I wait for her to return. Minutes later, Shelby emerges from the bathroom. She walks across the floor to the far side of the bed and climbs under the covers, keeping her eyes averted from my near naked body. I slide in onmy side, turning toward her. She turns her head in my direction. I hold out my arms in invitation to her. She pauses a beat before scooting closer, letting me wrap my arms around her. She settles into my side with her head on my left pec and her arm draped over my middle. I throw a leg over hers, causing her to gasp, but she allows our legs to remain tangled together. I can feel my cock stiffening as her warm body presses against mine and her sweet scent envelopes me. I inhale deeply, burying my nose in her hair. I settle my cheek on the top of her head and relax. For some time, we lay together in comfortable silence.

“Bo?” Shelby whispers.

“Hmm?” I mumble, being too relaxed to make coherent conversation. Still, I wait to hear her question. Time passes, yet she doesn’t say anything. I lift my head to peer down at her. Her eyes fly up to mine, fear dancing in them.

“I…I think I should tell you something.” Shelby’s voice is timid and soft. I place my hand on the side of her face, scraping my thumb over her bottom lip.

“You can tell me anything, my sweet girl,” I encourage her, briefly pressing a closed mouth kiss to her lips. I think I know what she’s about to profess. I’ve settled the news in my mind, no longer freaked out about her status.

“It’s more that I want to ask you something,” she continues. I’m intrigued. Perhaps I don’t know what she is about to say after all. She bites her lower lip, her eyes unfocused as she considers her next words. I ease her lip free from her teeth. She looks unsure at my actions. Finally she speaks. “What are we doing?” I frown, not understanding what she’s asking. She groans, rolling her eyes before focusing them on me. “What I want to know is what do you want from me? Why did you insist I come home with you?”

“Shelby, I told you,” I say firmly. “You are mine. I want you here with me.” She groans again.

“God! You’re infuriating!” I pull back not sure what the hell is happening. She is getting upset with me, but I don’t understand why. “I need to know what you see our future like. What are you hoping to gain by getting me to stay here with you?” She is quaking as she waits for my response.

“You want to know how I see us in the future?” I clarify. She nods, worry clear in her eyes. “I don’t want to push you for more than you are ready for, sweet girl, but if you want to know the truth, I’ll tell you.” She dips her head again. “I see us as a couple, Shelby. I hope I can convince you to move here with me, but I understand if you don’t want to. I’ll move to Maryland with you.” Shelby’s mouth has fallen open in shock.

“You’re serious, aren’t you?” she whispers, disbelievingly.

“Deadly,” I retort.

Chapter 23

Shelby

Ican’t speak. I can hardly breathe. I blink several times thinking I’m surely hallucinating. Bo Robertson doesn’t do relationships. It’s a well-known fact, but he is talking about us being a couple? I stare at him, waiting for him to laugh or say, ‘Bazinga!’ Like Sheldon onBig Bang Theory.

“You don’t do relationships!” I utter, slapping my hand over my mouth as I realize I said it out loud. Shock at my words color his face, but he quickly recovers. His face becomes so serious I’m almost afraid of him for a brief period of time.

“Shelby, it’s true that in the past I’ve avoided developing attachments,” Bo begins, looking guilty at his confession. “I don’t ever spend the night with a woman. I’ve never brought a woman to my home. I go to their place or a hotel, have sex, and I leave.” My heart breaks at his honesty.Is that all he wants from me?“That was my past, sweet girl.Youare my future.” I swallow hard, unable to comprehend what I’m hearing. He isn’t being truthful. He can’t be. I look away from him unable to watch him lie to me.

“Can’t you see that you are different?” he asks, frustration bleeding into his voice. “I have slept at your side several times, Shelby. Something I’ve never in my life done. I’ve held you in myarms all night, and I loved it. I want to wake up with you every day.” I inhale sharply, studying his face and seeing sincerity. “I’m falling in love with you, Shelby. You are it for me.”

My heart comes to a rapid stop.Quick, what’s the number for 911?With a rush, it restarts to thrash against my ribs at a rapid rate. I can’t imagine I have any color left in my face. My vision dims, emotions overwhelming me. It isn’t true. He can’t love me. I’m not lovable. Bo grabs my face in his hands. I have been shaking my head violently, only noticing it when he forces it to stop.

“Sweet girl,” Bo’s voice vibrates through me. “Talk to me. Tell me what you are thinking, because you are fucking scaring me.” My breath is tight in my chest. He doesn’t know. He won’t want me when he finds out. He shouldn’t want me anyway.

“You can’t mean that,” I chastise. “I’m fat, useless, ugly.” Bo inhales to protest, but I put my hand to his lips. I have to get this out. He will see that he’s mistaken. “I’m a thirty-year old virgin. You don’t want that!” His whole countenance changes from fearful to arrogance.

“My sweet girl!” Bo coos, pulling me back into his arms. “I want to howl at the moon and beat my chest like a gorilla to know that I will be the only one to bury his cock in your sweet pussy.” My face heats at his filthy words. They make my untried body wake up and take notice. “It makes me a caveman, I know,” he continues, “but I’m glad to be the only one. Don’t ever put yourself down like that again. You arenotfat, useless, or ugly. I’m going to find your asshole of a father and beat his ass until he begs for death for making you believe such things.” I marvel at the vehemence in his tone. Bo is seriously trying to kill me. I take him in searching for deceit in his words, his actions, but I can’t find it.What happens now?

Reading my mind or perhaps my expressions, Bo presses a kiss to my forehead. “Just rest for now, my sweet girl.” Bo pullsme back onto his chest. Settling my head on his firm body, I work to breathe through the panic coursing through me. This is real. Bo Robertson wants me. A contented smile comes over me. I’m still a little apprehensive, unsure how we can find our way. The overriding feeling more than anything is I’m ready to see where this is going to go.Can we find happiness?

Sometime later, I feel Bo slipping out from under me. I reach for him, not wanting him to leave me, but pull my hand back, worrying that I’m being too clingy. “I’ll be right back,” Bo murmurs. “I’m just going to get the food. It’s here.” He kisses my forehead then slides out of the bed. I sigh, snuggling back into the warmth where his body has just vacated. He pulls the covers up over my shoulders.

A few minutes later, Bo returns, slipping back under the covers with me. I cuddle against him, soaking in his warmth. I’ve had time to process his confession that he’s falling in love with me. It’s crazy.Heis crazy, but I can’t keep the smile off my face. I suppose it’s time I give him my truth, too. “Bo?”

“What is it, sweet girl?” His rumbling voice in my ear has my body reacting in a primal way.

“I’m falling in love with you, too.” My partial confession hangs in the air a beat or two. Let’s be honest, I’m already there, but since he said, falling I did, too. Too afraid to push the envelope. Without warning, I’m on my back with him hovering over me. His weight supported by his arms on either side of me.

“You’re in love me?” A look of arrogant satisfaction on his handsome face.

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