Page 28 of Lock

The way she lies looks awkward and uncomfortable. Her tight jeans don’t help, not that she’ll have them on for much longer.

Glancing over my shoulder, I check on her friend. Jeans too.She’ll be fine.Besides, I don’t want my girl to get the wrong idea by seeing her friend undressed.

I only have eyes for Shelby.

Crouching, I brush the hair from her eyes. Gray-blue eyes blink back at me. Not quite gray, not quite blue. If anyone were to ask her, she’d say they were blue, but I’ve stared at them enough to know better.

Blue doesn’t do them justice. Her eyes are like the rest of her . . . complicated.

Just like us.

“Did you drink water? Naughty girl.”

My question gains me a cute smirk.

“Shelby?” I rouse her with my sharp tone.

“Yep.”

“Good.”

“See, I’m not naughty.”

“This makes you naughty. How much did you drink?” I ask, plucking the pint glass off the side table.

She holds her thumb and forefinger up with a small distance between them. About half the glass.

“And two glasses of wine.”

Good.Given what’s left in the glass, I believe her. My heart rate slows, returning to a regular pace.

Just enough that she won’t remember this in the morning, but not enough to pump her stomach. I place the drink back down. A special concoction made just for my girl.

“I wanted more, but you wouldn’t like it.”

I rub my thumb below her eye.

“Did Samantha drink any?”

“Nope. Two bottles of wine.”

I grin when she holds up three fingers. Wrapping my hand around the digits, I give them a gentle squeeze.

Confused, she tries to sit up. “How did you get in?”

Instead of answering, I chuckle.

“Come,” I tell her, gripping her underarms. “Time for bed.”

“Okay,” Shelby agrees, standing, her earlier words forgotten.

“How was your girls’ night?”

“Weird,” she whispers, her eyes widening, “Sam and Kaleb, hmm hmm.” She clears her throat.

“They what?”

“You know.” She waves her hand.