Page 43 of Shane: His to Possess
He shrugged his good shoulder. “Fuck if I know, baby girl, but I’d rather live with this insane fear and have you than ignore it. Do you think you’d be happier without me? Because I know I sure as hell wouldn’t be happier without you.”
Mia closed her eyes for a second, recognizing the moment of her utter surrender to Shane. “I couldn’t leave.” Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes to meet his gaze again. “I tried several times during the two days I was in a motel near the bus station, but I never quite made it out the door. Even that last day, when Wallace caught up with me near the bus station, I had convinced myself to walk out of the room, but I think I knew deep down I wasn’t going to get on any of those buses.”
His eyes crinkled at the corners as a boyish grin that didn’t bear all his usual burdens lifted his lips. “You’re obsessed with me, too.”
“Smug bastard.”
He chuckled. “Completely fucking obsessed, aren’t you?”
She glared at him but didn’t deny it. “Just shut up.”
“Don’t worry, baby. I can be a gracious winner.”
Mia rolled her eyes and shoved against him, gasping when he winced. “Oh, I forgot about your arm. I’m sorry.” She touched the thick bandage, frowning. “What’s with the sling? You were shot in the chest.”
“It’s just to immobilize the area until I heal a bit more.” Looking a bit sheepish, he confessed, “I haven’t been the best patient, babe. I was antsy to get out of the hospital and find you.”
Reminded of just how he’d tracked her down, she scowled. “I want that damn thing out of my arm. I’m not a pet to tag and track.”
He hesitated for a second. “What if—”
She shook her head. “No negotiations and no dictates, Shane O’Mara. The chip goes or I do. Agreed?”
After a moment, he heaved a sigh. “Fine. I’ll arrange for the doctor to remove it.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You promise?”
Shane cupped her chin awkwardly, since his arm was still around her. “I’m a lot of things, Mia—a criminal and a murderer—but I’m not a liar. Got it? I give you my word, and you have no reason to doubt it.”
Staring into his eyes, it was easy to see his sincerity, and she nodded. “Okay.” Staring at him, it was also easy to see his exhaustion, and she wriggled away. “Come on, let’s get you to bed.”
His eyes sparkled, and he stood up with more energy than she’d expected, judging from his pallor. “Ready for round-two, love?”
She rolled her eyes. “I think you mean round-three for you, love.” The endearment felt strange on her tongue but resonated with her in a way she couldn’t deny. “At your age, another round is asking too much.”
He smirked. “Wanna bet?”
She couldn’t help but sneak a peek at his cock, surprised to find it was already half-mast again. Mia forced aside thoughts of pleasure and put her hand on his uninjured arm. “Maybe later, stud. Right now, you need rest, so get in that bed.”
He scowled but didn’t fight too hard as she urged him to cross the room and slip under the comforter. Mia was surprised by the whirling emotions filling her. Tenderness, passion, concern, and even a hint of nurturing were an emotional maelstrom inside her as she pulled the covers over him and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.
“What, no bedtime story?” he mocked, though he seemed to be as puffed as a peacock under her gentle ministrations.
“Shut up and go to sleep before I muzzle you.” She cast a glance around his room. “You claim there’s no Red Room around here, but I’ll bet it wouldn’t be too hard to dig up a ball gag in this place.”
He laughed softly, even as his eyes closed. His lashes were dark smears against his pale skin, and she worried he had exerted himself too much. She couldn’t regret their reconciliation, but she feared they had done too much too quickly.
She curled up beside him in the bed, finally letting herself feel her own aches and pains from Wallace’s abuse, followed by the somewhat rough passions from Shane. Her bottom ached with a hint of tenderness, but it wasn’t an unpleasant sensation. Most of her discomfort would quickly fade, and she knew she would be ready for lovemaking the next time Shane was up for it.
And wasn’t that a strange turn of events, to discover the word lovemaking really applied to what they were doing, at least when they weren’t fucking like lusty animals? Admitting her love had been humbling and terrifying, but hearing he felt the same way had the opposite effect. It was reassuring to know he was just as freaked out by the intensity of his emotions as she was. Their relationship was a train wreck to anyone examining it critically, and she didn’t doubt others would be horrified if they knew the full truth.
How had she fallen in love with the man who had abducted her? Even now, knowing she felt that way, Mia still questioned how it had happened. It wasn’t normal or natural, and she supposed she should still try to escape. As she snuggled closer to Shane, content with the warmth of his body against hers, she wasn’t even tempted.
Did it matter if anyone could understand the complexity of their relationship? Did she care if society approved of her loving such a dark and dangerous man? Mia tried to count the fucks she might give and decided it was zero. All that mattered was if she could accept all of him—both the light and the dark. She wanted him badly enough to love a bad man, especially knowing he wasn’t fully a terrible man. Doing bad things didn’t make you a completely bad person any more than doing good things made you a saint.
Her stepbrother was a perfect example of that, with his twisted games. He funded domestic abuse charities and contributed to a shelter for abused children while sexually abusing an underage girl under his power. He donated to a group dedicated to helping freed sex slaves rebuild their lives, all while running multiple brothels and strip clubs staffed by enslaved men and women. He was the worst person she knew, with a core of pure evil, and she didn’t believe that was an exaggeration.
She wasn’t trying to fool herself into thinking there was a tarnished halo under Shane’s horns. He was still a wicked devil, but it didn’t matter. He made her feel too good for him to be all bad. A brief flash of Wallace falling to the ground invaded her memories, but she blinked it away. He had deserved it, and she would have gladly killed him herself.