Page 38 of Touched By Moonlight

Chapter 12

When I awakened before sunrise,I had no recollection of my surroundings. Soft pure cotton sheets surrounded me, and my head rested on a pillow filled with feathers, unlike the inexpensive ones I kept athome.

I rolled over, blinked hard and encountered a firm body next to me. Squeaking, I drewaway.

The citrus scent seemed familiar, so I let my eyesight adjust to darkness. Then I reached over and snapped on the bedsidelamp.

Stephan.

Curled up on one side, he lay on the edge of the king-sized bed, his tawny hair sticking up, long lashes brushing against his cheeks. So cute andboyish.

Until you gazed down the length of his naked body, saw the hard ridges of muscled abdomen, the dark, curly hair at his groin and his shaft, half-erect, reaching nearly to the indent of hisnaval.

Not so boyish. Definitely a man. But what was he doing in my bed? And then I recalled Grayson telling me he’d send a bodyguard to protectme.

I guess this was Stephan’s way of ensuring I was trulysafe.

Not wanting to awaken him, I slid between the sheets out of the bed. Instantly he sat up, growling andalert.

Not a man, either. Wolf. He shapeshifted in an eye blink, saw me, and wagged his tail. Stephan jumped off the bed, prowled the bedroom’s perimeter as if searching for prey, and then jumped back on thebed.

“What’s wrong?” Iwhispered.

He shifted back, and sat on my bed naked again. “Nothing. Grayson asked me to guard you so I’ve been here all night. I wanted to be close to you. Do youmind?”

He seemed eager to please, and worried he might have offended me somehow. “I’m glad you’re here,” I told him, meaningit.

Stephan’s gaze was bright in the lamplight. “I may be younger and shorter than the others, but I’m real quick and a goodguard.”

He opened his mouth, displaying sharpfangs.

Snapping his jaw shut, he extended his fingers. Claws grew there instead of fingernails. “I can part-shift faster than anyone else in the pack. Better than carrying aknife.”

True. “Can you put those away? I don’t want you shredding these prettysheets.”

The claws retracted. Stephan’s blue-green eyes regarded me with interest. The sheet had slipped from my breasts and I sat half-nude beforehim.

“Do you mind me sharing your bed?” He looked so sweet and earnest. “I was tired. But I wake up easily, so if I heard a threat, I’d be able to protectyou.”

“I’m glad you were here. It is odd, waking up alone in a strangeplace.”

Little did he know exactly how many odd places I had slept in over the past three years. The worst was a city alley by a Dumpster. That was the most dangerous one as well because I would have had to use my magick if something hadhappened.

“Can I get you anything? It’s early and the others are probably still sleeping. But if you’re hungry, I can make a terrific omelet. I’m a goodcook.”

I blinked. “You don’t have to cook forme.”

“I want to, Sienna. I want to make you happy and comfortable. I like you.” He lay on one side, propping up his head on his fist. “You make me laugh and you’re so pretty. Please let me feedyou.”

So sweet and thoughtful. When was the last time anyone waited on me? I couldn’t remember. Something deep inside rose up and overwhelmed me. Not mere gratitude, buthope.

Hope that I deserved love and affection and could haveit.

Hope that I was not condemned to a lifetime of runningforever.

Old habits were hard to break. I had been on my own too long. “Thank you, but I’m fine,” I lied, though the thought of an omelet tempted me. “It’s really too early to get up on my only weekendoff.”

“Then later, allow me to make you breakfast. Once you taste my cooking, you’ll never want toleave.”