His deep voice caught me completely off guard as I sat up, rubbing my tired eyes. I simply assumed that the warm body next to me was Jared! "Relax, it's just me." He smirked, leaning forward and touching my arm. "I didn't mean to scare you."
I sighed, feeling blindsided by their little switch up. "Sorry. How long have you been here?" I let him pull me into his strong arms.
His embrace was warm, and his arms always seemed protective when wrapped around me. Slipping his hand under my chin, he tilted it up, making me look at him. That smile of his always melted any uneasy feelings. "Well, good morning to you too, beautiful." His soft, full lips pressed against mine in a sweet kiss. Giving another squeeze, he loosened his grip. "I've been here for a little over an hour. You were sleeping so peacefully, I figured I'd just wait for you to wake up on your own."
Nodding my head, I lay against his chest. "I'm so glad to see you, I've missed you." I whispered, staring into those warm hazel eyes. That's all we ever needed to really connect, him and me, just eyes, no words. He held me close, our warm bodies pressed together as I bit my bottom lip. Holding the sheet against my skin, I finally pulled away. Sliding off the bed, I clutched the bedding to my skin and pulled some clothes from my suitcase on the floor.
Spinning quickly, I dropped the sheet just before entering the bathroom. His whistle made me laugh as I closed the door and started the shower.
I stood under the hot water, allowing it to run over my head, suddenly feeling sick. What was wrong with me? I could handle a lot of things, but the two of them surprising me like this pissed me off a little. My anger was mostly directed at Jared, he should have woken me when he left.
After a long hot shower, I exited the bathroom to find Shannon sitting in the exact same place, scrolling through his phone. "I was beginning to get a little worried that maybe you drowned in there."
"Bite me." I pulled the wet towel off of my head and sat on the edge of the bed, concentrating on untangling my long hair with the hairbrush lying on the nightstand. Smirking at his reflection in the window. I watched him crawl toward and move behind me, pushing the damp hair away from my neck. I closed my eyes, feeling his hot breath on my skin, followed by the tender brush of his soft lips. His stubbly chin burned as it scraped against my neck. Fingers tangled in my hair just as I felt his tongue swipe over my collarbone.
Another hand slid around my waist and pulled me against his strong body. Tilting my head farther, I gasped when his teeth finally made contact with my tender flesh. "Fuck!"
Sliding off the bed, he winked before leaning down and grabbing his shoes near the door. "Thought you'd have learned by now to watch what you say to me."
"I live to push your buttons." Closing my eyes and shaking my head, I moved to my suitcase on the floor. I dug through my little bag and retrieved a small spray bottle, squirting it into my hair. I wasn't expecting the sharp smack to my ass that came shortly after. "Save that feistiness for later, sweetheart. Get your cute little ass ready so we can get out of here."
"Yes, sir." I knew that I was playing with fire with this one, but I couldn't seem to stop myself. I thoroughly enjoyed his dominance.
"Keep that shit up and we will go nowhere. Let me warn you now, I haven't had my coffee yet and I can be extremely hard to please when I'm like this."
I kept my mouth shut and finished getting ready and we made it out of the hotel with our clothes still intact. With the same rules in play, we strolled along the street walking together, but showing no affection.
"I thought that after breakfast we could go for a walk and find something to do for a while. Maybe hit a few shops. Sound good to you?" He asked with a smile.
"Breakfast and shopping, what woman would say no to that?" He laughed at my reply and when we finally arrived at the restaurant, I noticed most of the seating was outside. Entering the building we followed the hostess to our seats, which were up on the balcony, perched high above the city and had the most amazing view.
"I've never been here before." I looked around and tried to memorize every single detail.
"Really? Well, sweetheart, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. I just thought for sure that Jared brought you here during the week." He held the blue mug to his mouth, blowing on the steaming coffee.
After a cup of coffee and the best French toast I've ever had in my life, we hit the shops. I saw a few cute little outfits, but nothing really stood out to me. Shannon bought a new pair of shoes and a jacket. Laughing and joking, we certainly got around, enjoying our day, easily losing track of time.
It had been a long day, and I was a little tired. Shannon nudged me with his elbow, teasing me about not eating enough protein or being able to keep up with him. He was much more lax on the rules, but still, the few people that approached surely thought I was simply a friend. I stood back, allowing them their few minutes with him as they posed for photos. That was one thing about him and his brother, they truly cared about their fans.
We entered the lobby of the hotel, walking side by side and having the most carefree, relaxed day ever. He pressed the button for the elevator and once inside we were all alone, his eyes narrowed. Shannon stared at me, the tension of pretending all day wearing on both of us. I followed him down the long hallway all the way to Jared's suite. He slid the key card and waited for me to step inside. Shannon tossed the bags down just inside the room and pinned me against the wall.
