He had a hard time swallowing his grin. Maybe she wouldn’t have minded a good look at him. Finn stretched and made sure she could see as he picked up his sleeping bag and more layers to put on in case it really got cold. He seldom had to worry about cold; to that point, he’d been sleeping as a bear since it was more insulated. He didn’t have that option with her there, but if things got dicey, he could always sleep in the back bedroom and just plan to be awake before her to change back.
Finn unrolled the bag and maneuvered so he was on the side of the mattress away from the fire. When Lauren looked about to protest, he shook his head resolutely. “Absolutely not. You’ll sleep closest to the fire so you can stay warm. I’ll be fine.”
The bear didn’t precisely agree, since they wouldn’t be fine until she was in his sleeping bag with him. But Finn put that aside. If she’d still been a bit scatterbrained but sweet and open and chatty, he might have tried for a kiss, maybe a make out session. With her as nervous as she was… No way in hell would he risk it.
He folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, pretending to fall asleep. Lauren hesitated, not moving for several heartbeats, but she took a shaky breath and crept around the mattress to the side closest to the fire. More rustling revealed she moved the blankets and sheets and a pillow around. Her scent washed over him as she curled up, practically on the edge of the mattress, and adjusted the nest she’d made. He worriedshe would be cold in the night, but mentioning anything while he was supposed to be asleep would probably scare the shit out of her and then neither of them would be able to relax.
The narcotics started to drag him away as everything relaxed and grew fuzzy, and he sighed. She was in reach. He just had to remember, she was safe and within reach if anything happened. Besides, she already saw him change once. If he had to go bear to protect her, he would. He started to turn toward her but the pain lighting up his leg reminded him to stay where he was. Finn clenched his jaw. Staying away from her would be harder than he’d thought.
LAUREN
She almost lost what remained of her composure when he talked about sleeping on the floor. Even as afraid as she was that he meant to haul her to jail the next day, Lauren still kinda wanted to sleep next to him. Not just because he looked like a furnace—even without the fever that still reddened his cheeks—but because it had been a long, long time since she slept next to anyone.
And stupid her, but when he said he’d be a gentleman, she actually believed him. He hadn’t once snapped at her or yelled or called her stupid, even while being terribly injured and in an unbelievable amount of pain. If he had that kind of self-control, he would definitely be able to keep his hands to himself.
Surely there was some kind of professional code where bounty hunters didn’t sleep with bail jumpers. He couldn’t possibly want to roll around with her, especially with his leg the way it was. Yeah, he’d held her against his side when he was half-conscious from the drugs and pain, and said something about feeling better with her nearby, but that was just the medication talking. He didn’treallymean it. Or he meant it in the sense that he’d caught her and he didn’t want to chase her more. Of course he’d feel better if he didn’t have to work very hard.
Finn agreed to stay on the mattress but moved himself over, and before she even thought to object, he frowned and said very clearly that she would stay near the fire. It sounded sweet in a practical kind of way, until she looked at the arrangement and realized he blocked her from the door. She’d have to climb over him or roll out the foot of the mattress to run, and doubtless he would notice either. Trapped.
Her heart cracked a little more and whatever energy she had left drained away. There wasn’t anything to do but put on a few more layers and clamber into bed, acutely aware of his every breath and movement.
She didn’t expect to sleep, but the day’s exertions left her so tired that the moment her eyes closed, she passed out.
Lauren woke up in the night, tense and afraid that someone had found the cabin and was coming to get her, but someone said gruffly, “You’re okay, you’re safe.”
It took forever for her muddled thoughts to put the pieces together: Finn. He patted her hip with a heavy hand, clearly mostly still asleep himself.
She shivered and curled up. She wasn’t okay and she definitely wasn’t safe.
But at least she was warmer than she remembered being at night for weeks. Even the persistent breeze from the hole in the roof in the back of the house couldn’t reach her. Finn radiated heat like a furnace, more than the fire had ever kicked out even when stacked high.
And that was the last thing she remembered until birds singing forced her to pry her eyes open. Lauren lifted her head, reorienting herself in the light that filled the cabin. She’d never slept so late or so deeply since that awful night at the oil company’s offices. Her hands slid through the sheets as she stretched, feeling warm and relaxed and…
Her fingers bumped into a warm mountain next to her. Lauren froze, holding her breath, as the mountain moved. Rolled over until Finn faced her. He grumbled in his sleep, making an uncomfortable noise as his leg moved, and reached for her. Finn pulled her close to spoon and pressed his nose into her hair. His arm draped over her side. It should have felt claustrophobic, to be so completely surrounded and held tight.
Especially since he was a bounty hunter and meant to truly trap her.
But the soft hush of his breathing and the gentle weight of his arm on her side made her all sleepy and content. She felt safe and protected. It was absurd, of course, since he posed more danger to her than almost anything else in the forest, but Lauren knew he’d manage things if anything threatened them. Even with his bum leg.
It didn’t seem to pain him as much as he sighed and nuzzled against her shoulder, his lips drifting along her bare skin. It certainly didn’t distract him from some randy thoughts in his dreams, since his body reacted to them being all snugged up, and soon a substantial cock pressed against her butt. Lauren blinked and blushed when she realized what poked her. But she didn’t pull away.
She didn’t remember the last time she’d slept next to a guy who didn’t immediately try to make a move or take advantage of her being asleep. Being poor made finding a safe place to sleep difficult and dangerous. You couldn’t trust anyone. And yet she hadn’t hesitated to curl up next to Finn. She didn’t move away when he held her close. She didn’t object or squirm or wake him up when what felt like a baseball bat nudged between her cheeks.
She wanted to arch her back and work her fingers into his hair, pull his strong hand to her breast and encourage him to kiss her. Make her feel good for the first time in years. He could do it, she was damn sure. With as careful as he’d been aroundher, Lauren had no doubt he would be equally considerate having sex.
As humiliating as fucking a bounty hunter could end up being, she pushed the thought of how their relationship would end away so she lived in the present. So what if those same strong hands put cuffs on her and marched her into jail? So what if the firm, warm lips that drifted to the soft spot behind her ear reported her crimes and told the guards to take her away? Was it really so bad to just enjoy that moment with him and deal with the consequences later? She could still run away.
Maybe he would fall asleep after a good workout and she could flee then. The afterglow would be a great distraction.
Lauren pressed her lips together to keep from moaning as Finn’s hand stroked her stomach, and she pushed her ass back into him in invitation. Maybe if she reached back…
She squeezed her eyes shut as Finn snorted awake and froze. Every muscle in his body tensed. He groaned softly and eased his hand away from where it had been about to quest under her sweatpants. Finn said, “Fuck,” under his breath and rolled to his back.
Cool air that moved against her back and side without him to warm it away. A curious sense of loss washed over her along with the chilly morning. For a second, she could have pretended life was normal and she had a strong, handsome boyfriend. Him waking up just made clear those weren’t their circumstances at all.
She didn’t think there would be another chance to sleep next to him. No doubt he’d want to march them both toward town to get a vehicle and deliver her to jail. Lauren hid her face in the sheets and hoped she could fall asleep and make the illusion last just a little bit longer.
FINN
