Free Shifter's Moon (Paranormal Shifter Romance) by Riva Blackstone Page B

kissed her harder, feeling the warmth of her body move against him.  Their mouths explored each other’s and both of them clutched at one another as if there were some force that meant to drive them apart, and the only thing that could prevent it was their own mad embrace.  She was like a wild animal, writhing against him, and as he kissed her again he felt her shoulders shake as if she was sobbing and pulled her back so that the edge of her face caught the faint glow of the moon.  Her cheeks were wet with tears and her lips were tight crescents.
    “Lia…” he said breathlessly.
    “I’m sorry,” she said, and tried to turn away but he held her close.
    “What’s the matter?”
    She shook her head and wiped at her cheeks.  “Nothing.  I’m just… an idiot.  I’m sorry.  I keep expecting to wake up.  I’m not good at…. this.”
    “Making out?” Jake joked, and his face hardened when he saw Lia’s face was still etched with some painful secret she hadn’t let slip.
    “I mean being close to someone.  Most people run away, or leave.  I’m just… happy right now, I didn’t want the moment to go away,” she sniffed and shook her head. “I’m so stupid.”
    Jake reached up and cupped her cheek with his hand again, and his eyes had a profound seriousness to them.  He took several moments to find the right words and finally spoke them, his gaze penetrating the darkness, as if he was trying to burrow a promise into Lia’s heart.
                  “I’m not going anywhere, Lia.  I’m not afraid of you,” he whispered, and he saw more tears brim at the corners of her eyes and tumble down the supple roundness of her cheeks.  He pulled her close again and kissed her, and felt their scalding heat burn his own cheek, and for the first time in a long time the thought of work, of Alissa, of his own failings as he tried to maneuver through his life, all crumbled away.  They had been replaced by something else. 
                  Don’t cry , he thought, wrapping his arms tighter around her.  Lia gently curled into him, tucking her head against his chest.  The muscles of his arms stood out even in the dim light, but he refused to let her go, and after a time her sobs began to dissipate and she simply clutched weakly at the collar of his hoodie.
                  As they lied down on the hard dirt he felt Lia’s breathing change as she passed quietly into sleep.  He held her a while longer and stared at the long arm of galaxy above him.  A great sense of peace seemed to wash over him.  The girl in his arms made a low whimper, caught in a dream, and he drew a curly black lock hair out of her eyes.  A shooting star above skimmed the atmosphere, initialing the night with its bright tail.
     
     
    Chapter Eight
                 
    In the morning Jake woke up to the hot slap of the sun as it breached the horizon.  He sat up and groaned, feeling a lump in his back where he’d slept on the uneven ground.  He brushed the dust off himself and stood up.  Lia was nowhere to be seen and he considered shouting her name but decided against it.  Down the path he could hear the faint sound of talking and laughter, and his nose detected the burnt smell of coffee.  His stomach gurgled.
                  “Hungry much?” Lia said, and he whirled around.
                  She had rolled her black jeans up to her calves and was breathing heavily, her face flushed and eyes alert.  She leaned over, palms on her knees, and got her breath.  Jake noticed there were twigs in her hair and several dirt scuffs on her knees and on her cheek.
                  “What were you doing?  Tackling a bear?”
                  “Just went for a morning run.  My legs took control and I had to submit,” she said, “although looking at that sun on the water, I’m kind of wanting to go for a swim now.”
                  “Are