Free Romance: Claimed By The Ape: BBW Shapeshifter Romance Standalone (Spicy Shifters Book 4) by Ashley Hunter

Erin finally conceded that maybe she was the one who should have been working out more.
    “Know what I realized,” Erin commented absentmindedly as they lay tangled in his bedsheets, watching the sun slowly set behind the city scape through his window, “I haven’t been home in nearly three days. I wonder if Amanda’s worried.”
    “She’s not,” Jack said easily, grinning down at her, “I texted her to say I was taking care of you.”
    Erin raised an eyebrow sardonically at him. “Taking care of me, are you?”
    “In the Biblical sense, at least,” he kissed the tip of her nose teasingly. Erin giggled, but slowly broke away from his embrace, stretching. “I should probably go home though.”
    “Why? What’s the rush? I have it on good authority that your boss doesn’t need you tomorrow,” Jack tried to make a grab for her, but she easily dodged him, bounding across the bed.
    “Yeah, thankfully the jackass does give me some days off,” she commented airily, trying not to crack a smile as Jack pretended to be mortally wounded at her words, “But honestly, I should go home… at least for a while.”
    She waited for him to make a joke or roll his eyes in exaggerated contempt at her too-pragmatic nature, but to her surprise, when she glanced at him, he was staring at the floor, his face dark with thought. “Jack?” She said uneasily, “What is it?”
    He quickly looked up at her, expression morphing into playfulness; and yet, there remained something melancholy just around his expressive eyes. “Nothing. Just… wondering which conquest I should call in the meantime.”
    “Oh, ha ha,” she stuck her tongue out at him, but unable to help herself, added, “Though…”
    “Though… what?” He repeated apprehensively.
    “Uh, nothing, I was just… thinking maybe it would be a good idea to, ya know, get some space.”
    “I’m not following,” Jack said blankly.
“I mean, take a day to think this through. You’re my boss - I’m your employee.”
    “For another month,” Jack scowled a little, “Hell, the cast party’s in two weeks.”
    “And then you need me to help you pack and go back to New York City,” Erin said quietly, now staring at the ground herself.
    He didn’t say anything in response.
    Erin quickly scooped up her pants, trying to put on a show of bravado. “Anyway, just something to think about. I think I’ll head out now. Do you need anything before I go?”
    “No,” he said softly, staring out the window as the skyscraper lights across town came to life, “Thank you.”
    “Okay. Well, call me if you… need me,” unable to look at him, Erin turned and walked swiftly out into the foyer. Without even pausing to put her shoes on, she grabbed up her stuff and hurried out the front door, hopeful that if she went fast enough, she could outpace her immediate regret.
     
----
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
    For the rest of the night, Erin battled her own divided sense of self. The truth was, she didn’t need any time to think. She wanted Jack. She didn’t just want him; she cared more for him than any other man she’d ever met.
    He made her laugh, and brought out that side of her she thought she would always have to keep hidden from any man she was ever interested in. He didn’t judge her, or constrain her, and she loved him violently for it.
    But her pragmatism wouldn’t give in easily. He was her boss; her boss who would be moving as soon as his job was finished here, who would never want to stay in her city that, compared to New York City, looked little better than a backwater village.  
    Her boss, who was a notorious womanizer. And a brilliant actor on top of that, who could probably make any woman feel special, and if he would never stray, would love her eternally.
    Erin wasn’t a romantic by nature, and after years of dating, certainly wasn’t one by practice. She prided herself on being objective, on never letting anyone trick her or get under her skin again.
    Just