Author’s Note : This chapter is sorta kinda, maybe graphic. So, put the kids down for a nap or somethin.

————————————————————————————————————————————

“Good morning, tiger.” I flinched at the voice that addressed me. I rolled over, faking a smile, locking eyes with Carmen. She took one of her hands and ran it lovingly through my hair, causing me to jerk slightly with chills. She hardly noticed, and I contained myself.

“Good morning.”

“Are you heading to The Planet later?” I tried to grasp for an answer. I then asked myself ‘why lie?’.

“Yeah. After breakfast.” Carmen nodded and I slid to the edge of bed, reaching for a shirt. I felt Carmen’s finger trace the tattoo on the small of my back. I flinched, and pulled a shirt on. When I stood and turned to look down upon the girl laying in my bed, I noticed that her face shown signs of deep thought.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Why are you acting so weird?” I wanted to scream out ‘because I didn’t want you underneath me last night, I wanted Jenny!’, but I didn’t. I just raised an eyebrow.

“Weird?”

“Yeah, Shane, weird. You kiss Jenny at The Planet right in front of me, then you suddenly call me after six days, and now I want to touch your back, and you pull away. I don’t even know why I came.”

“Because you can’t resist me.” Carmen smiled at my words and laughed into the pillow beneath her. I bit the inside of my cheek and smirked. Yeah. I was Shane McCutcheon, I could have anybody I wanted.

“That’s true.”

“Besides,” I said, sitting down again, “my kiss with Jenny was brought on by too much alcohol.”

“So, you don’t like her like that?”

“No,” I said. I mumbled the word again, trying to make myself believe that I didn’t like her that way, and that I wasn’t thinking about her.

“Good. Because if you did, that would be creepy. Even for you, Shane.” I smiled and pulled on the pair of jeans resting on the chair near the bed. Carmen sat up, letting the sheet drop, allowing me the view of her nude form. I scanned it, taking in the view, and then shifted my gaze. Dammit, Shane, she isn’t the one you want. You’re just doing this to get over Jenny.