It's Always the Quiet Ones [ON HOLD]

Chapter 4 - Later, Jase

Lana woke in a strange room she had never before seen. As she stared at the sparsely decorated furnishings, her gaze came to rest on the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Her cheeks heated at the memory of their night together. After their first, desperate mating, he had woken her twice more to make love. And she really had no other description for those two times. He had worshipped her body, the look in his eyes completely foreign to her. No man had ever looked at her with such raw adoration.

The intensity of the experience frightened her.  She had a terrible track record with men, and if those losers had been able to break her heart, she knew the man next to her had the potential to shatter it. She'd never believed in love at first sight, thinking that people used it as an excuse for their stupid behaviors. It had taken her months to believe that she loved Drew, but that love had been toxic and twisted. He had manipulated and used her for years, and she had let him.

Her relationship with Jason had developed even more slowly due to her lack of trust in men. But Jason had stuck around, and eventually she grew to trust him. It had taken her more than a year to admit that she loved him. Their relationship had been one for the story books. Never once had he given her a reason to mistrust him, but she had to admit in hindsight, their relationship had grown comfortable over the years. They treated each other more like friends than lovers. Jason had been a "safe" choice, and she'd always known that she wouldn't love him as fiercely as she had loved Drew. She had thought it was because the experience with Drew had left her more cautious, but now she wondered if she had ever truly been in love with Jason. Sure, she loved him, but she loved her family and friends, too. Was she ever IN love with Jason? She didn't honestly know.

Even so, Lana realized that she was still furious with him. Jason had broken her trust. She had given him three years of her life. They had planned to one day be married, and they'd discussed kids. He had been her future, and he broken her trust in the most basic way. He had brought another woman into their bed. He hadn't even had the decency to keep his infidelity out of the house they shared.

As she felt her anger grow, Lana noticed the man next to her was beginning to stir. She wondered if he could feel her sudden fury. She didn't want to disturb him, so she gently began to move his arm from her waist. As she did so, he gripped her closer and murmured her name in his sleep. A smile escaped her lips, but she sobered quickly, realizing she still needed to go home to end her relationship officially. Technically, she was now on the same page as Jason, having spent her night in the arms of another man. Her body revolted at the thought of leaving the man's protective embrace, but she knew she needed to flee the scene of her indiscretion.

Though she hated to admit it, she was too raw from Jason's betrayal to jump into a relationship with a stranger. She couldn't risk her heart like that so soon. And as much as she hated to admit it, she knew that she could easily fall in love with the man next to her. She hardly knew him. He was practically a stranger, but as clearly as she knew her own name, she knew she could easily love this man.

Determined to sneak out without facing the gorgeous man beside her, she once again attempted to lift his hand from her waist. She moved as carefully and slowly as possible, but was finally able to bring his hand to rest on a pillow beside her. She slid quietly from the bed and searched the room for her missing clothes.

Grabbing her last shoe, Lana slipped silently into the hallway and began to dress, preparing herself for the walk of shame. Although she'd been lost in thought the night before, she realized the fireman lived only a few blocks from the bar. She stepped into her stilettos and began to creep to the front door. She winced when she heard it squeak, but after waiting a full minute, she realized it hadn't woken the man. Shutting the door soundlessly, she walked to the bar in the early morning hours. She pulled her phone from her purse to check the time, and groaned when saw that she had twenty-seven missed calls. Two were from Kinsey, one was from her mother, and twenty-four were from Jason.