Read Claiming Shayla for Free Online

to a more comfortable position, she yawned and felt her body sink deeper into his. “Where are we?” She yawned again and felt her eyes closing.
    He raised his head and looked around, the movement jostling her, and she grumbled until he settled back down. “Playground.”
    “Umph.” Consciousness faded as all her sleepless nights caught up with her in rush.
    * * * *
     
    Shayla woke to the tantalizing scent of bacon passing back and forth beneath her nostrils. Before she was completely alert, hunger took over and she’d snatched the slice of bacon out of the air and stuffed it into her mouth. As she chewed, she debated whether she wanted to satisfy her appetite or her need for more slumber. Hunger won, and she held a hand out for more.
    “If you want it, you have to open your eyes.”
    Rory! Sleep was looking better and better. Mentally she reviewed what she remembered of last night while pondering the wisdom of facing him without all her faculties intact. Her conversation with Shannon and the scene at the playground all flashed through her mind in a matter of seconds. After that she drew a blank.
    Where am I?
    “Shayla, I know you’re awake. You’ve slept all night and half of the day. If you plan on making it to the wedding on time, you need to get up. I’m perfectly content to let you sleep the day away, but your family might take issue with it.”
    At that her eyes popped open. She jackknifed into a sitting position, holding the covers to her chest, and immediately wished she hadn’t as the room spun round in circles. Putting a hand to her head to hold it in place, she closed her eyes until the dizziness faded. Damn, she knew better than that. Sudden changes in position, especially going from lying to sitting, always upset her equilibrium, courtesy of her pregnancy.
    “Are you all right?” She felt his hand settle on her shoulder, steadying her. She must be swaying.
    “I’m fine.” Not …but she didn’t want to get into it with Rory right now.
    “If you say so. Here! You’ll feel better once you eat.” He plopped a plate down onto her lap.
    The smell of meat caused her to open her eyes once again. The plate was loaded with sausage, bacon, seared strips of steak still dripping blood, and scrambled eggs. Her stomach gave a loud rumble, and she swore something shifted inside.
    “I’m not really a meat eater,” Shayla told him, watching in horrified fascination as her hand—independently of her mind—reached out and snatched a piece of steak and brought it to her mouth.
    Once the meat touched her lips, it was gone, and so was the rest of the food. She scarfed it down in a flurry of movement. The fork fell unnoticed onto the bed as Shayla ate with her hands. She was licking the grease off her fingers when she remembered Rory. One glance showed he was amused by her appalling display.
    “Want more?” He wiggled his eyebrows and held aloft another plate full of the same.
    Not even close to being satisfied, with a muttered, “Thanks,” she forced herself to calmly remove the plate from his hand and continue eating. She was halfway finished before she noticed the unused fork. No sense worrying about it now, she thought with an inward shrug.
    When she was done, weariness rushed over her and a huge yawn cracked her jaw. She dropped back onto the pillows and allowed her eyes to drift close.
    “It’s obvious to me from the way you demolished this food that you haven’t been feeding our babe properly.”
    And as simple as that, sleep was the furthest thing from her mind. Shayla tapped her heels together three times and made a wish. Cautiously she peeked one eye open, and then the other. Damn, Glinda was wrong. She was still here. Where’s a pair of red magic slippers when you need them?
    “You know I’m pregnant?” She popped herself on the forehead. “Of course you know. It’s that damn nose of yours. You probably knew before I did.”
    Rory set the plates on the side table and leaned over her, a