Read Shelter Me (Sawtooth Shifters, #6) for Free Online

her coffee of course, I could overcome anything. Right now, my anything could be easily defined as my fear of being left behind, letting Dallas Channing see the part of me I hadn’t shown anyone, and a bloodthirsty, redheaded bitch from Montana.
    Dallas called, asking to see me, and the only answer was yes. I shut down the voice in my brain that said we were doing this for all the wrong reasons. The problem wasn’t when Dallas and I were together. That was usually pretty great. Even if we fought, just seeing him set off a swirl of butterflies in my belly. I loved butterflies because they started off as something ugly and emerged from their cocoon as some of the most beautiful creatures on Earth. If I could shift into another animal, I’d choose to be a butterfly.
    He looked haggard and gray when Baron dropped him off. Sick as a dog, pun intended. “I’m gonna make you some of that tea,” I said, nerves creeping back in.
    “Remember what I told you. Be his naughty nurse.” Kiera winked and squeezed my arm before she ran out the door to meet Baron.
    “Maybe later.” Dallas ran the back of his fingers over my cheek and sighed before wrapping his arms around me. I leaned back against the counter. Dallas wasn’t the only one shaking. “You’re the only thing that cools me down.”
    All the weirdness melted away when we kissed. Tonight Dallas was pure liquid heat. This was the only time I could relax, when he was around. His kisses made me stronger.
    “Should I be worried?” I asked, pulling away just enough to catch my breath. He wouldn’t be able to see my smirk. “Are you contagious?”
    Dallas laughed. “I wish. That would solve all our problems. We’d be bound to each other, and you’d be my mate.”
    Thank God I was leaning against the counter. It was contagious; he had me hot and dizzy. I ducked under his arm, making a clean break before I passed out. “I have another idea.”
    “What’s that?”
    “I’m going to run you a bath.” I didn’t wait for his answer. I headed to the bathroom and turned on the faucet. It was stupid. I either sounded like a little old lady, or like I was treating him like a toddler. I was more Nurse Rached than naughty nurse.
    “That sounds awesome.” Dallas came up behind me and stripped away his shirt as I turned to him. The muscles of his broad shoulders rippled down to a narrow waist. Tonight everything was coated in a sheen of sweat. It shouldn’t have been sexy, but damn, it was. His jeans hung low on his hips, and I couldn’t stop staring at the bones that slanted above them, and the trail of hair that started at his belly button and disappeared into the unknown.
    Dallas had been born a butterfly.
    I was so lost in my own thoughts I didn’t answer him. He dipped down on one knee, and tipped my chin up to meet his eyes. “I don’t want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with,” he said.
    “I need to get comfortable with these things, or else we’ll be stuck in this weird place forever. It’s okay to be scared sometimes, right?” I had to convince myself, first.
    Dallas didn’t answer. Instead he kissed me, slow and sweet. “I won’t let you fall, Lyssie.” His voice changed, deeper, much more sure of himself, like the first night he came to stay with us. I’d been so scared, and he’d soothed me. “The tub’s full.”
    I shut the faucet off, and turned back to find Dallas back on his feet. I stood up. “There’s soap and a cloth and—“
    Dallas grabbed my hand, pulling me against his body. Heat rolled off his skin. “I want you to do it for me.”
    I gulped, frozen.
    “It’s okay to be scared, Lyssie. Unzip my jeans.”
    My hands trembled. We were supposed to have a conversation, the one where I explained everything. All the things I hadn’t done. But who was I kidding, Dallas knew.
    I pushed the denim away, my fingers brushing against his cock on the way down. It was hard and ready inside his boxers. Dallas stepped away from