Page 23 of Kissed By Shadows

“Great. Then I can eat Evangeline for lunch, and maybe another film after?” His lips twitch as my mouth opens and closes, my body flooded with warmth at his naughty suggestion. “Go on, get that pretty arse clean and maybe I’ll eat that too if you’re a good girl.”

Not giving me much of a chance to answer—I’m still too fucking stunned at the visual of his head between my legs, his tongue licking me in all the places—he gets to his feet and pulls me with him, turning me in the direction of the room I’m staying in and giving my arse a playful swat that has me moving.

“Arsehole,” I grumble, hearing his deep laugh behind me as I walk away, deciding that I just can't deal with his lewd suggestions right now. He was probably joking, just trying to get a reaction after our talk earlier.

I pause when I push the door to my room open, looking around at the cream walls and colourful furnishings. It’s a nice space, almost what I would have chosen for myself. Though it doesn’t feel quite like mine, not yet anyway. Maybe I can convince Roman to let me use the credit card again and buy some things to make it more mine, if I’m going to be staying here long-term that is. I’m not sure if Willow plans on coming back after she graduates from Highgate Prep, and what will I do then?

Shaking my head and deciding to pop a pin in that for another day, I cross the threshold and go to the bathroom, stripping out of my—Roman’s—T-shirt and my knickers, throwing them in the laundry basket that sits beside the door.

The space is beautiful, colourful tiles giving it an exotic feel, like some kind of spa in a far-off land. There’s a huge, gleaming copper tub that sits in the middle of the floor, and I notice awhole load of bath products on some shelves on one wall. I am definitely trying that out later.

It reminds me of Willow, given that it’s her space, and I make a mental note to try and get in touch with her. I’m sure I can use one of their phones, and I know that she had regular contact with Hunter at least. After her time with me, we kept in touch, speaking at least once a week, and in some ways, she’s become one of my closest friends. She certainly knows more about me than the other society girls who were part of my circle. Willow and I just connected on a level that I had not experienced since Nik. Plus, I bet she’d be easily persuaded to give me the inside scoop on the twins and her brother. I feel like they know far more about me than I do about them.

For now, I head towards the large shower in the corner, opening the door and fiddling with the knobs until it comes up. The water soon heats up, and I heave a sigh as I step under the spray, letting the water soothe some of the tension in my shoulders. It’s like I’ve been on edge since I walked into my house less than twenty-four hours ago, finding my life turned upside down.

After a few moments of just breathing under the stream of warm water, I use some of the fruity shower gel that smells like Willow before scrubbing top to bottom. Figuring breakfast must be almost ready by the delicious smell of bacon wafting into the room, I turn off the shower and step out.

“Need a hand, Princess?”

“Fuck!” I shout, spinning and clutching the towel to my chest, finding Roman leaning in the doorway, looking all too delicious in dark sweats and a vest. “Why do you all insist on scaring me all the fucking time?”

He gives me the most devastating smirk before sauntering into the steam-filled bathroom towards me.

“Maybe we like to see the fear in your eyes, the way your pulse jumps under your skin,” he purrs, and damn, that shouldn’t make my core clench. Spoiler alert, it does. “Maybe you are just completely oblivious of your surroundings.”

He stops in front of me, so close I can feel his body heat against my wet skin, imagining steam rising from me at how hot I now am. My breathing picks up as he takes the towel from me, my fingers releasing their grip without my bloody consent.

Without saying a word, he uses the towel to dry me off, and it’s quite possibly the most erotic thing to have ever happened to me. A part of me knows that I should tell him to stop, that this isn’t what almost strangers do, but Evangeline seems to be in full control here, and so I don’t say a fucking word.

“There,” he murmurs, his voice low and husky, and a shiver falls over my now dry skin. “Breakfast is ready.”

Wrapping the towel around me and tucking the end in, he steps away, my eyes widening at the significant outline tenting his sweats. He huffs a laugh, dragging my gaze up to his beautiful face, some of his blond hair falling out of his bun and curling in the steamy room. God, the man is fucking gorgeous. No wonder he fries my brain.

“T–thank you,” I whisper, his eyes tracing over me before coming to rest on my heated face. The brown of his irises is almost completely swallowed up with black, and there’s something about being desired by such a man that leaves my head spinning.

“Anytime, Princess,” he murmurs, his fingertips twitching like he wants to pull me towards him. “I’ll be waiting in the kitchen, hurry or it’ll get cold.”

Taking a deep breath, he steps away and turns around before walking out, leaving me a hot fucking mess.

After quickly getting dressed in some silky soft harem pants and a loose snuggly fairisle jumper that Nikolai must have packed for me, I head back towards the kitchen, my cheeks burning when I see Roman sitting at the island and what looks like a hundred plates covering the surface.

He’s scrolling through his phone but looks up as I approach, his dark eyes still full of lust as he looks me over.

“How do you look just as sexy in that outfit as you do naked?” he asks, smirking when he notices my flushed skin. I swear he does it on purpose, says these things just to watch me blush.Wanker.

“What’s for breakfast?” I ask, not sure what to say. I think maybe it was a rhetorical question, but I’ve not spent enough time around guys to know or be used to this kind of flirty banter. My friendship group for the past few years has been catty girls, all of us training to be the perfect hostess and housewife. It didn’t exactly prepare me for living with three inked-up, wet-knicker-inducing gangsters. I definitely need to get a phone or borrow one of theirs to chat with Willow. I bet she’d know how I’m meant to react, she always did have the funniest and dirtiest advice.

“Well, I wasn’t sure if you were vegan or some shit?” he asks, and I shake my head, a look of relief crossing his face. “So I made a selection, and there’s some fruit too.”

Walking over to the island, I sit in the chair next to him and gawp at the vast array of foodstuff on plates in front of us.

“Wow,” I whisper, my eyes darting over crispy bacon, toast covered in butter, golden waffles with a jug of syrup, and a huge fruit platter. Plus a big jug of juice, reminding me of the juicerI found early this morning. “This looks amazing, Roman. Thank you. I worry I won’t be able to do it justice.”

“That’s okay, Princess. Eat what you want and I’m sure the others or someone else will have the leftovers.” His hand lands on my thigh, squeezing it gently, and I swear all the blood in my body rushes to the spot as it suddenly burns.

As if his words have the power to summon, the front door opens.

“Hey, Roman?” a boyish voice greets, and Roman sighs, keeping his hand on my thigh.

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