Page 52 of The Shadows We Keep

“My ex, Alina, she was… eccentric. She grew up a typical California rich kid, going to parties by the time she was thirteen. Alcohol loses its excitement quickly when it’s so easily obtainable. So, you move on to the next thing that will give your mind a high. Most kids start with weed and quickly move on to blow or pills, depending on what they’re looking for. For Alina, it was coke and when she mixed it with alcohol, there was no reasoning with her.”

“That night she’d been drinking before I even picked her up. She stumbled into the party on my arm and rushed off to talk with her friends. When I found her again, it was obvious she’d found someone to buy from since I told her not to bring it with her from home.” I clamp my eyes shut, running a hand down my face in frustration at having to live through this again.

“By the time I’d ripped her away from some random guy she was making out with to leave, she could barely walk on her own. But she sure could snap at me when she was in that state. We were fighting on our way out to my car and passed plenty of people that were willing to tell the police that after the accident. But in the end, they couldn’t find any proof that I’d caused the accident on purpose, therefore causing Alina’s death.” I pause, waiting for the last tidbit of information to soak in.

“It was just a horrible turn of events that night and it changed my life. Forever.”

The silence in the room sits heavily around us. Her eyes search my face, but I’m stone cold, nothing but indifference hovering between us.

“It wasn’t your fault, Harkin.”

“I know,” I whisper. “I couldn’t stay there any longer. But that’s what the nightmare was all about. I still don’t know what happened that night after the car crashed. I think sometimes my brain shows me in bite-sized flashbacks when I’m dreaming, because it always feels so real.”

She doesn’t pry any further as we sit in a companionable silence. After a while, her lips are gentle as they explore across my chest before her teeth graze my nipple. My cock twitches against her thigh and she doesn’t miss my reaction to the bite of pain.

“So, it isn’t just giving.” Her eyes twinkle with mischief when her hand sneaks out of nowhere and pinches the other side. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“You want to play, little one?” I growl, relieved for shift of her focus.

Her demeanor shifts immediately at my tone and her body moves to fall back on her haunches. The light of excitement in her eyes fills my mind with every dark and depraved scenario I’ve pictured over the last couple months.

I shift off the bed standing, hand extended in waiting. “I want to try something. Do you trust me?”

She doesn’t answer. Instead, the brush of her fingers dropping into mine pulls us from the room and out to my gym. She halts in the door frame, taking in the typical setup, confusion written all over her face.

I leave her there to make her assumptions while I trail across the darkened room, hitting a switch for the recessed, rope lighting along the top of the wall. The lights trickle on, brightening the space just enough to see the shadows of workout equipment.

“Do you have a gym fantasy or something?”

“Or something.” I chuckle.

Reaching under the table that holds an assortment of drinks, towels, and the Bluetooth speaker, I hit the button. Within seconds, the wall opens displaying my collection of knifes. A surprised gasp of air sounds behind me.

“Or something,” she whispers.

“Still trust me?”

Her gentle footfalls lessen our distance until she’s standing in front of me, gazing up, running her delicate finger along my favorite blade. I smile at her choice when she pulls it off the wall and turns toward me.

“For me?” That sassy smile is back. It’s tempting to let her take the reins, if only to see how she handles them. My hand jolts out, twisting the blade free from her grasp before whipping her into my chest, her back against my front, the blade resting flat against her collarbone. Her chest heaves at the unexpected change, but I can see that her pupils have blown wide in excitement through the gym mirror.

My nose grazes along her neck under her hair, inhaling the scent that’s all her. A mix of coconut, vanilla, and her own essence. She shivers against me.

“You weren’t wrong,” I whisper against her skin. “I don’t mind a bite of pain when it’s given by the sultry vixen in my arms.”

Her ass presses back against me.

“But that’s not what I have in mind for tonight.” My blade sweeps under the collar of her shirt, shifting to the left before I slice downward through the fabric, exposing her left breast to the cool air. Her sharp intake of breath heaves out of her chest, displaying her dusky pink nipple, stiffening from exposure.

My free hand leaves her waist, drifting upward. I’m trusting her not to pull away. My other hand slips the blade up her thigh, tracing lightly with the tip, when she twitches against me, pushing it in deeper. A hiss of air pulls in through her teeth, but she stills.

I twirl her, knocking the backs of her knees before shoving her to the ground on her back. Quickly dropping the blade to the floor, I push up her tee shirt, inspecting the small, sliced area on her thigh. Bright red pebbles of blood against her peachy skin call to me. My tongue runs lightly over the area, clearing it away.

“Harkin.” My name drops from her lips in the sweetest plea for more.

“Yes, sweetness?”

She’s propped up on her elbows, looking down at me between her thighs.

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