Page 28 of In Her Shadow

“Excuse me, but I don’t care who you are, we wer–”

“This is a private conversation.Lance,” Ren interrupts him, looking more and more enraged by the second.

“Eloise, will you just–” I gasp in horror when Ren cuts him off again, this time with a punch so hard that it knocks him to the pavement.

“I told you, this is aprivateconversation,” Ren snarls at him, while he remains on the ground, wiping the blood from his lip and holding on to his head like it’s been rattled.

“I’m sorry, Lance, I have to go.” I look down at him guiltily as I take hold of Ren’s hand and start pulling him away. I need to calm him down. I need to explain that what he’s seen isn’t what he thinks it is, and more disturbing than anything, I need him to have his hands on me right fucking now.

REN

Ilet her drag me away, focusing on how good it feels to have her hand in mine again, and letting that feeling calm me before we get to her door.

“El, I’m sorry but—” She shuts me up by slamming her mouth over mine, and I don’t kiss her back out of pure fucking shock. After what just happened, I was sure she’d be mad at me. I just showed her another example of how I have no control of myself.

“I wasn’t on a date with him, Ren. I wouldn’t do that. How could I when I’m…” She stops herself from finishing and smiles as her cheeks flush red. “I’m not interested in anyone but you,” she confesses before she quickly gets back to kissing me, and I stand static. Still completely shocked at her reaction to what she just saw.

“So why were you with him?” I hate the jealousy I felt when I saw them together through that restaurant window. I almost put my fist through that, as well as that fucker’s face.

“I’ll explain, I promise I will, let's just get upstairs first.” She fumbles to open the door, and once we’re inside, she leaps up onto my body and wraps her legs around my hips.

“What happened to wanting to put on the brakes?” I laugh as I carry her up the stairs, my cock getting harder as the kisses shedots all over my neck make it difficult for me to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.

“Ignore what I said,” she whispers breathlessly, kissing me again as I get us to her door. She hands me her set of keys so I can unlock it, and when I kick it open and step inside, I slam it closed and force her back against it.

“What's gotten into you, Kitten?” I hold her face up to mine by cupping under her chin and when I see the blood stains my fingers leave on her skin, the reality of the fact I have her, right here, at my mercy forces me to kiss her so fiercely, I have to remind myself to stop and let her breathe.

“I don’t know, I guess I missed you.” She smiles as her tiny chest rises and falls against mine. “I’m trying to do the right thing, Ren, but it doesn't feel right. Does that make sense?” My poor girl looks so confused and helpless.

“Does this feel right?” I lower my eyes between our bodies. I can’t let myself think about where that cunt at her office might have touched her. Not now, while I have her delicate little body in my hands.

“I just don’t want to depend on you,” she admits, biting her lip and suddenly looking all doubtful again.

“Why not?” I narrow my eyes when hearing that admission stings real deep.

“Because it’s not normal. All my life, I’ve wanted a healthy, stable relationship. I don’t know if we can have that, Ren. Not the way I feel.”

She’s probably right. There’s nothinghealthyabout the way I feel about her, either. She’s only known about my existence for three days.Threefucking days, and I’m already going to every length possible to plant my seed inside her.

“You might have to compromise a little on the healthy part, but never on how much you can depend on me. There isnothing…Nothingthat I wouldn’t do for you,” I warn, denting my fingertips into her cheeks.

“Even kill my boss?” She blinks back at me, nervously, and instead of giving her an answer, I kiss her puckered-up lips so possessively, she shouldn’t have to ask me again.

She releases a sexy-as-sin moan into my mouth as my tongue commands hers and, needing so much more if it, I rip open her shirt and bust off the buttons, lowering my kisses down her neck and all over her pert, perfect tits. My hands grip roughly at her ass cheeks as I drag her away from the door and take her toward her bed.

“What happened to you tonight? Why are your hands all bound and bloody?” she asks as I lie her down on the mattress. I ignore her and focus all my attention on unbuttoning her jeans before kicking off my sweats, and when my body’s on top of hers, she looks up at me all dreamy-eyed and beautiful.

“Why do you hide so much of yourself from me, Ren?” she asks, doing that thing she does with her fingers in my hair that makes me even fucking wilder for her.

“Are you prepared to take everything I give you, Kitten, bad or good?” I press her wrists to the mattress, hard to make sure she hears me. This time,I’mthe one asking the question, and it’s an important one, because having her feels too good to be true. I need to know she can handle me as I am, because I’m rapidly learning there's no other way for me to be. “Everything.” She nods like she’s so sure of herself. What I really want to do is tell Eloise the truth. Admit I’m terrified that if she saw the monster I really am, she’d run, but instead, I take my cock and guide it between her legs, pushing up inside her and entering my own version of heaven.

“Have I not proven that already, Ren? I like what this is. I want it, I’m just scared that?—”

I slam my hand over her mouth because I can’t hear her fears, I’ve got far too much conscience when it comes to her, and I know her fears will wound me.

“No more being scared. I promised I wouldn’t hurt you, and I meant it. I’d die before I let that happen.”

She grips my wrist and drags my hand away so she can speak.

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