Page 8 of In Her Shadow

“You did freak out,” he reminds me with a stern look on his face..

“Yeah, but just for a second or two. I have Mace in the bedside drawer, I carry it in my coat, and my purse. You're lucky I didn’t spray you on sight.” I see the way his lips twitch to almost smile, and it spreads the warm, fuzzy feeling from my stomach up to my chest. “I guess what I’m saying is that I… I want to know you better. I want to see if maybe I can… God, this sounds pathetic.” I drop my head so I don’t have to look into those eyes anymore. How the fuck can they be so blue and so dark at the same time.

“You don’t sound pathetic,” he speaks up, sliding his hand halfway across the seat that's between us. It’s an invitation, him putting me in control of what happens next, and I look back up at him as I slide my hand across and entwine my fingers with his. Then I gasp when he suddenly clutches it so tight that I see the veins in his arms throb from the tension.

“Who are you, and why have you been watchin–”

“I haven’t,” he interrupts me before I can finish, and despite the fact that I know he’s lying, I scoot closer so our bodies are almost touching.

“I know you have, and I’m not scared. Do you understand what a big deal that is for me…?I’m not scared.” I laugh the words out of my mouth, and he releases my hand and shifts away.

“You should be.” He moves his stare to the floor, and I notice that his hands, which now rest on his thighs, are shaking.

“Tell me why. Why should I be scared?” I cling to his arm in case he tries to leave, and it’s even firmer than I imagined it would be.

“Why? Eloise, look at me…Do I look like the kinda guy you invite over for dinner?” I hear the frustration in his voice; he’s getting mad at me, yet I still don’t fear him. Instinct tells me that he would never hurt me, and I’ve learned that my instinct is the only thing I can trust.

“You're here, aren’t you?” I smile at him cleverly, hoping to relieve the tension, but he doesn’t find the humor in it.

“I’m serious. I shouldn’t be here; you should never have invited me over.”

“Why?” I ask him again.

“Because I’m dangerous. Because I’m bad for you. How many more reasons do you want?”

The silence between us feels heavy, and I watch him close his eyes and take a deep breath. “Eloise, I don’t want to hurt you.” He speaks through his teeth, and it makes my insides clench, not from fear but from wanting.

“You won’t.” I reach out, placing my hand over his again, and when he opens his eyes and looks at it, the anger in them fades just a little.

“You don’t know me.” He stands up and starts heading for the door, but I chase after him and manage to beat him to it.

“Just do one thing for me.” I block the door so he can’t leave, although given his size compared to mine, I don’t think it would take him much effort.

His nostrils flare, but he remains still, at least prepared to hear me out on what that something is.

“I need you to kiss me.” I force the words out before I lose confidence. I haven’t come this far to have him leave here without something. “I know it sounds crazy, and I don’t expect you to understand, but you being here last week and how I’ve been feeling about seeing you again has given me something that I never thought I’d have… It’s given me hop–”

His lips slamming onto mine forces me to stop talking, and although there is nothing gentle about the way he kisses me, it feels exactly like the comfort I’ve been craving all my life. His hand reaches up my body and settles around my throat, holding me still as his tongue breaks through my lips and invades my mouth. His kiss mirrors the way he looks. Hard, intense, and dominating, and although I’ve lost all control of my body and my mind, I still don’t feel scared.

I don’t know where I should put my hands, so I drape them over his broad, muscular shoulders, and when his body presses tighter against mine, I feel him hard and rigid against my stomach. I don’t shudder or try to push him away; I cling to him tighter, because I don’t want this to end. My tongue explores his mouth, as his fingers tense and start to squeeze my throat, but I still don’t flinch. I like how it feels, I like being at his mercy. What I’m getting here isn’t fear, it's thrill, like riding a rollercoaster.

Eventually, he pulls away, taking my bottom lip between his teeth and dragging it with him, until it pops free.

“That was a really stupid thing to ask me to do,” he growls, and I can’t decide if he’s more pissed at me for asking, or himself for giving in.

“I don’t regret it.” I touch my fingers to my lips when I feel them pulsing for more; they aren’t the only thing pulsing. My whole body feels like it's on fire, the butterflies in my stomach seem to be at war with each other, and my core is aching to the point of pain.

He did all that to me with just a kiss…

“I’m not scared of you.” I shake my head, refusing to back down. I

“How many times do I have to tell you that you should be?” He keeps his lips close to mine as he speaks

“Are you gonna hurt me?” I look up at him.

“I don’t know, maybe. I don’t trust myself,” he admits, stepping back and scrubbing his tattooed hand over his face. It gives me another glimpse of his vulnerability.

“Do you trust me?” I ask.

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