Page 77 of I Accidentally Hired a Shadow Walker
“I’m glad you two got close.”
“Now.” He tightened his hold on my neck. “Tell me why you lied to me.”
“Because I’m not used to feeling this way.” I squeezed my eyes shut, imagining I was driving down the highway, ranting to the universe like I often did. “Everyone keeps telling me how I’m supposed to be. Loosen up, pull back, delegate. None of you are thinking about how incredibly uncomfortable that makes me feel. It’s strangulating to think of having anyone else take care of things. If they mess up, it’s on me. I have always had to be prepared for everything. I couldn’t mess up because there was no one there to catch me if I fell. I have no family left, and all my friends, while I love them, have their own burdens. I never want to lean on them too much because I’m afraid that will break our bond. So, I prepare. I over-planand I double check everything. But how could I have ever prepared for something like this, Raymond?”
“Again, I ask,” he spoke, “why didn’t you tell me? What makes you think you couldn’t share that with me?”
“You’re acting like I purposely hid something from you.” I pulled away from his hold, and he let me. “It never crossed my mind. Honestly. I handle my own shit, Raymond. You know that.”
“If we’re going to survive this, if we’re going to be together, you have to drop that.” He moved closer to me, bringing a fresh wave of that woodsy scent with him. “You’re going to have to consider me.”
“Be together?” I swallowed. “Suddenly, this feels like we’re talking about something very different.”
“I told you; I got you.” He pulled me to him, my chest against his. “I meant that, in every possible way.”
“I—Raymond. That’s a much bigger topic. I think…”
“None of this works unless you stop acting like you’re alone and trust me,” he cut me off. “From now on, I expect you to be honest with me about what you’re thinking and feeling, especially when we get to the Bane.”
“I just really think…” This time, he cut me off by pressing his lips against mine. Every protest in my head silenced the moment our lips met. My back arched, and my arms slipped up around his neck as the kiss deepened. When he pulled away, a part of me ached.
“I’m taking you to hell with me.” He looked deep into my eyes, his breath steady as his hands found my back. “You can’t run anymore.”
“I’m not running. I already explained things to Natalie, and I talked to Jackie. Everything is set for us to leave tomorrow night. I’ve even packed my bags.”
“Good.” His right hand slipped from mywaist to my ass.
“Does that mean I don’t have to be punished now?” I asked playfully, partly because I didn’t want to get back to the part of the conversation that focused on our relationship status. Yes, it required more thought, but honestly, that could wait until after we made it back from hell.
He tightened his grip on my ass then gave it a small smack. “What do you think?”
“I think you should reconsider.”
“Interesting.” He let me go, stepped back, and scratched his chin. Then, he pulled off the gray shirt he wore, revealing his chest and arms. I watched in awe as the tattoos on his flesh moved, and the shadow around his form spread. “I don’t think I will,” he said, and those shadows reached out to me. They wrapped around my waist and arms and lifted me from the floor.
“I’d like to play a game,” Raymond said and then turned and walked away from me. The shadows carried me behind him.
“If you had more plants in this place, I swear I would use them against you!” I threatened.
“Why do you think I didn’t take you to your home?” he laughed as we continued through the house.
We went down a short hall, up a large staircase, and into a room with double doors. The room felt like him—open, spacious, dark. There was a massive bed, a bookshelf cluttered with books, and a large armchair just beneath the window. That was it, simple and to the point.
The shadows held me floating in the center of the room while Raymond took a seat in the armchair. It moved, positioning him just right so he could watch the show.
When he was ready, the shadows did the work for him. They pulled away the dress I wore, removed my bra, and left me levitating with nothing but my panties on.
“Are you afraid?”
“No,” I spoke as a chill crossed my skin, quickly followed by the warm touch of his shadows.
“Good.” He stood and made a path around me, examining my body. “Damn, you look good.” He smacked my ass again, and a soft moan crossed his lips in appreciation of the recoil.
I felt slight pressure on my back as his shadows bent me over. Raymond had the perfect view as he rubbed my ass, slow circles on each cheek before his thumb brushed across my asshole. I moaned and heard him chuckle, like he’d received confirmation of something.
“Something else you like, huh?” he asked as he continued his path around my body.
Still bent over, I turned my head to look at him. “With the right person.”
