Lost in Shadow (A Shadow Walkers Ghost Novel) (18 page)

“I can’t imagine how much the betrayal by your brother and fiancée must have hurt. Betrayal…”

He waved her off, not wanting to go there, “It’s the past, more importantly, how are you holding up, processing your new reality? Knowing there really are things out there that go bump in the night?”

Emily pulled a button from her pocket and handed to him. Puzzled he looked at her.

“It must have come off in the Vaults,” she told him. “It’s how I knew you weren’t a ghost, of course, I didn’t really know what you were, other than some crazy re-enactor, which made me determined to find you and give you a piece of my mind for scaring the living daylights out of me. When I saw the painting, the shirt you had on, well, it was the same button.”

“Aye, it was painted the morning I was arrested.”

She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight, resting her head against his chest. If she only knew…he was damaged, had kept every emotion locked away deep inside for so long—trembled at the thought of letting her in.

Ice cold. Her skin was so cold. He hadn’t noticed the temperature dropping, was too engrossed in her. “Let’s get you inside, out of the cold.” Taking her hand, he twined his fingers through hers, leading her down the stairs to their room.

“Do you want a drink before bed? Um, before we go to sleep I mean,” she was breathless.

Seeing her standing there, riveted to the floor, watching him, his nostrils flared, catching her scent as he stalked towards her. This woman captivated him. Inexplicably he was drawn to her, a base need he couldn’t put a name to. Reaching out, he caressed her hair. Want…need…desire, filled him, threatening to spill over. Tentatively, she reached up, caressed his jaw, her fingers soft against his stubble, the sensation heading straight to his groin. A simple touch of her hand was all it took, in that moment he wanted to crawl into her skin; mark her for all time.

“Damn the whisky,” he choked out.

The room crackled with electricity, a dim silvery light filling every corner and crevice as he dipped his mouth to hers. The clock on the mantle stopped ticking, he felt her breath hitch—before she could take her next breath, he kissed her with savage need.

Taking her into his arms, she moaned against his mouth, holding him tight, losing herself within their kiss. His muscles twitched under her caress, he growled, an ancient predator ready to devour her. Hands moving to his hair, she played with his braids, twining her fingers through them, pressing her chest into him.

“I’ve never wanted any man like this.”

He lifted her up, settling her against his hips, his desire for her evident, his erection pressing against her core. The contact was electrifying. As he licked his way from her earlobe down her neck, she moaned, deep in her throat. The feel of her, wrapping her legs tighter around his waist, he could hold her forever.

Hands cupping her ass, stroking circles with his thumbs, he felt her breath as she panted against his cheek.

Her fingers traced his jaw causing him to flinch as she followed the hideous scar, tracing the jagged line. When he tried to move her hand away, she stopped him. “Don’t. It’s part of you. I think it’s beautiful.” His woman was daft to think the scar ‘beautiful.’ Letting her explore his face, he fumbled, reaching for the dagger. With the rip of fabric, he sliced through the linen pants—she shivered in the cold air as their bodies separated enough for him to pull the fabric from her body, falling to the floor in a heap, useless rags.

“Damned tie was stuck.”

Her giggle turned to a gasp, as he grasped her thighs, stroking, palming her arse, the cool breeze blowing in through the window raising goose bumps across bare skin.

“Your skin feels like silk,” he rasped, reverently sliding his palms over her skin. Struggling to be closer to him, she reached out, pulling at his shirt. Raising his arms up, he pulled it over his head so she could run her hands over his chest. He was filled with a raw hunger. It had been centuries, hell maybe never since he wanted a woman as he wanted her. Being a Shadow Walker meant never letting anyone get close; he didn’t trust women, wouldn’t wake up next to one, only letting them take their pleasure from his body, feeling nothing as they came and went over the years. Something about Emily was different from the rest.

Startled, he realized, he wanted to wake up, see her next to him, watch the morning light play over her face, make her laugh—gods, he loved her clear, innocent laugh. He couldn’t love her, no way he would cut open his heart. Not ever again after the gut-wrenching betrayal of Abigail, but…he felt something, feelings he couldn’t explain or put a name to—if he couldn’t love her, he could give her passion. She was a warrior in her own right, overcoming her fear, standing up to him; he imagined how fierce a lover she would be.

The beast within howled, demanding he take her. Giving in to desire, he crushed her lips, invading her mouth, exploring every inch. Skimming his hands across her back, down to her ass, he marveled at what a tight, gorgeous arse it was, couldn’t wait to nip it with his teeth, lick each mound down to the crease where ass met thigh.

Feeling her clench her thighs tighter around him, the beast rumbled, ready to take her as he carried her to the bed, laying her down on the sheets, not breaking contact, skin to skin, scents intermingling as the silvery air grew brighter around them, a low hum reverberated around the room, seeming to come from nowhere, everywhere, as he ground into her, feeling her wetness against his thigh.

“Kiss me harder.” She ran her hands up his thighs, under his kilt, digging her nails into his ass. Pulling at his kilt, trying to remove the barrier between their skin, she huffed, “Damnit, I can’t get it undone.”

Chuckling, he shifted; breaking contact with her body as he quickly removed the kilt, throwing it to the floor. Purring in satisfaction, she raked her nails down his back. His cock jerked against her. Running his hands over every inch of her body—wasn’t enough—the rough fabric of her shirt, impeding them from full skin to skin contact, he hissed in protest at the fabric in the way, hearing her gasp as he took the shirt in his hands, ripping it down the front, buttons popping. She was exquisite. Gazing at her, body translucent in the light, he thought he could see inside her, every thought, doubt, and dream swirling around in her head. Hand darting out, she reached for the sheet.

“No, you enchant me, skin so smooth and soft, don’t cover up, let me see all of you,” he rasped. Awed by this goddess beneath him, he bent his head as if in prayer, before kissing her shoulders, trailing kisses down her arm, licking that tender part of skin under her arm.

His fingers caressed her breast, rolling her nipple between his thumb and finger as it puckered and hardened for him.

“You smell like the ocean.” She kissed his bicep then licked it. “Taste like it too.” He felt her skin growing warm, the air in the room heating up as they explored each other. Running his hand down her breast, over her ribs, he traced circles on her stomach. So soft. He wanted to sink his teeth into her, devour her. His back arched when she caressed him, cupping his balls, gently rolling them in her hands, lightly brushing his cock as it jerked in response to her touch. Running her palm over the head, he moaned when she touched the drop of moisture there, putting her finger to her mouth to taste him. Her hand was custom made for him, he quivered, thinking no one who came before her meant anything. This was something new. The fates had made her for him. Trailing her fingertips along his muscles, tracing each one, she stopped at his injured arm.

“I don’t want to hurt you—your arm is still injured, your ribs need to heal.”

“There is no pain, only pleasure.” He leaned down to kiss her but she stopped him with her palm on his chest.

“How can you not feel any pain? I bruised a rib once, and it was weeks before I could breathe without wincing.”

“Lass, I don’t allow myself to feel pain, pain gets you killed, I don’t have time for it.” Not to bloody mention if he didn’t keep those emotions locked away tight, he’d curl up in a ball in the corner crying for his mommy; those memories carried the power to cut him down.

Wanting to lose himself in her, he leaned down capturing a nipple in his mouth, cutting off her reply as he licked and suckled the nipple, feeling it tighten as she arched beneath him, her fingers tangled in his hair.

He slid his palm slowly down the length of her body, stroking her curves and softness, marveling at how amazing her body was, he reached what he was seeking, his fingers stroking her, teasing her. She shifted, wordlessly trying to tell him what she craved when he started grinding his palm against her bud, fingers delving inside her, pumping in and out while his palm kept pulsing against her. Hips thrusting up to meet his hand, she brought her knees up, spreading them wide, giving him full access to her while she fisted the sheet in her hand, twisting it tighter and tighter as her body responded to his touch. His other hand continued to roll her nipple between his fingers as she cried out. Pressure was building inside her, her skin flushed from the heated air as she rocked against his hand.

Enthralled, he moved closer to her, filled with wonder at the sight. Catching her scent, he almost came on the spot

Her knees slammed together. “What’s wrong? Why did you stop?”

“Wrong? Not a single bloody thing. My god, you’re so beautiful…smell so delicious, so wet and ready for me, I need to taste ye.” Dipping his head, he licked her, lapping, over and over, flicking his tongue against her as she writhed in the bed. The tension eased out of her as her head fell back and her knees opened wider, allowing him the access he craved. Sweeping his tongue from side to side, he took her deeper into his mouth, hearing her keen with need. Circling her nub, he latched on; sucking to a rhythm only he could hear, playing her body like a fine instrument. Flicking his tongue, she arched, fisting the sheets. Scraping his teeth gently across her mound, he grabbed her thighs, locking her against his mouth.

Penetrating her with his tongue, she rocked hard against him.

“Oh, please don’t stop, I’m almost there…” Arching off the bed, Emily exploded as her orgasm rocked her, a second more intense orgasm followed as he lapped and licked every drop, rubbing his whiskers against her sensitive sex, wringing one last orgasm out of her as she finished against his mouth.

Peaches, she not only smelled like them, she tasted like them. Forever, he’d bite into the juicy fruit and think of her.

His control shattered, couldn’t wait another second as he thrust into her, filling her to the hilt. She bent her knees deeper to take him in. He belonged inside her. Pleasure unlike anything he’d ever experienced filled him. Thrusting in and out, deeper and deeper, he looked down at Emily, the bliss on her face, almost causing him to spill. “By the gods, you steal my very breath.”

Grabbing her ankles and lifting them onto his shoulders to allow him to penetrate her more deeply, he groaned. She was so hot, and wet, and tight, gripping him with each thrust, her thighs shook. He increased the tempo and slid in harder and deeper while reaching his hand back to her…pressing his finger against her cleft, tapping, tapping, tapping. Emily was staring at something, he glanced down at his arms, seeing the hair standing straight up. Their hair was floating in the breeze—before he could make sense of what he was seeing, he felt her tumble over the edge of the cliff, muscles clenching around his cock as she screamed, “Colin.”

“Mine.” He growled, following her over the cliff, his entire body trembling in ecstasy.

Withdrawing from her, taking her in his arms, Emily’s body screamed in protest at the broken contact. Worshipped…it was the only way to explain what Colin did to her. She felt boneless, laying there in his arms while he played with her hair, winding it through his fingers.

Panic rolled over her…she couldn’t do this, couldn’t let someone get this close, she hardly knew anything about him, and what she did know would send any sane woman running away fast. The sting of betrayal curled around her brain, sending hateful tendrils to her heart—he will betray you, like Charlie betrayed you. Hating the mean, inner critic, she shook her head, willing it to go away.

She’d been tearing down her walls ever since he’d told her of his own betrayals, the pain evident in his voice, the wounds deep, lashing out when he felt vulnerable, she could understand those feelings, respect them. Telling the voice in her head to beat it, she made a decision…to try. Try and trust this warrior, try to let him in, try not to push him away. Believing in following her heart, she wanted this strong, damaged man with every fiber of her being. Let the chips fall where they may, she needed Colin, couldn’t imagine being without him. She would only think about now, living in the moment, not worrying about tomorrow or going back to Charleston and leaving Colin, she’d worry about it another day…but not tonight…tonight she would feel.

She snuggled closer to him. Would never get enough of his scent—who would have thought the smell of leather and the tang of the ocean could smell so sexy?

Colin had his eyes closed, breathing deeply. She hoped they hadn’t made his injuries worse. He traced lazy circles on her body, she shivered, his touch sending tingles through her.

Something niggled at her memory…

“Our hair was standing on end, like before lighting strikes…come to think of it, why does the air look silver and feel so warm?” she asked puzzlement filling her voice.

“’Tis part of being a Shadow Walker…I told ye we’re all made of energy? Well, during sex, we release energy, it manifests as heat and electricity—‘tis why our hair stood on end. The silver light is part of our makeup; we serve Thorne who bears allegiance to the Moon goddess so we have silver light or when we are killed, silver dust. The Day Walkers, serving Dayne, who is allied with the Sun god, have golden light and dust. Look how the silver sparkles on your skin.”

Wiping a finger down her arm, she was puzzled; her skin sparkled as if she’d put some sort of shimmery lotion on it but the dust didn’t come off.

“It won’t come off. Will I walk around all the time sparkling?”