Shadows (9 page)

"It's getting late, beautiful. Would you like
to pick up some more clothes or whatever you need? I can run in the
apartment if you don’t want to." Turning to look over my shoulder,
I give him a soft smile. I'm becoming very addicted to him. I just
hope I don't get burned.

I reassure Kayla this is what I want. I hand
my car keys over to Paul. He's going to drop it off at my parents
for me. Theron is waiting patiently for me as I say my goodbyes.
Robert won’t look me in the eye, but I don’t care. He will just
have to adjust. We arrive at the apartment and I rattle off a short
list to Theron. I need clothes to sleep in and clothes for
tomorrow. I also ask him to grab some of my bath stuff. He comes
back with my rolling luggage packed and a bag slung over his
shoulder.

"I'm not sure what you wanted to wear, babe. I
put everything I could fit into this luggage I found in your
closet. I was grabbed some black dress pants and shoes to match. I
thought you might need them." A tear slides down my cheek and I
wipe it away. This amazing guy has been thrown into my life by such
horrific circumstances and he thinks to grab my shoes. "Beautiful,
please don't cry. Is there something else you need?" I shake my
head at him. I'm pretty sure I won't be able to talk without
crying. "I put a piece of tape under the number six on your door. I
wasn't sure I had the right apartment last night, but the key
worked. I figured the number had just spun."

"Oh, I was supposed to fix that. I kept
forgetting. Thank you."

"No problem, babe. It was just tape." He puts
my luggage in the back seat and he closes the door. Sliding into
his seat, he places his hand on my thigh before starting the car.
"Are you ready, beautiful?" Nodding my head, I mumble another
thanks. I hope he knows it’s for more than just grabbing me some
clothes.

It takes about a half an hour to get back to
his place. I'm not sure what to call it. Technically, it's his
grandma's home, but it's separate. I'm lost in thought when Theron
opens my door.

"Are you coming in?" I nod my head again and
he helps me out of the car. Slinging my purse over my shoulder, I
grip tightly to my body as I walk into the guest house. Theron
follows with my luggage. “I’m going to put these in the spare
bedroom for now, but that doesn't mean it's where I want you to
sleep. I don’t want to be away from you, but my closet isn't that
big. The spare bedroom is empty, so you should have plenty of room
for whatever you'll need in there." He sets down my luggage, giving
me a soft smile as he leaves the room.

I'm not going to question the sleeping
arrangements. I follow Theron into the spare bedroom. I shed my
clothes and bra changing into a t-shirt he packed for me. I opt for
no bottoms. I need to feel his skin on mine. I can only hope he
feels the same.

When I walk into Theron's room, he is already
in bed. The covers are pulled up to his waist. He's shirtless and
I'm hoping he is sans bottoms. I set my phone on the nightstand by
the bed. Slipping into bed, I pull the covers over me. I'm nervous,
tired, and excited all at the same time. I roll over to face away
from Theron as I feel guilt creep up on me. I try to push it away,
but I'm not good at handling so many emotions at once.

"Beautiful, why are you way over
there?"

I don't answer him, but I feel him scoot
closer to me. Wrapping an arm around my waist, he pulls me to him.
My body fits perfectly to his. His breath on my neck is comforting
even though it's spreading a tingling sensation through my body.
All of my tension and confusion melts away when I'm near him.
Sighing, I push back into him. He kisses my neck and I
giggle.

"Now, that is a very sweet sound. I know you
are a wreck right now. I don't want to push you to do anything you
don't want to do. Whatever it is you want or need, tell me and I'll
do my best to fulfill them. Okay?" Taking a deep breath, I wipe my
tears away. My eyes are raw and my cheeks are starting to sting. I
wish I could stop the tears from coming. "Eve, are you alright?
Tell me what to do. I've never done anything like this before. I
mean I've dated, but somehow the girls would either know or find
out I come from money. All they could see when they looked at me
was dollar signs. I've never had to comfort someone either. When my
mom passed, I looked to others for comfort. My gram helped me the
best she could. My dad was useless. He told me to handle things
like a man, and pushed me away. I want you to feel safe with me. I
want to help you through this hell. I just don't know how to do it.
What can I do?"

I roll over to face him. His eyes are just so
amazing. I know this is rushed from everything that has happened.
Does it matter right now, though? No, it doesn't.

"I just want to breathe, Theron." I don't tell
him my thoughts, because I'm pretty sure he would run. I would run
if someone I just met needed me this much. His eyes seem to search
my face for permission before he gently places a soft kiss on my
lips. I part my lips wanting more. His tongue softly caresses mine.
It's not rushed or hurried. It's soft, gentle, and sweet. His hands
are softly caressing my face and my fingers are running through his
hair. Our kiss slows and he pulls back to look at me.

"I want you so bad, Eve. I want to feel every
inch of you. I want to feel you come apart by my touch. I want you
like the desert wants water. I'm not sure I can quench my thirst
for you…but for tonight I'm going to hold you. You need sleep,
beautiful. Tomorrow is going to be a long day. Let me battle the
night for you, so you have strength to hold on for tomorrow." He
places a kiss on my forehead, tucking my head under his chin.
Burrowing into him, I drift off to sleep.

I stretch out my limbs, opening my eyes. I can
see the sun peaking in the windows from behind the curtains. I feel
so relaxed and calm. Rolling over to Theron's side of the bed, I
lay my head on his pillow. It smells of him. I have a smile on my
face as I head into the bathroom to wash up.

Following the smells of coffee and bacon, I
make my way to the kitchen. Theron is busy cooking and I am greeted
by his wonderful Gram. She's sitting comfortably at the island
reading a book. Her hair is pulled up and covered with a bandana.
She's wearing ripped jeans and an Aerosmith t-shirt. It's an
interesting look for her.

"How are we on this wonderful
morning?"

"I feel a lot better this morning. I don't
remember waking up at all. I guess I really did need my beauty
sleep."

"He had you in his bed all night and he let
you sleep. Honestly, who raised this man? If I had a gorgeous girl
in my bed all night, I highly doubt I would be
sleeping."

"Gram! Seriously? You need a filter." Theron
shakes his head with his back to me. This woman absolutely stuns
me. She definitely has a wild personality.

"Fine. I won't butt into your business, but I
want it to be known I think you're missing out."

"Um, so…what's for breakfast?" I feel
completely awkward with her talking about me like this. I wonder if
she's just trying to lighten the mood given the grievous
situation.

"Coffee, bacon, and eggs, Beautiful. Unless
you would like to add to the menu. I could make you some toast if
you'd like." Theron should do everything shirtless, it's such a
sight to behold. Then again, I'm not sure I would accomplish
anything productive. It's hard to pull my eyes away from watching
him, but I do.

"Everything sounds delicious as is." I make
myself of cup of coffee and take a sip as I lean against the
counter. I could watch him all day.

"So, Eve. I know the view is great over there,
but perhaps you could indulge this old woman with some
conversation. I get so lonely all cooped up in that prison." I
blush. I've definitely been caught. Theron and his gram are staring
right at me.

I take a seat right next to his gram. No one
says a word, so I try to break the silence. "This coffee is so
good. Nothing beats the very first cup of the day."

"So, are we all going to pretend like you
weren't just ogling my grandson?"

"Gram! Don't you have the gardener coming
today? You should probably go check on him."

"Theron, don’t tell me what to do." She rolls
her eyes and gives me a wink. "He thinks he knows everything, but
he doesn't. He needs more excitement in his life. Anyways, will you
be a constant feature around here?"

"Um, I don't know. I guess that would up to
Theron. I have a lot going on right now, so I'm just kind of taking
it a day at a time." I start chewing on the inside of my cheek. I
need to text Kayla and see what time and where we are meeting
Michael. I need to make sure I lay out my black dress pants and
press them. I should probably text my family and let them know I'm
okay. I know they will be worried. Taking my coffee with me, I walk
out of the kitchen to Theron's room. I sit on his bed and start on
my text message to Kayla. As I hit send, I notice my phone is being
taken out of my hand. I look up and my eyes lock with
his.

"Hey, you okay? My gram was talking to you and
you walked away. Did she upset you?"

"What? She asked me if I was going to be a
constant feature and I told her that would be up to you. Then I
started thinking about what I have to do today. I need to text
Kayla and my family. I need to make sure my clothes are ready.
After we see Matt's dad, I will have to text everyone else. Can I
group text that? I don't want to be rude, but I don't know how many
times I want to explain everything. Will they expect me to call? I
don't want to call, I just want to text them. I can't explain all
of this. I don’t want to. Is Kayla going to get a hold of people?
Should we make a list and split it? Oh, do I even have black socks
to wear with my black flats? I just—" Theron cuts me off with a
soft kiss to my lips. I want to cry, but I can't. I believe I'm
officially out of tears.

"Babe, breathe. We were both trying to talk to
you and get your attention, but I believe you zoned out on us.
Let's take this one step at a time. Text Kayla to see when you guys
are supposed to meet. Then, text your family and let them know I'm
not some crazed axe murderer."

"Axe murderer? I would have pegged you more as
a chainsaw kind of guy." I can’t help the grin coming across my
face. He calms me and that's exactly what I need right
now.

"Nah, I sold my chainsaw years ago. I like the
axe better, more muscle toning for the arms and upper
back."

"It seems you've put a lot of thought into
this."

"I have." He starts kissing me again, but I
know I should get these messages out of the way.

I break the kiss and hold out my hand. "Phone,
please." He hands me my phone and I text my family. I hit send and
my phone chirps back at me. It's Kayla. We are meeting at three
o'clock at Emmerson's funeral home. I let her know I'll be there.
She asks if Theron will be joining. I respond back telling her it
will just be me. I know she needs me right now, and I need to stop
being so selfish. I am not the only one who has lost someone. I can
hear Theron in the shower. I guess I should start getting dressed
for the day. I decide to go with dark jeans and a purple sweater.
I'm not really sure of the dress code for funeral homes. I peek
into the kitchen and his gram is nowhere to be seen. Turning
around, I head back to his room because, a shower with Theron
sounds like the best way to start a day.

I lay my clothes next to his on the sink. He
hasn't noticed me come in yet. His bathroom is identical to the
other one. He's standing in the large shower with water spraying
him from the sides of the wall and from the ceiling. How did he do
that? I need to know the secrets to these showers. I undress,
kicking my clothes to the side. I lean against the sink and I just
take him in. I need to thank whoever thought of using clear glass
shower doors. They are lovely. Opening the door, I slide in behind
him. I go to put my hands around his waist and he spins towards me
catching me off guard. I yelp and he laughs.

"I heard the door click, but I wasn't sure if
you were going to join me or not. I'm very happy with your
decision."

"I was hoping to surprise you."

"Oh, I'm surprised."

Pulling me under the water with him he kisses
me, our lips mashing together. It's not slow or sweet. This a mad,
steamy, erotic mashing of our tongues and lips. My hands are
gripping his hair pulling him to me. His hand slides down between
us. Pleasure surges through my body as his fingers circle my clit,
igniting every nerve ending in my body. He captures my moan with
his mouth. I wrap my leg around him, grinding my hips into him as
he pushes me back against the wall. I want more, no, I need
more.

"Eve, this is going to be quick. Wrap your
other leg around me. Keep your arms around my neck and hold tight."
I do exactly what he says without hesitation. He's holding me up
against the shower wall. I can feel the tip of his cock rubbing
against my swollen clit. Licking his lips, he slams hard into me
pinning me against the wall. His grip on my hips is almost painful,
and it only excites me more. His forehead is resting against mine.
Pulling back, he slams into me again. I moan. This is hard and
rough. I can already feel the familiar warmth spreading through my
body. He thrusts into me again and I clench my walls around
him.