Kaylee changed clothes as fast as possible and went to her office, afraid of being home with Shadowman. Nathan had texted but she refused to answer it, not wanting anything to do with the strange man.
Shadowman backed off when she left her apartment and went to her workplace, and she paused when she walked in the door of the law offices.
When he was around, she hated his oppressiveness. When he wasn’t …
She felt like someone was watching her. Instead of standing over her, he was keeping his distance. Waiting for something. Like some sort of predator in the forest, watching its prey.
“Hi, Kaylee. Any word from Mike?” Linda called from the reception desk.
“Um, no. Not yet.” Kaylee shook off the feeling and smiled at Linda, continuing to her small office. She checked Mike’s office for signs he’d been there at all and grew more frustrated.
Where was he?
Returning to her office, she sat and stared at the computer screen. There were days when she didn’t mind being in her office and days she couldn’t stand it. Today was one of the latter. There were folders of cases requiring research on her desk and a dozen unopened emails, and all she could think about was Nathan.
Why hadn’t she called the police? Because she found him attractive? Because he spoke complete nonsense about being a psychic?
Because he proved he had some unique gift and pulled a memory from her mind?
She covered her face with her hands, exhausted from the night before and stressed about the Shadowman. Whatever was going on, there was some supernatural influence. It was impossible for her to ignore.
It centered on a fallen guardian angel that happened to be assigned to her. The only person who might help was Nathan, a man who made her pulse soar and who scared her with his intensity.
The phone on her desk rang, jarring her from her thoughts. One button was lit up, indicating it was Linda. She pushed the speakerphone button.
“Kaylee,” Linda said. “Your eight o’clock is here.”
“Send them back,” she replied blandly. She tucked a curl behind her ear then glanced at her calendar.
She didn’t have an eight o’clock today.
Kaylee stood, dread in her stomach. She didn’t know who was going to walk through her door, but she wasn’t expecting the tall, attractive brunette. Was she slipping? Should she know she had an appointment this morning?
Game face, Kaylee. She circled the desk and offered her hand.
“I’m Kaylee, Mr. Harrison’s assistant,” she said.
“Maggy,” said the brunette, shaking her hand. “I’m a colleague of Nathan Smith.”
Kaylee froze for a split second but managed to keep the forced smile on her face. She motioned to the chair in front of her desk. Nathan didn’t seem like someone who sent a messenger or someone else to do his job. Her gaze lingered on the door for a moment before she crossed to it. Leaning out, Kaylee spotted Nathan a few feet away.
He stood in the hallway, facing her door. If he was surprised she thought to look for him, he didn’t show it. His steady gaze made her stomach flutter before a familiar streak of fear replaced it.
“You might as well come in,” she told him in a clipped tone then spun and returned to her desk. “What do you want?” This she addressed at Maggy while Nathan walked in and sat.
“I think Nathan briefed you on who … what we are,” Maggy started.
“Supernatural caseworkers,” Kaylee replied. “Like I believe that.”
“Whatever you believe, you are no doubt aware of Shadowman,” Maggy said smoothly. “You probably sense that he’s evil, and he’s probably following you everywhere you go.”
“Something like that.”
“Look, believe it or not, we’re here to help.”
“How?”
“We know Shadowman is anchored by you, and we want to get rid of him.”
“Sounds good. How do you plan to do that?”
Maggy glanced at Nathan, who was silent.
Kaylee waited, the knot in her stomach twisting harder.
“It’s difficult. When a guardian angel is assigned to a human, he stays with the human until death, upon which he’s released to return to the Other Side,” Maggy explained. “We have a risky proposal for you.”
“We want to render you lifeless. With your permission, of course,” said Nathan, his handsome features calm and his muscular frame relaxed in the chair across from her.
“You’re asking if you can murder me?” Kaylee wasn’t certain she heard him right.
“It’s only temporary.”
Was her luck that bad that the most handsome man who ever set foot in her office wanted to murder her? True, Nathan wasn’t exactly normal. He was involved in some strange supernatural stuff she didn’t think existed before last week. He hadn’t seemed like a psycho before today, though.
“How long is temporary?” she asked, wracking her brain to try to make sense of his surreal request.
“Five minutes. Maybe ten. It shouldn’t be painful,” he replied smoothly.
“Shouldn’t be,” she repeated. “I think I’m going to have to decline. Respectfully, of course.” Her last words were laced with sarcasm. “I don’t feel like being dead today.”
“Do you realize what’s at stake here?” Maggy asked, leaning forward.
“I have no clue, and I don’t care. Now, if you’ll get out of my office, I’d appreciate it.” Kaylee rose to emphasize that the meeting was over.
“Kaylee, we wouldn’t ask this if it wasn’t important. I’ll make it as painless as possible. We just need to send Shadowman to Hell, before he hurts people,” Nathan said, mirroring her movement.
“Does this sound ape shit crazy to you at all?” Kaylee asked, crossing her arms. “You want to kill me, Nathan! You never did explain why you kidnapped Amira, the girl in a high profile murder case.”
“Here’s an idea. Come with us. I’ll explain everything,” he offered.
“Here’s a better idea,” she snapped. “Get out.”
“I’ll let you two work this out,” Maggy said and stepped into the hallway.
Nathan didn’t budge.
Kaylee glared up at him, inches away. She wanted to push him but was afraid to break the fragile plane between them. Would she care what he convinced her to do, if her senses were intoxicated by the feel of his muscular chest and his scent, or worse – if she was enveloped in his calming heat? His magnetism was uncanny, a combination of his alluring scent and utterly masculine presence that touched the feminine woman she hid beneath blocky business suits and a sharp wit.
He’d had more than one chance to hurt her and hadn’t. In fact, he’d used his strange magic powers to heal her the night he kidnapped Amira and again in his townhouse. But that didn’t mean she’d trust him, not with this level of craziness.
“Let’s talk,” he said.
“No!” Kaylee retorted. “I want you to take yourself and this supernatural shit out of my life!”
“That’s not gonna happen anytime soon,” he replied. “Kaylee, think about this.” He touched her arms lightly, and warmth swept through her.
She pushed his hands away. He caught them easily, and the warmth spread, easing her tension.
Involuntarily relaxing, she struggled to hang onto her anger.
“You’re a smart girl.”
This time, she didn’t try to shake him off but sighed. Like a hot bath after a stressful day, whatever he did felt too good.
“The alternative is that Maggy just murders you once and for all,” he added. “We wanted to give you a chance.”
“Do you have any idea how ridiculous this sounds?” she demanded, the edge in her voice melting with her muscles.
As if sensing her anger abating, Nathan moved closer. His dark eyes searched her face, and she found herself recalling the strength of his body when he’d held her, kissed her, in the parking lot of the police station. The spicy-sweet scent and soft-looking cashmere sweater made her want to lean against him and experience him with all her senses.
No matter how nice his touch was, there was no way she’d ever trust him. She believed in facts, what she knew or could research. Nathan was an enigma unlike any mystery she’d ever run across, filled with more questions than answers.
“I do,” he replied. “The truth is simple: if I don’t get rid of Shadowman, he’ll hurt people, and my people will hurt you to take him out.”
She shivered.
“Five to ten minutes. It’s the max you’ll be dead. Promise,” he said. “Maggy and I can help bring you back, and modern medicine will do the rest.”
The severity of what he asked sank in. What alarmed her more – that she was considering it or that she hadn’t thrown him out of her office yet?
She moved away from Nathan’s touch. “I should’ve called the police the minute I saw Amira.”
“But you didn’t. Some part of you knows what I’m saying is true or at least, you’re smart enough to know you need to fear Shadowman. What you don’t know is that you’re relatively safe from him,” he continued. “He has to keep you alive to keep himself alive. If he feels you’re threatened, however, he can always grab you and hide you somewhere where even I can’t find you.”
Kaylee listened. She wished she could block his words and how true they felt.
“Why does Amira keep trying to kill me? Because of Shadowman?” she asked.
“Yeah and she’s not the only one. There’s a vigilante group called 3G that’s got you in their sites. They have this thing with the greater good. It’s annoying, actually.” By the note in Nathan’s voice, he was thinking about something more than her situation.
“3G?” she echoed. “I’ve heard of them. I thought they were a club, though. They were the ones who hired Mike to defend their owner in court about the murder Amira witnessed.”
“Really.” Nathan didn’t appear pleased. “So that’s how they found you.”
“Nathan, why did you decide to try to help me, even though me living means Shadowman is an issue?”
Nathan smiled faintly. “You feel what’s between us.” He took a slow step towards her.
“Um, that would be nothing,” she replied, retreating. The steadiness of his gaze did things to her that she desperately wanted to ignore. Her heels bumped the wall of her tiny office.
“Really? Because I can read auras, and yours tells me something different.” He stopped, toe-to-toe with her.
Kaylee squeezed her hands into fists, resisting the instinctive urge to touch the soft shirt and feel the heat of his body. She didn’t know who or what Nathan really was, but he had an effect on her that left her breathing too fast and trying to hard to keep her thoughts together. His touch was like a drug she wanted more of and his scent so rich and subtle, she found herself trying to breathe in more of him. She almost didn’t mind how overly confident he was or the way he seemed to see through her, when she was more comfortable hiding herself behind the crappy job and her family name.
The walls of her office trembled suddenly. She looked up as dust drifted down from the fixtures overhead.
Nathan’s attention left her. Tilting his head to the side, he appeared to be listening for a moment. He snapped out of it and took her arm, puling her towards the hallway.
“We gotta go,” he said. “Is there a back exit to the building?”
“What? Yes, of course.”
“Go straight out the back. Don’t talk to anyone. Don’t stop for anything. Got it?” he asked. The urgency in his tone alarmed her.
“Okay,” she murmured.
The sound of something crashing through the glass front of the building jarred her. She tried to peer around him, but he kept her in place.
“Run. Now,” he added, pushing her down the hallway opposite the sounds from the lobby.
Kaylee hesitated briefly. It’s one way to get away from these lunatics. She turned and ran, grateful she thought to wear flats today instead of heels. She nearly bowled over the janitor who ventured out of the break room to see what the noise up front was about.
The floor shook, and Kaylee pitched into the wall that was equally shaky. She balanced herself and pushed off, her pace slowing to a wobbly walk. Someone took her arm to steady her.
“I told you to run.” Nathan’s words were accompanied by a grunt. The ground bucked beneath them, throwing him against the wall and her into his arms. They tightened around her, and her breath caught at the sudden heat of his hard frame and his scent.
For a moment, they were caught in the strange stillness between them. The world around them shook, and they were the calm at the center of a storm. She listened to his steady breathing while his warm energy worked its way through her. Her eyes drifted down his face to settle on his full lips. Their soft plushness – combined with his heat – making their way down her body would make for a wicked experience. She knew from their first kiss that he knew how to use his mouth.
She had no reason to trust him. Why was she so turned on every time they were together?
“Not so easy, is it?” she challenged, needing a distraction from the sensations in her body.
“This way is better,” he agreed. “Though it might get us both killed.” With reluctance she could see, he released her and took her hand, starting down the hallway once more.
Kaylee didn’t fight him this time, not about to be trapped in the collapsing building. His reflexes were borderline otherworldly, catching, steadying and guiding her without so much as a glance back.
At last, they reached the exit. Someone had the forethought to prop open the door, and the building’s employees were scattered across the back parking lot.
Kaylee slowed, but Nathan tugged her forward. They made their way through the parking lot before he stopped. He released her hand. She breathed deeply to catch her breath and faced the building. It was collapsing in on itself. Her eyes went to the neighboring office, and she looked twice.
“What kind of earthquake takes out one building on an entire block?” she asked.
“One that’s targeting a certain human anchoring the Shadowman to earth.”
She faced Nathan, who was just tucking his phone into his pocket.
His sharpened attention went to the building.
“At the risk of killing you?” she asked.
“I can’t die,” he replied. “This was 3G. Apparently, they know who you are now.”
“What do you mean you can’t die?”
“I’ll explain another time. Let’s get you somewhere safe first.”
The cement sidewalk leading from the building to the parking lot began to crack and shake.
Nathan took her arm again and hurried her away, towards the alley leading to the side street. Someone screamed behind them, and she twisted to see.
Shadowman. He stood at the end of the alley, back to her and featureless face towards the scene she’d just fled.
An unusual shadow spread across the deteriorated building, following the path of the cracks of the cement into the parking lot and pooling at Shadowman’s feet a few yards from her. People were balancing themselves against vehicles as the ground shook.
Kaylee wrenched away from Nathan, disturbed to see the presence that had been watching her since she got to work this morning. She feared what it might do and feared more confronting it.
As before, in the mental health center, Shadowman acted too quickly for her to register what exactly he did. One moment, the building and parking lot up to the alley were dark, like a cloud passing over the sun.
The next, they were simply gone. Swallowed in a silent, instant sinkhole that engulfed the building and parking lot in a blink of her eye. No one had a chance to scream. The world before her went eerily quiet. Her breathing was the loudest sound she heard.
Horror filled her.
“Come on,” Nathan’s voice was low. He touched her arm.
“What happened to them?” she whispered, yanking away. Her eyes were on Shadowman.
The creature turned, his large, faceless form unnerving. She’d thought his threat extended only to locking her in her apartment. But maybe Nathan was right. Maybe Shadowman was worse than any nightmare or horror flick she’d ever seen.
And he was connected to her. Able to periodically access her mind and her thoughts and memories.
Which meant Shadowman didn’t do this alone. She did this, too.
“What did you do?” she demanded of him.
“Protected you.” The voice was airy, gravelly and inhuman.
She couldn’t tell what he was looking at, if he even had the ability to see anything without eyes. He faced her, but he didn’t seem interested in her. Without knowing how, she innately understood his next target was Nathan.
Shadowman stepped forward.
“No,” she said, moving with him. “No.”
He shifted directions, automatically moving around her. He paused when he reached Nathan and spoke words too low for her to hear.
Nathan didn’t back away from the creature his size and responded in the same tone.
Shadowman walked on, his form morphing and blending with the shadows of the alley, until he disappeared completely.
But he was still there. She felt it.
Numbed by the event she just witnessed, Kaylee returned her attention to the silent parking lot. She walked to the edge of the gaping hole and peered into it. It was too deep for her to see the bottom, which meant it was too deep for anyone to climb out of.
“Nathan,” she whispered.
“Don’t,” he said. He took her arm and pulled her away from the scene. Tipping her chin up, he met her gaze. “Listen to me, Kaylee.”
She struggled to focus. Her cheeks felt wet, and her stomach was so tight, she wanted to vomit.
“Focus on me. Stop fighting the energy,” he said. “Deep breath.”
Nathan’s heat was trying to calm her. Kaylee tried to obey but her chest was too tight. Nathan’s energy gained a foothold and pried the vise from her chest. Her silent panic began to release her.
“Good,” he said softly. “We need to get you out of here.”
“All those people …” she murmured.
“Save the breakdown for later, okay?”
She swallowed hard and nodded, aware that whatever had caused the building to collapse initially was still after her. The last thing she wanted was to let Shadowman handle her danger.
“Let’s go.” Nathan’s palm skimmed down her arm to take her hand. He started away.
Kaylee went, forcing her mind away from the idea that everyone she’d worked with for the past four years was lying in the bottom of a hole. Shadowman trailed her, invisible but ever-present.
She blindly followed Nathan for a few blocks until she tripped. He caught her before she could fall. The motion yanked her from her stupor, and she looked around.
“You okay?” Nathan asked. He was concerned and wary, his gaze darting from her to their surroundings.
Kaylee gazed up at him, uncertain how to respond. She’d just witnessed the murder of an untold number of people, the deaths of whom occurred because Shadowman didn’t want anyone threatening his anchor to this world.
But if he’d been with her throughout her entire life, why hadn’t he ever done anything like this? Or had he, and she never noticed?
I’m going crazy.
“We’ll go somewhere safe.”
“Nathan,” she called after him.
He turned.
“Did I cause any of this?”
“Absolutely not.”
“You can’t have it both ways. If he’s anchored to me, and you want to kill me to make him go away, then I had something to do with what just happened.”
“We need to talk about this later.” Nathan spun and walked away. “You just have to trust me, Kaylee. You have nothing to do with what he did.”
I couldn’t live with myself if I did.
Nathan opened the door of a rental car. She got into the passenger side. Neither spoke as they fastened their seatbelts. He began driving, but it wasn’t until he turned a corner that she heard the distant wail of sirens.
“We’re just going to leave them?” she asked.
“Demons don’t exactly leave survivors,” he replied.
“There were so many people in that building.” Her panic was stirring again.
Nathan rested one hand on her thigh. His heat spread through her.
“Stop trying to placate me,” she said angrily, pushing his hand away.
“It’s not placating when you care about someone,” he snapped. He replaced his hand.
Taken aback by his words, she stared at him.
“Generally speaking,” he added.
“What does that mean?”
“It’s my job to protect people like you.”
A police car screamed up behind them. Nathan calmly pulled to the curb.
He glanced at her, away then back. He stretched to touch her cheek then cupped the back of her neck, leaning forward. His warm lips were soft, his kiss light yet possessive, like they were old lovers renewing their relationship and not strangers where at least one party didn’t trust the other.
What surprised her was not how easy it was to respond but how natural his kiss and touch felt – and how quickly they set her body on fire.
The convoy of an ambulance flanked by two police cars passed. The car behind them honked.
He leaned away.
Kaylee was glad his focus was on the road. Her body burned with desire that settled in the base of her belly and raced through her blood to her head, where it scattered any chance she had of thinking or speaking coherently.
She didn’t push away the hand he left on her thigh or bother asking where they went. Sorrow, fear and desire were enough of a distraction, and every time they spoke, she learned something else she didn’t want to know about his strange world.
Nathan said nothing as they drove out of DC and into Maryland. The cityscape turned suburban before the signs of manmade structures fell away and were replaced by nature. The leaves of trees lining the highway had begun to change color after the recent cold snap. Usually, she found the sight beautiful. But today, she only thought about how the leaves were dying and falling, like her coworkers.
She leaned forward, elbows on her thighs. She felt ill again and focused on breathing, so she didn’t pass out or throw up.
Nathan rubbed her back, his comforting warmth trickling through her.
“It’s not that bad.”
“Are you insane?” she asked incredulously.
He chuckled.
“This isn’t bothering you at all?” she asked.
“Of course it does,” he replied. “I don’t take death lightly anymore.”
Kaylee focused on not fainting instead of pursuing the odd statement. When the feeling passed, she straightened in her seat.
“Who are you Nathan? Really.”
“What I said. A spirit guide.”
“That’s an occupation. Who are you?”
“You want me to write you an essay?”
“Maybe I do. You can call it, why Kaylee should trust me after I screwed up her life.”
Nathan laughed. “I didn’t screw up your life. You can thank Shadowman for that one.”
She waited for him to say more.
He didn’t.
“That’s it?” she prompted. “I’m just supposed to accept you barging into my life?”
“Pretty much. I’ll leave just as fast when this is over.”
Kaylee frowned. Of all the things to think about, why was she wondering if he meant this as a warning? That he was only there for Shadowman and not her, even after their second kiss that knocked her socks off?
“That might be how things work in your world but not in mine,” she told him. “I want you to take me home.”
“It’s not safe there.”
“Bad shit didn’t start happening until I met you.”
“Look, Kaylee, whatever your feelings are towards me, you just have to trust that I know what we’re dealing with,” he said. “You don’t want to end up like Mike.”
Her brow furrowed.
“Shouldn’t have said that,” he said, glancing out the window.
“Mike’s dead,” she said in a hushed tone.
“Yeah. Looks like Shadowman took him out Wednesday.”
“He was a sorry excuse for a human, but he didn’t deserve to be murdered,” she said, upset again. “Why?”
“Not sure. Shadowman might’ve thought him a threat or needed him out of the way for some reason. Maybe he was too close to you.”
“Or he took me to a place where I got stabbed. But that doesn’t make sense.”
“Whatever his reasoning, it had nothing to do with anything you did, Kaylee.”
“Easy for you to say.” She stared out the window. “Why didn’t he kill Amira instead? She’s the one who stabbed me.”
Nathan was quiet.
Kaylee’s focus sharpened. “You know why Amira is in the middle of everything.”
“I do,” Nathan said. “Basically, Shadowman wants something from her. He may have used you and Mike to find her then planned on grabbing her when you visited. Her attempt to kill you probably scared him off, distracted him, at least for a short time.”
“Why does he want her?”
“Sorry, sweetheart. You don’t need to know that.”
Her face grew hot for a reason other than attraction to the enigmatic man.
“Don’t call me sweetheart,” she growled. “Take me home, Nathan, or I will call the police.”
“Police can’t help you handle Shadowman.”
“No, but they’ll keep you away from me.”
“I’m not your problem.”
There was no arguing with a man who thought he was always right. In truth, she did feel safer with him. And uncomfortably turned on.
“If Shadowman listened to me when I told him not to hurt you, he’ll listen to me about not hurting anyone else,” she reasoned out loud. “So you can just take me home. I’ll have a talk with him and we’re done. No one else dies, including me.”
“Yeah, that won’t work,” Nathan said, amused. “I don’t know why Shadowman listened to you, unless he knows I’m going to help keep you alive. But it wasn’t … normal for him to pay any attention to his host. He’ll want you to stay alive – but that’s it.”
She shuddered, not wanting to imagine what life would be like living with a demon.
“I’ve gotta ask someone why he didn’t try to tear my limps off,” Nathan added.
“You know he’s in the car, right?”
Nathan’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. “Yeah, I know.”
“He’s not hurting you.”
“He probably thinks I’m taking you to the person he’s looking for. Which I’m not.”
“So he’s using me to get to you, and you’re using me to get to him,” she summarized. “Great thing we have going on here.” She pulled his pinky free from the hand resting on her leg and lifted his hand, pushing it aside.
Nathan didn’t change directions or give any indication he was softening his stance on taking her home or telling her more than the basics. Every day was getting worse and much stranger. How long before one of Nathan’s people found her and killed her or Shadowman killed everyone around her?
He left the highway at the small town of Columbia, Maryland, and drove several miles through older communities. At long last, he pulled into the driveway of a single story house set off the road. Parking in front of a two-car garage, he turned the car off and got out.
Kaylee considered staying in the car and demanding he take her home then relented. With the air conditioner off and Shadowman hanging over her, the car was too oppressive for her to stay.
She got out and looked around. The trees hedging the house swayed and rustled in a gentle breeze, and the cool touch of autumn was in the air. She breathed deeply.
Shadowman left. Kaylee grimaced, no longer comforted by his departure. At least when he was hovering, she knew he wasn’t going to show up in his faceless human-esque form and scare the hell out of her.
“Who’s house is this?” she asked Nathan, who waited at the sidewalk.
“A friend’s,” he replied vaguely.
“You don’t trust me but you insist I trust you. You know that’s not how relationships work, right?” she snapped.
He winked.
She folded her arms and trailed him to the house. He didn’t knock but walked in. She entered. The living room was comfortable and decorated in the same floral style of her grandmother’s house.
“Bathroom’s probably down that way,” Nathan said, pointing down one hallway.
“You don’t know?”
“I’ve never been here before,” he said. “You might want to wash that off.” His gaze was on her neck.
“Wash …” she touched her neck. Her hand came away with gummy blood.
Frowning, Kaylee walked down the hall he indicated and stepped into a bathroom with outdated décor.
One look in the mirror, and she froze. Starting to panic, she patted herself down and tugged off her jacket, searching for the wound. There was none on her.
Whose blood was on her? It wasn’t a lot, but it belonged to someone.
Maybe to one of her coworkers or any of the other office dwellers that had been in the building before Shadowman dropped them into a hole to the center of the earth. How many people were in the five-story structure? Two hundred? Three hundred?
Her dizzy spell returned, and Kaylee sank into a sit on the edge of the green tub behind her. She held her head in her hands, vision blurred with tears she couldn’t control.
Three hundred people. Counting Mike, it was three hundred and one. She pulled her fingers away from one side of her face. There was blood on them, and they shook.
She was alive, because Shadowman needed her to be. He’d killed a few hundred people in a matter of seconds to keep her that way.
The sound of the linen cupboard opening drew her attention. Blinking to clear her sight, she saw Nathan pull a washcloth free and close the cabinet. He said nothing as he ran the faucet to wet it then knelt before her.
Taking her chin gently, he lifted it so he was able to wipe away the blood on her neck.
Kaylee struggled to keep from sobbing, unable to fathom the lives of three hundred people ending because of her. Her attempts to maintain her composure after days of insanity broke. She pulled away from Nathan and stood, intent on running and hiding somewhere while she cried.
He caught her and tossed the washcloth then wrapped his arms around her tightly.
Kaylee sucked in his scent and clung to him, shaking. His strength didn’t falter, even when hers did. He held her close in a bear hug, his warmth creeping through her. For once, she didn’t care what someone thought of her or if he now considered her weak or silly for crying.
“You’re doing good,” he whispered. “This is a lot to handle.”
She rested her cheek against his chest, working hard to regain control of her emotions.
Nathan maneuvered them towards the sink. He perched on the edge and kept her between his thighs, his left hand resting on her hip.
She wiped her face, embarrassed by how she looked.
He said nothing, his attention on removing the blood from her neck. He pulled the washcloth away to rinse it off.
Horrified and disgusted by the sight of blood, she closed her eyes. Nathan cleaned her up quickly and with gentleness she didn’t expect after his refusal to tell her anything about him. He kissed her like she mattered then talked to her like she didn’t.
But did she want to matter to him? Especially when she was plagued by Shadowman?
Nathan brushed tears from her face with his thumbs, and she realized he was done removing the blood.
Opening her eyes, she found him gazing at her. His warm, strong hands cupped her cheeks briefly before they trailed across her shoulders and down her arms. She registered how close she was to him, how incredible he smelled. His intensity was comforting this time, an assurance she was safe, at least for now.
“You’re even pretty when you cry,” he said, smiling. “It’ll be okay. I’ll make sure of it.”
“I don’t think that’s possible.” Her voice was husky from crying. “Will he kill anyone who comes near me?”
“It’s possible.”
She dropped her gaze and stared at his chest. “Now you’re going to tell me …” she swallowed, struggling with the words, “… this is why you should kill me. Aren’t you?”
“Let’s focus on calming you down and making you feel better first,” he said.
Nathan kissed her again. His lips were demanding this time, his kiss rougher. Fire tore through her, a combination of need, fear and sorrow. Nathan was offering comfort, a distraction she desperately needed.
Kaylee wrapped her arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. Any restraint she thought she needed began to melt under the passion of his kisses and heat of his hands.
He guided her out of the bathroom and into a bedroom.
His hot lips left her mouth to press light kisses down the side of her jaw then down her neck, like small bursts of lightning, while his hands slid under her shirt.
Kaylee gasped at the heat of his strong palms against her bare skin. She breathed in his scent, and the heady, sweet, masculine smell filled her senses, made her want to taste his skin, his mouth, every part of him. Need was racing within her body, and an ache stronger than any she’d felt before pooled at the base of her belly while her core grew hot.
Nathan unsnapped her bra then lifted her shirt over her head. His hands trailed down her arms to her sides. She tossed her bra, anxious to feel his touch, and leaned into him, kissing him hungrily.
Lifting his shirt above his head, Kaylee paused to marvel at the supple muscles of his chest and shoulders and trace a hand down the ridges of his abdomen. She paused at his belt and looked up uncertainly.
“You want my pants off, I’ll take them off,” he said with a husky chuckle.
She flushed and took a step back, not sure why his amusement made her feel … inadequate. She wasn’t very experienced, and she hadn’t considered that he might be used to women who knew what they were doing.
“Oh no. Come back here,” he said and then kissed her deeply.
Kaylee wove then leaned against him again, shivering at the sensation of his hot skin against hers. She wanted to feel that him over her body, to melt into his heat, strength and solidness and let it surround her, fill her, claim her.
His hands ran down her back to her hips, and he unbuttoned her pants, leaving her mouth to pushing them and her underwear down to the floor. He stood slowly, running his hands up her calves, thighs and hips then around to her ass. Kissing her once more, he squeezed her cheeks and pulled her against him so that she could feel his arousal pressed against her lower belly.
He felt big. No, huge. She wondered how much was the pants and how much was really him. Curious, Kaylee slid a hand between them to stroke him gently through his jeans.
He was huge. The thought of him filling her made the sacred place between her legs yearn for him enough that she wasn’t certain if she could walk. She fumbled with the buttons of his jeans then gave up, her hands trembling from need.
Nathan broke off the kiss and looked down, resting his cheek against hers.
“Judgment free zone,” he whispered. “Just need to know what I’m dealing with here. How many times have you had sex?”
“Oh, god,” she said, face flaming. “I’m so sorry. I’m just …”
“Less than three partners?”
She nodded, afraid to know what he thought of her.
He seemed satisfied, the glow in his eyes growing.
She, however, was embarrassed. Kaylee silently cursed herself for melting at his feet and moved away, wondering if this was a mistake, even when it felt so right.
Nathan stripped off his jeans, and she glanced down then back, staring at the long length of his arousal.
“Jesus, Nathan!” she exclaimed. “I didn’t expect …”
“I’m well-endowed in a few areas,” he told her. “C’mere.”
“You don’t care that I’m like … a newbie?”
“Oh, no. Makes it better.” He held out a hand.
She took it, still staring at his dick. “Will you even fit?”
Nathan laughed. He gripped her fingertips then lifted her hand and spun her, releasing her to wrap his arms around her and tug her into his body.
The feel of him against her backside made her groan. Every part of her body screamed for him to be inside her. He was so close, so, so close to where he needed to be. Kaylee found herself pressing her rump into him harder, infatuated with the feel of him and aching to the point of hurting.
“Trust me, I’ll fit,” he whispered against her ear and then kissed the delicate skin that ran from ear down her neck. “I’ll show you as many times as you want me to.”
His hands skimmed up her belly and cupped her breasts before he took the coral tips between his index finger and thumbs.
Kaylee rested her head against him and closed her eyes, mesmerized by the sensations. Her senses were drowning with him, her skin so sensitive, and the slightest brush of her skin against his made her shiver. The energy he channeled melted her from the inside out, and she wriggled her ass against his dick again in a silent plea.
“Soon,” he assured her. “I want us to experience one another first.”
He squeezed her nipples gently, and bursts of pleasure-pain went through her. His hands left her breasts and traced down her body once more, to her hips. With one hand on her belly, he kept her in place while the other slid further south, towards the part of her begging to be touched.
“Yesssss,” she murmured, reaching up with her hands to pull his head towards her. She kissed him deeply, showing him how much she wanted him, and loving his flavor, the velvet softness of his mouth, the way he worked her lips.
He slid one finger into her, and she moaned.
“More, Nathan,” she begged.
“We’ll get there.” He was amused. He withdrew his finger from her core and continued the slow exploration of her body with his hands.
Afire with need, she twisted in his grip and pressed her hips against his, shuddering at the feel of him. Kaylee wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him hard then took a step back towards the bed, tugging him with her.
“I want you, Nathan,” she said breathlessly.
“Good.” He captured her lips with his again, working her mouth and touching her lightly until she barely knew where she was and couldn’t have stood without his support. He withdrew from kissing her and spun her around again. Wrapping one arm around her, he lowered them to the bed, balancing with his other arm.
Kaylee’s breasts grazed the quilt, and she shivered again. Nathan kissed her neck and her shoulder, nudging her thighs a part. He settled between them, his dick pressed against one thigh, and his possessive touch running down her sides as he trailed kisses down her back. He squeezed her ass again.
“Nathan,” she complained, shivering without the heat of his body warming hers. She started to twist to shift to her back.
He pressed two fingers into her slick core, and she stopped, holding her breath. He nipped the sensitive skin on her butt with his teeth then kissed his way up her back, while his fingers moved in and out in a steady rhythm.
The feel of his skin against hers was nearly orgasmic. He settled on top of her once more, the tip of his penis tickling the opening of her core.
She wriggled downwards, needing him with inhuman desire, and he chuckled, holding her in place. Kaylee was nearly panting with need. He kissed the side of her face, and she twisted to capture his lips with hers.
Nathan kissed her deeply, nudging his manhood against her opening without penetrating her.
“Please,” she groaned. “This is torture.”
“Yeah, I know.”
No part of her was capable of anger at this point; her only rational thought was that she had to have him inside her and soon, because she was about to die.
Nathan kissed her cheek, neck, shoulder then pushed himself up once more. He turned her onto her back, placing a leg on either side of him and taking the time to touch every inch of them, from her ankles to her thighs.
Her eyes fell to his erection, and she stared at it again, almost drooling at the idea of him being inside her. Its tip was wet with moisture, the bulbous head huge and red. Despite looking ready to burst, Nathan was still in control, while she’d long since abandoned trying to maintain any sort of control.
He leaned forward to kiss her without letting their bodies touch. She wrapped her legs around his hips, trying to pull him into her, and reached down to stroke him with one hand.
“Sweetheart,” he said, breaking away with a smile. “You think you can convince me to fuck you?”
“Yes,” she replied instantly. “Please?”
Nathan’s kissed her briefly then moved his hands down her body, grazing the straining nipples, cupping her breasts, and drawing a line down her lower belly with an index finger. His mouth followed the same trail.
Kaylee’s hips went up in anticipation of him touching the aching clit or sliding into her again. He didn’t but left a trail of fire down the inside of one thigh.
“Let me taste you first, then I’ll fuck you,” he said, eyes glowing as they fell to the delicate folds between her legs.
He shifted down the bed until his head was at the level of her lower belly then began kissing. Hot, fiery, soft kisses with his fully lips that ran from her belly button down to the sacred triangle of her sex.
Kaylee held her breath once more, begging him silently to relieve her of the intense lust that had her body humming with yearning. Nathan nestled two fingers into her nether lips, on either side of her clit, to expose the sensitive pleasure button. He continued kissing her inner thighs and then, ever so gently, licked the aching clit.
“Oh, god!” Kaylee gasped, not expecting the intensity of the small touch. She shifted again, hot for him in a way she’d never been for anyone.
Nathan licked again, and she arched, unable to stand the exquisite pleasure much longer. He released the skin and slid his tongue down to her core, tasting her. The sensation made her wriggle again.
“So wet,” he said, his voice husky with need. “So sweet. Like honey. God you taste good.” He lowered his head again, the feel of his hot tongue darting into her core sending her closer to the edge.
“Nathan!” she cried, ready for him. His scent filled her senses while her skin pricked for him, waiting to feel his hot touch again.
He laughed and lifted his head, kissing his way up her body. He settled between her legs, the tip of his dick at her core, and rested his forearms on either side of her head. His warm skin and solid weight against hers made her desperate for more. The last shreds of her patience and control snapped, and Kaylee kissed him hungrily, no longer able to think of anything but feeling him inside her.
Nathan pressed her into the bed, responding with his own intensity and deepening the kiss. He withdrew after a moment, and both of them were breathless.
“That’s what I was waiting for,” he said.
“Now,” she growled, pulling his head back to hers. She kissed him again, needing him inside her.
The tip of his erection slid into her core, and she broke away with a gasp. The sensations were too incredible, too intense.
Nathan captured her lips again, not giving her a chance to think, while he penetrated her slowly, inch by inch, giving her body time to adjust to his size. Kaylee clawed at him, trying to hurry him, beyond her restraint at the feel of him but needing more.
He withdrew and entered her again, this time faster. He began to pump, his upper body pinning hers in place while his lower body shifted.
Fire built in Kaylee’s belly quickly. The sensations grew overwhelming, and she broke away from the kiss. His harsh breathing mixed with hers, his slow rhythm steady and unfaltering, even when she tried to rush him with the legs she’d wrapped around his hips.
“Nathan,” she pleaded.
She sensed his control slipping.
The tension was growing within her at the incredible sensation of him filling her then retreating, and he began entering her harder and faster each time, magnifying the exquisite friction of their lower bodies.
The fire in her belly grew to the point where she thought she’d explode. Her body went rigid, and she arched beneath him, sucking in a breath.
“God, yes!” Nathan’s voice was strained. “You’re so fucking tight and wet!”
She was frozen in that moment for what felt like a lifetime, overcome by the sensations of him inside her, of their bodies pressed together, of his scent, his heat, his strength. Lost in him in every way, she couldn’t think or move as she waited for the orgasm to break.
The tension within her snapped with the force of a taut bow, and she cried out, her body convulsing under wave after wave of intense pleasure that robbed her of breath and thought. Her sheathe clenched Nathan’s dick hard and fast, undulating with the intensity of her climax.
His body went rigid, and he buried his face into the nape of her neck a second before he, too, was sent toppling into an orgasm. Panting, Nathan continued to pump, his movement slowing and finally stopping.
Kaylee’s senses returned gradually. Her body was limp, but her sheathe still sent tremors of pleasure through her. Her breathing was hard, her body slick with sweat and her senses intoxicated with him.
“My god, Nathan,” she said when she’d caught her breath.
He lifted his head. She gazed up at him, awed by the experience. He smoothed strands of hair away from her neck then kissed her, a leisurely, long kiss, and she relished his flavor, unable to summon any part of her that wanted to put that wall up between them again. Lost in the afterglow, she wrapped her arms around him, wanting to pull him closer, to keep him against her.
He pulled away enough to see her.
“It’s never felt that way before,” she whispered.
His smile was tender, the warmth in his eyes the first genuine emotion she’d seen from him. Kaylee traced a finger down his chiseled cheek and jaw, across his soft lips and down his neck.
“It feels like we were made for each other,” he said. “We fit together so perfectly.”
“I want more of you,” she groaned, unable to help the desperation in her voice.
“Baby, I’m just getting started.” He moved in and out of her again, until he was hard once more. “Told you I’d fit. Trust me now?”
She hesitated, looking up into his dark eyes. “I think so.”
“Good. I got a laundry list of things I want to do to you.”
Nathan said then kissed her hungrily. Within seconds, she was burning for him again, aching and whispering for him to make love to her again.