CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
HAWK
Rage filled my heart.
He’s lucky I can’t touch flesh. I’d have stormed into the cabin and pulled him off her as soon as his slimy hand snaked around her waist. The most frustrating thing about my condition is that very fact.
The fact that I can’t make contact.
I’ve tried, trust me, I’ve tried.
I can manipulate almost anything that doesn’t weigh a ton. Small branches, rocks, flowers, almost any inanimate object, but put something in front of me with a damned heartbeat, and I’m rendered completely helpless.
It’s enough to drive a man mad.
Torturous, cruel and infuriating, my weakness plagues me every hour.
If I could touch, if I could feel — I could change the world!
I could certainly get rid of this buffoon who thinks manhandling a woman like Evie is a good idea. What a selfish brute.
I just want him gone.
I need him gone.
I may not be able to physically remove him, but I can manipulate other things. I can distract him.
In fact, I can cause his death, if necessary.
I’ve done it before. I’m not afraid.
What is there to be afraid of? An eternity in hell?
I’m already there.
And watching him touch Evie is a new, fresh kind of hell that I absolutely won’t tolerate.
I’ve been alone so long — so very, very long.
Evie is my last chance at companionship. I just know that if I confess everything to her, if I tell her who I truly am, she’ll find it in her heart to understand, to accept me, and to love me, despite my weaknesses, despite my inability to pleasure her in a way a man like Shadow might be able to.
But, if I can convince her of my love for her, she will see that type of pleasure is fleeting and shallow. I can offer so much more.
I can give her eternity.
I can offer her eternal love.
Who wouldn’t want that?
I peer in through the window, watching with disgust at the happiness on Shadow’s face. He sits so calmly, watching Evie curled up on the couch, like he owns her already.
He is so wrong.
I’ve broken up their little party for the night, but I know I’ll need a better plan. By the way he’s looking at her now, it’s going to take a lot more than a tipped over flower pot to keep his hands off her.
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
EVIE
A piercing shriek shot through my dreams, waking me up with a start. I jumped up in a panic, my heart racing, as I looked around.
Living room. Fireplace. Couch. Right, I was sleeping on the couch. I looked up and caught a quick wisp of Shadow running around the corner towards Jeremiah’s room.
Another scream pierced the air and I was on my feet in seconds, running down the hallway as fast as I could.
Jeremiah was sitting up in bed, Shadow’s arms wrapped tightly around him.
“Hey, bud, it was just a bad dream,” he murmured. “You’re okay, you’re okay, I promise. I’ve got you.”
I stopped in my tracks, my racing heart melting as I watched the tenderness Shadow showed him.
My fingers flew to my lips, remembering his kiss, the way his hands felt on my body…
It was just too much.
I sat on the other side of the bed, and reached out to rub Jeremiah’s back. My eyes crashed into Shadow’s over his shoulder and I smiled at him.
“He’s okay,” he whispered. “You’re okay, buddy, I promise.”
Jeremiah was sobbing but eventually, he calmed down, pulling away.
“You had a bad dream, sweetie?” I asked, when he looked over at me. He nodded, his eyes wet with tears. I opened my arms and he moved over into them, and I held him tightly. “I hate when that happens to me,” I murmured, into his soft hair.
“Me, too,” Shadow agreed.
Sniffling, Jeremiah straightened up and nodded, lifting his chin bravely.
“Sorry I screamed,” he said.
“Don’t be,” I replied. “Nightmares can be scary. Do you want to talk about it?”
He shrugged. “It was a spider.”
“A big one?”
“No, not really,” he said, a half-smile forming on his lips. “I just don’t like spiders and I dreamed one was on my face and I couldn’t get it off.”
He burst out laughing and we joined in. “Kinda silly, huh?”
“That’s okay,” I said. “I’m just glad you can laugh about it. Do you think you’re ready to go back to sleep now?”
“Yeah, I’m okay,” he nodded, slipping back under the covers. I gave him a quick kiss on his forehead and tucked him in.
“See you in the morning, Jeremiah,” I said.
“Thanks, guys,” he said. “Love you both.”
“Love you, too,” I said, closing the door.
Shadow and I walked back into the living room and he threw another log on the dying fire, while I stopped in my tracks and looked at him. He was wearing absolutely nothing but a pair of boxers.
My stomach flipped as desire rushed through me.
The fire sputtered and crackled as he leaned down, moving the wood around. The light from the flames bathed his skin, throwing shadows over his flexing thigh muscles. His arms, his back, his shoulders, that face…
I couldn’t tear my eyes away, no matter how hard I tried.
I knew I was staring.
And him catching me watching was the last thing I cared about.
“Spiders,” he said, shaking his head, his eyes filled with amusement as he stood up and faced me. Once he saw the look on my face, the laughter faded from his eyes and he closed the distance between us.
“Evie?”
“Yeah?” I mumbled, my mouth open slightly, my heart racing.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” I stared into his eyes, recognizing the hunger in them.
“I don’t — I just — I mean, I — you, you’re —.”
His lips shut me up.
Sudden, hungry, hard, his kiss was not gentle. Not this time.
No, he reached up behind my head, pulling my hair back and lifting my lips up to his, his tongue forcing its way in immediately, as he stole all the words from my mouth.
Just one kiss.
That’s all we needed to let it all go.
He pulled away, searching my eyes. I guess he found what he was looking for, because he silently leaned down, scooping me up behind my knees like it was the easiest thing in the world. He stopped for a second, grabbed his gun and holster from the table next to where he’d been sleeping, and then kissed me again, as he carried me down the hallway and into the guest room.
Breathless, I silently stared at him as he gently placed me on the bed, afraid to say anything at all to break the magic of this moment.
He hadn’t asked any questions, but he knew he didn’t need to.
I sat on the bed, watching, waiting for his next move. He turned away, locked the door and then turned back to me again, standing directly in front of me and pausing before he swiftly ripped his boxers down, then stood up, giving me the view I’d been imagining for days.
It was just as I’d dreamed.
A man like that — a man that large — doesn’t disappoint.
I smiled, a slow, lazy, satisfied smile that seemed to wash over my entire body with pleasure.
He was simply magnificent. Like some ancient sculpture depicting a Greek god, only he wasn’t made of stone.
He was real flesh and blood.
And he was offering that flesh to me.
He walked over, heat rolling off his body in waves. He reached down, silently pulling my t-shirt over my head, exposing me to his eyes that seemed to devour me. Gently, he pushed me back and with a gleam in his dark eyes, he unfastened and pulled my jeans over my thighs, taking my black lace underwear with them.
I lay in front of him, totally naked, totally exposed, every emotion I was
feeling written on my face. I reached out to him, opening my arms and thighs, welcoming him into my embrace as he laid on top of me, holding his weight off of me with his arms.
He smiled down at me, a low groan escaping from his mouth, as our skin met, so bare, so smooth together. My hands caressed up and down his back, pulling him closer, as his lips found mine again and I lost myself in his kiss.
Everything melted away.
Everything outside of this room ceased to exist and all that mattered was our bodies, our searching hands, our hungry mouths, our hearts beating rapidly next to each other as I allowed him inside of me, the conversation between his skin and mine…
Slowly, he entered me, the size and strength of him almost overwhelming. He hovered over me, completely covering me as I lay below him, his body hot and smooth and hard, all at the same time.
I wanted every inch of him.
I didn’t care if it hurt.
I didn’t care if it was too much.
I didn’t care about anything but letting Shadow sink himself completely inside of me, and stay there for as long as I could convince him to stay.
Our bodies rocked together sensually, our entire souls intertwining in a hypnotic, magical dance that neither of us wanted to end.
We slowed down each time we got too close, determined to savor the moment, the feelings, the connection we felt forming so strongly between us. We made love for hours, exploring every inch of each other, until the sound of Oliver and Olivia’s calls outside the window broke through the darkness of the night, reminding us that there did indeed exist a world outside of each other’s arms.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
SHADOW
Evie lay with her head in the crook of my arm. My head bent, I inhaled her scent, long memorized.
“That was amazing,” she whispered, as we watched the sunlight slowly light up the room.
“That’s a good thing,” I said. “Because I’m a dead man now.”
“What are you talking about?” she laughed.
I looked at her with complete seriousness. “Slade is going to kill me.”
She cried out with laughter. “Oh, don’t be ridiculous. Slade doesn’t care.”
“You highly underestimate that man’s protective streak.”
“I’m a grown woman, remember?” she asked, her eyes sparkling with mischievousness. “I can do whatever I want.”
“I think we already covered that, yes,” I agreed. “I, however, grown ass man and all, have made a dire decision that will most definitely result in my bloody demise.”
“Well, we don’t have to tell him,” she shrugged.
“That’s not really an option, either.”
“Why not?”
I looked at her, shaking my head. “You think we could keep sex this amazing a secret? I don’t know about you, but I don’t really possess superpowers.”
“Hmm,” she said, smiling, and putting her head back down on my chest.
“So, truth over death, huh?” she asked.
“I guess so,” I shrugged.
“Well, I hope it was worth it,” she said.
I lifted her chin to get her to look at me, kissing her, before pulling away. “Hmm, not yet,” I said, shaking my head.
“Not yet?” she cried in mock shock.
“Nope. I’m just not sure yet. I think we need to do it again, so I can make a better determination.”
I pushed her over onto her back and sank right back inside of her. Now that it was light out, I could see the blush on her breasts as she started breathing heavily, and the redness around her nipples after I took each of them into my mouth, biting them until she cried out in pleasure.
Deeper and deeper, I sank myself into her warmth, vowing to spend as much time buried inside of her that I could for the next few days, searching for the most pleasure I could find, before Slade extinguished my breath.
***
I left her sleeping when I heard Jeremiah banging around in the kitchen. After untangling myself, I threw my boxers back on and went to join him.
“Hey buddy, how was the rest of your sleep?”
“It was okay, where’s Aunt Evie?”
“She’s still asleep. Thought I’d let her sleep in a little. Is that okay with you?”
“Sure, of course,” he said. “I’m hungry.”
“Yeah?” I asked. “Are you sick of pancakes yet?”
“Never!”
I laughed, a carefree, airy laugh that was a surprise to my ears. I could still feel Evie’s kisses, her fingers on my skin, her pussy clenching around my cock. The memories were almost tormenting me as I prepared breakfast, and I couldn’t wait to get back to her.
Jeremiah and I ate with the ferociousness that only two growing men could possess and as usual, he planted himself in front of the television to watch cartoons afterwards.
I walked back into Evie’s room and grabbed my gun from the side table, taking a few minutes to watch her sleep. Her long blonde hair was tangled around her face and her lips were red and swollen, which made me smile like a kid in a candy store to know that they were swollen from kissing me.
I left her there to sleep and went and showered and dressed before heading back to Jeremiah, who was completely engrossed in his cartoons by now. I headed to the front door, anxious for some fresh air.
I needed to clear my head.
My desire for Evie had definitely clouded it the last few days and now that I’d made love to her, now that I’d tasted her sweet nectar for hours last night, now that I knew what it sounded like when she crashed over the very edge of pleasure that I’d created for her…my mind was beyond clouded.
I stepped out onto the porch and looked up at the sky.
Bright sunshine greeted me, the sky a vibrant blue with not a cloud for miles.
“Damn,” I muttered to myself. “Even the sun is brighter now.”
Laughing under my breath, I stepped off the porch and glanced over at my bike and stopped in my tracks.
“What the fuck!” I shouted.
A sharp butcher knife stood straight out of my bike seat, the leather punctured deeply with its blade.
I strode over, grabbing the knife and pulling it out, anger raging through my veins. I looked around, half-expecting someone to be standing there waiting.
I wanted someone to confront.
I wanted someone to fucking fight.
But there was nobody there. I was all alone, filled with rage and the confirmation, finally, that someone was definitely fucking with me.
“Bring it on, motherfucker. I will destroy you,” I hissed to the trees.
They just stood there, swaying silently, letting my words fall to the forest floor like an empty threat.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
EVIE
It was nearly noon when I finally strolled into the living room. If I didn’t need the sleep so much, I would have felt slightly guilty, but it appeared Shadow had everything perfectly under control.
I ate leftover pancakes, eggs and sausage like a starving woman, winking at Shadow over my plate as he watched me devour it all with glee.
We’d barely spoken two words to each other since I’d woken up, but our faces communicated so much that words weren’t really necessary. Just like last night, we seemed to be on the same page without even needing to confirm that.
My body was still singing from his touch. I couldn’t help but anticipate when I’d get to feel it again. He may have been worried about Slade, but I would handle him when he and Diana returned. He had no right to tell me who I could or couldn’t sleep with.
It was hardly his business.
He’d just have to see things my way, too, because there was no way I was going to stop seeing Shadow. I mean, if he even wanted to date me. I had the fleeting thought that maybe this was just a casual thing for him, but the way he looked at me convinced me otherwise.
After putting away my dishes, I asked him to join me on the porch. He hesitated for a moment, but fo
llowed me out there. I wanted to talk to him outside of earshot of Jeremiah. I turned to him with a huge smile on my face.
“Hey,” I said, standing on my toes and brushing my lips across his. He growled and grabbed my waist, kissing me enthusiastically, as he pulled me close.
“Hey,” he said, peering deep into my eyes. “How’d you sleep?”
“Best sleep I’ve ever had, if I’m being honest,” I said.
“Glad to hear it,” he said, kissing me again. His lips were warm against the crisp breeze blowing around us. I leaned into his wide body, relishing the feel of his arms around me. I felt so safe, so protected, like nothing could get to me. It was one of the best feelings I’d ever felt.
“I have some bad news,” he said, after a moment.
I pulled back, looking at him in confusion. “What?”
He let me go, staring out into the trees. “Someone’s here.”
“What?” I repeated, with alarm. “Where?”
“When I walked out here this morning, there was a knife sticking out of the seat of my bike. Now, unless you’ve got a knife-throwing hobby that you haven’t told me about…”
“A knife? Oh, my god…” I ran over to the bike, looking at the sliced seat. The cut was deep and long and I stared at it in shock. “Who would have done this?”
“Seriously?” he asked. “My first thought was your friend.”
“Friend?” I asked.
“The guy, Hawk, right?”
“Oh!” I said, shaking my head. “No, he wouldn’t do that. Why would he do that?”
“Why would anyone? A warning.”
“Well,” I said, my head racing. “It’s not like you guys are in the business of making enemies or anything,” I said, my voice laced with sarcasm.
“I hear you, but my gut is telling me it’s something else.”
“Why?”
“Because if someone wanted to get revenge on the Gods, they’d probably do something a little different than issue a warning of this kind. Pretty sure there’d be blood involved. No, this was a message. Like I said, a warning, I’m telling you.”
GHOST OF CHAOS: GODS OF CHAOS MC (BOOK TWELVE) Page 11