by Shayne Ford
Silence falls between the tall walls of her house.
A rumbling noise echoes in the distance and then lightning strikes close, followed shortly by the sound of rain splashing on the ground. A gust of wind blows a few drops through the cracked door.
She pushes to her feet.
“Leave it open,” I say.
“You like rain?” she asks, smiling.
“Yeah... I do.”
She lowers herself back on the couch, her gaze rooted to the wet windows.
Christmas lights bleed smudged colors into the darkness.
We watch them in silence while listening to the sound of rain.
“This is an unusual Christmas,” she murmurs after a few more moments.
“It is, isn’t it?” I say, distracted, my mind wandering away like hers.
I push out of my seat and pick up the empty plates.
“Do you have anything sweet in your house?”
She flips her gaze up as mine goes down on her.
“I guess not. You don’t look like you eat much,” I say.
“I do like to eat,” she argues. “What about ice cream?”
“That’ll do.”
She ambles to the refrigerator and pulls out a box.
Moments later, she strolls back to the couch and slides the cups filled with chocolate ice cream onto the table.
She hands me a spoon.
A few moments of silence tick by as we get a taste of it.
“What about you?” I ask. “Why did you leave home?”
Her expression changes instantly, her face looking pale in the dimness.
“It wasn’t only one thing. Like you, I had a normal life. At least that’s how it looked to me. But unlike my sisters, I always had this rebel streak in me, so I had a hard time getting with the program. I was a good student. I enjoyed school believe or not, but as I grew older, I started to realize what kind of life was waiting for me. Everything was painstakingly planned by my family. My life, my career, even my husband. He had to be vetted by them, most likely older, preferably wealthier than us. All I needed to do–– according to them, was to submit to him for the common good, to protect their interests. The husband would’ve been nothing more than a proxy for my family. They had everything planned when I hadn’t even been even kissed. What they didn’t know was that I don’t react well when I’m forced into submission.”
A smile tickles my lips. I shift my gaze away from her and focus on my dessert.
“That is different...” she murmurs.
I chuckle softly.
“Uh-huh.”
“It is...” she says, and I bring my gaze to her.
Her grin makes her so beautiful.
“Sure, sweetheart. So, what’s the deal with your sexual preferences?”
Her smile withers away.
“You’re not gonna tell me, are you?”
Her eyes fill with dread, and my smirk falls from my lips.
A storm of emotions rolls over her face, dragging a dark shadow over her eyes.
“It’s not...” she says, her voice quickly breaking.
Panic sets in her eyes, her breathing speeding up. She tosses the cup on the table and darts outside. I push up to my feet and follow her.
I find her by the door, bent over, trying to breathe. Big drops of rain stain her thin T-shirt.
“You okay?”
She nods, wheezing. My fingers splay across her back. She’s warm beneath my touch, still breathing shallowly, but the rain is cold and unforgiving.
Her top is drenched.
“Let’s go inside,” I say.
Unable to unclench her jaw she only shakes her head.
I slip my hand under her T-shirt. Goosebumps dot her skin beneath my touch. The new sensation snaps her brain out of the panic loop.
She straightens, her lips parted, her chest rising and falling, her long hair soaked with rain as well.
Raindrops fall from her eyelashes. She blinks as I slip my hands to her face. She looks at me, wounded, broken, and defeated.
I’ve never seen a woman so strong and yet so vulnerable beneath her shell.
I stare at her and ponder whether I know enough about her to cross that line.
She looks at me in awe, her breaths steadying, her features slowly starting to relax.
“We should go inside, ” I say quietly.
She blinks again, more rain falling from her lashes. No longer cold but warm like her tears.
To be continued.
Also by Shayne Ford
LOVE IS WAR SERIES
A Dark Mystery Romance
FALLEN (Love is War Series #1)
BROKEN (Love is War Series #2)
TAKEN (Love is War Series #3)
OWNED (Love is War Series #4)
NIGHT OF THE KINGS SERIES
A Billionaire Romance
JAMES (Night of the Kings Series #1)
DARK JAMES (Night of the Kings Series #2)
TAMING JAMES (Night of the Kings Series #3)
ALEXANDER (Night of the Kings Series #4)
HARD LEX (Night of the Kings Series #5)
LOVING LEX (Night of the Kings Series #6)
EDWARD (Night of the Kings #7)
WILD ED (Night of the Kings #8)
TAMING ED (Night of the Kings #9)
FIGHTING ED (Night of the Kings#10)
LOVING ED (Night of the Kings #11)
DARK HEART SERIES
A Dark Romance
JADEN (Dark Heart Series #1)
WILD JADEN (Dark Heart Series #2)
JADEN’S HEART (Dark Heart Series #3)
SHADES OF LOVE
A Billionaire Dark Romance
DARK MCKENNA (Shades of Love #1)
REAL MCKENNA (Shades of Love #2)
MCKENNA (Shades of Love #3)
GOLDEN HEIR SERIES
A Billionaire Romance
SHADE (Golden Heir Series #1)
LOVING SHADE (Golden Heir Series #2)
FOREVER SHADE (Golden Heir Series #3)
WILD HEART SERIES, A Menage (MMF) Romance
JAGGER (Wild Heart Series #1)
LOVING JAGGER (Wild Heart Series #2)
LOVING BRAXTON (Wild Heart Series #3)
WILD NIGHTS (Wild Heart Series #4)
FINDING HOME (Wild Heart Series #5)
STEEL SERIES (A Rock Star Romance)
A Rock Star Romance
Layla’s Story
River Steel (Steel Series #1)
Loving River (Steel Series #2)
River’s Story (Companion Books to Layla’s Books)
River (Steel Series #3)
River’s Heart (Steel Series #4)
About the Author
Shayne Ford writes epic novels. Her stories feature hot-blooded men and adventurous, soulful women. She likes to write Series that are epic, layered, character-driven, have a dash of mystery and a lot of depth. She writes what she likes to read, and people who share her taste, devour her books. Her stories are not the typical romance, nor are they formulaic or fit a mold.
She likes her lead men hot, smart, and honest.
She's a fan of muscle cars, dogs, chocolate, flowers and quiet, starry nights filled with love.
Contact: [email protected]
Website: www.shayneford.com
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www.shayneford.com
[email protected]