Beneath These Shadows

by Meghan March

  Bishop jerked back like I’d slapped him. “What the hell kind of man would I be if I didn’t step in when shit goes sideways? You want me to back away and let you put yourself at risk? No fucking way. I can’t do that. I won’t do that.”

  “Then you’re going to suffocate me.” My words fell like heavy boulders between us.

  “Is that what you think I’m doing? Trying to suffocate you? Fuck, Eden. All I want is to keep you safe so I don’t lose you like I’ve lost damn near every other person in my life who fucking mattered!”

  He stalked closer to me, and I backed away instinctively until my butt pressed against the cabinets in the tiny kitchen.

  “I get that you need to prove that you can handle yourself. I get it. I really fucking do. But tonight was not the night to try. Those people aren’t a joke. They don’t believe in a slap on the wrist. They break fingers. Hands. Arms. Kneecaps. Legs. They fucking kill people who try to steal from them.”

  Intellectually, I knew that he was right. But what he didn’t understand was that in that world, I was untouchable. I wanted to explain. I wanted to tell him exactly why he didn’t need to worry about me tonight. The words were there on my tongue, but I couldn’t get them out because he kept going.

  His palms pressed down on either side of the countertop and he leaned over me. “I would die before I’d let them hurt you. Don’t take that away from me, Eden. Don’t tell me I can’t protect you.”

  The anger and frustration that had been roiling within me drained away. How could I possibly stay mad at the man when he wasn’t trying to cage me?

  “You have to know that sometimes I can handle myself, even if you don’t believe me. I promise I’m not a fragile little princess. I’m not going to break.”

  The intensity burning in his eyes turned molten. “I know you’re not a fragile little princess. You’re fucking resilient. I see it every time I look at you. If I thought you were going to break, I wouldn’t do this.”

  His hand came off the counter and buried in my hair, tugging my head back before his lips crashed down onto mine. Every bit of emotion that had been flying between us burst into heat. I grabbed his shoulders, giving back as good as I got. I wanted his kiss, wanted him to take me right here, against my counter.

  Bishop must have read my mind, because he dropped his hand from my hair and reached for my thigh, lifting it and wrapping it around his waist before shoving my dress up.

  “You want me to prove that I don’t think I’ll break you? I’ll take what I want and make you scream for me.”

  “Yes, yes.” I moaned against his lips, tugging his shirt away from his shoulders, and his hand slid between my legs. He tugged my panties aside.

  “Fuck, cupcake. You’re so goddamned wet. Fighting with me makes you want to fuck, doesn’t it?”

  The heat of a blush burned over my cheeks, but I wasn’t about to deny it. “Everything about you makes me want to fuck.”

  The words felt foreign coming out of my mouth, even though they were the absolute truth.

  “Naughty little girl. You fucking love when I tell you what I’m going to do to you, don’t you?”

  I moaned a response and it spurred him on.

  “Shouldn’t have worn panties tonight. I’m gonna rip them off and turn you around and bend you over the counter. You’re not going to move your hands while I drop to my knees and eat this sweet pussy until you scream. I’m not going to fuck you until you’re begging for my cock with every breath. When I take you, I’m not holding back. You’re going to feel me tomorrow with every step. If you’re a really fucking good girl, I’m going to play with that virgin asshole so you’re one step closer to taking my cock there. Because you’re mine, Eden. I’m going to own every fucking inch of you.”

  My entire body went up in flames, and he did exactly what he promised.

  The elastic of my panties snapped, and Bishop pulled my leg from his hip and spun me around.

  I grasped for any kind of purchase, but my palms found nothing on the countertop to anchor me against the waves of anticipation rolling through me. My skirt was flipped up over my ass, and the cooler air of the room provided a counterpoint to the heat of my body. Bishop’s big hands covered my ass as he lowered himself to his knees.

  I only had a fraction of a moment to feel a shred of embarrassment that he must have been staring right at my ass as he spread my legs, but given his promises about what he’d do if I were a really fucking good girl, I couldn’t help but shiver.

  His mouth covered me from behind as he pressed his face between my legs, his tongue thrusting into me. My clit throbbed and ached for more until he slipped a hand around to circle it and tease me.

  Moans slipped from my mouth, and Bishop growled his approval between my legs in a way that I felt all the way to the pleasure centers in my brain. They were blaring with color, and I swear whatever he did next had black spots invading my vision.

  “Bishop!”

  His name was ripped from my throat on a hoarse cry, but he didn’t slow. He pushed harder, finally making contact with my clit as an orgasm barreled down on me and shoved me toward the edge.

  “Please, please.” I didn’t care that I was begging, and when the orgasm hit, I dropped my forehead to the counter and screamed.

  Still, he didn’t slow. His movements sped up, and Bishop dragged another orgasm from my body until I was shaking and doubted the ability of my legs to hold me up.

  “You ready to beg for my cock, cupcake? You want me to give you more?”

  I nodded.

  “I need the words, Eden. I want to hear it. I want you to tell me just how fucking bad you need it.”

  “Please, I need it. I want it.”

  “Not good enough, baby.”

  Desperation rode me and I would have said anything, but words eluded me. “Please, I want you.”

  “What do you want?”

  “Your cock,” I said on a moan.

  He pressed two thick fingers into me, and my body wept with the temporary relief.

  “Yes!”

  “In this tight little cunt?”

  “Yes!”

  “You gonna let me have it any way I want it?”

  It seemed my vocabulary had diminished to only one word. The only one that mattered.

  “Yes!”

  “You gonna let me protect it and keep it safe so I can make you scream like this every night?”

  Again, only one answer would work. “Yes.”

  “Good, because you don’t have a fucking choice anymore, Eden. You’re mine. I don’t have much, but what’s mine I keep. I protect. I don’t ever let it go.”

  “Please.”

  “You on the pill? I want you bare. Nothing between us anymore.”

  “IUD. I’m covered. Hurry.”

  My words were pleas, but I knew I wouldn’t have to wait much longer because Bishop stood behind me and the hiss of his zipper was the best sound I’d ever heard.

  “I’ve never fucked anyone without protection. I’ve never wanted to. But you crashed into my life and changed every goddamned thing.”

  Bishop notched the thick head of his cock against my opening and then leaned over me, covering my hands and interlocking our fingers.

  He pushed inside with one solid stroke. I expected him to pull out and slide in again and again, but he stilled. “I’ve been waiting for you my whole fucking life, and I didn’t have a clue.”

  “I know. I know.”

  “I don’t want to let you go, but I know you want my fingers on the hungry clit of yours, don’t you?”

  I nodded. “I just want you.”

  “And I want you to scream and squeeze the fuck out of my cock when you come.”

  He released one hand and swept my hair over my shoulder and pressed his lips to the curve of my neck before trading it for his teeth. His fingers found my clit as the sharp sensation registered in my brain, and he began to move.

  Decadent pain and overwhelming pleasure warred within
me as he thrust and retreated, slamming against my G-spot. I screamed his name as my inner muscles spasmed.

  Over and over, he fucked into me, delivering more pleasure than I thought possible.

  “Fucking perfect,” Bishop growled into my ear, finally slowing. “So fucking perfect.”

  He readjusted his grip, one hand coming around my hip to glide his fingers over my clit as the other thumb slid between my legs, gathering up my slickness. My overwhelmed brain tried to keep up with his movements, but didn’t compute.

  Not until I felt that same thumb reposition itself right over my ass. All the nerve endings blared to life, and if it was even possible at this point, my pussy got wetter.

  “Fuck, baby. You like that. My sweet naughty little cupcake wants my finger in her ass.”

  He pressed against me, and another orgasm burst just before Bishop’s roar filled the kitchen.

  He continued to thrust, to press, to devastate, for a few more moments before he collapsed over my back, his arm holding us both up.

  For long minutes, neither of us moved.

  Before he pulled out of me, Bishop growled one more word into my ear. “Mine.”

  I’D NEVER COME SO FUCKING hard in my entire life. Bare. Inside Eden. The feeling was primal, and I wanted to end every night buried inside her before I tucked her into my side and we both passed out from exhaustion.

  I wanted to wake up every morning by slipping inside that sweet pussy so the first thing she felt in the morning was how hard I could make her come.

  Before, that was just a fantasy. Now, I wanted to make it a reality. I carried Eden to her bed and laid her down before heading into her bathroom to find a washcloth to clean her up. She tried to sit up when I returned, but I pressed her back down.

  “I’m taking care of you. Let me.”

  She didn’t protest, and I wondered how embarrassed she must be. She’d have to get used to it. Besides, I loved seeing the hot pink color rise in her cheeks. The dim light shining from the bathroom spilled onto her, and I wondered how far I could get that color to spread.

  “You like when I play with your ass, don’t you?”

  There it went. Almost immediately, rising higher and diving lower. Her gaze darted away before returning to mine.

  “Maybe.”

  “You like it. You want it. Makes you feel naughty, doesn’t it? That forbidden thrill? Knowing I’m going to take you there and you’re gonna beg for it?”

  The blush kept going.

  “You gotta know it makes me harder than a fucking rock to even think about it. Knowing that no one has ever touched you there, and I’m the one who’s going to corrupt you?”

  I could tell she fought the urge to look away, but my girl was tougher than that.

  “You can admit it. You can like it.”

  “I can’t help it. I like everything you do to me.”

  The smile that crossed my face had to be the epitome of smug son of a bitch. “I’ll never give you anything but pleasure. Fucking promise.” I returned to the bathroom and finished my own cleanup before turning off the light and coming back to her bed.

  Wrapping myself around her, I tucked my cock between her ass cheeks. Perfect fucking place to sleep. She shifted back against me, and I wrapped an arm around her and pressed a kiss to her hair.

  “Goodnight, cupcake.”

  Her breathing had already evened out, and I knew she was under. It didn’t stop me from saying the words.

  “Fucking love you, Eden.”

  THE NEXT MORNING, I WOKE up with a moan as Bishop’s hard cock pressed into me from behind.

  Full.

  So fucking full.

  His fingers played over my clit like he knew every move that would take me higher and higher until I screamed.

  “Need more. Deeper.” He pulled us both up so I was on my knees, my ass in the air, and he pounded into me, never letting up on my clit.

  My pillow muffled the screams as I came.

  Bishop climaxed with a yell and his cock pulsed as he poured into me.

  Morning sex was a revelation. Even after I collapsed back onto the bed in an ungraceful pile, Bishop cleaned me up again, and this time I couldn’t summon the energy to be embarrassed. My body had apparently decided that it was his and he could do whatever he wanted with it. I couldn’t find any rational reason to disagree with this new development.

  When he returned, he pressed a kiss to my shoulder. “We slept in, babe. What time do you have to work today?”

  This yanked me from my happy post-orgasm state, and I rolled out of bed. “It’s Saturday, right? Which means noon. What time is it?”

  “Eleven fifteen. You got time.”

  “Shit!” All relaxation evaporated. “I need to shower and get dressed.”

  “I’ll take you. We can shower together.”

  I turned around and looked at him. “Oh no. If we’re going to shower together, I’m definitely going to be late. I’ve never had shower sex, so I’m not rushing through the first time.”

  Bishop’s laugh, something I didn’t hear nearly enough, echoed off the walls of my bedroom.

  “Deal. I’ll shower at home. You do your thing.”

  Forty minutes later, I walked in the door of Your Favorite Hole after standing on the sidewalk and kissing Bishop for a solid five minutes. I think three people told us to get a room.

  Fabienne was behind the counter, and Asha pumped her fist in the air when she saw me. “Thank Christ. I need to go home and sleep. This shift has been killer.” She covered her mouth with a yawn.

  Fabienne shook her head at the girl. “You’ve been dragging ass all day, so don’t pretend like you worked all that hard.”

  “I’m here; you can get back to bed.”

  Both women looked at me, and Fabienne jerked her head toward the front window.

  “You totally got laid this morning, didn’t you? I thought you were going for a second round the way he was about to eat you alive on the sidewalk.”

  Eden pre-last night would have been embarrassed, but the Eden of this morning who had discovered the joys of morning sex, just answered, “Sure did. And it was fabulous.”

  Asha frowned. “Dammit, I want morning sex. I need to get a man who looks at me like that.”

  “Don’t we all,” Fabienne drawled before looking at Asha. “Get out of here. I don’t want you dragging ass again tomorrow. You screwed up three orders.”

  Asha waved her fingers and bolted for the back room to hang up her apron before she slipped out the back door.

  After she was gone, Fabienne looked at me. “You know what you’re doing with that guy?”

  “Probably not, but does anyone ever really know what they’re doing with a guy like that?”

  “Touché.”

  Whatever else Fabienne wanted to say about it was forgotten as the door chimed and customers descended.

  Six hours later, Fabienne had left and I had two hours on my own before my relief for the night shift showed. Bishop had come in during an unexpected rush, and I’d barely had a second to smile and say hi as I handed him his coffee.

  The door chimed again before I could get lost in my thoughts about what was going to happen when my two lives collided, and a familiar face popped in the door.

  Delilah.

  She looked incredibly amused.

  “I don’t know what kind of mojo you worked on Bishop, but he actually smiled at customers today.” She strolled toward the counter, the petticoats swishing under her dress. “I don’t actually want to know, because eww, but I wanted to let you know that there’s something different about him.”

  “Can I plead the Fifth? Because I can’t . . . I just can’t talk about that with you.”

  The door chimed again and more familiar faces walked in. Charlie, Elle, Yve, Vanessa, and Valentina.

  Delilah smiled. “Then it’s a good thing I’m getting coffee and bailing so they can get the scoop.”

  “Are you okay?” Vanessa came toward the counte
r, ahead of the others. “Because Con and the guys were telling us about last night, and holy hell, I would’ve been freaking out.”

  Delilah’s smile vanished. “What happened?”

  Yve filled her in on the details. “Some guy at the casino might’ve set Eden up and made it look like she was counting cards. Security wanted to drag her off, but the guys wouldn’t let her. Bishop busted in and yanked her out of there, and security ran after them.”

  Delilah blanched. “Bishop went into a casino? On purpose?”

  The guilt I’d felt last night about putting him in that position came back with a vengeance. “He didn’t need to come to my rescue. I would’ve been fine. Really, I’m not completely helpless.”

  “Do you realize what they do to people who they think are counting cards? They will fuck you right up and not ask questions.” Delilah’s concern sounded a lot like Bishop’s, except quieter.

  “I wasn’t counting cards, so nothing would’ve happened. I don’t even know how. I wouldn’t have a clue what to do.”

  “I hate to say it,” Vanessa chimed in, “but I don’t think it would’ve mattered. They were adamant, from what Con told me.”

  “You could’ve walked out of there with broken or missing freaking fingers! This is serious shit.”

  “They wouldn’t have dared.”

  Charlie watched me, and even though the other five looked like they thought I was living in Denial Land, Charlie seemed to notice more.

  “Have you figured out how long you’re staying in town?” she asked.

  I shrugged. “As long as I can. I don’t have a solid plan.”

  “Why is that?” Delilah’s tone was skeptical. “Because if you’re going to jet out of here and break Bishop’s freaking heart, we’re going to have a serious bone to pick.”

  Did she really think I had the power to do that? I needed to turn this conversation away to something else before I ended up telling them everything. The need to tell the truth was so heavy on my conscience that I could barely hold it back anymore.