Hunting Shadows (Shadows 3)

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His blue eyes darkened in anticipation but he still asked the question. “Are you sure?” He glanced at the closed bedroom door. “We’re not alone.”

“I don’t care. I want you too much.”

That seemed to melt any hesitation Simon had and he pulled me towards him, kissing me deeply. There was a new urgency to our kisses, as if knowing what they were leading to made us even hotter.

I moaned when he trailed open-mouthed kisses down my neck, barely even noticing when he pushed up my shirt.

“Lift your arms up,” he said hoarsely and I obliged, feeling a little nervous when he pulled off my shirt so that I was bared to him. My nervousness was forgotten when I felt his mouth on me and I gasped when he pulled my hardened nipple into his mouth. I raked my hands through his hair, mewling when he showed the same attention to my other breast.

Simon was already shirtless and I moved my hands to his back, stroking his muscled shoulders. I found myself growing impatient, needing to feel as close to him as possible.

“Easy,” he rasped when I made a move to take off his bottoms. “We should take this slow since it’s your first time.”

I made a sound of protest. “The last thing I want to do now is go slow. I’ve been going slow for twenty-one years.”

The grin Simon gave me somehow turned me on even more. It was full of rakish satisfaction and open lust. “That’s why I want to take this slow and make it worth your while.”

My breath caught in my throat when he pushed my pajama bottoms and panties down. Even though I knew what he was going to do, that didn’t stop me from gasping in surprise and then moaning in pleasure when I felt his mouth on me. Time seemed to stand still as he continued his onslaught and just when I thought I couldn’t take anymore, he stopped and pulled himself up.

My body felt like it was on fire and I couldn’t stop shifting restlessly beneath him. My voice didn’t sound like my own when I spoke. “Simon, please. I can’t wait any longer.”

I felt lost in his gaze as his eyes drank me in as if he couldn’t get enough of me. “I love you, Caitlin,” he said, his voice hushed. His blue eyes grew dark until they almost looked black. “Don’t forget that.”

“I won’t,” I said, pressing myself against him. I was urgent to become one with him and the longer he denied me, the needier I felt. I almost sighed in relief when he shed his bottoms and I heard the crinkle of a foil packet. He never broke eye contact as he raised himself above me and I opened myself up to him.

The pleasure blotted out any twinge of pain there might have been and soon nothing in the world existed except Simon. He tried to control himself, the muscle twitching in his jaw telling me how much he was trying to pace himself, but soon neither of us could deny the driving need and we came together with a fierceness that took my breath away. I never felt more connected to anyone than the moment when we lost ourselves in each other, the sharp and sweet pleasure almost too much to take.

The aftermath was just as beautiful as we lay in each other’s arms, neither of us wanting to break the connection.

“Are you okay?” Simon asked softly, brushing the hair back from my sweat-dampened face. I snuggled closer to him feeling content.

“I’m more than okay. I always thought the first time was supposed to suck.”

I felt the rumble of his chest when he laughed. “I guess that’s a compliment.”

I kissed him lightly. “It’s definitely a compliment.” I watched as his amusement faded and he watched me with serious eyes.

“Do you love me?” he asked, as if he actually wasn’t sure of the answer.

“Always,” I whispered. “I’ll always love you.”

The lines of tension on his face relaxed and he pulled me closer. We spent the next hour in bed just enjoying cuddling together. Reality slowly started to intrude and I couldn’t help wondering if Ryan had heard anything. I had given no thought to how loud I was being since I was too lost in the moment. The thought of Ryan hearing us, of hearing me, made me cringe and I felt embarrassment start to creep in. It was still early and I hoped he had slept through the whole thing.

“Do you think he heard?” I asked.

Simon frowned, the contentment on his face vanishing. “Who the hell cares? He’s the one intruding.”

I sighed but didn’t push the subject, not wanting to ruin the mood. I reluctantly sat up and grabbed my clothes that had been discarded on the floor, putting them on quickly. “I need to take a shower.”

I padded down the hallway but walked past the bathroom to take the opportunity to peak into the living room. Ryan was still sleeping on the couch with his back turned to me and I breathed a sigh of relief. It was probably a good thing that he had refused Sarah’s offer to sleep in her bed while she was gone, since her room was so much closer to mine.

I made my way to the bathroom and took a long, hot shower while I relived every moment with Simon. I couldn’t stop smiling like a giddy schoolgirl and wondered if I should call Sarah to tell her what had finally happened.

Simon was no longer in the bedroom when I returned and I dressed quickly, hoping that he hadn’t woken Ryan. Even though I doubted Ryan had heard anything, I still felt a little embarrassed and transparent, like I had “just lost my virginity” emblazoned across my forehead.

Ryan was awake and the sheets and pillow were neatly folded on the couch when I walked into the living room. Simon was sitting on the recliner and they both looked up when I entered the room. I had obviously interrupted their conversation and I was curious as to what they had been talking about without me. They weren’t known to make idle chitchat with each other.