Shadow Read online

  “Hi.” She closed the book after carefully placing a bookmark inside. “You were gone for hours.”

  “I needed to think.”

  “Are you leaving? Will they send another officer here to guard me or will we just return to Homeland together?”

  “Do you want to return? Do you want another male here with you?” A protest froze on his tongue. He refused to force her to stay with him. He’d do whatever she wanted, even if it killed him.

  “No.” She leaned forward.

  “Good.” He stepped into the cabin, closed the door at his back and twisted the lock. “I enjoy being here with you.”

  Some of the tension left her delicate features. “Really?”

  “Yes.” He hated feeling as if he were a failure as a male. “I’m attracted to you, Beauty. What I feel is a bit fearsome.”

  Her lips parted. “You’re afraid of me?”

  “I’m not sure how to handle the emotions I feel when I’m around you. I’ve never experienced them before.”

  “Me neither.” She patted the couch next to her. “Will you sit?”

  He crossed the room and gingerly perched on the edge of the cushion about a foot away from her. The wonderful scent of her made his dick twitch. Why did he always feel sweaty, nervous and highly aroused when she was near? All his confidence fled.

  “What are you reading?”

  “A romance book.”

  He glanced at it, amused at the cover of a male and female locked in an embrace. “Are they interesting?”

  “Yes. I think so anyway.”

  “Is that all you read?”

  “No. I love horror novels too.”

  That surprised him. “You do?”

  “Yes. Especially the crime ones. Who-done-it types of books.” She paused. “I had access to children’s mystery books in the basement. I found a box of them stored in a corner behind some furniture. There were only fourteen of them but I knew them by heart from reading them so many times.” That was back when she’d been free to roam the entire basement. Later a room had been built to contain her to one area.

  “I’m glad you learned to read.”

  “Me too. One of the guards was nice to me when I was young. I think he pitied me. He had a daughter.”

  She wasn’t going to admit that Master had found out and fired the man. Mentioning Master always soured Shadow’s mood. That guard had been the one and only person who’d ever done anything for her without expecting something in return.

  “Do you read books?”

  “Sometimes. There were long stretches of downtime when I worked for the task force but then we’d have days where it seemed I barely closed my eyes before we were pulling out again.”

  “Was it exciting?”

  “Sometimes.”

  “Were you ever afraid?”

  “We raided buildings and homes looking for ex-Mercile employees. Sometimes they fired back. A lot of times they’d be long gone.”

  “It sounds frightening but I’m so grateful the task force exists. They found me.”

  “I know.” His hand gently took hers. “Are you still having nightmares about the task force member?”

  “No.” She smiled. “I haven’t. Not since I met you.”

  He pondered what that meant but it didn’t matter as long as she slept easier. “Are you hungry? I am.”

  “Yes.” She brightened even more. “I’ll make dinner. I know it is a little early but you skipped breakfast and were gone at lunch.”

  “I’ll help.”

  Shadow followed her into the kitchen, enjoying the view of her from behind. She had a round, full butt for someone her size and it fit a pair of jeans perfectly. The tank top hugged her waist. The scent of her shampoo and soap teased his senses.

  They worked together nicely as they prepared hot dogs and chips. It was an easy meal that didn’t require them to spend much time in the kitchen. Beauty carried her plate into the living room and patted the couch next to her.

  “Do you want to watch a movie while we eat?” She pointed to the wall where DVDs were lined up. “I saw some good action films we might enjoy.”

  “Sure.” He wanted to spend time with her.

  It was relaxing and a strange emotion rose in his chest at the domestic scene they painted. He glanced around the cabin, wondering what it would be like if they actually shared a real home. One that the two of them lived in together. Longing struck as his gaze returned to Beauty.

  She held up two movies for his inspection. “Which one? I really want to see both of these.”

  Beauty took his breath away. He had to suck in air to reply. “You pick. We could watch both of them.”

  Sheer joy lit up her expression. “Awesome!”

  Yes, this is, he agreed.

  * * * * *

  Beauty curled tighter against Shadow’s chest. His arm around her waist made her feel safer. They weren’t real but the bad guys in the movie were still scary. She fisted his shirt while staring at the television.

  “Do you think they’ll make it?”

  He nodded, his chin rubbing against the top of her head. “The good guys always win.”

  In movies. “I hope so. I hate that gangster guy. His second-in-command should have shot him.”

  Shadow chuckled. “Then the movie would have ended after ten minutes.”

  “True.” She rubbed her face against the soft material of his shirt. She loved being so close to him. All that reading hadn’t hinted that men didn’t mind women clinging to them during frightening scenes of a movie. “Oh no. Don’t they sense that jerk creeping up behind them?”

  “Humans don’t have our sense of smell.”

  “Oh.” She nodded. “Right. I just meant, you know, like feel the danger at their backs?”

  “It’s a movie.” He offered her the big bowl he held. “More popcorn?”

  “I think I’m ready to pop myself.”

  “This is our fourth bowl.” He leaned forward and placed it on the table.

  She wasn’t about to mention he’d eaten three of them. Shadow had a big appetite to go along with his big body. She adjusted away to allow him to place the bowl down and curled against him again when he straightened.

  The action in the movie got intense as it wrapped up. She noticed the way Shadow rubbed her leg with his now-free hand. It was nice and distracted her from the screen. Not that she minded.

  “See? He rescued the female and the bad guys are dead.”

  “It was good.”

  She hated seeing the credits roll. It was the last of the two movies and that meant they probably would go to bed. One glance at the clock confirmed it was after nine at night. Shadow liked to get up early, which meant he would be ready to sleep.

  It had almost been like a date, without the going-out part.

  “I’ll turn it off.”

  Beauty sat up and nodded. “Okay. I’ll clear the table and take everything into the kitchen.”

  They parted and she took her time rinsing their dishes. Nerves struck. She wanted to ask Shadow to share her bed but wasn’t sure he’d go for it. So far he’d refused. She didn’t want a repeat of the previous week. Being told no hurt.

  “Need help?”

  She started and gasped, swiveling her head. “I didn’t hear you enter the kitchen.”

  “Sorry.”

  “It’s okay. You move quietly for someone so big.”

  “The water was on.”

  She liked that he hadn’t mentioned her hearing wasn’t as good as his. “I was done.” She twisted the levers, shutting off the water. “I’m ready for bed.”

  “I made sure everything is secure.” He kept a few feet between them. “Ready?”

  “Yes.”

  He stayed close as they went upstairs and she paused by her door. The temptation to ask him to keep following her into her room was strong. She turned to peer up at him. Shadow stared back, silent and sexy.

  Be strong. Just ask. Her lips parted.

  “G