Page 78 of Shadow's Surrender
Chapter Eighteen
Slivers of summer’smorning sunlight filtered through the wooden slats, casting thin yellow strips across the hardwood floor like threads of gold. Scarlett rolled over on her side and smiled.I love waking up next to him.Propping up on her elbow, she stared at Shadow, the man who had taken possession of her heart.
“Do you know how much I love you?” she whispered in a barely audible voice.
Shadow looked so peaceful—the dark look that crossed his face more often than not was gone. A small snore made her smile, especially when his lips turned up slightly as if a pleasant dream was playing in the theater of his mind. And those lips … they had kissed every inch of her body. A flutter of arousal landed between her legs at the memory of their night together. They’d spent most of it making love, talking, and laughing. At one point, he’d confided in Scarlett that he had more in common with her than he’d ever had with any woman. Hearing him say those words had made her insides melt. Scarlett understood exactly what he was saying because she felt the same way: Shadow was her soulmate. It was funny because she always thought the whole “soulmate” thing was a lot of bunk. She’d roll her eyes while reading articles about it in her many women’s magazines, and when some of her friends referred to their boyfriends as “the one,” Scarlett would bite her inner cheek to keep from laughing out loud.
And now look at me. I guess what they say about karma is true.Warmth and tenderness spread through her as she softly ran her fingers down his corded arm, loving how the dark hairs stood on end. Yes … there was such a powerful and electrifying connection to him that it took her breath away. The night before and earlier that morning, Shadow had told her she was all his, and she kept replaying the words over and over in her head, her body tingling each and every time.
Scarlett leaned closer to him.Yours—how wonderful. And you are all mine. Do you love me too and are afraid to say it? What dark secrets are you keeping buried inside you?
She watched him sleep, his eyelids fluttering, then Shadow opened his eyes and smiled drowsily as she looked down at him.
“How long have you been checking me out, babe?” he asked, tugging at a few strands of her hair.
“Not too long,” she said, running a finger along his jaw. “You looked so peaceful and content that I couldn’t help but watch you.”
“I was dreamin’ about you, darlin’.”
“Sweet or nasty?” she murmured.
“Both,” he said, pulling her down on top of him.
Without a pause, their mouths joined, passionately exploring each other as their hands touched everywhere. Combined moans of pleasure filled the room as she lost herself in his touch, his scent—his everything.
An hour later, naked and sated, they lay tangled together in each other’s arms.
“What’re you doing today?” she asked, her fingertips dancing in small circles against his skin.
“I gotta go to the warehouse. A big shipment came in so I have to catalogue and list it. Do you work today?” He raked his hand through her hair, then kissed the top of her head.
“Not today. My mom wants to meet me at the club later this afternoon. I’m dreading that. I’d like to see your warehouse and what you do.”
“Yeah? That’s cool. You can follow me there. I should probably get going in a bit.” He tipped her head back and brushed a light kiss against her mouth. “I don’t want to leave, baby.”
“Me neither,” she said as a low growl grumbled from her stomach. She giggled. “I guess my stomach has other ideas. Are you hungry too?”
“I could go for some chow.”
Scarlett kissed him quickly before pulling away. “I’ll whip up some breakfast, then we can go. I can’t wait to see you at your job.” She scrambled off the mattress and shuffled to the bathroom to get ready.
After showering and dressing, Scarlett took out apple-smoked bacon from the refrigerator along with two decent-sized potatoes, a small white onion, and a green chile pepper. She opened a cupboard and grabbed two frying pans and a grater, then set to work on making breakfast.
By the time Shadow walked into the kitchen, the small table was set, orange juice filled two glasses, and the bacon and hash browns were heaped on two small platters. A small plate held several slices of buttered toast.
“I’ve got fresh coffee to wake us both up,” she said, pouring the dark liquid into the mugs.
“Last night was fuckin’ incredible,” he said, then gave her a wink. He blew into his mug then took a sip. “Youwere fuckin’ awesome.”
“Well, I can’t complain about you either.” She teased him as she slid into the chair.
“And you never will.” Shadow picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite.
“Someone’s a little cocky.” She brought the glass of juice to her lips.
“Not cocky, darlin’, just confident.” He shoved the rest of the strip into his mouth.
Laughing, she reached over and patted his hand. “And you have every reason to be.” Scarlett leaned over and kissed him, then fell back against the chair. The smoky taste of bacon lingered on her lips and she licked them, loving the way Shadow watched her every movement.
