Out of Shadows Read online

  It was madness, but she didn’t care.

  She parted her legs, silently inviting him to take what he would. Hadeon fought for control. His senses were keener than a human’s and he could easily smell her arousal. It was sweet and sultry with a hint of spice. Mixed with the scent of her soap, it was intoxicating. A vein pulsed in his temple as studied the naked beauty in front of him.

  After everything he’d told her, he’d expected her to order him out of her room. Not that he’d go. Not really. He’d have disappeared into the shadows where he could watch over her. No way was he leaving her alone until he’d destroyed the threat of the horseman or whoever he was.

  Hadeon had a feeling the horseman was simply the form his enemy had chosen to present because of the folktale, not what it really was. If any of the residents caught a glimpse of the creature, one of two things would happen. Either no one would believe them. Or they’d think it was part of the local legend of the headless horseman. Dovina had come to study the myth of the horseman so that is the form the creature had taken. Much better for frightening her, for making her feel vulnerable. Maybe the creature fed off her fear? It made sense in a twisted way. For that alone, he would kill the horseman.

  That would come later. Right now he had much better things to concentrate on, such as the delectable naked woman in front of him.

  Dovina stood still, letting him look his fill. Her hands fisted at her sides, her fingers opening and closing reflexively. Hadeon was in awe that she’d open herself up to him in this manner, offer him such a gift. He would take care of her, no matter what. But now, he was here with her and she wanted him. For the first time in his long existence, he felt joy and a sense of satisfaction radiating throughout him. He cupped her hips in his hands. They were full and soft. He couldn’t wait to crawl between them and thrust his cock into her soft, welcoming heat.

  First, he wanted to taste her. His fingers flexed, kneading the mounds of her ass as he nuzzled her pubic hair. It was darker than the hair on her head, but there was no denying she was a natural redhead.

  He stroked his palms over her inner thighs, reveling in her softness. His hands were rough from his years of brandishing a sword. They were almost too harsh for her tender skin. But she didn’t seem to mind. Her eyes were closed, her head tilted back. Her 47

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  breasts were swaying, tight pink nipples moving, with every breath she took through her parted lips. She reminded him of some ancient fertility goddess come to life. Using his thumbs, he parted her slick folds. Her whimper told him she was more than ready for his cock, as did the thick cream that coated his fingers when he stroked her pussy. “Hot and wet.” He caught a tender fold between his teeth and gently tugged on it before soothing it with his tongue. “Perfect,” he praised her. Her hips undulated, inviting him to deepen his caress. He gave thanks for his perfect night vision. He could see every inch of her pink, wet core. Her clit peeked out from its protective hood. Hadeon lapped at it with his tongue. Dovina gave a breathy cry, arching her hips toward him. She responded as though she’d been fashioned by the gods specifically for him. Every touch brought a pleasing response. He circled her clit with his tongue before sucking on it. Cream coated his fingers, easing his way as he pushed two of them into her snug channel. She groaned and her fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him closer. Satisfaction surged through him. He eased his fingers out of her sheath and pushed them in again.

  He almost came in his pants when she whispered, “More.” Her voice was little more than a sigh, but he heard her and gave her what she asked for. A third finger joined the other two, stretching her cunt, making her ready to take him. His cock jerked and he could feel the wetness covering it. He gritted his teeth, determined not to come, not like this. It wasn’t easy though, surrounded as he was by her heat, her scent, her desire.

  Her hips rocked back and forth. Hadeon plunged his fingers in and out of her sheath, slowly at first, then faster. He lapped and sucked on her clit. Dovina’s fingernails dug into his scalp. He moaned at the pleasure her caress gave him. He liked the fact that she wasn’t afraid to let him know what she wanted, what pleased her.

  “Yes,” she gasped. Her leg muscles tightened. He felt her inner muscles grip his fingers. The first spasm struck, followed by another and another. She came fast and hard, her entire body shaking. He lapped at her pussy, wanting to capture every drop of her essence.

  He removed his fingers when he felt her starting to slump. Hadeon caught her in his arms, lowering her to the floor in front of him, pillowing her lush breasts against his chest. It was agony to hold her like this, his cock pounding against his leather pants for release. Yet, there was nowhere else he’d rather be.

  He smoothed her vibrant curls back from her face. She looked up at him and smiled.

  Dovina had never felt this amazingly good in her life. Her orgasm had ripped through every cell in her body. Mini explosions of delight that even now echoed throughout her. The muscles in her body were like jelly, but she didn’t care. A sense of contentment enveloped her.

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  She became aware of something very hard pushing against her stomach, pulsing almost like a heartbeat. Hadeon hadn’t come. She’d yet to see his entire magnificent body. That had to change. So far she’d done all the taking. It was time to give. She leaned back and her fingers went to the button on his leather pants. He put his hands over hers, staying them. “Are you sure?”

  Even now, he was giving her the opportunity to say no. His generosity stunned her. She wanted to make him feel even a fraction of the pleasure he’d given her. She nodded. “I’m very sure.”

  Slowly, he removed her hands from him and stood. Towering over her, he flipped open the button and dragged down the zipper. His cock popped free, large and thick and ready. As she watched a pearly bead of fluid seeped from the slit, dampening the plum-shaped head. Veins pulsed down the hard shaft as it flexed toward her. Hadeon bent down and yanked off his boots before peeling the leather down his legs. He stood there, hands on his hips and let her look her fill. She’d never seen anyone like him. His arms were thick with sinew and muscle, his biceps huge. Broad shoulders tapered down to a wide chest and trim waist. There wasn’t an ounce of fat on the man. His torso was delineated with bands of muscle.

  She swallowed as her gaze was drawn back to his cock and the heavy sac that hung below it. She reached out and touched him, running a finger from base to tip and down again. Hadeon groaned.

  Her gaze flew to his face. She could see the strain there and knew he was close to coming. “Sit down.”

  His eyes narrowed, but he did as she asked, perching on the edge of the mattress. She scooted closer until she was kneeling between his spread thighs. This close, she could see the pulsing of each individual vein that spanned his shaft. She wrapped her hand around the base and squeezed gently.

  His cock jerked in her hand and another pearl of precum leaked from the tip. Dovina leaned forward and lapped at it with her tongue. Hadeon bit back a curse and grabbed the side of the mattress.

  “You like that?” Her voice was sultry, teasing. Where had the sexy vixen come from? Hadeon brought out a hidden side of her she hadn’t known existed. When he’d had his face buried between her thighs, licking and touching her, she’d felt everything—the hard wall at her back, the silkiness of his hair between her fingers as she held him, the lapping of his tongue against her clit and his thick fingers stretching her pussy to delicious limits. Now she wanted to give him the same kind of pleasure, to share with him some of the incredible sensations he’d given her. Lowering her head, she stroked her tongue over the seeping slit, tasting him. He was salty and musky and all male. His finger tangled in her hair, tugging her closer. She laughed and circled his cock head with her tongue, running it around the sensitive ridge.

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  His grip tightened, making her scalp tingle. “Take me into your mouth,” he demanded.

/>   She blew gently on the wet tip. His shaft jerked and his groan sounded like he was in agony. It was a heady feeling to have a man like this want her. She felt voluptuous. Powerful. Her breasts ached so she rubbed them against his thighs, loving the way the coarse hair abraded them.

  “Dovina.” Her name was a prayer and a curse as he tugged her closer to his pulsing cock. Giving him what he wanted, she opened her mouth and lowered it over his thick shaft. He was large, but she took as much as she could.

  She tightened her fingers around the base, pumping them up and down as she sucked the upper part. He thrust his hips forward. “More,” he urged. She used her tongue, her teeth to scrape gently over the sensitive sides of his shaft, pleasuring him as she moved her mouth up and down over his erection. He guided her head until he found a rhythm he liked.

  His pleasure was having a definite effect on her. She squeezed her legs together as the inner muscles of her channel tightened and relaxed and cream coated her pussy. She wanted him. All of him. Inside her.

  But first, she wanted to do this for him. She’d given oral sex several times in her life and, while it had been pleasant, it had never turned her on before.

  “Harder.” He gave the hoarse command and punctuated it by wrapping one of his hands around hers and tightening her hold on the base of his cock. Dovina pumped harder, continuing to work her mouth and tongue over him. She could feel the tension growing at the base of his shaft. She cupped his testicles in her free hand and rolled them before giving them a light squeeze. Hadeon roared his pleasure. She felt his balls tighten and the surge that shot through his shaft. She swallowed as he came. His hips shot forward as he plunged into her mouth. Dovina continued to stroke her hand up and down his shaft as she sucked him dry.

  Finally, he sat back and she released him with a wet pop of her mouth. Her jaw felt tender with the unfamiliar activity. She could taste him on her lips and tongue. She swiped her tongue over her lower lip and shivered when it sent a surge of desire pulsing through her.

  Large hands cupped her jaw, turning her face up to his. His skin was slick with sweat and several locks of his long hair clung to his broad shoulders. His eyes were fathomless pools of black as he studied her. She could feel the rising tension in him. Suddenly she knew. He was no more finished with her than she was with him. She leaned into him, rubbing her breasts against his chest, whimpering as her tender nipples puckered tight.

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  “Fuck.” Hadeon yanked her off the floor and tumbled them both onto the bed. He rolled until he was lying flat on his back with her sitting on his thighs. Even though he’d just come, his cock was still hard and ready.

  She glanced at his face, unable to believe what she was seeing. Men needed recovery time, didn’t they?

  “I want to fuck you.” He cupped her breasts, the rough skin of his palms and fingers stimulating her sensitive skin.

  His words were raw, almost angry. “Yes,” she gasped. She understood the clawing need that was almost painful. She felt empty. Incomplete.

  She shifted so that her sex was riding the ridge of his cock. He rocked his hips, grinding his shaft against her pussy, rubbing her clit. She couldn’t hold back the moan as her body reacted and cream coated his hard length.

  “Ride me,” he demanded.

  She levered herself up on her knees and shifted her position until she was over his erection. Balancing one hand on his chest for support, she gripped his cock with her other one and guided the head to the opening of her channel.

  “Put my cock inside you. I want to feel your cunt close around me and squeeze tight.”

  She swallowed hard, his raw words making her pussy clench. One slow inch at a time, she lowered herself, watching his cock sink into her hot depths. She was tight and he was large. Maybe he wouldn’t fit, maybe she couldn’t take all of him. She whimpered with frustration.

  Hadeon slid his hands down her stomach and over her hips. He buried one between her legs and found her clit with his finger. He rubbed the small bundle of nerves. Her inner muscles contracted and she felt him slip deeper.

  “Rock on me.”

  She rose up, lifting herself several inches before lowering herself again. She did this over and over, all while he continued to tease her clit and the slick folds of her pussy. He went deeper and deeper each time she took him into her. The tattoo under her hand seemed to ripple with life as his muscles shifted and his lungs expanded and contracted. The only sound in the room was their ragged panting, punctuated by breathy moans and sighs and finally a groan as he seated himself to the hilt.

  They both froze. She stared down at him, gasping for air. She squirmed, feeling stretched to the max, filled with his cock.

  He gripped her hips and arched upward, as though he couldn’t get deep enough. She understood the feeling. Her inner muscles clasped his pulsing shaft, squeezing it with each contraction, coating it with her cream.

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  Hadeon brought his knees up behind her, supporting her back. The slight change seemed to push him even deeper inside her. Still it wasn’t enough. She was poised on the brink, needing something more.

  “I have to move.”

  In response, he rolled, flipping her onto her back. He shoved his arms beneath her thighs and planted his palms on the bed beside her. His massive shoulders held her thighs wide. His gaze never left her face as he began to thrust. Dovina had no control over the depth or speed of his penetration. Hadeon was in total control of his pleasure and hers. He varied his strokes, going slow and deep and fast and shallow. He ground his pelvis against hers, exciting her clit. She moaned and rolled her hips, needing more of the mind-blowing contact. Hadeon pounded into her, grunting as he drove harder and faster. She clung to his shoulders, digging her nails into his skin. He leaned down and captured her lips for a searing kiss as he swiveled his hips.

  Heat flashed over her, like a wildfire out of control. She cried out, mindless to everything but the pleasure swamping her. He captured her cries of release as she came. Her thighs trembled and her body shook. Still, he drove his cock into her again and again. Finally, he gave a shout. Hot semen shot into her, setting off another round of spasms. She cried out his name and squeezed her eyes shut, losing herself in her orgasm.

  Her legs were carefully lowered to the bed and Hadeon collapsed facedown in the pillows beside her. He shifted enough of his upper body to the side so she wasn’t crushed, but he stayed buried inside her.

  Dovina had no idea how long they stayed like that before sleep started to tug at her. She pulled off her glasses, absently surprised she was still wearing them, and set them on the beside table. Hadeon didn’t move a muscle. She reached out, playing with a long strand of his hair that rested on her stomach.

  Yawning, she snuggled closer to Hadeon. The heat from his body comforted her and she drifted off to sleep.

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  Chapter Six

  The cold woke her. She shivered and tugged at the covers. They were tucked around her, but they weren’t enough to keep away the chill. She opened her eyes and blinked when she squinted at the clock radio on the nightstand. Eleven o’clock? She sat upright in bed, yelping when the covers fell to her waist and she realized she was naked.

  Her activities of the night before came storming back. She’d had sex with Hadeon. Her nimble mind cleared and the facts lined up, leaving her groaning and dropping her head into her hands. She’d had unprotected sex with Hadeon. What had she been thinking? Obviously, she hadn’t been. She didn’t mind the fact that she’d had sex with him. That had been the experience of a lifetime. But she never had unprotected sex. Ever.

  Thankfully, she didn’t have to worry about pregnancy. It wasn’t the right time of the month. Still, that didn’t leave out disease. She knew she was clean. Frowning, she raised her head and rubbed her forehead. Did an immortal warrior need to worry about such things?

  “Coffee first. Wor
ry after,” she told herself. She flipped back the covers and climbed out of bed. Dragging the thin blanket off, she wrapped it around her. There was no sound from the bathroom and the mattress beside her was cold. Hadeon had obviously been gone for a while. Would she see him again?

  He hadn’t said and she hadn’t asked. The threat of the horseman, or whatever it was, still existed. That meant Hadeon still had his mission. Now that was a depressing thought. Did she mean any more to him than that? Or was she simply a task to him?

  Something on his to-do list.

  “Coffee,” she reminded herself. “You don’t think well before coffee.” Thankfully, the room had a small four-cup coffeemaker. In under two minutes, she had the pot perking and was heading to the shower. She felt sticky and sweaty after last night. A hot shower and a fresh cup of coffee or two were just what she needed before she could even consider the tangle her life had become.

  Twenty minutes later, she emerged from the bathroom clean from head to toe. She stopped in front of the mirror long enough to pop in her contact lenses. She didn’t want to have to worry about glasses if she had to run from the horseman again. She glanced at her reflection and sighed. She’d braided her hair to keep it out of her face, but had no faith that it would stay that way for long. Stray tendrils had a tendency to work their way out of whatever hairstyle she decided on. But there was nothing to be done about it.

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  The clip she’d been wearing the first night was gone. She didn’t know if Hadeon had taken it or if it was lost in the woods around the bridge. Dovina quickly dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a long-sleeved gray sweater. The wool was soft and warm against her skin. She was tender all over after last night’s rigorous lovemaking. The coffeepot had long finished perking, so she poured a cup, walked to the window and pushed back the curtains.