* * * *
As it turned out, meeting with Shane to give him a cashier’s check wasn’t such a good idea. He was high.
“What the hell do you want, you stupid cunt?” he yelled, even as he snatched her inside his home.
“I want this whole thing over with.” Eva stood up straight and tried for a cool, bored expression. “Here,” she thrust the check at him, “this should help with whatever mess you’ve gotten yourself into. Now, just leave me alone so that I can get on with my life—”
He punched her right in the side of the head, and she slumped against the wall, pain radiating through her skull in waves. “You dumb bitch! If we were married, I wouldn’t need your fucking handouts. I’d be rich!”
“You’d be in rehab. I refuse to marry a junkie or a man who gambles everything away.”
Wham!
She probably shouldn’t have said that.
“You’re mine now. I’ll get someone here to marry us then all my problems will just go away.” Shane grabbed her and shoved her through the living room and into the hall leading to the two doors in the kitchen…the pantry and the basement.
“Have you lost your mind? You can’t keep me here!” She fought him with all her strength then began pleading when she realized it was no use. “Just let me leave. I’ll give you more money.”
“Yeah, sure you will. You’ll call the cops before you’re out of my yard, and we can’t have that.” A sudden push between her shoulder blades sent her rolling down the last few steps. “You gonna be a good girl and say the words when he gets here, or do we need to rehearse?”
Eva quickly crab walked away from his advancing form.
“No.” she whispered, desperately searching for a way to escape.
“No, what?” he asked, his lips tilting up a bit. It was that smile combined with the malicious look in his eyes that made her blood run cold. “Now, come over here.”
She shook her head, unable to do anything more at the moment.
“You’re forgetting the ‘love, honor, and obey’ section of your vows, dear.”
Her anger sparked. “I’ll never take those vows with you! I’d rather die than be married to your sorry ass.”
Shane charged forward and delivered a swift kick to her ribs. Eva groaned and curled into a ball. He punched, kicked and cursed before forcing her to her back. His hands closed around her throat as she stared into his soulless eyes and knew he would kill her now.
“You have to marry me! I need that money, or I’ll never be able to live!”
She shook her head and his grip grew tighter.
“Then just fucking die! You won’t have it either, you selfish bitch!” Shane continued to curse her as his spittle rained down on her face.
Only the tiniest stream of air slipped through her airways…until he increased the pressure. Now, her fight-or-flight was in full swing. Unfortunately, he was on top of her, and she just couldn’t pry his hands away.
“Come back to me, Eva.” She knew that voice. It belonged to someone safe, someone who cared about her. “It’s Adam. Baby, please come back.” A soothing warmth followed his request. It started at her lips then flowed through her body, chasing away her terror, bringing her to the surface and freeing her from the horrible dream. Adam, her savior, was kissing her.
And it felt wonderful. All softness and steel. Eva wrapped her arms around his neck, angling her head to deepen the kiss. He groaned, shifted, and she felt his erection on her hip.
His thigh slid between hers, sending a flash of sensation through her core. As she lifted one leg to drape over his waist, he growled softly into her mouth. When she rocked her hips against him, he trembled and tore his mouth from hers with a curse.
“Look at me.” His voice was low and rough. “I have to know you’re awake, that you know what’s happening.”
Eva met his wild gaze. “I’m awake. I don’t know a single woman who could sleep through a kiss like that.” As she stretched up and nipped the side of his neck, another tremor shook his frame.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” He groaned as she flexed her hips again in answer. “Be sure because I won’t be able to stop.”
“I need to be with you, Adam. I haven’t been with anyone since him, and I need to replace those memories with someone special. I want you to help me forget.” Eva whimpered, still rubbing against his thigh and arching into his embrace. “Please.”
“Please what?” he growled.
“Don’t stop.” It came out as little more than a breathy sigh, but Adam leapt into action.
Crushing her mouth with his in a kiss that bordered on violence, he tore her shirt down the front and spread the remains. Holding his weight with one arm he allowed his other hand to skim up her side and cover her breast. Instantly, her nipples budded beneath the lace of her bra, and Eva reached for the front clasp, releasing the aching mounds.
Adam raised his head and glanced down to take in her bare chest. “Absolutely beautiful.”
She blushed and tugged his shirt up from his waistband. He responded by pulling it over his head and hurling it through the air.
Adam was magnificent. Seeing all that golden-tanned skin over his hard muscles as they flexed above her brought a surge of moisture between her thighs. His nostrils flared as he took a deep, shuddering breath then his silvery gaze locked onto her, causing her to shiver in anticipation. Pure, undiluted lust raged in their depths, and she trembled when she heard the low rumble in his chest that ended with a slight growl.
“I love that sound you make, almost like low growl,” she admitted.
“I’m glad because I can’t seem to help it.” He lowered his mouth to her neck, trailing a path down to her collarbone, nipping lightly and praising her responsiveness. “I could eat you alive, you taste so good.”
Whatever response she might have had fled when his mouth closed over the ultra-sensitive peak of her nipple. Her body was a giant mass of quivering nerves as his oral assault effectively reduced her mind to mush and succeeded in thoroughly saturating her panties with need.
As he continued suckling her, Adam loosened Eva’s shorts and drew them over her hips. She raised herself a little to help him, and her garment was whisked off so quickly she yelped in surprise. His hand traced a lazy trail up her calf and to the crook of her knee, where he lifted and spread her before continuing up her thigh.
Eva blushed and tried to close her legs, but he held her in place with virtually no effort. “Don’t hide from me. I intend to explore
every
inch of your body, Eva. I’m going to touch you, kiss you, taste you and then fill you.”
True to his word, Adam whipped her hormones into a dizzying frenzy. She was so worked up when he began nipping, kissing and licking his way down her belly, she had no time to become embarrassed. As his tongue parted her folds, Eva threaded her fingers through his silky hair. The low growl he released sent a wicked vibration over her clit and had her quickly approaching orgasm.
“Adam…please.” Just a little more pressure…
When he covered that wonderful little bundle of nerves with his mouth and suckled while lightly flicking his tongue, she detonated. She bucked, crying out as a thousand lights erupted behind her closed eyes.
Adam never stopped, just eased her through and began stoking the fire again. When she tugged his hair, unable to take any more, he came up, once again paying special attention to each of her painfully erect nipples before settling himself in the cradle of her thighs.
After what he’d given her, Eva was more than ready to return the favor, so she reached for his jeans and clumsily popped the button free before dragging his zipper down.
“Here, let me.” Adam stood and stripped off his pants in record time before coming back onto the bed.
Lust burned through Evangeline like a drug, and she was high enough not to give a damn about modesty now. Adam was in front of her, and God, he was beautiful. The sight of his engorged shaft sent a thrill of trepidation zinging through her. The sheer size was just daunting. She was a fairly small girl, and he was a
big
boy.
As he crawled onto the bed, she stopped his progress with a hand on his chest. “My turn.” With a wicked grin, she gave him a shove that put him on his back, though she had the distinct impression it was only because he allowed it.
His cock stood tall and proud, and it should because…
damn
. When she reached out to stroke him, she moaned at the softness. Like satin over steel. After a moment a pearly bead formed on his mushroomed crest, and Eva licked her lips before swiping her tongue across the head to gather the droplet. She hummed at the earthy taste and swore she heard a muffled, “God help me.”
Adam speared his fingers through her unruly curls, his breath exploding from his lungs as she took him into her mouth and withdrew to give a long slow tug on his furiously aroused flesh. When she gazed up the length of his body and met his eyes, she stilled.
His normally pale blue eyes had turned to pools of liquid silver. He panted, his gaze wild with passion as she resumed her loving.
“Fuck, Eva,” he groaned. His hips lifted from the bed as he thrust into her mouth in a desperate rhythm.
Without warning, he grabbed her under her arms and pulled her up his body. He kissed her fiercely. “Your mouth is destructive,” he growled.
Eva smiled down at him, but she was in agony. Her pussy ached to be filled, her clit throbbing. She straddled his waist and reached between their bodies to guide him to her weeping core. “Please, Adam… I need you…inside…”
Her gentle plea shattered his control. Adam gripped her hips and surged upward, plunging into her silken heat all the way to the hilt.
He stilled when she cried out, unsure if it was pleasure or pain as so many sensation swirled through his mind. “Did I hurt you?”
She shook her head, digging her nails into his chest as she commanded him to move.
“Christ, you’re so tight. So hot and tight you’re going to burn me alive,” he growled.
She was close, and he knew it. Her tight little pussy massaged his cock with the prelude to her release. He ground his teeth in an effort not to blow then and there.
Adam brought his hand around, pressing lightly, low on her belly, as he used his thumb to exert a gentle pressure on her throbbing clit and watched as that simple maneuver sent her screaming into orgasm.
She cried out his name as he thrust twice more before plunging deep and spilling his release inside her snug channel. And then, they were both whisked away.
He felt as if he were floating. He could feel confusion, awe and…love. It was brand new, still fragile, but there. He was touching her soul, feeling her emotions and was sure she could feel his, as well.
“Do you feel that, Eva?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“That’s called the soul touch. What I was talking about when I mentioned soul mates. You
are
my mate, Eva,” he finished softly, prepared for her to flee.
“It’s amazing,” she replied, shocking him by lying across his chest. “I can feel how happy this makes you.”
“And I can feel your confusion. It’s all right. I wouldn’t expect you to jump into this since you weren’t exactly expecting it to happen.” Adam ran his fingers lightly through her hair. He really loved these curls.
“I’m not scared. I really like you, Adam. You’ve quickly wormed your way into my heart, but I’m still too mixed up to work through everything.” She paused, chewing her bottom lip. “Were you expecting this?”
“I’d hoped. I’m not going to lie. I’m happy it’s you. I’ve waited so long I’d begun to fear I’d never find that special person to complete my soul.” He sighed and hugged her tight. “We’ll take things slow. There’s so much I’ve got to explain to you, but not yet.” After laying a tender kiss at her temple, he regretfully pulled from her body. Adam quickly left the bed and fetched a warm washcloth from the bathroom before returning to gently clean a blushing Evangeline.
“You don’t have to do this,” she admonished, trying to take the cloth from his hands.
“I want to. Eva, I was serious when I told you I’d take care of you. Anything you need, I’ll do.” Adam was surprised to feel a surge of gratitude from her and hated that he would have to go out, even though it wouldn’t be for long. “I hate to leave you, but I need to take Storm and Lightning for a run before they get too antsy. Why don’t you take a nice bath and have some soup. It’s on the stove whenever you’re ready. I’ll be back as quick as I can, I promise.”
“A hot bath sounds wonderful,” she moaned. “And if that heavenly scent is the soup then I’d better eat first or I won’t soak very long at all.”
He chuckled.
“Adam?” Her voice was unsure as she asked, “Would you mind sleeping with me tonight?”
He felt her nervousness, her fear and guessed at her problem. “Who was hurting you in your dream?” She seemed startled, so he explained, “I tried waking you. You weren’t breathing, Eva, and it scared the shit out of me.”
She sighed, looking resigned, and he hated it.
“It was Shane. I had this crazy idea that if all he wanted was money, I’d give it to him and maybe that would work.”
“But it didn’t.”
“No, it didn’t. In my dream, he was deranged, demanding I marry him so he could have
all
the money.” She visibly shuddered, and Adam wrapped a blanket around her shoulders before pulling her into his arms again. “It was just a dream, thank God, but it felt so real.”
“Dreams can feel real enough, especially if the people and events are part of your everyday life. You weren’t breathing so, in my book, that’s
too
real.” And something he hoped would never happen again.
A scratch at the door brought a small laugh from Eva’s sweet lips. “They really are sweet.”
Eva watched as Adam walked, naked and unashamed, to the door.
“And they love you,” he pointed out. “Especially Storm.” He opened the door to allow the terrible twosome inside. Storm bounded onto the bed and curled up next to Eva, just waiting to be petted, while Lightning walked over and put his cold nose to Adam’s rear.