Loving Shade Read online

  I prop myself on my elbows.

  “Shade?”

  He wraps his hand around his erection, slowly stroking it.

  “Turn around,” he says, a mysterious smile brushing his eyes.

  I do as I’m told.

  “On your knees, baby.”

  I prop myself on my hands and knees.

  He slips his hand into my hair, in one smooth motion tugging my head back. I arch, following his hand, at the same time feeling him, hard and throbbing, and sliding into me.

  “Shade...” I gasp as my hips begin to shake.

  He snakes an arm around my waist and pulls me up.

  My back lines his chest as he starts thrusting and slamming into me.

  He does it again, and again while I bite my lip until I taste blood. Tension builds inside my core, woven with delicious pleasure.

  His fingers slip, wet, between my butt cheeks, tracing, and rubbing the tight ring. Slowly, he pushes one finger in.

  He stops rocking his hips and pushes his finger deeper. A new sensation spears through me, making me want that pleasure.

  I tense and clench and moan.

  “Shhh... Tara...?”

  His voice vibrates across my skin.

  As I sense him aroused, more heat breaks through me.

  He moves gently this time, coordinating his motions as he brings his free hand to my clit.

  A few seconds is all I last.

  One hard thrust between my legs kicks me over the edge, the tension whirling and crashing through me, shaking its way out of my body.

  My hips keep rolling against his hand while his finger is still inside me.

  “Relax, baby... I need you to relax,” he says, his husky voice dragging me to a sensual trance again.

  He pulls himself out of me and positions himself at the back entrance.

  “I want you that way, Tara...” he purrs.

  It dawns on me that he can have me any way he wants, and that’s a deliciously frightening thought.

  He slowly pushes in. Then, stops.

  Sliding his palm around my hip, he brings his fingers back to my clit. Gently, he starts to rub it.

  I prop my hands on the headboard.

  “That’s the way... baby.”

  He starts circling my swollen clit, his erection pushing slowly in. My hips roll gently, my flesh throbbing, wet and slick, responding to his fingers.

  “Not yet... Wait,” he says.

  Tension swirls between my legs, the pleasure feeding on itself again.

  “Damn it,” he rasps as he slides his erection back and forth, my body beginning to adjust to him.

  He does it again. And again. Slowly in the beginning, until he starts moving faster.

  I start to unravel.

  “I think I’m gonna die,” I say, panting and smiling.

  “No, you’re not...” he mutters, nuzzling my neck, sinking his teeth into my flesh.

  His fingers trace my folds again, exerting pressure on my sex. I smack my hips against him.

  Oh, this feels good.

  Lifting my arm, I reach back and grab his neck.

  My body curves against him as he cuffs my neck with one hand and strums my clit with the other, taking me with him, to the climax.

  I close my eyes and let myself fall with him.

  Moving like one, we share the intense pleasure, tasting an unbelievable high before we begin to slow down.

  His arms drape over my body, his lips sliding to my shoulder as he places kisses on my skin, and smiles against my body.

  “You’re hot as fire, baby girl,” he says while I grin, drunk on him.

  Half an hour later, we both drift off to sleep, embraced, caressed by the night breeze, watched over by the starry sky.

  6

  TARA

  A cacophony of sounds trickle down through the open roof. The chirping of the birds, the rustling of the trees, and the noise the dogs barking somewhere in the distance.

  I roll to my back and push upright. Propped on my elbows, I take in the view. Dark blue water merges with the sky, a thick layer of vegetation lining the shore.

  I glance up.

  Fluffy white clouds litter the sky, running across, chased away by the summer breeze. The aroma of coffee and freshly cooked food drifts through the air, tickling my nostrils.

  My stomach growls.

  I glance around, scanning the room for a piece of clothing to make myself at least half presentable. I find nothing, so I stroll into the other room.

  Fumbling through a stack of clothes––all his, I find one of his shirts and put it on. It swallows half of my body and covers my rear. That will do. I pull my panties on and venture outside.

  Following the smell, I cruise across the living room and enter the kitchen. Cozy, the whole place breathes warmth and intimacy.

  Across from me, the wall of windows ushers in the view of a small dock where a moored boat sways in the wind. To my left, a wide door leads to a small terrace. Napkins, plates, and flatware sit on the wicker table.

  “Hungry?”

  He tosses me a glance over his bare shoulder as he attends to the frying pan.

  “Yes.”

  “It’ll be ready in a minute.”

  I hardly register his words as I zoom in on him, my eyes floating all over his body.

  Low riding jeans cling teasingly to his butt.

  He flexes his arms over the frying pan, and my gaze gets caught in the line of his broad shoulders, his muscled back, and his chiseled chest.

  I give him a double take, furtively studying him while running my eyes on him from his unruly blonde hair to his bare feet.

  Everything about him screams confidence and a streak of wildness. He’s younger than me, yet so mature in thinking. He’s tender and raw, stern and commanding but also sweet and funny and caring.

  He glances over his shoulder again, lifting an eyebrow as he registers my expression.

  “Something’s wrong?” he asks.

  Blinking a few times, I struggle to regain my focus.

  “No,” I murmur, stuck in the middle of the kitchen.

  He gives me a quick once over.

  “Oh… I borrowed your shirt. I hope you don’t mind.”

  “I don’t,” he says, smiling. “It looks great on you.”

  “The food smells great,” I comment, gesturing to the pan.

  Flicking his chin, he motions me to the terrace.

  Smiling, I spin around and walk out. Moments later, I sink into a chair and wait for him.

  “Smoked salmon and goat cheese omelet,” he says as he slides the plate in front of me. “Coffee?”

  “Oh, yes. Black, please.”

  He strides back into the kitchen and comes back a few moments later, a cup of steaming coffee in his hand.

  I take a sip before I set the mug next to my plate.

  He takes a seat and starts eating. I follow his example, a bit distracted as I keep sneaking glances at him. His tanned shoulders glow in the sunlight. He lifts his gaze and catches me ogling him.

  Smoothly, I swing my gaze to my plate.

  “What is it?”

  I eat. Silent.

  “Mmm... This is good,” I say, without answering his question.

  Exchanging very few words, we focus on quenching our hunger for the next few minutes.

  He removes the plates as soon as we finish.

  “Fruit? Pastries?”

  “Fruit.”

  He brings out cups filled with fresh slices of strawberries, plump blueberries, and juicy raspberries.

  “Where did you find the fresh fruit?”

  “I went shopping.”

  I toss him a questioning look.

  “At the local market, this morning,” he says, giving me a small smile.

  “Morning? What do you mean by morning? What time is it?”

  “One o’clock.”

  “Are you serious?” I look up at the sky as if the answer lies there. “I’m completely lost...” I mutt
er.

  “Yeah... I can see that.”

  A smile stretches across his lips, flashing his cute dimple.

  My grin turns bittersweet.

  “Not only now... I’m afraid,” I mutter, a pang of sadness seeping into my voice.

  His smile withers away.

  “What makes you say that?” he asks, setting the teaspoon on a small plate, and sliding the cup to the side.

  He searches my eyes, a sliver of concern rushing through them as if he reads my mind.

  I feel him close to me––his heart beating for me, and it’s the most beautiful feeling in the world. The thought that I matter to him–– enough for him to care for me, melts my heart.

  A questioning look rolls onto his face.

  “Things have changed for me since I’ve known you,” I say, watching him raising an eyebrow. “It’s not bad. It’s just confusing sometimes. It’s a process... I think. I also see things differently. Things that mattered to me before, no longer hold a sway over me. And things that I’ve never had the clarity to see have revealed themselves to me. Sometimes that’s scary and confusing,” I say, smiling.

  His features soften, hope glinting in his eyes again.

  “I have a different perspective now,” I say with a mellow voice. “I know where you’re coming from and why you are the way you are. And despite knowing all that, you still surprise me every time. The thing is, the more I learn about you, the more I discover about my life, a lot of things coming into focus. Things I’ve missed and yearned for.”

  “What are those things, baby?” he asks quietly.

  “I’m longing for freedom the same way you do. Sadly, I never had it clear in my mind until I met you. Even when I sensed that something wasn’t right, I pushed that thought to the side. I want to do something with my life. Something other than a job. I’ve realized that I hate to be constrained. I want to own my time. My life. I want to be creative, to express myself, and leave something after me.”

  His lips crease into a slow smile.

  “Remember when you said, ‘you have to see first so you can learn’,” I say. “You taught me how to see. And I didn’t like what I saw. Not after you showed me what my life would be like, if I made a different choice.”

  His eyes glint with another smile.

  “You knew all this. Way before me. It was easy for you to see me. That’s what you saw in me that first night. You knew I was captive, living in my own little prison, not even aware of how limited my life was. How small. You opened that door for me, and I got a taste of something different. And now I can’t go back inside. That’s why I feel lost sometimes.”

  Revelation sets in his eyes.

  “You’ll find your way, baby. You’re well on your way,” he says, his lips curving into a soft grin.

  “ You wanted me to question everything.”

  “Mmm-hmm,” he mutters.

  “Why?”

  He ponders for a moment before he speaks.

  “That night I saw a beautiful woman who was brimming with life. One who had never had the chance to explore something different, let alone live it. One who didn’t even know how wonderful her life could be… You’re not lost, as you just said. It feels like that right now. But that feeling will eventually go away. I haven’t always believed in fate, but I think it had a hand in our meeting that night. The timing was perfect. You were at that point in your life where you–– perhaps unknowingly, were looking for a sign. And I was searching for a woman like you. I was almost at the point of losing faith when I found you. I was convinced you’d never show up. I didn’t know then everything that I know now about you, but I had a good hunch. It turned out I was right about you.” he says. “You were the woman I was waiting for. And I can only hope that I’m your man.”

  His eyes stay locked with mine as I slowly curve my lips into a smile.

  “Yes, you are my man,” I say with a trembling voice.

  “That’s good to know,” he says, a grin lighting up his eyes.

  Leaning close to me, he murmurs in my ear. “We have a few more hours left. We can go boating or...”

  Sliding his hand inside my shirt, he nears a breast while his lips trail the side of my neck.

  My skin prickles with pleasure.

  “Or?” I ask, grinning teasingly.

  “Or I can take you back to bed,” he says.

  Reading the answer in my eyes, he rises to his feet, scoops me up and carries me into the bedroom while my chest starts rocking with a chuckle.

  7

  SHADE

  I push the door open and almost knock Elia off.

  “Eavesdropping, huh? No need to. You’ll find out in a moment. And it’s all good news. Hong Kong looks great this time of year,” I say, smirking.

  We clash stares briefly as she waves me off and sweeps past me, entering Roger’s office.

  The door barely closes behind her when the loud sound of an exchange of words filters through the walls.

  Oh, I love the shrilling of her voice. Especially now.

  Mission accomplished.

  Smiling contently, I stride across the corridor and enter my room.

  I count the seconds–– not that I need to, and before long her heels hit the marble floor, traveling from one end of the hallway to the other.

  My eyes train on the door as I expect her to burst in, shouting.

  Surprise, surprise... The door slides open smoothly.

  Silently, she walks in, her face bloodless. She glues her hands to her hips, her eyebrows knitted in a frown.

  “Why did you have to do that, Shade?” she asks with an even voice.

  I flash a wicked grin.

  “To do what?”

  Her eyes turn dark, her nostrils trembling with fury.

  “What have I done, Elia? Huh?” I sneer, shooting my palms up in the air, my chest rocking with laughter. “I’ve merely suggested that you are the perfect candidate for managing the Asian branch,” I say mockingly, slipping a cigarette between my lips.

  The lighter flicks open, the flame flaring as I run it across the tip of my cigarette.

  I hold the smoke in my lungs for a second, enjoying her glare, and then I blow it out in a long stream.

  “Aren’t you?” I ask, my gaze sweeping her black skirt suit and the white silk scarf tied fashionably around her neck.

  Flicking my gaze up, I bring my cigarette to my lips and take another drag. My eyes stay trained on hers.

  The last drop of blood drains from her face.

  I shift my head to the side and breathe the smoke out, my gaze still pinned on hers, a twisted smile curling my lips.

  “You are an ambitious woman who likes to run things,” I mutter calmly. “Your own way, of course. Because you always fucking know better,” I say dryly, and then I smile. “Good. ‘Cause now your dream is about to come true.”

  Her eyes turn even darker.

  I slide an ashtray closer to me and flick my cigarette.

  “Why did you have to do it?”

  Laced with thick anger, her voice rams into my ears.

  Smiling, I fold my arms across my chest and narrow my eyes, my cigarette dangling from my lips.

  “Hmm...” I murmur as I slowly run both hands through my hair. “Why? Are you really asking me why?” I say, talking around the cigarette, my voice hoarse and menacing as fury starts to boil beneath the veneer of my calmness.

  I tear the cigarette away from my lips and forcefully, blow the smoke out before I continue.

  “I told you to stay out of my fucking business. But you didn’t listen, did you? You kept yapping and meddling and sticking your nose in my shit as if I’m fucking six. There was only one thing I asked of you, and you just couldn’t keep yourself in check. I told you that Tara Hart was not your damn business. I fucking did. Multiple times. I also told you that I would not auction my dick for an heiress. I made that pretty clear, darling. All you had to do was to keep your fucking mouth shut. But, no, no... You thought I was stupid. Yo
ung and inexperienced. You dared to threaten her. All this time, forgetting that I could crush you like a little bug. Why was it so fucking hard Elia? Hmm?”

  I look at her, cold.

  She glowers at me. I couldn’t care less.

  Unfazed, I give her another absent once over, remotely registering her sparkling jewelry against the fabric of her suit, all fading behind the cloud of darkness surrounding her.

  “I told you why,” she says, gritting her teeth. “You really think she’s the love of your life, don’t you? I suggest you wait and see. You don’t know if she really is the woman that you want her to be. And yet, you have no problem throwing everything away for her. For what? Some romping right now and a dull life later on? I don’t want you to end up strapped with someone like this. She’ll suck the life out of you, and she’ll kill you with her insecurities and her neediness. You’re not that kind of man, Shade.”

  She shoots her hands up in the air before she glues them back to her hips.

  “What am I saying? You are not like any other man, Shade. Whether you like it or not, your life is different than other men’s. And unless you’re willing to give up on it so that you can live like a simpleton, you can’t fight who you are. You don’t know much about Tara Hart. She probably doesn’t know much about herself either. Sooner or later, she’ll try to fit you in the little box called ‘her life’. And sooner or later, you’ll crave something different. You’re going to feel suffocated in her little world where you’ll have to attend to her every little need and soothe her every time life doesn’t turn out the way she wants it.”

  I push the smoke up, my eyes locked with hers.

  “You don’t know much about her, Elia. Same way you don’t know much about me. Which is not surprising, considering that you were not with me when I was growing up. Up to this day, you’ve never shown the slightest interest in who I am. You huff and puff like a schoolgirl who can’t have what she wants. You resent me for being who I am as if I owe you something and I should be the way you have imagined me to be. But see, life doesn’t work that way. Are you talking about me not having a clue about life? What about you? You think that everything is supposed to be the way you like it, and whoever or whatever dares to be different is nothing but a moron or a mistake that needs to be fixed. Well, sweetheart, it’s time to leave your ivory tower and get a taste of real life.”