Read Online Shadow Reaper (Shadowlands Series) by Amos Cassidy - Free Book Online Page B

closed the distance between us and claimed my mouth in a desperate kiss. His hand cupped the back of my head, holding me in place as his mouth bruised mine. He pushed me back until I was pressed against the door, lifted me, wrapped my legs around his waist and ground his crotch into me. I gasped at the evidence of his arousal. Fuck, he was hard and large, and I needed that.
    “I’ve wanted to do this for so long, so fucking long.” He murmured before claiming my mouth again. I felt his fingers at the zip on my trousers and gasped as he rubbed against me. This was it. I had him, the man I had wanted for years. I had him and only one question kept going round in my head: if he’d wanted me for so long, why was he with Nina?
    His fingers slid down the waistband of my trousers, and I grabbed his wrist.
    He froze. “Shit,” he said. He stepped back, releasing me.
    I stood against the door and did my zip back up.
    He wouldn’t look at me now. His gaze was fixed on the floor hands on his head. “Shit. I’m with Nina. Dammit, Ash.”
    What the fuck? Was he trying to make this my fault? “Don’t you dare pin this on me. You wanted me!”
    He met my eyes, his own filled with burning anger. “’Course I wanted you! What fucking hot-blooded male wouldn’t? Your body was made for fucking, and I would have made my move ages ago, but then we became friends and . . . it didn’t seem right. I didn’t want to lose that. Fuck! I love you, Ash, as a friend, and yeah I would fuck you ’cos you’re hot but then what?” He shook his head. “I’ve been playing around for so long, but I never wanted to commit, not until Nina. With Nina, I feel like I’ve come home. I thought I’d done it, you know? Locked away the guy who just played around, and then this. You.” He turned away. “Just . . . go, please.”
    His words filled my veins with ice. For a second I stood there frozen, processing. He never loved me, not in that way. He never wanted me, not romantically. I turned and slipped out of the room, leaving him to his guilt and angst.
    ***
    I met Bernadette at the Hatch at midnight. We didn’t speak. We grabbed our harnesses and weapons and headed out.
    It was only when we were outside, jogging low toward the Horizon that Bernadette spoke. “We can link the lines to the winch and then take off the harness and tie them off when we get to the Beyond. At least we’ll be able to find our way back.”
    “Good plan but what if something else finds the line? What if it comes through the Horizon?”
    “If that treaty is real, then that won’t happen. Besides, if they wanted to find us, they know exactly where we are. I doubt they have problems navigating these lands.”
    Another point. I was glad she was with me. “Thanks,” I said.
    “For what?” She glanced at me.
    “For coming with me.”
    She looked away. “Always.”
    The Horizon loomed up ahead of us, and my stomach tightened in anticipation of the crossing.
    Bernadette fumbled with my harness, and I realised she was attaching my line to the winch. I let her get on with it, eager to get going. Finally she was done and we stepped up to the Horizon. Her fingers laced through mine and I realised she was trembling. Then it hit me. This was her first proper foray through the Horizon. I squeezed her fingers gently, and together, we stepped through the veil.

CLAY
    It was well past midnight when Blake crawled into bed next to Clay.
    Sleep had well and truly been avoiding Clay. He’d try to think of monotonous things, like how many screws he had in his toolbox. Sometimes that worked, soothing his overly active brain. But not tonight. It just irritated him. All he could think about was Ash, the future.
    “Hi,” Clay said.
    “Why you still awake?”
    “Can’t sleep.”
    “What’s wrong?”
    Clay turned to face Blake. He threw an arm around him, stroking his bare back in a soothing caress. “You’re here now.”
    “I am.”
    “Do you want to talk?”
    Clay