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Shadow chuckled and pulled me closer.
My heart was close to launching out of my chest. Every moment was jointly exhilarating and frightening. Shadow’s warmth spread through me, washing away my earlier concerns, and the old Snow succumbed to the enjoyment while I twitched inside, hatching plans to escape.
His stomach felt rock-hard against mine. The old Snow imagined he was pretty well-built beneath his clothes from all the physical activity required by his job. Her fingers itched to discover more.
Sea God,it had been so long since I’d been with a man. Felt his touch. Locked lips in a deep kiss, bodies melting into one as we made love. Maybe that explained the old Snow’s sudden heat for him. But I had promised myself not to get close to anyone. Not to trust anyone. The conflicting emotions warred inside me.
Shadow’s hand lowered to just above my ass. The old Snow was aching for his hand to wander lower and explore the rest of us. But, she mused, we had the rest of the night for that, and there was no need to rush.
The new Snow, on the other hand, felt a little trapped, and a sudden desperation consumed me to get out of the room. The heat generated by the fireplace, from all those people in the room, and from Shadow’s body, ignited a blaze inside me, and I needed some fresh air to clear my head and cool down.
That wasn’t the only reason. Everything was moving so fast. The more time I spent around him, the more I felt like I was losing control, and that was a daunting prospect.
I wriggled free of Shadow’s grasp and hurried out of the room. Cold night air engulfed me, slinking down my neck, its icy fingers stroking my face. Such a nice relief from the inferno inside. The air held the odor of smoke and the scent of food from the meal.
“Everything all right?” Shadow called from behind me.
I wrapped my arms around my waist and rubbed my sleeves. “Fine,” I replied, admiring the golden orb on the horizon bathed in a pink and purple haze.
Shadow stood beside me, taking in the view with me. Moments later, his hand darted out, his finger curled as if he intended to stroke my arm. But he stopped, his skin an inch from mine. Uncertainty flickered in his eyes.
Even new Snow ached for his touch this time.
His hand found the small of my back. Just this motion ignited another fire in me. It felt so natural. Like breathing. That voice in my head, which reminded me of why I’d come out here in the first place, screamed at me to run. And I did, putting a few feet between us.
“Why do you run from me?” He grabbed me, spinning me to face him. His eyes showed a mixture of confusion and curiosity. “It’s driving me crazy.”
It was doing the same to me. Somehow, he’d bypassed my protection mechanisms and had wormed under my skin.
“I can’t,” I said.
Our gazes locked. Questions burned in his expression. An overwhelming desire fluttered in my chest.
“Yes, you can.” He leaned in to kiss me.
Yearning swam in my chest. I wanted this. Oh, so much. Even if it was just for the night. But I didn’t want my memory of him to be tainted with lies.
His lips were rough, insistent, and pressed against mine, overriding any further hesitation. I kept my hands clenched at my sides, despite wanting to discover the curves of his arms. I wanted to let go, to get swept away in the moment, but something held me back.Flipping hell.What was wrong with me? I couldn’t take it anymore.
Someone interrupted. “Boss.”
I jumped free of his arms and wiped my lips.
“What is it?” Shadow said, an edge of annoyance creeping into his usually pleasant tone.
“Got a message from your neighbor,” the man said, holding out a parchment.
Shadow accepted it and unrolled the scroll, holding it up to the light shining from the windows. A look of horror swept across his face. His head snapped to the right. At me.Sea God, no.The evil witch had sent word, searching for me. He was going to turn me over to her. It was time to return to that hellhole and end my days on Haven.
Fear thrummed through me. “What is it?”
“Raiders have attacked the village,” he said, scrunching up the scroll and tossing it aside. “They set the neighboring plantation on fire.”
“Who would do that?” I asked.
“Pirates,” he snapped, grabbing me by the arm.
“Why?” I asked.
