Page 77 of Shadow

Approaching Marinah’s door, I nodded to the guards stationed outside. “You won’t be needed until I notify you.”

They stepped away without a word. The relief in their expressions was obvious. No one wanted to be too close to a mated pair, and by now, everyone knew Marinah was mine.

I didn’t have the luxury other mated Warriors enjoyed. I couldn’t simply disappear with her for months and let the mating rage run its course. Too much hung in the balance.

It was yet another thing I’d set aside until tomorrow.

Marinah stepped out of the bathroom wearing a sleek one-piece swimsuit that clung to her curves in all the right ways, accentuating her perfect body. She draped a brightly flowered wrap over her shoulders before we left her room. Thankfully, we didn’t run into anyone on the way to the pool. Beast was calm for now, and I wanted to keep it that way.

“The water’s perfect,” she said, dipping a toe in and smiling at the slight ripple it made.

“Good,” I replied, and before she had a chance to react, I sprinted toward her, grabbed her around the waist, and leaptinto the pool. The impact sent a massive splash over the edges, drenching the tiles around us.

“You idiot!” she laughed between coughs, pushing her wet hair out of her face. “I didn’t plan to get my hair wet!”

I knew exactly what had come over me, and even so, I reeled slightly at the off-balance feeling.

“Stop complaining. Wet looks good on you,” I said to hide my discomfort.

She turned away, still coughing lightly, then spun back with a mischievous glint in her eyes. “It doesn’t look that good on you. Maybe this will.” She scooped a handful of water and flung it in my face.

The war was on.

Her laughter filled the space, louder than her gasps for air, as we splashed and ducked around each other. For the first time in years, I was having fun.Real,unrestrained fun. It felt foreign and almost uncomfortable, like a muscle I hadn’t stretched in too long.

I came up from the water and used my arms to send a tidal wave crashing over her head, but she dove under just in time. Her form was sleek and quick as she torpedoed toward me, kicking off the pool’s bottom with her legs. She surfaced a few feet away, laughing breathlessly, and I reached for her.

Lifting her effortlessly out of the water, her laughter morphed into something different as her eyes locked on mine.

She was beautiful.Beyondbeautiful.

Beast purred low in my chest, his approval a rumble that matched my own unspoken thoughts.

Her lips were too tempting, too close to resist, and I leaned in, pulling her against me.

Her legs wrapped around my waist, so her body was flush against mine. The feel of wet skin was too much and far too dangerous.

This shouldn’t be happening, and there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop it.

I couldn’t let her leave. Ever.

She had a say, I reminded myself. When a woman turned down a Shadow Warrior, we had to respect her choice. I had dealt with Warriors when this happened, and it was something I had hoped never to feel.

Pushing these uncertain thoughts aside, I tilted my head back and stared at her lips. Keeping this at just kissing was becoming increasingly difficult. I had to give her a say before the inevitable happened because once we physically mated, it would be too late.

Her lips were too much, and I dipped my head again, savoring each unique flavor of this kiss. I was being pushed closer to the edge by the second. If I didn’t stop now, there would be no turning back. With a savage groan, I pulled away and brushed her hair from her face.

“Let’s swim laps,” I said, my voice rough with undisguised longing.

“Laps?” she repeated unsteadily.

I grasped at levity with a trace of humor. “You know. That thing where you raise your arms and move through the water?”

“Dumbass,” she replied, a grin tugging at her lips.

Without another word, I pushed off the wall and started swimming. Marinah joined me after a moment. I didn’t hold back, gaining ground until I was passing her with ease. We settled into a rhythm, and after ten minutes of laps, I finally felt like I could control myself.

I joined her at the shallow end, where she floated casually, arms braced on the pool’s edge, her body lazily suspended in the water.

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