Page 35 of Broken Shadows

Evie

The security and warmth from Lorcan’s body quickly fades as reality rudely encroaches on my post orgasm high. He sweeps me into a bathroom I have yet to make use of—the jade color scheme blurring at the edges of my vision.

Panic claws at my throat, and my heart flees to the back of my ribs, clutching onto the bones with its atriums and veins. I squeeze my eyes shut as memories slash across my mind’s eye, the cruel hands of someone carrying my freshly tortured body, sheer agony radiating every bone, muscle, and nerve. My lungs inflate a quaking breath and Lorcan’s scent dissolves the daymare.

I open my eyes and fix my gaze on his neck, working to unlock my joints and unknot my muscles one fiber at a time.

My demon cuddles me to his chest as I crawl back to the present, banishing all painful thoughts into my subconscious. His throat tattoo faintly vibrates as I trace the lines of the two facing skulls with my index finger, as if coming alive under my touch. I relax further into his arms as magic goes to work at his behest, preparing us a bath. But too soon my muscles tighten once more.

Lorcan doesn't donice.

If I knew this side of him existed, I might have fled to the graveyard sooner… like when we had endless alone time in Shadow Realm. Well, except for Ezra.

Still, I am unused to him being so gentle with me. “Put me down,” I choke out too loudly, my words seeming to reverberate off the walls. I squirm in his arms, but he only holds me tighter.

“Shit. What’s wrong, Little Witch?” Lorcan questions softly. The muscles in my legs tighten as the icy black honeycomb tiles meet the souls of my feet.

The automatic response of ‘nothing’ curls on my tongue but I swallow it.

Lorcan sets me onto the vanity. I sigh, hanging plants tangle in my hair and tickle the side of my face. His nostrils flare as he slams his palms against the mirror beside my head. “Don’t you fucking dare say ‘fine’ or ‘nothing’, Evie.” A shadow curls around my throat, it’s pressure oddly comforting. “We both know those words only temporarily hide such pretty lies.”

He slides a finger over the tattoo on my chest and whispers into my ear. “You can keep fighting against me, but I’m not going anywhere.” Lorcan presses his thumb against the ink on my breast and gnashes his teeth close to my earlobe. “You aremine.”

My eyes narrow on his lengthening, sharp teeth. Our breathing mingles as he leans into me, our chests flush. I grit my teeth, ignoring my hardened nipples sliding against his bare chest. A deep growl rumbles behind his ribs, my sensitive skin soaking in the vibrations.

The momentary anxiety retreats as quickly as it came, but it’s too fun to play with my demon. The corner of my lip twitches upward. “Perhaps.”

Lorcan’s eyes squeeze shut for the length of a heartbeat, then he throttles me with his gaze. He holds my stare with unwavering, determined focus, and emits a growl so low and deep it raises the fine hair all over my body.

Fuck—that sound.

“Must you be so combative, woman? I just want to take care of you. When will you accept that?” he utters so close against my lips, kissing me with every word. His continuous growling lining his words with a thrilling and seductive, yet deadly purr.

My lips part. “You’re serious.”

“Of course, I’m godsdamn serious. I don’t waste my fucking time spewing words without meaning. Enough of this, My Witch.”

Lorcan grabs me around the waist, then deposits me in the half-filled claw foot tub. The water stings my cold, rain dampened skin, and I hiss as lift the lower half of my body to hover over the water. A palm presses against my sternum and my arms shake, then I fall back into the water with a splash.

Lorcan looms over me, his claws scraping against the smooth, rolled edge of the tub. “Youwillbe a good girl and let me bathe you. Your skin is like fucking ice,” he commands, fury sharpening the skin along his cheekbones and jaw, then rises and reaches blindly for a green jeweled tone bottle sitting on a convenient shelf to the left of the vanity. His tattooed knuckles tighten around the delicate-looking glass. “Don’t fight me on this. You. Will. Not. Win,” he pontificates, as if I have no choice in the matter.

I remind myself all I wanted to do was get under his skin a little, then willingly concede… for now. “I know.” Surprisingly, he’s making it nearly impossible to deny it otherwise.

His anger sharpened features smooth out and his always present smirk slides into place.

“Good girl.”

My stomach swoops.

Bubbles froth to the surface as Lorcan pours a healthy dollop of the liquid under the running silver faucet. I gasp as I catch the reflection of something dark, yet housing a soft yellow glow, moves behind us in the long, shining neck of the spout. My neck twinges as I whip my head to the side and twist my torso, but I can’t see past the muscular tattooed bulk of his body.

His fingers caress my cheek, then folds them into an easy grip on my chin as he looks down at me with a smirk. “Be easy, Baby. It’s just my shadows lighting some candles,” he says, then rests his jean clad ass on the edge of the tub.

I blow out a breath. How long will it take for my nerves to stop buzzing in my veins this time? Trauma is not new to me, and for years, the only person I had to rely on was myself. But now… I have Lorcan.

My emotions knot into a ball even a cat would struggle to unravel.

Fuck.Focus on the present, Evie.

---