Page 34 of Reaper's Claim

I would be a liar if I said I was fine. I can’t believe I was here. Then again, I wasn’t being suffocated by nerves. I wasn’t overthinking it. I was just going with the flow. But I did know if I wanted this evening to go as planned, I would have to push it.

What was taking him so long? How hard was it to book a room? Wondering where he was, I looked up in time to see Reaper walking towards me and the reception lights flick off. Strange. I thought reception never closed.

Guess this was a small town. Maybe they knew there would be no more business coming their way.

Guess this meant there was no room service. I looked up at the stars. One bonus of a small town was the sky really lit up at night. The moon was huge. I had never seen it this big. But did I ever really take much notice of the moon? Maybe not.

The air was still hot and sticky even though the sun had gone down. You would think it would cool down, but it seemed my new home was in the middle of a mean summer.

I had already slipped my sandals off. Sitting at the edge of the pool, I slowly dipped my feet in. God, that was refreshing.

I reached for my clutch, pulling out my cigarette packet. Empty. Well, that’s a fan-fucking-tastic way to start the evening.

“Here.”

I turned and looked up just in time to see Kade handing me a lit cigarette. My fingers brushed his as I took it off him.

“Thanks.”

So, my confidence from earlier was shaking at the mere touch.

I sucked in the cigarette, needing it more now. Just stay strong, Abby. Just stay strong.

“Hot?”

“Yeah,” I tilted my head to look at him. “Aren’t you?” I looked at him with his tee shirt, leather vest, and jeans, as well as big steel-toed boots. I was hot and I was in a dress. Suddenly, I felt like a complete fool for even saying it. Clearly he dealt with the heat better than I.

“Nah. It’s always hot where I am.”

Well, that answered my thoughts. I handed him back the cigarette. “I have a feeling it’s going to be like that here too. Much to my disgust.”

“What? Do you hate the heat?”

“Yes. Who likes sweating twenty-four seven?” Seriously. I couldn’t be the only one to think that. He shrugged his shoulders, clearly not sharing my point of view. “You’re strange.” I shook my head, my blonde hair whipping around.

So now here I was. Finally reaching a situation Reaper and I had been heading for since he saved me.

Withdrawing my feet from the pool, I got up. My eyes slowly scanned his muscular body till I reached his eyes.

They were set on my face. One move, that was all I had to do to make this happen.

Would he take charge once I took the dive?

Going up on my tippy toes, my lips brushed his and just as I hoped, he took charge. Lifting me off the ground, he wrapped my legs around him and suddenly I wasn’t breathing air. No, I was breathing Kade. We traded long, deep kisses as he walked us towards a room.

Was I making a mistake?

Would I regret this?

I don’t know. But it felt so darn right. So I didn’t fight the need to cling to him tighter, or kiss him firmer.

I just didn’t care.

Reaper

I ran my hand up her bare back as she slept. I couldn’t stop myself from touching her. I hadn’t had enough of her. Couldn’t get enough of her, which was why I was awake so early. I listened to her inhale softly and exhaling slowly.

I swear, listening to her breathing was calming me and also stopping me from what I had to do next.

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