Page 85 of The Shadow Path
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
She woke the next morning naked and curled into Duncan’s side. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d slept so well. And she couldn’t remember ever waking up and feeling like she might have fallen into bed with a grizzly bear.
It wasn’t that Duncan was hairy. He had a completely average amount of hair.
He was just massive. Big arms. Muscular legs. Broad shoulders. He took up roughly two-thirds of the bed just by existing.
He must have already been awake, because his hand was running along her shoulder, lightly dragging up and down in soothing strokes beneath the linen sheets.
The light in his bedchamber was tinged with blue, and she heard a fire crackling.
“Why is your room so much warmer than mine?” she murmured and snuggled closer to his body.
“Privileges of being a nobody here. Smaller bedroom means it’s easier to heat.”
She smiled. “Is it nice kind of? Being a nobody here?”
His chest moved in silent laughter. “It is actually. Not a laird here. Not the boss. Not anything magical at all. I’m themundanehuman here.”
Her warm hand spread over his muscled abdomen and drifted lower. “I don’t think there’s anything mundane about you.” Her fingers curled around his erection and squeezed lightly. “Mmmmm.”
“No.” He moved her hand away.
“Why not?” She pouted and looked up. “You didn’t come last night.”
“No, I did not.”
“If you think taking care of that would be a hardship for me, you are very much mistaken.” Her hand slid south again.
“Menace.” He laughed and grabbed her hand, weaving their fingers together.
“Why not?”
“Ahh.” He grinned. “You’ll think I’m a Neanderthal.”
“What? Why?” Her eyes went wide. “Do you not like it?”
Both eyebrows went up. “Strike that thought from your mind, Professor Morgan.”
“You have naughty teacher fantasies, don’t you?” she whispered.
“Wouldn’t you like to know.”
“Yes, I would. I have a tweed blazer and reading glasses, for your information.”
He grabbed her hand and placed it back on his even-harder cock. “You’re not helping.”
“But Icouldhelp.”
Duncan growled, rolled her to her back, and caged her under his massive body. “Fine. Neanderthal time. The first time I come with you” —he arched up, pressing his cock into the juncture of her thighs— “I want to beinyou. See? Neanderthal.”
Hot. Something about that was so unbearably hot she wanted him even more. “Where do we find condoms here?”
“We don’t, because they don’t need them.” He laughed. “Ah, imagine that. No need for them. At all. It’s free love in the Shadowlands, darling. No pregnancy here. No diseases that can’t be cured by a potion.” He tapped a finger along her hip. “But you weren’t born here, and neither was I.”
Fuck.
“You know… I’m just putting this out there, but I brought coffee.”
