Page 28 of The Raven
An insatiable lustflashedin his eyes, and without me saying another word,he gripped myhipsand stood, taking me with him. My legswrappedaround hiswaist, my mouth finding his again. As he carried me to his bedroom, anothermemorymaterializedin my mind.
A flower shop, the beautiful perfume of a variety offlowersfilling the air.Me, as an adult, standing behind thecounter, wearing an apron and making a bouquet, throwing my head back and laughing.Mason, on the other side of thecounter, grinning, adoration shining in hisgazeas he watched me.
The picture disappeared whenMasonloweredme down onto hisunmade bed and hovered above me, uncertainty flashing in his eyes.
“Are you sure about this?”
Thefeelingthat he had been something more to me when I wasalivestreaked through me, moreintensethan before. I reached up andstrokedafingerdown his cheek, butterflies dancing in my stomach.
“I knew you. Before that night, I mean,”I said softly.“You weren’t just theperson who found me, were you?”
He hesitated a few seconds before answering.“No.”
“What was I to you?”
He lowered himself down so our foreheads were once again touching, his gaze peering right into my soul. “Everything.”
There were so many things I could have said in response.Instead, I slid myhand behind his neck and pulled his lips tomine. Raw passionflowedbetween us, and an achegrewbetween my thighs. An ache I never thought I’d want to feel again after what theVipersdid to me.
Refusing to let their evilness ruin another moment, I shoved thefacesof theVipersaway and reached down for the button on myleatherpants.Mason’seyes tracked where my hand had gone, and pulling himself up, he knocked my hand away so he could undo them for me.
With the button and zipper undone, I shimmied out of them withMason’shelp before hetuggedhis own pants and boxer briefs off, hiserectionspringingfree.Insteadoffearof what was about to happen, exhilaration rushed through me.
Settling between myspreadlegs,Masonpositioned himself at my entrance,pausing to look down at me.“Raven…we don’t have to do this. If it gets too much-”
I placed my finger against his lip, silencing him. “I want this, Mason… I need you.”
His features softened. Somehow, he knew I was asking him to replacememoriesof those who had taken from me withmemoriesof me taking what I wanted.
He pressed his hips forward, slowly stretching my core and giving me time to adjust. Instead of the agony I felt the last time someone was inside me, all I could feel was warmth so bright that I thought I was going to burst.
“Fucking Christ,”Masonhissed, his lipsbrushingagainstmineas he spoke.“Ialways thought I’d never get to experience this.”He pulled out before tenderly thrusting back into me, his eyes fixed onminetheentiretime.“All thistime, I thought you were a ghost, but now I’m not so sure. You feel so fucking real.”
Iwrappedmy arms around his neck.“It doesn’t matter if I’m a ghost or not.For now, I’m yours.”
As if my words snapped something inside of him, the pace of his thrustsincreased. His mouthdominatedmine, ourtonguesenjoying a slow, sensual dance. Pressure built in mycore, and with every thrust,Masonpushed me toward a cliff’s edge.
Reaching down, he grabbed my thigh andliftedit to wrap around hiswaist,drivinghiscockin deeper as his breaths came in short, sharp bursts. Myhipsground to meet his thrusts, and whenMasonpulled his mouth away frommineand placed delicate kisses along my jawline and into the hollow of mythroat, my orgasm detonated.
Every muscle in my body turned rigid as pleasure wiped out theremnants of thepain, and asMasonthrust one last time, his release spilling into me, anothermemorycame tomind.
Him. Me. Tears rolling down my cheeks as he held me in his arms and comforted me by stroking my hair. “It’s okay, Raven,” he said, hurt lacing his tone. “It’s my fault I’ve lost you. I waited too long.”
Regret Was A WoundThat Cut Deep
The Cop
Thefeelingof being watched cascadedthrough me. Icrackedmy eyes open,grinning sleepily atfindingRavennext to me, propped up on an elbow as she watched me sleep.
She’d covered herself up with one of my shirts that swamped her tonedframe, but she lookedfuckingedible in my clothes.
“You’re still here,”I said, resting my head on my hand and copying herpose.
“Even ghosts need a rest,”she replied, hertonevoid of any emotion.
I sighed and scrubbed a hand down my face, waking myself up.“You havequestions.”
I knew she would. After she realized that we knew each otherasidefrom thenight she was taken from me, I knew I’d be faced with a barrage ofquestions. I’d belyingif I said Iwasn’thappy to answer them, I wanted her to remember our past.
