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Suddenly, the bottle began to tug the other way, as if someone were pulling on it. She whirled, grabbing onto it with both hands, only to discover?—

She was playing tug-of-war with a tendril of shadow.

What the hell?

Roman’s arms were crossed, his eyes black, shadows stirring around him. A smug little smile ghosted across his lips as Shay tugged as hard as she could, her heels sliding across the pavement. Despite her efforts, the shadow won. The bottle slipped between her fingers, and she watched in disbelief as that wispy vine of darkness carried it over to Roman and offered it to him. He blinked the black away and pocketed the pills, the shadows melting away.

She harrumphed and stamped her foot.

Roman blinked. “Did you just stamp your foot?”

“Fine!” She turned up her nose and pivoted on the heel of that same foot, putting her back to him again. “If you won’t share, I guess I’ll go knock on Nash’s door and see if he can lend me ahand?—”

She let out a squeak as a big, rough hand closed around the back of her neck. Suddenly she was being spun around, and Roman was gripping her around the throat and pushing her up against the wall of the motel. Her back slammed into it?—

And then Roman’s lips were crashing against hers, and they were moaning into each other’s mouths.

The kiss was hungry. Desperate. He devoured her, his pierced tongue diving into her mouth. His kiss was better than she remembered. He tasted like mint, and tobacco, and Roman, andgods—she just couldn’t get enough of him.

Too soon, he broke the kiss, his mouth so close to hers she could feel the words he spoke more than she could hear them. “Inever want to hear another man’s name on your lips again,” he said. “Do you understand me?”

“Jealous, Shadows?” she breathed.

“Very.” He bunched her shirt up around her waist, his callused hand sliding along the curve of her ass cheek and tugging on her underwear.

“I thought we were just a fling,” she said around wild gasps, her head spinning with need. Desire, as that hand dipped below the waistband of her shorts.

“You were never just a fling. You’re so much more than that.” He dug his fingers into her flesh, fisting her ass, and bent his head, his mouth brushing across hers. “Now say yes. Say yes to me, Shayla. Please.” Gods, this man was begging for her, and she knew, in that moment, she was not strong enough to say no.

But she wanted him, too. So she said to hell with it, and gasped, “Yes.”

The moment he had her consent, he yanked her shorts and panties down to her ankles, so hard he almost ripped them both.

And then he was pinning her against the wall and hoisting her up, her legs around his hips. She locked her ankles against the small of his back and pulled him closer—as close as she could get him. Desperate for friction—anything to take the edge off the growing ache at the apex of her thighs—she used the wall for leverage?—

And rolled her hips, grinding her yearning core against the hard length of him—against his cock that was jutting against his black jeans.

He groaned her name—and she groaned his, her bare clit rubbing against the rough denim. Gods, it already felt so good, but she wanted more.More.

“Needy, aren’t we, Shayla?” he breathed against her mouth.

“Shut up and fuck me, Shadows.” Those words snapped the tether he was keeping on himself.

He thrust his hand between her thighs?—

And slid two fingers inside her.

“Oh gods,” she cried out. He pushed them in all the way, his predatory focus wholly on her. Watching her unravel and moan as he plunged his fingers in and out. In and out. In and out. “Yes. Yes.Yes.”

He captured her moans with a hungry kiss, relentlessly fucking her with that hand.

Her panting breaths were soon edged with whimpers as he picked up speed, pushing her toward that pinnacle—that edge she needed so badly to cross. She dug her fingernails into his arms, feeling the hard muscle flexing beneath her grasp.Yes, yes, yes.

“That’s it, Shayla,” he whispered, his tongue sweeping across the seam of her lips. He caught the plump lower one between his teeth and sucked on it—hard. “That’s it.” He nipped her lip. “Show me how tight this pussy can get.”

She arched her back against the wall, her fingers fisting his windswept hair as he thrust and thrust andthrust. Faster and deeper, her ass slapping against the wall with brutal force, her legs squeezing his waist. She was already dissolving, his arms supporting her weight as he pushed her toward the edge of pleasure with every forceful thrust, his callused thumb kneading her clit.

“Gods, Roman—don’t stop. Don’t stop.” She needed him.Moreof him.