What Doesn't Destroy Us (The Devil's Dust #1)(43)

He shakes his head. “Your momma is something else,” he responds, taking a swig of his beer.

“Tell me about it. I don’t think I will be seeing her anymore after today, though.” I feel guilt rise in my throat. I hate that I pushed her away but I feel that if I hadn’t I would never be able to live my own life. I sigh heavily, trying to push my mother out of my head; I want to enjoy our date.

“I heard about it; mothers are a unique breed aren’t they?” I look up at him and see his beautiful blue eyes go dark; I wonder what the deal is with his mother. Where is his father? Just as I’m about to slip the questions through my lips, his phone rings. He looks at the screen and sighs heavily; his whole body becomes stiff and his mood shifts completely. He stands up and answers it.

“You know you’re a dead woman, right?” He looks around us frantically; I look around to see if I can spot what he’s looking at.

“Bitch, if I find you, you’re f*cking dead. Do you hear me?” He looks down at the screen and then shoves the phone in his pocket. Whoever it was hung up on him. His jaw is clenched and his blue eyes look black as night. He runs his hands back and forth through his messy top before looking down at me.

“Date’s over. Get up; help me get this shit.” He starts throwing the food in the cooler; his frantic state has me panicking. He grabs my trembling hands as I reach for the blanket.

“Hey, calm down. I’m sorry I’m freaking out; it’s just that it’s not safe here right now. Your safety matters more to me than anything.” He tucks a stray hair behind my ear, waiting for me to respond.

“I understand.”

I understand he cares for my safety, but it sucks our date has to end. I want more of Shadow, and when we are at the club we have to hide and sneak. I hate it. Here we can be as open as we want, and don’t have to worry about someone seeing us.

“Hey, I’ll make it up to you later tonight.” He grabs each one of my ass cheeks with each of his large hands and pulls me forward; he towers over my small frame. Leaning down, he bites my bottom lip hard, making me taste blood. The pain is a welcomed feeling; it reminds me how alive Shadow makes me feel.

“Come on, Firefly,” he teases as he grabs my hand. The name Firefly catches my attention.

“How could you agree on everyone calling me that?” I ask, smacking his arm playfully.

Shadow pulls me close and looks at me intently. “Because, I can tell you have had it rough and still you have this fire in you.“ He caresses my cheek with his rough fingertips. “That night you were dancing in the kitchen and singing... the shit storm that was around you and the way I was treating you... never put that fire out.”

“You have had it rough, too. I can tell.” I say the words before registering them and instantly regret it.

Shadow shrugs. “I have.” He looks out at the water with a far-away gaze. “There are many forms of neglect, Dani. Your mom neglects you emotionally; my mom neglected me literally. I, however, have no fire left in me.”

Thinking on Shadow's and my stories, I can see why we are so strongly attracted to each other; it makes sense now. We feel the damage in each other, like two wounded animals looking out for each other; for survival. Shadow's past is dark; his name justifies that. My past has also negatively affected me, yes; but hope in a different future still burns bright. I can be the fire; the light that Shadow needs to come out of the darkness in which he lives. Hearing Shadow's reason behind me being called Firefly makes me like the name; gives me hope for us.

We arrive back at the club just in the nick of time. As we pull into the courtyard, the sky opens up and it begins to pour rain. We both start laughing and run toward the clubhouse. Even with the short distance, we end up soaked. When we walk in Bobby is getting licked and grounded on by some girl I don’t recognize. A couple of the prospects are at the bar hooting and hollering at each other. Only Bobby looks our way for a split second before turning back to his female companion. Walking down the hall toward the bedroom, I glance over my shoulder and see Shadow admiring how my wet clothes cling to my body. I turn and walk backward, playing with the button on my jeans. I bite my bottom lip, my wet hair falling in front of my face as I gaze at him lustfully. He’s rubbing his bottom lip with his thumb.

As soon as we enter the room, he slams the door shut and shoves me against the wall with his body. He smashes his mouth onto mine hard, bruising my lips. I instantly wrap my arms around his neck wanting more, as he trails his tongue along my jaw bone to my ear. He sucks my earlobe into his mouth, making me moan lightly. Like a fire has been lit, we start pulling and tugging our shirts and pants off, they're heavy as bricks being as wet as they are. He picks me up and throws me on the bed.

With horny expectation, I watch as he crawls up me like a slick panther. His head stops at my panties and he tugs on them with his teeth. I bend my knees; the temptation almost too much to handle. He reaches his hands to the side of the panties and rips them to shreds; his muscles bulging in the process. God, he is so sexy. I can feel my body winding up even more just by looking at him. His wolfish gaze shifts from the torn panties to the look on my face. I meet his eyes with my own beastly needs. “Shadow,” my voice trembles. I'm not sure how much more anticipation I can take.

Shadow growls and grabs me by the hips; his fingers bruising me with his manhandling grip. He flips me over and throws me on my chest. He pulls my hips up, making my ass stick up into the air. In seconds, he pulls his briefs to his knees and slams his massive length inside of my wet core, making me yell out in pleasure. He reaches his hand around and cups my mouth as he thrusts in and out, his hips jack hammering my delicate sex. I can feel the bed moving back and forth to our rhythm.