Shadowed (Team Zero #4) by Rina Kent

She laughs and the carefree sound warms my heart. “Yes, just Zoe.”

“I’ll talk to you later, Rage Ball.”

She mumbles something affirmative before she squeals then breaks into laughter.

I hang up with a smile. Seems like Ghost is taking good care of her — sort of.

When I’m standing in the shower, I’m painfully aware of the soreness between my legs. My breasts are so heavy and my nipples ache. No idea whether it’s because of the pregnancy or Shadow’s bites.

Probably both.

Just recalling how he held me to sleep last night shoots hot awareness in my stimulated body. The sensation of his hard chest against my back and his strong arms around my waist make me want to hug myself.

With a pained sigh, I step out from the shower. After I wear a light woollen dress, I fetch my coffee from the kitchen and go outside.

The wind blows my still-damp hair and I freeze on the porch – not because of the weather.

Shadow stands in the field half bloody naked. The soft morning light gives his side profile an unearthly view. The orange hue highlights his cut muscles until they almost appear shiny. The tiger tattoos snarl down his arms as if itching to come out and play. They appear less gruesome and more artful. I swallow to stop myself from drooling like a dog. He’s so beautiful it’s unfair.

Once I’m momentarily out of the haze – only a bit – I concentrate on the way he’s cutting off flowers with infinite care like he’s treating a small child.

I leave my coffee on the table. Usually, only coffee is able to start my day, but I’m already wide awake by seeing Shadow.

He didn’t leave.

He’s here.

The realisation almost brings tears to my eyes. Freaking hormones.

I didn’t realise how much I wanted Shadow to stay until I saw him standing there like some model in a fashion magazine.

Shadow must sense me when I come near, but his attention doesn’t stray from the red tulip he’s carefully cutting. He has several aligned in the basket. I’m actually impressed by his neat work.

“Since when did you wake up?” I try not to sound so happy that he’s still here.

“I don’t sleep much.” He’s distracted by the tulip in his hand.

“You did a good job for a first timer.”

He meets my gaze and grins so wide, those grey eyes sparkle. My heart falters. He’s really different. Even his grin is genuine and not a suffocating darkness.

“Told you. I’m a fast learner.”

I cross my arms and tap my foot on the ground. “If you take over all my work, what am I supposed to do?”

His gaze looms over me with a mischievous smirk. “Kiss me good morning?”

I don’t allow myself to think and analyse this. I stand on my tiptoes, palm both his cheeks and press my mouth to his. It’s a sloppy kiss at best, but a grunt rips from the back of Shadow’s throat.

I pull away with one last nip to his bottom lip. “Morning. You look hot as hell today.”

He leans in, pulls my hair to one side, and sucks on the skin of my throat. “Just today?”

A soft moan leaves me. “You’re annoying on other days.”

He bites, and I gasp. My legs turn into puddles as he sucks again.

Shadow steps back to stare at my neck with a spark of feral possessiveness.

“You left a mark, didn’t you?” I try to sound offended when the truth is, I missed all the marks he leaves on me.

He lifts a shoulder, not even apologetic. He’s so freaking shameless, but he’s also upfront and direct. I love that about him.

Shadow places the tulip in the basket and pulls me into him by my hips. That familiar awareness seeps under my skin and to my bones. It’s strange how his intensity swallows me whole like a thick fog. Even if there’s a way out, I’m not sure I’d take it.

“Why are you so radiant?”

“I am?”

“There’s this new aura about you.” He measures me from top to bottom before sliding back to my face. “You even gained weight.”

I swallow. I thought that since I’m not showing and he’s usually too urgent to study my body, he wouldn’t notice. Obviously, I underestimated him. This is a professional killer after all. He was trained to notice everything.

I’m not ready to disclose my pregnancy. If Shadow knows, he’ll use this to chain me to him and I’m not prepared for that leap.

Smoothing my expression, I scold. “You gained weight is the worst thing you can tell a woman.”

His brows furrow. “What’s so bad about saying that you look healthier now?”

“Ha. Let’s see if you still think that way when I’m…” I trail off. Son of a gun. I almost said when I’m into later stages of pregnancy.

The hell is wrong with me?

His thumbs stroke the lines of my hips, getting dangerously close to where I’m gaining weight the most. “When you’re what?”

“When I’m fat.” I wiggle away from his scrutinising gaze. “I have to take these to town. Mark must be waiting for me.”

Shadow places a strong hand on mine, stopping me in my tracks. That seamless darkness returns to his tone like a sudden tsunami. “Who the fuck is Mark?”

I give my best cheeky smile. “My other boyfriend. I’ve been having an affair with him behind Liam’s back.”