Free In His Shadow (Tangled Ivy Book 1) by Tiffany Snow Page A

inside me, a feeling that was unknown to me before this moment. I didn’t give a thought to our wet skin dampening my sheets, my every sense locked on to him.
    I felt his arm reach for the table next to my bed and he shifted slightly. Then he was settling between my legs and pushed inside me in one hard thrust. I gasped at the slight pain, jerking my mouth from his. Devon must have sensed my discomfort because, although he was settled deep inside me, he didn’t move.
    “You’re beautiful,” he murmured, pressing light kisses to my cheek and brow. “Just relax. Trust me.”
    The words penetrated the panic that had begun to creep over me and I opened my eyes. He lifted his head to look at me, a hand brushing the hair back from my face.
    “Better?” he asked softly.
    I nodded, unable to speak. It was . . . overwhelming. The feel of him inside me—I’d expected to be afraid, panic-stricken, desperate to get away. But instead, I felt marked. Possessed. And it felt good. It felt . . . right.
    Devon began to move, slowly pulling out of me, then pushing back in. I felt every inch of him. He watched my face closely, as though trying to detect any hint of fear or discomfort. I reached to twine my arms around his neck, my fingers sliding into his hair, and tugged him down to kiss me.
    That must have sent the right signal because he groaned into my mouth, the sound making pleasure curl low in my belly. I locked my legs around him and his hands moved to my hips, his fingers digging in as he thrust harder. I held on, closing my eyes and losing myself in him.
    It was Devon, taking me hard and fast, the strength of his body surrounding mine. He was big, his cock filling and stretching me, the head brushing against my womb with each thrust. But I didn’t mind the twinge of discomfort. The slight pain set fire to my senses, as though this was what my body was meant for—for Devon to possess.
    The repeated slide of his cock against my clit pushed me over the edge again. Cries and gasps fell from my lips as my body intimately gripped the hard length of him, as if to hold him to me. But he didn’t stop. If anything, he moved harder and faster, pounding into me until he ground hard against my overly sensitive flesh, his cock emptying its load deep inside. He was quiet when he came, though his whole body shuddered in my arms and his breathing was labored. The feel of him pulsing inside me made me moan in response, tipping my hips upward as though to take him deeper than he already was.
    His body was slick with water and sweat underneath my hands, the muscles bunched tightly as he held me to him. My heels dragged the backs of his thighs as I relaxed. Devon was breathing hard, his face buried in the crook between my neck and shoulder. His lips moved, caressing my shoulder before gently sucking on the tender skin under my jaw.
    I was sorry to feel him move away from me, which he did too soon. The intimacy of the moment, Devon sliding out of me and turning away, struck me. I’d never liked being that intimate with anyone before. Not to where it was a good thing, something that made me feel warm inside.
    Devon reached down and slid a condom off his penis, tying it off before tossing it into the small trash basket. Standing, he headed to the bathroom, closing the door behind him. I heard the water running.
    I sat halfway up, resting my weight on one elbow. Suddenly self-conscious, I reached down and tugged the sheet and blanket up over me, covering my nakedness. What would happen now? Would he leave? Would I ever see him again? The anxiety pressing on me, the sudden sharp need of him that I felt, took me by surprise.
    The bathroom door opened and Devon stepped out. He was an impressive sight in his clothes—without them, he was just as formidable. A scattering of hair covered his broad chest, narrowing to a thin line below his navel. My eyes followed it down . . .
    “Why are you covering yourself, darling?” he said, sitting on the