THE SHADOW by SYLVAIN REYNARD :: EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT & REVIEW

EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT

On Sunday evening, after spending the day together, William and Raven stood outside his villa next to his prized Triumph motorcycle.

“I can’t.” Raven backed away. “The last time I rode with you, I was sick.”

His eyes locked on hers. “This will be different. I swear.”

“You like to drive fast.”

“Yes.”

“But I have trouble holding on. Sometimes it’s painful for my injured leg. I may have to ask you to stop so I can stretch.”

“Then we’ll stop.” He moved closer and caressed her face with the back of his fingers. “I won’t let harm come to you. I swear by the relic.”

Heat flared in Raven’s middle at the sound of his words. “You must respect the relic very much. It’s the only thing you swear by.”

He nodded, his gray eyes dark and very intense. “We don’t have time for the story tonight. I need to be sure you’re deposited in your bed early enough to rest before work tomorrow.”

“I’d rather listen to your story.”

He brushed a kiss across her lips. “Another time.”

She pressed her cheek to his chest and listened to the strange sound of his heart. “The restoration project is almost finished. I’ll be on vacation until the beginning of September. We could go somewhere.”

“I would like that.” He nestled his fingers in her hair. “I would like to take you to York, where I was born.”

He wound a lock of her hair around his finger, his gaze fixing on the black strand. “And I would like to take you with me tonight.”

Raven looked at the motorcycle, her grip on him tightening. He watched her, a shadow of hope crossing his handsome face.

She could not disappoint him. “Lead on, old one.”

He smiled widely and led her to his machine.

William appeared to have chosen the darkest, most winding road that led from the city. Fortunately for Raven, his Triumph roadster had twin headlights that cut through the night.

She held him tightly, sitting as far forward as possible, her front pressed to his back, her arms clasped around his waist. The position was uncomfortable for her leg, but she ignored the discomfort, focusing on the feeling of being so close to the person she loved.

He wore sunglasses, but no helmet, much to her consternation. He liked to feel the wind in his hair, he’d said, and was indifferent to the risk of an accident.

“I won’t let harm come to you,” he’d promised, insisting she wear a helmet. He’d procured a black leather jacket to protect her from the wind and took great pleasure in placing it on her.

Raven clutched him more closely, shifting forward on the passenger seat at the back, her face turned to the side as the large, powerful motorcycle wound around the curves at high speed.

“Are you all right?” He lifted his voice above the roar of the machine.

“It’s a little fast.” Her reply was muffled by the helmet.

She lied. It was far too fast and the strain of having to hold him so tightly aggravated her injuries, but she knew how much William enjoyed speed. She could feel his joy, his wild abandon, as he revved the engine in the straightaways and effortlessly guided the bike around the curves. Excitement thrummed through his body, his muscles taut with control.

Her thighs tightened on the outside of his as they went around a corner, her arms cutting into the unyielding steel of his abdominals. William decelerated and she heard him chuckle, the sound of his amusement disappearing on the wind.

He was happy. He was free. And because he loved her, he wouldn’t dare approach the speed he preferred.

“It’s a lovely night.” He gestured to the inky sky that peeked through the canopy of trees above them.

She hugged him in response. Her injured leg began to throb, so with regret she squeezed his right side, the signal that she needed a rest.

William slowed immediately, pulling off to the side of the road near a private drive. He removed his sunglasses, climbed off the bike, and helped her with her helmet, placing it on top of the seat before offering his hand.

When her stiff leg wouldn’t cooperate, he lifted her into his arms. In the dim starlight, she could still see the joy on his face.

His eyebrows drew together under her perusal. “What?”

“Seeing you happy makes me happy.”

Without warning, he pressed their mouths together. When they came apart, he whispered in her ear. “I’d forgotten.”

“You’d forgotten what?” Her questing fingers sifted through the hair at the back of his head.

“What it’s like to be loved.”