Shadowed Instincts by Wendi Wilson Page A

anger. The fear. So you really
have nothing to be sorry for. I get it.”
    He smiled and held out his hand for her to shake. She
stepped forward and took his hand in hers, shaking it firmly. When she tried to
pull back, he squeezed her hand and pulled her a little closer to him.
    With hooded eyes that suddenly seemed to smolder through
thick lashes, he said in a deep, sultry voice, “As for you seeing all my
‘goodies,’ well, that was an accident. I got caught up in the moment and
shifted without thinking. Won’t happen again. Unless, of course you want it
to.”
    Melanie felt a light shock in her palm and warm sensation
flowing up her arm. She started to relax and leaned toward him. Declan slowly released
her hand. He took a step back and walked through the door, shutting it quietly
behind him. Melanie’s hand burned where he had held it. Her face burned worse
from embarrassment.
    Oh, God, he heard me talking to myself, she thought,
careful to keep her mouth shut and her thoughts to herself.
    Melanie resumed her pacing, across the room and back, over
and over, trying to expend her nervous energy. She didn’t know how she was
going to face everyone and dinner time was fast approaching.
    A while later, a knock sounded at the door. This time she
called out, “Who is it?”
    “It’s me.”
    She ran to the door and flung it open, rushing into Jeremy’s
arms before he could move. She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him
hard, coaxing his mouth open and slipping her tongue inside.
    “Um,” Jeremy managed to get out between kisses, “Mel, we’re
in the hallway. Right next to your parents’ bedroom.”
    That brought her to her senses. She pulled Jeremy inside her
room and slammed the door shut behind him. Her face was red as she stammered
out an apology.
    “Uh, sorry about that. I guess I got carried away.”
    “Hey,” he said softly as he pulled her in for a hug. “Don’t
be sorry. There’s nothing I want more than you in my arms. And when you lose
control like that,” he growled softly, “it does things to me. You have no
idea.”
    After a few moments of silence, Melanie pulled back and
looked at his face with a wry smile on hers, saying, “So, should we talk about
the pink elephant in the room? Or should I say the white dog in the
room?”
    “He’s not hiding under the bed is he?”
    “Shut up,” Melanie said, elbowing him lightly in the
stomach. “It was a figure of speech.”
    “Mel, you can’t un-see what you saw, no matter how much I
wish you could. You should just try to forget about it.”
    “Yeah,” she chirped. “Forget about it.”
    “You don’t sound convinced.”
    “Well, it was the first naked boy I’ve ever seen.
It’s kind of hard to forget your firsts.” She said this with a smirk, so Jeremy
would know she was teasing him.
    “Is that a challenge, Ms. Johnson? You think I can’t make
you forget about it?”
    As he asked those questions, he was stalking Melanie,
backing her slowly toward the bed on the other side of the room. Her legs
bumped against the edge and she came to a stop. Jeremy kept walking until his
body nearly touched hers.
    “I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to you trying,” she
whispered.
    Before she knew what was happening, she was on the bed with
Jeremy laying on top of her. He nibbled lightly at her lips, pulling back
slightly when she tried to deepen the kiss. After several attempts, she growled
with frustration and let her head fall back to the mattress in defeat.
    Jeremy kissed his way down her neck and chuckled lightly by
her ear. “Bet you’re not thinking about Mr. Angel Face now, are you?”
    Melanie huffed. “Well, I am now!” She rolled him over and
laid her head on his chest. “How can I face his parents at dinner?”
    “You’re not worried about seeing him again? Just his
parents?”
    “He stopped by here earlier. To apologize.”
    Jeremy sat up quickly and pulled her up with him. With his hands
on her shoulders, he stared into