With my launch of The Shadows Behind Us coming up on September 28, 2024, I thought I would share the first chapter with everyone. This is a romance. This is a suspense. This was a new challenge for me to conquer with a time shift, every second or so chapter being a look at the past.
It is not for the faint of heart, while it also reveals a good message about the importance of communication, forgiveness and understanding. It is an open door spicy book with heart, shadows, and light with love.
“We need to let go of the shadows and start living in the light again. We all do.”
~Sarah Butland
Chapter One: The Reunion
“Come closer, let me taste you.”
The words I spoke out loud surprised even me, but they worked.
He slowly and methodically approached, eyes locked on mine while mine darted to his lips. Both his eyes and supple lips were addictive. I could not wait to see what other body parts of him were just as mesmerizing.
Through a hot flash, not caused by aging, I froze. He was mere inches away and already poking me, tenderly but with force; it would have surprised me if he noticed and thrilled me that he seemed to. Through navy slacks and whatever he wore for underwear, if he wore any at all, my demand held him to attention and he wasn’t backing down.
He closed the gap as I reached for his shaft and maneuvered it gently. Our lips met as if they were destined to and were equally passionate as if it was the first time. It wasn’t. I lost count, though this was the first time it wasn’t just in my dreams.
Reality separated us for far too long but I never forgot the way his eyes told stories before his voice did. I didn’t need to listen to his voicemails to remember how the timbre of his tone made me feel. No matter how many men I used in effort to help me forget him, his presence was the only thing that made me squirm. Memories of our childhood, playing in hay fields and swinging on tire swings, helped with each climax, though there were far too few of those.
His breath made me forget about everything and everyone else. Standing together in a crowded hotel lobby, the world fell apart as we locked lips, held hands and gasped for years lost. Only when we heard the clapping of hands did we remember where we were. A conference in our honour, or rather our employer’s honour, and I was the guest of honour. This was the opening night; we had speeches to make in the morning, but tonight was all about schmoozing with colleagues and putting faces to names. Our name tags reflections of how successful companies can be made with people who work from home and teammates who have never met.
It wasn’t until this very moment that I realized Shawn was an actual co-worker. I had no idea we would be in the same room together again, but as soon as we were nothing else mattered.
“No one will miss us tonight,” Shawn whispered as he guided me through the crowd focused on the speaker, my boss Austin. Without eye contact, and while carefully navigating the room and caterers as to not distract from Austin’s speech, we made our way to the elevator. Shawn pressed the up arrow and then darted around the corner, me in tow, to climb the stairs. “That will take too long, someone will notice.”
At the first landing I pulled him back to me and resumed our kiss. Pushing him against the wall, my hips pressed against his, I resisted climaxing right then and there. It seemed he was holding back, too.
I unlocked from his mouth and bent down tempted to take him into my mouth right then. It was calling for me, I noticed as I refrained and took off my shoes. “Come on, my room is on the next floor.”
We raced up the next flight and, not letting go of his hand, I led the way to my room and moved my purse towards the door handle to unlock it. Thankfully it worked and in one easy motion we were behind a closed door.
Without any more words, our clothes were off as quickly as the years passed between us. He was magnificent in all his glory. So different from when we played doctor and navigated each other as six-year-olds. This, he, was better than any dream I could have imagined.
And then it was over.
I expected a climax, a thrill, a much longer session but it was over before it really started. I didn’t even have time to fake it. And then he was asleep.
I curled up beside him, letting him snore, and remain naked. I couldn’t hold back the tears as I wept silently on his only slightly hairy chest. “What have I done?” I whispered.
Thanks for reading,
Sarah Butland
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