“Are you threatening me?” Cole growled.
He didn’t want to upset Lexi by hurting thiswoman, but he wouldn’t tolerate threats from anyone. She had noidea what she was playing with right now.Hedidn’t knowwhat she was playing with right now. He barely recognized himselfsince Lexi entered his life.
“I’m telling you,” Sahira hissed. “Leave heralone. She is one of the kindest souls I’ve ever known, and shedeserves the best.”
Cole straightened away to study her angrycountenance.She’s a mama bear protecting her young.
Sahira wouldn’t be a hindrance to Lexibecause she disliked him; she would be a problem because she lovedLexi.
“Now on that, we can agree,” he said.
She blinked at him, and some of the angerwent out of her, but her stance remained rigid. He turned awaybefore their antagonism toward each other became something worse.He’d find Lexi on his own.
He started for the doorway but stopped whenshe called his name. He turned back to find her stirring the potonce more.
“I don’t care that you’re the prince of thedark fae; if you hurt her, I’ll find a way to make you pay,” shevowed.
He laughed as he walked out of the room. Hehad no doubt she would do everything she could to keep Lexi safe,but he wasn’t afraid of her.
However, he wasn’t going to fight with hereither. Sahira could succeed in pushing Lexi away from him, and hewouldn’t let that happen.
He strode down the hallway toward the frontdoor. As he walked, the scent of Lexi drew him to a set of open,double doors. Inside the room, he spotted Lexi curled up on thecushion of an oversized, brown chair.
She sat with her legs beneath her and herchin on her palm as she held a book. The sun shining through thefloor-to-ceiling windows on one side of the room cascaded over her.Its glow brought out the deeper shades of red in her auburnhair.
Feeling like someone had socked him in thestomach, he stood in the doorway and drank in her beauty. He’dnever seen anyone as lovely as her. It was more than the perfectionof her face; it was also the soul Sahira mentioned. Its warmthradiated from her.
Stepping out of the doorway, he strolledtoward her. He crossed the Oriental rug to settle in the chair afew feet away from her. She was so engrossed in her book she didn’trealize he was there until he cleared his throat.
CHAPTER 34
Lexi squeaked and almost threw her book when a soundcame from only a few feet away from her. Her head shot up, and shespotted Cole sitting in the other chair and grinning at her likethe Cheshire cat.
That smile and the carefree way he draped hisarm over the back of the chair as he turned toward her caused therapid beat of her heart to shift from alarm to excitement.
“I didn’t hear you enter,” she said.
“I know.”
It wasn’t fair he looked casual and carefreewhile she felt so thrown off by his sudden presence.
“What are you reading?” he inquired.
Lifting the book, she turned it toward him sohe could see the name on the cover. When she entered earlier, she’dsought escape, so she chose one of her favorites.
His smile grew. “Harry Potter and theSorcerer’s Stone.”
“Have you read it?” she asked.
“No.”
“It’s really good. The series is one of myfavorites.”
His gaze wandered over all the books beforesettling on her again. “Do you mind if I pick something toread?”
“Not at all.”
She couldn’t help but marvel over his size ashe unfolded himself from the chair and rose with a fluid grace shewouldn’t have associated with someone of his size. She knew alllycan were massive, but she hadn’t been around many of them.
