“He woke in the middle of the night,” Colesaid as he rubbed his beard. “He was up long enough to drink someblood before passing out again, but he was talking, and he’sgetting stronger.”
“That’s great news.”
It was certainly a relief to him. He’d neverbeen so happy to hear his brother call him an asshole for leavingBecca’s establishment.
“I hope you don’t mind if we stay,” he said.“I think it will be a few days before he’s strong enough totravel.”
“Stay for as long as you need.”
He picked up the book he’d been readingyesterday, but his gaze continuously shifted to her as she sat withher legs dangling over the side of the chair. Her feet kickedleisurely back and forth as she turned the pages of her book.
He’d dreamt about her last night, and it wasthe first time since the war ended that he hadn’t had anightmare.
Instead of blood and death, his dreams werefilled with her smile and the warmth of her body. In those dreams,he stripped her bare and tasted every inch of her before takingher. Instead of waking with a scream trapped in his throat, heawoke aching for more.
He’d been about to rise and pad down the hallto knock on her door, but as he was contemplating going to her,Brokk woke up.
After that, he couldn’t leave his brother’sside.
However, his hunger for her was growing, andhe didn’t know how much longer he could deny himself. He didn’tunderstandwhyhe was restraining himself. The only reasonhe could come up with was that he believed her to be innocent. Ifhe moved too fast, he might scare her away.
He’d never done slow before, but he could ifit meant getting her in his bed, where she belonged.
He read for a bit, but he watched her more.Finally, he gave up and lowered his book. “What’s your favoritemusic, Lexi?”
He’d learned a lot about her yesterday, buthe was eager to learn more.
She set her book down as she met his gaze. “Ilove the songs the pixies create and rock music like Five FingerDeath Punch and Disturbed. What about you?”
“I enjoy pixie songs and Creedence ClearwaterRevival.”
“Oh, they are good,” she agreed.
He spent the rest of the morning alternatingbetween checking on Brokk and learning more about her. The clockwas striking twelve when she rose from her chair and stretched.
“I have some work I have to do in thegardens. Is there anything I can get you before I go?” sheasked.
He buried his disappointment; if he had hisway, she’d never do menial labor again, but it was not his place toget involved in her life. Unless it resulted in getting her in hisbed. An image of Del rose in his mind, but he pushed it away. Hisfriend was dead, and his daughter was an adult who could make herown decisions.
“No, and I know where the kitchen is if I doneed something,” he said.
She smiled at him before leaving the room. Itfelt emptier without her, and he didn’t like it. Rising from thechair, he took his book upstairs and returned to Brokk.
•••
The next morning, Lexi found herself staring at theclock more than her book as she waited for Cole. When the clockstruck nine and he still didn’t arrive, she began to fear hewouldn’t come today.
She squelched her disappointment and keptreading, but she couldn’t concentrate on the words. At nine thirty,she almost shouted with joy when he strode into the room and smiledat her.
And then she cursed herself for being anidiot.He’s a dark fae!
The reminder should have doused some of herexcitement; it didn’t. It was difficult to keep her distance whenshe was growing to like him more and more with every passingday.
Freshly showered, his hair was still damp andtousled as he ran his fingers through it. She’d found a few morearticles of clothing for him and had given them to him last night,but none fit him properly. The shirt was far too tight through hisshoulders and chest, and the pants stopped a couple of inches abovehis ankles.
On anyone else, the clothes would have lookedridiculous, but he somehow managed to wear them with a sexyconfidence that was entirely too tempting. Her mouth went dry as heplopped into the other chair and sprawled out his tall, powerfulform.
“Good morning,” he greeted.
