When she came with a loud cry, he followed her over the edge. She shuddered before collapsing onto his chest and nestling closer.
Cole cradled her against him as her breathing slowed and she slipped into sleep. The moons shifted as the night deepened, but he couldn’t bring himself to release her. With her in his arms, he held a piece of heaven, and he was never going to let it go.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Lexi wokethe next morning to discover Cole sleeping in the chair next to the window. Pushing herself up on the bed, she leaned against the headboard as she sat and studied him. She loved him so much it was a physical ache in her chest, and once he woke, she was going to tell him something that could destroy everything they’d built between them.
Her heart raced at the possibility, and everything in her screamed not to tell him. She could order Orin to leave and never come back. Cole would never have to know he was ever there.
But there would still be the refugees, and she couldn’t kick them out. Orin could fend for himself, but many of them had nowhere else to go, and there was no way she could be responsible for Jayden and Nessie’s deaths.
And she’d never be able to live with herself if she decided to keep this secret from Cole the rest of their days. Since her dad’s death, she’d learned she was capable of doing a lot more than she ever believed possible, but this secret would eat at her until it became a poison that either spilled free or destroyed their love.
She didn’t know how much time passed, but eventually, she had to rise to use the bathroom. When she returned, Cole was awake and sitting on the bed. He watched her from hooded, voracious eyes.
Lexi’s step faltered when she saw that look. She allowed him to silence her last night, but she couldn’t let him do it again.
“Cole, we have to talk,” she said.
“We can talk when you’re in bed.”
Lexi sat on the edge of the mattress but didn’t go any closer. He rolled toward her, slipped his arm around her waist, and pulled her back against him. She squirmed against his embrace, but his arm remained firm around her.
“Cole….”
She stopped speaking when his eyes traveled over his bite mark on her. A shiver ran down her spine. No matter how much she tried to withstand the magic of his touch, she couldn’t stop her body from reacting to his.
No! You’re using this as another excuse to keep putting it off. Tell him now!
Lexi wiggled around to face him and planted her hands against his chest. “Stop it,” she said. “This is important.”
The sexy smile curving his far-too-kissable mouth faded, and the sparkle in his eyes vanished. She’d finally broken through his playful demeanor, and now he looked like he was waiting for her to hit him.
Her heart raced, and unexpected tears burned her eyes as a lump formed in her throat. She couldn’t lose him.
“The time I’ve spent with you has been the best time in my life,” she said.
He abruptly released her and sat up to settle his back against the headboard. She could already feel him withdrawing from her, and he didn’t know what she was about to say.
* * *
Cole didn’t speakas he studied Lexi. The look in her eyes and the broken tone of her voice would have had him drawing her into his arms at any other point in time, but her words kept him away.
It sounded like she was saying goodbye.
“What is it?” he demanded.
His tone came out rougher than he expected, but if she was about to leave here and never look back, he wasn’t going to be nice about it. Had she decided she didn’t want to be a queen? Was the duty she would face in the position too overwhelming for her? Or had Becca managed to chase her away?
“You have to let me tell youeverythingbefore you react,” she said.
“I will.”
“I mean it, Cole. Youhaveto let me finish speaking before you get mad at me.”
“I won’t be mad at you.”
No, if she had decided to leave him, he would beinfuriated.If she walked away, he would let her go because he would have no other choice; he couldn’t imprison her here, even if a part of him considered doing exactly that.
