“MaybeIdo.”
For the first time in a while, a small smilecurved the corner of his too kissable mouth. “I like it when youget jealous.”
She frowned as she crossed her arms over herchest. “I’m not jealous. I’m just possessive of what’s mine.”
“What’s the difference?”
“If I were jealous, that would mean I’m notsure of my standing in this relationship and us, but I’m not.”
His hand fell away from the curtain as heturned to face her fully. She couldn’t stop her gaze from driftingdown his magnificent body. When they’d entered her room last night,he stripped out of his clothes and tossed them in the corner beforegoing to shower.
When she looked now, his clothes were gone.She had no idea what he’d done with them, but he would never wearthem again. After he got out of the shower, he’d crawled into bedwith her and held her close while she fell asleep in his arms.
Looking at him now, the memory of the horrorthe Lord had dumped in her front yard faded as a small kernel ofdesire bloomed in her belly. He could chase away the rest of thememory; he could make it disappear and replace it with somethingbetter.
“What are you doing over by the window?” sheasked.
Had he gotten out of bed while she slept tosleep somewhere else, and she hadn’t noticed?
She’d believed his aversion to sleeping inthe same bed with her was over, but she might have been wrong.
“Some of the Lord’s guard rode by earlier. Igot out of bed to make sure they kept riding,” he said.
Her fingers clenched on the comforter as hergaze went to the window. “Did they?”
“Yes, but I suspect we’ll be seeing them moreoften. We have to start your training so you can defend yourselfbetter when the time comes.”
His words doused her desire as her mindpinged back and forth like a soccer ball between two kids. What ifshe couldn’t do this? What if she failed to figure out how tocontrol her powers? What if her failure got Cole killed?
Her fingers dug deeper into the comforter asshe took a deep breath to calm herself. Freaking out about thingsshe couldn’t control wouldn’t do her any good. She could freak outif she failed.
But since sherefusedto fail, thenshe wouldn’t ever have to freak out.
She threw back the comforter, jumped to herfeet, and hurried to her bureau to gather her clothes. Before shegot there, Cole stepped in her way.
Lexi came to an abrupt halt in time to avoidsmacking into his chest. Tilting her head back, she looked up tomeet the beautiful Persian blue of his eyes.
His nearness caused the hair on her arms tostand up as electricity crackled across her skin. His earlier wordshad doused her passion, but his closeness caused it to come aliveagain.
Since she stopped taking the birth controlSahira had given her with the suppressing potion, she’d startedfeeling and experiencing things with more intensity. One of thosethings was her attraction to him.
It had always been intense, but now as shelicked her lips, she could taste him even though it had been hourssince they last kissed. And as her nipples hardened, she recalledwhat it felt like to have his hands on them and nearly moaned.
An ache grew between her thighs as she becamewet with need. Sex was the last thing on her mind when she got outof bed, but now, it was all she could think about.
When her eyes met his, she saw the samehunger in their silver depths.
***
Cole hadn’t expected to have Lexi staring upat him like she was now. He’d planned to return to the Gloaming,gather some clothes, check in with Niall, and make sure everythingwas fine before returning to visit this outer realm and make sureit was safe.
And now, the scent of her arousal, the flushin her cheeks, and the small breaths she took as her gaze roamedover him again made him forget his plans. Her striking, huntergreen eyes with their flecks of emerald sparkled in the dim lightof the room as she nibbled on her lower lip.
Lifting a strand of her long, auburn hair, headmired its deeper shades of red as it slid through his fingers.When she rested her fingers against his chest, he nearly groaned asshe licked her plump lips, and her pulse quickened.
The shadows within him stirred in response.Despite their thirst for blood and power, even they wanted her, buthe kept them locked away.
Releasing her hair, he rested his hand on thesilken skin of her shoulder as he traced its delicate curve. He’dtouched her so often that he knew her every curve and freckle. Yet,everytime he touched her, it was like the first time allover again.
