Shadows of Fire (The Shadow Realms, Book 1) by Brenda Davies (free e books to read .TXT) 📕

the blood swirl down the drain until the water ran clear.He turned off the shower, dried himself, and dressed.

The jeans were too short on him and roseabove his ankles. They were also a little too tight around thewaist, but they fit well enough. The shirt pulled taut across hisshoulders, and he might tear it if he moved his arms too fast.

When he opened the door, he discovered Lexiwith her hand raised to knock.

“Oh,” she said, and her hand fell back to herside. “I thought you might need this.”

She held up a bottle of Sahira’s salve, andas he reached for the bottle with his good hand, her strawberryscent engulfed him. It was a scent he would never forget.

“I’ll do it for you if you’d like,” sheoffered.

The idea of her touching him was too enticingto resist. “Yes,” he said.

When he stepped aside, she pushed past himwith far more authority than her slender frame and height wouldhave conveyed. He almost smiled but stopped when he spotted Sahirastudying him from Brokk’s doorway with blatant disapproval.

“How is he?” Cole inquired.

“He’ll survive,” Sahira said.

Some of Cole’s tension eased. “Thankyou.”

Sahira’s eyes went past him, but before shecould say anything more, he stepped into the bathroom and closedthe door. He understood Sahira’s disapproval; she didn’t think hewas good for her niece, and she was probably right, but he didn’tgive a shit.

He’d never denied himself something he wantedbefore, and he wasn’t about to start now.

When he turned, he discovered Lexi standingby the sink with her head bent as she uncapped the bottle of salve.The aroma of herbs and spices filled the air, but they were sovaried he couldn’t name any of them.

She turned toward him. “Come here,” shesaid.

With pleasure. But he kept that tohimself as he walked over to stand across from her.

“Let me see your hand,” she said.

He liked this bossy side of her and smiled ashe extended his hand. She grasped it tenderly and drew it towardher. When she poured some salve onto his palm and gently massagedit into the wound, all his amusement vanished.

Her touch caused his cock to harden as heimagined those slender fingers working their magic over his shaft.Her long lashes curled upward as she worked with a tenderness he’dnever experienced from another before.

“What happened out there?” she asked.

“We ran into a group of rebels who weren’thappy to see us,” he said gruffly. “The dark fae left but returnedto ambush Brokk.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

The lycan part of him, a part so close to theedge all night, surged to the forefront. Unable to resist touchingher anymore, he cupped her cheek and savored the warmth of hersilken skin against his palm.

Her fingers stilled, and her breath caught.For a minute, she didn’t move, and then her face tilted up, and hereyes met his. The freckles dotting the bridge of her nose were morevisible in the light shining down on her.

She was so beautiful it was like a punch tothe gut when those hunter green eyes, with their flecks of emerald,met his. Men would kill to possess her, and he would killthem to make sure she stayed safe.

His need to keep her safe increased as herbreath warmed his thumb. His gaze fell to her mouth, and he ran histhumb over her pouty bottom lip.

She was a temptation more alluring than anysiren, and he’d encountered a few sirens before. He’d resistedthem; he couldn’t resist her.

Her warm breath tickled his thumb before hebent his head and replaced his thumb with his mouth. He bracedhimself for her to push him away, but she remained unmoving withher back against the sink as her fingers clenched his palm.

When she didn’t push him away, he ran histongue across her lips and nearly groaned at the honey andstrawberries taste of her. He could spend hours, days, years,kissing her, and he would never grow tired of the taste or thesensation of her lips yielding to his.

The lycan part of him broke free completely,and he completely forgot he was half dark fae as the wolf insidetook control. His fangs extended, his claws lengthened, and atingle raced up his spine as the transformation threatened to takeover.

No! Not in front of her. Not like this.

He couldn’t recall a time when he’d lost suchcomplete control of himself, because it had never happened. In allof his six hundred and seventy-two years, he’d never been on theverge of transforming without willing it to happen.

Then her mouth parted and her tongue met his.At first, it was hesitant and uncertain, but the longer theykissed, the bolder she became until she met each of his thrusts. Heslid his hand into her hair and cupped the back of her head as hedeepened the kiss.

He lost himself to the wonder of her as herfingers encircled his wrists. Cole had kissed more women than hecould count over his lifetime, and he couldn’t recall a single oneof them, but he would never forget her.

His hand fell to her waist and slid beneathher robe. The thin material of her shirt pressed against his palmas he gripped her hip. He drew her flush against him, letting herfeel his rigid dick.

He released her hip to grip her ass andlifted her so she sat on the counter. Her shirt bunched in hishand, and he growled as he stroked her hip before squeezing it.

CHAPTER 30

Lexi’s head spun as Cole’s scent and the feel of hisbody bombarded all her senses. She stopped feeling the cool counterbeneath her ass and stopped hearing the rapid beat of her heart aseverything in her became focused on him.

Beneath her palms, the corded muscles of hisbiceps bunched and flexed as the vast amount of power thrummingthrough him vibrated against her. That power prickled her skin andmade her pulse race. The scruff of his beard tickled her face, butshe welcomed the delicious sensation.

She’d been around many powerful beings in herlifetime, but she’d never touched one like this before. And she’dnever been kissed like this before. His kiss demanded more,and she willingly gave it.

Every thrust of his tongue, every touch ofhis hand, was designed to make her crave more, and it worked.