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

“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.

“Good morning,” she replied. “How’sBrokk?”

“Better. Sahira came in a little bit ago toput a new salve on him, and he stayed awake throughout it. He’stalking, he’s fed more, and he’s healing. I think he’ll be back tonormal in a couple of days.”

“That’s good.”

She was glad to hear that, but she dreadedthe day he left. She enjoyed talking to him, and he brought a bitof excitement to an otherwise dull and, she was beginning torealize, rather lonely life.

She glanced at the book in his hand, but shealready knew he was now on book three when she discovered itmissing from the shelf this morning. He must have come downsometime last night to get the book. Deciding to leave him to HarryPotter, she opted for a little bit of horror and chose a book ofshort stories instead.

“You’re enjoying the books,” she said andwaved at the book in his hand.

Cole glanced at it. “Far more than I thoughtI would.”

“Good.”

“That Snape guy is an asshole.”

Lexi laughed. “Oh, just wait.”

He smiled as he settled into the chair, andwhen they lapsed into a comfortable silence, she returned to herbook. When he got up to check on Brokk an hour later, she finishedher book and rose from the chair.

She returned the book to its place on theshelves and clasped her hands behind her back as she circled theroom in search of her next read. She scanned the numerous spinesuntil they landed on Jaws.

She’d read it a couple of times, but it hadbeen a few years, and she was in the mood to revisit an oldfavorite. Standing on tiptoe, she stretched for the book. Herfingers had just brushed the spine when she felt Cole against herback.

CHAPTER 37

She hadn’t heard him return, and it had been dayssince they last touched, but she would never forget the exquisitesensation of his body against hers or the way he could turn herbones to liquid.

“I’ll get that for you,” he murmured.

It took everything she had not to lean backinto him as she dropped down from her tiptoes. When his handsettled possessively on her hip, it sent a shiver down her spine.He plucked the book from the shelf and handed it to her.

When she took it from him, their fingersbrushed and a fiery spark shot through her. Her legs trembled, andshe was afraid her knees might give out. Instead of stepping away,the hand on her hip pulled her back and nestled her against hischest.

“Jaws,” he murmured as he turned thebook over in front of her. “One of my favorites.”

His breath stirred her hair, and he loweredhis head until his lips nearly brushed her ear. Despite knowing sheshould keep her distance from this man, she’d dreamt about his kissoften and wanted another one.

She shouldn’t do it, but she found herselflifting her head and turning toward him. Her eyes held his as hishand slid from her hip to her belly. His muscles bunched aroundher, and when he growled, his eyes shifted to silver.

The abrupt color change, and what itrepresented, astounded her, but before she could react, his headbent and his mouth claimed hers. And there was no doubt it was aclaiming kiss as it was relentless, possessive, and so demandingthe only thing she could do was yield to it.

When her mouth opened and his tongue sweptin, the book slid from her fingers. It thudded against the floor.She wanted to turn and wrap her arms around him, but he held her sofirmly against him that it was impossible to move.

Then his hand slid beneath her shirt, brushedagainst her skin, and caused her knees to shake. His touch left herdesperate for more.

Each caress of his fingers and stroke of histongue awakened something inside her that she’d never knownexisted. She knew what it was like to wake aching from dreams, andshe’d satisfied that with her fingers, but she could never dousethis hunger with anything less than him.

Was this what it was like to be shadowkissed? The possibility should terrify her, but she couldn’t bringherself to care as his fingers skimmed up her belly and across thebottom of her bra before his thumb circled her nipple.

When her