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

of flashes. She recalled listeningto the dragons as they ravaged the land. They sounded like this,and their fire had flashed over the walls the same way thelightning did.

Then she recalled his reaction when she askedhim if the war was horrible. She remembered his hesitation beforespeaking and the anguish on his face.

It had been the look of a man who hadcommitted and experienced atrocities she could never imagine. Ithad been the look of a man who hadn’t been broken by thoseatrocities, but they had forever altered him.

She hadn’t known Cole before the war, but shehad no doubt he wasn’t the same man now as he was then.

How could he be?

He’d lost most of his family during the warand more than a few friends.

Her hand fell away from the knob as heremained sitting with his shoulders hunched forward, his headbowed, and his hands gripping his knees. He’d terrified hertonight, but she couldn’t bring herself to walk away from him whilehe was like this.

After Orin, she should have learned herlesson about trying to help others, especially the dark fae, butshe found herself creeping toward him. Her mind screamed at her torun; this was a bad idea, but her heart and her feet propelled heronward.

He wasn’t Orin. He wasn’t an asshole whowould turn on her like a rabid dog.

This was Cole. This was the man she’d spentthe past few days getting to know better as they shared books anddiscussed their lives. This was the man who made her feel aliveevery time he touched her.

She briefly contemplated those who becameshadow kissed before pushing them aside. It was a fear for adifferent time. This moment was only for them.

She would have asked him again what he wasdreaming about when he attacked her, but she already knew theanswer. He was lost to the nightmare of war, and she so badlywanted to find him.

When she stopped before him, his shoulderstensed as if he expected a blow and his hands tightened on hisknees.

Unsure of what to do, she remained where shewas. She’d been so certain while crossing the room, but now doubtwiggled its way in to fester at her mind.

He was a powerful, immortal being who waswell versed in all the realms, and she was… well, she washer. She lived and worked on her small manor, her liferevolved around her family, and she’d only ever left the mortalrealm once in her life.

What could she possibly offer him?

Lightning flashed around the room again, andwhen he lifted his head, his silver eyes met hers. In his gaze, shesaw such a mixture of distress and hope that melted her doubts.

He was the most powerful being she’d everencountered, yet there was something broken about him, somethingshe longed to heal. She wasn’t entirely sure how to do that, butsome instinctive part of her told her she could.

She was a simple, not-so-powerful immortal,but she could offer him exactly what he needed…. She could help himheal.

When she cupped his cheek in her palm, hisbeard rubbed against her skin.

“Go, Lexi,” he said gruffly.

Instead of going, she lifted his face andbent to kiss him. For a second, she worried he would turn away, buthe didn’t. Instead, his mouth was a grim, flat line against hers ashe remained unmoving on the bed.

She’d made a mistake; she was making a foolof herself. She’d overestimated their connection, and he was aboutto pull away, laugh at her, and tell her to get out. He wouldremember her as the stupid fool who had been a game while he waitedfor his brother to heal.

If he remembered her at all.

The possibility he was toying with her hadnever occurred to her before. He was dark fae, but he’d come acrossas extremely honest.

She’d believed the passion behind his kissesand touch was real and not part of some game he was playing to passthe time. However, as he remained unmoving against her, shecouldn’t help thinking she’d made a gigantic mistake.

She was starting to pull away when his armsencircled her waist. She had no time to react before he pulled herbetween his thighs. His hand slid up her back, his lips meltedagainst hers, and he took possession of her mouth.

All possibility of making a huge mistakevanished when his tongue stroked her lips. It slipped inside hermouth, where it created a firestorm inside her.

Her fingers bit into his thick shoulders ashe kissed her with a desperation she’d never experienced from him.His need for her was evident in every thrust of his tongue and theway his arms cinched around her.

He wasn’t going to let her go, and hewouldn’t be satisfied with a kiss this time. She’d known that asshe crossed the room to him, but it hadn’t sunk into her consciousthoughts until now.

When she released the doorknob and returnedto him, she’d known she was making a decision she could never takeback. That she was walking a path she’d never walked before, and itcould lead her straight off a cliff.

He would most likely break her heart, but atleast she would get to experience that part of life. She would atleast know what it was like to have him hold her and feel his bodymoving against hers.

His hand slid up her back to her nape beforerising to entangle in her hair. Apprehension coiled inside her. Hewas so different from her, so much more experienced, and so sure ofeverything, while she was fumbling her way blindly forward.

When she returned to him, she’d hoped to keephim from drowning in a sea of memories and despair while trying toexperience more of life. She was completely out of her depth here,but when his other hand slid down to cup her ass, some of hertrepidation vanished as desire bloomed.

CHAPTER 45

He should push her away and order her to run. He’dnearly killed her tonight, but now that she was in his arms, hewasn’t going to let her go.

Refusing to let her go made him a selfishprick, but he wouldn’t part from her. He’d always been a selfishprick, and he wasn’t about to change when he was holding thebiggest temptation he’d ever encountered in his arms.

He pushed aside her robe