Lexi spent most of the next morning walking around in a haze of euphoria. She finally understood what someone meant when they said they were walking on cloud nine as she turned the horses loose and cleaned the stalls.
She fully expected that cloud to burst sometime soon, but for now, she was content to ride it.
When she returned to the house, she showered and changed before going to the kitchen to make her breakfast. Thankfully, Sahira was nowhere around.
She couldn’t handle her aunt’s questions right now, and she knew they would come as she couldn’t get rid of the stupid grin on her face.
After eating her breakfast, she went to the library and settled on her chair to read. Her gaze kept traveling to the fireplace. She’d done a good job at shoving Orin out of her mind, but after last night, she couldn’t deny the guilt nagging at her.
Orin was a complete asshole, but she didn’t want to see anything bad happen to him. However, after last night, she couldn’t help but feel guilty over harboring him beneath her home. Cole and Brokk were hunting him, and she knew where he was.
Not for much longer. The first chance she got, she was going to get him out of her tunnels, and she didn’t care if he wanted to go or not. He didn’t have a choice anymore.
Or maybe she’d get lucky and he’d find his way out. He was probably pretty pissed she hadn’t returned yet. Until she got the chance to kick him out, she would have to deal with her guilt over keeping this from Cole.
She did so by ignoring it.
Almost an hour passed before Cole entered the room, closed the doors behind him, and strode toward her. It was the first time he’d shut them, and it would draw attention to them, but she didn’t care as he prowled toward her in his too-small clothes and bare feet.
There was something almost feral about him as he approached. Her heart picked up, and her skin prickled as her body responded to the hunger he emanated.
He stopped before her and, with tender care, slid his arms under her and lifted her from the chair. He settled her on his lap as he sat on the chair. The intimate, possessive gesture surprised her.
She didn’t know what she’d expected from him today, but now that he’d settled her across his legs, with his arms around her, she realized a part of her had worried he’d pretend the whole thing never happened or ignore her.
She wasn’t sure which one of those things would be more painful.
He’d been dressed and about to leave the room when she woke this morning. He bent to kiss her and told her he was going to check on Brokk before leaving. Things had been normal, even sweet, but she still hadn’t known what to expect from him.
“How are you feeling?” he asked as he lifted a strand of her damp hair and twirled it around his finger.
“Happy,” she admitted.
Maybe it was wrong to be so honest with him—dark fae weren’t known to care about other’s feelings—but he’d asked, and that was more than she would have expected from a dark fae.
When he smiled at her, the twinkle in his eyes made her heart do a strange little stutter before melting. It wasn’t fair that he was so damn irresistible.
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
“Happy,” he replied.
Lexi’s mouth parted at this admission. Was he happy because of her?
She didn’t dare ask him.
Then his smile faded as his eyes fell to her neck and the faint bruises marring her skin. They were fading as she healed, but his fingers trembled when he rested them against the marks. At least the welt on her head was gone.
“This will never happen again,” he vowed.
“You were dreaming about the war, weren’t you?” she asked.
She held her breath as she waited for his reply. Would he admit the truth or deny it, or maybe she was wrong completely and something else had pushed him to such a point last night.
“Yes,” he said.
“Do you dream about it often?”
His eyes met and held hers as he replied. “Not since coming here.”
“Why not?”
“Who knows.”
She suspected he knew, but she didn’t push him on it. He’d been far more open with her than she’d ever expected, and she wasn’t going to take the chance of him shutting down.
“The thunder and lightning must have set the nightmares off last night,” he said as he stroked the bruises on her neck.
“I’m fine,” she assured him when self-loathing filled his gaze.
His fingers stilled on her. “Are you sore?”
“No, I told you already; the bruises are almost gone.”
“I didn’t mean here.” He tapped her neck before running his fingers down her breasts. He skimmed her belly and slid his hand between her legs. She gasped when he cupped her. “I meant here.”
It took her a minute to sputter a response as fire burned her cheeks. “I was earlier, but not anymore.”
“Good,” he said as he caressed her through her jeans.
Lexi lost herself to his touch until she was panting and her body begged for release. Undoing her jeans, she helped slide them down her thighs, and she kicked them off with her feet.
Leaning back, his eyes turned to silver when they latched on to her lacy, purple underwear. She’d selected the sheer pair in the hopes he would like them. It was obvious he did as he tugged them off.
She shouldn’t let this happen here, but she couldn’t bring herself to stop it. When he tugged her shirt up, she lifted her arms as he pulled it over her head. He smiled when he saw her bra matched her underwear.
“The doors,” she managed to pant out when he removed her from his lap and settled her on the chair before kissing her belly.
“I locked them,” he said as he left a trail of kisses across her skin.
A shiver ran through her when she realized this was what he anticipated when he entered the room. Making his way steadily lower, he slid off the chair and knelt on the rug. He grasped her legs and spun her toward him.
She didn’t know what he intended until he slid her legs over his shoulders. She started to pull away, but he gripped her ass and held her in place. His eyes burned as they met hers.
“I’ve imagined tasting you since the moment I saw you,” he said.
Her eyes widened at this revelation, and before she could protest, he lowered his mouth to her core. At first, she was so stunned, she couldn’t react.
And then his tongue delved deep inside her. She remained rigid for a few seconds, but his tongue melted any of her uncertainty about such an act.
Forgetting all about her shyness, her fingers entwined in his hair as she pulled him closer. His short beard rubbed the inside of her thighs in the most delicious of ways. He kept one hand on her ass while the other roamed up her body to cup one of her breasts.
Lexi arched into him as his mouth and hand worked their magic over her body. Her heels dug into his back, and her fingers gripped his ears as he brought her to climax. She bit her bottom lip to stifle her cries.
She was still floating on a cloud of bliss when he lowered her legs from his shoulders and rose. With deft movements, he quickly shed his clothes.
Though she’d seen all of him last night, she still couldn’t get over how powerful and large he was. Gripping her hips, he shifted her on the chair and turned her, so her hands rested on the chair arm.
Lexi wasn’t entirely sure what he intended until he stepped behind her and lifted her hips. His dick slid inside, and he buried himself deep within her. Unlike last night, her body swiftly adjusted to having him inside her.
Her fingers bit into the thick cushion of the overstuffed armchair as he introduced her to this new position. There was something so thrilling about having him behind her, controlling her, and demanding more that it aroused her even more.
As he pulled slowly out of her before thrusting deep again, she closed her eyes and gave herself over to him. He guided her hips as her breasts swayed, and his movements became more demanding.
“Fuck,” he groaned. “You’re so fucking hot and tight, and you’re mine.”
That last word caused her eyes to fly open, but as her mind scrambled to understand what he meant, he reached around to cup her breast with one hand while the other slid between her legs. She forgot all about her shock at his words as he caressed her clit.
Her back bowed, and her head fell back as she came again. Cole plunged into her once more before shuddering. She felt the pulse of his cock as he released his seed.
He sagged against her and pressed his cheek to her back before kissing the hollow between her shoulder blades. His mouth and tongue left a trail of heat down her body as he moved steadily lower.
With tender care, he pulled out of her and shifted his hold so he could slide onto the chair. He pulled her onto his lap once more. She curled up against his chest and rested her head on his shoulder. Beneath her hand, his heart raced.
“That was… nice,” she murmured.
His laughter startled her. She lifted her head to take him in as his chest rumbled and his blue eyes twinkled in amusement.
“You might be the death of me, and the best you can say is ‘that was nice.’”
“The death of you?” she asked.
“Yes, but what a fantastic way to go.”
“Very true,” she agreed, and he laughed again. She nestled against him again as his arms enveloped her. “I’m not on….”
Damn it, she was starting to blush again. She tried to suppress the heat scorching her cheeks and failed miserably.
If she was going to have sex, then she was going to discuss these things without blushing. She told herself this, but it didn’t change anything as her face burned.
“I’m not on any kind of birth control,” she muttered.
“I am.”
She lifted her head again. “You are?”
“Yes. I get a potion from a warlock that I take once a month.” There was no amusement on his face or in his eyes as he gazed solemnly at her. “I won’t leave a trail of children behind me.”
She gulped. A trail of children. She was concerned about the possibility of one child, and he was concerned with having many of them… with numerous women.
This realization doused some of her contentment. He’s a dark fae!
She would be only one of many to him, and she had to keep reminding herself of this. While she was lost in a sea of happiness, he would move on and probably never recall his time here.
Sorrow bloomed in her chest, but she pushed it aside. She could mourn the loss of what she’d discovered here when he was gone, but she wouldn’t turn into a melancholy mess while he was still here.
“Have you fed from me?” she asked as she decided to change to subject.
“You would know if I had, and I wouldn’t do it without your permission.”
She frowned at him. “Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yes, but you’re just starting to learn the pleasure a man and woman can give each other. I’m not going to add my need to feed into the mix. That will come in time.”
“In time?”
“Yes, we have plenty of it.”
“You think Brokk will have to stay here for a lot longer?”
“No, I think he’ll be ready to leave tomorrow, and I’ll escort him back to the Gloaming, but I will return.” And then his eyes narrowed on her. “Unless you would prefer it if I didn’t come back.”
“Of course not!” she blurted before she could stop herself. “But.…”
Her words trailed off as she tried to think of what to say.
“But?” he prodded.
“But you’re dark fae.”
“I’m also lycan and man.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that I’m coming back.”
He stated this with such authority that she didn’t know how to respond. She’d never allowed herself to entertain the possibility he might decide to stay, but she couldn’t help feeling doubtful.
“For how long?” she asked.