Shadows of Fire (The Shadow Realms, Book 1) by Brenda Davies (chrome ebook reader .txt) 📗

knees gave out, his other armcinched around her waist, and he held her up as he touched her moreintimately than anyone ever had before.

She wanted—no, she needed more.

This time, when she tried to turn, he lether. She moaned when his hand fell away from her breast, but thenhe gripped her hips and lifted her off the ground without breakingthe kiss. Her legs instinctively encircled his waist, and the rigidevidence of his erection rubbed between her thighs.

She clung to him as he braced one handagainst the shelves while his other hand cupped her ass. Her pulseraced as every part of her became centered on him. It felt as ifthe very fabric of her being was shifting and becoming somethingdifferent, something more alive and free.

She’d never expected to feel this way, butshe relished the freedom, abandon, and carefreeness she’d neverexperienced before.

Over the years, she’d read countless romancenovels and seen more than a few love scenes in movies and on TV,but she’d never expected this all-encompassing yearning foranother.

Her fingers sliding down the front of hischest pushed aside buttons until her hands met his flesh. Beneathher palms, his skin was hot, and she felt the solid, thunderingbeat of his heart. When her nails scraped his flesh, he nipped herbottom lip with fangs he didn’t have only seconds ago.

Only when he first arrived and was out ofcontrol with his terror for Brokk had she seen his fangs and silvereyes. Those two things were signs a lycan was losing control, and alycan on the verge of losing control was extremely dangerous, buthis slipping composure only excited her more.

She didn’t know what that said about her, andright now, she didn’t care.

When he bit her lip again, she mewled andwiggled against him. She stopped caring that he was part dark faeor that he would probably feed on her and break her heart if shewasn’t careful; she just wanted more of him.

CHAPTER 38

Before she could experience that more, a heavy roundof knocking reverberated throughout the manor. A tingle ofannoyance shot through her, but she ignored it, just as she ignoredthe knocking.

Her fingers entangled in his hair, and thekiss deepened. When her fingers brushed over the tips of his ears,he groaned. She loved the feel of the point beneath her fingers,and if his response was any indication, he enjoyed it too.

However, when another round of knockingsounded, she couldn’t ignore it anymore.

She reluctantly tore her mouth away from his,and Cole’s hands tightened on her. Lowering his head, he kissed herneck before sliding lower to her collarbone.

The heat of his mouth caused Lexi to shiver,but another round of knocking dampened her lust. Like a bucket ofice water was dumped on her head, reality returned.

She’d been about to give herself to adark fae in her library. With the doors open,Sahira could have walked in at any time, and Lexi could end up oneof the many mindless, shadow kissed souls if she wasn’tcareful.

The hairs on her nape rose at thepossibility. She liked him, but not enough to become one ofthem.

The knocking grew louder and more incessant.The last time someone sounding more than a little annoyed waspounding on her front door, Cole arrived with a half-dead Brokk inhis arms.

Now, she had no idea who stood on the otherside of her door, but it didn’t sound good.

Releasing his hair, she rested her hands onhis shoulders and unlocked her legs from around his waist. She sliddown the front of him.

The friction between them created a newfirestorm in her body. Her legs wobbled when her toes touched theground, and she almost jumped back into his arms.

“Ignore them,” he whispered in her ear beforehe nipped her lobe.

She wanted to do exactly that, but Sahira hadto walk past the library doors to answer the door, and her auntcouldn’t find them like this. At the possibility of such a thinghappening, her cheeks started to burn.

“I can’t,” she said.

His arms locked around her, and for a second,she didn’t think he was going to release her. Then he let her goand stepped back.

Lexi’s eyes widened as she took him in. Hissilver eyes burned like hot coals, his fangs were clearly visiblebehind the lips flattened into a thin, white line, and hisshoulders hunched forward in a way that said he was straining toretain control.

She recalled some of the horror stories she’dheard about lycans who lost control. They became beasts thatshredded everything in their path and tore through their victimslike they were no more than pieces of paper instead of flesh andbone.

She didn’t think he would hurt her, but shedidn’t dare move. And then, she spotted that cipher near his templeagain.

Something about her rattled not only hiscontrol over the lycan part of him but also the dark fae. Shedidn’t know if she should relish that knowledge or be terrified ofit.

Either way, she became aware that the powerCole revealed to the world was only the tip of the iceberg. Farmore of it thrummed beneath his surface.

Enthralled by him, Lexi almost jumped whenanother series of loud knocks bounced off the walls.

“I have to get that,” she said and was happywhen her voice didn’t tremble.

Cole stepped further away from her, but whenhis gaze swung toward the library doors and his lips skimmed back,she worried he might attack whoever had arrived.

Lexi gulped, but she couldn’t let the knockgo unanswered, and she couldn’t let Sahira find them like this.They weren’t touching anymore, but her aunt would know somethinghad happened.

Lexi straightened her shirt and threw backher shoulders. He started to reach for her, but his hand stoppedand hovered in midair before falling to his side. They stared ateach other before Lexi edged away from him and started for thedoors.

She almost glanced at the fireplace butstopped herself before she did. It couldn’t be Orin at her door. Hewas probably growing increasingly angry at her for not returning tohim, but he was still safely tucked beneath the manor.

Or she assumed he was. When she hadn’treturned, he might have gotten pissed off enough to leave, but shedoubted he would risk capture by coming to her front doorafterward. At least she hoped he wasn’t that