Page 32 of Silent Heart

Kole studied me for a beat before passing me the mug of steamy, milky goodness. “They looked good on you.”

It wasn’t the heat radiating from the mug that warmed my insides. Before I could form an answer, he took the clothing, pulling the sweatpants over his legs and cotton plaid boxers. There was something intimate, something incredibly hot, about him wearing the same pants I’d just been wearing.

To hide the blush I knew was on my cheeks, I turned away, leaned against the island, and took a sip of the coffee. Not only did he make the beverage perfectly, but he had coffee now.

Because he hoped to wake up to me.

Was this how he’d envisioned it, though? Waking up after his sleepwalking, loss of consciousness, blackout—whatever it was! Or was it wanting to wake up together in the normal way?

Not that being with him would be anything close to normal. That body wasmadeto be enjoyed. He was probably a sex god, and I was a lowly commoner who’d had a few romps.

Knowing that my cheeks now blazed, I cleared my throat as I searched for a safer topic of conversation. I wanted to ask him about his episodes, but I had the good sense to know he would tell me when he was ready. The trust we were building was fragile. I didn’t want to break it.

“What’s your favorite flavor of protein?” I asked, laying the groundwork with small things.

Kole threw a look over his shoulder. “Don’t have one.”

“You just grab the same flavor off the shelf?” I sipped my coffee.

He murmured in assent.

I hopped up on the island, crossing my ankles and cradling the mug in my lap. “I like mint if I’m drinking it straight. Vanilla’s a staple for making various smoothies. But strawberry blended with ice and coconut cream, splashed with pineapple makes me feel like I’m on vacation at the beach.”

Kole set his plastic shaker bottle down, staring at it with a scrunched expression on his face. “Food is fuel.”

“Food is pleasure,” I murmured, before the luxurious coffee spread over my tongue. Damn, he knew how to make a good cup of joe. I took another long, slow sip.

And I nearly choked when the mountain of a man rounded on me with a feverish intensity lighting up his eyes.

“Food?” he growled, taking a single step forward.

I nodded, but I wasn’t sure what I was agreeing to.

Kole closed the distance. His sweats brushed against my bare legs. The contact produced a full body shiver.

We remained frozen for a moment, electricity clashing between us. Air failed to fill my lungs, and I could only pull shallow gasps into my lungs as I stared at the creature come alive. If he was a gargoyle most of the time, this was the monster broken free from stone.

Want raged in those stormy blue depths. It was intoxicatingly beautiful, yet also a tiny bit heartbreaking. He was fighting this thing between us, struggling with some fierce emotions.

Choose me.

Not wanting to spook him, I waited. The mug threatened to break under my touch.

I saw the moment he gave in. It was a heartbeat before he rasped something in a foreign tongue and his mouth crashed into mine.

His fingers roved over my body, exploring with a desperate determination. One hand pushed up, fingers tugging into my messy pony until the hair tumbled around me.

When he pulled, I gasped.

Which only made him kiss me harder. His lips were a sensual fire against mine, moving with a hunger that I couldn’t withstand. I forgot the world around me, how to breathe, and even my own name. He was the only thing that mattered.

I let the kiss pull me under.

Without breaking contact, Kole pulled the clothing from my body. I wasn’t aware of how he did it. One moment we were clothed and making out, and the next I was bare, and he pushed me backward.

“Spread those legs for me,” Kole growled.

Not a rasp or a harsh command. No! Oh-ho, no! A full on, predatorial, animal growl.

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