Page 47 of Cole's Command

The point is, I’m not his. I’m not anyone’s. No one has the right to tell me where to go and what to do.

She shot a glare at him, hoping that he had heard that thought.

“So, the question...” Hesitating, he met her gaze. “Is whether you’ll come willingly, or whether you need encouragement?”

“What will you do to me there?” she asked. Wrong question, she chastised herself. It won’t matter what happens if I refuse to go.

“I’ll listen to you,” he answered after a moment. “I’ll talk to you.”

“And?” she prompted.

“And what?”

“Oh, come on Cole. I don’t need to be telepathic to know there’s more on your mind.”

“You know I want you.” He shrugged. “I haven’t made a secret of that today, and you already told me you feel the same way.”

“So, what?”

Frustration simmered in her veins. Cole had a way of making everything sound simple, but Eden knew the truth. Life wasn’t simple—far from it. It had taken hard work and sacrifice to get where she was. She wasn’t giving all that up.

“So, why not enjoy each other?” The old glint had returned in his eyes as one dark eyebrow arched. “And actually, I do have some other things to tell you about my sex life.”

Oh, Jesus. Squirming on her seat, she tried not to dwell on the myriad of options that flitted through her head. “Your sex life?”

“Yes.” He looked serious. “Let’s just say I have some different sexual triggers to other people.”

“And you want to talk about this while you keep me captive in your mountain lodge?” Her question sounded far sexier than she’d intended it to.

“I’d like your professional opinion, yes.”

She noticed how hard he was trying to suppress his smirk. “We already established that you’ve had enough of my professional time.”

“Your personal opinion, then.” He leaned closer. “I suppose I just want to see if we’re aligned.”

Oh, God. “And if we’re not?” Her heart raced as she asked the question, the earthy scent of him making her nostrils flare as he closed the distance between them by another inch or two.

“We’ll find a compromise for that, too,” he assured her.

“You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

His confidence should have rankled, and yet watching him all she could think about was how good their kiss had been. She should be contemplating her fate, how to get out of his car and where the hell she’d go if she did, but sitting there beside him, there was only his dark tousled hair and the dangerous glimmer in his green eyes. The man was too young for her. He was half-dragon, for fuck’s sake. No wonder there had been something about him right from the get-go. How often did a woman meet a man whose abilities far exceeded the average guys? The answer was not often.

“Yes.” He held her gaze as he nodded. “I’m not apologizing for it.”

“So, tell me about your sexual predilections.” Forcing space between them, she tried to dismiss the burgeoning heat pooling between her legs, but the knowing gleam in his gaze made it damn near impossible. It wasn’t only that he had magnetic appeal, but the fact that he knew what she was thinking gave her nowhere to hide. If she attempted to smudge the truth, she would only be lying to herself. “What gets you hot, Cole?”

She couldn’t believe she had asked, but ultimately, it was her experience and skills as a therapist that she fell back on, her professional role the only way she could cope with the wave of confusing feelings Cole provoked.

“Apart from sexy therapists?” His tone was wry.

“Yes.” Heat grew in her cheeks as she accepted his backhanded compliment. “Apart from me.”

After all, Cole wasn’t the only one with confidence. She might have spent the last decade ignoring her sexual urges in order to concentrate on her career, but she wasn’t made of steel. Eden had urges, and she’d seen the way men looked at her. She was an attractive woman. Those topics just weren’t the kind of conversations she was used to having with her clients. Or anyone, for that matter.

“It’s complicated.” His tone was suddenly hesitant. “I don’t want to frighten you away.”

“It’s a bit late for that, isn’t it?” There was no choice but to laugh at his irony. “I’m trapped out here with you, and apparently, I can’t go back to my office.”