Page 9 of Cole's Command

Chapter Three

Cole

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FOLLOWING DR. LEWIS into her office, Cole was instantly at ease. It wasn’t only that he was surprisingly attracted to the woman and confident about his own sexual appeal, but something about the environment soothed any remaining disquiet. Dressed in cobalt and cream, the office looked more like a comfortable living space than a work setting, and as Cole took his place in the comfy chair she offered, he could envision stretching out on the couch behind them with her at his feet and a large glass of chilled wine in his hand. The idea was warming, and fleetingly his imagination transported him to a tropical island where the azure ocean waited beyond the shore, laid out ahead of him just like the painted feature wall. He’d wager she’d look even better tied to a palm tree while she took his cock in her mouth.

“You have a beautiful office,” he murmured, shaking the image from his mind. Cole could easily envision taking a woman like Lewis to a private island, but that was not the purpose of this appointment.

“Thank you.” Satisfaction shone in her chocolate brown eyes as she settled into her place behind the desk. “I’m glad you like it.”

“I do.” He turned his head to admire the shade of blue once more, and was reminded of the color of his dragon, whose skin bore several sapphire hues. “It makes me think of the sea.”

“And you like the sea?”

Cole’s gaze flitted back to the woman seated opposite him. He respected how seamlessly she had eased into the session. There were no awkward formalities, no summary of his information, only a flawless transition into her time with a new client.

She’s good. His lips twitched at the thought. She’s definitely the therapist I’ve been looking for.

“Yes,” he replied thoughtfully. “Although I personally prefer the mountains.”

“That’s interesting.” She nodded. “Why is that?”

“The air.” Cole’s answer was instantaneous. “It’s so fresh up there. There’s no air like it anywhere else.”

“So, you like to hike up mountains?” Her eyes darted to her screen as if that was something she should have already known.

“Sometimes.”

Cole resisted the urge to chuckle at her deduction. Of course, it was the natural assumption most people concluded. He could hardly tell her he flew over the peaks, enjoying the freezing air on his wings.

“What other hobbies do you have, Mr. Vaughn?” she asked as her concentration landed back on him. Her large almond-shaped eyes were deep and soulful, but Cole had the sense that beneath their professional exterior they indicated a woman who was ablaze with life.

“Call me Cole,” he insisted.

“Okay.” She paused, smiling as she went on. “What are your hobbies, Cole?”

That had thrown him. He wasn’t anticipating questions about his spare time, but he liked the way his name sounded on her lips.

“I’m a bit of a socialite,” he admitted with a smirk, unwilling to delve into the depths of his desires during their opening gambit.

“Is that a polite way of saying you party hard?” There was no judgment in her voice, but her gaze was expectant, conveying that she was waiting for an answer.

“Yes.” He glanced at the astonishing view behind her, recalling some of his most recent nights out. Hard was certainly one way of expressing how they’d been. “I suppose so.”

“You don’t seem sure?” She tilted her head as though she wanted to examine him from a different angle. “Or, perhaps it’s that the partying doesn’t always make you happy?”

His brow rose at the accuracy of her assessment. She’d known him for fewer than five minutes, and yet she’d been able to drill below the surface of his meaning.

“Not always, no.” Cole pulled in a breath, aware of the tension taking hold of his body. This was where things got trickier for him. Once a therapist had identified some of his issues he had a tendency to clam up and get defensive, which wasn’t a smart way of getting the most out of any session. He didn’t want that to happen with the tempting Dr. Lewis. “I think that I sometimes use socializing as a means to distract from other issues in my life.” He paused. “More important matters.”

“Yes.” Her expression remained passive. “That could be true. Do you want to talk about some of those issues?”

Do I? Cole leaned back in his chair as the question reverberated. Did he want to disclose the complex family politics he’d grown up with, and all of the complicated loose strings that had outlived his father? That’s what he was there for after all—to talk through the issues—but how much could he convey without revealing the biggest secret of all—their shifter status—the one all of Michael Vaughn’s sons had sworn to keep?

The knock at Lewis’ door drew his attention from the conundrum, and twisting around, he saw Joe enter the room.