His heart was in his throat when he knocked on Lexi’s door. He held his breath for ten seconds, willing himself to just be cool.All I’m doing is bringing her breakfast. That’s it. This isn’t a date.
Lexi opened the door slowly, yawning and rubbing her head. When she saw it was Rao, she suddenly stood up straight, grabbing the front of her white silk robe and wrapping it tightly around herself. She tied the belt in a firm bow and immediately tried to smooth her wild, curly hair.
Rao was even more entranced by her beauty now than he had been the night before. The early morning sun’s glow set her golden hair alight, making her skin glow. Her pale green eyes sparkled like gems, and the soft, loose robe was an icy pale white, complimenting her natural coloring.
“Good morning,” he said, trying to keep his voice even. “I’ve brought you breakfast.”
He stepped out of the way so she could see the trolley and trays held by the servers. Her eyes widened.
“Oh … thank you. That looks like too much for me. Why don’t you come in and sit down?”
“You don’t have to …”
“No, I insist,” Lexi said, stepping back from the door. Rao entered the room, trying to hide his surprise. He hadn’t expected her to let him in.
They sat at a big table near the balcony, and Rao watched Lexi pile up her plate. It looked like he’d done well because she took a little of everything. He took careful note of what she chose, so he could get it right in the future.
Just before they started to eat, Lexi paused. She had been looking into her lap for some time, and when she looked up at him, Rao saw that her face was drawn with worry.
“What is it?” he asked.
“I need to apologize for last night.”
Rao waited, eager for the answer but determined to play it cool.
“I’m really sorry for running off last night. It was not cool. You put so much effort into a lovely evening. I really was having a good time.”
“So, why did you run away?” Rao asked, mystified.
Lexi met his gaze head-on, not shying away from the truth. “I was overwhelmed. It was just really intense, and I felt like I was out of control. I should have just asked you to slow down instead of running like a spooked horse.”
Rao smiled faintly. Gerri had used almost the same words. “I am very sorry for kissing you,” Rao said in a serious tone. “I took liberties with you, and I apologize.”
Lexi did not reply, and when Rao looked up to find out why, she was watching him with bright eyes, her cheeks flushing a delicate shade of pink. “That’s one thing you really don’t have to apologize for,” she said. If it hadn’t been for his shifter hearing, he might not have heard.
“I’m sorry?” he asked. He didn’t want to push, but it was vital that he understood her meaning in this particular situation.
“I enjoyed the kiss,” Lexi said, a shy smile widening on her lips. Her eyes practically glowed, and the blush on her cheeks deepened. “I enjoyed it very much. So please, don’t apologize for that.”
Rao watched her for a few seconds, hearing the words ringing through his mind. Lexi broke the eye contact and focused on her plate, attacking a sweet, crispy waffle topped with a generous scoop of ice cream.
She enjoyed the kiss.
Hope flooded him. He’d felt at the time that she was just as excited as he was, but these things could be difficult to judge. He wanted her so much that it would have been easy for him to imagine her response.
Now he knew, beyond a doubt, that she’d been having fun. Too much fun, by the sound of it. That was the only reason why she’d run away.
Rao grinned, slicing into a pancake with the edge of his fork. He’d been so upset and confused last night, but the situation had been easily resolved. He couldn’t help thinking that bad things were right around the corner, but for the moment, he was really beginning to believe ingoodthings.
“So, Lexi,” he said, trying for an even tone. She looked up at him, and he was struck all over again by the way the golden light of the sun lit up her blonde hair and pale skin. He was entranced by the dancing light for a few seconds, completely forgetting what he’d been about to say.
Then Lexi opened her mouth to devour a small bite of maple-smothered waffle with a scoop of ice cream on top. Her tongue flicked out as her lips stroked the edges of the spoon. He saw her eyes close with pleasure as the mixture of sweet and creamy textures melted in her mouth.
When her tongue swept across her bottom lip, catching a few drops of ice cream that clung there, Rao felt like something had punched him right in the gut.
Lexi chewed slowly, blinking at him. An amused smile danced across her lips. “You were saying?” she asked.
“I was? I mean, I was, yes,” Rao recovered quickly, knowing that he was blushing. It was completely crazy, but he’d never imagined watching his mate eat would have such a profound effect on him.