Page 13 of Cole's Command

“I told you.” His voice softened as he gazed down at her. “It’s Cole, but I never caught your first name?”

Her lips twisted at his forwardness. She knew that if he’d been anyone else, she would have informed Cole that he could call her Dr. Lewis until at least the second appointment, but she also accepted that for some reason her usual rules didn’t seem to apply to him. She was going to tell him her name, even if it was against her better judgment.

“It’s Eden.”

“Wow.” He shook his head with a grin. “What a beautiful name.”

“Thank you.” Oh Lord, I’m not blushing, am I? “Until next time, Cole.”

Opening the door, she moved away and waited as he walked past the threshold toward Joe’s desk. She intentionally chose not to catch her assistant’s gaze, not wanting to reveal any of her emotions to him. Her next client wasn’t due until half past eleven, so she had a little time to clear her head and figure out what the hell was wrong with her.

Pushing the door closed with her hand, she turned back to the corner where her father’s spirit had lingered. Whatever was going on in her head, she had to move past it. She couldn’t allow another distracted appointment like the one she’d just had with Cole. Eden prided herself on being the best, and to be the best she had to evaluate what was happening and learn from it. No more visions. No more mistakes. It was time to put her father’s death behind her.

Chapter Five

Cole

––––––––

“LITTLE BROTHER!”

Draco’s dulcet tone reverberated around the living space of their mountain lodge, and Cole’s gaze landed on his brother’s knowing smirk.

“Draco.” Cole shook his head as his brother ambled in his direction. “What’s up?”

As the youngest of four siblings, Cole was used to being everyone’s ‘little brother,’ and for a while it had been comforting, but as the years passed the endearment had started to grate. At six feet four inches, no aspect of Cole was little anymore.

“Not bad.” Stretching theatrically, Draco stalked toward the couch, collapsing onto the end not already occupied by Cole. “But I haven’t heard from any of you guys for a few days.”

“Missing the drama?”

Cole’s tone was wry as he recalled the most recent commotion to embroil the brothers. Their business rival, Oliver Monroe, had snatched Balthazar’s woman, Cherie, from this exact mountain spot, and all four of them had teamed-up to take her back, launching the Vaughns into some type of unofficial vendetta against the Monroes. To make matters even more interesting, Sebastian had inadvertently started dating Oliver’s sister, Rebecca. The family politics had rarely been so complicated.

“Something like that.” Draco snorted, his gaze traveling to the snow-covered terrain outside.

“Have we heard anything more from Oliver Monroe?”

---