Page 51 of Crescent Warrior

If he could call her his ‘little monkey,’ then she knew, just knew, that he didn’t think of her as anything more than a little sister, but her wolf was having none of it. She had gone without for too long and she didn’t want any unclaimed females near her male.

“I’ll take you, then,” Nyx grinned mischievously at them. “But I have a few questions that are going to need to be answered.”

“Whatever it is, it’s none of your business,” Cole answered while Nyx twined her arms around his waist, hugging him as they walked. “And stop clinging to me.”

“He’s such a dick sometimes,” Nyx scoffed, looking at Hippolyta for agreement. She smiled queasily back. “But he’ll be out of your hair soon. He’s always too busy for everyone.”

“Oh, but Damen’s here,” Cole grinned, hugging Hippolyta around her waist and ignoring the arm Nyx still had wrapped around him. “So, I’ll actually have a lot of free time to show Lyta around.”

“We can go swimming!” Nyx squealed, rushing forward to shove Griffin hard in the back, making him stumble and turn around with a glare. “Hurry up and help everyone unpack. We’re going to the beach and I have to get ready.”

Griffin rolled his eyes, turning back to continue his conversation with Xander.

“She’s five years old, I swear,” Cole leaned down to murmur against her hair.

Hippolyta felt herself lean into him. Everything seemed so familiar and amazing. She was in Greece with her best friend. This was her happy place.

It made her anxious to think that she could lose this again. Worry ate at her, nibbling at her sense of peace as they neared his car; a low, muscular piece of art.

“And you let Nyx drive this?”

“Grudgingly,” he conceded. “Because she groveled.”

She made a humming noise in the back of her throat and glanced around. No one was paying them any mind, laughter spreading around them as everyone reunited with their loved ones.

Cole opened the door for her, watching her closely. She tried not to show her trepidation, sitting quickly and glancing around the sleek interior.

He took the time to put their bags in the trunk before he came around the car to sit next to her. He reached over quickly, taking her hand before leaning forward to kiss her. Startled, it was a moment before she melted into the kiss.

“She’s a little sister to me,” he murmured, and she felt a flush of shame that he felt he needed to justify his relationship with Nyx.

“I know,” she turned away from him, settling herself back against the seat. “You don’t have to explain anything to me.”

He leaned forward to press a kiss against her shoulder. “I don’t like seeing you get upset.”

She shrugged, her hackles rising. What did he expect from her? They hadn’t spoken in so many years and now she was here, trying to start over, but it was so hard.

Greece brought back amazing memories, yes, but it also brought with it the searing pain of his rejection. She almost didn’t want to return to her home; to her old bedroom where it happened. She didn’t know if she could handle the memories.

“Why don’t we go straight to the beach?” she murmured, turning to look at him. “We have our things with us.”

The smile he gave her was so young and carefree that she felt her heart squeeze in her chest. Pressing her fingers to it, she begged herself to slow down. To take things slowly this time. If she went all in again, with her expectations too high, she would be set up for another fall.

“That’s the best idea I’ve heard all day.”

He shifted gears, making her bite her lip as he drove. She was intensely attracted to men handling cars with skill, and Cole was handling his like it was an artform.

“Did you want to go to our cove?” he asked, glancing over at her.

She nodded, leaning over to skim her lips against his jaw. He made a low sound in his chest, his hands clenching on the stick shift and steering wheel.

“Distracting the driver, my Lyta?” he murmured, tilting his head to give her access to his throat.

She had one hand on his shoulder and curled the other over his thigh, making him groan as she caressed his cock through the material of his pants.

“You’re going to make me crash.”

She hummed contentedly, licking across his pulse before suckling on it lightly.

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