Chapter 26
The room was quiet, warm with golden light spilling from a nearby lamp as Cole gently set Lena down on the edge of a large, low bed. She didn’t say anything, her arms wrapped loosely around herself, still shivering slightly despite the thick air of the house.
“You should take a shower,” Cole said gently, crouching in front of her. “It’ll help. Warm water usually does.”
Lena blinked at him, her expression unreadable. “In a stranger’s house?”
“I’m not a stranger,” he replied softly, “and I’ll be right outside the door. I’m not going anywhere.”
Something in his voice grounded her. There was no pressure, no expectation—just quiet concern and certainty.
After a beat, she nodded.
The ensuite bathroom was spacious and modern, marble tile and polished chrome fixtures gleaming und
