beautifully
executed in heavy brushed steel.
And very, very locked.
He took Adelyn’s hand and whirled her to one side as he yanked
the pistol from his waistband.
“Josh, no—”
He fired a round into the lock.
The iron bullet ricocheted with a screaming whine and buried
itself in the wall opposite them.
“Damn,” he muttered.
“Not everything phae is an
illusion.”
“Too bad the lock is one of the real things.” He stared back
the way they had come. “No sense digging out right into the mouths of those
devil dogs, but the rubble won’t hold them for long.”
Adelyn touched his hand. “Can you put the gun away? The
iron...”
With another curse, he tucked the pistol in the back of his
jeans. “Sorry. I forgot.”
She averted her gaze. “What I am must shock you.”
“I knew you were phae .”
“I mean...” She brushed one hand over her bare shoulder where
scales dappled her skin. “When you saw the skin in the toadstool ring, you said
‘damn snakes’.”
He dragged one hand through his hair and glanced at her
sidelong. “Is that why you left?”
“I couldn’t hide what I am.”
“Adelyn—”
“I don’t mean just the hair.” She wrapped her arms around
herself. Even the serpents seemed to coil protectively tighter. “By leading the
imp to the valley, I wrecked Vaile’s refuge. I only wanted to save myself, but
you saved me instead. I might as well have been a snake without hands I was so
useless. You showed me how to use my hands—to touch, to make, to hold—and I
wanted to show you...” She caught her breath.
Slowly, he spun on his boot heel to face her. More slowly yet,
avoiding the serpents, he raised his hands to frame her face. Under his
fingertips, the scales at her temples were silky-smooth, like polished stone but
yielding.
“Adelyn.” He waited until she raised her green gaze to his,
more shy than he had ever seen her. “You said not everything phae is fake. This—” He took a step closer to her, his
heart pounding with the boot-fall. “This thing between us is real. And I’m going
to hold onto it no matter what it looks like, not matter what you look like.”
He leaned down to kiss her.
Her lips parted beneath his on a soft sigh, a sigh echoed by
dozens of tiny tongues flickering around him. He closed his eyes—it would take
him a couple kisses to get used to this—but not seeing only intensified the
pleasure of having her mouth under his, the curves of her body under his
hands.
“So,” he murmured against her mouth. “Tell me about Medusa who
turned all the Greek warriors into rock.”
“The Greeks got her name confused, but I suppose even musetta can have an uninspired day.”
“You rock me. Part of me anyway.” He traced his way from her
face, down her shoulders, over her breasts, to settle on her hips and pull her
close so that she could feel the hard truth, his truth. “I want you. I want you
more than I’ve ever wanted anything.”
“Do you want badly enough to get us out of here?” She met his
gaze when he opened his eyes. “You are a smith at heart, Josh. You could command
these doors.”
He shook his head. “Command the doors how? With magic?” He took
a step backward. “I’m not like you. I’m just a...cowboy.”
She followed, edging him toward the locked gate. “You stepped
into the circle without hesitating. You said my name and found me. There is
magic in your heart, Josh Reimer, should you desire it. What do you want?”
He stood his ground. “You. I want you. Back in my valley, back
in my bed.”
She took one more step that brought her into his arms again. “I
want to be there.” She kissed him. “Now let me inspire you.”
Her hands went to the fly of his jeans.
His brows shot up. “Whoa! Here? Now?”
She smiled up at him. “What better time?” But her hands stilled
on his belt. “Think how you would have me do it, Josh. Imagine how the buckle
comes apart. Dream how the edges unseal to release your
executed in heavy brushed steel.
And very, very locked.
He took Adelyn’s hand and whirled her to one side as he yanked
the pistol from his waistband.
“Josh, no—”
He fired a round into the lock.
The iron bullet ricocheted with a screaming whine and buried
itself in the wall opposite them.
“Damn,” he muttered.
“Not everything phae is an
illusion.”
“Too bad the lock is one of the real things.” He stared back
the way they had come. “No sense digging out right into the mouths of those
devil dogs, but the rubble won’t hold them for long.”
Adelyn touched his hand. “Can you put the gun away? The
iron...”
With another curse, he tucked the pistol in the back of his
jeans. “Sorry. I forgot.”
She averted her gaze. “What I am must shock you.”
“I knew you were phae .”
“I mean...” She brushed one hand over her bare shoulder where
scales dappled her skin. “When you saw the skin in the toadstool ring, you said
‘damn snakes’.”
He dragged one hand through his hair and glanced at her
sidelong. “Is that why you left?”
“I couldn’t hide what I am.”
“Adelyn—”
“I don’t mean just the hair.” She wrapped her arms around
herself. Even the serpents seemed to coil protectively tighter. “By leading the
imp to the valley, I wrecked Vaile’s refuge. I only wanted to save myself, but
you saved me instead. I might as well have been a snake without hands I was so
useless. You showed me how to use my hands—to touch, to make, to hold—and I
wanted to show you...” She caught her breath.
Slowly, he spun on his boot heel to face her. More slowly yet,
avoiding the serpents, he raised his hands to frame her face. Under his
fingertips, the scales at her temples were silky-smooth, like polished stone but
yielding.
“Adelyn.” He waited until she raised her green gaze to his,
more shy than he had ever seen her. “You said not everything phae is fake. This—” He took a step closer to her, his
heart pounding with the boot-fall. “This thing between us is real. And I’m going
to hold onto it no matter what it looks like, not matter what you look like.”
He leaned down to kiss her.
Her lips parted beneath his on a soft sigh, a sigh echoed by
dozens of tiny tongues flickering around him. He closed his eyes—it would take
him a couple kisses to get used to this—but not seeing only intensified the
pleasure of having her mouth under his, the curves of her body under his
hands.
“So,” he murmured against her mouth. “Tell me about Medusa who
turned all the Greek warriors into rock.”
“The Greeks got her name confused, but I suppose even musetta can have an uninspired day.”
“You rock me. Part of me anyway.” He traced his way from her
face, down her shoulders, over her breasts, to settle on her hips and pull her
close so that she could feel the hard truth, his truth. “I want you. I want you
more than I’ve ever wanted anything.”
“Do you want badly enough to get us out of here?” She met his
gaze when he opened his eyes. “You are a smith at heart, Josh. You could command
these doors.”
He shook his head. “Command the doors how? With magic?” He took
a step backward. “I’m not like you. I’m just a...cowboy.”
She followed, edging him toward the locked gate. “You stepped
into the circle without hesitating. You said my name and found me. There is
magic in your heart, Josh Reimer, should you desire it. What do you want?”
He stood his ground. “You. I want you. Back in my valley, back
in my bed.”
She took one more step that brought her into his arms again. “I
want to be there.” She kissed him. “Now let me inspire you.”
Her hands went to the fly of his jeans.
His brows shot up. “Whoa! Here? Now?”
She smiled up at him. “What better time?” But her hands stilled
on his belt. “Think how you would have me do it, Josh. Imagine how the buckle
comes apart. Dream how the edges unseal to release your