“Sullivan?”
“What?”
She switched tactics and gave him her most persuasive smile. “Trust me.”
“…shit.” This time it was a sigh. He stared at her face for a beat and she saw him give into fate. “I don’t trust anyone.” He murmured, but he dipped his head to hers.
It wasn’t exactly surrender, but it would do.
Teja went up on tiptoe to meet his kiss. God, he tasted good. His lips traced over hers, soft and slow and right. The Phazing energy grew bigger and her sense of urgency got tighter. Now that they were on the right track she was desperate to keep the momentum going.
Teja broke away from the kiss so she could focus on getting him naked. “We need to hurry.” There was still a chance he might change his mind and it would kill her. In an effort to move things along, she yanked at his jacket, trying to work it down his arms. “Faster is better.”
Once they’d Phazed, everything would be settled and Sullivan would officially belong to her. The sooner that happened, the safer she’d feel. If she was stuck with a Match who was almost making her feel things, she at least wanted him stuck with her, too.
“No.” Sullivan touched her breast reverently and her whole system jolted.
“No?” Teja’s nipples got tighter as he stared down at her, but she still managed a scowl. “Damn it, if you’re trying to back out…”
“No, I mean we don’t have to go faster. If we go faster, it’ll be over sooner and that’s the last thing I want.” His palm caressed her like she was made of butterflies and crystal flowers. “I want this to be right.” He leaned down to kiss her, again. “Everything always feels so right with you, Teja.”
And Teja was lost.
Sullivan, the weak, delicate human, was in complete control of their Phazing. He could do whatever he wanted, just so he kept his large, callused palms on her. No one touched Teja. The Fire House had never been big on casual hugs and Teja liked to keep a healthy distance between herself and the people around her. It was safer that way. But, right now, she couldn’t focus enough to remember how dangerous feelings could be.
Teja’s blood thickened and slowed in her veins. Sullivan was caressing her everywhere, tracing the curves of her body like a sculptor. He made a soothing sort of noise, as his hand found the waistband of her panties and pushed them down. His hand found the core of her and Teja melted.
She dropped her head so it rested against his shoulder. The Phazing energy threatened to overwhelm her. His jacket was forgotten. She just held onto the fabric and sighed. “You’re right.” She whispered. “Take your time.”
“Thank you.” Sullivan deadpanned and Teja felt his lips brush her temple. The man’s dry sense of humor appeared at the oddest times.
She tilted her face around so she could meet his eyes. Wood Phase brown gaze locked onto hers and Teja felt like Sullivan could see right into her soul. …Except there was nothing inside of her that Teja wanted him to understand.
He was so gentle, and young, and from a House of noble guardians. If Teja was the kind of good person that he was, she’d let him go and find a better Match. He could have someone who wasn’t so broken. Someone who could give him all the things he deserved.
Teja tried to look away, but Sullivan wouldn’t let her. He moved his head, so his eyes stayed on hers.
“Okay?” He asked.
“Are you sure about this?” Fire Phases didn’t give their Matches a chance to escape, but Teja couldn’t help herself. “You can have anyone, Sullivan. It’s true.” She insisted when he looked ready to argue the point. “Any unattached Elemental woman in the universe would come here and trade places with me, no questions asked. You know that. They’ve been propositioning you for months.”
He gave a shrug. “I don’t want anyone else. I want you.” He kept his attention on her face. “Are you sure, Teja? Last time we tried this, you panicked and I didn’t see you for weeks.”
“I didn’t panic.” She muttered. “Fire Phases don’t panic. I was just… concerned. I haven’t done this in a while and it was never this important.”
The few times she had been with a man, she’d been younger and looking for her Match. She’d hoped that if they tried Phazing, it might work and everything would snap into place for her. That maybe she’d find where she really belonged.
She must’ve been an idiot.
Now, that Teja had Sullivan she saw it so clearly. When someone was your Match, you just knew it. All the Fire Phases knew their Match when the saw them and she’d been kidding herself to think differently. It wasn’t something you could force because you were lonely. She’d been waiting for Sullivan and not even realizing it.
“Fire Phase or not, you panicked.” Sullivan corrected. “Are you sure you’re sure, this time? Because we can wait.”
“Rule twenty-three of being a Fire Phase: ‘Waiting is overrated.’” Teja refocused on getting Sullivan’s clothes off. She’d given him a chance to run and now he was hers. “We’re doing this.” She decided, loving the feel of his body so close to hers. “In fact, I should have kidnapped you sooner.”
Sullivan grinned. It was the first full smile she’d ever seen from him and it lit up his whole face. “Well, I haven’t been resisting you real hard, darlin’.” His hand found the periwinkle streak at her temple, so it curled around his thumb. “I really love this blue. I fantasize about it all day, every day.”
The colored Elemental stripe was more sensitive than the rest of a Phase’s hair. Teja’s breath caught, an electrical current jolting through every nerve ending in her body. “Yes.” She made a whimpering sound. “God. Forget about the bedroom. I can’t wait that long.” She shoved him down onto the ugly couch, sending tasteful pillows scattering. “Oh and before I forget, I really hate your house.” She pulled his belt free. “We have to do something about the furnishings.”
Since he’d be moving into the Fire Kingdom, this whole place would have to go. She wasn’t about to let her Match live here unprotected and not even humans would buy someplace this bland. He needed to spruce things up before it sold. Like maybe with some dragons or black paint. Or --hell-- they could just give it away. It wasn’t like human money was good for anything.
“I’ll let you write ‘Redrum’ all over the walls. Just so you’re here, Teja.”
Teja’s arousal went even higher as he flipped her around so she was beneath him. The hideous couch fabric somehow felt erotic against her back. Everything seemed erotic with Sullivan. “Okay, so we’ve gone slow for long enough. Now, we can go faster, right?”
“I knew you weren’t gonna let me set the pace for long.” Sullivan sat up to yank his jacket off. His hands were so tender when they touched her, but they impatiently ripped at his clothes. The khaki fabric hit the floor with half the sleeve ripped off. His powers were trying to get free, adding to his strength. Sullivan stared down at her for a beat and then gave his head a slow shake. “I feel… The energy is growing. It’s...” He trailed off.
“I know. Phazing’s always like that.”
Sullivan snorted. “If this is normal, then I must be dating the wrong girls.”
“No kidding they were the wrong girls.” She frowned in annoyance, already plotting to kill every other woman her Match had even looked at. “What were their names?”
“Darlin’, I don’t remember anyone but you.” He pulled his shirt off over his head, not bothering to unbutton it, and kicked off his shoes. “Have I mentioned that you’re beautiful? Or is it breaking the no-personal-stuff rules to keep saying that?”
It probably was, but Teja didn’t care. “Just start hurrying, Sheriff.”
“I told you, I want to go slow, so it’ll last.”
“Well, I’m not gonna last if you keep it up.” Teja attacked the fastening of his pants. “Typical that I get the most contrary Match in the world. I should ask you to go slower, so you’ll speed up.”
“I thought you were about issuing order and not asking permission.” Stil
l, he didn’t move as she fumbled with the zipper of his jeans. Her fingers brushed against him and his eyes closed with pleasure. “This is the strangest day of my life.”
“I wish I could say that, but you’ve met my family. Once, they accidently set Chicago on fire.”
That momentarily got his attention. “Your family stared the Great Chicago Fire?”
“Well, to hear them tell it, a cow set them up.” She rolled her eyes. “They blame that cow for everything, I swear to God. I keep telling them the damn thing’s been dead for a hundred years, but they won’t let it go. I seriously have to hear about this evil cow all the time.”
Sullivan’s mouth curved. “I shouldn’t find that funny, should I?”
“No, you shouldn’t. They drive me insane. We should just let them get Banished and save ourselves the headache.”
He actually laughed at her grumbling. His happiness somehow shifted her desire to an even higher gear. She was going to lose her mind if she couldn’t get him inside of her soon.
“Teja, every minute I’m with you --even the weird ones-- is so magical…” He trailed off with a bemused expression. “You’re just awesome. In the ‘inspiring of awe’ sense of the word.”
“I know.” She got Sullivan’s pants unfastened and slipped her hand inside of them. He felt so good. So warm and firm.
“Oh fuck.” Sullivan jerked in her grasp and she grinned.
The Phazing energy was going to explode. The Fire and Cold powers Teja held would get loose and meet Sullivan’s Wood energy at any moment. It was the culmination of Phazing. Teja had the belated realization that Sullivan wouldn’t understand it, though.
“Sullivan, when I tell you, you have to do something, okay?”
“Okay.” Sullivan drew out the word like a prayer. “Right. Anything. Hang on.” Two second later, he was finally stripping off his pants. “Now, we can start hurrying. I…” He hesitated and then swore. “Fuck. Wait.” He grabbed his pants again, fishing in the pockets for his wallet. “Condom. I’d better fucking have it.”
Teja ignored that. “When I tell you to, you have to release your energy. It’s dormant inside of you and when it hits mine, you’ll feel it wake up. I’m sure of it.”
“I already feel energy.” He muttered. “I feel like there’s a damn lightning storm… Oh, thank Christ.” He held up a condom triumphantly. “Do these things have expiration dates?”
“I don’t know.” She didn’t think they even worked with Elementals. “Look, the full Phazing energy is bigger.” She ran a hand over the width of his chest, because she couldn’t help herself. Sullivan was the awesome one. “You’ll understand when it happens and then you have to drop the barriers and release your powers. It should be instinctive. Don’t fight it.”
Sullivan ripped open the condom and nodded vaguely while he put it on. “Right.” He edged Teja back onto the sofa cushions. “Energy and release. Absolutely.”
“No argument for once?” Teja kissed his scarred cheek, loving the feel of it under her mouth. “Good boy, human!”
“Funny.” Sullivan body covered hers, pressing her into the pillows.
Teja’s control weakened even more. Her breathing got ragged and she parted her legs so Sullivan could fit between them. His palm traveled up the inside of her thigh and Teja jolted. The Fire and Cold energy slipped out in a brief pulse.
“Oh… God.” Sullivan’s eyes went blank with pleasure as her powers hit against him. “Jesus.” He was still noticeably careful when he touched her, but there was a new urgency as he caught her leg up and opened her wider. “Darlin’, whatever you just did… Do it again. And again. And again.”
Teja would have laughed if she still had emotions. Or if she wasn’t struggling just to breathe. “I’m not going to be able to hold it back much longer.” She warned. “You sure you’re ready?”
Sullivan made a scoffing sound and stroked her breast, again. “Christ, yes I’m sure.” He moved forward so he was right at the entrance to her body. “Are you sure that you’re ready, though.” He really was a born protector. “You sure that you’re still… sure?”
Teja answered the question in the most effective way possible.
She released her energy.
Fire and Cold powers flowed between them, free and incendiary. Teja could have sworn she saw the power slam into Sullivan’s. Bright and twirling, it washed over them. There was a throb of pure pleasure deep inside of her. It was perfect. Better than anything she’d ever felt.
But, Sullivan had to let go, too.
Damn it, he had to release his own powers so they could complete the Phazing.
“Holy fuck!” Sullivan bellowed. He pushed inside of her, as if he couldn’t help himself. One hand found the streak at her temple again, fisting in her curls. “Oh Jesus.” His body slid into her as far as he could go. “Teja.” He squeezed his eyes shut and began to move in and out. Faster and faster.
Teja’s head fell back in ecstasy. This was what she’d been waiting for all her life. This sense of connection and rightness. Of belonging. It was amazing. Sullivan Pryce, the chief skeptic of all things Elemental, was magic. In that moment, it was all so clear to her.
“Sullivan, you have to drop your barriers!” She cried, arching to meet his thrusts. “Please. Do it now. Please.”
Dazed brown eyes opened to meet hers. “How?”
Teja tried to think, but she had no idea how she could explain it to him. It just happened, the same way your heartbeat and your breath went in and out. Not even the strongest Phases could hold back their Phazing energy when they’d gone this far, so Sullivan should have already been releasing his. She knew he had enough power to combine with hers. She could feel it. He just wasn’t letting it free.
Shit.
“Sullivan!” Goddamn it, she was so close. She wouldn’t be able to hang on for much longer. What was going on? Had she somehow misinterpreted their bond or was he doing something to stop the Phazing? He was a human. Maybe he had to choose…
Before Teja could figure it out, her body exploded. She couldn’t stop the orgasm from ripping through her, sending her system into complete meltdown.
Sullivan was right behind her, his stunned eyes locking on hers as he came.
Intimate.
It was too intimate to have him watching at her like that. He could see too much.
Teja knew she should look away… But she didn’t. Not even when Sullivan bent his head so he could kiss her again, his gaze still meeting hers. “Thank you.” He sounded awed.
Teja almost felt an emotion.
And it almost felt like huge, world-changing, never-getting-free-of-this-man love.
Only that would be the stupidest thing she could ever possibly feel. Because they hadn’t Phazed. Sullivan’s energy hadn’t reached out to grab hers, even though it should’ve been a biological imperative. There was no way he could’ve resisted the pull of the Phazing energy. Not if his powers had felt the full force of it like hers had.
Which meant that Sullivan Pryce might be Teja’s Match… but she clearly wasn’t his.
Chapter Twelve
There is little of human interest in a storm; it is an absorbing element. You may see flame and smoke, and hurrying men, and human passion at a great conflagration; but they are all earthly and nothing more.
Haskell’s Account of the Battle of Gettysburg
Christmas Morning
“You want some…? Uh…” Sullivan stared inside his refrigerator, hopelessly hoping that something edible would magically appear behind the jar of mustard and the carton of expired milk. As usual, magic was missing in action, so he had to make do. “Some --uh-- cookie dough?”
His cousin Melanie had brought over tons of the stuff when they’d trimmed the tree. Christmas cookies and decorating went hand-in-hand, but it was kind of a stretch for a breakfast food. Sullivan didn’t have many other options, though.
He held it up so Teja could see the tube over the edge of the door. “It’s chocola
te chip.”
She didn’t even look his way. “I’m fine.”
Since they’d gotten up that morning, Teja had been even moodier than usual. Call it a wild guess, but Sullivan was betting that she regretted sleeping with him.
Huge fucking shock.
He could’ve told her it was a mistake. In fact, he had told her. It pissed him off that he’d somehow disappointed her, but he wasn’t surprised. He’d suspected from the beginning that Teja had wanted some mysterious, unexplained, Cult-y something from sex and that she wouldn’t find it with him. How could she, when he was just a human? Sullivan had known that everything would go bad as soon as they tried the “Phazing” thing and she realized he wasn’t an Elemental. He should have worked harder to resist temptation.
But, Jesus, it had been incredible.
Sullivan shook his head and tossed the leftover cookie dough back into the empty fridge. “Alright, look,” he walked through the archway and into the dining room to join her, “do you want to --like-- talk about it?”
Teja was standing in front of the bookcase, staring at the stacks of comic books on the shelves. “There’s nothing to talk about.” She said quietly.
“Is that some kind of girl-code that means I fucked up?”
“No. It means that I already know what I have to do, so there’s no sense in dragging it out.” She pulled free a well-worn graphic novel, flipping through the pages. “This is the only piece of you in this whole house.” She murmured. “Everything else you hide.”
Sullivan shifted uncomfortably. His house looked bland because he’d never cared about it enough to decorate. It wasn’t where he belonged. On some level, he’d always known that.
“I grew up reading about superheroes.” He muttered, wanting to talk about something else. His gaze skimmed over the haphazard piles of Batman, Green Lantern, Thor, and Ghost Rider. “I should sell these. They’re probably worth a fortune.”
“Except you won’t.” Teja said and she was right. “What do you like about them?”
I want to believe in magic and they’re as close as I can get.
Magic of the Wood House Page 14