Stone Cold Seduction

by Jess Macallan

  “I’m a phoenix, Elle. I can be reborn from the ashes. And I can control fire.” His voice was lower, and it crackled. I’d just killed him, but I was listening to his voice crackle like fire.

  This was insane. I’d just turned a man to fire, then ash, and now he was standing here on fire again?

  I scrambled to my feet and moved between the two who wanted to fight. I pushed Jax while Teryl tried to move MacLean.

  “What is wrong with you two?” I demanded.

  Jax let me back him to the wall, and then I turned around. “Teryl, please tell me what happened.”

  Teryl was watching MacLean warily. “You shifted him.”

  “Yeah, I got that part. Is that a typical shadow elf thing?”

  “No,” Jax conceded in a reluctant tone. “It is not.”

  Teryl was frowning. “He’s right. It’s not typical at all.”

  “It is, if she’s a light elf.” MacLean smiled lazily, as if he were enjoying the whole conversation. How could he be smiling?

  “Didn’t that hurt?” I couldn’t imagine that burning and then coming back from the ash was a pleasant process.

  “No, I do it all the time. Never quite like that before, though. Historically, light elves occasionally had the ability to shift a phoenix, but I’ve never met someone who could do it.”

  “I thought that ability died out a few generations ago. Didn’t it?” This from Teryl, who was staring at me in confusion.

  I didn’t know why he was looking at me. I couldn’t explain any of it, nor was I about to try.

  “It did die out,” MacLean replied. “No one has shown any sign of it for about sixty years, that we know of.”

  “The phoenix needs to leave. Now.” Jax kept his voice low and deadly.

  MacLean shrugged, apparently unconcerned with the threat in Jax’s voice. “The only other person who could do it is a mate. You’re delaying the inevitable, Jax, but I’ll leave. If that’s what Elle wants.”

  I had had enough. The tension and testosterone in the break room was giving me a serious stomach ache. “I think that would be best.”

  He shrugged again and tipped his head to me. “I’ll be back. We’ll talk more in a few days.” And then he strolled out, heading for the shop’s front door, a confident and oddly triumphant look on his face.

  I released the breath I was holding.

  “I’ll just…” Teryl gestured after MacLean, then darted out of the break room.

  I double-checked the floor where MacLean had stood. Where I had turned him to ash. Light elves and mates? Like I needed one more twist to the increasingly bizarre story that was my life. Besides, I still had one big issue to deal with. Jax and I needed to have a talk about claims and mates and not going over-protective, attack-gargoyle in my shop, ever again.

  “Look,” I started, but he grabbed my arm and strode to the door, towing me behind him. Teryl was about to lock the front door, and he looked up in surprise as I stumbled through.

  “Teryl, show yourself out,” Jax ordered, as he led us to the back door leading to my apartment.

  “Uh, you okay?” Teryl called out.

  I dug my heels in, and Jax stopped. I wasn’t under any delusion that I was strong enough to stop him. He was just being cooperative at the moment, and I knew it. I tried to tug my arm back. He held fast.

  Refusing to engage in a childish tug of war, I turned my head to face Teryl. “Let’s talk later, okay? I need to think on all of this, but I’ll be fine.”

  “Are you sure? I can stay—”

  “I’m fine Teryl, really. Jax and I need to get a few things straightened out.”

  “Okay. Call me if you need me. For anything.” Teryl gave Jax one last look and then left.

  I turned back to Jax when I heard the soft click of the front door locking. “Okay, what is your prob—”

  My words were cut off when his lips covered mine. I wasn’t prepared for the hot, possessive feel of his mouth. A low noise rumbled in his throat as he pressed me back against the wall.

  I had no idea what I’d been about to say. I was only aware of Jax.

  Oh, he tasted good. Heat wound its way up my spine as his mouth worked magic. The man could kiss. Firm lips, the perfect amount of pressure, and his tongue… his tongue stroked and explored with such skill, my whole body softened. I felt Jax shudder. He pulled back and leaned his forehead against mine.

  “Elle.” There was a command and a plea in his deep, dark voice. “You are my true mate.”

  My lips were still tingling, and my brain was fuzzy. “I’m not sure what that means.”

  He didn’t answer, but instead pressed a kiss to my temple. And another to my cheek. Slowly, he nuzzled his way to my neck. I let my head drop to one side, giving him better access.

  He whispered his approval, and lightly nipped at my neck. “It is a connection between souls. A bond determined by fate. I will show you what it means.”

  His lips and tongue were doing a slow, erotic dance along the oh-so-sensitive skin down my neck, and coherent thought was impossible. He could show me whatever he wanted, as long as he didn’t stop.

  I sighed, and Jax took that as acceptance. Before I knew what he was going to do, he’d scooped me up and was halfway up the stairs.

  “Jax!” I yelped.

  He stopped, but his muscles were vibrating with energy. He waited until he had my full attention before repeating, “I will show you. We are mates, connected in ways you and the phoenix will never be.”

  His silver eyes were bright and intense. I could admit to having had many, many fantasies where he’d carried me upstairs, and all sorts of amazing things had happened. But this was real. And he was dead serious. It scared me, thrilled me, and seriously confused me.

  The experience with MacLean had been just as real, although not nearly as enjoyable. And I knew that meant something. I just didn’t know what.

  When I didn’t respond, he lowered my feet to the floor and pressed me up against the wall in the narrow stairwell. His eyes held mine as he leaned close. “I will show you, so there are no doubts.”

  Then he kissed me again, and this time, he held nothing back. Possession, need, and barely leashed control. Jax’s mouth told me more than words ever could. He leaned against me so our bodies were in full contact. His erection was hot and hard against the junction at my thighs, and I moaned against his lips.

  Our tongues stroked and teased, and I wanted more of him. Need burned through me. His taste, his touch, drowned out my worries. His scent surrounded me. He smelled crisp and clean. Like a sunny, winter day. But the heat he created inside me was intense. Just like the man himself.

  Even so, Jax made me feel safe.

  He lifted me and wrapped my thighs around his waist, so I was straddling him. “I need you, Elle,” he rumbled against my lips. The vibrations sent delicious sensation all the way down to my toes.

  “Yes,” I whispered. I didn’t know if he was asking for permission, but I couldn’t have refused him. No matter how tumultuous my life was, I knew there was something about Jax that seemed…right. I’d known it from the day he’d walked into my shop.

  He took the stairs two at a time. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and buried my face in the curve between his neck and shoulder. My lips teased the corded muscle as he opened my apartment door. The door shut behind us. I nibbled my way up to his ear, and I felt him twitch and laugh softly.

  “What? Why are you laughing?”

  His eyes were still glowing silver, but he had an adorable, crooked smile. “You make me happy, mate.”

  There was that word again. Mate. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. It sounded serious. And permanent. I couldn’t make those kinds of plans; I didn’t know what crazy things tomorrow might bring. I opened my mouth to voice my concern, but Jax put a finger to my lips. “Don’t think. Let me show you.”

  He walked back to my tiny bedroom and set me gently on the burgundy bedspread.

  My mouth went dry when he u
nzipped his jeans and pushed them down. Stone or not, the man was incredible. I greedily stared at his dark chest hair, following the happy trail down to his erection. Concerns vanished as I gaped at him.

  He was large. Very large.

  He knelt on the floor by the bed and cupped my cheek. “We were made for one another. We’ll fit perfectly together.”

  My heart stuttered a bit. He didn’t say much, but when he did, he said exactly the right thing.

  Jax tugged on the hem of my shirt. I obliged and lifted my arms so he could pull it off. I settled back against the covers, and lifted my hips. He took his time unbuttoning and unzipping my jeans. I tried to help and push them down, but he grabbed my hands and placed them above my head.

  “Let me.” His eyes held me immobile. Desire—and something else—simmered in his gaze.

  I nodded slowly. I’d hold still if it killed me.

  Inch by agonizing inch, he pulled the jeans down. His gaze was hot on my legs. The denim landed in a heap in the corner of my room, and I felt his hand slide up the length of my left leg. He snagged the side of my panties and tugged lightly.

  “Soft,” he murmured, his voice even deeper than usual.

  I didn’t know if he was talking about me or the fabric. I didn’t care. I made fists and pressed them into the mattress. He wanted to undress me, so I’d let him. I sucked in a breath when he ran his finger along the waistband, just below my navel.

  “Jax,” I gasped. It was a gentle touch, but with my heightened awareness, I felt it throughout my entire body.

  He ignored me and continued his exploration and feather-light touch. He traced his finger along the waistband once more, then down along the side, dipping at the curve of my hip. Leaning close, he softly pressed his lips there.

  The rough pads of his finger tips smoothed over my skin. I tried to hold still and didn’t dare breathe. His touch continued along my inner thigh. First the sweep of his finger, then a soft kiss. I closed my eyes.

  When his finger found my most sensitive spot through the material of the panties, my hips lifted, and I moaned.

  “Shh…little gem. Let me.”

  The endearment caught me off guard. I watched his face as he continued to lightly stroke me with his fingers. His jaw clenched, and his gaze was hungry. It was torture. It was wonderful. I grabbed fistfuls of covers and tried not to interfere. He increased the pressure so it was just…about…perfect, then stopped. He pulled the fabric down, then let my panties drop to the floor.

  I reached for him, but he stepped back, evading my hands. “I can’t. If you touch me…” He stopped and shook his head. “Not this time.”

  Understanding dawned as I watched his skin shift from flesh to stone. His control was slipping. I knew exactly how he felt. I wanted to touch him. To feel the difference between the soft skin and smooth stone.

  But I could wait.

  I sat up and unclasped my bra, dropping it off the side of the bed before he decided to tease me with it. His mouth twitched, but he didn’t say a word. I scooted back on the bed, giving him room.

  He knelt on the mattress between my legs and held me with his gaze. “You are mine.”

  I wasn’t about to argue at this point. Instead, I reached for him. Our lips met, and he settled over me.

  His erection was heavy against me. I shifted and wrapped my legs around him. I moaned when he settled more firmly against me. I wanted him inside. I needed to feel his skin against mine. I had dreamed of it often enough. And so far, everything about him had gone far beyond my expectations.

  I wanted this memory to hold onto. Somehow, I knew Jax would be my light at the end of the tunnel.

  He sucked in a sharp breath when I moved my hips. One large hand cupped my left hip, and he held me still. “Let me,” he repeated. His mouth moved to my neck and collarbone as his hips began to move in a slow, tantalizing rhythm. Still teasing.

  I slid my hands along his back, marveling at the smooth skin and solid muscle. He was back in control.

  “Jax, do you shift…ah…in the middle?”

  His hips stilled, and he lifted his head to look at me. “No. Unless you make me.” He smiled at my worried expression. “It’s not as bad as you think.”

  I was unconvinced, and he bent down again and continued his exploration of my skin. “I am as mobile in stone form as I am now,” he murmured against the top of my shoulder.

  “Mobile?” I swallowed hard.

  His soft laughter tickled my neck as his tongue traced a leisurely path to my ear lobe. “Don’t worry. Today is for you. For us.”

  Worries faded as his mouth and hips captured my full attention.

  “Say you are mine,” he whispered against my neck.

  I shivered at the delicious tingle it sent down my spine. I felt his hard length press closer, almost right where I wanted him. I was so ready for him. Every nerve ending in my body was on edge, waiting. “Jax!”

  “Say it,” he demanded, and his tongue flicked my nipple. I arched off the bed, and his mouth closed around me. Heat and pleasure spiraled through me. His tongued caressed the hard peak, making me cry out. His teeth closed gently on my nipple and pulled, and then he turned his attention to the other one. Just the sensation of his mouth on my skin was bringing me closer and closer to a climax.

  “I am, I’m yours,” I gasped. A small part of me was shocked to realize I meant it.

  One hard thrust, and he slid inside. He threw his head back and groaned. He was huge and hot and he felt so right. He filled me, and it was perfect, just like he’d said it would be.

  I shifted my hips, and he whispered, “Stop.” Slowly, he began to move. I closed my eyes and let sensation take over. His breath tickled as he kissed the skin at the base of my throat. His weight pressed me into the mattress as he found a steady rhythm. I could feel every inch of him.

  Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined how he would feel. How his lips would leave me craving more. How his low growls of appreciation would create an answering groan in my throat.

  My breath quickened as he began to move faster. Need grew, and the heat of him overwhelmed me. I bit down on his shoulder to keep from screaming as I climaxed. I felt the muscles in his shoulders bunch as he found release. His head was thrown back and his eyes were closed as he called my name. I memorized the look on his face. Sheer, unadulterated pleasure. Satisfaction.

  I felt the same way.

  His eyes opened, and he looked down at me. I smiled and brought my hands to his cheeks, drawing him to me. I kissed him, putting all of my emotion behind it. Things I wasn’t brave enough to say out loud. Things I’d been denying for the last few weeks.

  Moments later, when we parted for a breath, he rolled to my side and wrapped his arms around me. I was breathless and overwhelmed, and I couldn’t stop smiling. Jax pulled me close and kissed the top of my head. The gesture was sweet and unexpected. I placed one hand on his chest, feeling his heartbeat, strong and steady.

  For the first time that day, for a moment, things felt right.

  My eyes closed, and I realized how tired I was. I opened one eye, and checked the small alarm clock on my dresser. It was only one-thirty in the afternoon, but I felt like I’d put in a full day already. I sighed and relaxed against him. A crazy morning followed by great sex entitled me to a nap.

  He rubbed a hand along my back in a soothing gesture. “Sleep. I’ll watch over you.”

  Always so serious, and now stepping into the role of protector. But I believed him and…I trusted him. Jax was a man of his word. Dependable and steady. Like a rock.

  I smiled. Jax had some amazing hidden talents that had nothing to do with his alter ego. I snuggled closer and let my breath even out.

  His hand continued to massage my back. It was heaven. I could almost forget the morning. I trusted this man.

  Before sleep fully claimed me, I heard him say, “Elle Fredricks, you are mine. The fates have declared it. I will not let you go.”

  Chapter Five


  Waking up from a nap after sex is fabulous.

  I felt sated, I stretched luxuriously, and…I was alone. I dropped my head back onto the pillow, and stared at the ceiling. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. There was a definite twinge of disappointment. I also knew, in my heart, Jax wouldn’t go far. He wasn’t a one-night-stand kind of guy, and I wasn’t interested in that, either. I had no idea how this would all work out, but I was open to any possibilities.

  It was three o’clock, and I was tempted to stay in bed for another hour or two. It was Sunday, so I could. Maybe it would help to clear my head.

  I closed my eyes and exhaled. I remembered Jax’s words before I’d fallen asleep. He’d said the fates had declared I was his. But that didn’t make sense, because I didn’t know my fate. I didn’t think he did, either, or he would have said something. So how could the fates have “declared” it?

  Was it like a roll of the dice? Hope you roll the right numbers, or you’re screwed and lose everything? My biggest questions and hopes were riding on something that might prove to be just as disappointing or vague. Or worse. I pushed the thought of anything worse from my mind. I needed to get my fate before I made it into a bigger issue than it already was.

  A male voice drifted down the hallway.

  Surprise and pleasure curved my lips into a smile. Jax hadn’t left. When I realized there was more than one voice, my smile dimmed. The last twenty-four hours hadn’t been kind when it came to meeting new people. After another masculine murmur, I realized the second voice was Teryl’s. With a sigh, I pushed myself up and out of bed.

  Jax and Teryl could wait. I needed a shower, and a little time to regroup and prepare. Somehow.

  I walked down the hallway fifteen minutes later. A hot shower and comfy yoga clothes did wonders for my nerves. The guys were sitting in the living room. Teryl sprawled out on the couch, and Jax had folded his frame into the small side chair. My best friend and my…I wasn’t sure what to call Jax. Boyfriend seemed too juvenile. And “mate” was an odd phrase, at least to me. I could take his lead and just call him “mine.”