Page 57 of Phoenix Falling
“It is.”
So he agreed with me. Ironic.
“A really bad idea.”
“Yeah.”
With a firm squeeze of my thigh, he got out of the car. My skin felt chilled where he’d been touching me, but it warmed in anticipation as he rounded the hood. Stepped up to my door. Pulled it open.
“Coming?”
“I hope the hell so.” Apparently edging made me testy. Who knew?
Sun chuckled behind me as he followed me to the door.
We climbed the steps to the porch of what looked like a traditional log cabin. It even had a tin roof. A glance around told me we were firmly in the country, with woods as far as the eye could see. Clouds obscured what little light the moon and stars had provided before.
Sun inserted his key into the lock, twisted it, then paused with his hand on the doorknob.
“You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to, Rissa.”
But I did want to. I wanted sex with Sun, and I wanted it tonight. Was it really all that different to make love to a vampire or a shape-shifter? Both seemed to be an equally bad option. But then again, I wasn’t exactly known for the best decisions. Look at Arik, my one and only lover.
Squaring my shoulders, I stared up into Sun’s glowing eyes. “I want you.”
From the wolfish grin that appeared, I would have pegged him as a werewolf if I hadn’t seen him change already. “I want you too.” He pushed open the door, inviting me inside.
“I’m thinking you already made that pretty clear,” I said.
“I hope the hell so.”
I chuckled as I walked inside. Sun followed me, the closing of the door cutting off any light. I stopped in the middle of whatever room I’d entered, waiting. With no more than a couple of warning steps, Sun scooped me off the floor, and by the time I got my arms around his neck, we were striding toward somewhere I couldn’t see. Hopefully somewhere with a bed.
When he set me down, it was next to a piece of furniture with a soft top, so I was guessing I’d gotten my wish. Sun disappeared, and a moment later a lamp across the room turned on, revealing a darkly masculine room, minimal furniture—and what looked like a California king or bigger, covered in a thick navy-blue velvet comforter. Thankful for the light, I ran a hand over the soft material. “Nice.”
“Take off your clothes, Rissa.”
I jerked my gaze up to meet Sun’s across the room, my own narrowing. “What?”
“Take off your clothes.”
Okay, I might be Rissa here and now, but even as Rissa, I wasn’t about to get bossed around. Nor was I going to settle for less than I deserved from Sun. I wasn’t his stripper, I was his—
I cut that thought off.
Planting my fist on my hip, I squared off with the man—vampire, phoenix, shape-shifter, or whatever the hell he was. “This isn’t a show.”
He chuckled, the sound strained. “No, it isn’t. But I’m afraid if I get my hands on your clothes, they might not survive the process of coming off.”
Oh. Well, when he put it that way…
My fingers went to the waist of my tee, but I couldn’t bring myself to pull it up. I tangled the material in my fists. “This would be a lot easier if you weren’t standing across the room staring at me like you’re still angry.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, hiding the silver light, and when they reopened, the look he gave me was much softer, easier. Maybe even a little amused. “My girl isn’t shy, is she?”
I watched as he started back across the room toward me. “Not shy,” I admitted, “but not into having sex with assholes either.”
“Then you definitely don’t want me.”
