Page 80 of Sealed By Fire (The Nature Hunters Academy 2)

“Mm-hmm,” she said with a head-bobbing nod she was sure made her look like a bobblehead.

He chuckled as his eyes began to swirl with red and yellow flames.

Shelly tried not to hold her breath because she didn’t want to pass out, not when she was getting her first kiss from Ra—a freaking heir to the Egyptian kingdom, fire elementalist badass, and all-round sexy beast. If she passed out because she couldn’t breathe, she’d kick her own ass … multiple times.

He leaned his head down slowly, and she forced herself to not rise up on her toes and meet him halfway. She wanted him to pursue her. There was something intoxicating about a man pursuing a woman because he wants her badly enough to risk rejection. A man who knew what he wanted and wasn’t afraid to go after it. That was what she’d read about in her books and hoped she’d one day have. And here he was, holding her tightly, staring at her tenderly, and no doubt about to rock her ever-loving world.

His lips were a hair’s breadth from hers when he was suddenly gone.

Her arms, that had been wrapped around his neck, now held empty air. Her body, that had been wrapped tightly in his arms and pressed deliciously against his firm form, was now held by nothing.

“Time’s up,” a deep, smooth-as-silk voice said from behind Shelly.

15

“Oh come on!” Shelly bellowed and stomped her feet like a three-year-old as her hands fisted and fell to her sides. She knew she probably looked ridiculous but damn if she cared. He’d been right there. His lips had been so freaking close she could practically taste them.

She had no idea how long it took to compose herself, but once she stopped growling like a feral beast, she gulped several deep breaths and closed her eyes. No matter how badly you want to kill Osiris, you can’t, she thought to herself. Not because you won’t, but because you literally can’t, Shelly. He’s the lord of the freaking underworld. So, get a grip before you get your ass fried by the devil himself.

Finally, when she was pretty sure she wouldn’t slap Satan—because that would be unwise, and she sort of prided herself on being wise on occasion—she turned to face him. Her breath caught for a second because, truthfully, he was beautiful. And if Ra hadn’t already stolen her heart, and the man before her wasn’t the lord of hell, she might have been tempted to fall for him.

“I’m sorry to interrupt,” he began.

“No, you’re not,” Shelly cut him off. “You’re lying. Though I shouldn’t be surprised. It’s sort of your thing, right?”

He smirked at her. “Just because I’m the lord of the underworld doesn’t mean I can’t be truthful. But alas, yes, I am lying. I’m not a bit sorry that I interrupted what was about to happen.”

She looked around, realizing for the first time she wasn’t in the same room she’d been in with Ra. Now, she stood in a field surrounded by wildflowers. “I was going to say that hell must have frozen over because Lucifer is being honest, but I’m pretty sure hell has no flowers, so I don’t really know.”

“I want to show you what I can offer you that the boy cannot,” he said. His eyes flashed with something dark when he mentioned Ra.

Shelly got the feeling that Osiris finding her nearly lip-locked with his competition was not something he’d expected. He clearly didn’t know how off-the-charts teenage hormones were. Not that Ra was a teenager, but he was a young, healthy, virile male who obviously was attracted to her. And shewasa teenager, one who had been denied any sort of male attention and suddenly had the focus of one that was H-O-T, hot as hell.

“All right then,” Shelly said and shrugged. “Let’s get this over with.”

He sighed as if annoyed with her. “I’m glad to see you are so excited.”

“I don’t do fake,” she said as he walked toward her. “If you want a chick who is going to tell you what you want to hear, then you’ve got the wrong girl. I do brutal honesty. No holds barred. Tell it like it is, even if it leaves you a whimpering, rocking ball of brokenness. This is me.” She pointed to herself. “If you can’t handle the heat, then you need to get out of the kitchen. Which now I realize sounds kind of stupid because, you know, you’re from hell and all.”

He stopped a couple of feet from her and leveled a stare so full of smoulder that Shelly couldn’t help but blush. Apparently, her little speech had not deterred him.

“You’re perfect to rule at my side,” he said softly. “You will make an incredible queen.”

“And you’re awfully sure of yourself there, bud.” She folded her arms in front of her and popped a hip out as she gave him her own stare, one entirely devoid of heat. It did, however, hold a dash of annoyance and a whole lot of “let’s get this over with so I can go lip-lock with my Pharaoh boy toy.” Okay, so he wasn’treallyher boy toy, but maybe he would be into role play. She mentally smacked herself.Did I seriously just think that?Bloody hell, I need to lay off the romance novels.

Osiris held out his hand to her, and she tried hard not to look at it like it was a serpent about to strike. She failed.

“I’m not going to bite you,” he huffed, “unless you want me to. Let me assure you, you would thoroughly enjoy it.”

She rolled her eyes and took his hand. Standing around verbally sparring with him seemed to be turning him on. Go figure. The devil liked it rough, even verbally. Ugh.

“I have to be touching you to travel with you,” he explained. She could tell by his tone of voice he was not used to having to explain himself.

“Fabulous,” she said. “Where are we going?”

Osiris grinned wickedly, and then she was engulfed in darkness. When the lights came back on, she stood atop a mountain, looking out at the most beautiful landscape she’d ever seen. A crisp wind blew her hair back, and the smell of flowers, earth, and trees filled her nose. It was majestic. “Where are we?”

“Ireland,” Osiris said.

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