was only capable of when fighting. She was rewarded with a moan from Liam, and a “Damn woman” breathed out of him when he pulled back long enough to say it. But then he was right back on her, kissing the breath from her lungs. Her lungs weren’t complaining. At all.
“I’m not going to say this isn’t hot as hell. But then we are standing on a volcano so my words could be interpreted many ways.” Josie’s voice interrupted Gabby’s bliss and for a microsecond she considered shifting the hand that would direct the erupting lava toward the little female water elementalist. Bad Gabby. She forced herself to pull her lips from Liam. He tried to follow, but Gabby turned her face so that his mouth ended up on her neck. He wasn’t deterred in the least.
“Lia-ahhhh,” Gabby moaned when his teeth latched on to the tendon in her neck.
“It’s Liam, baby. Not Leah,” he whispered against her ear and then gave her neck one last kiss before stepping back. “I’m glad it’s you,” he said. “Wouldn’t want it to be anyone else. If you let anything happen to yourself, I’ll hurt a puppy or something.”
Gabby’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
He shrugged. “You seem like the self-sacrificing type. I don’t want to lose you, so I figure making sure I don’t kick a puppy will motivate you to stay alive.”
“I’m not sure if that’s disturbing or worrisome,” Josie said.
“Both?” Gabby offered.
“But also a little sweet,” Josie said.
“He said he’d kick a puppy,” Gabby pointed out.
“Yeah, but it’s because he doesn’t want anything to happen to you. See. Sweet.” Josie snapped at Liam and pointed to the river he’d made. “Let’s go, Casanova. Worry about kicking puppies only if your woman doesn’t show up at the bottom.”
He and Josie jogged a few feet, and then Liam turned around and started walking backward. Gabby watched him as he looked at her.
“I’ll totally do it, Gabs. I’ll kick a damn puppy if you die.”
Josie grabbed the back of his collar to keep him from tripping over a rock. But he just kept walking backward, staring at Gabby. Finally, she nodded at him. It must have been what he was waiting for because he blew her a kiss and then turned back around.
When they reached the river, Liam and Josie jumped down onto the murky water. Their feet rested on top, as if they were standing on solid ground. Then Liam flicked his wrist up, and the water rose and moved swiftly forward, carrying him and Josie away. He looked at Gabby, and she watched him until he was out of sight.
Gabby wanted to call him back. How was she going to know he was okay if she was at the top of the mountain and he was at the bottom? How would he know not to kick a damn puppy if she didn’t show up right away? What was the time frame on not kicking a puppy? Why didn’t he specify that shit? “Do-over,” she said suddenly. “I want a goodbye do-over.”
She heard Frost's laughter and turned her head to see the professor shaking with laughter and trying to keep from doubling over.
“Can I just say that you look like a bleeding idiot with your hands in the air, on a volatile volcano, laughing your head off,” Gabby snapped. The words were out before she could process the fact that she’d just spat them at a freaking teacher.
“Worrying about your man makes you mean,” Frost said, the smile still on her face.
“Uh, yeaaah, sorry about that,” Gabby said slowly. “Don't really know what got into me.”
“You’ll see him again, Gabby. And Josie won’t let him kick any puppies until then.”
Gabby let out a deep breath and nodded. “Got it.”
“Excellent. Now, let’s blow this mother.” Frost’s smile widened. “I’ve always wanted to say that.”
“Really? That phrase exactly?” Gabby asked.
Frost nodded and then motioned with her head to the mouth of the volcano, which was a good hundred yards above them. “Incoming! Brace yourself.”
Gabby bent her knees a little to help steady her feet just as the mountain gave a hard shake. Suddenly, fire erupted into the sky.
“Focus your power on the lava,” Frost yelled. “Just like you wield fire, Gabby, take it to the river Liam made.”
Gabby reached out for the lava shooting high into the air above the mountain and focused her power on it. She felt the moment she was in control of it. She began directing it, pulling it down toward the