and covered in ash. I would definitely need new sheets, and Hades would flip because I only slept on the most expensive sheets. Worth it.
I wrote my name in the ash on her belly. Mine. I was claiming her. She wouldn’t have any tattoos marking her as a phoenix mate, and I wouldn’t mark her if she didn’t want them, but she had a tiny little rose tattooed on her hip. Did someone else claim her?
“What is this?” I demanded, pressing my thumb into the offending rose.
“I celebrated a little too hard when I graduated and was officially a veterinarian. There was tequila involved. I don’t remember a damned thing about that night except showing up to the bar with a friend. We both woke up on my couch hungover as fuck with matching rose tattoos. She had hers removed, but I kind of liked it, so I kept mine.”
“This isn’t a mate mark?”
She just laughed.
“No, they did this with needle and ink, and I had to go get a hepatitis test afterward because I couldn’t remember if we went to a clean shop or not. What’s a mate mark?”
“We all have markings on our bodies when we are human. It was the Olympian's way of letting people know we were still monsters, even when we were wearing our human faces. We can pass them to our mates. You don’t have to.”
“I’d be honored to wear your marks if things work out, and I stay here. But I’d rather look at the fact that you’re totally naked and you just burned all my clothes off.”
I loved that she got right to the point. She didn’t expect me to read her mind. If she wanted something, she just told me. I was sure I’d eventually get punched in the face. Women loved punching me in the face.
I crawled on top of her, and she wrapped her legs around my waist. Her hands tangled in my hair.
“I want another kiss, Demos.”
“Gladly,” I said, claiming her mouth.
I don’t know who started it. We probably both did. I never did this with a woman because it would kill them. I’d long learned to control my fire when things were getting passionate. Something snapped in both of us. My body erupted in red flames just as she lit up with green flames. The bed instantly caught fire, but neither of us was stopping.
I was so worried about that green flame when I first saw it, but it felt like a gentle caress all over my body, and it mingled well with my fire. We were both long past the point of trying to rein it in. She raked her nails down my back and bit my lip.
“Fuck me, Demos,” she growled, digging her long nails in my shoulder.
I hoped those nails would dig into my flesh and draw blood. I didn’t hesitate. The room was filling with smoke, and I was pretty sure the curtains were now on fire. I drove into her, and she felt so hot around my cock. Her back arched, and there were those nails again.
I drove into her hard and fast. I imagined taking my time with her if she ever agreed to this, but we were making love like the fire that raged around us. Her fire was like a million fingers caressing my body, but her fingernails were bringing the pain I wanted.
I knew neither of us would last long, and we would be interrupted soon. Oh, and she was egging me on too. She had a filthy little mouth as she begged for it faster and harder. Her wet pussy was so hot. I was gritting my teeth and trying to think of anything but how good she felt because there was no way I was leaving her unsatisfied.
I felt that familiar tingling in the base of my spine, and I was just about ready to explode when I felt her clamp down on my cock, and she bit me. I let go, and there was a minor explosion of flames from both of us as we came. I’d never cum that hard with any woman before. As much as I loved it like this, we would have to find a way to do this without the fire.
Because we barely had a chance to come down from our orgasms when someone kicked the door down, and they set the hoses on us and everything else.
“She’d better be okay in there, Demos!” Kimon roared.
“Damnit, Demos, you’re paying for