Magic of the Wood House (The Elemental Phases Book 6) (15 page)

No
way was she going to suffer alone.

“I
think that’s the first time you’ve ever agreed with me.”  Sullivan mused.

“No,
it’s not.”

“Pretty
sure it is.”

“No,
it’s…”  Teja trailed off, realizing that she was just proving him right.  “Okay
fine.  So, things have been a little bumpy for us thus far.”

“This
is a
little
bumpy?  As I understand it, I’m going to be deported from
the galaxy, thanks to you.”

Teja
ignored that.  “But, you know, I can be a better Match than this.”  She gave a
determined nod.  “All this plotting and running for our lives… it’s not
typical.  You’re just catching me on a really bad day.”

“Alright.” 
Sullivan said.

Teja
wasn’t satisfied with his calm response.  “Usually, stuff doesn’t blow up
around me.”  She paused.  “I mean,
little
stuff does.  Granted.  Like
some appliances or tool sheds or bathrooms.  Maybe a train or two.  But, that’s
only to be expected with my family.”

“Alright.”

“A
whole palace never blew up before.”  Teja pressed.  “It’s a total aberration. 
Generally, I lead a very peaceful life.”

Sullivan’s
expression told her that he highly doubted it.  “Alright.”  He agreed anyway.

Teja’s
eyes narrowed, seeing his skepticism.  “Are you going to renounce me, because
of this?”  She demanded, automatically jumping to the worse case scenario. 
“You
are
, aren’t you?”  Why wouldn’t he?  Thus far, she’d offered
Sullivan very little except a price on his head.  That just pissed her off
more.  “One little manhunt and you’re going to run for the hills.  I can tell. 
Real
nice, Sheriff.”

“I’m
a police chief, not a sheriff.”

“Like
it matters.”  Teja waved that aside, all her attention focused on averting
disaster.  She could deal with jail breaks and bombs, but losing Sullivan would
be devastating.  Just thinking about it sent her froze emotions into turmoil. 
She
had
to stop him.  “It doesn’t matter
what
you’re planning. 
You
can’t
renounce me.”  She arched a smug brow.  “You’d need at least
three Council members for a quorum and they’ll probably arrest you on sight, so
you’re stuck with me.”

Sullivan
shrugged.  “I have no idea what ‘renouncing’ even means, so I’m probably not
going to do it today, anyway.”

Teja
hesitated.  “You don’t know what renouncing means?”

“Is
it like breaking up?  Do Elementals have to announce it when they switch
boyfriends or girlfriends or
Matches
or whatever?”

Teja
studied him, trying to translate that question.  “Switch Matches?”  She
repeated cautiously.  No one switched Matches any more than they switched
heads.

“Yeah. 
Do you need permission to start dating someone new?  Is that it?  Because
humans just text a break-up line and move on.  It’s a much easier system.”

Teja
blinked.  “You’re planning to renounce me without even
going
to the
Council?”  Her confusion gave way to anger.  “You’re planning to ‘switch’ me
for another woman with a
text
message?
  You can’t do that!  It’s
not even legal!”

“Because,
you care so much about the law.”  Sullivan scoffed.  “You should probably use
that argument on someone who isn’t currently being Clyde to your Bonnie.”  He
rolled his eyes.  “But, anyway,
no
.  I’m not planning to do anything…”

“Damn
right, you’re not.”  She interrupted, stalking towards him.

Enough
was enough.  Sullivan wasn’t going to leave her.  The emotions she couldn’t
feel all told her that she
belonged
with him.  She and the dumbass human
were in this mess
together
.  And there was one way to assure that he
didn’t slip away.

“Take
your pants off.  We’re settling this right now.”

He
was instantly on guard.  “I told you, I’m not going to fall for that trick. 
Whatever you’re plotting, just…”

Teja
cut him off, because she’d run out of patience for human-y paranoia.  “Fine.” 
She unbuttoned her letterman-style cardigan and dropped it onto the floor.  Giving
him time to think was definitely a bad idea.  Sullivan thought too much.  “I’ll
go first.”  Her top came off next.

Sullivan
swallowed.  “Damn it, you can’t…”

Teja
dropped her bra and Sullivan stopped talking so fast it was a wonder he didn’t
bite off his tongue.  His brown gaze traveled over her skin like he was
hypnotized.

“That’s
what I thought.”  Teja smirked at him.

“Why
are you doing this?”  Sullivan asked in a hoarse voice.  He was still looking
for a trap or some way to escape her.  Too bad for him
no one
escaped a
Fire Phase.

“Take
a wild guess as to my motivation, Sheriff.”  She kicked off her shoes.

“I
have no idea.  Very few women ask me to take off my clothes.”  He hesitated. 
“Well, not counting the insane stalkers, anyhow.”

Teja
really didn’t want to think about all the women trying to steal her Match.  “I
don’t recall
asking
you to strip.  It was more like an order.”  Her
hands went to the zipper of her jeans.  “Not that you’re paying attention.”

“Oh,
I’m paying extremely close attention, right now.”

“Good.” 
Teja tossed her pants aside.  Fire Phases didn’t do modesty, so she had no
problem standing there in nothing but her underwear.  Especially, when Sullivan
was staring at her hard enough to leave scorch marks.  “Which way’s your
bedroom?”

“Shit.” 
Her already-defeated-but-too-stubborn-to admit-it Match glowered down at her
for a beat, breathing hard.  “You don’t play fair.”

“I’m
from the Fire House.”  She arched a brow.  “Do you want me to put my clothes
back or do you want to Phaze?  Think hard, because there’s only one right
answer.”

“
Shit
.” 
Sullivan squeezed his eyes shut.  “I’m going to regret this.  I fucking know
it.”  He was trying to talk himself out of the inevitable.  “I
know
you aren’t
telling me things, and I
know
it’s a mistake to get attached to you, and
I
know
you are just…
such
a bad idea
.”

“Sullivan?”

“What?”

She
switched tactics and gave him her most persuasive smile.  “Trust me.”

“…shit.” 
This time it was a sigh.  He stared at her face for a beat and she saw him give
into fate.  “I don’t trust anyone.”  He murmured, but he dipped his head to
hers.

It
wasn’t exactly surrender, but it would do.

Teja
went up on tiptoe to meet his kiss.  God, he tasted good.  His lips traced over
hers, soft and slow and
right
.  The Phazing energy grew bigger and her
sense of urgency got tighter.  Now that they were on the right track she was
desperate to keep the momentum going.

Teja
broke away from the kiss so she could focus on getting him naked.  “We need to
hurry.”  There was still a chance he might change his mind and it would kill
her.  In an effort to move things along, she yanked at his jacket, trying to
work it down his arms.  “Faster is better.”

Once
they’d Phazed, everything would be settled and Sullivan would officially belong
to her.  The sooner that happened, the safer she’d feel.  If she was stuck with
a Match who was
almost
making her feel things, she at least wanted him
stuck with her, too.

“No.” 
Sullivan touched her breast reverently and her whole system jolted.

“No?” 
Teja’s nipples got tighter as he stared down at her, but she still managed a
scowl.  “Damn it, if you’re trying to back out…”

“No,
I mean we don’t have to go faster.  If we go faster, it’ll be over sooner and
that’s the last thing I want.”  His palm caressed her like she was made of
butterflies and crystal flowers.  “I want this to be right.”  He leaned down to
kiss her, again.  “Everything always feels so right with you, Teja.”

And
Teja was lost.

Sullivan,
the weak, delicate human, was in complete control of their Phazing.  He could
do whatever he wanted, just so he kept his large, callused palms on her.  No
one touched Teja.  The Fire House had never been big on casual hugs and Teja
liked to keep a healthy distance between herself and the people around her.  It
was safer that way.  But, right now, she couldn’t focus enough to remember how
dangerous feelings could be.

Teja’s
blood thickened and slowed in her veins.  Sullivan was caressing her
everywhere, tracing the curves of her body like a sculptor.  He made a soothing
sort of noise, as his hand found the waistband of her panties and pushed them
down.  His hand found the core of her and Teja melted.

She
dropped her head so it rested against his shoulder.  The Phazing energy
threatened to overwhelm her.  His jacket was forgotten.  She just held onto the
fabric and sighed.  “You’re right.”  She whispered.  “Take your time.”

“Thank
you.”  Sullivan deadpanned and Teja felt his lips brush her temple.  The man’s
dry sense of humor appeared at the oddest times.

She
tilted her face around so she could meet his eyes.  Wood Phase brown gaze
locked onto hers and Teja felt like Sullivan could see right into her soul. 
…Except there was nothing inside of her that Teja wanted him to understand.

He
was so gentle, and young, and from a House of noble guardians.  If Teja was the
kind of good person that he was, she’d let him go and find a better Match.  He
could have someone who wasn’t so broken.  Someone who could give him all the
things he deserved.

Teja
tried to look away, but Sullivan wouldn’t let her.  He moved his head, so his eyes
stayed on hers.

“Okay?” 
He asked.

“Are
you sure about this?”  Fire Phases didn’t give their Matches a chance to
escape, but Teja couldn’t help herself.  “You can have
anyone
,
Sullivan.  It’s true.”  She insisted when he looked ready to argue the point. 
“Any unattached Elemental woman in the universe would come here and trade
places with me, no questions asked.  You know that.  They’ve been
propositioning you for months.”

He
gave a shrug.  “I don’t want anyone else.  I want you.”  He kept his attention
on her face.  “Are
you
sure, Teja?  Last time we tried this, you
panicked and I didn’t see you for weeks.”

“I
didn’t panic.”  She muttered.  “Fire Phases don’t panic.  I was just…
concerned.  I haven’t done this in a while and it was never this important.”

The
few times she had been with a man, she’d been younger and looking for her
Match.  She’d hoped that if they tried Phazing, it might work and everything
would snap into place for her.  That maybe she’d find where she really
belonged.

She
must’ve been an idiot.

Now,
that Teja had Sullivan she saw it so clearly.  When someone was your Match, you
just knew it.  All the Fire Phases knew their Match when the saw them and she’d
been kidding herself to think differently.  It wasn’t something you could force
because you were lonely.  She’d been waiting for Sullivan and not even
realizing it.

“Fire
Phase or not, you panicked.”  Sullivan corrected.  “Are you sure you’re sure,
this time?  Because we can wait.”

“Rule
twenty-three of being a Fire Phase: ‘Waiting is overrated.’”  Teja refocused on
getting Sullivan’s clothes off.  She’d given him a chance to run and now he was
hers.  “We’re doing this.”  She decided, loving the feel of his body so close
to hers.  “In fact, I should have kidnapped you sooner.”

Sullivan
grinned.  It was the first full smile she’d ever seen from him and it lit up
his whole face.  “Well, I haven’t been resisting you real hard, darlin’.”  His
hand found the periwinkle streak at her temple, so it curled around his thumb. 
“I really love this blue.  I fantasize about it all day, every day.”

The
colored Elemental stripe was more sensitive than the rest of a Phase’s hair. 
Teja’s breath caught, an electrical current jolting through every nerve ending
in her body.  “Yes.”  She made a whimpering sound.  “God.  Forget about the
bedroom.  I can’t wait that long.”  She shoved him down onto the ugly couch,
sending tasteful pillows scattering.  “Oh and before I forget, I really hate
your house.”  She pulled his belt free.  “We have to do something about the
furnishings.”

Since
he’d be moving into the Fire Kingdom, this whole place would have to go.  She
wasn’t about to let her Match live here unprotected and not even humans would
buy someplace
this
bland.  He needed to spruce things up before it sold. 
Like maybe with some dragons or black paint.  Or --hell-- they could just give
it away.  It wasn’t like human money was good for anything.

“I’ll
let you write ‘Redrum’ all over the walls.  Just so you’re here, Teja.”

Teja’s
arousal went even higher as he flipped her around so she was beneath him.  The
hideous couch fabric somehow felt erotic against her back.  Everything seemed
erotic with Sullivan.  “Okay, so we’ve gone slow for long enough.  Now, we can
go faster, right?”