Once Bitten, Twice Burned (Phoenix Fire 2)

“Don’t touch me!”

He glanced at his raised hand. “Are you sure? I don’t think you’re going to like what happens next. Death will be easier.”

“I don’t want to die!” Why was her stomach suddenly cramping? Her teeth burning?

His head cocked. “I think you got the formula . . . wrong.”

Her breath seemed cold in her lungs.

“Your blood was poison, but you weren’t immune to their bite. That part—you made the mistake there.”

How did he even know this?

“You’re becoming like them.”

Hunger clawed at her. Ripped her in two. Her gaze fell to his throat as a red haze seemed to cloud her vision. She could hear his heartbeat. The rush of his blood.

Blood. Her mouth had become bone-dry.

“The change is faster than I thought it would be.”

Feed.

She lunged for him.

And never even felt the fire that took her life away.

Ryder braked the pickup truck in front of a small wooden cabin. A stream trickled nearby, the faint sound of the water teasing Sabine’s ears.

“Where are we?” she asked.

Ryder glanced at her. “Somewhere safe, for now.”

She wanted to believe that, but “safe” wasn’t exactly a concept she understood anymore. Compounding her fear, she felt so weak.

She climbed from the truck and put up her hand to block the bright rays of the sun. So bright. Too bright? Probably just seemed that way because she hadn’t seen the sun in such a long time. The folks at Genesis hadn’t exactly been keen on letting the test subjects out for morning strolls.

That’s over now. I’m free.

Ryder took her arm. “Come on, let’s get you inside so you can rest.”

She nodded. But resting wasn’t what she felt like doing then. She was tired, yes, achingly so, but at the same time, just the touch of his hand against her arm had sent a shaft of desire pulsing through Sabine’s body.

What was up with that? After everything that had happened, the last thing she should be thinking about was sex. Yet it was the main thing that pushed into her mind.

Need.

Want.

Ryder opened the cabin door. It was darker inside, but the sun’s rays spilled through the windows and let her see the small space easily. A small space that was filled with a very big bed. One that looked like heaven. Her gaze darted around. A couch. A TV.

A bathroom. Sweet heaven on earth—a bathroom.

“Are you hungry?” Ryder asked her, his voice quiet as he shut the door behind them.

Sabine shook her head but part of her was hungry. Just not for food. She glanced over at him. Licked her lips.

Her heartbeat kicked up. And her ni**les tightened.

What. The. Hell. This kind of reaction couldn’t be normal. She’d heard of an adrenaline after-burn before, but after-lust?

“I-I think I need a shower,” she said. A very cold one. She’d just broken out of hell, and the first thing she wanted to do? Jump the bones of her vampire rescuer. That had to be screwed up.

Screwed. Her eyelids slammed closed. Okay, she was obviously undergoing some kind of breakdown because now she was thinking . . .

I want to screw him. Not make love. She wasn’t in the mood for soft and gentle lovemaking. She wanted rough and wild. She wanted to rake her nails down his back. Wanted to feel the pounding rhythm of—

“Sabine?”

Her cheeks were burning. No, she was burning, from the inside out. She kept her eyes closed because she was afraid that he’d see the fire in her stare. “Something’s wrong with me.” Her voice was hushed as she whispered this raw confession.

Her clothes were irritating her body. She wanted them gone. Wanted only his flesh against her.

This wasn’t natural. Sure, she liked sex as much as the next girl. But right then, hell, she felt like she was in heat.

Heat. Great. Fantastic. That was probably normal for a phoenix, right? Another fun side effect that she could deal with?

She heard the tread of his footsteps then felt the light brush of his fingers over her cheek. “You’re sure you aren’t hungry?”

Why did he keep harping on that? “Not for food,” was her whisper.

Crap, she hadn’t just meant to say that.

His fingers slid under her chin. “I can give you whatever you need.”

The man needed to be careful what he offered. They’d been away from Genesis for just a few hours, and she was about to rip his clothes off.

“I think—I think you might want to get away from me.” She curled her fingers down, making fists. The better not to grab him and hold tight.

“That’s the last thing I want to do.” Then Ryder made a very, very fatal mistake.

He put his lips on her.

Ignite.

Fire seemed to explode within her. With a gasp, she gave in to that heat. Her hands flew up and wrapped around him. Her mouth opened wide beneath his.

His tongue touched hers. Light, gentle.

Hell, no.

“I want more,” she whispered against his mouth. She had to have more. She was desperate. Too wild. Nothing could hold back the fire.

She didn’t want to hold it back.

Then his hands were on her ass—yes!—and he was pulling her up tight against him. There was no missing the full, thick length of his arousal. She rubbed against him, wanting more and then—

He lifted her into the air. Her legs locked around him, and she kept her mouth on his. He was carrying her someplace—the guy seemed to like doing that, and, hey, if it floated his boat . . .

She nipped his bottom lip. It was his turn to growl. She liked that rough, animalistic sound from him.

“Hold on, love, hold on.”

She wanted to hold on to him, but he’d taken her into the bathroom. He eased her back onto her feet. Yanked on the water. Oh, that shower was lush. Given the size of the cabin, she hadn’t expected this paradise. Big, granite, with steaming water that poured out instantly, the shower was pretty close to a dream.

And, yes, okay, she had dried blood on her clothes. On her. Not exactly sexy. Jumping into the shower with him seemed like a fine idea to her.

Sabine started to strip.

Ryder exhaled on a long breath and took a step back. He was . . . watching her.

She offered him a fast smile. One that she hoped looked sexy and not as sex-crazed as she actually felt. “You don’t have to just watch.” She tossed her clothes onto the floor. “I’d love it if you touched, too.” In fact, she had to feel his fingers against her skin.

Ryder all but ripped his own clothes away, then his hands—big, strong, yes!—were on her. Caressing her br**sts. Teasing her ni**les. She and Ryder stumbled into the shower. The water was heaven. The steam whispered against her lips when she breathed his name.