31. Teos
THIRTY-ONE
Istand there, frozen in shock for all of ten seconds before I moan, wrapping my girl up tight and lifting her off her feet, encouraging her to wrap her legs around me as I turn and press her back against the door frame.
Serafina is kissing me! My Belladonna kissed me! I didn”t kiss her like the last two times. She kissed me! If teenager me could see where we are right now, he would never believe it. I feel like screaming, shouting, and bouncing up and down all at the same time as I kiss her with everything I have.
Her spiced berry scent fills my senses as my Phoenix stirs under my skin, practically purring in happiness at having her so close once again. He’s been starved for her so long and now craves every look, touch, and smile she gives us.
“Teos,” she breathes against my lips, her small hands moving from my chest up and over my shoulders before tangling themselves in my hair. She wraps my curls around her fingers, tugging at the roots and making me moan into her open mouth as she tentatively flicks the tip of her tongue against mine.
“I should let you shower,” I whisper, not wanting to scare her away. I’ve already gotten so much more from her in the last twenty-four hours than I ever thought I would. I don”t want to push my luck. But it’s like ripping a piece of my heart out of my body as I pull back from our kiss, my chest rising and falling with rapid breaths as I stare down at her. Even covered in blood and dirt, she’s the most beautiful girl I have ever laid eyes on.
The moment I saw her for the first time back in high school, I knew she was going to be my mate. My Phoenix hadn’t even selected her yet, but I knew. The pull to her was instant. The need to make sure she was safe and happy was an urge that fueled my every waking moment. Phoenixes aren’t as overprotective as Wolf or Dragon shifters. But we do covet our mate more than anyone else in the Fae world.
Like Dragons, we mate for life. And if that happens to be with another Phoenix shifter, then we take that literally. If one mated Phoenix dies, the other follows instantly. Which is probably why it”s now a common practice to seek out a mate who has a different Fae race. Now when we lose a mate, we simply exist until we die and can finally join them. To me, it sounds like a fate worse than death, and I actively looked for a female Phoenix to possibly bond myself to. That was until Serafina Covington stepped into my classroom on the first day of my junior year. Everything changed at that moment, and I knew there was going to be no female Phoenix in my story. Serafina was my happily ever after.
“Yeah, probably,” she whispers with a small nod leaning against the door frame, her hands slowly releasing my hair as I step back. “I’m covered in filth,” she says with a nervous chuckle, looking down at her dirty and torn clothes.
I frown as I sweep my thumb over the small bruise on her forehead, glad that she was able to hurt whoever it was in the forest, but upset that she’s injured again. “Who was that? The red guy,” I ask, trying to recall everything that I saw. After a rebirth, the memories from right before are oftentimes fuzzy and take a while to come back to me completely.
“Darius. He”s the one I had a run-in with before,” she admits, and I feel my brows furrow.
“Is he the one who’s been taking the girls? He didn’t look like a Demon,” I admit, and she nods and then shakes her head.
“He’s not a Demon. Or I guess he is. He’s a Reaper too,” she says, then rubs her temples, wincing. “And I’m not sure. I think he’s the one doing the killings or, at the very least, is a part of it, but I thought he would try to kill me if he was. And he hasn’t,” she muses, and I snort, remembering how fucked up she was earlier. The bruises around her neck and down her back. Whoever this Darius guy is, his days are fucking numbered.
“Wait, how did you know they were looking for a Demon?” she asks, looking up at me, and I snort.
“Bella. We live next to the void. The known breeding grounds of the Demons. Of course, it was a Demon. The students come here knowing exactly what they’re getting into. We’re not stupid, despite what the Balaur Patrol thinks.”
“I didn”t say you were stupid. I was just under the impression that students didn’t know. Your mother seems to think they have no idea.”
“My mother is delirious and lives in a fictional world where everyone follows the rules,” I mutter bitterly.
Bella’s eyes widen, realizing she’s stumbled on somewhat of a sour spot for me, and nods, dropping the topic and stepping into the bathroom, allowing me my space if I want it. Which I don’t. When it comes to space between Serafina and me, I want it to be nonexistent.
“Sorry,” I whisper, my hand coming up to tug at my neck as I step close to her again, relaxing a little when she doesn’t immediately step back from me. “I’ll let you shower, all right?”
“Or,” she whispers, eyes flying from mine, cheeks flushing as she reaches out and grabs my hand when I step back to give her some privacy.
“Or?” I ask, confused. She sighs, her cold, gray eyes darting all over the room, looking at everything but me. I grab her chin gently so I don”t risk hurting any other injury she might have and force her to meet my eye. “Or?” I repeat when she finally gives in and looks up at me, her thick lashes fluttering a few times, making my heart stall.
“Or you could stay,” she whispers after a long, heart-wrenching silence.
“Stay?” I ask, dumbfounded. She wants me to stay in the bathroom while she showers? I feel lightheaded at the very thought. The answer would be yes, but I honestly thought she hated my stalkerish tendencies.
“And shower with me,” she adds on. And just like that, my head explodes. It takes me a full minute to process those words.
“Shower with you,” I whisper and nod, my head feeling like it”s flying in the clouds when she smiles softly and shrugs.
“You”re kinda already naked,” she points out with a small smile.
“Yeah,” I agree, then I feel my eyes widen as her words click into place. Fuck, how do I keep forgetting I’m naked?! One look down shows that I’m still rock hard and poking Bella in the side with my cock. Aw shit. That”s not sexy. No girl wants to be poked with morning wood—evening wood? I look out the window to the dark night sky then at the small clock resting on the side table in my Bella’s room. It’s eight o”clock. Evening wood it is.
“Shit, sorry,” I mutter, reaching down and painfully pressing my erection down, trying to cover it with my hands again. Where the hell did that blanket go?
“I don’t mind. You can go… or join,” she whispers, stepping back and turning to walk further into the now steamy bathroom. The shower’s been running this whole time, and I hope the warm water is unlimited here like it is in the dorm rooms. Bella turns her back on me, and I watch almost in a daze as she slowly pulls her dirty shirt off, revealing the pale creamy skin of her back.
When she reaches behind to unclasp her bra, my cock jerks behind my hand, and when she slowly shimmies out of her panties and leggings, I have to bite my lip to hold back the groan that tries to slip past as she bends forward, showing me everything I never thought I would see but dreamed I would. Her small, peach-shaped ass bounces as she steps out of her clothes, leaving her completely naked and only a few feet away from me.
“You coming?” she asks, looking over her shoulder and for the first time ever, I see a hint of insecurity in her brilliant eyes.
“Y-yep,” I croak out, really trying not to actually come as I watch her step into the small shower, closing the glass door behind her. “Don’t come. Don’t come, don’t come,” I chant quietly to myself as I take a deep breath, my eyes glued on my perfect, beautiful girl as she shivers under the hot water, her shoulders relaxing as she tips her head back and gets her hair wet, cleaning the grime from it. I just need a second to get myself under control, but it’s killing me not to jump into that shower with her.
My restraint slips as I watch her small hands move over her chest, her tight pink nipples pebbling as her hands move down over her tiny tucked-in waist then glide over the flare of her hips. I stalk forward, almost breaking the glass door as I step into the small shower. It”s not as big as I would normally like, but it forces me closer to Bella, which is all I care about. I snag her small hands in mine, the hot water raining down over me as I move directly in front of her, replacing her hands with mine on her hips.
Serafina Covington is the biggest contradiction I know. She’s the strongest woman, stubborn, and confident in everything she does. Her power far outweighs everyone in the Fae world, and she has the attitude to back it up. But she’s small, her tiny waist almost terrifying me. She doesn’t have many curves, her form long and toned. A weapon she”s sharpened, ready for battle at all times. My hands move over her hips to her waist, and I try to ignore how my hands almost cover her completely. I can feel her ribs with my thumbs, and I make a mental note to feed her something loaded with carbs because that can’t be good.
Bella looks up at me through her dark lashes, naked and wet, her cool skin not warming up as fast as I would like.
“You”re cold,” I stupidly remark, and she smiles.
“I’m always cold. Perks of being related to death.” She sounds resigned about that fact, something I normally don’t hear in her voice when she talks about her magic.
“You don”t like being cold?” I ask, and she shakes her head. Thank god! Cold is something I can definitely combat. Finally, something I can do for her. Nodding my understanding, I reach around her, turning up the heat on the water and letting my magic warm the air until she sighs and closes her eyes, leaning into me. “Let’s get you washed up,” I suggest, reaching to the small corner shelf where five bottles rest and snag one, popping the lid open just as Bella reaches out and snags it from me.
“That’s conditioner,” she says with a laugh, replacing the bottle on the shelf and grabbing a different one, handing it to me as I study the bottle. As a man with curly hair, I do use hair products, but I only have one bottle in my shower and a spray-in conditioner that I add to it so my hair doesn’t frizz throughout the day.
“I totally knew that,” I say, earning another laugh as I squeeze out some product in my hand and go to put it back on the shelf.
“Uh, you’ll need more than that.” She grabs the bottle, then triples the amount of shampoo that I have in my hands, and I blink at the amount in surprise as she places the bottle down. “I have a lot of hair,” she explains and she’s not wrong. Bella”s hair has always been something I’ve obsessed over. It was slightly longer than her shoulders in high school, but with it down and wet like this, it goes to her waist in a long sheet of silky black.
“Turn,” I instruct, spinning my finger in the air, asking her to face away from me so I can wash it for her. She obliges with an amused raise of the brow and doesn’t once tell me she can do this for herself. In fact, she seems perfectly content allowing me to help her wash her hair. Now I just have to make sure I don’t somehow screw it up. Taking my time, I lather the long locks, starting at her scalp and then working my way down to the ends.
“Oh, that’s nice,” she moans as I wash her hair, head tilting back, her ass poking out a little more, and I close my eyes, trying so fucking hard not to be a pervert. I want her to know that I’m in this for more than just the physical stuff. I mean, yeah, my balls are about to burst with the need to be inside her, but I also want to take care of her, and it’s been a long day. Plus, I’m not going to push for anything she might not be ready for.
When I’m done, she turns, washing out the soap, and I watch as the suds run down over her body, washing away the final remnants of dirt and blood. We repeat everything once more with the conditioner, and I swear I’m sweating bullets by the time she’s done washing it out. I need to get out of this shower or I’m going to come. My balls feel heavy between my legs, and my cock actually hurts from how much blood is in it.
“My turn,” she announces, her voice low and rough just as I’m about to excuse myself from the shower. Bending over, she grabs her shampoo, dumping a small puddle of the sweet cranberry-smelling soap into her hands before raising up on her toes. My hands fall to her waist as her hands move to my hair, massaging the shampoo in as she bites her lip in concentration. I close my eyes when I feel her breasts brushing against my chest, and I can’t stop the groan that breaks free. This is the best fucking torture I’ve ever endured. “Rinse,” she whispers, and I open my eyes, finding her staring at me with those gray eyes I’ve dreamed about for years.
She looks so delicate at this moment. All her makeup gone, and the normal caution I typically find in her eyes softened as she stares up at me through dark lashes. I move, keeping my hands wrapped possessively around her waist, tugging her close so we can change spots in the shower, then tilt my head back enough to rinse the soap away, my eyes never leaving hers. Bella”s smile grows as she watches me, watching the soap run over my shoulders and then down my body, her small hands following the path.
“Bella,” I warn as her fingers run over my abs. “I’m minutes from losing control here, love,” I admit, hating myself for it, but knowing I have a limit of what I can endure without combusting, and she”s just about reached it.
“Minutes?” she asks, her hands stopping just above my belly button as she looks back up at me in confusion. “Damn. I really need to work on my game,” she mutters under her breath and frowns. Wait, what?
“You want me to lose control?” I ask in confusion.
“Yeah. But only if you want to. That was the whole point of me asking you to shower,” she grumbles, cheeks flushing scarlet.
“What!? I’ve been trying to be a gentleman! Why didn’t you say something?” I gasp in surprise. I’ve been in pain this whole time, and she’s been trying to get me to touch her.
Bella”s mouth drops open as she pokes me in the chest. “Why can”t you read the room?! I haven”t done this before. How am I supposed to know what to do?” she tosses her hands in the air in exasperation. I laugh, which only makes her glare at me more.
“Bella. You act as if I’ve done something you haven”t,” I tease, reaching out and hooking my arm around her waist, yanking her hard to my chest. She lets out an adorable squeak of surprise as her hands come to rest on my chest.
“You haven’t?” she asks in surprise, and I shake my head.
“No. You are it for me, Bella. Even when I was mad and tried to forget about you, I couldn’t,” I admit, pressing my forehead to hers. “I want all my firsts to be with you.” Her eyes widen, lips parting with a gasp just as I capture her mouth with mine and kiss her senseless. Her hands move up and over my shoulders, her body pressing to mine and making me groan as it puts pressure on my cock. Rolling my hips forward, I rub myself against her, capturing her tiny whimpers of pleasure as I step closer and press her back against the shower wall.
“More,” she demands when we break away from each other, gasping for breath. My lips trail down her neck and over her shoulders, desperate to taste every inch of her.
“You”re so fucking beautiful, Bella,” I rasp against her skin, my hands gliding up her wet body and cupping her breasts. She moans in response, her body arching against the wall, hips tilted toward me as I grind my cock against her lower belly. Looking up at her, I move my hand down her body as the other cups and squeezes her breast. Bella’s eyelids droop as her lips part, breaths coming in short pants as I arch a brow, asking for her permission to go further.
She rolls her hips in response, meeting my fingers and letting them graze over her mound as she arches her back. “Please,” she whimpers, biting her lip and grinding down, chasing the pressure of my hand. Straightening to my full height, I dip my finger between her wet folds, moaning at how hot she is there, then push my thumb to her clit, my other reaching up to graze her nipple.
“Oh!” Bella’s eyelids flutter shut as her head rolls back on her shoulders, hips jerking in my hand. I watch in awe as acute pleasure fills her expression, and I crave more. More of her pleasure, more of those delicious whimpers that fall from her honeyed lips. More of her! Gently, I pluck the pebbled peak under my thumb, making her mouth fall open on a cry that I swallow with a kiss.
Her shoulders jolt in surprise, hands clinging to me as she moans into my lips. My cock swells, jerking against her, and then her hands are there, those long dainty fingers wrapping around my length, tearing the breath from my lungs as she slowly strokes me from root to tip. I close my eyes, resting my head on hers, a pleasure I never knew I could feel coursing through me as Bella slowly explores me, her other hand dropping and cupping my heavy balls.
I circle my thumb around her clit, before moving lower and slowly pressing a finger into her pussy. Shit, she’s tight. Slowly, I move in and out, only sinking my finger into the first knuckle before retreating. I push forward again, moving to the second knuckle, her hot heat pulsing around me, and I earn a whimper of pleasure that goes straight to my balls.
“Teos!”
“Fuck, Bella, you’ve got to stop or…” I groan as she trembles against me, my balls drawing up. A tingling sensation runs down my spine, and I know it’s too late. She gasps then goes up on her toes, her teeth latching on my bottom lip and tugging me so that I lower my head back to hers and kiss her the way she wants.
“Don’t stop,” she whispers desperately against my lips, her hand tightening around me as she strokes faster. I curse, hips bucking into her hands, eyes flying open and clashing with hers as she watches on in excitement. My hand tightens on her breast, my finger thrusting deeper into her as stars burst in my field of vision.
“Holy shit!” I roar as I erupt in her hand, an orgasm that feels like it was sucked from my soul coursing through me. Her hand doesn”t stop, one cupping my balls, massaging them, and forcing every drop of cum from me as my dick jerks in her palm. Her eyes widen in delight, gathering it and using it to keep stroking my hard shaft until my knees start to give out. “Stop,” I practically beg, needing a second to gather my mind, which I’m pretty sure just melted.
“That was hot,” she whispers, slowly releasing me and letting the water wash away my cum that covers her hands and lower belly. I groan and nod, slowly removing my finger from her tight pussy and reaching around her to turn off the shower. “Come here,” I rasp as I collect her wet body against mine and yank her up into my arms, then turn using my foot to open the shower door and step out.
“The towels,” she points, and I shake my head, striding into her room and then tossing her onto the bed. She bounces once and gasps as I fall over her, hand pressing to her sternum to press her into the pillows. I wedge my thigh between her legs and spread them wide for my body until her hips cradle mine.
“My turn,” I growl, feeling a wave of feral need wash over me as I watch her pupils dilate.