I both feel and see the woman’s surprise as she turns to look at where the voice is coming from. I spin around as well and find myself smiling when I see Phoenix standing there.
“Phoenix,” I greet her warmly. “This is—” I turn in confusion to the dark-eyed woman. “I never did get your name.”
She’s glaring at me now with clear annoyance. “I thought you said you didn’t have a sweetheart waiting.”
“Oh, her?” I point a thumb over my shoulder at Phoenix. “She’s not my sweetheart,” I explain helpfully. “She’s just my wife.”
“Why are you assholes all the same?” the woman says while rolling her eyes. She shoves me away from her with surprising strength. I stumble back a few steps, still feeling dizzy and confused.
“Hey,” Phoenix sprints toward us with fury in her eyes. “Don’t touch him.”
The dark-eyed woman lifts her hands in surrender. “You can have him, lady. I don’t mess with married men.”
Phoenix strides right up toward her with narrowed eyes. “Really? Just like that? You’re giving up?”
“I’m out of here.”
But before she can turn to leave, Phoenix gets right up in her face. “Stand on one leg.” My mind clears a little more as I recognize what Phoenix is doing. She’s trying to use her compulsion on the woman. A test to see if she’s just some human after all.
“Fuck off,” the woman starts to shove her aside. The compulsion obviously isn’t working on her. When Phoenix lifts a hand toward her, the woman freezes completely in place.
“What the fu—” Her words cut off mid-sentence. Then her panicked eyes flick back and forth as Phoenix pins her in place with blood magic. It’s a creepy trick Phoenix can do to any creature with blood in its veins.
A squeak comes from the woman’s throat, but that’s all she can manage. Her eyes shoot to me as if begging me to help her. I feel suddenly uncomfortable. What if we got the wrong creature? What if it’s not Ammit after all?
But then her dark eyes shut like she’s concentrating hard on something.
Phoenix drops her hand and turns to me. She looks at me like she wants to jump me and tear off all my clothes right here in this alley. I swear I’ve seen this look in her eye a time or two before, but while I always imagined it was wishful thinking, for the first time, I see the intent that tells me she’s about to do something about it.
“Phoenix,” I start while holding a hand up in confusion.
But then it’s like a wave of pure lust hits me as well. The sleepy beast inside me is suddenly fully awake. Awake and starving. I’m fucking lust-struck in a way I’ve never experienced before. The cock that started stiffening a bit on the dance floor suddenly goes hard as a rock as I stare at Phoenix.
She walks toward me while grabbing the hem of her dress. She yanks it up and off her body in one smooth motion. Now she’s just in a bra that pushes her breasts up nearly to her collarbone and the slinkiest pair of black lace underwear I’ve ever seen.
Behind her, I hear footsteps sprinting away, but I can’t care about anything except Phoenix. Phoenix and me. Finally alone. My Phoenix. Finally, with nothing between us except these stupid clothes. Why am I wearing so many clothes? Why have we ever worn clothes around each other at all?
I’m ravenous for her. Touch her. Why aren’t we naked and touching? All the fucking time?
I stumble toward her and then stop myself. No. No touching. I’m not supposed to touch her. Can’t give into the hunger like this.
Phoenix tugs off the little scrap of lace underwear and bares herself to me completely from the waist down.
I’ve got my jeans unzipped and shoved down the next moment. I’m tugging my long, hard cock out. I’m engorged for her. Starving for her tight, hot body.
And then she’s leaping into my arms with her bare legs wrapping around my waist. We both let out an indecent grunt of satisfaction at the contact.
Stuff yourself. Feast on her. Devour.
I spin and pin her back against the wall of the club. I do what I’ve wanted to do since that day at the cabin all those years ago when she found me chopping wood.
Finally,finally, I lift my open mouth to hers.
But before I can land the kiss of my waking and sleeping dreams, she averts her mouth to the side, offering her neck instead.
The move has my head clearing for a brief moment. What the hell am I doing? This is a marriage in name only.
I’m about to pull away from her.
