When Noah returned with her glass of foamy ale, she sipped it gratefully.
Noah gave her an intense look. “I think it’s time we had that talk about who we really are. Our hidden identities.”
She set the beer glass on the table next to her and licked the foam off her top lip. “You’re right. You know my secret. I’m a witch, if you want to put a label on it. And you said you had some secret too, but I have no idea what it is.”
“Should I tell you or show you?”
“Oh, show and tell.” She smiled. “You decide which to do first.”
“Okay. Sit tight.” He unbuttoned the top of his shirt.
Noah’s body shrank and changed shape. Suddenly, a bird with colorful tail feathers flew out of his open collar. He made a couple of rounds of the large living room before he landed on the floor behind the coffee table. At last, he grew and changed back into his human form, in all its naked glory.
The coffee table hid his private bits. He raised one hand. “Toss me my jeans, will you?”
Kizzy plucked the pants off the floor, rolled them into a ball, and threw them to him. He snatched them out of the air and managed to get them on without exposing himself.
“You don’t need to be shy around me. I’ve seen it all before.” She gave him a teasing grin.
Noah smiled. “You’ve seen a phoenix before?”
Kizzy knew he was purposely misunderstanding her. “Is that what you are? A phoenix?”
“Yes. That’s why we make good firefighters. If fatally injured in a fire, we’ll reincarnate. We can take chances regular humans can’t and shouldn’t. At the same time, we have to be careful not to let anyone see our supernatural side. My brother Ryan died in a high-rise backdraft. There was a very public funeral for him.”
“That’s right! I remember now. I thought I had heard the name Fierro—and not just because of the type of Pontiac. So, he’s actually alive? Just reincarnated?”
“Yup. He lives in a castle in Ireland. And then, my brother Jayce died when… Well, it’s a long story. But he came back, and now he’s a firehouse captain.”
Kizzy could hardly believe what she was hearing, but she had seen it with her own eyes. Noah was a shape-shifter! She had heard of those, of course. Nick Wolfensen was a shape-shifter—a werewolf. But she had only heard of the phoenix as a legend…a myth.
“I’m a little stunned. I have to admit, you handled seeing my powers better than I’m handling yours.”
“Really?” He rose and strolled over to her. Sitting on the ottoman in front of her, he took her hands in his and leaned forward. “Are you upset about it? I’m not dangerous. I’d never hurt you.”
“Upset? Heck no. I’m thrilled. If anything happened to you…”
Noah smiled. “Can you finish that sentence?”
She took a deep breath. “I’ll try. If you died in a fire, a piece of me would die with you. I’m falling in love with you, Noah.”
He grinned, then lifted her hands to his lips and kissed each knuckle. When he had finished, he said, “I love you too,” then pulled her closer and kissed her lips, deepening the kiss when she opened her mouth and sought his tongue.
The kiss grew hot. He scooped her under her buttocks and lifted her onto his lap easily. She was at the perfect height for them to devour each other’s mouths.
When they finally broke apart, they were both panting. He cupped the back of her head and pulled her into a warm hug. She held him long and tight. When they finally pulled apart, they clasped hands.
Kizzy suddenly realized something. “I’m glad we were friends first. I was attracted to you immediately, but if I had acted on attraction alone, I would wonder whether this was love or lust.”
“I guess I know what you mean. It was the same for me, but with one exception.”
“What was that?”
“For me, it’s loveandlust. I want you, Kizzy, but I don’t have a condom.”
She rested her forehand against his and gazed down at their clasped hands. “I want you too. And I can create a magical condom.”
Noah’s brows shot up in surprise. He rose and pulled Kizzy up with him. He led her to his bedroom, closing the door behind her. They gazed at each other for a moment and then began unbuttoning and unzipping each other’s clothing. Slowly and carefully, they removed each piece, folding and placing everything on top of the dresser.
