Rival Magic
Page 47
She didn’t deny it. Back then, his magic had scared her shitless, but she’d felt drawn to him, like their magic was meant to be one. To be together.
“We were inevitable, Sera, you and I.”
He took her hand in his, flipping it over. He kissed the inside of her wrist, then met her eyes again as his fingertip traced her ring finger. Was he going to ask her now? Sera’s heart thumped a heavy beat. But he simply lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers.
“I don’t give my affection out lightly,” he said.
“I know.”
He looked at her, looking so vulnerable, so unlike his usual confidence. His voice was strong, but low, strained. “Don’t break me, Sera.”
“I’d never do that.”
His usual confidence returned, along with that sinfully delicious smile. “Of course. You’re too delicate.”
“You weren’t laughing yesterday on the beach when I slammed my magic into you and you landed hard on your ass,” she reminded him.
“I believe it was on my back.” His gaze dipped, bordering on indecent. “And, no, I wasn’t laughing.”
“I had you pinned, dragon.”
“Yes, you did,” he agreed. “Pinned and primed.” He touched her blushing cheek. “What beautiful color you have in your cheeks. Where else can I make you blush?”
Sera was barely holding her thoughts together. She just wanted to find a dark corner and have sex with him. What was wrong with her?
Mating season? Amara suggested. Dragons are ferocious lovers.
“I have some ideas,” Kai continued, his hand settling on the small of her back.
“About blushing?”
“Yes,” he said. “When I’m through with you, you’ll be blushing in places you didn’t even know existed.”
Her pulse throbbed beneath her skin. “Shh, Logan hears too well.”
“True,” Logan said as he and Alex turned toward them.
“What’s up?” Alex asked.
She didn’t have super-hearing like Logan, so she couldn’t have heard Kai’s words. Surely, though, she could sense his magic—and Sera’s. It wasn’t exactly being subtle right now, snapping at Kai, inviting him to put his magic where his mouth was. Alex looked from him to Sera, a sly smile curling her lips.
“How about you two get us some smoothies from Magic Smoothies?” Alex said, shooing the guys away. “Sera and I are on a mission.”
“Try not to get yourself killed during your mission in the ladies’ department,” Logan told her.
“We’ll check behind every clothing rack for monsters,” Alex promised.
Kai gave Sera a final look, then went into the long line in front of Magic Smoothies. They’d be standing there for at least a quarter of an hour—if not longer. Alex put her arm around Sera, leading her into the nearest clothing shop.
“So, I know Kai wants you naked, but it’s best to start with something for him to take off first.”
Sera’s mouth dropped.
Alex grinned. “Logan whispered to me what Kai was saying to you. That dragon is downright wicked.” She began plucking skimpy bathing suits from the rack.
“Are those for me or you?” Sera asked.
“We’ll just have to try them on and find out.” Alex grabbed a shiny gold bikini that hardly had enough material to stay on the hanger. “Remember the last time we went shopping?”
“Yeah, in Munich.”
“Naomi called us in the middle to get help with a guy.”
“Makani,” Sera said. “Then you called Logan to tell him Naomi needed help carrying a big, sexy guy.”
“The first thing he said was, ‘is he dead?’ Trust an assassin to have that as his first thought.” Alex rolled her eyes.
“Or a dragon shifter,” Sera said. “Kai asked the same question.”
They both laughed.
“Those two have more in common than they’d like to admit,” Alex said, holding up another tiny bathing suit.
When Sera blushed, Alex nodded happily. “Oh, yes. Definitely.” She tossed it into the trying-on pile.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.” Alex grabbed their basket of clothes. “We have to hit up the Fairy Queen later. Nelly had some great new dresses in yesterday. I reserved a few for you.”
“Will they make me blush?”
Alex shot her a wicked look. “From head to toe, red as a cherry, sister.” They moved into the lingerie section, and Alex began grabbing clothing left and right.
Then, as their overflowing basket reached the breaking point, she declared, “I think we’re going to need a cart.”
* * *
Shopping was a nice change of pace in Sera’s rollercoaster life. No monsters attacked. No drugged-up supernaturals went crazy. The Grim Reaper didn’t rear his ugly head. It was just an afternoon of two sisters enjoying each other’s company, drinking magic smoothies, and helping each other find outfits to seduce their men. It was so normal, exactly what Sera needed right now.
And it was all over too soon.
“I’ll miss you,” Sera said, hugging her sister outside the airport.
“I’ll miss you too.” Alex squeezed her back. “I’m definitely not missing the way things are all going to shit in Europe with the Convictionites.”
“Kick their asses and come back to me.”
“We were inevitable, Sera, you and I.”
He took her hand in his, flipping it over. He kissed the inside of her wrist, then met her eyes again as his fingertip traced her ring finger. Was he going to ask her now? Sera’s heart thumped a heavy beat. But he simply lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her fingers.
“I don’t give my affection out lightly,” he said.
“I know.”
He looked at her, looking so vulnerable, so unlike his usual confidence. His voice was strong, but low, strained. “Don’t break me, Sera.”
“I’d never do that.”
His usual confidence returned, along with that sinfully delicious smile. “Of course. You’re too delicate.”
“You weren’t laughing yesterday on the beach when I slammed my magic into you and you landed hard on your ass,” she reminded him.
“I believe it was on my back.” His gaze dipped, bordering on indecent. “And, no, I wasn’t laughing.”
“I had you pinned, dragon.”
“Yes, you did,” he agreed. “Pinned and primed.” He touched her blushing cheek. “What beautiful color you have in your cheeks. Where else can I make you blush?”
Sera was barely holding her thoughts together. She just wanted to find a dark corner and have sex with him. What was wrong with her?
Mating season? Amara suggested. Dragons are ferocious lovers.
“I have some ideas,” Kai continued, his hand settling on the small of her back.
“About blushing?”
“Yes,” he said. “When I’m through with you, you’ll be blushing in places you didn’t even know existed.”
Her pulse throbbed beneath her skin. “Shh, Logan hears too well.”
“True,” Logan said as he and Alex turned toward them.
“What’s up?” Alex asked.
She didn’t have super-hearing like Logan, so she couldn’t have heard Kai’s words. Surely, though, she could sense his magic—and Sera’s. It wasn’t exactly being subtle right now, snapping at Kai, inviting him to put his magic where his mouth was. Alex looked from him to Sera, a sly smile curling her lips.
“How about you two get us some smoothies from Magic Smoothies?” Alex said, shooing the guys away. “Sera and I are on a mission.”
“Try not to get yourself killed during your mission in the ladies’ department,” Logan told her.
“We’ll check behind every clothing rack for monsters,” Alex promised.
Kai gave Sera a final look, then went into the long line in front of Magic Smoothies. They’d be standing there for at least a quarter of an hour—if not longer. Alex put her arm around Sera, leading her into the nearest clothing shop.
“So, I know Kai wants you naked, but it’s best to start with something for him to take off first.”
Sera’s mouth dropped.
Alex grinned. “Logan whispered to me what Kai was saying to you. That dragon is downright wicked.” She began plucking skimpy bathing suits from the rack.
“Are those for me or you?” Sera asked.
“We’ll just have to try them on and find out.” Alex grabbed a shiny gold bikini that hardly had enough material to stay on the hanger. “Remember the last time we went shopping?”
“Yeah, in Munich.”
“Naomi called us in the middle to get help with a guy.”
“Makani,” Sera said. “Then you called Logan to tell him Naomi needed help carrying a big, sexy guy.”
“The first thing he said was, ‘is he dead?’ Trust an assassin to have that as his first thought.” Alex rolled her eyes.
“Or a dragon shifter,” Sera said. “Kai asked the same question.”
They both laughed.
“Those two have more in common than they’d like to admit,” Alex said, holding up another tiny bathing suit.
When Sera blushed, Alex nodded happily. “Oh, yes. Definitely.” She tossed it into the trying-on pile.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course.” Alex grabbed their basket of clothes. “We have to hit up the Fairy Queen later. Nelly had some great new dresses in yesterday. I reserved a few for you.”
“Will they make me blush?”
Alex shot her a wicked look. “From head to toe, red as a cherry, sister.” They moved into the lingerie section, and Alex began grabbing clothing left and right.
Then, as their overflowing basket reached the breaking point, she declared, “I think we’re going to need a cart.”
* * *
Shopping was a nice change of pace in Sera’s rollercoaster life. No monsters attacked. No drugged-up supernaturals went crazy. The Grim Reaper didn’t rear his ugly head. It was just an afternoon of two sisters enjoying each other’s company, drinking magic smoothies, and helping each other find outfits to seduce their men. It was so normal, exactly what Sera needed right now.
And it was all over too soon.
“I’ll miss you,” Sera said, hugging her sister outside the airport.
“I’ll miss you too.” Alex squeezed her back. “I’m definitely not missing the way things are all going to shit in Europe with the Convictionites.”
“Kick their asses and come back to me.”
