Swept up in themoment, Kat undid the button on his jeans and slipped her handinside.
No underwear.Holy shit, even his cock is on fire.
She stroked hislength, curled her fingers around him.
Kat stifled anuntimely giggle as the tune of Great Balls of Fire suddenlycame to mind; one of Selene’s medley of old songs she insisted onplaying all the time.
Of its ownaccord, her body temperature dropped again, this time like she’dfallen into a chest freezer. Her fingers cooled to the point whereshe thought she might get frostbite, and yet she didn’t feelcold. This felt normal, natural—but how could turning into an icequeen be normal?
What thehell are you doing, Kat? Stop trying to analyse everything and justhave sex with the guy.
Judging by theguttural groan that escaped Nick’s lips, he didn’t appear to mindher Elsa-from-Frozen impression.
“You’re good atthat,” he whispered, his voice husky.
With a playfulsmile, she said, “You better believe it.”
He grinned, andthat sexy dimple appeared, rendering her helpless to his charms.Removing his hand, he then stood and yanked his jeans downimpressive footballer thighs, his erection bobbing up and down. “Ineed you. Now,” he commanded.
She was morethan willing to submit to his demand, opening her legs for him ashe leapt on top of her.
Kat snaked herhands around his waist as he entered her and gyrated his hips, hisactions hard and fast. She matched his tempo, grinding her sex intohim, running her hands over his back, the muscles bunching beneathher touch.
He was burningup, his skin red hot and dry, but her own coolness seemed tocounteract it, and she continued, clawing her fingernails along thelength of his spine, hard enough to cause welts.
A groan ofmasculine pleasure rumbled deep inside his chest.
Taking greatenjoyment in his response, she grabbed his tight butt with bothhands and squeezed.
Then, sheforced him to roll over, so she was on top. Her hair fell forwardsas she straddled him, taking charge.
He chuckled andadministered a spank to her backside. She squealed in delight.
Nick laybeneath her, his wavy ebony hair like a halo around his handsomeface as they satisfied their desires.
He slowed theirwild lovemaking, his eyes piercing her soul. Tenderly, he cuppedher jaw, stroked his thumb pad across her cheek.
He trembled; hewas close. So was she. She couldn’t remember the last time she hadsex as fantastic as this.
Kat kissed him.Pressing her breasts to his chest, she clung to him like she neverwanted to let go. He wrapped his strong arms around her. His heatwarmed her as she turned ice cold and cooled his fiery skin.
His movementsslow and sensual now, he took her to dizzying heights of pleasure,their bodies in unison, the air around them sizzling, like when icemeets fire, the sensation more erotic than she’d everexperienced.
“Nix,” shewhispered against his ear. Her eyes widened. Why did I call himNix? Was that his real name?
“Katarina,” hemurmured back.
She kissed himagain, hoping he hadn’t heard her faux pas. To her relief, hereturned her kiss, tangling his fingers in her hair. Just to makecertain, she looked him in the eyes.
But he lookeddifferent.
Still gorgeousand sexy as hell, but it was as though her vision had changed.
Everythingaround her seemed clearer, more vibrant. The champagne-coloredbedsheets, the furniture in his bedroom, the moon outside allfocused as if she’d had laser eye surgery and could see clearly forthe first time.
Goosebumpsappeared on her already freezing skin, raising the fine hairs onher arms. Frost clung to the hairs, glistening in the moonlightshining through the window.
What thehell…?
Terrified, sheattempted to make sense of whatever was happening to her. She blewout a breath.
Her hand shotup to her mouth. She’d breathed ice.
Actual ice.
The miniatureicicles showered downwards. Icy shards instantly turned to steam,sizzling as they landed on Nick’s hot skin. Or Nix.
Phoenix,a voice echoed inside her head. Fire.
Visions flashedto the forefront of her mind, more vivid than they had ever beenbefore, as though she was there, living, breathing, touching thememory.
Flames andheat. Ice and frost. Destruction. The intense, liquorice-like aromaof aniseed; evil magic. Wind thundered in her ears. Flying. She wasflying. A hooded figure stood on the ground below.
Asorceress.
That wouldmean she was… No, she couldn’t be…
Confusionreigned supreme, but at the top of her jumble of thoughts wasdenial, refusal to accept what she might be.
Fear shot upher spine.
As she lookeddown at Nick—Phoenix?—seeking some kind of reassurance that thiswasn’t happening to her, his eyes changed.
His pupilselongated into black, vertical slits, like her previous vision,except this was real.
Too real.
Fear coursedthrough her with the ferocity of a tornado. Kat scrambled offhim.
“Katarina…?” Hegrabbed her wrist, his skin scorching.
“I need togo.”
In a splitsecond, his features darkened, anger ablaze in his eyes, the pupilsstill black slits. “What the hell do you mean, you need to go?”
“Something’swrong with me.” She yanked her wrist from his grasp. She didn’thave time to explain; her only thought to control whatever washappening to her and to get the hell out of there. Kat grabbed herknickers off the floor and whipped them up her legs.
He leapt offthe bed and seized her forearm.
Kat tried totug away, but his grip tightened.
She glowered athim, warning him to let go, but as she stared, her bravado slippedaway.
His body shook,his muscles rippled. Then his skin darkened and shimmered, theflesh transmuting into—she swallowed—scales.
Sheer terrorseized her, its vice-like grip a hundred times worse than hisfingers digging into her flesh.
“Get the fuckoff me, you freak!” she yelled.
He dropped herarm like it was on fire.
Except itwasn’t. A band of ice covered her forearm, and beneath it,pale-blue, iridescent scales.
Kat bolted forthe stairs.
ChapterEight
Bewildered,Phoenix stood in the middle of his bedroom. “Katarina, wait!”
He fought thetransmutation her rejection had evoked in him. He hadn’t meant tostart the shift, but the fury born from frustration and crushedhopes burned deep, a pain so acute it fed the flames within. Hisbreaths ragged, black smoke blew from his mouth, his nose. Hisdragon wanted out.
The front doorslammed shut.
She’sgone…
His fun-lovingdragon girl was gone, and there was nothing he could do aboutit.
Every bone inhis body ached to follow her, to take her in his arms and tell hereverything would be all right, but the fear in her eyes broke hisheart.
Her dragoneyes.
God, how he’dmissed gazing at those captivating emerald eyes
