“How have you always felt?” he wondered.“Loved.” Her eyes opened and met his. “Wanted, happy, excited. A little sad.”He felt himself stiffen. “Why sad?”“Because it always feels like one lifetime with you just isn’t enough.”
— Airicka Phoenix
“That isn’t fair.” Her voice came out small, barely a whisper. “I didn’t ask to be thrown into all this. I didn’t ask to fall for a guy that isn’t even human. It just happened and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do next so if you have some magical guidebook, I’d love to borrow it.”
— Airicka Phoenix
“Hey.” He waited until he had her attention before continuing. “I’m not angry.” He gave her a small smile. “You’re back and I’m okay with that… for now.”Her fingers trembled around the bottle. “For now?”His smile broadened and a wicked grin danced in his eyes. “Well, it’s only a matter of time before you remember why you fell for me.”
— Airicka Phoenix
“He held me much closer than Carl had. His grip was firm and possessive. It left no doubt in anyone’s mind who I belonged to and that alone sent a thrill through me that I knew was wrong. He imprisoned me in the unwavering chains of his gaze, leaving me powerless to break away while he scrutinized my soul. I wondered what he was looking for.“You came.”The hand on my waist slid over the swell in my spine where it connected to the rise of my backside. His palm flattened against the spot and I was drawn even closer, eliminating what modicum of space there had been between us. My soft frame was cradled seamlessly into the unyielding length of his in all the places that counted, thighs, pelvis, stomach … breasts. I couldn’t even breathe without feeling the skim of my hardened nipples against his chest. I couldn’t move without feeling his cock reaching for me through miles of fabric to prod into my midsection. He was long and hard and I grew wet from that knowledge alone.“Gabriel…”“I couldn’t leave without having this dance with you.”My fingers tightened around his shoulder. “Why?”His quiet exhalation whispered over the curve of my cheeks, smelling of mint and despair. “Because the further away I got from you, the more it felt like if I kept driving, I would lose you for good and that scared me like nothing else.”
— Airicka Phoenix
“I didn’t ask to be born!””No, but I asked.” He was breathing hard. His eyes hard and glinting with a fire that burned straight through me. “I asked for you every day of my life!”
— Airicka Phoenix
“Because I loved you!” she shouted. “Because I didn’t want to let you go! Because I didn’t want to lose you!” She hadn’t realized she was crying until her voice hitched and she felt the tears on her cheeks. She swiped at them impatiently. “I have never fought for anything in my life because I never had anything worth fighting for, but I was going to fight for you.”
— Airicka Phoenix
“No one is born with a talent. Talent is something we create on our own with practice and dedication.”
— Airicka Phoenix
“I know.” The two words ghosted against the skin of her neck, sending goose bumps down her spine. “But I want to touch you. I want to put my hands all over you. I want to kiss every inch of you and taste you as you come apart in my arms. I want to feel you wrapped around me with nothing but my name on your lips and the sheets a tangled mess beneath us. I want…” He exhaled heavily into her ear. “I want. I want. I want!”
— Airicka Phoenix
“Do it, Octavian” She ghosted the tips of her fingers along the hem of his shirt. “Touch me.”He growled low in his throat, his forehead dropping another inch toward her shoulder, his hair tickling the side of her face. “Be my angel, Riley, not my siren. Don’t tempt me.”Moistening her lips with a sweep of her tongue, Riley glided her fingers over his belt, tracing the strip of leather to the silver buckle in the center. She felt rather than heard his deep inhalation and the tremor that raked his powerful body. Driven by his surrender, she used two fingers to walk over the square carvings etched into his abdomen, biting her lip to stop the grin that pulled when he groaned. “I want to be both for you, Octavian,” she whispered, letting her lips brush the curve of his shoulder.”
— Airicka Phoenix
“You’re beautiful when you do that.”She dropped her gaze to his. “What’s that?”“Smile.”
— Airicka Phoenix
“The fiery tickle of outrage burned up her throat. “How the hell would you know that when you never gave me a chance?”Something dark and scorching flickered behind his eyes. “Because no other girl has ever made me want to forget all my own rules for them.”
— Airicka Phoenix
“A soft mist blew around them. Raindrops glistened in his hair, shimmering under the pale glow of the light post. His eyes were shadowed beneath wispy fringes, but the silver in them glinted like pools of liquid mercury. Her breath caught. It must have made a sound because his fingers tightened. His shaky exhale whispered across her face.“This,” he whispered so quietly she almost didn’t hear him. “Is why you are so bad for me.”
— Airicka Phoenix
“His eyes were twin flakes of ember floating into the night from a roaring inferno. “I won’t let anything happen to you. No matter what I have to do, I will keep you safe.”
— Airicka Phoenix
“Adam stared down at me, his expression thunderous. “It was you. I know it was you.” My head was rocking side to side before I could stop it. “No.” I wrenched my hand free of his. “You’re wrong.”“I’m not!” Anger blazed hot behind his eyes as they burned into me. “Look at me, Kia! Look me in the eye and tell me you’re not her.”
— Airicka Phoenix