Free Shadowglass by Erica Hayes

something ugly happens.
    —How about, gosh, that feels good, make love to us right now?—
    Just shut up, okay?
    But careless glee sprinted in my head like a line of banshee blue, and hungry words scrambled in my mouth. I bit my tongue, but they slipped out. “Mmm, kiss me, that feels so good. Umm . . . I mean . . .”
    “You mean you like it.” Strange harshness edged his voice, and he flicked my swollen bud with his sharp tongue. “You taste horny, Icy-girl. Wanna fix that?”
    He sucked my nipple hard into his mouth. Water sizzled under my skin. I whimpered. His sharp teeth grazed me, and when he bit me gently, my insides melted, it felt so good.
    Decision time’s passing, Ice. This is crazy. Get him off you. “But . . . don’t we have this rule? . . .”
    “Screw the rules. Come taste me. You want it.” Ruby sparks ignited on his breath, entrancing me, showering my skin with stinging desire. He slid onto me, nudging my legs farther apart with his hips, and I didn’t stop him. His svelte weight pressed down on me, and he would have forced his burning lips onto mine, only I strained forward and kissed him first.
    Hard, needy, cruel. Mad. My lips bruised on his teeth. But I couldn’t stop. I didn’t care.
    He tasted as I knew he would, of a winter bonfire, woody and aflame. He laughed into our kiss, and I did the same, reckless delight boiling inside me. I wrapped my leg around those slender hips, and he pressed my wrists harder into the pillow and slid his clever tongue into my mouth.
    I swallowed, dragging more of him into me. My breasts hurt deep inside, my belly squirmed hot and empty, longing to be filled, aching with a deeper need than I wanted to acknowledge.
    I wanted to feel him on me and inside me, enjoy his lustful flames licking my skin. I wanted to stop pretending he didn’t turn me on. I wanted to stop caring what other people thought.
    But more than anything, I wanted to stop being afraid.
    Of other people, of men, of sex, of getting hurt. Of myself, of what I might do in a careless moment.
    —Yes,— hissed the mirror, triumphant.— We’re us. Love you, Ice. Love you always.—
    “Ice.” Blaze’s whisper burned my mouth, his lips sliding on mine. “Fuck me. Do it. You know you wanna.”
    “Mmm. Yeah.” His erection jammed hard against my pubic bone, tempting, and the twinge of delicious pain threaded a glimmer of reason through my crazed senses.
    This isn’t you, Ice. You’re the sensible one. You don’t want this. And even he’s not usually this cruel. Why is he acting like this, after so many months of meaningless flirting? Something’s wrong here.
    The mirror buzzed, angry, and I broke off, breathless, too desperate to laugh anymore. “But what about Azure, she’ll be jealous—”
    “Screw Azure, too. I want you.” He dragged my hands down to his waist, red flames reflecting in his eyes, and at the stickiness of his smooth hips under my fingerpads, my resistance simmered away. Selfishness tickled my spine like a warm feather. My body glowed with pleasure. For once I didn’t care about consequences, and it felt fucking fantastic.
    By my ear, that crafty squidgy cackled, and I grinned.
    I scrabbled to get his pants open, and the truth spilled out, irresponsible, beautiful, no shame, no regret: “I’ve always wanted you.”
    A sweet, arrogant Blaze grin. “Yeah, I know. ’Bout time.”
    His mouth demanded mine again, hot and wet and laced with fire. At last I found the buckle and released it, and his skin burned my thighs. We didn’t have a condom. I didn’t care. I worked my fingers around his cock, and at the delicious throaty sigh he made into my mouth, lust unraveled in me like a coiled snake. I wanted to impale myself on him just to hear it again, to feel his desire slide down my throat. Flame licked his wings, singeing the quilt. The swollen flesh between my legs still hurt from so many times last night, but that only made this more enticing. I wanted to feel him