Free Shadowglass by Erica Hayes Page A

where I’d felt Kane, erase the chilly feeling inside, and the nerves in my sex twitched hungrily. I shuddered, disbelieving and shamefully eager.
    This is actually happening. I’m about to screw my best friend, and it’s gonna feel really good.
    “What’re you lot doing in there, the laundry? Can’t ya let a girl sleep?”
    From the next room. Querulous. Infuriating. Predictable.
    Okay, so that broke the mood. Guilt scrubbed me like a scouring pad, stinging and painful. What the hell was I doing?
    “Forget her.” Blaze rubbed himself between my legs, his lips still sizzling on mine.
    Hot, hard, willing. My flesh ached with need. I squeezed my eyes shut in disbelief, my breath harsh and short. The words that came out weren’t the ones I needed. “Oh, god . . . Please, just . . . Christ, get off me.”
    “You’re kidding, right?” He pushed, and I wanted so much to push back that my bones hurt.
    But I summoned the ragged scraps of my will and squirmed out of the way, shame boiling my skin. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” I whispered. “Quick. Before she finds out.”
    “Told you you’re scared.” He nipped the point of my ear, cruel and arousing.
    “Not scared. Sensible.” The happy, alien urge to crucify sensible clawed at my guts again, but I dragged my imagination to Az’s reaction if she saw us. Not good, especially after I’d promised her . . . God, I’d actually promised her I wouldn’t touch him. What was I thinking?
    He sucked my earlobe with a sorrowful whimper. “Pity.”
    “Yeah. Get off me.” I shoved him away and scrambled off the bed, hunting on the floor for some clothes, any clothes before she came in and saw us. I found a crumpled blue sundress and dragged it on, fumbling to tie the halter around my sweaty neck. Hastily I fluttered my sore wings to unwrinkle them, and water showered. I smelled of him, smoky with phosphorus and boy sweat. Surely she’d notice. Damn it.
    By the time I turned, Blaze was up and decent, and I’d missed the curious spectacle of him stuffing that delicious hard-on inside those tight leather pants. I giggled and whispered, strange levity polishing my guilt. “How’s that thing fit in there, anyway?”
    He adjusted himself with a naughty wince. “You’d be surprised where it f—”
    “Noisy pricks, aren’t you? What’s the party?” Azure fluttered in the doorway in her wispy white nightie, dragging a waterfall of green curls from her delicate neck. Sleepy glitter drifted from her wings to set her pale blue skin aglow.
    Envy scratched my overwrought nerves, and I felt geeky and ugly and wished Blaze wasn’t there. Even just out of bed and hungover after a night on the town, she’s pretty as an angel.
    Blaze winked slyly. “Icy’s got a new toy.”
    My conscience stung. He’s such a sweet liar. But his muscles shine with sweat, his lips are swollen, his wings tight and glowing, you can’t miss the bulge in his pants or the stink of singed hair. Surely she’ll notice, say something, hate me forever.
    But poor innocent Az just blinked beautiful sleepy eyes, eager. “Ooh. I love toys. Show, Icyspice.”
    Great. Now we’re both liars.
    I shook my head loftily, eyeing that treacherous squidgy, who winked and teetered back and forth beside my pillow. “Nope. It’s m—Oh no, you don’t.” Blaze dived for it. I dived after him. Az leapt on top of me, and we all hit the bed in a crunch of bones, snapping wings, and breathless laughter.
    The mattress springs groaned. I gasped, my breath squashed away in a fairy sandwich. Blaze wriggled beneath me, and Azure flailed and yelled on top, waving her slender limbs. The squidgy giggled and rolled away, chased by three sets of grasping fingers—yellow, blue, and white.
    Blaze came up with it first, his pale fingers smudging the glass as he held it in front of his face in yellow sunlight. “There’s me. How ya doin, me? You’re mighty fine. If you wasn’t me, I’d take you home