Flame of the Phoenix: Hades' Carnival, Book 6 (8 page)

The demon smiled. “I don’t think so. My master will open another portal and I’ll take her to Hell.” The creature licked the side of Tilly’s face. She elbowed the creature in the solar plexus, but the demon didn’t even seem to notice.

He took a step toward them but stopped when the demon tightened its hold on Tilly’s neck. “Come any closer and I’ll snap it. My master wants her alive. If that’s not possible, dead is just as good.”

Phoenix swore and glanced at Tilly. She was angry, but he could also see fear in her dark brown eyes.

As if on cue, another portal began to open. The black swirling mass swallowed the light around it. If the demon got Tilly into the portal, she’d be lost to him forever.

“Do you trust me?” he asked her.

She tried to nod but couldn’t move her neck. “Yes,” she gasped before the demon tightened its hold.

Phoenix took a deep breath. What he was about to try was incredibly dangerous. He didn’t even know if it was possible. But better Tilly die with him if he failed than end up in Hades’ clutches.

She is ours and we are hers
, he told the Phoenix. The great bird roared his agreement.

He spread his arms wide and jumped toward them. The demon yelled as Phoenix ignited, shifting once again to his bird form in midair. Flames shot out from his body, consuming Tilly and the demon in a fiery cocoon. Phoenix yanked Tilly away from the demon and cradled her into his arms. Because he hadn’t been holding her when he’d shifted, she hadn’t been protected. Using his powerful wing, he knocked the flaming demon into the swirling portal. The black mass closed in on itself, collapsing into nothingness.

Throughout it all, Tilly never made a sound. Was she burned? Was she even still alive?

Phoenix knew he only had one chance to save her. He opened his heart and began to pour his healing life force into her even as he smothered the flames that engulfed her. If she was a part of him, the fire would not burn her and whatever damage had been done would heal.

At least he prayed that’s what would happen. It was his only hope.

He shifted back to his human form and held her close to his chest. White light surrounded them. Color quickly bled through the white until they were in the center of a circular rainbow.

“Tilly.” He whispered her name, afraid to look at her, afraid he would see nothing but charred, burned flesh. If she died, he did not want to live. Tilly was his heart. His very soul.

The lightest touch on his chest jolted him and he jerked his gaze down to hers. Tilly’s skin was unblemished and her brown eyes were filled with awe. “You saved me.”

“I had to,” he told her honestly. “I love you.”

Shocked by what he’d just said and the fact she hadn’t died, all she could do was stare up at him in wonder. Every nerve ending in Tilly’s body was alive, flooded with life-giving energy. Light containing every color of a rainbow and more danced over her skin and penetrated every pore of her body. She was also totally naked, her clothing having been completely consumed by the phoenix’s flame. “What have you done?” she managed to ask. She felt the same but different. Better.

“What I had to.” He swooped down and captured her mouth with his. The kiss was hot and forceful. Their tongues tangled and she moaned when he lifted her right off her feet. She clutched at his powerful shoulders. She tasted his relief and his desperation.

He left her lips and dotted her face with kisses. “I shared my life force with you. I had to. The fire was burning your body and I had to save you. I thought my immortal energy would heal any of the damage from the blaze.”

He released her and ran his green-eyed gaze over her from head to toe. “You’re really all right?”

Tilly nodded. Other than being a little lightheaded, she felt great. “The fire,” she began.

He nodded. “I didn’t have any other choice.” There was pure torment in his eyes. “If the demon had gotten you into the portal, you would have been lost forever. Hades would have had you.”

Phoenix fell to his knees in front of her. “Forgive me.”

Tilly stared down at the proud warrior before her. She caught his beloved face in her hands and lifted until he was looking at her. “The fire didn’t burn me.” She gave a small laugh. “My clothing might not have made it, but I’m fine.” It was the most amazing thing. The flames had surrounded her like a protective barrier between her and the demon. A living creature, the fire had pushed the demon away from her.

“Truly?” He covered her hands with his. “You’re not just saying that?”

She shook her head. “No. It surrounded me. Protected me.”

He released a huge sigh. “I’d hoped, but I didn’t know it was possible. Not without me holding you.”

“How?” The fire should have burned her to a crisp.

“You are ours.” His simple words coupled with his declaration of love made her weak. She trembled and her legs shook. Phoenix surged to his feet, caught her before she fell and lifted her into his arms. “You’re immortal now.”

He walked up the porch steps and went inside the house while she tried to wrap her head around that idea. He carried her into the bedroom but didn’t release her. Instead, he sat on the bed with her still clasped tight in his arms. He yanked the blanket from the bed and tugged it over her.

“You are safe for all time now. You are part of me so Hades can no longer harm you. The original curse stated that he cannot harm us now that we are free. Since you are now a part of me, you are now off-limits to him.”

“Oh my God. You’re right.” Tilly’s mind was racing. “We need to call Mordecai. That’s how he can save Jessica.” She threw her arms around his neck and kissed him on the lips. “You’re brilliant.” It was such a simple idea, but it was the right one. “Where’s my phone?”

Phoenix reached out his hand and her purse glided in through the open bedroom door. “Wow, that’s cool.” Tilly held out her hand but nothing happened. She dropped it back down by her side. “That’s not fair.”

Phoenix chuckled. “You are immortal, but you do not have my powers.”

She shrugged. “I’m not complaining.” She dug out her phone and quickly placed the call. “It’s ringing.” Tilly was profoundly relieved when it was answered. “Jessica? Are you okay?

“I’m fine. I’m immortal.” Jessica laughed. “How cool is that? But how are you? Is everything okay? We haven’t been able to get hold of you.”

“Hades was blocking communication. We couldn’t contact you either. I’m doing great. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back.”

“Tomorrow,” Phoenix prompted. He settled back against the headboard and stretched his long legs out on the mattress. She was still ensconced on his lap.

“We’ll be home later this afternoon,” she assured Jessica.

“You’re sure you’re all right?” her friend asked. “Is it safe to stay there? Have you seen Hades?”

Tilly smiled at Phoenix while she answered her friend. “We’re safe and I’m feeling wonderful. I’ll probably be around for a long time.”

Jessica squealed. “You’re immortal too?”

Tilly heard Mordecai’s voice in the background but was finished talking. Now that she knew her friend was okay, she and Phoenix had a lot to discuss. “I’ll call you later. Gotta go.” Tilly ended the call and tossed her cell phone into her purse.

She took a deep breath and asked the big question. “What’s next?”

Hades couldn’t believe it. Once again, he’d been defeated by one of the warriors. “I don’t understand,” he muttered. Almost a dozen demons burned to a crisp. Not to mention the demons he’d had to kill to get enough power to open three separate portals.

The vision in the mirror winked out, his hour for the day spent. Alone in his cavernous room, he brooded. He didn’t notice the priceless art on the walls, the antique rug on the floor. The liquor in his glass might as well have been water, for he did not taste it when he absently took a sip.

The phoenix had shared his power, his immortality with the woman just as all the other warriors had done. “They threaten their own lives, their own existence. And for what?”

“For love.”

Hades came to his feet and roared his fury. “Love.” He shook his head and strode toward his wayward ex-wife where she materialized from out of the shadows. “She’ll run from Phoenix the first chance she gets. Then where will he be?” He caught her by the shoulders and yanked her toward him. Persephone didn’t resist him. He hated the look of pity in her gaze and shook her.

“Perhaps,” she answered, her voice calm and composed. “But perhaps not. Only time will tell.”

He thrust her aside. “Everyone leaves. It is the way of things.”

“No, Hades.” She put her hand on his arm but he shrugged it aside. “Not everyone.”

“You did.” He sounded more like a petulant child than a god and hated himself for it. More than that, he hated her. She’d done this to him. “Be gone from my sight.”

She inclined her head. “As you wish. But remember, you’re the one who drove me away.” With that parting barb, she was gone.

He stared at the empty space for long moments and then shook himself. “There’s only one warrior left who isn’t attached to a woman. Surely there must be someone or something the jaguar cares about.” If there was, he’d find out. And this time he wouldn’t fail.

Chapter Eight

Phoenix knew he should get off the bed and let Tilly rest. In spite of how she felt, her body had been through an ordeal. He tried not to notice how the blanket had dropped in the front, exposing the curve of her breasts, but it was impossible. Tilly was a part of him now. He could sense her in his heart and soul.

“What’s next?” he repeated her words back to her. “Whatever you want.” He trailed his fingers down her bare arm, fascinated by the goose bumps that rose on her skin.

Tilly licked her lips and twined her arms around his neck. Her lips were silky soft against his. “I really think we should celebrate. Don’t you?”

He caught her braid in his hand and gently tugged her head back. “I believe you are right.” He didn’t just kiss her then, he consumed her. She was as necessary to him as air. More.

And he didn’t know if he was going to be able to keep her.

He knew Tilly feared being in a relationship. Feared having her life revolve around a man. Could he let her go?

He honestly didn’t know. He did know he’d do whatever it took to make her happy.

Their tongues playfully battled until both of them were panting for breath. She tasted like hope. Like the promise of tomorrow. And he wanted more.

He tried to ease her off his lap but she wasn’t going. Tilly straddled him and the sheet fell away. He tugged it aside, wanting nothing between them. She stared into his eyes and he lost himself in her chocolate gaze.

“Touch me,” she ordered him, and he was more than happy to comply. Her skin was warm and inviting. Phoenix ran his fingers between her breasts, loving the way she sucked in her breath. Her nipples were taut little buds, begging for his touch.

He wrapped his hands around her hips and skimmed upward, following her enticing curves. The muscles in her belly jerked and she made a little sound of pleasure. His cock began to throb. He willed his pants away, needing to feel her naked skin against his.

She made another humming sound deep in her throat as she reached for him. He groaned when she wrapped her fingers around his shaft. “Is all this for me?” She batted her thick eyelashes at him.

He knew she was teasing, but he was totally serious. “All for you. Only for you.” She was it for him. He knew it just as he knew the sun would rise tomorrow. There would never be another for him.

He cupped her breasts and ran his thumbs over her puckered nipples. He was fascinated by the difference in their skin tone. She was strong but delicate. He was big and muscular. That she would trust him like this gave him hope they might have a future.

He groaned and gritted his teeth against the ecstasy that poured through him at her touch. She stroked his cock from base to tip and back again, her touch firm and sure. His balls tightened to the point of pain.

“I want you, Tilly. Now.” His voice was lower, more guttural, but it couldn’t be helped. She pushed him to the edge.

“Not yet.” She shimmied backward on the mattress until she was perched around his knees. Then she leaned forward and lapped at the head of his shaft.

Phoenix hissed as he sucked in a breath. She blew on the damp head of his cock and then dragged her tongue over the slit. Her mouth was pure heaven, the heat surrounding him as she took him in. “Tilly.” That was all he could say. Words were beyond him as she sucked his dick.

He didn’t want it to end this way. He caught her shoulders and eased her away. She looked at him with a question in her eyes.

“It’s too much,” he told her.

Phoenix rolled, careful not to take them both off the narrow bed, until she was beneath him. He kissed his way down her body until he was lying between her spread legs. The bed was short and most of him was hanging off the end. But the discomfort was worth the prize. He shoved her thighs apart and breathed in her sweet, musky scent. His entire body quivered and he licked his lips in anticipation.

He swept his tongue over her slick labia, tracing the folds like a road map, not missing a single curve or line. She moaned and arched into his touch. A sense of pride filled him when he scented more of her arousal on the air.

He found her clit and teased the tiny bud with the tip of his tongue. He loved the forceful way she reacted to his touch. She gripped his hair hard and tugged him closer. He blew on her heated flesh. Then he wrapped his lips around the nub and sucked. Tilly gasped, dug her heels into the mattress and lifted her hips, trying to get closer.

“
Yes,
” she moaned, undulating beneath him.

The sound of her pleasure, the tantalizing smell of her arousal, the feel of her fingers clutching him all pushed him to the edge. She was close now. He could tell by the franticness of her movements and the volume of her moans.

He moved, lifting her off the bed so he could lie down with her over him. Once again, he cursed her tiny bed and dreamed of a day they could try out his king-sized one. He settled her on his upper thighs and steadied her. This had to be her decision. “Take me,” he told her.
Claim me
, his heart cried.

If she didn’t, he knew he’d have to set her free, no matter that it would break his heart and shred his soul. He only prayed he would be strong enough to do what was right, to give Tilly what she needed.

Tilly knew she’d never been this aroused before. It went beyond the physical. It felt spiritual, emotional. What she needed wasn’t just Phoenix’s body, but all parts of the man himself—mind, body and soul. A light sheen of sweat covered her skin and her pussy ached for him to fill her. She was so close to coming.

Why had he stopped?

Even though she knew he could move incredibly fast for a big man, it always surprised her. He was lying under her but he wasn’t the least bit relaxed. Every muscle in his large body was delineated. She could sense the tension rising from him in waves and knew not all of it was because he was sexually aroused.

He’d told her he loved her and she hadn’t said a word in response. Tilly was totally conflicted about her feelings for Phoenix. He meant more to her than any other man ever had or would. He’d saved her life and given her immortality. But did that mean she loved him?

She wasn’t sure she understood what romantic love really was. She hadn’t had a good example growing up, and books and movies didn’t exactly always provide a realistic view.

What she did know for certain was she wanted him. She flattened her palms on his massive chest and traced the hard bands of his muscles. A thin mat of reddish-gold hair tickled her fingers. His chest hair thinned as it moved lower.

She followed the line of hair downward until it hit his groin. His cock was hard and throbbing. The veins pulsed with each heartbeat. The bulbous head was thick and deep red in color. She knew he’d fit inside her, had done so before, but Tilly also knew he’d fill her pussy to the max, stretching her in the most delicious way.

“Tilly.” He said her name with such emotion it made her shiver. “Take me,” he told her again.

Her pussy was throbbing with need. She’d figure everything else out later. Right now, she wanted to feel Phoenix inside her.

She took his cock in her hand and shifted until she was able to notch the head against her opening. He arched upward and he slid in several inches before he stopped. His gaze was blazing with sexual passion, but he waited for her to complete their joining.

Tilly sat down hard, driving his shaft deep. She gasped and bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out as his broad shaft filled her, hitting all the sweet spots as he tunneled deep. Her pussy throbbed around his pulsing cock. He cupped her breasts and teased her tender nipples.

“Fuck me. Take me.” His raw words pushed something deep within her. She’d take him all right. She’d take both of them over the edge into oblivion.

She began to move, rising up until only the crown of his cock was still inside. Then she sat back down, driving him deep. She did this over and over, needing him harder and deeper with each thrust.

Phoenix lightly pinched her nipples until she was gasping and moving faster over him. She threw back her head, closed her eyes and rode him like her life depended on it. And maybe it did.

Heat surrounded them, playing over her skin like a gentle caress.

“Tilly.” There was such wonder in his voice that she opened her eyes and stared at him. “Look.”

She followed his gaze to her arms and gasped. Red flames danced over her skin. It didn’t burn. Didn’t hurt. It felt more like a caress. “That’s amazing.”

“You are part of the phoenix, part of me.”

Tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them back. She didn’t want to cry, but the emotion of the moment was almost too much. Tilly focused on the one thing she could control—the sexual tension thrumming between them.

She picked up her pace, fucking him faster. He groaned, gripped her hips and helped her, slamming his hips upward with each one of her downward strokes. She loved making love like this, where she could see him and stare into his eyes.

She also liked being in control.

But a part of her liked it when he took that control away from her. “Phoenix,” she gasped, not quite sure how to ask for what she wanted. But she didn’t have to. He flipped them both over and somehow he managed to stay buried deep inside her. Then he began to fuck her. He hammered into her and she wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to his shoulders.

Fire continued to tease their skin until it surrounded them. But it didn’t burn them or the bed. The flames were protective.

Each time his cock filled her pussy, it stimulated sensitive nerve endings until she could no longer bear it. She cried his name as she came. Fireworks exploded behind her eyes and her pussy clamped down hard on his cock. He yelled her name and thrust again and again, filling her with hot jets of his pleasure.

When he was spent, he collapsed next to her, moving only his upper body to the side. They were still joined, his cock pulsing heavily inside her. She moaned as another spasm made her entire body tremble.

Neither of them spoke for the longest time. Tilly was content to play with Phoenix’s gorgeous mane of hair, twining her fingers through the thick mass. He stroked her arm and nuzzled her neck.

This time, it was he who raised his head and asked the question, “What’s next?”

Tilly shrugged. “I’m not sure. Any ideas?” It was hard to think past the moment with their bodies still joined.

Phoenix sighed and eased out of her. He was still semihard and getting harder by the second. “What do you want to happen?”

Tilly sat up, curled her legs into her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I don’t know.”

Pain flashed in his eyes, but was quickly gone. “I love you, Tilly,” he began. Her heart started to race and she broke out in a cold sweat. “Love isn’t a trap. True caring means wanting the other person to be happy no matter what,” he continued.

Phoenix rolled from the bed and stared down at her. “So I’m letting you go.”

Her stomach dropped and she began to tremble. “What?” That’s the last thing she expected him to say.

He raked his hands through his hair. He was magnificent, his naked body the epitome of masculine perfection. But it was his words that were squeezing her heart.

“I’ll be here for you whenever you need me.” He leaned down and cupped her face. “I love you, Tilly. That means I never want to control you or hurt you. You’re free. Be happy.” He dropped a quick kiss on her lips, turned and strode into the bathroom, leaving her there on the bed totally dumbfounded.

He shut the bathroom door behind him and she stared at the cheap wooden panel. She’d gotten what she wanted. She was free. Unencumbered. Then why did she feel as though her heart had just been ripped from her chest? She rubbed the tender spot and tried to think.

Phoenix had said he loved her, but he was letting her go. Maybe he didn’t really love her and this was his way of getting out of any entanglement. Even as she thought it, she knew that was a lie.

What did she want out of life?

Tilly rocked back and forth, trying to order her thoughts. It wasn’t easy when she was surrounded by the smell of sex and the dark musky scent of Phoenix.

She unclasped her legs and slowly climbed out of the bed. The water came on in the bathroom, but she ignored it and left the small bedroom and padded to the other room. Her parents’ room. She placed one hand on the wall. She could almost feel the vibrations of her father’s anger. See her mother cowering in fear.

Tilly leaned against the wall and took a deep breath. She raised her hands in front of her and concentrated. It took a bit of effort, but tiny flames ignited at her fingertips. Maybe she couldn’t burst into flames like Phoenix could, but he was a part of her, as she was a part of him.

His possessiveness wasn’t to be feared. Tilly dropped the walls that surround her heart and barricaded her soul. Behind them, she found something she’d never thought she’d find—love.

The past was just that—past. She was no longer a child. The only thing holding her back was a memory. Was she brave enough to take a chance on love, on her and Phoenix? Because she did love him. There was no point in lying to herself.

Phoenix meant more to her than any man ever had. He’d become an important part of her life so gradually. He hadn’t forced his way in. He’d simply made a place for himself in her existing world.

“You’re an idiot,” she told herself. Phoenix was ready to walk away from her because he thought that was what she wanted. She’d come to know him well. He was an immortal warrior. He didn’t play games and said exactly what he meant.

Tilly pushed away from the wall and strode toward the bathroom. She didn’t bother to knock before she shoved the door open. Phoenix stood in the tiny shower, his back facing her. She knew he was aware of her. The tattoo on his back moved when he tensed.

Slowly, he turned to look at her. There was no expression on his face.

She knew she’d hurt him, but she would make that up to him. “I love you.” She blurted out the words she’d never said to any man.

He slicked the water out of his face. “What did you say?” His voice was incredibly deep, the way it got when he was aroused. She glanced down at his cock. Yup, he was definitely aroused.