Breath of Fire

The meal was a genuine train wreck. It was so mentally straining that I would feel the scars for the rest of my life possibly. I'd be haunted by the scowl on his mother's face and the leering eyes of his father.

"Oh, shut up! It wasn't that bad," Jake laughed. He walked up and pushed me back onto his bed. When he shut the door and smirked at me, I knew that he had already forgotten all about the conversations with his parents.

"It really was. I think you'll have to help me forget, Jake." My body was already heating as he approached. It was almost scary. Watching him from the edge of his bed, I couldn't tear my eyes away. He practically glowed with his summer tan and his curled black hair.

He says that he got into shape to prove himself, but it feels like he did it to lower my IQ whenever he walks into the room.

"You're one to talk," he scoffed and stood in front of me. His hands reached forward and started weaving through my hair. I swear there's some form of magic that manifests itself in his hands whenever he touches me. Just the feel of his fingers ruffling over my head is almost more than I can take. Before I know it, I'm shutting my eyes and letting out soft growls under his control. "You look like Adonis carved you from marble. I almost didn't recognize you when I opened the door."

I know on some level that he's right. I spent almost half an hour facing a borrowed mirror earlier to get the right look. Shapeshifting has its advantages. "I really wanted to impress them, but I don't think it worked."

He laughed and brought his body closer to mine, kneeling on either side of my body and straddling my lap. His arms folded against my chest and he leaned forward so that I supported his weight. Jake unbuttoned my shirt down to the last one and left it hanging loosely around my body.

Jake Kent does not play fair.

"Next time, just go with what feels natural. This look is too sexy for a human being, Hunter." He kisses me and I suddenly wonder how I can repay him. I always feel like I owe him something for being so sweet.

"But Jake...I'm not a human being. Haven't you heard? I'm a dangerous Alpha Shapeshifter." I ring my arms around his back and press his body against mine. A moan escapes from his lips as my body heat captures him. If I am going to burn up inside, I might as well take him with me.

I know.

Two words that mean the world to me. Words that reflect everything we've been through and how far we've come. I have no more secrets from him, and he has shown me everything. As I battle to take control of his mouth, I feel fire begin to burn in my gut. My hands tighten around his body and he breathes a moan between my lips.

It's not all pleasant and perfect. I've hurt him before and he's punished me for it. We've burned each other and relationships have fallen apart for so much less, but it's complicated. We've died and brought each other back to life. The bond between us has grown so strong it hurts.

The fire travels up into my chest and I feel like crying out, but I can't. It hurts, but feels so right that I can't stop what's happening.

I can feel my hands warp and grow rougher. For relief, I pull apart the fabric of his shirt and discard it without a second thought. My body shudders for air and my jeans feel unbearably tight. His skin on mine sends the fire into a frenzy and it spreads to my lungs and throat.

We've kissed like this so many times that I should be able to tolerate so much more, but I can't. I break the kiss and lean my head back before releasing a breath of those flames into the air.