A Little Night Muse(71)

                Slowly, he spun on his boot heel to face her. More slowly yet,                     avoiding the serpents, he raised his hands to frame her face. Under his                     fingertips, the scales at her temples were silky-smooth, like polished stone but                     yielding.

                “Adelyn.” He waited until she raised her green gaze to his,                     more shy than he had ever seen her. “You said not everything phae is fake. This—” He took a step closer to her, his                     heart pounding with the boot-fall. “This thing between us is real. And I’m going                     to hold onto it no matter what it looks like, not matter what you look like.”

                He leaned down to kiss her.

                Her lips parted beneath his on a soft sigh, a sigh echoed by                     dozens of tiny tongues flickering around him. He closed his eyes—it would take                     him a couple kisses to get used to this—but not seeing only intensified the                     pleasure of having her mouth under his, the curves of her body under his                     hands.

                “So,” he murmured against her mouth. “Tell me about Medusa who                     turned all the Greek warriors into rock.”

                “The Greeks got her name confused, but I suppose even musetta can have an uninspired day.”

                “You rock me. Part of me anyway.” He traced his way from her                     face, down her shoulders, over her breasts, to settle on her hips and pull her                     close so that she could feel the hard truth, his truth. “I want you. I want you                     more than I’ve ever wanted anything.”

                “Do you want badly enough to get us out of here?” She met his                     gaze when he opened his eyes. “You are a smith at heart, Josh. You could command                     these doors.”

                He shook his head. “Command the doors how? With magic?” He took                     a step backward. “I’m not like you. I’m just a...cowboy.”

                She followed, edging him toward the locked gate. “You stepped                     into the circle without hesitating. You said my name and found me. There is                     magic in your heart, Josh Reimer, should you desire it. What do you want?”

                He stood his ground. “You. I want you. Back in my valley, back                     in my bed.”

                She took one more step that brought her into his arms again. “I                     want to be there.” She kissed him. “Now let me inspire you.”