A Little Night Muse(72)

                Her hands went to the fly of his jeans.

                His brows shot up. “Whoa! Here? Now?”

                She smiled up at him. “What better time?” But her hands stilled                     on his belt. “Think how you would have me do it, Josh. Imagine how the buckle                     comes apart. Dream how the edges unseal to release your desires.”

                Blood pooled hot and heavy in his cock.

                In his chest, his heart strained with equal yearning. This was                     not the place for them. Here, under the lies was only this cold, hard, steel                     gray. They should be back in his valley, the sun shifting to stars as they made                     love through an entire day and night.

                “That’s it,” she crooned. “You want it. And I want you. It’s up                     to you, Josh, my love. Believe it.”

                As his belt buckle clicked open, he grabbed her and swooped                     down for a tongue-tangling, breath-stealing, soul-searing kiss. She threw                     herself into his embrace, knocking him into the steel doors behind him.

                Which swung apart at their touch.

                He staggered backward, clutching Adelyn to his chest.                     “How—?”

                “You know metal, and metal knows you. How else do you make such                     beautiful pieces? They love you. But not as much as I do.”

                She yanked the doors closed behind them. Ahead of them, pines                     grew in a tight circle, needled boughs towering into darkness.

                “This is one of the phaedrealii’s                     forever gates.” Adelyn took his hands in hers and stared up at him. “Your heart                     brought you to me, Josh. Now I want to go home. To your valley. To your bed.                     Take me there.”

                She lifted herself to her toes, and the serpents flowed back                     from her face.

                He plunged his hands into the tangle of scales and kissed                     her.

                The sound of a dog barking interrupted.

                Josh pulled back. “Wolly?” A bundle of bristling red fur and                     stub tail butted his knees, and he stared around in confusion. These trees were                     not in a circle, and between the trunks, the white glow of snow in evening light                     lit the scene. “I say again, how—?”