Her statement drew him out of his fantasy. He probably should have been ashamed, but he couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry about wanting someone so magnificent.

“Are you accepting?” he said, a slow smile spreading across his mouth. “Today was fun.”

“Fun?” She gaped at him. “Which part? The battle at MRL, being teleported across the bridge, or the arrogant prick at the restaurant?”

“All of it. I should get out of the office more often. I should hang out with fun people more often. I can’t tell you what a relief it is to be around another normal person for a change.”

She laughed. “You consider yourself normal, do you?”

“No, I’m a bloodthirsty psychopath. Just like you.”

Ok, that wasn’t entirely true. She was crazy, yes, but only in a delightful way, a spark of spice swirling inside of her sweetness.

“Speak for yourself,” she shot back.

He braced his arms against her house, knowing it accentuated the muscles in his torso, hoping she appreciated it as much as he appreciated the sight of her. He thought she did. He watched her nipples tighten beneath that tight top, whether from the cool breeze or from his closeness he didn’t know. He hoped it was because of him. He reached out with his magic, testing the boundaries of hers. Her magic purred against his, shooting ripples of hot lightning into him.

A soft moan buzzed on her lips, but she kept her stare hard. “Hey, I told you to knock that off.”

“Your lips say one thing. Your magic says another. And right now it’s singing.”

His muscles tightened as he resisted the urge to move his hands. He wanted to touch her. He wanted her to touch him. Their magic was crashing together, building up into a storm, fueling the hard lust throbbing inside of him.

“For you to stop,” she whispered, her protest melting on the breeze.

“You don’t want me to stop,” he told her, peeling his hands off the house.

Her magic purred, but she shoved him away. Desire, thick and heavy, burned in her eyes. Even though she’d taken up a defensive position, her body betrayed her. Her back was arched forward, pushing out her chest, like she wanted him to touch her.

“Is that the best you can do?” he taunted her.

“No.”

She moved to punch him, but the arch in her back made her slow. He slipped out of her way easily and gave her back a little flick of his finger.

“Too slow.”

This time, she moved with the speed of a seasoned fighter. She spun around fast and knocked him hard in the head. Dazed, he stumbled back.

“Damn it, Sera. That hurt.”

But though her strike had knocked the balance out of him, it hadn’t banished his desire. She looked at him, concern and anger battling it out on her face. In her magic, he could feel the struggle between her rational side and the part of her that just wanted to give into what her body and her magic were urging her to do.

She tried to punch him again, but her heart wasn’t in it. He caught her wrist, twisting it behind her back, holding her to him, just enough to test her. And to tempt her to give in.

“Let go,” she said softly, but she leaned into him.

He nearly groaned at the feeling of her pressing against the length of him. He wanted her so much that he could barely hold still.

“I’m not holding you very tightly,” he said. “You could break free. But you haven’t.” He slid his hands down to her waist, turning her to face him. He dipped his lips to hers, whispering, “Why is that?”

“Because you’re my client.”

Her eyes were locked on his lips, mesmerized. His mind knew he shouldn’t push her too far, but his magic wasn’t behaving. He slipped past her defenses, dipping into that pool of liquid lightning.

“I can’t attack you or else—”

Her mouth closed around his lower lip, sucking on it. Kai’s control snapped. He tugged her roughly against him, kissing her with a need that threatened to burst from him. As their magic crashed, fire against lightning, she moaned, opening her mouth, inviting him in. He thrust his tongue past her lips, exploring her mouth with uncontrolled thirst. His mind shut down, driven by one, pulsing need: he had to know every part of her, to taste her body and magic and soul.

She rubbed her body against his, the scrape of the front of her jeans against his almost as unbearable as the hard friction of her magic. She’d let loose, her desire opening her up, allowing him a glimpse of her magic without her brakes on, that wild, fierce magic that tasted like dark chocolate spiced with chili. He caught a whiff of dragon mixed in with the sharp zest of female desire. Dragon? She had him strung up so tightly that their magics were bouncing off each other, mixing and melting.

He slid his hands over her hips and around her bottom, pulling her harder against him. Their bodies crashed. His hands moved to the button of her low-rise jeans. All rationality had left him. He was ready to take her right then and there, and from the way she was fumbling with his belt, she was just as ready as he was.

A bright light pierced the darkness, the outside lamp blinding him. Sera pushed away from him, and he melted into the shadows as the front door opened. Riley stood there, talking to Sera. Kai hurried toward his car, moving fast. He could feel the embarrassment in Sera’s magic, how she was chastising herself for going so far with him. He sighed as he eased into his car. He looked down, laughing humorlessly at his half-open belt. It hadn’t been far enough. She’d filled him with a hunger that nothing could satisfy, nothing but Serafina Dering.