Elemental Desire by Denise Tompkins Page B

this stuff before seeking you out, you know.”
    He sipped the water, not sure anything had ever tasted so good. The weight of reality slipped over him. “Smart girl, my Eden.”
    “Yours?”
    The breathy question would have terrified him before. Now? Not so much. He was uncomfortable, though. No, not uncomfortable exactly. Tugging the blanket higher, he fished around inside himself and jerked upright. He housed two distinct flames. His eyes widened and he scrambled to his knees, inadvertently knocking Eden aside. “What did you do?”
    “Experienced the best orgasm of my life?” Her innocent avoidance spoke volumes.
    The elevator dinged and the doors whooshed open to reveal two very morose men. They hesitated at the sight of Eden and him crouched on the floor, clearly unsure whether to stay or go.
    Eden squeaked and dove for the edge of the blanket.
    That decided it for Seth. “Later.”
    Dominic immediately turned around.
    Not Griff, though. He stepped into the room. “Your element?”
    “It’s a little confused at the moment.”
    Thunder boomed nearby, rattling the apartment’s floor-to-ceiling windows. Rain lashed the glass in wind-driven torrents.
    Eden’s shaking grew worse as the storm raged.
    “Hey.” He lifted the blanket and peered down at her. “You okay?”
    “F-fine. Why w-wouldn’t I b-be fine?”
    Fear fouled the still air. “You tell me.”
    She curled into his side. “I need a minute.”
    Tucking the blanket around them, he peered over the edge. “Give me a few minutes, guys. Things are fine.”
    “Hell of a storm,” Griff murmured, never taking his eyes off the little lump of woman under the blanket.
    “She’s not responsible,” Seth growled. “Now go. I’ll call you when you can come back up.”
    “No long-distance goodbyes,” Dominic said quietly.
    Seth’s chest tightened and his eyes burned. He looked up at the ceiling and swallowed repeatedly. “No goodbyes at all.”
    “Good.” Griff stepped back into the elevator and the men disappeared.
    “Eden?” Seth folded the blanket back to find her eyes squeezed shut. “What’s going on, baby?”
    “I still have your flame. Oh, goddess, I’m so sorry, Seth.” Twin tears slipped free to trail down flushed cheeks.
    “No, you don’t. I don’t understand it, but I seem to have two distinct flames now.”
    Her chin snapped up and cracked his chin, clacking his teeth together. She fought to untangle herself from the blanket and kneel in front of him. “Say that again.”
    “The I-don’t-understand part, or the I-seem-to-have-two-flames part?”
    She paled. “Two flames. It’s not possible.” Fisting one hand, she parked it between her breasts and closed her eyes. Her skin took on a translucent tone that seemed to emit a faint light as she slowed her breathing. Gentle winds caressed his body. A faint mist shrouded her and softened the contours of her luscious body. The pungent smell of damp earth surrounded him. Sulfur, as strong as a freshly lit match, tickled his nose.
    “Eden?”
    She opened her eyes and peered up at him through the thick fringe of dark lashes. Cupping her palms, two distinct flames hovered there. “I have two fire elements. That shouldn’t happen.”
    But Seth knew it could. Seth closed his eyes and traced the length of his lineage to his father. The king was the Keeper of all
ifritis
and could be called upon in times of need. What Seth encountered, though, made his breath hitch. His lineage had been—
    “What have you done?” The whisper of fury blazed through the room. Candle flames surged two feet into the air, wax puddling in the intense heat.
    Seth shot to his feet, pulling up Eden and placing her behind him as she struggled with the blanket. “She didn’t mean to.”
    Eden’s gentle touch rested at the small of his back. “What did I do?”
    “She is
heka
, a priestess. Their way is to steal that which is not theirs.” His father materialized a few feet to Seth’s right.
    “She took