Playing With Fire - Katie MacAlister [113]
‘‘Gabriel, don’t push me out. I’ve spent my lifetime alone,’’ I said.
He turned a surprised look on me. ‘‘I have not pushed you out, little bird.’’
‘‘You want to. I can tell you want to protect me by keeping me away from this, but you said I was your mate, and I accepted the job. That means your burdens are mine to share, and by the twelve gods, I’m going to share them.’’
He looked taken aback for a moment before he suddenly grinned. ‘‘I begin to see more and more why Drake puts up with Aisling’s ways.’’
‘‘You’d better believe—wait . . . was that a compliment or an insult? If it was the latter, we’re going to need to have a long talk. If it was the former, I’ll kiss you until you can’t think straight.’’
‘‘Former. It was definitely the former,’’ he said quickly.
‘‘I’m never going to be a proper wyvern’s mate at this rate,’’ I said as I flung myself across the seat to kiss him.
‘‘I’m beginning to think the rules regarding proper etiquette are vastly overrated,’’ he murmured as I licked his bottom lip. Gabriel allowed me to take charge of the kiss, his hands warm on my ribs as I lazily explored his mouth, the embers of desire quickly igniting under the taste and feel and scent of him. An idle part of my mind wondered for a second what it was about him that had me willing to risk everything just to be with him, but that thought didn’t last long. He was what he was, and that was all I wanted.
‘‘I’m still thinking straight,’’ he murmured a few minutes later. His fire roared through me, seemingly setting my blood on fire, but reluctantly, I kept a tight rein on it and returned it to him lest we inadvertently set the cab alight.
‘‘Are you, now,’’ I purred, sliding my hands down his chest. His eyes widened as I shifted so that I was sitting astride his thighs, my body blocking the cab driver’s view of him. ‘‘Let’s see if you’re still thinking after I do this . . .’’
His nostrils flared as my hands slid lower, fingers deftly undoing both his belt and his fly. I leaned in to kiss him again, my hands busily touching and stroking and teasing, even as my tongue did the same.
‘‘I don’t know about him, but I’m definitely losing concentration,’’ the cab driver said.
I released Gabriel’s lip and peered over my shoulder at the man. I’d deliberately arranged myself so that he couldn’t see exactly what we were doing, although I suspected he had a good idea. He winked at me in the rearview mirror, and added, ‘‘That’s your address ahead of us. Would you like me to go around the block a few times?’’
I glanced down at Gabriel. His eyes were hot enough to leave scorch marks. ‘‘No, I think I’ve proven my point,’’ I said with a little smile as I restored order to Gabriel’s clothing.
‘‘You will pay for this torment, little bird,’’ he promised with a deliciously wicked smile.
‘‘Deal.’’ Reluctantly, I slid off his thighs and pulled my mind from where it was dwelling with loving detail on the image of Gabriel wearing nothing but whipped cream, and tried to focus on the matter at hand.
‘‘You’ll pay for that, too,’’ he murmured a minute later as he turned back to the cab to pay off the driver.
Fortunately for us both, Cyrene’s trail was still visible just outside the portal’s exit point, so I didn’t have to go back into the horrendous slaughterhouse. There wasn’t much traffic in the area, thankfully, which allowed me to slip into the shadows immediately.
‘‘It’s here,’’ I told Gabriel as I returned to the mundane world. ‘‘Faint, but visible—both Cyrene and a dragon.’’
‘‘Check in every fifteen minutes to tell me where you are. I’ll follow you that way,’’ he said, checking his cell phone to make sure it was on.
I nodded and prepared to move into the shadow world.
‘‘Mayling.’’
‘‘Hmm?’’
His eyes glittered brightly. ‘‘Remember that you are my mate. I know you wish to rescue