Klutz: Phoenix Heat (But Did You Die?, #2)

by Sedona Ashe

“I have a feeling those two are going to become experts on the art of groveling.”

In order not to be a horndog, I had to date them.

Personally, I would love to be your witty sidekick.”

It was the equivalent of a scared toddler squeezing her favorite teddy bear. Only, I was a grown woman, and I clutched the enormous head of a paranormal jaguar.

Great. This was freaking fantastic! I was back to being Armageddon on two legs.

“Is she stable?” Dagger whispered to Lee. “She can still hear you.”

I blew out a sigh and reached down to adjust his head, so he at least wasn’t face down on the carpet. ZAP. Don’t touch. Gross bug. Imp gagged.

How about not being such a douche canoe?”

“Slap me with bread and call me a sandwich!

Not perfectly, but did anyone ever read minds perfectly on their first try?”

What a dumb way to die...even for me.

I guess I didn’t need to ask Lee who the cursed one was. I’d always known.

“Haven’t we done enough talking for today?” Trevor groaned.

My mate should have been first above anything else.

Are we about to get the ‘birds and bees’ talk from a wolf?

Just like with electricity, a Phoenix needs to be grounded. Fated mates are that anchor, and they act as a ground for the beautiful, chaotic energy that is a Phoenix.”

Separation, or rejection from her mates, will drain the life from her. Heartbreak is the only thing that can kill a Phoenix.”

We needed to grovel for the next several lifespans. I was also down for kissing her adorable derriere several times a day if she would let me.

I never hated you, never thought of you as anything less than perfect. Not for one minute or even one second. That’s why I tried so hard to make you hate me.

I would have died a thousand times if needed, just to have had your love. To have been loved by the shadow. You would have had my undying love… And for a Phoenix, undying is a very literal concept.

life is too short to hold a grudge… I will probably die a couple more times this week.”

Bad bug. No touchy. I could feel her fluffing her feathers, pleased with herself.

“You look constipated with your face all scrunched up like that. Stop stressing yourself out!

I got it. If I don’t make out with them periodically, I could die…permanently.

“Maybe they got a parasite while we were in the jungle!”

“Because they would rather die than hurt you again.”

“But if they die, I will, too. So that is a stupid reason.”

No. No bugs in bed. Imp, they are my mates.

I’d gone from a lonely girl who ate takeout, binge watched television, and slept alone every night of her life to a girl with six men eager to share her bed.

It turned out a perk of being a Phoenix was being able to keep your bath water at the perfect temperature—which every woman knows is just one step down from hot lava.

If your skin isn’t about ready to peel off, it isn’t hot enough.

Stay strong. No hokey pokey-ing without them turning thei...

“Yes. I’m fine!” I croaked the words, my throat burning from the water. “I dropped something.” I’d dropped something alright. Me.

This must be my lucky day! I’d survived two accidents that would have normally taken me out.

“I’m so sorry! I keep accidentally kneeing Trevor in the groin, and now I'm accidentally beating you two up as well.”

I’m barely resisting the urge to bury myself inside you.” “Then do it.”

I regenerated to find the men arguing over who had killed me.

I wanted to bite the digit off but stopped short because who knew where that thing had been. Gregg absolutely seemed like the type who would pick his nose, without a tissue, when no one was watching.

What was I going to do next? Ask him what he was wearing and call him daddy?

This man had more than a single screw loose. He was completely insane.

“Nope, I can’t do it.” I yanked my hands free of the chains, and they popped as easily as a candy necklace. “I thought maybe I could hang out here, glean a little information, and wait for the boys. But I’m out.”

“See, the problem is, I just did this whole imprisonment thing, and I wasn’t a fan. The food sucked, the bed was a cot, and the staff was plain rude.

“Dogs may be man’s best friend, but a werewolf is this girl’s best friend.”

Sometimes a girl needed to let down her hair, relax, and let her crazy hang out, right?

“Second, you underestimated me, and I am getting dang sick of being underestimated.”

I pressed my palm flat against his chest, and Imp eagerly gave him the most electrifying experience of his life. It was also the last experience of his life.

Two guards rushed from a side door, guns trained on me. “Nope, not interested.”

I really needed to figure out how to keep a better handle on my magic. I was getting the distinct impression that it was just as clumsy and awkward as me… And that didn’t bode well for any of us.

Spinning around to my mates, I took in their dumbstruck faces. It was flattering to know my awesomeness amazed them. Or maybe it was my craziness that had them awestruck?

“Where’s the fire?” a low, silky voice said. “It’s behind me.”