Jaded 4 Lyfe <|3

Flying was miserable. I had the eerie feeling that I was going to be dropped the whole time. Have you ever woke up in the middle of the night because you felt like you were falling into some big hole? Well I had that falling feeling for what seemed like hours. I had no choice but to cling to Gray for dear life. It was bad enough that I was afraid of heights, but to be forced to do this. Well, I was good and damned pissed when we finally landed.

I didn't take the time to look to see where we'd stopped. As soon as my feet hit solid ground, I turned right around and let gray have it. He didn't see the punch coming, so it landed directly on his nose with a loud crack. "You fucking asshole!" I screamed. I didn't know where I was. I didn't know why I was here, and it was all directly Gray's fault. I turned to finally look where we'd landed. We were on a roof. Not a normal one either. A castle. It was made of sand colored stone. It was so high in the sky that the clouds were floating carelessly around us. I walked to the edge of what seemed to be a balcony of some sort, and looked down. I could see the tops of mountains below. "What the hell was that for?" Gray asked angrily. As if he had any reason to me angry at me!

"Are you really that stupid, Gray?" When I faced him again, his broken nose was rapidly healing. Putting itself back together as if by magic. "Oh my..." If I could have, I would have taken a step back. However, I was at the edge of this stupid balcony thing, and the fall was a long way down. "What are you?" He didn't answer. He just kept getting closer and closer to me. He stopped directly in front of me. His eyes were soft now. And despite myself, I wasn't afraid anymore. I was aroused. As if he could see it in my eyes, he groaned. It was deep and male. My arousal only deepened.

"Cora, I am a Fire Bird, better know as a Phoenix. And I'm not just a Fire Bird, I'm the Fire Bird. I am Gray Hollis, King of the Phoenixes. And you are now my... for lack of a better word, prisoner." I had heard of birds like what he claimed to be. I had never heard of them taking a human form though. Could something this insane be real? He did have wings, that I'd experienced. So could he be a Phoenix? And why would he want me as a prisoner?

"Gray, this is cr-" Before I could finish, he'd grabbed me and threw me over his big shoulder. Again, I was being forced. Again, I had no idea where I was being taken. I felt a jolt, and then were inside a room. I was thrown on top a huge, albeit, beautiful bed. It was a vast array of yellows and greens, and the mattress was made of feathers. It was the softest bed I'd ever laid on. I entertained the idea of punching him again, but the before the idea could even fully form, Gray dematerialize right before my eyes. One minute he was there, the next, he was gone. I was left alone in a room I didn't know, in a castle I didn't know, in a land I didn't know. Great. Life was just fucking great.

The first coherent thought to float into my head came out of mouth. "What was that?" I sounded winded, even to myself. Gray looked almost torn. He looked like he wanted to continue what he had started, but he was holding himself back. Why? What was his sudden interest about? Money?

"Cora... I, um." He was nervous. I had never seen Gray nervous. He shifted himself further away from me. "I want you to come with me." His gaze clashed with mine. It was unwavering. He meant what he said, and Gray was not likely to take no for an answer.

"I can't. Gray, I have to take care of my parent's estates. You've seen the accident on TV, you know where my life is right now. Why on earth wou-"

"You will be going with me, Cora." I opened my mouth to protest, but he just pushed on. "No. There will be no arguing with me. There is much to tell, and no time to do it now. You are going with me now, to my..." There was a pause, and then he said, "place." I was pissed. Beyond pissed. I was outraged. How dare he try to push me around. Yes, he was intimidating. But I wasn't going to be cowed into leaving my life for him. Especially not knowing a damn thing about what was going on.

"No! Gray, I will not go with you. I have a life. I can't just walk away for God knows how long with you! You are nothing but a criminal now, and I want nothing to do with that!" I got up and walked out the door to that piece-of-shit bar. I could feel him following me, but I didn't care. Nothing he could say would change my mind.

"Cora, don't make me do it the hard way." He was standing at the bottom of the steps to the bar. I turned to face him. He looked regretful. As if he had already done something irrevocable.

"Go to hell, Gray!" I spun on my heel to walk to my car, but before I could get turned around, I felt strong muscled arms wrap around my waist. I could hear flapping. And then I was in the air. How could this be? I was too in shock to even scream. The street was getting smaller and smaller. Further and further away. And we were getting higher and higher in the sky. Gray could fly? This had to be some sort of hallucination. I was dreaming. Of course I was. There was no way this could actually happen.

"We'll be there soon, just try to relax, Cora." I could barely hear him from the wind in my ears, but somewhere deep in my soul, I knew that this was no dream. I was about to have my mind blown. Where ever we were going, I was going to learn some very strange things. Strange indeed.

When I walked in, he was just sitting there. I didn't know what to do. I couldn't think. Gray always did this to me. For as far back as I can remember, he has had the weird ability to freeze up my thoughts. He even catches my eyes. My eyes are his very own personal prisoners. There to look at him and only him. I've asked myself a hundred times why I don't just walk straight up to him and just, well, curse him. He has caused me so much pain in the last ten years. Shouldn't I be entitled to a little hatred towards him? He has flaunted his whores in front of me. I hate him for that. However, Cora Lee does not show emotion. I never show when I am hurt. Least of all to him. Gray would just use my lust for him as a pawn to get to my money. He is ruthless, and I have inheritance worth millions coming to me. Now I'm at a run down bar in the middle of a gang infested part of the city, meeting Gray Hollins, my worse nightmare and my lustiest dream, all in one package.

"Cora." My name sounded good on his lips. Just to spite me, my heart skipped a beat.
"Gray?" The name came from somewhere deep in my throat. Treacherous body!
"You look... good." His eyes roamed down my body slowly. God! The heat of it! He could never know how I react to him.
"As do you. Now, why have you called me to the disgusting place? And don't tell me you 'just wanted to catch up' one more time or I swear I will keel over right here!" I was mad. Not at him exactly. More so at myself for wanting him. He wore a pair of worn jeans and a Foreigner t-shirt. I wanted to strip them off. I had wanted to strip his clothes off of him for years. Since we met in college almost ten years ago.
"Wow, okay. I'm here to proposition you." He raised an eyebrow and looked, it couldn't be, lusty. I had to sit. I was too afraid my knees would turn to rubber underneath me. He was tucked in a booth so I had no choice but to scoot in next to him as there were no chairs to be seen.
"What kind of proposition are you talking about, Gray? I haven't heard from you in years and you just pop up out of the blue to meet with me. For what? Just tell me already!" He turned himself to face me fully. I could smell the spice of his skin. Heat rushed everywhere as a result. How could this man do this to me? Before I even knew it was coming, his lips were on mine. At first it was gentle. His tongue pushed its way past mine, and his taste was like a drug. Suddenly, I couldn't get enough. I knew I'd die if he stopped. I put my fingers through his short brown hair. It was soft, almost like silk. His kiss got harder, more desperate. His hands were all over me now. God, it was heaven. Then, just as suddenly as it began, he ripped his mouth from mine.