I grabbed Laurana by the hips and lifted her back onto the examination table. Her skin burned under my touch, those red lines pulsing faster as her heart rate spiked.

"That’s right," she murmured, voice low and approving. "Show me what you’re really capable of."

I slid my hand between her thighs, feeling the heat radiating through the fabric of her skirt. My fingers found the waistband, the material smooth and expensive under my touch. "You sure you want to know?" The question came out rougher than I intended. "Some things you can’t un-know, Professor."

"I stopped being your professor about ten minutes ago." She lifted her hips in one fluid motion, the movement both practical and provocative. Her muscles shifted under that luminous skin as she made space for me to work. "And I’ve always preferred learning through experience rather than theory."

I pulled the skirt down slowly, revealing more of those red lines as they traced patterns across her hips and down her thighs. The fabric whispered against her skin, catching briefly on her curves before sliding free. She kicked it aside once it cleared her ankles, the gesture impatient.

Underneath, she wore simple black underwear—functional rather than decorative. The contrast between that practicality and the glowing red artistry covering her skin was fascinating. Like finding out a calculator could play Mozart.

I hooked my fingers into the elastic and pulled them down, too. She kicked them away impatiently.

"You’re overthinking," she said, spreading her legs wider. "I can almost hear your brain making connections. Analysis later. Action now."

The drain pulsed between us, cycling her Essentia into me in waves that matched her breathing. Each inhalation pulled more of that molten energy through our connection—cinnamon, steel, fire.

"I’m multitasking." I ran my fingers along the inside of her thigh, watching as her muscles tensed in anticipation. "Learning your taste while learning what makes you tick."

I slid my hand higher, finding her already slick and ready. She hissed when my fingers made contact, her hips rising to meet my touch.

"Fuck," she breathed, head falling back. "That’s—"

"Surprising?" I circled my thumb over the sensitive bundle of nerves at her center, feeling her thighs quiver. "The drain works both ways. I feel what you feel."

"Mmm." Her nails dug into my shoulders. "Then you should know exactly what I want next."

I did. The connection between us sang with her desires—clear as a bell. I pushed one finger inside her, then another, watching as her breath caught and her back arched.

"More," she demanded.

I bent to take one of her nipples into my mouth again, sucking hard as my fingers worked inside her. The red lines around her areola flared brighter, and I felt her internal temperature rise by several degrees—a literal heat of passion.

"Your ability," I murmured against her skin. "Can you control it during...?"

"Usually." She gripped my hair, keeping my mouth where she wanted it. "But it responds to arousal. The more intense the feeling, the more heat I generate."

I bit down gently on her nipple, and she made a sound between a gasp and a growl. The temperature of her skin spiked again.

"Fascinating," I said, echoing her scientific tone.

Her laugh turned into a moan as I curled my fingers inside her. "Don’t mock the woman who could burn you from the inside out."

"Is that a threat or a promise?"

She didn’t answer with words. Instead, she wrapped her legs around my waist and pulled me closer, positioning me at her entrance.

"Wait," I said, genuinely concerned now. "What about protection?"

Her eyes narrowed. "I’m on birth control. And I’m assuming someone with your ability knows if they’re carrying anything."

She was right. Hard to Kill made disease impossible. But her assumption that I’d done this often enough to be cavalier about protection stung a little.

"I’m not as experienced as my file probably suggests," I admitted. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Something softened in her expression. "First time with a professor, then?"

"First time with someone who understands what I am."

The confession hung between us, unexpectedly vulnerable. Her fingers traced my jaw, gentler now.

"Then let me teach you something new."

She guided me inside her with one hand, her eyes never leaving mine as I pushed forward. The heat of her body was incredible—like sinking into a hot spring. Her Essentia flooded into me with each inch, and I nearly lost myself in the dual sensations.

"Fuck," I groaned as I bottomed out. "You’re so—"

"Hot?" She smirked, purposefully raising her internal temperature another degree.

"Literally." I had to pause, fighting for control over both my body and the drain. "How are you doing that?"

"Years of practice." She rolled her hips, taking me deeper. "Now move."

I did, pulling back almost completely before driving forward again. Her head fell back, exposing the long line of her throat with its glowing red tracery. I leaned down to press my mouth against her pulse point, tasting salt and cinnamon.

"Harder," she commanded, her nails digging crescents into my back.

I complied, setting a punishing rhythm that had the examination table creaking beneath us. Her legs tightened around my waist, heels digging into my lower back to pull me deeper with each thrust.

The drain widened further, creating a feedback loop between us. I could feel her pleasure layered on top of mine. The fullness. The friction. The building pressure that wasn’t just mine anymore. She could feel it too, if the way her eyes went glassy was any indication.

"That’s—" She gasped as I hit a particularly sensitive spot. "I can feel you feeling me."

"Recursive sensation." I adjusted my angle slightly, making her moan louder. "One of the drain’s more interesting side effects."

Her laugh came out breathless and broken. "Even now you’re analyzing."

"Can’t help it." I slid one hand between us to where our bodies joined, finding her center with my thumb. The heat coming off her was enough to make my vision blur at the edges. "It’s part of my charm."

"Less talking." She gripped my shoulders, the temperature of her palms nearly scorching. The red lines across her skin pulsed faster, brighter, keeping time with her breathing. "More of that."

I obliged, circling my thumb in time with my thrusts. Her breathing quickened. The heat radiating from her body was making sweat bead on my forehead, my chest, everywhere we touched. It should have been uncomfortable. It wasn’t.

"Close," she whispered, her eyes going half-lidded. "Don’t stop."

I had no intention of stopping. The drain was pulling her Essentia into me in great, greedy gulps now, each wave fueling my own pleasure while feeding back into hers through that recursive connection. It was the most intense thing I’d experienced. Maybe because of the stimulant she’d given me. Maybe because of her power making everything feel like it was happening at double intensity. Maybe because of how she watched me with those knowing ruby eyes while I took her apart piece by piece.

She came with a cry that bounced off the lab’s sterile walls, her body clamping down around me in rhythmic waves that nearly dragged me over the edge with her. The sudden surge of her Essentia flooded through the drain like a dam breaking, and I had to lock every muscle in my body to keep from following her into oblivion. Not yet. Not when I wanted to draw this out as long as possible.

Her tremors subsided slowly. She blinked a few times, coming back to herself, then pushed against my chest with both palms. "My turn on top."

I didn’t argue, allowing her to guide me onto my back on the examination table. She straddled me in one fluid motion, taking me back inside her with a satisfied hum.

"Much better view from here," she said, rolling her hips experimentally.

I had to agree. The sight of her above me, her scarlet hair falling around her shoulders, those red lines tracing patterns across her pale skin, her small perfect breasts with their hardened peaks—it was enough to make my breath catch.

"You’re staring," she noted, placing her palms flat on my chest as she began to move.

"Can you blame me?" I ran my hands up her thighs to grip her waist. "You’re fucking gorgeous."

"Flattery." She leaned forward slightly, changing the angle. "Will get you everywhere."

She set a slower pace this time, grinding down on me with deliberate movements that had me seeing stars. Her hands on my chest grew hotter, not painful but intense enough to make me gasp.

"Too much?" she asked, though her smile suggested she already knew the answer.

"Not enough." I thrust up to meet her, making her breath hitch. "Show me what you can really do, Laurana."

Her eyes flashed at the challenge. The temperature of her hands increased again, and I felt heat spreading across my chest in patterns that matched the red lines on her skin. She was marking me with her ability, leaving temporary brands that would fade but god they felt amazing in the moment.

"I could burn you," she murmured, her voice a mix of warning and arousal. "Leave permanent marks."

"But you won’t." I caught her wrists, pulling her down until our faces were inches apart. "Because you want to study me, not damage me."

"True." She kissed me hard, her mouth searing against mine. "You’re too valuable a specimen."