Retribution (3 page)

“Tell you what, feel free to wake me up anytime, because apparently temptation is the root of all that's wonderful.”

He laughed again, and it included a combined twitch. “You're heavenly,” he whispered, blindly finding her cheek, “in so many ways.”

“I can't believe it's like this,” she replied, turning her lips into his palm. “Each time it gets better, which is crazy, because the first time was insane. I mean, how are we ever going to get anything done?”

He laughed yet again, a little harder this time, and tingles shot through their bloodstreams, turning his laugh into a groan that muffled into her neck.

“See?” She'd won her debate. “Productivity has become impossible.”
 

“I'm okay with that.”

“We're going to have to be. We're pathetic when it comes to controlling ourselves, and neither of us wants to change. We'll just have to surrender and live the rest of our lives like this.”

“I'm okay with that.”
 

She kissed and nuzzled his palm. “Me, too, but I think we should figure out a safe way to drink coffee. We don't want to burn ourselves.”

He hugged her tightly and took a deep breath. Then he removed himself from her hair and body.

“No,” she protested, quickly rolling over. “Don't go. I don't want coffee. I want you.”

He smiled as he scooted closer. “You got me, love, forever. But we need coffee if we're going to keep up this regimen.” He brushed her hair from her face as he glanced at her aura. Then he found her shiny, emerald eyes. “It's also one in the afternoon, and I need to call your grandparents to check in.”

“Oh.”

As she processed the comment, her brow wrinkled over her cute nose, so he reached up and smoothed it. “What's on your mind, Layla?”

“Are you going to tell them we bonded?”

“Not over the phone.”

“Then how will we do it?”

“Well, I guess we should have them come see for themselves. They won't believe it otherwise, and I'd rather not leave the inn until we've talked to them.”

Layla’s mouth fell open as her eyes widened. “You're going to invite them over like it's no big deal then let them walk in on this shocker?”

“I'll ask them and my parents to visit; tell them we need to talk. And yes, they'll have to just walk in and see it.”

“Oh,” she murmured, biting her lip. “You're calling them now?”

“Do you want me to wait?”

“I don't know. It's kind of scary.”

“What's got you scared, angel?”
 

“Well, it's like I'm a teenager about to tell my parents my boyfriend knocked me up or something.”

He laughed and caressed her pout. “It's nothing like that.”

“Kind of. I mean, we're basically saying
hey, we had sex, and now we're committed for life. We understand it's going to be hard. Will you help us?
If that isn't eerily similar, I don't know what is. Besides, I'm scared they’ll get really upset. The last time they walked into a situation like this, it was the first step in a disastrous journey that ended with the deaths of their children. How will they see anything other than bad memories when they look at us?”

“Okay,” Quin soothed, “I see your point, but you’re forgetting how much resilience your grandparents have, how much appreciation they have for life, and how much love they hold for you. Yes, they'll be scared and worried, but above all, they'll be happy for us.”

“Maybe.”

“No, Layla Love, not maybe. They know what it's like.”

Layla stared into his eyes – into his soul and all the sincerity it held – and his reassuring words soaked in, loosening her tight stomach while allowing for a smile. “It's perfect, you know.”

“Yes it is, and it's nothing like a teen pregnancy, no matter how you spin it.”

Her smile stretched. “But the analogy sounded good, right?”

His dimples appeared as he kissed her grin. “Yes it did. You are witty with your words, my love, and you make me smile.”

Her expression softened as she moved a forefinger to one of his dimples. “I love your smile, Quin. It makes my life better.”

“Your smile is like a shiny star, Layla, and I'm not the only person who treasures it. Your grandparents will need time to process the shock and worry, but in the end, they’ll want to celebrate your happiness. So, should I invite them over now, or wait? Either way I need to call to check in.”

“I guess now. They're going to know eventually…” She paused, eying him as her lips twitched into a sly grin. “Just like when a teenage girl gets pregnant.”

He laughed and lightly tickled her neck. “You're sticking to that analogy?”

“No,” she giggled. “I just wanted to see your dimples get deeper.”

His grin widened as he gave her a kiss then another. “I'll call them while I get your coffee.”

“Okay,” she agreed, pretending to examine her fingernails. “I'm going to go take a shower.”
 

“Oh yeah?” he laughed, recognizing her game, but instead of calling her out, he took it a step further. His fingertips slid down her back and over her butt. Then they were between her thighs, softly stroking her opening before pressing inside.

She gasped and gripped his bicep, wiggling against his hand like an attention-starved feline, which was crazy, because she’d just gotten off!

He moved closer, wedging her between his hand and hips so she couldn’t move. “Hold still,” he whispered. “I’m healing you.”

This was
not
what she thought he was doing, and her eyes narrowed. “Tease.”

He flashed an ornery grin as his fingers inched deeper, meticulously healing sore flesh along the way, and her eyes rolled back despite her attempt to pout. By the time he was satisfied with his work, she was fighting the urge to scream at him to stop healing her and start doing her!

“Listen,” he insisted, taking her cheek in his free hand as his fingers slid away. “If I want to keep making love to your body, I need to take care of it. We’re a blessed breed, but our bodies bruise and break as easily as anybody’s. They can’t keep up with us without a little help. Now go get in the shower,” he added, giving her butt a soft pat, “and I'll bring your coffee to you.”

She cocked an eyebrow, trying to read his expression while wishing his hand was back between her legs. “Is coffee an analogy in this case? Because that would be lovely.”

He laughed as he pulled her into hug and buried his face in her hair. “Take a long shower, my love, and I'll meet you there.”

“Mmm... That sounds much tastier than coffee.” She playfully bit his neck then pushed on his shoulders. “Hurry up and make your phone calls, then come get clean with me.”

Following one more kiss, he rolled out of bed and headed for the parlor, and Layla boldly watched him go, surprised by how unabashed she was to do so. Her embarrassment from the night before seemed unreasonable now… and downright foolish, because he was fine as hell, with a tight and muscular backside, and a well-endowed front that made her ache with need. They’d finally had sex, which was
supposed
to release the tension, but her desire burned hotter than ever.

With tremendous effort, she shifted her attention from his gorgeous body to his aura, and her eyes widened. The haze covered a bigger area than before, the colors were bolder, and his power-band was almost twice the size of her grandparents’ power-bands. “Your power-band is different,” she noted. “It’s much bigger.”

“I know,” he replied. “You should see yours.”

She foolishly looked down at herself, like she’d actually see it, and of course she couldn't. But she could see shiny, golden swirls and silver rivers, which seemed lost without Quin beside her. The silver strands usually looped around both their bodies, like they were trying to tie them together, but with him out of reach, the glittering bands repeatedly stretched out then curled back in, as if beckoning him. She’d never seen anything like it in another magician’s aura or bonded light, not even her parents’.

Quin had been out of the room for about five seconds, and Layla could feel his absence – an unsettling sensation that started small but got stronger every second he was gone. She crawled out of bed and walked across the room, gauging whether or not the amount of distance between them made a difference. Her heart lightened as she drew closer to the parlor, and by the time she turned and pressed her back against the wall, her anxiety had nearly disappeared. Suddenly and without conscious reasoning, she understood why – he stood on the other side of the wall, testing their new bond the same way.

He quietly laughed, and she smiled as she rested her head against the soft wallpaper. “I already miss you, Quin.”

“Me, too, love, but you know what this means, right?”

“What?”

“We’ll always be able to find each other, even when there are obstacles in the way.”

“How about we just skip the losing each other part, huh?”

He was silent for a moment. Then she felt a spike in his energy, in the soothing warmth she experienced when he was nearby and loving her. “That’s the sweetest deal I’ve ever been offered, Layla. I’d die to keep you within reach.”

She turned and pressed her palms to the wall, knowing in her gut he was doing the same. “Then that’s the deal.” An emotional lump had captured her throat, but she forced it down, replacing it with the humor, peace and pleasure he brought into her life. “Now go get my coffee and come finish what you started.”

Chapter 2

Quin bypassed breakfast on the balcony, serving it on the kitchenette’s bar instead, and Layla didn’t mind losing the ocean view, because she had a better one sitting beside her. He’d thrown on a pair of shorts after their steamy shower, but his chest was bare and mere inches from her roaming hands. She wore a robe, but only because she didn’t want crumbs in her lap. Getting fully clothed seemed unnecessary since the layers would soon be stripped away.

She took a bite of apple and laid her head on his shoulder as she chewed, but when his hand slid inside the front of her robe, her chewing stopped. “You’re going to make me choke.”

“If I do, I’ll save you then start pureeing your food.”

“Eww…”

“Then don’t choke,” he laughed, keeping his hand on her chest.

Obviously he had no plans to remove it, so Layla concentrated on chewing and swallowing, a task that had come naturally for two decades.

“Does it bother you?” he asked.

Her eyes widened as her head jumped from his shoulder. “Are you reading my mind?”

He laughed and pulled his hand from her robe, moving it to her curls instead. “No, but I see your aura more clearly than I see others, and when I’m close to you, I can sense your emotions.”

“So what did you sense?”

He intently studied her for a moment, like he was trying to decide what he wanted to say, and when he finally got around to saying it, he pulled her close for the delivery. “I’ll tell you, but I want you to do something for me.”

“Okay,” she agreed, and what a silly request it was. She’d do anything for him.

“I want you to work on being more open and vocal with me.”

“Oh,” she breathed, stunned by the request. Guess it wasn’t so silly.

“I know you’re not used to expressing yourself out loud,” he continued, “but that needs to end with me. Please.”

“Okay,” she agreed, feeling guilty.

“Thank you.” He kissed her head then gave her some room. “So, I get the sense I make you feel dependent.”

Layla grabbed a piece of blueberry muffin and stuffed it in her mouth, trying to ignore how buttery and delicious it was so she could consider his interpretation. “That’s a good way to put it,” she decided, “a nice way, because what I really feel like is a child. And that muffin is incredible.”

“Hmm…” His fingers trailed from her hair to her throat then lower. “I don’t see you as a child.”

“I know,” she assured, pulling his palm to her heart.

“It’s the way the men in my life treat women,” he added. “It’s the way I was raised to be. I know you’re not helpless. I take care of you because I want to, because it makes me feel good.”

“I know,” she repeated, keeping her eyes on his, which seemed to be pleading with her to understand and accept.

“Then back to my original question,” he whispered. “Does it bother you?”

“No, Quin. I love how you take care of me, but it’s still new. I need to adjust.”

“It’s not all on your shoulders, Layla. I can adjust, too. If you need a sense of independence, tell me, and we’ll figure out a way to give it to you.”

“Thank you.”

He laughed and drummed his fingers on her heart. “You’re silly. Don’t thank me for this.”

She smiled as she pulled his palm into a kiss. Then she placed it on one of her breasts before attacking the rest of that muffin.

Once they'd eaten enough to stay nourished, he carried her to the sofa. Then he showered her in teasing kisses before leaving her there so he could clean their breakfast mess. She pouted as she watched him walk away, but the TV remote was nearby, so she reached for the distraction.