Soul to Shepherd (17 page)

“I’m sure you do,” I replied, sounding more playful than I felt. I’d been through this over and over in my head. I didn’t know what else we could do to get closer in such a short period of time. And lingering in the back of my mind was the fear that we might’ve already reached our peak potential as true soul mates and it just wasn’t good enough—that we just weren’t strong enough to save the world.

With our new directive in place, Dylan, Minerva, Quinn and I made sure the four of us were seen out in public together
a lot
over the next week. After our morning strategy and training session in the Falls, we’d head out for the day.

Being out in public with Quinn was certainly easier now that I didn’t have to worry about the penalties for spending time with him. Of course, it also helped having two partners in crime. Quinn gave Dylan, Minerva, and me the grand tour of his hometown—where he’d gone to school, where he’d learned to swim, where his friends had grown up, where he used to hang out, and everything in between. I loved hearing stories about when he was younger.

Unfortunately, my hopes to keep a low profile and blend in were quickly dashed whenever we’d run into one of Quinn’s neighbors—or even worse, friends of Quinn’s parents. They’d eye me up and down, committing every one of my features, comments, and mannerisms to memory, no doubt to gossip about me later. Thankfully, any self-conscious fears I might’ve had were allayed each night when Quinn would seduce me before falling asleep. And each night, I’d watch this beautiful man get lost in his dreams.

Because Chicago was new to Dylan and Minerva, we went on the Chicago River Boat tour, walked the Magnificent Mile, and hit the stores. I took note of what Quinn eyed on the mannequins—and, even more so, what Minerva liked. By week’s end, my wardrobe had vastly improved.

And each time we were in the city, we made it a point to drive through the West Loop and look for Ronald, but he was never around. Quinn even stopped in the convenience mart one afternoon to ask the same cashier we’d spoken to days before if he’d seen Ronald, but the cashier just apologized and ended up giving Quinn his thirty dollars back.

We also quickly got into the habit of avoiding places that were too remote and unpopulated for fear that our isolation would invite an attack by the Servants. The more public and crowded the area, the safer we felt.

And just when I felt like we’d pushed the limits of “going public,” Quinn thought it’d be a good idea to meet up with a bunch of his high school friends at a house party. Dylan, of course, agreed with Quinn immediately. Leave it to the two of them to bust the can of worms wide open.

Minerva helped me choose my outfit for the evening—nothing too over the top, but something that amped up my “wow” factor just a bit. We settled on a sleeveless cranberry-colored wraparound mini-dress with a plunging neckline. The dress accentuated all the right parts of my body but still hid the scars on my back. I wore nude wedges to add a few inches to my five-foot-seven frame.

I kept my make-up fresh and clean—light shadow on my eyes with more attention on my lashes to create a dramatic effect, and lip gloss that was just a shade lighter than the color of my dress. I wore my long, dark hair down in soft, full curls.

Minerva draped a thin silver chain around my waist, and I wrapped a similar chain around my wrist. She also gave me a teardrop garnet pendant necklace and matching earrings, both absolutely stunning. I had never paid much attention to accessorizing, but I would from now on. And, of course, there was my engagement ring, which I now made a habit of wearing on the ring finger of my right hand.

I felt like a million bucks—and then a billion when I saw Quinn’s face as I descended the stairs. Even Dylan’s mouth dropped open. I couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear.

“Wow,” Quinn uttered when I reached his side. He swept my hair over my left shoulder and smiled. “Every one of my friends is going to try to steal you away from me.”

“Well then you better stay by my side all night and fend them off,” I flirted.

“You couldn’t beat me away with a stick.” He kissed me softly and I felt my insides stir.

Dylan cleared his throat, interrupting the moment. “Later, you two. We’ve got a party to attend.”

I couldn’t believe how nervous I felt when we arrived at the party. Quinn had wanted to introduce me to his friends for the longest time, and now he finally could. And these weren’t just any friends—he grew up with these people. I wanted his friends to like me. I wanted him to be proud of me. Quinn squeezed my hand reassuringly as we walked through the front door.

There were about a dozen people scattered throughout the first floor of the house and another twenty or so out in the large backyard. It was a beautiful house, even larger than Quinn’s parents’ house, and was home to a guy name Jack Sellers—well, to his parents, anyway. Jack had been one of Quinn’s best friends growing up.

“There’s Jack,” Quinn said, smiling. Still holding my hand, he led me through the crowd towards a keg on the outdoor back patio. “Jack!” Quinn called out.

“There’s the man of the hour!” the tall, slender blond guy called back.

“It’s good to see you.” Quinn handed Jack the case of beer he’d brought.

“Good to see you too, man. And thanks for supporting the cause,” he said, setting the case on top of a nearby the cooler. “I wasn’t sure you’d make it. Last I heard you were roughing it out west somewhere.”

“Yeah, well, I decided I’d had enough living out of a tent with me, myself, and I.”

“I would, too, if I had this waiting for me at home,” Jack said, eyeing me. Quinn glanced at me and smiled, squeezing my hand again.

“Yeah, I hope you don’t mind, but I brought a few friends. Jack, this is Evie. Evie, this is one of my oldest friends, Jack Sellers.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” I said.

“Nice to meet you, too.” Jack flashed Quinn a little look that obviously meant something because it made Quinn grin even wider and wrap his arm around my waist.

“And this is Dylan and Minerva,” Quinn continued.

“Welcome,” Jack said smiling. “I’m glad you guys could come. Make yourselves at home. The keg is tapped and there’s more cold beer in the cooler.”

“Thanks,” Dylan replied.

Dylan and Minerva hung back while Quinn and I made the rounds, but they never strayed too far. They were ready to come to our aid should we need it.

Quinn was more than happy to introduce me as his girlfriend from college. There were too many people for me to remember everyone’s name, but one name definitely stood out—Zoe. She was Quinn’s high school girlfriend, and she didn’t seem all too happy to meet me.

Zoe was very cute. She had pixie-like black hair, a round face and bright blue eyes. She was petite—a good three inches shorter than me
without
my shoes. She had fairly broad shoulders for her slight frame. I soon learned she’d been on the swim team of a rival high school, which was how Quinn and she had originally met. They’d dated on and off for two years. She attended college out east and was home working for her father this summer.

Towards the end of the evening, I sat down with Dylan and Minerva while Quinn caught up with his friends. Maybe it was because I was out of practice, but I’d forgotten how exhausting it was to be socially “on” for hours on end—the smiling, the laughing, the small talk. I was glad to take a break from it all.

Besides, I liked watching Quinn interact with his friends. During the past year at IU, he’d been more distant and aloof. Then again, I’d left him and then erased his memory. And when he’d finally remembered what I’d stolen from him, he couldn’t tell anyone about me—about us, which would be enough to throw anyone off their game. But all traces of that closed-off version of Quinn were gone. Tonight, he was in his element—he was comfortable, happy, and relaxed. Periodically, he’d look over at me and wink or smile, and I’d gladly return the gesture.

At one point, I became particularly curious to know what Quinn and Jack were talking about, given Jack’s strange facial expressions and his gaze wandering in my direction, but the music and the other conversations nearby made it difficult for me to hear them. And honestly, I wanted to give them their privacy and not eavesdrop. Quinn would fill my in later if he wanted.

We didn’t get home until after two in the morning. Dylan and Minerva headed straight to the family room to watch an old James Bond movie they’d been talking about all night. I was headed towards the stairs when, without warning, Quinn grabbed me by the hand and pulled me into his father’s office. Once inside, he pulled me into him and kissed me longingly.

“Let’s go,” he whispered as he pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it on the floor.

“Where?” I teased.

“You know
exactly
where,” he whispered and then kissed me again.

I could feel the warmth of his skin through my dress, and I wondered if he could feel the heat emanating from within me. My hands traveled down the length of his back, tracing the contours of his muscles.

“What are you waiting for?” There was an urgency in his voice as he kissed my neck.

I was about to teleport us to the Falls when I had a flashback to the afternoon last summer when Quinn teased me mercilessly and then left me hanging while he took a cold shower. I smiled to myself. It was my turn to have a little fun. I took a step back and walked over to the heavy wooden door to the office, closing it to give us more privacy. Light from the outdoor landscaping trickled into the room. I turned back towards him and smiled.

“What are you—”

“Shh,” I whispered as I walked back over to him and put my hands on his chest. “Can you see me?”

“Yes,” he whispered, leaning in to kiss me, but I pulled away just before his lips touched mine. He looked at me, confused, which only made me smile again and raise my eyebrows playfully. I picked up his phone and scrolled through his music. I found the song I wanted—a slow, sexy tune I’d recently discovered in his music library—and hit play, setting the phone on a nearby table.

I gently directed his arms behind him, pinning both of his wrists to the small of his back with my hand. He didn’t resist. I reached up and kissed his neck as I ran my free hand over his chest, down to his stomach. My fingers nimbly unfastened the buckle of his belt. In one swift motion, I pulled it through the loops of his jeans and let it dangle in my hand. He exhaled loudly, and I couldn’t help but giggle.

Quinn groaned and tried to break free of my hold, but I didn’t let him. I wanted to be the one in control this time, and I wanted to get him as worked up as I could. I kissed his neck again, this time drawing little circles on his skin with my tongue. He instinctively tilted his head to the side, and I could hear his breathing getting louder, his breaths getting shallower. I could hear his heart pounding a little harder.

Wanting to up the ante, I unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans. I kissed him from his chest down to his navel. He leaned his head back.

“Evie,” he pleaded.

I let go of his wrists, slowly slid his jeans down to his ankles and removed them, tossing them to the side. When I stood up, I grabbed his wrists again. His eyes were dark and blazing, but he didn’t fight me. He understood my game.

I kissed him softly, teasing his lips with my tongue and my teeth. I pressed the length of my body against his, and as if on cue, I felt his every muscle react exactly the way I wanted. My body tingled with excitement. He closed his eyes and groaned softly. I was thoroughly enjoying every minute of my taunting him. I took a step back and Quinn tried to follow me.

“Stay,” I gently ordered. He sighed in frustration but didn’t move, making me smile again.

I took a few more steps back and unlatched the silver chain around my waist, letting it fall, all evidence of it disappearing before it hit the ground. Then I slowly untied the knot on my dress and unwrapped it, revealing the white lace bra and panties underneath. The dress dropped to my feet and was gone. I stood there for a moment, letting Quinn take in all of me. I slid one bra strap down my shoulder and then the other before reaching around and unhooking it. Rather than allow my bra to fall to the ground, however, I held it in place and walked back over to Quinn. Only when I was a few inches away did I let go. I leaned into him once more, and now it was my breathing that hastened as our skin came into contact.

I walked behind him, my body maintaining contact with his the entire time. I kissed his back as my hands made their way to the waistline of his boxer briefs. I toyed with the elastic band for a moment, and Quinn sucked in his breath in anticipation. I fought back the urge to giggle.

“Evie,” he whispered. “You’re playing a very dangerous game, you know that?”

Oh, I do,
I thought to myself. It was getting increasingly more difficult to ignore how my own body was feeling at the moment. But far be it from me to give up so easily. I certainly wasn’t going to be the first to cry “uncle.” I just needed to up the ante a bit.

I allowed my fingers to dip just below his waistband. This time Quinn groaned loudly. He reached behind and wrapped his arm around me, pulling my body into his with such force it took everything I had to swallow the groans forming in my throat. I could tell my own desires were beginning to betray me.

Quinn whipped around, picked me up and kissed me hungrily. I wrapped my legs around his waist and pulled him into me tightly, returning his kiss with everything I had. His lips worked their way down my neck to my chest. Heat surged though me. I knew I had taken this game dangerously further than I should’ve outside of the portal, but this was still
my
game, and I wanted to win.

“Do you want me?” I whispered in his ear. I nipped at his neck playfully with my teeth.

“Yes,” he uttered hoarsely.

“How badly?”

“So, so badly.”

“Then show me,” I dared.

Still holding me, he walked over to his father’s desk and cleared half of it off with his arm. He sat me down on top of it and kissed me. I pulled him toward me until we were as close as we could be without taking things to the next level. My body was on fire. My mind was blazing. I was losing control fast. I had to think of something to push him over the edge first. I tugged at his boxer briefs until they dropped to the floor.