Deception (32 page)

His lips slid to her jaw, then her cheek. Then he kissed his way across her forehead before following her nose back to her lips. “I needed it, too, love. Like you wouldn't believe.”

Moisture filled her eyes again as she ran her fingers along the strong curves of his face. “There's one more thing I need from you, Quin.”

“Name it.”

She wiggled lower in his arms and curled into his chest. “Just for a minute. I need to make sure it’s as perfect as I remember.”

He adjusted his arms and body so she could have her sanctuary. Then he buried his face in her hair and breathed deep. “How is it, angel?”

“Perfect,” she purred, tasting his thumping heart.

“Good,” he approved. “How do you feel?”

“Perfect.”

He nuzzled and kissed her head. “How does your body feel?”

“Perfect.”

“Layla.”

She kissed his heart then wiggled to his face. “I feel fine.”

“Not perfect?” he teased.

“No,” she confessed. “I’m a little sore, but it just feels like I had a tough workout at the gym or something. Compared to earlier, I’d call that perfect. It's crazy what magicians can do in such a short amount of time.”

“Your grandparents are above average, my love. You had the equivalent of eight magicians working on you for more than eight hours.”

“Oh yeah.”

He pulled one arm from around her back and took her cheek. “I'm sorry I wasn't here when you woke up.”

“Don't be. I was busy.”

“I'm still sorry. But guess what?”

“What?”

“I'm here to stay now. We have everything we need. It’s just you and me until we’re ready to go home.”

“And you said this wasn't heaven.” She drifted her lips across his jaw to his ear, then kissed and nibbled. “So how are we going to spend our time in heaven?”

“Well,” he returned with a shiver, “first we need to say goodbye to your grandparents.”

His earlobe slipped from her teeth as she pulled away. “They're still here?”

“In the parlor.”

“You didn't tell me. We've been in here for a long time.”

“It's okay, Layla. They knew what you wanted, and they wanted you to have it. We'll stay like this until you're ready to move.”

“I can't make them wait, Quin. May I have you back when they're gone?”

“I’ll be counting the seconds.”

He hugged her tightly and kissed her face a dozen more times. Then he got out of bed and pointed to a t-shirt folded on a chaise lounge. “There you go, love. That one just came off me.”

The shirt floated across the room, and she snatched it from the air, burying her face in the cotton as she breathed deep. “It's perfect, thank you.” After slipping it on, she pulled the collar up over her chin and tucked the hem in her lips.

As she eased out of bed, Quin jumped to help her, and she laughed, dropping his shirt from her mouth. “I'm fine, Quin. If I didn't think you’d have a heart attack, I’d attempt a cartwheel.”

“Well don't, because my heart would undoubtedly take a hit.”

She quietly laughed again, too happy to feel guilty about being happy. Yes, a storm brewed outside, but she and Quin's bubble flourished with butterflies and rainbows. “Where are the clothes?”

“The closet,” he answered, leading the way.

His hand stayed on her bicep as they walked across the room, and she stifled a smirk while watching his profile. “You don’t have to do that,” she insisted, pointing at the fingers encircling her arm.

He stopped walking and looked at the grip he had on her. Then he swallowed and let go. “I'm sorry. I just worry about you.”

She moved into his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I know, and I love that about you, but I'm okay, and I’d much rather you hold me somewhere besides my arm.”

“Of course. But will you please let me know if you do need help with something?”

“Yes,” she answered, smiling up at him. “I need you to get down here and kiss me.”

“Imagine that,” he replied, flashing deep dimples. “That’s exactly what I need.”

He leaned in for a slow kiss, and his hands slid to her bare bottom, squeezing as he quietly groaned into her mouth.

“Go put on some underwear,” he insisted, taking a step back.

She flashed a smug grin then turned, confidently strutting away.

The walk-in closet was huge and fancy, with a sit-down vanity, a round sofa with 360 degree seating, and a bright chandelier. A section near a floor-to-ceiling mirror held the things Quin had brought, and Layla spied her duffle bag of underwear on a shelf below the hanging clothes. She dug through it for something that wasn't white cotton or black lace and ended up choosing pink satin. One glance at the hanging outfits told her they were all fancy, so she grabbed a pair of Quin's pajama pants and slipped them on. She pulled the drawstrings tight while magically rolling up the extra material hanging around her ankles. Then she turned to find him watching her from the closet door.

“It's cute,” he approved, raising eyebrows over humored lips.

“I look ridiculous,” she countered, closing the distance between them. “But I'm only wearing the pants for my grandparents. For you, I'll leave them off.”

“Mmm . . . Then let's get them out of here. The look you have going now is cute, but the shirt without the pants is much better.”

When they entered the parlor, her grandparents were intently watching TV, but they soon stood and rushed to give her hugs.

“What are you guys watching?” Layla asked.

“A show about the seven wonders of the world,” Daleen answered. “How’s the eighth?”

“You flatter me,” Layla laughed, “and I feel great, ninety-nine percent better. You guys are amazing.”

Serafin sighed and kissed her head. “That's what I was hoping to hear. Any remaining aches should work themselves out tonight. If you're still sore when you wake up tomorrow, let Quin know, because it might mean we’ve missed something.”

“Okay,” she agreed. Then she bit her lip while sweeping her gaze over their faces. “Are you guys staying in the community? Quin told me what happened last night.”

“Don't you worry about that, sweetie,” Morrigan insisted. “Everyone’s fine, and the mess has been cleaned up.”

“But he’ll come back,” Layla countered.

“He killed more than fifty of his own men,” Caitrin replied, “and probably wounded dozens more. It will take a day or two for him to recuperate and rebuild his numbers, so we don’t foresee him coming back tonight. But in case we’re wrong, we’ve put extra precautions in place. Only a handful of us are staying there, and we’re all capable of taking care of ourselves, so relax and get well. We’ll worry about Agro later.”

Layla’s worry would continue, no matter what anyone said, but Caitrin’s reassurance did make her feel better, so she gave him a nod then followed it with hugs and kisses for everyone. Part of her wanted to ask them to stay for dinner, but they looked worn out, so she didn’t object when they moved to the door in a golden haze.

“We have eyes on Cannon Beach,” Caitrin noted, “dozens of them, so feel free to get comfortable, but make sure you stay in touch, or my sweet peach will lose her mind.”

Morrigan nodded, unashamed of her neediness, and Layla smiled as she replied. “We will.”

The four of them blew her a kiss before disappearing down the hall. Then she and Quin were alone, once again wrapped in a blissful bubble. She waited for him to close and lock the door. Then she threw her arms around his waist.

He gave her a firm hug and nuzzled her hair. “What do you want to do first, my love? Coffee?”

“Mmm… You sure know what to say to a woman.”

He laughed and summoned her coffee. Then he gave her room to take it. “I doubt coffee's the key to every woman's heart.”

She sipped, sighing as sweet warmth rushed deprived taste buds. Then she turned around and leaned into his chest, staying quiet as she drank every drop. After floating her mug to the marble bar separating the kitchen from the parlor, she rotated and found his eyes. “You know what I really need?”

“What's that, angel?”

“A shower.”

He took her cheek in one hand and her hip in the other, bringing her closer. “Of course you do.”

Veins warming, Layla raised a palm to his heart, thinking about how good it would feel for his hands to wash away Finley’s sins. “Would you like to help?”

His aura swelled as he leaned in, touching his forehead to hers while closing his eyes. “More than anything.”

His emotional whisper swept over her lips, and she smiled as she took his hand, leading the way to no more Finley. Together, they’d eliminate every last trace of him.

Chapter 21

Quin’s soapy hands easily aroused Layla to the point where she was powerless to stop his advances, so he once again took her places she’d never been while staying behind. Not that she was complaining, and it would get her nowhere if she did. He was beyond careful with her while she was recuperating from injuries and would never risk her health or the quality of the experience to move things along.

When it came time for her to leave the shower so he could lose his shorts and finish washing, she wrapped a towel around her waist and sat on the spacious vanity. No way in hell would she repeat the scene from the previous morning.

She swung her legs while taking in the details of the luxurious bathroom for the first time. It was the same bathroom she’d used earlier, but she’d been in so much pain at the time, she hadn’t noticed its golden glow and fancy features, most notably the whirlpool bath, which was huge and could likely hold five people. Nestled in a marble slab, the tub sat next to the walk-in shower and had walls on three sides. Two of them were covered in greenery with small streams of water trickling down the leaves, and the third boasted a fireplace. What kind of bathroom has a fireplace?

“Why didn't we use that?” she asked.

Quin poked his head out of the shower to find her pointing at the tub. “We will,” he answered, returning to his task.

She puckered at the spot he’d disappeared from. “How long do you plan on staying here?”

“As long as you're here, my love.”

“Quin.”

“What?”

“You're the one who brought me here, so you're the one with the answers.” She paused, her forehead wrinkling. “Why did you bring me here?”

“I didn't want you dealing with a visit from the Unforgivables while you're healing.”

“Oh. So we're just staying until I'm better?”

He turned off the water and summoned a towel, wrapping it around his waist before stepping out. “We won't leave until you're ready, no matter how your body's feeling.”

She smiled as she eased off the vanity. “You're spoiling me rotten, and I love it.”

“Mmm . . . ” he hummed, leading her out of the bathroom. “And I'm ready to spoil you some more.”

He swept her off her feet, and she beamed while laying her cheek on his shoulder. “You set your mind to something then overachieve it.”

“This isn't what I consider spoiling you.”

“Well this is absolutely spoiling me, so you'll just have to accept that.”

He kissed her head as he vanished her towel, replacing it with panties and one of his t-shirts. Then he replaced his own towel with a pair of pajama pants.

“Are you hungry?” he asked, carrying her into the parlor.

She was kissing his neck and barely paused to answer. “Starving.”

“I’m talking about your stomach,” he laughed, nudging her attention to the bar.

She followed his gaze, and a huge pile of junk food appeared – brownies, cookies, marshmallows and at least a dozen types of candy.

Layla laughed at his sweets then found his eyes. “Did you buy out a candy store for me?”

“Would you rather have popcorn?” he asked, turning to his left, and a commercial-grade popcorn machine appeared, complete with flashy, red and gold lettering.

“You have got to be kidding me,” she mumbled, flipping her gaze back to his. “Are you serious?”

“Of course I'm serious,” he laughed. “What do you mean?”

She shook her head as she watched his face. “You're unbelievable, Quin. Why do you treat me so well?”

His smile disappeared as his forehead furrowed. “Come on, love. You know why.”

“Did you do stuff like this for the other women you've been with?”

“What exactly do you want to know, Layla? Are you asking if I care about you more than I did them? Because the answer is, yes, definitely.”

“It's not that. I’m just wondering if you've always been this way, because it's crazy the things you do for me.”

“I wasn’t a thoughtless jerk to the women I’ve been with, but no, I didn’t treat them the way I do you, because I wasn’t motivated like I am now. I do these things for you because I want to, and because I’d be a damn fool not to. I refuse to let someone else outdo me, but more importantly, I enjoy seeing your face and aura light up. They're the two most beautiful things in the world, and when they light up, they're breathtaking. And the fact that I can make them light up brings me more fulfillment than all my other accomplishments combined.”