THIRTY-NINE
Layla managed to avoid serious injury during Wednesday’s training session, so she was healthy and well-rested for her birthday, which started with Quin’s tongue between her thighs.
She’d barely felt him rub her backside, slow to rouse from a deep and dreamless sleep, but the moment she lost his chest, her eyes popped open. Then they nearly popped out when he hooked her around the waist and lifted her ass in the air. Bracing her knees on his thighs, he pulled her underwear down with his teeth, and his fingers opened her up as his tongue slipped inside.
Holy hell.
She buried her face in a pillow, squealing as she tumbled through a vortex of dizzying pleasure, pleasure she had no control over, because she hadn’t had time to fully wake up. Her muscles still felt like jelly, and she couldn’t clear the fog from her head while it was spinning.
Once his mouth got her sloppy wet, he pushed two fingers inside while rubbing her clit with his palm, and his free hand squeezed one ass cheek as he bit and licked the other. “Happy birthday, angel.”
She turned her head to the side and gasped, but when she tried to speak, he slid his fingers out and back in, making her moan. He did it again… and again. Then he tightened his grip on her ass and added a third finger, moving painstakingly slow as the pressure pushed waves of flutters through her core.
“Gorgeous,” he whispered. Then he spit on the back of her slit, letting it drip down around his fingers.
Electrifying sparks charged her blood, and she dug her nails into her pillow, unable to still her tremors.
“Come on, baby,” he softly coaxed. “Let me see you stretch.”
She drew a few shallow breaths before filling her lungs. Then she slowly exhaled and forced herself to relax. His aura swelled and quickened as his fingers slipped a little further, and following a quick retreat, he pushed back in, making her squeak as he reached deeper.
“There you go,” he sighed, his hot breath sweeping over slick skin. “So beautiful.”
He licked her again. Then his fingers rotated as he lowered her knees to the bed and moved to her side. She flattened her palms, bracing to rise, but his lips pressed between her shoulder blades as his free hand gathered a fistful of her hair, his grip tight enough to keep her cheek on her pillow and her ass in the air.
His fingers stayed patient yet determined as they loosened her up, but once he was passing his second knuckles with little resistance, he kissed his way to her ear. Then he bit it while hastening his pace and intensifying his force.
She squeezed her eyes shut as sensations collided, her hips squirming, her overwhelmed nerve endings flicking flames into her rushing blood. Her struggle to withstand the sensual storm didn’t slow him down. His magical fingers dipped inside again and again, faster and faster, undeterred by the mess they were making.
He buried his face in her curls and breathed deep. Then he returned his mouth to her ear and steamed it up. “Stay.”
His fingers halted inside before curling away, and she opened her eyes just in time to watch him lick the mess she’d left on his hand.
He noticed her stare and flashed a cocky smile. Then he cuddled close and hovered his shiny fingers in front of her lips. “Want to taste what I’m doing to you?”
Her cheeks warmed as she swallowed, but her mouth opened, her senses filling with their combined scent as he slid two fingers over her lower lip and glided them across her tongue.
Her eyes drifted shut as her pulse quickened, taking his with it, and his soft moan tickled her ear. “You want more?”
She wasn’t sure if more referred to his fingers or her juices, but it didn’t matter. She wanted whatever he was willing to give her.
She managed a tiny nod, and he reached back down, stroking her entrance before lightly smacking her clit. She jolted and gasped, but he got his desired result as moisture surged between her legs. He scooped it up. Then he once again helped himself to a taste before giving her the leftovers. It was sweet, sweeter than his, but it wasn’t the taste that made it so alluring. The appeal was in the way it was created and in the eroticism of imprinting its existence on something as powerful and sexy as the mouth.
Freeing his fingers, he traced her lips. Then he lowered his hand once more, but instead of sliding his palm over her ass, he gripped one of her thighs and flipped her onto her back. He maintained his hold on her hair, lifting her head from the pillow, and his other hand kept her legs apart, making room for him to reach back inside. This time he gave her the first taste. Then he moved in for a sultry kiss, forcing her to share.
The temperature spiked when his tongue crashed into hers, all the wonderful flavors mingling in what was possibly the most passionate kiss he’d ever given her, and the next thing she knew, he was inside her, thrusting deep as his arm anchored her waist.
Her diaphragm hopped with cries that muffled into his mouth, but he just licked them away. Only her toes touched the bed. He’d lifted the rest of her into him, and he wasn’t letting go. His forearms flexed across her lower back and up her spine, his fingers curling around her hip, and the hand in her hair had tightened, tingling her scalp while his lips held her hostage.
When their lungs could no longer take the pressure, his kisses halted, but their lips stayed together, fluttering as they gasped each other in. His sublime rhythm and intensity never wavered, and their combined pleasure seeped into their lights, swelling the hazes with blindingly bright static that buzzed across sweaty skin.
The full-body thrill took her so high she didn’t see the peak until she toppled over it, flooding him with moisture, and he strengthened his hold, his hips still grinding against her jolting thighs. A whispered curse tumbled from his lips. Then a low rumble rose from his chest as he swelled and pressed deeper. Sliding his mouth to her ear, he wrapped her in a tight hug, and a satisfying rush washed over her outsides as his pleasure surged through her insides.
He eventually quieted and leaned forward, balancing on his knees while pushing a palm into the mattress, but his forearm continued to brace her spine. When he eased her back, he touched his forehead to hers, both of them huffing and puffing as they caught their breaths. Then smiles stretched across their faces as the euphoria induced a heady bout of laughter. He took her with him as he rolled onto his back, and she melted into his chest, awash in the waves produced by his pounding heart.
He caressed her hair and butt while waiting for the tide to mellow. Then he filled his lungs and wrapped her in another hug. “Around this time a year ago, I was sitting on the community lawn, trying to convince Caitrin to start hunting you down. I was sure you were out there, and I would have done anything to bring you home, but a piece of me always feared my dreams were too beautiful to come true. Little did I know, a heavenly angel was about to walk into my world and fill my nights with something so much better than wispy visions. You’ve made this past year the best of my life, and I’ll never regret finding you.”
She wiped a tear on his chest. Then she wiggled up his torso, losing his manhood while gaining his lips. “You just want me for my body.”
He laughed, because they both knew better. “It’s an incredible body.”
“Especially when you get your hands on it.” She grinned. “Or in it.”
His dimples deepened as he took her cheeks and pulled her into a kiss. Then he rolled her onto her side and summoned a steaming cup of coffee.
“And the gifts keep coming,” she celebrated, taking the mug as she sat up.
“That actually is a gift,” he agreed, “but not from me.”
She sipped as he said it, and she immediately understood what he meant. “This is Cinnia’s coffee.”
“Yep.” He sat beside her, summoning a cup for himself while handing over a birthday card from her great-aunt. “She sent it to Bri a few days ago.”
“That was sweet of her.”
“There are more.”
“Presents?”
“Yes.”
“From home?”
“Yes. Do you want them now?”
“Sure.”
A pile of gifts appeared on the bed. Then they finished their coffee while she opened packages. Benzio and Alana sent her one of the animated books they’d colored together; Cordelia had made her a white, silk satchel and personalized the inside with emerald stitching; Selena and Edana added to her green tourmaline collection with an anklet that linked to a toe ring; Karena had swiped one of the paintings from her royal suite so Layla could have a piece of the golden room she bonded in; and her grandparents sent her a big box of frames and photo albums full of recent, family snapshots.
“I love them all,” she gushed, donning her new jewelry while covering every surface with photos.
After clearing the bed, Layla used the washroom while Quin fixed breakfast. Then they ate before going for a swim, which led to more mind-blowing sex.
Around noon, Layla called home to thank everyone for the gifts and chat with Benzio, and she’d missed a few calls from Travis, so she called him from the cottage line.
“Hello?” he answered.
“Hey, Trav.”
“Sugar?”
“Who else?”
“I don’t know. My phone says Chile. I almost didn’t answer. Are ya in South America?”
“Umm…” Layla tried to think fast, but Quin had his head in her lap and was tickling her thighs with soft kisses. “Yeah. Quin whisked me away on another vacation.”
“Oh,” Travis mumbled. “Good. Happy birthday!”
He’d yelled the last part before jumping into a goofy rendition of the song, and Layla giggled at him while watching Quin’s teasing lips. “Thanks, Trav. It’s been a very happy morning.”
“What did Quin get ya?”
“So far? An amazing wake-up call. Plus breakfast.”
“And a trip to Chile.”
“Right,” she laughed. “That, too. He’s good to me.”
“You deserve it. I sent ya a gift, but if you’re not home, you’ll hafta wait.”
“Aww… What did you send me?”
“Nope. You’ll hafta wait.”
“Fine. Maybe I can get my grandparents to mail it to me.”
“I guess you’ll be there a while?”
“Yeah. There’s a lot left to do.”
“Have ya checked out San Cristóbal Hill?”
“Nope. See? I could be here for weeks exploring.”
“Then I won’t keep ya from it. Call me when ya get home, okay?”
“I will. Love you, Travis.”
Love you, too, Layla. Be careful out there.”
“I will.”
They said goodbye, and she sent the phone to its base while wrapping her legs around Quin’s shoulders. Then she nudged his head by flexing her thighs. “You make it hard to concentrate on a phone call.”
He grinned as he rolled over, sprinkling her tummy in kisses. “I’m not sorry.”
She reached for her toes while touching her lips to the back of his head. “Me neither.”
They stayed on the sofa until it was time to join their family for a meal, at which point Quin dressed her in a blush-pink romper with long, flowy sleeves and a sexy, cutout on the back.
“Stunning,” he approved, dipping her into a spine-tingling kiss.
She flexed her hands over his bare chest. “Will you be skipping the armor today?”
“Yep.”
“Goody.”
Everyone she’d invited was outside when she left the cottage, and though they greeted her with a rambunctious happy birthday, they heeded her request to skip the song. Brietta, Skyla and Aradia had made a cake, but they didn’t top it with candles, and no one put Layla on the spot by giving her wrapped gifts. Instead, they kept her glass and stomach full and a smile on her face. Only having the party at home with the rest of her family would have made it better, but given the circumstances they had to work with, it was pretty close to perfect.
When Quin stepped away to talk to Drexel about a trip to the edge of the dome, Layla scanned the people around her, stopping on one far more serious than the others. He rarely smiled, often fidgeting with bands around his right arm, and the weight he carried, though mysterious, was obvious and rivaled the pressure on her and Quin.
Glancing over her shoulder at her love, she rose from her chair then headed for the empty seat next to Timber. “May I?”
He straightened and cleared his throat, releasing his armbands so he could point at the chair. “Of course.”
She sat and rested her elbows on her knees, spinning her wine glass between both hands. “I don’t think they intentionally ignore you.”
“They don’t. They’re giving me what I need.”
“What’s that?”
“Space. Melting into the background feels natural.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “You don’t look comfortable.”
“My aura?”
“Everything about you.”
“I have a lot on my mind.”
“I can tell. Would you like to talk about it?”
He scratched his beard while scanning her face and the air around her. Then he cleared his throat again while looking away. “I can’t.”
Layla dropped her gaze to her wine, trying to hide her disappointment. “Okay.”
“You’ve been kind to me,” he added. “I thank you for that. And for saving my life. It’s tempting to talk to you. I see you’re special. I feel the pull, but man’s downfall often arrives in the loveliest packages. You may be an angel here to save us. Or you could be a succubus here to escort us to hell. Either way, I don’t think I can be saved.”
She blinked, trying to unravel his clues and read between the lines. “Physically saved or spiritually saved?”
“Maybe both.”
That’s when she realized he was scared. He hadn’t started out that way, and he was good at hiding the fear behind a moody exterior and independent personality, but now that she’d sensed it, she could practically smell it.
Unwilling to increase his anxiety, she didn’t mention the revelation, and she couldn’t promise to save him. “I’m sorry. I kind of know how that feels – thinking nothing can save you.”
“I suppose you can relate. I’m not the one running a level five gauntlet.”
Layla lightly laughed through a sip. “You think I need saved from the gauntlet?”
“Don’t you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe, but I think the gauntlet is just a hurdle on the path to a much bigger challenge.”
“Do you believe you’ll conquer them both?”
She drew a deep breath then sighed it out. “It doesn’t matter what I believe. I have to try.”
“I guess that’s all any of us can do.”
Drexel began rounding up soldiers as Quin started back, and Layla met his smile before glancing at Timber. “I think we’re about to go check out the edge of the dome. Want to go?”
He rubbed the band on his forearm while giving an absent nod. “Sure.”