Or she could lie here in trembling anticipation of what he was planning to do to her only too willing body.
Pushing back her hair, she smiled to herself. No contest.
Quinn came back with several packages in his hands and dumped the contents on the bed.
“Let’s see,” he said, rummaging through them. “What are these for?” He held up a black and gold pack.
“Batteries. I guess most of them need some current.”
“Electricity?” His eyebrows rose.
“Right.”
“In tiny things like this? Extraordinary.” He shook his head in amazement.
“Jules Verne, eat your heart out.” Elaine sat up, hugging her knees.
Quinn held up a device with wires and clips and looked at the packet. “Nipple teasers,” he read. “Oh, I like that idea.”
He separated the strands and took one clip between his fingers. “No batteries for this. I suppose they go just so—” He stretched his hand toward her.
Elaine released the hold on her knees, revealing her breasts. Her nipples were tight and puckered already at the mere thought of the touch of the clamps.
He opened one set of tiny jaws and clipped them to her nipple. A chain connected the teaser to its twin, which he fastened to her other breast. He held the chain in one hand.
“Oh my God.” Elaine supported herself on her hands behind her and threw back her head. Quinn tweaked the slim chain and sparks jolted through her.
“Very nice,” he said.
She felt his fingers brush against her breast and opened her eyes to see what he was doing. The clamps had miniature screws to tighten them. He gave them a turn and she gasped. “Not too much?” he asked.
She let out a breath and a groan. “No, it’s wonderful.” The clamps held her nipples just on the bearable side of pain, which zigzagged down to her wet pussy.
Still holding the nipple teasers, Quinn looked at another package. He extracted a tiny sheath connected to a miniature battery. The sheath began to vibrate.
He passed her a folded piece of paper. “What does it say?”
She opened the sheet and read aloud. “Place the device on your finger and let yourself experience the pleasure anywhere you desire.”
“Really?” He slipped the sheath onto his finger and ran it up the inside of her thigh.
Her legs fell open as if commanded by the toy and he touched the soft flesh around her clit. The device purred as it stroked her with tiny ridges.
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Her whole body went limp, her arms no longer able to support her. She fell back onto the bed and let him caress her all over with his vibrating finger.
She rolled her head from side to side, her mind empty of all thoughts but the need to drink in the sensations he was producing in her. Her belly was on fire, her clit hot and throbbing, her hips writhing. She had no will but to let him have his way.
Suddenly he drew his finger away from her and she opened her eyes. “Don’t stop,”
she begged.
“I won’t leave you, my lovely,” he said. “But I think I’d like a taste of this.” He slipped the sheath from his finger and placed it in her hand. The gentle purr started again as she slid the sheath on her finger. She eyed his cock, thick and dark and swollen, but reached below the enticing shaft and touched the vibrating tip to his balls.
He let out a yelp and his hand tightened on the chain clamping her nipples. She cried out in turn at the hot shard that snaked through her.
Quinn turned his body and placed his knees either side of her head. His cock and balls dangled in front of her eyes, the chain that tormented her nipples remained in his hand and he lowered his head to suck at her clit.
She ran the tiny vibrator over his weeping penis with one hand and cradled his balls in the other, then caressed the taut muscles of his ass.
After a moment he lifted his head. “I can’t wait,” he gasped and swiftly turned to lie over her, plunging his cock deep inside her. She cried out again as the pressure of his steel-hard shaft drove up toward the sting of the nipple teasers.
She grasped his buttocks and slipped the miniature vibrating sheath into his crack.
He threw back his head and gave a throaty roar.
There was no more time to play with the chain linking her nipples, no more time to tease him with the vibrator. The wave grew inside her, sweeping up from her belly until she was nothing more than a pulsating receptacle for him. She tightened her legs around him, holding him close as she followed his orgasm within a split second.
They lay exhausted for long moments, damp with perspiration, drained of all energy. After a few minutes of oblivion the telephone rang beside the bed, jarring them from their daze.
“Don’t worry about it,” she murmured her eyes still closed. “If it’s important, they’ll call back.”
But the ringing had pulled her from her trance. She stayed immobile for a moment longer, then sat up, releasing her nipples from the clamps. “I have to see to the horses,”
she said, guilt stabbing at her. “I’ll take a shower and get dressed.”
“I’ll come with you.”
Oh temptation! She steeled herself.
“I’ll take a rain check.”
“Sorry?”
“Another time. I’ll look forward to it.”
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Before he could say anything more, she slipped into the bathroom and flipped the latch.
She stretched out, her hands on the wall to let the warm water pound her back and shoulders. Every inch of her carried a memory of Quinn, his fingers, his mouth, his cock. Was he right that she had the power to send him through the mirror? Tonight she would find out.
In a few minutes she returned to the bedroom wrapped in a towel. Quinn sat cross-legged on the bed, a sheet over his hips, examining another of Maggie’s gifts.
“How does this work?” He held it up for her inspection.
She took the package from him and shook out straps and a flat piece. The straps draped across her fingers. “It’s a remote device. This part,” she showed the flat pack,
“fits here.” She placed it over the towel at the juncture of her thighs. “Then the remote control will activate it whenever you want.”
“Have you used it?”
She shook her head. “I told you, Maggie gave me these things, but I never tried them.”
“Will you wear it for me?”
She looked at him and moistened her lips. “After we’ve seen to the horses. The shower is all yours.”
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Chapter Five
Marnie and Shelly had groomed the horses and mucked out the stables, but there was still more to do. It had been a while since there had been an able-bodied man about the place and it was amazing what a difference Quinn made and how much work they accomplished together for the rest of the afternoon. They spoke little but seemed to move with one accord from task to task. Without being asked, Quinn paused to help her wrestle a bale into place or held open a door for her.
After a couple of hours they brought in Star and one of the boarded animals. The other two looked hopefully over the rail of the paddock. Elaine stretched her back.
There was still an hour or so of daylight.
“Care for a ride?” she asked. “These two fellows need to stretch their legs.”
Quinn put down the tools he was using and hauled a saddle from the wall peg. “I thought I’d have to beg,” he said with a smile.
They saddled up the two horses and rode them out into the surrounding fields.
Quinn rode easily and lightly, the animal seeming to understand what he wanted by some magical rapport.
Elaine led them through the woods and out onto a bridle path. They climbed for a while and stopped at the top of a rise to survey the surrounding countryside.
Quinn patted his mount’s neck and the horse nickered softly. “Where
am I exactly?” he asked.
“Forty miles or so outside Victoria.”
Quinn surveyed the woodlands and the distant hills. “It doesn’t look as if it’s changed much.”
She laughed. “Oh, it’s changed, believe me. The city itself has over three hundred thousand people, more if you count the suburbs. We’re all under pressure to sell our land for development.”
“Three hundred thousand?” He shook his head in disbelief.
Elaine’s horse stamped impatiently. “Race you to the bottom!” she called and dug in her heels.
They flew down the hillside, hooves thundering on the turf, leaping over a small stream, continuing on the flat, until they pulled up neck and neck at the edge of the trees.
Elaine pushed back her tousled hair and turned to him. Her breath came short and fast, her cheeks tingled from the rush of air. She hadn’t felt this good in a long while.
Fantastic sex, good company, help in the stable. What more could a girl want?
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Quinn had color in his cheeks. The wind from his ride had whipped his dark hair to one side and his eyes sparkled.
They looked at each other in silence, smiling, feeling no need to put their thoughts into words. The horses danced in place after the exertion and Quinn simply reached out a hand and Elaine threaded her fingers in his. They turned their mounts and walked them back along the trail leading to the stables.
The thought of Quinn’s departure weighed heavily on her. If it were true that she had the power to send him back, could she do it? Could she resist the temptation to keep him with her, her helper, her lover? Her prisoner.
She stole a sideways glance at him, riding easily and loosely in the saddle. His thigh brushed close to hers as they traversed a thicket and she felt the beat of her heart high in her throat.
He turned his head and caught her eye. “I must go back,” he said, reading her thoughts.
“I know.”
“I can’t let Margaret lose her money. She was always the only one who cared about me.”
“I understand.”
“You can send me away and you can bring me back again.”
She opened her mouth to respond, then stiffened in the saddle, lifting her head, sniffing the air. There was smoke wafting on the breeze and the acrid fumes of burning.
It was illegal for people to burn slash at this time of year, although it did happen, but this aroma was stronger, more pungent. She caught a glimpse of a tendril of black smoke.
“The stable!” she yelled and dug in her heels, sending her horse crashing through bushes and young trees, no longer staying on the path.
She heard the thunder of Quinn’s horse behind her, then he was level with her, bent over his horse’s neck, hair flying, lips set in a thin line.
In a flash he was ahead of her, breaking through the screen of trees at the edge of her property. As she spurred on, she saw him rein in his mount and fling himself from the saddle even before the animal had stopped. He ran toward the stable. The smoke was thicker now, the stink of burning much stronger.
She heard a whinny of fear. “Star!” she shouted and reined in her horse. She dismounted and grabbed the dragging reins of the other animal, winding them loosely around a branch. They didn’t need these two bolting, spooked by the fire.
At a full run she followed the path where Quinn had disappeared.
“Quinn,” she yelled. “Where are you? Star?”
As if at her command the boarded horse appeared in the doorway of the stable. She heard a guttural cry and the slap of a heavy hand on its flank and it rushed through, bumping against the lintel, eyes wild. Elaine jumped out of the way, heard its heaving 55
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breath, felt the heat of its side as it brushed past her and let it run farther into the paddock.
“Quinn,” she called again and ran toward the gaping entrance. She could see flames now amongst the smoke. It was growing hard to breathe as the fire sucked oxygen from the air.
Quinn appeared through the haze, sparks burning on his shirt. A streak of black scarred his cheek. She ran to him and slapped at the embers on his chest, sobbing her relief. “Thank God.”
He held a towel in his hand and dunked it in the water bucket hanging near the door. “I couldn’t loosen Star,” he gasped. “I’ll go back.” He wound the wet towel around his head, leaving his eyes free. “Stay there,” he commanded. “No need for two of us to go in. Get water.” Before she could stop him he had disappeared again into the smoky gloom.
In the distance she heard the sound of fire engines. Thank heavens someone had seen the smoke and had the presence of mind to make a call. “Come on, come on,” she muttered. What to do in the meantime?
Much as she wanted to follow him into the inferno, she knew he was right.
Water.
A hose lay coiled to one side of the stable and she picked it up, but it drooped in her hand, soft and useless from the heat.
The flames were licking at the windows now and Quinn had not emerged.
She hurried toward the stand pipe a few yards from the barn, but before she could reach it, the clanging of the fire bell became deafening and the first engine appeared in the drive between the paddocks.
Most of what happened after that passed in a blur of noise and movement. Men in heavy protective gear rolled out hoses, a stream of water hit the side of the stable and Quinn appeared, leading Star, a blanket thrown over her head.
“Any more animals in there?” a fireman yelled.
“No, they’re safe, thank God,” she called back.
Elaine ran to the mare and threw her arms around her neck, pressing her cheek to the warm hide. The smell of singed hair filled her nostrils. She held out a hand to Quinn. “Thank you,” she said. Patches of skin showed through his burned shirt and he smelled of smoke and ash. “Are you both okay?”
Before he could answer a fireman came toward them, carrying a first-aid kit. “Let me take a look at you, sir,” he said. “Are you injured? Any difficulty breathing?”
Quinn coughed and threw off the steaming towel that had dropped to his shoulders. “I’m okay. It’s cool.” The fireman gave him a puzzled look, seeming at a loss for words.
“Let him check you out,” Elaine said. “Please.”
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Quinn gave in and the fireman looked him over, found no cause for concern and left with his medical kit.
“You could have been killed,” Elaine said looking at the remains of her stable.
The worst seemed to be over and Quinn watched the fire crew coiling the hoses back into the truck. “Amazing,” he said.
Elaine shook his arm. “Will you look at me? You should never have gone in there.”
Quinn shrugged. “I didn’t know you had great contraptions like this to fight a fire. I thought we were on our own.”
“Of course.” It was stupid of her to forget how little he knew about the modern world.
Another fireman came over to them. His helmet announced “Chief”.
“Afternoon, miss,” he said and mopped his face with a grimy handkerchief. “All under control now. Any idea what might have started it?”
She shook her head. “None.”
“What do you keep in there with the animals?” The chief pushed his helmet farther back on his head.
“Only feed and tack.”
“How long were you away?”
“About an hour. We put the mare and the gelding in the stable before we left.
Everything was fine.”
“Hmm. I’ll send someone ‘round tomorrow to check it out when it’s cooled down.
Pretty rapid start to a fire by my reckoning. All confined to one spot, too. The damage isn’t too great. Could be electrical and hay is a great accelerant. It looked worse than it was, although it could have spread in old wood like that.”
“Can it still be used?”
“
I wouldn’t recommend it. Pretty dirty and wet underfoot. Besides, we’ll need to leave it undisturbed for the investigator.” He glanced at the three-sided shelters in the paddocks. “Can you use those for your animals tonight?”
She nodded. “I suppose. I’ll take the horses somewhere else tomorrow until it’s cleaned up.”
“Sounds like a plan.” The chief nodded to them both and stepped away, swinging himself onto the loaded fire engine. The vehicle rumbled away down the drive, leaving emptiness and surprising silence after the chaos of the battle against the flames.
Elaine and Quinn soothed the frightened horses and found dry blankets.
Fortunately they had been stored at the end of the stable away from the fire and had escaped a soaking. They smelled faintly of smoke and she hoped the scent wouldn’t be enough to panic the animals.
They draped blankets over the horses, made sure they had enough feed and water.
Elaine watched Quinn as he moved from one to the other. He had an uncanny knack of 57
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handling them, making them do as he wished, yet soothing and reassuring them at the same time. She knew the strength and warmth of his hands. They soothed and comforted her. Why would they do any less for the horses?
The breeze and the heat had made his face ruddy and ruffled his hair. It was a mistake to stare at him, because she suddenly felt such hunger for his touch she had to turn away, had to press her fist against her abdomen to counter the emptiness she felt there.
At last all the preparations were finished. Dusk had fallen and the moon was a faint white disc in the darkening sky. The full moon lasted about four nights. They had used two, one when Elaine watched the family, and one when she pulled Quinn through the glass. Tomorrow night the moon might appear full, but in fact would have a tiny sliver sliced off it. Elaine shivered and saw her breath. The air was growing cool in the cloudless night and Quinn was still in his torn shirt.
“Come inside,” she said. “A hot shower and something to eat is what we need.”
Quinn slipped his arm around her as they made their way back to the house. “I’ll watch them tonight.”
“What?”
“I’ll stay out here while you get some sleep.”
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