“To the right thing,” she repeated, raising her wine.
Following a small sip, she set her flute down and turned toward him, revealing a slender collarbone and a fair amount of cleavage. “So are you?”
“Am I what?”
“Single.”
“Yes.”
“That’s surprising. You’re the hottest guy here.”
“Beauty’s subjective, and I don’t commit.”
“Ah-ha. That makes sense. You’re a player.”
Quin despised that label, especially when he tried so hard not to toy with witches’ emotions. “Do I act like a player?”
Angeline tilted her head and furrowed her eyebrows. “No, I guess you don’t. I haven’t seen you flirt at all tonight.”
“Kind of dulls the excitement of your ah-ha moment, huh?”
She smirked and gave a nod. “Yes, it does. So what’s your story?”
“I don’t have one worth telling. Or maybe it hasn’t been written yet. I’m… waiting… for something.”
“You’re a romantic,” she concluded. “When you’re not fighting for your coven members and drinking with your friends, do you write poetry and sing?”
“I would if I had a muse to impress.”
“Right,” she laughed. “What’s the plan until then? Wait for foreign witches to drop into your lap for one-night stands?”
He wiped liquor from his mouth, staring off into the distance while considering the situation and his mood. Then he leaned back and found Angeline’s pretty lips. “Yeah, I tend to go for women I’ll never see again.”
“Women like me.”
“Exactly like you.”
She smiled while tapping her glass with a cherry-red fingernail. Then she leaned closer and lowered her voice. “Take a walk with me.”
He studied her eyes and aura for trouble, but found nothing to counter her laidback candor. “Won’t your cousins miss you?”
“I’ve had my eye on you all night, Quin. If my cousins disapproved, they would have already objected. I’ve been here a week with no action, and I’m leaving tomorrow. Let’s do each other a favor before I go.”
She jolted as Quin got to his feet and grabbed his bottle. “Let’s go.” Then he headed for the timber before he could change his mind.
Angeline caught up at the tree line and followed him into the shadows, and now that he’d made the leap, he slowed so she could keep up. She was tall; nowhere near his height, but tall for a witch. She didn’t have the curves Quin preferred, but she carried herself beautifully, accentuating her feminine frame. Her red hair came with fair skin and a cute smattering of freckles on her nose and cheeks, and her confident smile was almost as sexy as her lips.
“How old are you, Angeline?”
“Are you worried you’re making the same mistake as that guy you punched?”
“There’s no way you’re fifteen, and I’m not twenty-four.”
“I couldn’t pass for fifteen?”
“Maybe with some. Not with me. I’m good at reading people.”
“Are you a bonded child?”
“Yes.”
“Ah-ha.”
He laughed as he jumped a ravine and waited for her to float across. “That’s a little more worthy of an ah-ha moment. So are you going to tell me how old you are?”
“Twenty-two.” She flashed a grin and winked. “Do you like older women?”
“Do you like younger men?” he countered, dodging her trap.
“I like good sex,” she corrected. “Your friend says you don’t fail.”
“Weylin says a lot.”
“Are you claiming you don’t have a remarkable reputation when it comes to sex?”
“I don’t know what kind of reputation I have. Did you ask around about me?”
A guilty smile pinched her sun-kissed cheeks. “I did.”
“What did you learn?”
“That the guys won’t talk about you behind your back, and the women won’t shut up about you when you get them going. The guys respect you, but they’re scared of you. The witches don’t know whether to love you or hate you, because they can’t justify either.”
“Wow. That’s a pretty thorough evaluation to gather from gossip.”
“That’s something else that was mentioned. You’re thorough.”
Quin halted on a flat spot with an endless view of the ocean. Then he reached into his bag and pulled out a pile of blankets. “And what about my reputation when it comes to sex?”
“The witches I spoke to didn’t have any personal experience, but the rumors they’d heard were good enough to get me here.”
He spread the blankets out and sat with his back to a boulder. “I’m not sure how to feel about being profiled. Sit for a minute,” he insisted, motioning to the spot across from him. “I need to heal my hand.”
She sat near his feet, and he took a drink before passing her the bottle and turning his attention on his bruised knuckles. “Do you prefer flings, Angeline?”
“Call me Angel.”
Quin’s heart kicked his ribs then stopped, and he had to take a labored breath to get it back on track. “I can’t do that. Let’s stick with Angeline.”
“Okay… whatever does it for you. And no, I don’t necessarily prefer flings, but if you pick the right man, they can be fun.”
“I’m not sure it’s even fair to call this a fling. I don’t commit, but I usually get to know my partners well enough to know what they like.”
“Thorough,” she laughed, pointing at him. “Most guys would be halfway to the finish line by now.”
“Do you like that?”
“As long as I’m halfway there, too.”
“Do they always get you there?”
“Usually, but there have been a few who failed.”
“Probably because they didn’t know you.”
“Probably, but what’s a girl on vacation to do?”
Quin flexed his hand, discovering another sore spot. “Maybe not pick the guy who’s had half a bottle of scotch and been in a fight. Today’s not my best day.”
“Don’t tell me you doubt your ability to perform, because I can see the bulge in your shorts, and there’s no missing your aura. It’s one of the biggest and brightest I’ve seen, and right now it’s racing.”
“There’s no doubt I’ll be able to perform,” he assured, tallying the weeks since he’d been inside a woman. “But I’m not at the top of my game right now, so I might not live up to my reputation.”
Rather than take the exit he was offering her, she wrapped her tempting lips around his bottle, helping herself to a long drink. “They also said you were humble.”
Quin’s gaze stayed on her mouth, his shorts painfully tight. “Did they?”
“Mm-hm...” She tipped back the bottle once more. Then she set it aside, got to her hands and knees, and crawled between his legs.
He gave her more room, and as she reached for his waistband, he vanished his shorts and t-shirt. His lungs filled as his erection sprang free. Then he held his breath while watching her take his shaft in her hand.
“You’re a big boy,” she approved, smiling at her mark.
He continued to heal his right hand while gathering her hair in his left. Then he kept his gaze on her mouth as it parted around pulsing flesh. Yep, her lips looked fantastic wrapped around his cock, but now that he’d seen it, he closed his eyes and tilted his head back, sinking into dispassionate pleasure. She was good, experienced and bold, but she could have been faceless and it would have felt the same.
He finished healing his hand then laid it over his eyes, trying to deny the temptation to fantasize about a rainbow of colors that didn’t belong to the woman going down on him. He was getting enough pleasure without the fantasy, and though Angeline would never know what he was thinking, she wasn’t the woman he strived to protect.
The longing to crawl into his head with his dream girl was getting stronger, so he blinked at the cloudy sky then glanced down, trying to balance h
is loyalty to Layla with his need for physical fulfilment and his responsibility to the witch he was with.
Her gaze flipped to his, and while her mouth was too full to smile, he could see it in her eyes.
She proved him right by leaning up and flashing a shiny grin. “You are a strange wizard, Quin. I’ve never seen a man with so much on his mind while getting head.”
He was too drunk and moody to feel guilty for his inability to focus solely on her, and her amused expression assured him she didn’t sign up for attentive lovemaking. “I excel at multitasking,” he noted, motioning toward the grip she had on his hard-on.
“Apparently,” she replied, giving it a squeeze. “Are you protected against pregnancy?”
“Would I be thorough if I weren’t?”
“Not so much,” she laughed, letting him go and rising to her knees.
Her waves slid through his fingers. Then his gaze followed her hands to the hem of her skirt. He studied her lithe thighs as she hiked up her dress, his veins throbbing for the rest of the view, but she merely pulled the gown to her waist before straddling his lap. Her skirt fell down around them when she positioned her body to take him in, and he found her face, trying to figure out how he felt about fucking a woman he’d never seen naked.
“Lower your top,” he demanded, pushing her skirt back up and holding it around her hips.
She shrugged out of her straps and let her top fall to her stomach, but before he took in the view of her perky breasts, he helped himself to a long look at the flesh poised to enfold his erection.
“That’s better,” he approved, letting one side of her skirt fall so he could press his thumb to her clit.
When he added pressure, she quietly moaned and slid down a few inches. Then she jerked to a halt, her eyes widening before squeezing shut. “I’m no virgin, but damn.”
“Most women don’t jump on without getting my fingers in them first. How long has it been since you had sex?”
“Almost two months, but I’m not most women, so don’t treat me like glass.”
He quietly laughed. “Says the witch practicing a balancing act.”
“Just for a second. Then I’ll show you I don’t break.”
“Hmm…” He scanned her aura, discovering new perks. “Do you like it rough, Angeline?”
She smiled wide and opened her eyes, her small nipples tightening as her fair breasts rose with an aroused breath. “Show me how rough you can be, Quin.”
He slid his hand from her clit to her throat, gripping just hard enough to give him some leverage, and with his other hand on her hip, he pulled down, forcing her to take his entire length.
She cried out – half-moan, half oww – and he halted, waiting for her to look at him. When she did, he raised an eyebrow and loosened his hold. “You asked for it.”
“I did.”
“Want me to keep going?”
“The hard part’s over now.”
“Prove it, because I’m not a sadist.”
“Few wizards are.”
“Are you looking for one?”
“No, but I don’t mind enduring pain if it results in pleasure.” She held his shoulder and nearly lifted herself off him. Then she took a deep breath and came back down. Her body quickly adapted, letting her move more freely, so she began grinding against him, her experience obvious in the way she aimed for her own erogenous zones.
She was doing most the work, giving him clearance to play with her clit, and it didn’t take long for her to start racing toward an orgasm. She grasped her breasts and cursed like a teenage wizard, more vocal in her pleasure than any other woman he’d been with. Her enthusiasm outweighed his, but watching a wild witch take exactly what she wanted with no reservations was a boost to his ego and far more entertaining than a college party.
The closer she got to her peak, the louder she expressed herself, and he had to stifle a laugh while casting a silencing spell around them. Taking a little more control, he let vibrations flow from his fingers, and she dramatically fell over the edge. If he hadn’t felt her coming and sensed pleasure in her aura, he would have worried she was faking it, but she wasn’t acting. She was exactly who she said she was – a witch who liked good sex… a lot.
She’d slumped into his hands to catch her breath. Now she purred and ran her fingers through her hair. When she found his grin, she shrugged and offered him a cute smile. “I always get a little noisy when it’s good.”
“You put on quite a show.”
“Are you enjoying it?”
“It’s fun,” he assured, summoning his bottle. “Get on your hands and knees and turn around. And get rid of that dress”
Her face brightened as her smile stretched, and he took a drink while watching her stand and strip. Tossing the gown aside, she obediently got on her hands and knees in front of him, and he sent his booze away, his gaze on her toned ass as he rose behind her.
She remained wet, so he guided himself to her opening. Then he gathered her hair in his fist and firmly held on. With a tug, he entered her swift and hard, and he didn’t stop, no matter how loudly she screamed or how much she shook. The more she cursed, the harder he fucked, fueled by her dirty mouth and her insistence she wouldn’t break. His lack of concern for what he was doing to her body should have made him feel guilty, but out of all the ramblings flowing from her mouth, an objection never hit the air.
She got off again, but he wasn’t there yet. The liquor had him relaxed enough to last, and the lack of an emotional connection tended to delay his fall. Though Angeline was beautiful, she wasn’t the kind of beautiful he wanted, and their mild physical attraction did nothing to speed him up.
After getting off a third time, she blindly grasped for the hand holding her hair. “Quin.”
He reluctantly slowed enough to talk. “Yeah?”
“I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I don’t know how much more I can take. You’re fucking me senseless here.”
His chest rumbled as he faced the possibility of getting off in his palm. “Are you asking me to stop?”
“No. Just… I’ve gotten off multiple times, and I’m really sensitive now, so don’t go longer than you need to.”
“If I’m hurting you, I’ll stop. Or I could try something different.”
“Tempting,” she laughed. “I’m sure you’re skilled at multiple positions, but no. Like I said, I’m not made of glass. I can take what you’re giving me. I just don’t know how much longer I can take it, so don’t hold out.”
“Let me know if I hit your limit.”
He tightened his grip, and without further approval, he got back down to business. He really didn’t want to get off in his hand, so he tried to clear his head, forget her worries as well as his own and focus on the finish line. Once it was in sight, he pulled her hair and plunged deep, arching her back as he came, and while relief and pleasure flooded his nerve-endings, his pounding heart remained untouched. Empty.
He’d hurt her when he came. He knew by the high-pitched scream that vibrated his eardrums through his orgasm. Now he carefully took her shoulder and released her hair, running his palm over the roots. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah,” she huffed. “Totally worth it. If this is what you’re like when you multitask, I can’t imagine what it’s like to have all your focus.”
He made sure she was supporting herself before releasing her. Then he eased out of her swollen body. “Do you want me to heal you?”
She flipped around and sat. “No. I think I’ll take the soreness as a temporary souvenir. That’s the best sex I’ve had during a random hookup. You exceed your reputation, Quin. I’m glad your friend introduced us.”
Quin handed over her gown and summoned his shorts. “Are relationships different?”
She furrowed her eyebrows while wiggling into her dress. “What do you mean?”
“Do you think sex is different when you’re in a relationship?”
“Depends on the relationship. My longest was
about two years. We loved each other, and yes, sex with him was different. Physically, relationship sex isn’t always better, but random hookups are always missing something, you know?”
“I do know,” he mumbled, sitting back against the boulder.
She tossed her skirt over her legs and smoothed her messy hair. “What’s your longest relationship?”
“I told you, I don’t commit.”
She halted and found his face. “I thought you were exaggerating. You’ve really never been in a relationship?”
“Nope.”
“Then, yeah, you’re missing out. Obviously I have nothing against casual hookups, but you should try it the other way, too.”
Quin morosely watched the moon’s reflection ripple in his scotch. “I will when I find her.”
“Who?”
He took a deep breath and looked up. “The woman of my dreams.”
“That’s right. You’re a romantic.”
“I would be for her.”
“Then I hope you find her.”
“Me, too.”
“She’ll be a very lucky woman if she gets all your focus.”
“She will.”
“I believe you. I don’t know why, because I barely know you, but something tells me you speak the truth.” She paused and looked down, making sure her clothes were in order. Then she got to her feet and smiled. “I should get back to the party.”
“I’ll walk with you.”
He started to stand, but she held up a palm, motioning for him to stop. “I don’t expect you to walk me back. If I go first, we’ll avoid the awkwardness of emerging from the shadows together, so stay with your thoughts as long as you’d like.” She extended her hand toward him. “It’s been an immense pleasure, Quin. Thanks for showing me a good time on my last night in Oregon.”
He accepted her handshake while smirking at her casual goodbye. “It was fun, Angeline. Take care.”
She waved and happily floated away, and Quin watched her aura until it disappeared behind tree trunks. With a big sigh, he turned to the ocean. Then he stared at the moon while tipping back his bottle.
His body felt better now that he’d released some pressure and eased his tension, but Layla still captivated his mind, and his heartache had only grown stronger. He hadn’t taken time to gaze at the moon since March 3rd, because every time he took in the view, he wondered what it looked like to Layla, how it might differ from where she stood and what might be on her mind while she watched it. Right now, in the pre-dawn hours of a random Friday, he hoped she was safely tucked in bed and dreaming peacefully. He didn’t dare hope she had visions of him. Getting familiar with the idea would merely make his reality harsher.
Quin 2 (The Mystic Series) Page 3