by Lisa Sanchez
A sly smile crept across Quinn’s beautifully full lips, and I wanted nothing more than to close the small distance between our faces so I could attack his mouth with my own.
“It’s time for you to get inside, mo chrói.”
You’ve got to be kidding me.
All the air in my lungs rushed out in one loud whoosh. Breadcrumbs. He was still tossing me breadcrumbs.
“Good things come to those who wait, a ghrá. I won’t let you down. You have my word.” With a smirk, he exited the vehicle, rounding the sports car inhumanly fast, and opened my door for me.
Though I lacked patience, I trusted Quinn implicitly. If he promised to reveal his feelings for me, I knew he’d make good on his word.
I also knew myself well enough to know I’d be bringing the issue up again, sooner rather than later. I hadn’t forgotten about our conversation during dinner at the Plough. Something was up with regard to the completion of his curse. For someone who was about to be freed from five hundred years of affliction, Quinn was way too apathetic.
After exiting the car, Quinn escorted me all the way to my front door, insisting on seeing me safely into the sanctuary of my front room.
“I’d love to hang out and chat with you,” I said coyly, “but I don’t want to wake Jess or Martha, and I’m in desperate need of a shower.” I cringed, hoping to God I didn’t stink.
With a sweeping hand motion, Quinn happily replied. “Lead the way, my love. I’d be more than happy to watch over you while you cleanse yourself.”
“Yeah, I bet you would!” Images of my shower fantasy rushed through my mind, and I felt extremely relieved Quinn didn’t possess the ability to read minds. He didn’t need to know how hot I was for him. It wouldn’t do either of us a damn bit of good. “All right, then, out.” I pointed toward the door. “I can’t get ready if you don’t leave.”
Quinn’s face fell, reminding me of a little boy who didn’t get the toy he begged his mother for at the store. It was heartbreaking and funny at the same time. “Very well, then. Try not to get into too much trouble while I’m away,” he said playfully and made a move for the door. Hesitating for a moment, Quinn turned on his heels, taking two large steps and bridging the small gap between us. Looking down at me through his fierce, blue eyes, Quinn raised his hand above my head just as he had done a few times before, tracing the contour of my face, mere centimeters from my flesh. This time, however, instead of stopping there and backing away, he let his large hand come to rest gently against the center of my chest, just over my heart.
The moment was so poignant it stole my breath away. I mirrored his actions, and we stood for what seemed like an immeasurable amount of time, wonderful electricity flowing between us.
A small groan escaped his lips. “It would be so easy for me to lose myself in those big brown eyes of yours.”
Yes! Lose yourself in me, my mind cried out. Hold me, love me, and never let me go.
He pulled away abruptly. “I hear your roommate tossing about in bed. She’s about to get up.” Walking back over to the door, Quinn looked over his shoulder, treating me to a flirtatious smile, before vanishing into thin air.
I jumped, having yet to get used to the whole disappearing act. I heard a faint chuckling.
“I’ll see you later, mo chrói.”
Chapter 12
THE FOLLOWING MONTH was nothing short of spectacular, and altogether the most incomparable four weeks of my life. Entirely bewitched by Quinn, I passed through my days floating on the blissful high of first love. Love (insert deep sigh). I was, without a doubt, thoroughly and completely in love with Quinn. As frustrated as I was that Quinn had yet to fully admit his feelings, I knew in my heart he felt the same way. Why else would someone go to such lengths to keep a person safe? Why else would he spend every waking moment with me, laughing, teasing, learning everything there was to know about me? It wasn’t for the sex, that was for sure. Ha! We were barely able to touch one another. I knew Quinn held deep feelings for me, and I was determined to bring them out into the open one way or another.
Keeping to his word, Quinn remained by my side literally everywhere I went, from my morning jog, to my classes and work. Though it peeved me to know I was, in fact, being babysat, I shuddered to think of the alternative and gladly accepted the extra attention. Honestly, I wasn’t about to complain about having the hottest man on the planet acting as my own personal champion. Truth be told, I felt downright smug about it. Not many could claim a five-hundred-year-old, muscled-up faerie with the face of an angel and exceptional sexual prowess as their own. Not that I was getting any action, but hey, one could fantasize, right?
As it was October, the mild California weather had finally taken a turn, the air cool and crisp. Large yellow and orange leaves fell from the abundant trees that lined the streets of Hanaford Park and filled the university campus. Aside from walking to and from classes, I was driven anywhere I needed to go by Quinn, who was all too happy to oblige. He had a weakness for fast cars, and he took great joy in scaring me with his maniacal driving.
Pleased with the drop in temperature, because it allowed for a wider variety of fashion, I let out a small squeal as I pulled out my favorite pair of Ugg boots to wear with my skinny jeans and sweater.
“Ooh, I love those.” Jessica admired my footwear from atop my bed where she’d been lounging for the past half hour.
I glanced lovingly at my boots. “Thanks. I’ve been dying to wear them for a while now.” I dug through the bottom of my closet in search of a bag that would match. “Ah ha! There you are.” I smiled triumphantly as I yanked my dark brown Coach lunch tote from the large bin of purses at the base of my closet.
“Think you have enough bags in there, Ryann?” She laughed quietly as she questioned me, but I sensed a hint of incredulity in her voice. My purse collection was rivaled by few, and I’m sure quite a shock to anyone who didn’t know me well. They were an indulgence, I know. But hey, everyone’s got a vice, right? Besides, I bought all my bags and shoes at outlet stores and on eBay. I never paid full price.
I donned my best diva attitude. “Darling. One can never have too many bags.”
I slung my tote over my shoulder and shook what the good Lord gave me while Jess shouted in the background, “Work it! Own it!”
The blaring sound of The Pogues’ “Love You ‘Till The End” blasted from the tiny speaker on my iPhone, interrupting my impromptu fashion show. Quinn had programmed the ringtone himself, a fact that further cemented my belief he held the same feelings for me as I did for him.
“Hey,” I sang into the phone. “I’m almost done accessorizing. I’ll be out in a minute.”
His Irish accent carried through the cell, making me weak in the knees. “Jaysus, woman! How long can this accessorizing possibly take? Get your arse out here or you’ll be late to class.” I heard him chuckle over the phone before he hung up.
With an eye roll, I tossed the phone into my purse. Good fashion sense simply could not be rushed.
Jessica moved so that she sat cross-legged on my bed, with a pillow in her lap. “So how come Quinn always waits outside for you? Why doesn’t he come in?”
I knew why he didn’t come in, but I couldn’t exactly tell her. Afraid of any accidental contact, Quinn opted to wait for me outside simply to avoid drama. Not wanting to deal with the awkwardness that would follow should one of my roommates casually touch his hand or arm, keeping a safe distance between him and my female friends seemed to be the best solution all around.
True, they might think him an antisocial bastard, but the alternative was not a scenario I ever wanted to deal with. The idea of Jessica or even Martha lusting madly after Quinn sent my stomach churning and brought my claws out. Mr. Sex God was mine.
“I don’t know,” I said, desperately trying to come up with an acceptable answer. “I think he’s just trying to give me my space. You know, letting me have friend time with you.” I didn’t know what else to say. Hopefully, she’d buy my
excuse.
Jess pondered my answer for a moment. “Hmm…I guess that makes sense. Well, tell him I said hi.”
Halleluiah. She bought it. “Okay, I will.” I waved at her as I headed for the door.
My stomach rumbled as I walked outside into the crisp autumn air. An icy chill jarred my body, and I mentally cursed myself for believing I’d be warm enough in just a sweater. The things I did in the name of fashion. Ugh!
Quinn, looking sexy as hell in dark glasses, a black leather jacket, his typical t-shirt, jeans and Docs, stood leaning against the side of the building. How I’d ever mistaken him for a mere man was beyond me. Transcendently beautiful, he was most definitely not of this world. He held a small Starbucks bag and coffee. The corners of his lips lifted as he saw me, and he pushed away from the wall, gliding over to where I stood.
“You’re cold,” he said, setting the bag and coffee down on a nearby bench and removed his jacket, draping it around my shoulders. It smelled like him, a deep, rich, masculine scent that had me sniffing the fabric as I shoved my arms into the sleeves.
“You’re hungry, too. I heard your belly rumbling from inside your apartment. Here,” he said and handed me the bag and coffee.
The warm inviting aroma of my favorite drink had me drooling as I took the cup from his hand. “God, you shouldn’t have, but thanks,” I said, holding up the cup before taking a sip. The sugary drink and pastry would go straight to my rump and I’d be running like a crazed Forrest Gump wannabe for the following week. I broke off a piece of muffin and groaned. “What passes the lips goes straight to the hips.”
“And what lovely hips they are,” he said, eying me appreciatively. “Let’s get going.” He motioned with a nod and we began walking.
I inhaled the contents of the bag, a cranberry orange muffin, in just a few large bites, no longer caring what Quinn thought of my abominable eating habits. The look on his face as he laughed at me affirmed my suspicions. He didn’t care, and I went on stuffing my face.
“So,” I said with my mouth full, trying to swallow the last remnants of my snack. “Your curse is almost over.” There would be no beating around the bush this morning. He needed to be out with it, needed to open up. I had no idea when his curse would actually end, only that it was soon. “Pretty soon we’ll be able to touch each other for real…you know, act like real friends.”
I loathed using the friend word, but it was what he was most comfortable with at that point, and it really did the best job of describing our unconventional relationship. You couldn’t classify us as lovers, since we’d never made love. I hadn’t even had so much as a first kiss from him. The term “boyfriend” seemed ridiculous, given Quinn’s age. Honestly, I had no clue how to describe our relationship.
“Mmph,” he grumbled. Not the response I was looking for.
I craned my neck forward as we walked, trying to see his face. “Quinn?”
“We’re running late to class, a ghrá. Let’s talk about this later.”
“To hell with that. I want to talk about it now.” We’d sat on this particular topic long enough and for reasons that were unknown to me. I was damn tired of waiting. He should be as ecstatic as I was about being able to spend time together in a normal fashion. The mere thought of being able to cup his cheek with my hand, to kiss his impossibly full lips made me want to bust out into song and dance. I was dying for a little skin-to-skin contact.
“No.” He spoke through clenched teeth and balled his hands into fists. The air surrounding us became thick with tension as we squared off, playing who’s got the meaner mug.
“Why?” I needed an explanation. I was tired of Quinn keeping things from me. He held back with regard to our relationship and his true feelings for me. And now, he was hiding something else, something major about his curse. Frustration surged and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from screaming. If he was hiding the truth from me, it had to be something bad, but what?
We’d reached the auditorium where our Human Sexuality class was held, and stood just outside the entryway.
“Now is not the time, a ghrá. Let it go.” He stood stone-faced, unwilling to give me the answers I so desperately needed to hear.
“Fine,” I snapped. I speared the air with my pointed finger. “This conversation is not over.” I stormed into the building, taking a seat in the back of the room, Quinn following just a few steps behind me.
I sat down with a huff, and threw a few angry darts at Quinn, who sat motionless in his seat like a statue of Adonis. As angry as I was, I couldn’t help but notice how his shirt clung to his broad shoulders, the thickness of his biceps clearly visible through the fabric. His Tree-of- Life tattoo peeked out from just beneath the collar. A pair of vibrant blue eyes cut through the wall of anger I tried desperately to maintain, and I had to look away. I wanted to smack him and lick his tattoo all at the same time.
Stupid faerie.
“There are four phases to the female sexual response!”
I jumped in my seat, startled by the professor’s shouting. So wrapped up in my frustration with Quinn, I hadn’t noticed Professor White begin the lecture.
“Phase one is excitement. Miss Pierce…”
Oh shit.
“I expect you did the assigned reading for this lecture. Please describe some of the physiological changes that occur during the excitement phase.”
The entire classroom turned to face me along with Professor White, waiting for me to respond.
Just great. I have zero skills. I’m sitting next to the most sexually experienced being on the planet, who, as it so happens, won’t give me the time of day physically, and now I have to describe what happens to my hoo-hah when it gets excited.
Karma was making me its bitch, of that much I was certain.
“Vasocongestion will occur.” My voice shook as I forced myself to speak loud enough for the professor to hear. “The clitoris becomes engorged.” Oh, God! “And the inner part of the vagina may expand. The woman’s skin becomes flushed.” Yeah, just like mine is becoming flushed now from having to talk about this. “And she may experience heightened sensitivity in other areas of her body, such as the nipples.”
I sensed Quinn’s eyes boring into the side of my face as I spoke. Still pissed off from his unwillingness to open up to me, I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of watching me squirm while I uttered the word “nipple.” I was quite sure the sensitivity in my nipples would never be heightened, nor would my clitoris ever become engorged by my faerie non-boyfriend. He couldn’t even utter the words “I like you,” let alone “I love you,” and he wouldn’t touch me except to say goodbye, and then only ever laid his hand over my heart. Damn his iron will!
Professor White seemed pleased with my answer. “Very good, Miss Pierce, I see you’ve done your homework. Moving on to the Plateau phase next…”
The muscles in my jaw ached and burned from grinding my teeth, and my entire body flushed hot, not only from the embarrassment of having to speak in front of the class, but from my anger toward Quinn. With each moment that passed, my bitterness grew.
“Moving on to the Orgasm phase…Mr. Donegan?”
Wait. What? Please, no. My heart leaped into my throat and my stomach dropped to the floor. Why? Why did the professor have to call on Quinn?
“Could you please explain what occurs when a woman climaxes?”
“Oh, aye. I surely can.” A smug grin crawled across his face and he sat back in his seat, stretching his long legs out before him.
Pompous, egotistical bastard.
The pencil I’d been gripping snapped, eliciting a snort from Quinn before he spoke.
“Well, then. The muscles in the woman’s vagina contract, along with the rest of the muscles in her body. Her heart rate and blood pressure peak. And of course, she usually screams my name several times.”
Bloody hell!
That last little bit resulted in several hoots and hollers from the male portion of the class.
“Thank you, Mr. Donegan, for your colorful explanation of the female orgasm. Let’s try and keep our answers strictly to the physical response from now on, shall we?” Professor White directed a deprecating look toward Quinn before turning to address the class again.
No longer paying any attention to the lecture, I focused all my energy on the smug faerie sitting to my left, my animosity toward him at an all-time high.
I leaned over and whispered just loud enough for him to hear, “You forgot to mention the part where the woman loses her mind and dies!” It was a low blow. I knew it. So thoroughly pissed off, I hadn’t bothered to think before I spoke and my words rushed out, unfiltered and cruel.
He met my jab with a cold, icy stare the likes of which I’d never seen. I’d meant to hit a nerve and I did.
The remainder of the lecture was spent in a painful silence, neither Quinn, nor myself willing to make the first move toward reconciliation. When it was time to leave, I shot out of my seat like a crazed woman at a red tag sale. My only thoughts were of how quickly I could get out of the building and away from him.
I was racing toward the quad when he finally spoke. “You can’t outrun me.” There was no emotion in his voice as he matched my pace with his own.
“I’m angry with you,” I said as we made our way toward a semi-secluded grassy knoll in the center of the school.
“Aye, I can see that.”
I whirled around to face him. “Why are you hiding things from me about your curse?”
He looked over his shoulder to ensure we were alone, then back to me. “Trust me, a ghrá, it’s for the best.”
“What? What the hell kind of answer is that? It’s for the best? I’m not a child, and I don’t need you deciding what’s best for me. I’ve dealt with quite a bit in my short life. I think I can handle whatever it is that you won’t tell me!”
I wasn’t expecting the reaction I got. “Have you ever considered the fact that maybe I can’t deal?” Quinn completely lost his cool and paced back and forth, angrily scrubbing his hands over his skull. “Fuck!”