Quinn shook his head. “You’re right and I know I have to let go at some time. But I can’t lose you again. I—”
Cade held up a hand and placed it gently against Quinn’s mouth as he spoke firmly. “This time there won’t be any negotiation. You can teach me what to look for, how to feel them coming, even teach me a little more kung fu in case I need it. But I am not running scared from these bastards.”
Quinn sighed loudly. “Fine, you win. I’ll tell you what I can and perhaps help you develop some of the power you have inside you to make you more aware of other Feys.” He smiled, a little tiredly. “I draw the line at teaching you kung fu, though, for the very good reason that I haven’t got a clue. I’m no martial arts expert. I can get someone to do that for me though.”
Cade touched his cheek gently. “And if I just happen to see a seven-foot Warlock lurking about because you’ve asked him to follow me anyway, I shall be very upset.” The guilty expression on Quinn’s face made Cade chuckle loudly.
“You bastard, you actually were going to have him watch me anyway, weren’t you? You’re so bloody sneaky. No wonder you’re Grand Master. You just can’t lose, can you? What the hell am I going to do with you and that arrogance?”
Quinn ignored his words completely, his eyes narrowing and his nostrils flaring, and he reached out, pulling his face toward his as he kissed Cade. Quinn’s lips were greedy and demanding, his tongue sliding into his mouth. Cade tasted the faint flavour of the beer he’d drunk earlier. Quinn’s hands moved down slowly to cup his arse and press him closer. Cade gasped as his lover’s hardness pushed through the cotton shorts he wore, pressing into the hard swell of his own groin. Quinn was voracious, his hands sliding under Cade’s tee shirt, stroking the soft, warm skin beneath. Cade groaned as Quinn’s hands kneaded his backside and the kisses grew more urgent, his teeth biting Cade’s bottom lip and making him hiss in both pain and pleasure.
“You taste so good,” Quinn whispered as his mouth found Cade’s ear and he darted his tongue inside. “I am so bloody horny suddenly I can hardly stand it. I think your increased Fey abilities from using your power have heightened my senses too. But we both have far too many clothes on. Undress me. Right here. Then you can undress for me.”
Cade swallowed, his groin flooding with heat even as he reached out and stripped off Quinn’s polo shirt, dropping it to the floor. Quinn watched, his breath uneven and deep, his eyes black.
“Quinn, you’ve gone all antichrist again.” Cade’s stomach fluttered madly and the ache between his legs intensified. He was so damned hard it hurt. “God, you look so fucking sexy.”
He ran his hands over Quinn’s chest, as he gasped in pleasure at the touch. Cade leaned in, trailing his tongue around his nipple as he unzipped him and then slowly pulled Quinn’s trousers and boxers down his legs to land in a pile on the floor. Quinn stepped out of them, his cock flushed and ready. Cade’s hands trailed up Quinn’s bare arms, goose bumps forming on that skin.
“You are so bloody beautiful,” Cade murmured as he touched Quinn’s cock lightly, hearing his groan, loving the sense of power he had over him. “Like a proud lion.”
Quinn reached over and stilled Cade’s hands, his face watching his intently. “Your turn to undress. I want you naked. I really need to be inside you before I explode.”
Those growled words made Cade’s own cock jerk against inside his trousers, desperate to be free and feel Quinn on it. Cade reached down and teasingly lifted the tee shirt he wore over his head, making sure his arms flexed and his stomach contracted as he did so. Quinn watched his movements with avarice, drinking in every move he made. His hands moved toward him as if to touch him, then he stopped.
“Keep going,” he murmured hoarsely. “Get those damn jeans off.”
“God, you can be a real bossy bastard.” Cade’s own desire swelled, seeing Quinn’s obvious arousal at his slow but inexpert striptease. Slowly, deliberately, he unzipped his jeans, taking his time. As the zip parted, Cade reached down and palmed his cock against the silk of his boxers. His own touch made him gasp, he was so turned on, and Quinn’s black eyes narrowed in lust. He reached over and slapped Cade’s hands away.
“You leave that be,” he growled huskily. “That’s mine to play with. You’ll have your work cut out for you with mine.”
Cade laughed. “Hell, there’s that true alpha male making its appearance.” But he moved his hands away from his eager cock and finished sliding the jeans and boxers down his legs. He stepped out of them, completely naked, and then slid his hand up and down his slick cock, with a sultry look at Quinn. “Is this what you want?”
Cade was unprepared for Quinn’s reaction. He made a sound halfway between a loud growl and a roar and moved forward swiftly, propelling Cade back toward the couch. He pushed him onto the sofa roughly, his knee between his legs, pulling Cade’s hands up behind him and then slowly sliding his hands down the inside of Cade’s arms, causing shivers of expectation and body-prickling heat to course through his being. Quinn’s black eyes bore into Cade’s and he felt faint at the look of extreme lust on his lover’s face. Cade himself wanted nothing more than to feel Quinn inside him, and bugger any preparations. He knew he was more than ready for whatever Quinn had to give. Cade gasped as Quinn moved between his legs, pulling his hips towards him, spreading him and drawing his legs almost to his chest. Quinn reached down and slicked his fingers with his own glistening fluids, sliding one finger inside Cade and scissoring his fingers roughly. Cade groaned loudly, his head arching back against the couch, eyes closing in bliss at feeling Quinn’s desperate finger inside him.
“Oh God,” he moaned. “Quinn, honest, I don’t think you need to do that, amazing as it is. I need to feel you inside me. Please, Quinn. Now.”
Quinn’s black eyes bore into his, fathomless and obsidian, and Cade thought he had never seen anything sexier than this man at the peak of his desire with pupils resembling a vampire’s. Quinn grinned wolfishly and nodded, his hot mouth finding Cade’s eager lips as he pushed himself inside. Quinn filled Cade so completely and with such force that he cried out against his mouth. It seemed to incense Quinn further as he moved on top, snapping his hips against him and they moved together as only two people who knew each other’s bodies intimately could do.
“God, you feel incredible,” Cade whispered. “I shall have to get slutty more often.”
Quinn’s teeth gleamed whitely in the dimming light as he smiled then buried his face in Cade’s neck. He moaned in his ear and Cade felt he was close to climaxing. In truth, he’d been ready to blow a while ago, but had been trying to make the incredible sensation in his cock and balls last longer. Heat rose in his lower body, the heavy sensation in his groin throbbing and pulsing with a life of its own. Cade finally came with a loud cry, his fingers digging into Quinn’s broad shoulders. Quinn drew a deep breath in both pain and ecstasy as his body shuddered with the force of his orgasm.
There was a sticky heat between his arse cheeks and Quinn’s post-climax spasms took hold as he collapsed on top of Cade, his hands entwined in his hair and his breath coming in loud, panting gasps of satisfaction.
“Hell, I think you scratched me to bits,” Quinn panted, as he rolled off to lie beside Cade. “I’m pretty sure you drew blood. You must have half my skin under your fingernails. Cut your damn nails.”
Cade chuckled. “You were such a bloody animal I got caught up in the moment. You were really horny, weren’t you? I think this time might even have surpassed the very first time we made love when we first met.”
Quinn snorted. “I was feeling fairly amorous, I have to say. Maybe it was the fact you used your healing powers for the first time, but I just wanted you so badly all of a sudden I could hardly wait.”
“I’ll have to use them more often then,” Cade snuggled into his side as Quinn put his arm around him. “I like making you crazy. I get a lot out of it as well.” They lay together in the darkening lounge as the sun dropped over the horizon.
“Perhaps we should go to bed,” Cade said softly. “I know it’s a little early, but it’s been a rough day and we can always have another session later if you want.”
Quinn chuckled in the darkness. “That sounds like a good idea. I need a shower first, though.”
He swung his legs off the couch and stood up, padding through naked to the bedroom. Cade shook his head and sighed as he regarded the clothing left on the floor. He leaned down and picked it up.
“Honestly, I’m not your bloody housekeeper,” he muttered under his breath. But he smiled as he wandered through to the bedroom. Quinn was already in the shower and Cade waited for his turn. Half an hour later they were wrapped up under the duvet together. Cade intended reading for a while but he could see Quinn was already half asleep.
“Sleep tight, Quinn. Try not to have any nightmares,” he murmured. In truth, since his return, Quinn had had few nightmares and was definitely sleeping better.
“I’ll try,” came back the already sleepy voice.
Cade shook his head at the fact that sex seemed to send Quinn to sleep better than anything else. It tended to make Cade’s need for post-coital conversation a little frustrating for him. He tried to concentrate on reading his book, but he kept seeing poor Marco lying torn and bloody on the ground. Cade was worried about the Collector and the Chasers. He knew he’d be stupid not to be. He’d even thought guiltily that perhaps he’d been a bit hasty in telling Quinn to let him look after himself without the comforting form of Magnus watching over him.
Oh well, I’ve made my bed now. Hopefully Quinn can teach me what to expect and I’ll manage. I have to; the alternative is too terrible to contemplate.
Chapter 28
Quinn sat back with a sigh in his upstairs office and regarded his computer screen with sheer frustration.
“Thousands of people out looking for this bastard Collector and nothing,” he muttered to himself. “Not a scent of anyone in over a week. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe there is no bloody Collector.” His voice was hopeful but his Withinner’s words took away that hope.
He is out there; make no mistake about it. That Chaser was here for a reason.
Quinn took off his glasses and passed a hand over his tired eyes. “I suppose you’re right, but if there is someone out there, why the hell haven’t we found them yet? Something should have come to light by now.”
He is hiding his tracks well. You will find him. You have to.
Quinn stood up and paced around the room as he thought. Percy had said he’d heard a rumour about a strange Fey woman asking questions about Cade and Quinn. Perhaps that might bring in some news. At least there had been no other incidents with Chasers or anything else strange which was a blessing. Quinn had managed to teach Cade to further develop his own Fey senses into a place where he could comfortably recognise others. In Quinn’s opinion this was the most useful skill. It would stand his fiancé in good stead should a Fey come calling unexpectedly. It might not be the best defence mechanism but it was certainly a start to making him feel better about Cade’s safety.
There was a click as the front door opened and he heard a faint murmuring as someone came into the house. Quinn sensed Cade and walked out of his office to stand on the upstairs landing. His fiancé looked up at him and smiled as the cat wound itself around his feet.
Quinn thought Cade looked a little tired. Quinn knew he hadn’t been sleeping well since the incident with Marco. “You’re back from the Institute a little earlier than usual. Is everything all right?”
Cade nodded as he set his briefcase down on the loveseat in the entrance and toed off his shoes. “Everything’s fine. I finished all the research papers I was busy with for the trip, took my last class and decided to call it a day. I thought perhaps we might go out and get something to eat instead of cooking.”
Quinn came down the staircase to give him a hug.
Cade kissed him hello. “What about you—how was your day? Did you manage to find this rogue Fey who you think is coming after me?”
Quinn shook his head as he released him and wandered into the lounge. “No. Nothing yet. Percy’s on it and I’ll know the minute he does if there’s anything new. Do you want a glass of wine?”
Cade nodded and Quinn poured a cold glass of white wine from the bar fridge and handed him the glass. Cade took it gratefully and sat down on the couch with a contented sigh.
“God, I’m glad to be home. Today was absolutely bloody hectic and this trip in August is causing a lot of work for everyone.” He grimaced. “There’s just so much planning to do.”
“You’ll get there, I’m sure.” Quinn watched Cade carefully as he sat down next to him. “You still intend going to Scotland then?”
He wasn’t keen on him going away for a month to Scotland with Cooper for two reasons: one was Cooper, the other was the threat of the Collector hanging like a sword of Damocles over their heads.
Cade sighed in exasperation. “Yes, I’m still going. I told you I wasn’t running scared from anyone and I really need to get this done despite my earlier reservations. Besides, if I get into trouble, you’ll know anyway and you and your Withinner will be up there before the haggis has even run around the hill a second time.”
One of the side effects of Cade’s newly enhanced status as a Sprite was that Quinn had intensified feelings as to where Cade was and how he was feeling more than ever before. Quinn’s senses were on full alert and he welcomed the change. Cade, however, saw it as an invasion of privacy and thought it was the magyck version of Big Brother watching him. Quinn personally thought it worked just fine this new way.
“Talking of Taliesin, he’s been a little quiet lately,” Quinn said, frowning. “You know we can feel each other’s emotions and usually I tend to switch his off mentally or they’d drive me crazy because he’s such a moody bastard, but I get the feeling lately something’s different with him. His happy times are certainly no fewer—in fact they’ve been getting stronger—but he’s been less vocal than usual. I’ve been feeling a little unsettled, as if something’s not quite right.”
“Maybe he has a girlfriend in his own time?” suggested Cade. “Maybe you’re not the only one in his life any more. The bromance might be dying.”
He grinned mischievously and Quinn chuckled. “That might be it. Although who’d be stupid enough to take on his moods and bad temper?”
His Withinner was silent where once Quinn would have expected some smart rejoinder. Quinn was definitely curious about his silence.
“So…you’re going up to Scotland when?” He looked at Cade questioningly.
“The idea is to leave on the twentieth of August in a couple of weeks and the latest we’ll be back is the nineteenth of September. That should give us time to do all the interviews, look at all the material the chaps up there have and compare some notes so we can finish this dissertation.”
Quinn nodded but wasn’t particularly thrilled with the news. Having Cade out of his life for a month wasn’t a great prospect.
His fiancé saw his face and chuckled. “I’ve got one of the cottages on the Loch up there in Crieff all to myself. That’s our base of operations to do the research. My idea was that you invoke that Withinner of yours and come and visit me very often for a booty call.” He grinned. “I insisted on having my own place before I even agreed I’d go. It was one of the conditions.”
Quinn’s spirits lifted at Cade’s words. “Really? You’re sure you don’t want to be left alone to do your thing without me interfering?”
Cade reached over and caressed his cheek gently. “Don’t be daft. You being there isn’t interfering. I’m going to miss you, make no mistake. I’m also going to get just as horny as you. We just have to make sure no one sees you, of course. That would take a bit of explaining.” He scowled. “And as long as you can tell Taliesin to let you revoke him when you want to. If I thought he’d behave I’d love to pick his brains about what he knows about the Picts. I’m sure he could tell me a lot ab
out them.”
Cade looked at Quinn hopefully and he shook his head vehemently.
“I’m not sure there’s any chance of that, Cade. I don’t want another episode like the last one. And with your increased Fey attraction I’m not even willing to chance it.” Quinn said grimly, hoping his Withinner was listening. Taliesin remained silent.
Cade shrugged. “Well, what with you being able to sense me all the time and the ability to appear in my bedroom basically whenever you fancy, I don’t think I’ll be giving Cooper a good time so you needn’t worry about that.”
He chuckled loudly at Quinn’s black expression.
“Don’t even joke about that,” Quinn said silkily, pulling Cade to him possessively and holding him tightly in his arms. “I’m not likely to appreciate it and Cooper could find himself joining Nessie in the Loch.”
“Nessie doesn’t live in this particular loch. But I get your point.”
Cade snuggled into Quinn’s open arms and Quinn kissed him softly on his almond-scented hair.
“Do you feel better now?” Cade murmured as he nibbled his ear. “The fact you can visit me whenever you want to, within reason of course.”
“Define ‘within reason.’” Quinn closed his eyes, enjoying the feel of Cade’s teeth slowly teasing his ear. He heard Cade’s soft chuckle as his warm breath caressed his cheek.
“Oh, I don’t know. Perhaps we should agree on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Four nights a week should keep us going.”
Quinn laughed. “I’ll take that under advisement with the man downstairs. If he feels that’s enough, well, we can do that. But if he gets a little tetchy I reserve the right to call ahead before I appear in your bedroom. Deal?”
“God, you are such a needy sod. Okay, it’s a deal. Ditto my side if I feel I need a sudden shagging.”
Quinn chuckled at Cade’s words as he reached over and kissed him, feeling his warm lips against his, revelling in the fact that this man was all his. Cade tasted of wine and cherries for some reason, and as his tongue slid softly into his mouth, Quinn wanted for nothing more.
Double Alchemy: Climax Page 23