The Bond

by B. C. Burgess

“You've been holding out on me,” he accused, finding her profile. “You're far stronger than you've led me to believe.”

  “I have not been holding out on you,” she laughed. “I just don't know what I can do, so I haven't reached my limits.”

  “Are you testing them on me?”

  She stopped playing with his arm and met his stare. “Well, I guess I am. Does that bother you?”

  He smiled as he shook his head. “Not at all. You're showing me wonderful things, my love, and I'm ready for my third.”

  She grinned and placed five fingertips beneath his shoulder blade. Then she slowly slid them up and over his shoulder and across his arm. When she reached his wrist, she cupped the back of his hand and opened her eyes.

  Her magic warmed the entire upper half of his body, so he spent extra time imagining its exit route before adding his own heat. His temperature spiked as the sting caught his breath, but he quickly expelled the magic from his hand, casting a fireball four times the size of the last one.

  Quin had never seen anything like it. He'd seen smaller fireballs combine in mid-air to form one that large, but he'd never seen a single person produce such a massive ball of flames.

  “Was that good?” Layla asked, watching smoke slither up the moon. “It seemed good to me, but you've seen more than I have.”

  He was bursting with adrenaline, and the magic was blowing his mind. “Yes, Layla Love, that was very good, but I don't know how much longer I can stand here, so you better give me my finale.”

  She grinned and moved behind him, placing both hands against the small of his back. “Hold out both arms,” she instructed, and he quickly obeyed.

  She slowly ran her palms up his spine, and her fire appeared in his feet and calves. When her hands slid over his shoulders, the flames worked their way up his thighs and hips. She hovered from the ground so she could reach across his arms. Then she rested her chin on his shoulder and kissed his ear.

  Yes, his entire body pulsed with warmth, and it felt amazing. He'd filled himself with fire before, but hers was different. Not hotter, but more condensed and more intense in the way it throbbed and tingled his insides. He closed his eyes, preparing himself for the uncomfortable part of the experience. Then he attempted to match her flames before pushing the magic from his palms.

  The result was unreal. Separately, the two fireballs were monstrous and could have been burning manors flying side-by-side, but then they combined, and it looked as though the sun was falling from the sky.

  “Incredible,” he whispered, watching their creation slowly lose height. It hit the ocean with an audible sizzle. Then a mushroom cloud of smoke billowed into the air and blotted out the moon.

  “That was crazy,” she exclaimed. “It's a good thing there aren't any boats down there.”

  He laughed as he found her face. “I'm sure a lot of people saw that. Coastguards will be swarming the area soon.”

  “Do we need to leave?”

  “Yes,” he answered, shifting her from his back to his chest, “but not without completing our purpose for being here.”

  He walked backward while showering her face in kisses. Then he stopped at the tree line and gave her a dose of magical warmth and tingling electricity. After lowering her feet to the ground beside him, he took her hand and grinned. “Running start, two front flips. Ready?”

  Her mouth fell open, but then she snapped it shut and looked ahead. “Two front flips. Okay.”

  She took a deep breath, and he squeezed her hand as he started the countdown. “One… two… three.”

  They covered the distance to the edge of the cliff in four long bounds. Then they leapt out as far as they could without using magic. Bodies tucked, they performed two synchronized flips. Then they straightened and descended head first through ocean-kissed air. Their fingertips soon found the crest of a wave, so they pulled out of their dive and flipped vertical, hovering a foot above the churning tide.

  He vanished her dress while wrapping his arms around her waist, and like the time before, his adrenaline seeped into her while hers seeped into him.

  As soon as their quaking turned to shudders and their muscles relaxed, he kissed her neck and filled her with magical heat. “Hold your breath.”

  She sucked in oxygen and tightened her grip, and he plunged their bodies into the water, sending incredible chills across their flesh. The tide tugged at them, but he pulled her back to the surface and anchored their bodies with magic. She gasped as her face hit the air. Then she broke into vivacious giggles.

  He laughed with her, reveling in her happy aura as he cleaned the salt water from her eyes and swept her hair back. Then he delivered a fresh burst of heat through rosy lips. “We need to leave, love.”

  “Okay,” she agreed, stifling her giggles.

  They floated from the water, and he slowed to a halt, forgetting what he was supposed to be doing. She wore nothing save for a white silk thong and her jewelry, and the divine view emptied his lungs while seizing his muscles.

  He swallowed and pulled her against him, grasping for sense and self-control. Then he somehow managed to magic their cloaks on and soar into the air.

  Chapter Two

  Layla laughed as Quin landed and carried her into the suite. His grip hadn’t eased since they left the cliff, nor had his tension.

  Their cloaks disappeared, exposing her bare chest to his, and she sighed. “Mmm… That's better.”

  Keeping one arm wrapped around her waist, he slid the other under her hair and pulled her upper body back, admiring the view he rushed before. She smiled at the spark in his dark eyes, liking it very much. Then she stretched her arms over her head and arched, knowing it would drive him crazy. She wanted to see his face, but that would mess up her form, so she smiled at the golden wall until he pulled her to his chest. His heart was racing, and he kept her pressed against pulsing pecs until the organ mellowed.

  “Let's go wash the ocean off our bodies,” he suggested.

  Layla ran her tongue over his heart then smacked her lips. “Yep, sweet and salty.”

  He laughed as he swept her legs up, and she watched his profile while fiddling with his collarbone. “Will you be showering with me?”

  “No,” he answered, lowering her feet to the bathroom floor, “because you're not showering.”

  He turned her around, and she gasped at the whirlpool bath overflowing with bubbles. And not the sudsy kind that result from bubble bath. These looked like cartoon bubbles as they drifted over the water and into the air, bouncing off the gold-trimmed ceiling. They were much bigger and much sturdier than normal, and they had a beautiful pearly sheen that reflected the pink and gold flames flickering in the tub-side fireplace.

  Drawn into a dreamy state-of-mind by the hazy glow and soothing scents, Layla’s eyelids grew heavy, but then they found a burst of energy when several bubbles floated closer, each of them containing an emerald-green rose petal suspended in gold glitter.

  “It's perfect,” she breathed.

  Quin swept her hair to one shoulder and kissed the nape of her neck. “You're perfect.”

  His tender touch sent chills skittering down her torso as he removed her jewelry, and she shivered as she turned into him. “Will you be joining me in there?”

  “Yes.”

  “That sounds like a good time, Quinlan Farrel. What are we waiting for? Let's get clean.” She pulled him to the side of the tub, then held his hand as she stepped in, laughing at the bubbles tickling her calves.

  A sigh whispered behind her, and she looked over her shoulder, finding Quin’s gaze on her backside. “I hate to vanish those underwear, Layla. They look fantastic on you.”

  She twisted and looked down, then smiled at him. “I'll save you the pain.” The underwear disappeared, and she barely blushed as she watched his eyes freely roam. When she glanced at his racing aura, a smirk twitched her lips.

  “Are you going to keep those on?” she asked, pointing to his jeans.

  His gaze fl
icked from her body to her face. “No.”

  “Oh.” Her heart skipped then thumped hard and fast. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  She looked at his jeans, and her body filled with heat as her stomach flipped and fluttered. “I feel like I should close my eyes or something.”

  He quietly laughed as he ran a fingertip down her wrinkled nose. “Why?”

  “I don’t know,” she huffed, shocked to find herself so embarrassed when she'd been looking forward to this moment for what felt like forever.

  “Hey,” he whispered, tilting her chin up.

  She timidly met his stare, and her blush intensified. “Hey back.”

  After searching her eyes for several seconds, he moved closer and leaned in for a kiss. Her heart slowed and swelled as her lips melded with his, and she barely noticed when he took her by the waist and floated her further into the tub. Deepening his kiss, he swept her legs up and hugged her to his chest. Then they were in the water and surrounded by bubbles.

  His palm found her cheek as he pulled his lips away, but he didn’t say anything until she opened her eyes. “Did that make it easier?”

  “I'm sorry, Quin. I don't know what my deal is, and yes, it did help. Thank you.” She combed her fingers into his hair and buried her flaming face in his neck, her stomach a knotted mess.

  “You're still embarrassed,” he whispered, kissing her ear.

  “Yes,” she confessed, “but now I'm embarrassed I was embarrassed in the first place.”

  He quietly laughed then softly nibbled her earlobe. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about.”

  “I know.”

  “Also, I can see where you’re coming from, because… well, it's been a while.”

  She smirked, but kept her face hidden. “I'm not sure how to take that.”

  “I didn't say it for you to analyze. I said it because it's true, and I'm assuming it's the reason you're having a hard time with this. I'm okay with that. I'll be as patient as you need me to be, and we can work through your embarrassment, but I do need to know if you're having second thoughts about taking things further.”

  Her heart lurched as she left his neck. “It's not that, Quin. I swear.” She was ready. She'd been ready. “Please don't think that,” she pleaded, trying to sound sure rather than desperate. “This has nothing to do with that. I've been ready to take things further with you for five very long days.”

  “Okay,” he soothed, pulling her back into a hug. “I just had to make sure.”

  “Oh. Well I’m sure.”

  His chest shook with a silent laugh as he kissed her forehead. Then he shifted her to the spot beside him and laid her legs across his. “Then let's take our bath and quit worrying about it. Do you want some wine?”

  “Please.”

  He summoned a glass of red wine and handed it over. Then he summoned another while pulling her under his arm. She leaned into him, but her gaze stayed on the magical fire as she sipped, hoping the alcohol and hot water would ease her tension. She was mystified as to why she was suddenly feeling like a prude.

  A bubble drifted between her and the fire, and she watched its pearly colors swirl for several seconds before popping it. Her fingers swiftly moved through the gold dust and caught the freed petal. Then she transformed it into an entire rose and handed it to the most incredible guy she’d ever met. “Thank you for an amazing day, Quin. I'll remember every detail of it for the rest of my life.”

  He set his glass aside then accepted the rose, smiling as he spun the stem in his fingers. After floating it to the vase of flowers on the vanity, he turned his dimples on her and tapped her nose. “Your happiness is important to me, Layla. It's what I want most.”

  “I'm very happy right now.”

  “Me, too.”

  She leaned over and set her glass beside his. Then she cuddled into his chest and listened to his heart. “I love you, Quin.”

  “I love you, too, angel.”

  She closed her eyes and lost herself in his pulse, which steadily grew stronger and faster until curiosity pulled her from her trance.

  “What are you thinking about?” she asked.

  “You,” he answered. “Always you.”

  “What about me?”

  “Lean up,” he instructed, summoning a towel.

  She obeyed, and he sank the towel in the water, covering himself before shifting her onto his lap and pulling her shoulders to his chest. “Are you comfortable?”

  “Yes.”

  He got her torso wet. Then he summoned a bottle of soap and began washing her shoulders and neck. “I was thinking about how much I love you,” he answered. “It blows my mind how much. Just sitting with you like this brings me more pleasure than anything I experienced before you.”

  Layla closed her eyes, concentrating on his uplifting words and incredible touch.

  His hands dipped lower, lathering her breasts and stomach. Then chills followed his soapy trail as he whispered in her ear. “I was also thinking about how fantastic it will feel to do more than this. I'm not sure I can handle it. The physical and emotional pleasure might push me over the edge.”

  She grinned and opened her eyes. “Are you saying I'm driving you crazy?”

  “Yes, love. That's exactly what I'm saying. You're driving me crazy in the most wonderful way, and there's a good chance I'll never come back to reality once I get a taste of everything you have to offer.” He splashed water over her shoulders then kissed her temple. “Lean up and I'll wash your back.”

  She leaned forward, tucking her knees to her chest as he swept her hair to one shoulder. Then she watched bubbles dance around her legs as his soapy hands slid down her back.

  “Do you really think it will make that big of a difference?” she asked.

  “What do you mean?” he returned.

  “Sex,” she clarified, “how big of a difference does it make? I mean, sure, it's going to feel fantastic, but it's just physical. It doesn't change anything else.”

  His hands came to a rest on her shoulder blades, and several silent seconds ticked by before he quietly spoke. “Do you really believe that?”

  “I don't know,” she mumbled, fidgeting with the drenched tips of her hair. The only time she'd had sex, it had been dreadful. The experience hadn't been physically or emotionally gratifying. In fact, the only thing it provided was shame and disappointment. “I've heard about the emotional connection that's supposed to accompany sex, but I'm not sure I believe it. People have sex all the time without getting emotionally involved. So how could it make that big of a difference?”

  Another long moment of silence passed, and she turned her attention to his aura, watching it pulse with sad colors. She opened her mouth to tell him not to pity her, but closed it again when he reached over her shoulder and brought her curls behind her.

  “Lean your head back,” he instructed, “so I can get your hair wet.”

  She arched toward him like a contortionist, smiling when she found his face. “You're upside-down.”

  He laughed as he kissed her forehead. Then he used water magic to soak her hair. “You're wrong, my love, on two accounts. You're the one who's upside-down, and yes, sex makes a difference. Lean up.”

  She absently followed directions as she considered his claim. “Not always.”

  “I bet you go through loads of shampoo,” he observed, lathering her curls.

  “I do,” she confirmed. “My mom used to say she paid the salaries at the shampoo factory.”

  “I'd almost believe it. Good thing we make our own.”

  “We do?”

  “Yep. What we're using here and the shampoo and conditioner at your house were made by my grandma Rhiannon. She sells it from a shop in Portland.”

  “It's good stuff.”

  He laughed as he gently pulled her head back and rinsed her hair. “It's the best.”

  “So,” she whispered, cheeks growing warm, “was that your way of avoiding our previous discussion?”r />
  “No.” He tilted her head back up and grabbed the conditioner. “But there's really nothing to discuss.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, you're right about some people having sex while remaining unattached, and magicians aren’t strangers to the concept. We're comfortable with our sexuality, so it's not uncommon for us to have sex for the sole purpose of physical satisfaction, but that doesn't mean a connection isn't made. Even witches and wizards who don't want a committed relationship with each other will feel a bond that wasn't there before, and if there's an emotional attachment between two people without sex, it would be impossible to consummate the relationship without becoming even more emotionally involved.” He carefully tilted her head back. Then he watched her eyes while rinsing conditioner from her hair. “The reason I said there's nothing to discuss, is because you'll find out for yourself. Sex will make a difference between us.”

  He kissed her nose before tilting her head up. Then he took her by the waist and flipped her around. He had a perfect view of her chest, but he kept his eyes on her face as he reached up, pausing with his forefinger an inch from her lips. He smiled. Then he closed the distance and traced her pout.

  “I'm going to take a leap, my love, and assume you've never experienced the kind of emotional attachment you'll feel when we make love. If the way I feel with you innocently sitting in my arms is any indication of the moment to come, it's going to be overwhelming for both of us, but that’s particularly true for you. When we're together, you're going to feel overwhelmed, but I promise it won't be unpleasant, and it won't be harmful to you or our relationship. It will only make it better.”

  He swept his fingers from her lips to her cheek as he searched her eyes. Then his chest rose and fell with a labored breath. “You’re scared.”

  “No… just a little nervous.”

  “A lot nervous.”

  She smiled as her cheeks flushed. “Damn aura.”

  “You're also scared,” he pressed, running a thumb over her wry grin.

  “I don't know why,” she countered. “I trust you.”