Fated Love (28 page)

The endearment—so unexpected, so sweet—broke Quinn's control. She dropped to her knees, her deft surgeon's hands already working the zipper open on Honor's slacks while she rested her face against Honor's abdomen, sucking at the soft skin around her navel. With one hand she slid the fabric down to bare Honor's legs; with the other she stroked the satin-smooth skin high on her inner thighs.

Honor, the blood draining from her head to pool and pound between her thighs, put her hands on Quinn's shoulders to steady herself. She felt the heat of Quinn's mouth move down her abdomen and the clever fingers teasing her. She wanted Quinn's touch, had craved it for so long, but now the pleasure was so sharp she was close to exploding. Summoning all her willpower, she pulled Quinn's head back until Quinn's eyes, clouded with lust, rose to hers. "Not yet. I'll come too soon."

Quinn groaned, but she stilled her hand. "Tell me what you want."

Honor smoothed her fingers over Quinn's damp face, running a finger over her lips, then dipping the tip into her mouth. "I want you to make love to me until I scream, until
you
scream."

Closing her eyes, still on her knees, Quinn sucked Honor's finger, then bit the tip gently. As she did, she unbuckled the belt at her waist and slid down her fly. When she released Honor's finger, she rose and swiftly stripped bare. Holding Honor's gaze, she found Honor's hand and lifted it with trembling fingers to her lips. "Anything."

Honor let her gaze drift slowly over Quinn's naked form, glorying in the sleek muscles and sweat-sheened skin. She placed both palms on Quinn's abdomen, then slid her hands upward, massaging the dancing muscles and tracing the curve of ribs until her hands covered Quinn's breasts. When she squeezed gently, Quinn moaned, her lids nearly closed, and dropped her head to rest her forehead against Honor's. With a single finger, Honor tenderly traced the scar on Quinn's chest, outlining the hard shape beneath the velvet skin.

Quinn brought her hands up to cover Honor's. "It's all right."

"Oh, yes," Honor whispered, moving Quinn's hands aside and leaning to kiss the scar. "It's just fine."

"I don't think I can wait any longer," Quinn confessed, her lips against Honor's neck, shivering as their bare bodies touched. "I need to touch you."

"I want you to."

Together, they moved to the bed. Honor lay down, reached for Quinn, and pulled her into her arms as she spread her thighs and lifted her hips in welcome. When Quinn fit effortlessly against her, firm muscles pressing into her tender, swollen flesh, she moaned. "Oh, you feel so right."

Quinn braced herself with her arms on either side of Honor's shoulders and thrust gently, thrilling to the answering rise of Honor's hips. She'd come quickly if she wasn't careful, and careful was what she wanted to be this first time. Careful to ensure that Honor felt the depths of her desire and knew nothing but pleasure. She would have been fine if Honor hadn't arched up and captured a nipple in her mouth. The unexpected shaft of pleasure that shot through her nearly undid her.

"Oh God," Quinn cried. Her clitoris twitched dangerously, and she knew that orgasm was seconds away. She shifted to ease the ominous pressure between her thighs, but Honor moaned in protest at her withdrawal. Voice rasping in her throat, she pleaded, "Wait, Honor...oh please, wait."

Through the mists of nearly overwhelming need, Honor heard the desperate edge in Quinn's voice. Wrapping her arms around Quinn's back, she shifted until Quinn was beneath her and she was straddling Quinn's hips. Breathing hard, she swept the hair back from her face with one hand and rode Quinn rhythmically. "You are...so so sexy."

It was Quinn's turn to reach up and clasp the rose-tipped breasts that swayed above her. When she closed her fingers around the swollen flesh, Honor whimpered wildly.

"I'm going to come...on you," Honor gasped, fingers digging into Quinn's forearms.

"Yes, oh yes." Quinn thumbed Honor's nipples harder, pushing her closer to the edge with each stroke. Her own hips bucked and tossed, pumping involuntarily as she hovered close to climaxing. Honor was so beautiful, so fierce and strong, Quinn wanted to shout with the wonder of her. She would have, if she'd been able to draw a full breath, but Honor was wet against her stomach, pistoning her hips faster and faster as she rocketed toward orgasm, and all Quinn could do was marvel.

"Oh!" Honor shouted, half surprised and half ecstatic, as she stiffened and then shuddered. Head back, eyes closed, she gripped Quinn's hands and held them to her breasts, their fingers interlacing, an anchor in the storm of sensation.

Quinn stopped breathing as Honor climaxed, too stunned by the beauty of it to even notice the wild pounding of her own heart or the churning need deep inside. When at last Honor emitted a final small whimper and collapsed, Quinn caught her with an arm around her waist and a hand cradling her head, drawing her down into a soothing embrace.

"Honor," Quinn breathed reverently, her lips against Honor's damp cheek. "Oh, Honor."

Still shivering in the aftermath of her explosive release, Honor pressed her face to Quinn's neck and clutched her strong shoulders, needing her solid presence while inside a tempest raged. Nearly overcome with the unexpected intensity of her response, she couldn't think, couldn't speak. It had been more than physical, more than sex—Quinn had reached inside her and touched a place that had lain barren for so long that the awakening was like rebirth. She ached with the joy of it.

"Oh my God," Honor gasped.

Quinn stroked her back, her shoulders, her face, not with passion now, but with tenderness. She was more than a little frightened. Honor was still shaking, and she very much feared that there were tears falling on her neck. She whispered, "Honor? Are you all right?"

Honor shook her head and shifted until her cheek rested against Quinn's chest. "Uh-uh."

Quinn's stomach clenched with dread. "Then what is it?"

"I didn't expect to feel this way."

God, what way? Sorry? Regretful?
Quinn swallowed around the lump of anxiety in her throat. "Tell me."

Honor smoothed her palm down the center of Quinn's chest to her abdomen and slowly circled over the firm muscles. Quinn twitched, malting Honor smile. "I was hoping I would feel comfortable...being physical with you." She gave a self-conscious laugh. "I was mostly hoping I'd remember what to do."

"Believe me, you remember just fine." Quinn was trying hard to concentrate on what Honor was saying, but the teasing fingers, straying lower and lower, consumed all her attention. Her hips lifted in silent supplication, the blood racing once again into already oversensitive tissues, trumpeting her desire. She reached down and covered Honor's hand, stilling the agonizingly sweet touch. "Are you upset?"

"No," Honor said in amazement. "I
feel...wonderful."

Wonderful?
The relief that followed so closely upon the fear sent Quinn's head spinning and her heart speeding again. "Oh... that's good. Very good."

Honor levered up on an elbow and rested her palm against Quinn's cheek, reveling in the darkly handsome face in the pale lamplight. "Just being close to you was enough to send me off. I can't...that's never happened to me before."

"I've never experienced anything as incredible as being with you," Quinn whispered, tracing trembling fingers over Honor's face. She made a small choking sound when Honor smoothed a hand between her thighs. "Oh God."

"Quinn, you're so beautiful." Honor's lids flickered, her pupils dilating with a sudden resurgence of arousal. Slowly, reverently, she stroked the length of Quinn's clitoris, squeezing very lightly, then dipping lower into the waiting warmth.

Quinn pressed her lips to Honor's palm, struggling to absorb the deluge of sensation—the heat of Honor's body, the scent of her excitement, the agonizingly slow torture of her sweet caresses. Her legs tightened, her stomach quivered, and she drew a sharp uneven breath. Desperately, she sought Honor's eyes. "I want to come. Can I come?"

Honor's lips curled into a tender smile while her eyes glowed with something more like triumph. She leaned over until her lips brushed Quinn's and murmured, "Yes. Now."

The first wave whipped through her, jerking her off the bed. The titanic contraptions bent her nearly double and she curled into Honor's arms, clinging to her as the breath was ripped from her body on a strangled shout.

Never stopping her smooth, rhythmic strokes, Honor coaxed Quinn to yet another peak when she pressed inside and thrust deeply. She was lost in the velvet heat and would have continued forever if Quinn hadn't grasped her wrist and stilled her motion.

Gasping, Quinn croaked, "God, I'm done." She shuddered and laughed unsteadily. "Usually, I'm only good for one."

"Oh yeah?" Honor's voice wavered as she kissed the tip of Quinn's chin. "I don't think this is the
usual
situation."

"Neither do I."

Blindly, Honor reached down, found the crisp cotton sheet she had put on the bed earlier that afternoon, and pulled it up over them. She lay on her back and pulled Quinn close, wrapping her arms around her and insinuating one thigh between Quinn's. She couldn't bear for any part of them not to be touching.
Whatever this is, it's new to me.

"Honor?" Quinn mumbled as she cupped Honor's breast in her palm, fighting the lassitude that suffused her in the aftermath of pleasure.

"Mmm?"

"Sure everything's all right?"

God, I have no idea.
Honor brushed the hair back from Quinn's brow and traced her thumb along the arch of her cheekbone and over her jaw, cradling Quinn's face against her neck. "You feel so right here. That's all I know."

Quinn drifted off, knowing that it was more than right. It was everything.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Q uinn tapped gently on the back door and waited, acutely aware of the swiftly approaching dark, the still, sultry heat of the late-summer night, and the rapid beat of her own heart. Every sensation seemed magnified, momentous, all because in a few seconds, Honor would appear. And that instant of breath-catching, stomach-twisting pleasure when she first saw her was all she'd been thinking about for hours.

All afternoon and evening, Quinn had tried unsuccessfully to occupy her mind by clearing the last of the boxes from her apartment. She'd unpacked, stowed away clothes and books, and carried cardboard boxes down to the recycling bins in the alley. At one point, she'd considered going to the gym, but finally decided she didn't want to have another conversation with Mandy. She wasn't particularly bothered by Mandy's not-so-subtle flirtations, but the only hands she wanted on her skin were Honor's,

She'd taken a long shower that, instead of relaxing her, had only brought her blood to the surface and added to the arousal that cried out for a touch. Honor's touch.

"Quinn?"

"Phyllis!" Quinn blushed, glad for the shadows because she was certain her desire must be evident, "I'm sorry. I thought Honor said 8:30. I'll just come ba—"

"Honor's upstairs." Laughing, Phyllis pushed the screen door open. "She put Arly to bed, and I think she's in the shower. Come on in."

Vaguely uncomfortable, Quinn followed until she was just inside the door. The kitchen was dimly illuminated by only a few lights beneath the cabinets over the kitchen counter, and the air still held the lingering aroma of dinner. Arly's Visible Woman lay amongst scattered body parts on the table. Pooch snored softly on a dog bed in the corner. Quinn was struck again by the sense of family that permeated the space, and the sharp knowledge that someone was missing. She looked across the room to Phyllis, who leaned against the sink, observing Quinn with a mixture of kindness and question.

"Would you like some coffee?" Phyllis asked. "I just made it."

"That would be great. Thanks." As Quinn took the offered mug a minute later, she added, "I'm sorry I missed you at soccer today. Arly was terrific."

"I had to run as soon as the game was over. I had a date for a matinee performance of
Rent
downtown." Phyllis picked up her own cup and gestured toward the porch. "Let's go outside. It's so beautiful this time of night."

Side by side, they leaned against the porch railing and breathed the rich warm scent of summer. Quinn sighed, wondering what, if anything, Honor had said to Phyllis about their relationship. She didn't want to broach the subject for fear of invading Honor's privacy, but she didn't deal well with secrets, either. And Phyllis was much too important to Honor and Arly for there to be unresolved issues between her and Quinn.

"Did you enjoy the drummers last night?" Phyllis asked conversationally.

"Very much. It was special."
All of it. So very special.

Phyllis turned, edged a hip against the railing, and smiled at Quinn. "This is a very unusual situation, isn't it?"

"Yes." Rather than being uncomfortable, Quinn's uneasiness began to dissipate. It was her nature to confront issues head-on if she could. Still, it was Phyllis who had to lead this time, even as it was Honor who had to define what Quinn and she could share. If Honor had not been wounded so deeply, Quinn would have pursued her with the same intensity and focus that she did everything else in her life. But she had only to look at Honor to see her uncertainty and sense the fine edge of pain still so near the surface. Only when they touched did she know without question how right it was between them.

"If it helps," Quinn continued, "I think Honor is the most remarkable woman I've ever met and that Arly is a fantastic kid. I wouldn't do anything to hurt either one of them, ever." She held Phyllis's gaze steadily. "Or you, Phyllis, if I could possibly avoid it."
But I won't let Honor go unless she tells me to leave. Not even for you.

"If Terry were alive," Phyllis said evenly, without the slightest hint of censure, "you wouldn't be here. Not like this."

"I wouldn't want to be." Quinn's voice was gentle, her expression calm.

"I know that." Phyllis smiled softly and patted Quinn's shoulder gently. "And that's exactly why I'm glad that you are."