Impassion (Mystic) (32 page)

“Go for it, but don’t try too hard or you’ll soak us, and it’s not time for that yet.”

“Yet?” she asked, flipping her gaze to his.

He raised his eyebrows, but didn’t respond, so Layla smirked as she looked at the waves. “Ready?”

“Yep,” he answered, leaning over to watch.

A frothy wave crashed into dark stone then flowed upward, lapping over the ledge to drown their feet.

Layla laughed and wiggled her toes in icy liquid. With each amazing feat she accomplished, the thrilling tingles intensified and her enthusiasm doubled. “That was wonderful. But it’s a good thing we don’t wear shoes. I hate wet shoes.”

“You could dry them now.”

“That’s true, but this is way better.” She brought another wave to their perch. Then she jumped and splashed in the water, giggling at her immaturity.

Quin laughed with her, wanting to scoop her up and kiss her all over. When she managed to let go of her insecurities and worries, she had the most amazing spark for life, and it turned him on in ways he never imagined. She was the most spirited witch he’d ever met, innocently and honestly so. When she allowed it, she could be purely uninhibited, and even under full exposure she maintained her angelic shine. For her to bare it all was nothing short of divine. To lay eyes and ears and hands on her when she revealed the depths of her soul was an unparalleled phenomenon. She was a sea of emotions; she bathed in them, but they showered him, dousing him in the realization that she could be as happy as she could be sad. Both emotions grabbed hold and ran away with her, forcing her to ride out the pain or embrace the pleasure. He understood why, and found it to be one of his favorite things about her. She could love, hurt and enjoy life more than anyone else he knew, and while it made for an emotional roller coaster, the benefits were well worth the ride.

She looked at him—her smile brilliant and natural, her round eyes wide and sparkling with vim—and his lungs froze as his heart stopped. He already knew he could spend the rest of his life with her. He’d loved her longer than he’d known her. But at that moment, he realized he was utterly
in
love
with her.

His lungs refilled as his heart began beating, but the organ had grown, and it thumped harder than ever before. This woman held his life in her delicate hands, and he never wanted her to stop clutching him. The fact that he’d known her less than a week didn’t concern him, but it did excite him. What she’d done to him in five short days was incredible, life-altering... heavenly. He couldn’t imagine what possibilities lay in wait. He had to find out and would do everything in his power to make sure he got the chance. That would be his purpose in life—to keep this woman wanting him, and to keep her life from being taken away from him. Nothing else mattered in comparison.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, her smile melting away.

“Nothing,” he answered, shaking his head clear. “I was just admiring you.”

“Oh.” Her gaze shifted to his aura. “I guess you like what you see?”

He hesitated to tell the whole truth, but if he was anything at all, he was a man who said what he felt, and this was the strongest feeling he’d ever experienced.

He pulled her against him then took her cheeks, training her eyes on his. “I love what I see, Layla.”

“Oh,” she breathed, her lips puckering into a perfect little o.

He kissed it, not giving her a chance to respond. When he pulled away, he stayed close, making sure she didn’t feel trapped.

“Quin, I... that’s...”

He quickly stopped her struggle with another kiss, then another. “You don’t have to say anything,” he assured. “Just let me say it, and let me kiss you. That’s more than I deserve.”

“But I...”

He pulled her into another kiss, keeping her there longer than before.

Layla did love him. She’d known it to be true the moment she faced living without him. But she couldn’t form the words in her head without feeling like an idiot, so how was she supposed to deliver the proclamation from fumbling lips?

He pulled away, and she kept her mouth shut, smiling through her blush.

Approval lit his features as he gave her another kiss. Then he took her hand and turned toward the ocean. “So, we’ve worked them all but fire. I might be able to give you some competition with this element.”

Her sealed lips broke apart with a grin. “Are you challenging me?”

“Just to a friendly competition. I doubt there will be a loser.”

“Okay, I accept, but you have to give me a break, because I don’t know my limitations.”

“You’re limitless. My only advice is to try to avoid burning down the forest.”

“I’ll do my best to keep the fire that way,” she laughed, pointing toward the moon.

“Do you want me to go first?” he asked.

“Yeah,” she answered. “I’ll try to do what you do.”

“I’ll start simple,” he offered, holding out a hand, and fireball about the size of a recliner shot from his palm, soaring several yards before losing height and succumbing to the sea.

Layla grinned and squared her shoulders. She hadn’t made a fireball that big yet, but she was confident she could make one bigger. She held out a hand, squinting as she built the fire in her head. Then she popped her lids up and exhaled. A burning sphere twice as big as his shot from her palm, and it traveled twice the distance his had before falling to the water.

Layla wiggled, body pulsing with pleasurable heat, and Quin smirked as he cocked an eyebrow.

“You’re not making this fair,” he noted. “Maybe you should go first.”

“I’m sorry,” she laughed. “I didn’t know I could do that.”

He glanced at the air around her then found her face. “I’ll go first one more time. Then it’s your turn to lead.”

“Deal.”

He raised his hand, and a flame bigger than a Volkswagen burst from his palm, but rather than soar to sea, it stopped twenty feet away and formed a heart. With a flick of his wrist, several small puffs of fire zoomed toward the middle of the heart then converged to spell Layla’s name.

She grinned at him then shot her own fire into the heart, twisting the flames into his name and placing it below hers.

She tilted her head and tapped her lip. Then she reached way out and swept her hand in a large circle. Seven gold fireballs shot toward the outer edges of the heart then transformed into flaming phoenixes, their blazing beaks hissing and crackling as they circled the symbol.

Quin grinned at her then turned back to their creation, raising his hand once more. The biggest fireball Layla had ever seen shot from his palm, its flames electric blue. Then the sphere separated, forming three giant Pegasus with wingspans stretching at least ten feet. The powerful trio galloped and flapped until they reached the heart. Then they soared in the opposite direction of the blazing mythical birds.

“Wow,” Layla breathed, resting her cheek on his bicep. “Do you get to see stuff like this all the time?”

“I’ve never seen a fire display this beautiful,” he replied. “We make a good team.”

“I agree. It will be fun to see what else we can to do together.”

“I’m a blessed man,” he whispered, lowering his lips to her hair. “How do you feel?”

“Perfect. Why?”

“Are you ready to jump?”

Layla flipped her gaze to his face. “What?”

“Are you ready to jump off the cliff?” he elaborated, vanishing their fire display.

She peered into the churning waters a hundred feet below. “Um... cliff diver isn’t on my resume, Quin.”

“We’re not going to hit the water,” he laughed.

“Oh,” she mumbled. “What if I mess up and forget to stop?”

“We’re not going to stop. We’ll level out right before going under. I’m sure you’ll do fine, but if for some reason your magic fails, I’ll pick up the slack.”

Layla stared at the water for another moment then decided to trust him. “How will I know when you’re ready to level out?”

“I think you’ll know when the time is right, but we can put an extra precaution in place to make you more comfortable.”

“Like what?”

“You’ll have to let me in your head, but I promise not to pry.”

“Mind searching?”

“Yes. I’ll tell you when to pull out of the dive by putting the words straight in your head.”

“Are you sure I’ll get them?”

“Yes. Well, actually, it might be a good idea to check. I tried to tap into your mind yesterday when you left the community, and I could feel you, but I couldn’t find you or get in. But then I had no problem finding you at the beach. I don’t know why there were inconsistencies, so we should probably make sure I have access now.”

“How will we do that?”

“You don’t have to do anything, but I would rather do it with your permission than without. I didn’t like intruding on you like that.”

“Oh. I don’t care. It’s not like you can’t see everything in my aura anyway.”

“I won’t be looking,” he pressed, “just communicating, so don’t try to hide. That might block me altogether.”

“I’m not trying to hide,” she countered.

“I didn’t say you were,” he soothed. “I’m saying don’t.”

“Oh. Okay.”

He smiled as he touched a thumb to her pout. ‘
Can you hear me, beautiful?
’

Layla’s lips parted as his voice resonated in her mind, like a gentle echo deep within her ears.

She gave a tiny nod, so he continued. ‘
Does this make you more confident to jump?
’

She nodded again, and his smile widened as he caressed her lip. ‘
As long as you’re open to my thoughts like you are now, you’ll hear me, but if for some reason you don’t level out in time, I’ll keep you safe. Okay?
’

“Okay,” she agreed, breaking eye contact to look at the water. “I guess we’re jumping.”

“Only if you want to.”

“I do. It’s just a little scary. But that’s the point, right? No fear, no thrill?” She hopped around, half afraid half excited.

“Hey,” Quin laughed, squeezing her hand.

“Hey back,” she returned, looking up at him.

He leaned in for a fast and intense kiss. Then he flashed deep dimples. “On three.”

“Oh god,” she breathed, gripping his hand tighter.

“One...”

Her chest rapidly rose and fell as her pulse spiked.

“Two...”

She gave a tiny squeak then sucked in air, holding it as she bent her knees.

“Three.”

They both jumped, stretching their arms out in front of them. Then they leaned headfirst into the dive.

Layla forced her eyes open, watching sea foam rushed toward them while registering every detail of the short trip—the flipping of her insides as gravity sucked her in; the shivering of flesh as it broke through moist air; the explosive rush of adrenaline that pervaded her veins the moment her feet left the ground. But she barely had time to focus on each sensation before she knew it must end.

As soon as she thought it, Quin’s voice broke in and said it. ‘
Now.
’

Their fingertips barely brushed the crest of a wave as they leveled out. Then they shot across the water, following the moon’s rippled reflection.

Layla looked at Quin, unable to stifle her cheesy grin or close her eyes as she attempted to mind search him. ‘
Thank you.
’

He pulled her hand to his lips and gave it a kiss. ‘
You’re welcome
.’

She looked down, sweeping her fingers along the shiny surface of the sea. Then she dipped her toes in, receiving a tickling chill in return.

Following several seconds of unbelievable travel, they slowed and pulled upright, letting the tide kiss the tips of their toes.

Layla scanned the horizon, enraptured by the view, but the moment Quin’s shirt disappeared, the rest of the world went with it.
Huh? What horizon?
He might as well have hypnotized her, because the next thing she knew, she was pressed to his bare chest with her cheek on his shoulder.

He burrowed through her hair and touched his lips to her neck. Then he moved his palms to hers and linked their fingers. She furrowed her eyebrows, too confused to react. Then she gasped as adrenaline hit her like a shotgun blast.

Excitement and prickling energy flowed from his skin, and her own adrenaline expanded, seeping through her pores into his. They were sharing each other’s fervor, and the potency was unbelievable. Surely tiny holes would appear in her flesh any moment, allowing the heightened sensations to shine through. How long could her body possibly take the frenzied intoxication? It was so intense, it was almost painful, much like the feeling she’d experienced right before he brought her to climax three nights before.

Nerve endings on fire, she stretched her teeth over his neck, trying not to scream or burst as her body vibrated, particularly the parts that were supernaturally stuck to him.

His tension suddenly eased, and the intense thrill followed, leaving her dazed and euphoric. “Wow,” she breathed.

“Mmm…” he agreed, sweeping his lips across her pulse. Then he licked and pulled away. “That was incredible. You have to come here with me from now on, you know? I doubt I’ll be able to appreciate solo trips after this.”

Layla kissed his neck then raised her head. “If I find out you’re coming here without me, I’ll be very disappointed, so don’t test your theory.”

“I’m not a masochist,” he assured, lifting her hands to his mouth.

He hotly breathed across her knuckles, and magical warmth spread throughout her entire body.

“Wow,” she whispered, watching him with big eyes. “That’s how you stay warm.”

He winked and flashed a grin. “Hold your breath.”

“What...”

“You better hurry,” he warned, and she frantically sucked in air, holding it as he plunged their bodies into the ocean.

Icy water rushed over hot flesh, and another powerful chill tickled Layla from head to toe. Their bodies sank several feet before floating to the surface, and she gasped before bursting into laughter.

Quin laughed with her as he swept wet curls from her face and magically cleaned saltwater from her eyes. “I guess you’re not mad.”

“Of course not,” she answered, blinking her lids open over a smile. “That felt great.”

“Are you cold?”

“A little, now that your heat’s wearing off.”

He pulled her close, hotly breathing across her lips, and the warmth reached her entire body, contrasting with the freezing water lapping at her skin.

“You’re amazing,” she whispered. “I can’t believe how lucky I am.”

“Nuh-uh, Layla Love. I’m the lucky one. I know people who would seriously consider killing for this opportunity.”

An unwelcome thought struck Layla, and she averted her gaze as she struggled with the urge to hide her aura.

Quin lifted her chin and breathed more heat into her body. “What’s wrong?”

“Absolutely nothing,” she answered, meeting his stare. “This is perfect, a dream come true.”

“Then tell me what’s going on in that lovely head of yours. You don’t have to be embarrassed or ashamed around me.”

“But I am ashamed, because it was a ridiculous notion, and it shouldn’t ruin the moment.”

“I won’t let it ruin anything. Promise.”

Layla’s nostrils flared, partly because she was mad at herself for having the stupid thought, and partly because she couldn’t hide anything around him. “It doesn’t matter what the answer is, so you don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. Actually, I’d probably prefer it that way, because... well, I was wondering how many women you’ve done this with.” She wanted to smack her forehead, but merely looked down.