Deception (29 page)

An indulged grin replaced her pucker. “Okay.”

He ran his thumb across her lips. Then his expression sobered as he straightened. “Try not to tense. And not just against the pain, but against my magic. It won't hurt if you stay relaxed.”

“I'll try.”

“Ready?”

She took a deep breath then closed her eyes. “Yep.”

His spell closed around her, slowly lifting her from the bed, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. She understood why it would be if she were to fight against it, but she stayed calm, so she didn't feel any pain as he floated her horizontal body across the room and around a corner. When they stopped, she opened her eyes and smiled. “I feel like I'm part of a magic show. Are you going to saw me in half?”

“That's not a very good trick, my love. When you're better, we’ll come up with a magic show that will blow people's minds.”

“Ooh . . . that sounds fun. I love magic shows; always have. When I was little, my mom took me to a local theater to watch a talent show, and my favorite act was a magician dressed in a tuxedo and top hat. His assistant had on a pink sequined leotard, and her whole body sparkled, from her big hair to her hot-pink heels. I remember telling my mom I wanted to be the pretty lady who got sawed in half when I grew up, and I stuck to it until I was nine, at which point I decided I'd rather be a rodeo queen.” She raised her eyebrows and grinned. “That one didn't pan out, but if we get a pink sequined leotard, the other one could.”

Quin pulled a breath into his stuttering lungs, overwhelmed by how extraordinary she was. She'd gone through hell mere hours ago, and she was about to endure horrible pain just so she could use the bathroom, yet she was floating there with a genuine smile on her face, fondly recalling her childhood.

“What are you thinking?” she asked.

He stepped closer and looked into her eyes. “I was imagining you in a pink sequined leotard while thinking about how amazing you are. You're a shiny star, Layla, and I'm lucky to be your man.”

She flashed a smug grin and tilted her chin. “Oh.”

He smiled as he leaned in for a kiss. Then he straightened and braced himself to watch her pain. “It's going to hurt now.”

“Why?”

“The numbing spells will break when I turn you upright. They can’t withstand gravity shifts unless the caster’s constantly adjusting them, and you have dozens cast on you. There’s no way I’ll be able to keep up with all of them, especially while I’m hovering you, so I’m going to concentrate on the one keeping your shoulder numb.”

“Okay.”

“We’re right next to the toilet,” he added, “so you don’t have far to go, but once you kick me out, I’ll have no control over your pain.”

“Right,” she breathed, and he withheld a sigh.

He’d hoped she’d change her mind about letting him help her through this, but she was far too shy, despite all the layers of armor she’d shed in the past week. “Use my shoulder to brace yourself if it helps, and if something feels really wrong, let me know right away.”

“Okay,” she agreed, placing her left hand on his shoulder.

He watched the muscles of her bicep flex and knew she’d already broken a numbing spell. “Ready?” he asked.

She took several quick breaths then held the last one and gave a nod.

Keeping his attention on her right shoulder, he smoothly turned her upright, and her body tensed as squeaks escaped her sealed lips. Quin cringed and adjusted his magic, trying to conform it to her movements as her feet found the floor. Then he looked to her closed lids. “Should I stay or go?”

She hesitated, actually considering his offer, which meant she hurt pretty damn bad. But apparently the embarrassment was equally intense, because she shook her head no. “Just help me sit.”

He reluctantly obeyed then flew from the room, making a point to shut the door so she’d know he was gone. But he didn't go far and was at her side within two seconds of her calling his name.

“Why are you standing?” he asked, but he already knew the answer. She was stubborn. What he didn’t know was why she left her underwear on the floor – a very uncharacteristic move for his bashful angel.

He hovered her into the air and back to the bed, sitting her up against a stack of pillows. Then he covered her bottom half with a blanket and began numbing her injuries.

Neither of them spoke again until he finished, at which point he carefully searched her face and aura for signs of pain. “Better?”

“Much better,” she answered. “Thank you. How long are we going to have to do this?”

“Not long. Your grandparents are on their way here, and all four of them are going to spend the day healing you. They’re stronger than I am, and Serafin’s the best healer I know. By the time they finish with you, all that will be left is residual aches, so no more numbness.”

“Good, because this sucks.”

“Yes it does.” He floated from the bed and landed beside it. “Ready for a drink?”

“Yes, please.”

He summoned a fresh glass of water then sat beside her, helping her take several drinks while smelling her hair. “Hey,” he whispered, tucking a spiral behind her ear.

“Hey back,” she returned.

He hesitated then charged on. “Did you have a reason for leaving your panties on the bathroom floor?”

A blush brightened her cheeks as she looked down. “Um… yeah.”

He leaned closer, hiding his face in her hair so her embarrassment could ebb. “Will you to tell me why?”

“I don't want them,” she answered. “It makes me sick to look at them, so if you could get rid of them for me, that would be great.”

Quin’s heart squeezed as he swallowed a lump and kissed her neck. “Sure, love.” After helping her take another drink, he set the glass aside and took her hand. “Do you need anything from your house?”

She raised an eyebrow and cracked a wry grin. “Underwear.”

He returned her smile, determined not to dampen her remarkable mood. “What else?”

“Clothes. Oh, and one of your t-shirts. Not for you, for me.”

“I’ll make it happen. What else?”

“My cell phone. It's been a few days since I talked to Travis and Phyllis. I'm neglecting them.”

“I have your phone in my bag, and I'd say you have a good excuse for the neglect.”

“I do, but I can't give it to them. Not that they would ask for one, but I should at least listen to my messages and check in with them.” She cracked another impish grin. “You know – tell them I'm doing fine.”

“My funny angel,” he whispered, sweeping his lips across her shoulder. “You’re full of jokes right now.”

“You're not laughing,” she pointed out. “Not that I mind what you're doing instead.”

“I'll laugh when you feel better.” He kissed then pulled away. “So, underwear, clothes . . . ” He pretended to forget what else.

“Stop teasing,” she laughed. “And don't you dare forget that shirt. I like your shirts. They smell like you.”

“I won’t forget the shirt,” he assured. “You can have all my shirts. Every last one of them.”

“No,” she refused, eyes growing wide. “You can't
give
them to me. If you do that, they'll be ruined. You have to wear them, or they’ll just be oversized t-shirts that smell like all my other clothes.”

“Your clothes smell wonderful.”

“Then get yourself one of my t-shirts. You might be able to fit an arm in it.”

He moved his nose to her throat and deeply inhaled. “I don't need the petal when I have the rose right here.”

“Well I want the petal and the rose, so don't forget the shirt.”

“I’ll make it a priority. Anything else?”

“Nope.”

He left her throat and found her eyes. “Surely there's something else you want.”

“Not that I can think of, which is odd, because I couldn’t leave the house without a dozen things when I lived in Oklahoma. It's weird to think about how much things have changed in a week.”

Quin tensed as he looked at her aura, deeply afraid her negative experiences had soured her view of the magical world. “Like what, love?”

“Everything,” she answered. “Back in Oklahoma, I had responsibilities – errands, cleaning, working – I always had something I needed to do. But it's completely different now. For seven days I haven't spent a dime; I haven't driven anywhere; shopped anywhere; paid any bills or cleaned.” She paused, smiling as she played with his fingers. “Then there’s you – the biggest change of all. For three years I took care of myself, fed myself, dressed myself, cleaned up after myself. I was alone all the time unless I was at work, where I fed and cleaned up after other people. My mom was alive, but she didn't even know my name, so in a way, home was the loneliest place of all. Then you walked into my life, and now I'm never alone or left to fend for myself. You're constantly looking after me, anticipating my needs and going out of your way to fulfill them. It's weird, because I never needed anyone when I lived on my own, and now, I've never needed anyone more. I crave everything about you – your voice, your attention, your touch.
My god
I crave your touch. I look forward to curling into your chest like I look forward to breathing. You've made me needy, Quinlan Farrel Kavanagh. Suddenly I'm in need of nothing except for your presence, yet my need is stronger than ever. You take care of me so well, Quin. I know I'll never go without as long as you're around. It hasn't been that way for me in three years, and even then there were things I wasn't getting, things I didn't know I needed until I met you.” She opened his palm and urged it to her heart. “In one week's time, I've gone from constantly needing to do something, to having no responsibilities at all, and I've gone from one hundred percent independent, to one hundred percent needy, and it's all your fault.”

He scooted closer, taking her cheek as he searched her eyes. “Does it bother you? That your entire life has been flipped upside down?”

“Well, sometimes I feel like I’m being treated like a child, and a lot of the situations I've faced this past week have left me feeling helpless. But I don't miss the responsibilities of a normal life, and I’ll never go back. Not because I don't want to take care of myself, but because you've worked your way under my skin, and I’ll die if you ever wiggle out. I could live much longer without food and water than I could without you.”

“You know,” he whispered, trailing his fingers from her face to her hair, “out of everything you just said, not once did you mention that in a week's time, you've endured more abuse than anyone ever should. Your magical life has been far from easy, yet you talk about it like it's a relaxing vacation.”

“But it's only fair. I mean, nobody gets it all. I have to trade something for all the wonderful things I have now.”

“No,” he firmly disagreed. “It's not fair. You deserve to have the things you want without facing constant danger, and someday that's how it will be. I'm going to do everything I can to make it so.”

He leaned closer, giving her several soft kisses before whispering against her lips. “As for the wonderful things you said about me, thank you, but I want you to understand something. I've dreamed about loving a woman the way I love you my entire adult life, and the brightest star of my dreams can't hold a flame to you. You surpass my most amazing fantasies, Layla, and your need for me feeds my own desires. I want to provide for you. I want to keep you safe and happy. It's why I breathe. If you're not taken care of, I'm not taken care of.”

“But what if you get tired of always coming second?”

“Impossible.”

“I’m serious, Quin.”

“So am I. I love being the man who gives you what you want. That's what I want more than anything. As long as you're allowing me to do that, you're putting me first. I need for nothing as long as you're near and safe and needing me.”

She smiled and shook her head. “We'll see. When I'm feeling better, I'm going to find something you want, and I'm going to give it to you.”

“I can’t wait,” he approved, giving her one more kiss. Then he floated from the bed. “I need to make a phone call.”

“Okay,” she agreed, but when he walked toward the door, she backpedaled. “Where are you going?”

He turned around. “To use the phone.”

“There isn't one in here?”

“Karena doesn't like to keep phones in the suite's bedrooms unless requested.”

“There's more to this place?”

“Yes.” He walked to the door and opened it. “There's another bedroom, a parlor, a kitchenette, and two more bathrooms.”

“I want to see. May I move to the sofa?”

He hesitated, trying not to show the tension in his shoulders. “Do you realize what watching your pain does to me?”

“It didn't hurt when you moved me before, not until you stood me up. Just float me in there like this.”

He returned to the bed and removed the down comforter. Then he pulled the top sheet loose from the mattress. “Take this with you,” he instructed, handing her one end of the sheet.

She accepted it with numb fingers and a satisfied smile. “Thank you.”

This time she kept her eyes open for the trip across the room, but her body remained relaxed and her aura stayed calm. “You know what, Quin?”