Guthrie curiously met Lynette’s stormy stare. “You think that makes it better?”
“Yes,” she firmly answered, “square meals and soft beds are better than tents and community cauldrons.”
“I guess,” he conceded, looking away. “We need to get her out of here. We don’t have time to waste.”
Lynette was quiet for a moment. Then she gave him her list and scooted closer, laying her head on the hip opposite the one the student occupied.
Doing his best to ignore the fact that his cock throbbed between two sets of lips, Guthrie scanned the paper, finding the names of several Dark Elite soldiers. “What’s this?”
“That,” Lynette answered, taking him in her hand, “is a list of soldiers who’d kill to upgrade from soup to steak… soldiers who’d welcome a shift in power.”
Guthrie balled up the paper and threw it across the room. Then he opened his mouth to reprimand her mutinous behavior, but he couldn’t find the words… only a groan elicited by her lips parting around his erection.
Chapter 9
Layla was having a good dream… a very good dream. She was walking down the beach, her hand in Quin’s, her bare soles sinking into silky sand. Haystack Rock jutted from frothy waves, a mere silhouette against a bright moon, and a puppy – a teeny King Charles spaniel – bounded beside them, occasionally distracted by a clump of kelp.
Quin squeezed Layla’s hand, and as she turned to smile at him, he dove in for a deep kiss. The tide crept up, soaking their feet, and she shivered as he gripped her backside and picked her up. Only then did she realize she was naked. There was nothing to stop him from pushing inside her, which he did, right there on the beach!
Yes, it was an incredible dream… and it merged into sweet reality when she awoke to find she wasn’t merely dreaming Quin was hard inside her. He was hard inside her, stretching her with his morning arousal.
She moaned and flexed, so turned on by the dream the real finish line was in sight. Then she jolted when a growl tore from his chest. Without warning, she was on her back, and he had her by the collarbone and inner thigh, holding her open as he plunged deep inside and stayed there. His muscles rippled as he squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. Then he glared down at her, his gaze a turbulent mixture of anger and need.
Body breathless and yearning beneath his rough grip, Layla stared back with wide eyes, unsure how to perceive this side of him.
When his name squeaked from her pulsing lips, another rumble barked from his chest, but his grip on her collarbone eased as he leaned close. “Never again,” he sternly stipulated. “We can’t sleep like that.”
Ha! He’d lost control!
Layla was tempted to grin, but he was pissed, so she stifled her smug humor and slid her hands to his butt. “Don’t stop. It feels good.”
The request garnered another quiet growl as he moved inside her, and though he maintained control the remainder of the time, he played rougher than usual. Probably because he was still mad at himself, and… well, she might have egged him on.
They peaked loud and hard. Then his tension melted as he burrowed through her unruly hair and whispered in her ear. “Did I hurt you?”
She breathlessly laughed as her vision cleared. “No.” It was the truth… mostly. She’d experienced a little pain – in his grip and around his girth. But she was learning some aches could feel incredible. “I love how tender you usually are, Quin, but that felt amazing.”
He kissed her ear then leaned up, searching her for injuries. When he found red marks on her clavicle, he grimaced and slid healing fingers over the welts. “I meant what I said. We can’t sleep like that. It would be entirely too easy for me to hurt you, and the thought alone makes me ill. Do you understand?”
She raised a hand to his heart as she nodded her compliance, and he slowly pulled himself from her body before lying down and wrapping her in a hug. “If you want me to be more aggressive,” he added, playing with her hair, “I’m more than happy to oblige, but it’s not a good idea for me to lose my head and forget I’m making love to an angel.”
She cuddled close and pressed her lips to his heart. “Then we’ll go back to sleeping like this.”
The family gathering was minutes away by the time Layla and Quin emerged from the shower, and she stared at the curtains while scarfing down a piece of toast and rushing through a cup of coffee. Their entire family was on the other side of the velvet, waiting for news that would change their lives.
“Are you worried?” Quin asked, refilling her coffee.