With tremendous effort, she shifted her attention from his gorgeous body to his aura, and her eyes widened. The haze covered a bigger area than before, the colors were bolder, and his power-band was almost twice the size of her grandparents’ power-bands. “Your power-band is different,” she noted. “It’s much bigger.”
“I know,” he replied. “You should see yours.”
She foolishly looked down at herself, like she’d actually see it, and of course she couldn't. But she could see shiny, golden swirls and silver rivers, which seemed lost without Quin beside her. The silver strands usually looped around both their bodies, like they were trying to tie them together, but with him out of reach, the glittering bands repeatedly stretched out then curled back in, as if beckoning him. She’d never seen anything like it in another magician’s aura or bonded light, not even her parents’.
Quin had been out of the room for about five seconds, and Layla could feel his absence – an unsettling sensation that started small but got stronger every second he was gone. She crawled out of bed and walked across the room, gauging whether or not the amount of distance between them made a difference. Her heart lightened as she drew closer to the parlor, and by the time she turned and pressed her back against the wall, her anxiety had nearly disappeared. Suddenly and without conscious reasoning, she understood why – he stood on the other side of the wall, testing their new bond the same way.
He quietly laughed, and she smiled as she rested her head against the soft wallpaper. “I already miss you, Quin.”
“Me, too, love, but you know what this means, right?”
“What?”
“We’ll always be able to find each other, even when there are obstacles in the way.”
“How about we just skip the losing each other part, huh?”
He was silent for a moment. Then she felt a spike in his energy, in the soothing warmth she experienced when he was nearby and loving her. “That’s the sweetest deal I’ve ever been offered, Layla. I’d die to keep you within reach.”
She turned and pressed her palms to the wall, knowing in her gut he was doing the same. “Then that’s the deal.” An emotional lump had captured her throat, but she forced it down, replacing it with the humor, peace and pleasure he brought into her life. “Now go get my coffee and come finish what you started.”
Chapter 2
Quin bypassed breakfast on the balcony, serving it on the kitchenette’s bar instead, and Layla didn’t mind losing the ocean view, because she had a better one sitting beside her. He’d thrown on a pair of shorts after their steamy shower, but his chest was bare and mere inches from her roaming hands. She wore a robe, but only because she didn’t want crumbs in her lap. Getting fully clothed seemed unnecessary since the layers would soon be stripped away.
She took a bite of apple and laid her head on his shoulder as she chewed, but when his hand slid inside the front of her robe, her chewing stopped. “You’re going to make me choke.”
“If I do, I’ll save you then start pureeing your food.”
“Eww…”
“Then don’t choke,” he laughed, keeping his hand on her chest.
Obviously he had no plans to remove it, so Layla concentrated on chewing and swallowing, a task that had come naturally for two decades.
“Does it bother you?” he asked.
Her eyes widened as her head jumped from his shoulder. “Are you reading my mind?”
He laughed and pulled his hand from her robe, moving it to her curls instead. “No, but I see your aura more clearly than I see others, and when I’m close to you, I can sense your emotions.”
“So what did you sense?”
He intently studied her for a moment, like he was trying to decide what he wanted to say, and when he finally got around to saying it, he pulled her close for the delivery. “I’ll tell you, but I want you to do something for me.”
“Okay,” she agreed, and what a silly request it was. She’d do anything for him.
“I want you to work on being more open and vocal with me.”
“Oh,” she breathed, stunned by the request. Guess it wasn’t so silly.
“I know you’re not used to expressing yourself out loud,” he continued, “but that needs to end with me. Please.”
“Okay,” she agreed, feeling guilty.
“Thank you.” He kissed her head then gave her some room. “So, I get the sense I make you feel dependent.”
Layla grabbed a piece of blueberry muffin and stuffed it in her mouth, trying to ignore how buttery and delicious it was so she could consider his interpretation. “That’s a good way to put it,” she decided, “a nice way, because what I really feel like is a child. And that muffin is incredible.”