Author's note: This is the sequel to my previous fics, "Goodbye, My Lover" and "A Lover and a Fighter." It makes more sense if you read those first ;)
(Click on my name above and you'll find them on my author page.)
At 3am, I woke to the feel of soft lips against my neck and fingertips gliding over my bare skin. A very hot male body was pressed against my back, already hard and mine for the taking. Perfect.
"Are you awake?" I asked Quinn, grinding back against him as my hands began to wander of their own accord.
"Of course," he breathed in my ear. "Tiger instincts, remember? If there's a chance I could be making love to you, there's no way I can sleep. Or eat. Or think."
My libido did a happy dance, thrilled by his response.
I grinned and rolled over to kiss him. "I could get so used to this," I murmured.
It had been maybe four hours since we last made love, but we were both imprinting (something that happens when shifters become mated), so it felt like an eternity. When our lips met, our bodies molded to one another and we both felt an overwhelming sense of relief. We were utterly driven to touch each other, feeling wonderful when we did and strangely edgy every second we didn't.
Our kiss was slow and deep, drawing us both into one another. We were lying side-by-side, face to face, tangled in each other's limbs. I was ready for him - had been since before I woke up - and all I wanted to do was take him one more time, to sate my appetite so I could get some more rest.
"What do you want, babe?" he asked softly. His talented fingers toyed with an aching nipple as he spoke, making me gasp.
"You," I answered dreamily. "Just you."
I wasn't looking for athletics or novelty this time, I just needed him within me. I wanted the simplest, purest union we could have, so there was no distraction from what was happening between us. The imprinting was shaping us each to the other, honing our mating instincts so that, by the time it was done, we would each recognize only the other as our mate.
I pushed him onto his back and he moved willingly, pulling me atop his naked body. I leaned over to find a condom in the nightstand beside the bed, and he helped me get it in place before I went any further. I still wasn't used to them – I'd never needed them with either of my previous lovers, vampires being both infertile and disease-proof – but where my hands fumbled, his were sure and steady.
I kissed him again, sliding my body against his for a few moments, letting him feel how ready I was. He was in no hurry; was never in any hurry; always wanted to make it last so he could spend as much time as possible lavishing attention on my body. He had really drawn things out last time, bringing me to my peak four times before he finally slid inside me and found his own release. I wasn't going to give him the chance to tease me for so long again... well, not this time, anyway.
I reached back to line us up just so, then slid back onto him. It felt indescribably right; a home-coming of sorts. I knew this was one of the effects of the imprinting, that each time we were together it would feel more and more right, but I surprised myself by not minding at all. The feelings between us were real and it was in both of our natures to be faithful, so this was something that could be very right for both of us.
We rocked together, joined at lips and hips, our bodies pressed together to keep the skin-to-skin contact we both so desperately needed. When he told me we'd both want to have sex every second of the day while we were imprinting, I didn't expect this. I pictured us rutting like animals, pounding each other's bodies wildly. Instead, I was astonished by the tenderness between us, the overwhelming affection that was driving our couplings at least as much as the ever-present mutual lust. When I mentioned that to him earlier, he laughed heartily and told me most animals were capable of at least as much love and tenderness as humans are, and I soon realized he was right.
The slow, steady movement built pressure in my belly gradually, as though we had forever to get there and no need to hurry. I could feel his desire to please me first, the effort he was making to grind our bodies together just the way I liked, to keep his hips at just the right angle so I would receive the stimulation he knew would push me over the edge. There was pride and ego tied up in his need to satisfy me, but mostly love. It made him happy to make me happy, so it was easy to let go and accept what he offered. My first peak washed over me then, barely interrupting our rhythm with my gentle shudders of delight.
"Good?" he whispered in the dark, needing to hear aloud what my body had already told him.
"Perfect," I murmured, kissing him again.
A few minutes more and I felt him straining to hold back, chanting notyet notyet notyet silently to himself. His hands roamed my body frantically, testing every sensitive spot to see what would take me to another peak. I wasn't nearly as concerned as he was that I get there again; it felt wonderful the whole time he was inside me and I'd lost count of how many orgasms he'd given me the day before, so to me, it wasn't especially important this time. But to him, it was everything; to him, there was no point doing this unless he satisfied me completely. I smiled and shook my head about his masculine pride, giggling at him.
My giggles made my muscles grip around him and he almost lost control; almost finished right that second. I slowed my movements and pressed my hands against his face, slipping into his mind as I did. I felt the tightness, the pressure, the need he was fighting, and marveled once more at his self control. He realized what I was doing and finally let go, allowing himself to climax at last. I felt his body pumping inside me, the relief as the desperate ache in his balls was finally released. Feeling his enjoyment of my body gave me the little extra push I needed and I came with him, gasping at the sensory overload of feeling his orgasm as well as mine.
When my body stopped twitching and shaking, I lay limp on his chest with my hands beneath his shoulders so I could hold him even closer to me. He was cuddling me, stroking my back and purring softly against my ear. I was asleep again in under a minute, drifting into unconsciousness as he softened inside me.
When I woke again a few hours later I was alone in my bed, but wonderful aromas filled the air. Bacon, eggs, tomatoes, toast, coffee... was that mushrooms as well? Whatever it was, it smelled great.
I sat up to yawn and stretch, and he must've heard me from the other room.
Sorry I left you to wake up alone, he told me silently. The things you were saying in your sleep... I'm pretty sure I know what you were dreaming about, and if you ever want to do that for real, count me in... I really have to stop thinking about it, though... damn imprinting...
I could feel the sexual frustration in his thoughts and giggled. I couldn't remember what I dreamed about, but whatever I was talking about in my sleep had him in quite a state; he seemed almost bothered enough to hump the stove for relief.
I got up and shrugged on my robe so I could leave the bedroom without flashing Amelia, who was surely already up since I'd slept rather late.
In the kitchen, I found Quinn at the stove, clad only in a pair of navy boxers. I paused in the doorway, enjoying the view for as long as I could before he realized I was there. My eyes traced every muscle on his beautifully-formed body, pausing for some time on his tight, high backside. As delectable as he looked, I knew the view was ever better when he was naked.
He knew I was there; I could hear that in his thoughts. He also knew I was checking him out; he could smell my reaction to him, even through the wonderful food smells that pervaded the whole house. I could tell that made him very, very happy; his brain waves were in the pattern I expected from a person wearing a huge grin on their face.
I padded into the kitchen and wrapped my arms around his waist, pressing my face against his back as he cooked breakfast.
"Morning, gorgeous," he greeted me, making his chest rumble against my ear.
"Mmmm," I murmured back, "this smells amazing."
I wasn't entirely sure what I was referring to; the food on the stove, or the delicious musky man smell filling my nostrils.
"I'd offer to bring you breakfast in bed, but I'd be way too tempted to jump you, so we should probably eat out here."
"Sure," I agreed absent-mindedly, my hands working their way over his chest and stomach, lightly scratching the hard muscles. As I got to the waistband of his shorts, I followed it across, digging my fingernail in deeper. He growled loudly in response.
An instant later, my belly was pressed flat to the countertop, my toes barely touching the ground. He had my robe pushed up to expose my ass and a finger tracing my wet opening, while he pressed his erection hard against one buttock.
"Tell me if you don't want this," he whispered hoarsely in my ear. "Tell me to stop."
I shook my head emphatically, trying in vain to push back against him. "I want," I growled. "Get a condom."
He was gone for maybe two seconds and was back before I could complain, pushing his fingers inside me. Please be ready, pleasepleaseplease be ready, he was thinking. I was. I gave up all pretense of civility and flopped forward onto the counter, pushing my ass as high in the air as I could and whimpering for him to take me. He leaned forward until his chest was pressed against my back, his breath hot in my ear.
"Amelia's just out back doing tai chi," he rasped. "She could walk back in at any moment and catch us. Do you still want me?"
"Please," I moaned, and he was inside me before the word was fully out of my mouth.
He was as slow and gentle as he could manage in such a state of excitement, which is to say, neither slow nor gentle at all. With each insistent stroke, he angled himself down at just the right moment, pressing hard on the spot I liked best. I grunted each time he did, pushing my ass up in the air to meet him as he plunged into me, over and over. His hands plundered my body, one roughly squeezing a breast while the other mashed my clit rhythmically. I was in heaven, loving the way he pushed my body right to its limits... and then right over the edge.
"Close," he grunted in my ear after a couple minutes. "Too close. Come for me. Now. Please," he whined the last word, then whined it again.
My body did just what he wanted, clutching and shuddering at his request. A moment later, my mind was awash with electricity as he came with me, whimpering "oh oh oh" in my ear softly as he did. The waves of pleasure rolling through me felt like they would never stop, like they would drown me before I could come up for air, and when they finally subsided, I was grinning like a maniac.
We stayed there for a few moments longer, and I savored the feel of him sandwiching me against the cool kitchen bench. Then he pulled out and turned me around, stroking my face tenderly and carefully studying my expression to check I was OK. I was more than OK; I felt fantastic. I reached my arms up around his neck and pulled him down to kiss me good morning.
He lifted me up to sit on the bench, carefully smoothing my robe under me as he did, so I was covered up again. He neatened the neckline as well, straightening out the part that had been pushed to one side when his hand slid under it. Closer to his height now, I kept kissing him languorously as he stood between my knees, quickly cleaning up with a paper towel so he could cover himself back up. He broke away from me for only a second, to toss the paper towel and its contents in the trash, then went right back to kissing me tenderly.
"This imprinting thing is so great," I murmured playfully against his lips.
He pulled back then, to stare at me adoringly. "Best thing that's ever happened to me," his voice quavered with emotion. "You know I want this, right? Imprinting to you, being your mate... I know it was an accident, but I'm happy it's happening."
I smiled and nodded. "Me too," I agreed. I sure liked having a man who was all mine at last; especially one so smart and sexy and sweet.
Amelia walked in a moment later, and I was glad he had gotten us both decent again so quickly.
"Mmm, something smells good," she said. "And something smells like people have been fucking in the kitchen."
I blushed bright red, right on cue. Amelia laughed, thinking how fun it is to have an easily embarrassed roommate.
I slid off the counter as Quinn turned the stove back on to finish cooking breakfast, laughing and shaking his head at us.