His Paladin Page 6

  “There’s nothing wrong with keeping it simple, right?” I whispered, and then, standing on my toes, I kissed him.

  There was no sign of nervousness in his response, no regret in the way his arms wrapped around me yet again, kissing me back with the same level of ardor he had before. No, it was stronger this time. I felt myself melt against him as our tongues crashed together again, Quinn plundering my mouth before he withdrew yet again. But this time, he didn’t walk away from me: instead, he grazed his teeth against the flesh of my neck. A moan fell from my lips, and then Quinn bit down, the sharp pain getting twisted on the way to my brain into a hot shock of desire. My hips jutted forward, into his, and he groaned in my ear when I ground against him.

  I could feel him, even through the thick fabric of his jeans, already so, so hard. My hands leapt forward, deftly undoing the button of his pants and yanking down the zipper. I cupped him through his boxers, hearing his breath catch, feeling his muscles freeze, his cock jump under my hands. With shaking hands, Quinn pulled us apart just long enough to help me lower his pants and boxers past his knees, where he quickly stepped out of them.

  His cock sprang free, flinging up against the hard planes of his stomach, long and thick and perfect. I pulled a long, languid stroke around his length, felt the deep bass rumble out of his chest, and then, hardly thinking, I got down on my knees in front of him.

  I undid my pants, sighing in relief when I pulled my own cock free from its confinement, gave myself a couple of strokes and bit down on my lower lip, hard. I looked up, my heart racing at the lust in Quinn’s eyes as I leaned forward to plant a gentle kiss to the right side of his stomach, just below his navel, my fingers curling against the strong muscles of his thighs. He made a noise that sounded encouraging, making no move to stop me, so I continued, planting another kiss closer to where I knew he wanted me the most, and another one, closer still, massaging his thighs as I moved, delighting in the feel of the muscles there clenching beneath my hands.

  And then, I gave a slow, wet kiss to the underside of his shaft.

  His hands leapt to my shoulders, fingernails digging into my skin, but it was far from painful. I nuzzled my face against his cock, the musky, intoxicating scent of him all around me, and then ran my tongue over every inch of velvet skin I could find. Quinn whined, his entire body taught, vibrating with pent-up energy, but it wasn’t until I took the head of his shaft into my mouth did he finally start to buck his hips a fraction. I moved with him, undaunted, fully expecting it. He groaned loudly when I curled my tongue against him, unable to stop himself from moving any longer. His hips jerked forward, stutteringly at first, like he was still trying to hold back, and then more fluidly, finding a rhythm, thrusting slowly into my wet, waiting mouth. One of my hands left his thighs to wrap around the length of him as well, stroking him in time with his movements.

  I moaned, relishing the heavy, intoxicating feel of him in my mouth, swirling my tongue around the head, tasting the bitter drops of precum at the slit, my breath hissing through my nose. Quinn was panting now; I opened my eyes to glance up at him and saw him staring down at me, his pupils blown and so dark with lust it sent a shiver racing down my spine. I finally left his thighs completely to stroke myself some more, speeding up to match his own movements. One of his hands buried itself in my hair, gathering a handful into his fist and tugging deliciously. He continued to thrust into my mouth, faster now, his strength more intense. If my jaw was sore tomorrow, I sure as hell wasn’t going to regret any minute of this.

  He brushed the back of my throat , but I hardly cared, matching his frantic pace with my mouth and my hand, hearing his breath quicken into desperate pants. Not long now, not long, and then Quinn gave a loud, throaty groan, his fingers digging roughly into my scalp, and I felt the thick splash of him against the back of my tongue, swallowing greedily as he came wave after wave into my mouth. He shuddered violently, propping one of his arms against the wall to keep himself standing as I moaned around him.

  I pulled off of him with a lewd, wet pop. Quinn stared down at me, clearly dazed, his face shining with sweat. And then his gaze shifted, staring at my throbbing cock, and his stunned look slid into clear, red-hot focus.

  His legs still shaking, he knelt down next to me until we were both sitting together on the floor, his eyes never leaving mine as he moved. My entire body felt overheated, hypersensitive, buzzing and burning inside and out. Quinn carefully studied my face as he reached out and wrapped his large, strong hand around my cock, pumping once, twice, slowly, experimentally, as though he was testing to make sure I liked it. I whimpered, desperately and shamelessly bucking against him, so, so close.

  “Please,” I rasped, almost begging, “Quinn, please.”

  He got the message. Quinn continued to stroke me, a swift, steady rhythm, his other hand pressing against the base of my spine, holding me close. I moaned, overwhelmed with every pulse of pleasure he sent coursing through me, my hips moving up to meet his hand, aching with every beat of my pounding heart. It didn’t take long until I was coming all over his hand, streaks of it splattering over my stomach, white sparks flying in front of my eyes, every inch of me trembling in sweet relief. Quinn leaned forward, kept moving his hand until he was sure I was spent, and pressed our foreheads together, the feel of his sweat damp skin against my own a warm, solid comfort.

  We stayed like that for a long moment, together, utterly exhausted in the best way. Eventually, I managed to guide us both to the store bathroom to clean ourselves up. I shot Roux a quick text about where I was going to be for the remainder of the night and apologized for making him sleep over. After that, I slowly led Quinn over to the sofa bed in the back room, already decked out with a clean set of sheets, a couple pillows, and a pair of thick fleece blankets from the last all-nighter inventory session I pulled.

  “That was awesome,” I mumbled stupidly, before I could stop myself, body and brain sluggish and absolutely drained. Even moving those last few steps to the sofa bed felt like swimming through molasses. Quinn huffed a quiet, incredulous laugh.

  “It was,” he agreed, sounding as tired as I felt. I smiled in the dark, practically collapsing onto the mattress, using my last remaining moments of consciousness to wrap a blanket around myself. Quinn followed suit, hesitantly curling around me, warm and solid and gorgeous, and it didn’t take me long at all to drift off into a deep, blissful slumber.

  9

  Quinn

  I woke up in a mess of tangled sheets, half-wearing a thick, comfortable blanket that wasn’t mine. Confused, I quickly sat up, despite the heaviness in my limbs, my eyes darting around the unfamiliar room. Dark green painted walls that reminded me of pines. Stacks of cardboard boxes, though unlike my apartment, most of them were empty. Hanger racks filled with strange clothing: wool and leather and...chainmail? I blinked, and then, all at once, it all came flooding back.

  A literal knight in shining armor showing up at my door. A picnic under the stars. Raine’s cocky grin as I tried to land a hit on him, and my many, many failures. The brutal heat of our kiss, the impossible strength of the pull that urged us together. And then…

  Looking at the bed, I realized I was alone, a small, empty space of nestled blankets all that was beside me. Raine wasn’t here, probably hadn’t been here for some time, judging by how cold the area next to me was now. He had probably headed back home, I thought, and a cascade of dread started pouring from my mind.

  Too fast. Everything was unfolding too quickly, hurtling past what I knew was right, what was safe, and now I was feeling like I had missed a step on a dark staircase. I had never slept with someone on the first date in my life -- the knowledge I had with someone I had honestly barely even met, for that matter, was utterly mortifying.

  I shouldn’t have come here.

  A simple date was one thing. A kiss, even. But this -- all this -- was on a whole other scale. I knew Raine had no intention of things going as far as they did. In all likelihood, he probably thought I
was using him for sex at this point. I had clearly pushed everything too hard, too quickly. My desperation to get out of my own comfort zone in a misguided attempt to bring some spontaneity back into my life had made me heedless of the possibility I could hurt someone else, and badly.

  I dragged a hand over my face, sighing deeply, trying to get my emotions under control. This wasn’t high school, after all. I was an adult, and so was Raine. We could talk things out, let each other know where we stood. I’d apologize for forcing things to move quicker than either of us wanted to, let him know I’d fully understand if he wanted to pump the brakes on this or stop it altogether. Get everything out into the open, discuss it honestly, and move on. All it would take was a simple phone call as soon as I called a cab to get me home.

  At least, I hoped it would be that easy.

  I wandered out of the room after making the little bed we had shared - old habits, even in a crisis, die hard. I caught the scent of woodsmoke and something oddly delicious as I finished tucking the corners. My interest piqued, I followed the smell and a light crackling noise to outside the store’s propped open front door. As I blinked in the sudden brightness of the morning sun, I found Raine crouched next to a small campfire in a clearing to the left of the Lochmire parking lot, a respectable distance away from the nearby woods.

  He hadn’t left. Relief embraced me, heavy enough to almost topple me over.

  “Morning!” he said cheerily, his attention momentarily distracted from the small, cast iron pan he held over the flames. Within the pan was a toasting piece of whole-grain bread, topped with the small, cured sausage we had eaten last night along with a thick slice of cheddar.

  “Figured I’d start on some breakfast. Didn’t think you would be the type to sleep in,” he continued, giving the pan a little shake, a rapidly melting pat of butter sliding across its surface. He glanced back up at me, grinning. “Sleep well?”

  A brutal flush heated my face, and all my carefully constructed sentences for our relationship discussion scattered like a frightened flock of birds.

  “Uh, yes,” I babbled, ducking my head, praying he wouldn’t notice, and taking a seat on the opposite side of the campfire on one of pair of folding chairs Raine must’ve brought out for us to sit on.

  We sat in a stilted silence for a while, but at least the fire pleasantly warm against the crisp chill of early morning. A crow cawed loudly from a nearby tree, and there was the faint rustling of fall leaves from the interior of the forest. Raine breathed a contented sigh.

  “It’s cold, but this is probably my favorite time of year here,” he said, looking up at the bright blue of the sky, his gaze settling on the vast line of orange and yellow of the treeline a few yards away from us. “Peaceful, you know?”

  “Yeah,” I mumbled, painfully awkward, still trying to piece together what I was going to say to him in the quiet that followed.

  “What’s your favorite color?” Raine asked, out of nowhere.

  “Huh?”

  Raine laughed. “I heard it was a decent icebreaker from, uh, an expert. Thought it would help ease all this awkwardness. But food might work better.”

  At least I knew he was as unsure as I was about the whole thing, though our methods of dealing with it were certainly different. Where I figured the only option was a tactical withdrawal, it looked like Raine would rather confront it head on. I filed that away for later.

  Wordlessly, he offered me a plate with another open-faced breakfast sandwich he had apparently cooked earlier, and I gratefully accepted. It was definitely warm, but cool enough to eat, so I didn’t waste any time. I took a large bite, savoring the rich blend of flavors, the toasted bread the perfect way to tie them all together.

  “Delicious,” I told him, mid-chew. He cocked his head at me, his eyes bright with a mischievous glint I was unsure how to feel about.

  “I think that’s my line,” he said mildly, taking the pan off of the flame and sliding his cooking onto another plate. The words caught me right in the middle of a swallow -- I sputtered, nearly choking, and was still coughing even after I quickly downed the cup of apple cider Raine pressed into my hand.

  “You okay?” he asked, looking genuinely concerned, and I nodded, clearing my throat.

  “Couldn’t resist. Sorry,” he said with a sheepish smile, but I shook my head.

  “I’m the one that should apologize.” Raine lifted an eyebrow, but I continued. “What happened last night I - I didn’t mean to push things so far. Last night, when we...” I trailed off, my throat closing around the words. I felt like a teenager again, too embarrassed to even say it outright, but I soldiered on to say the rest, the important part. “I didn’t come back to Lochmire just for that, and I don’t want you to think that I wasn’t interested in...everything that isn’t...that.”

  Eloquence wasn’t my strong suit.

  Raine smirked, poking at his breakfast plate for a moment, taking another bite and chewing thoughtfully.

  “Well, Quinn,” he said after swallowing the half sandwich, setting down his plate and brushing his hands against his pants, “I’m pretty sure it takes two to swordfight, as it were. I also didn’t invite you to Lochmire just for ‘that,’ but I can’t say I regret that it happened.” His eyes met mine over the campfire. “Especially when I’ve been wondering what you’d look like in armor ever since you walked in. I like you, Quinn. A lot.”

  The world stopped.

  “Oh,” I managed, somehow. My neck, ears, and face all felt like someone had lit them on fire; I was sure I was practically glowing.

  “Not, ah, that that’s all I’ve been wondering about you,” Raine amended quickly. “Like I said, I didn’t invite you for combat practice for that reason in particular.”

  I mulled that over for a few seconds, trying and failing to fight the relieved smile that threatened to stretch across my face. Raine didn’t think I was using him. He had willingly been swept up as much as I had in whatever forces had brought us together so swiftly last night. And, most importantly, he had told me, earnestly, that he hadn’t regretted it.

  “What were your other reasons for inviting me?” I asked, curious, and then, realizing how that sounded, blurted, “Not that I’m fishing for compliments.”

  “Fish away,” Raine replied with an easy grin that made my chest flutter, and he shrugged. “You seemed like a nice guy when you came in, and it turns out you really are a nice guy. Kind of quiet, but I can’t see you not speaking up if you felt you needed to. Plus, it’s rare I see someone who’s genuinely interested in LARP stuff who’s never veered close to the nerdier side of life before.”

  “How did you get into it?”

  Raine chuckled, but it was hollow and brittle, lacking any mirth. “Wanted to find a way to step away from myself, for at least a little while, I guess. I did a little bit of every way people normally try to take a vacation from themselves, back in the day. Regretted most of them. But LARPing was the only one that really stuck. Plus, it didn’t kill me, so, you know. That was a bonus.”

  I frowned. “Why’d you want to step away?”

  Raine sighed, his expression troubled, and it seemed like he was about to continue, but then he snapped his mouth shut with an audible click. “Same reasons anyone does,” he said vaguely.

  Whatever the real reason was, it seemed to be pressing down on him heavily. I thought about pushing the issue, but just as quickly decided against it. As familiar as I was with the desire to get away from the world, Raine’s reasons were his own -- sharing one night together didn’t mean he was obligated to tell me his life’s story, after all, and it sure as hell didn’t mean anything more than what it was. I kept quiet, just in case he decided to elaborate further, but Raine didn’t say anything else, finishing the rest of his breakfast instead. I did the same, though it didn’t taste quite the same anymore.

  We wrapped up the remainder of our breakfast, and, with some cajoling, I managed to get Raine to agree to allow me to help him pack up the picnic suppl
ies and place them in his car. One short car ride later, and after a very thoughtful stop to pick up a couple cups of coffee, I was nearly home.

  “Sorry you didn’t get to try out that many weapons,” Raine said as we pulled up to my apartment. I shrugged, half-smiling.

  “Don’t worry about it. I think a sword suits me fine, anyway.” I thought for a minute, and then asked, “Uh, what was that class you mentioned last night? The last one, before...uh, we got distracted. Pal-something?”

  “Paladin,” Raine replied without missing a beat. “Not hard to play for somebody new, and always useful. Sword, shield, good armor, and a couple spells that can heal your friends or make your attacks more powerful.”

  “Paladin,” I repeated, “I think I’ll give that one a try.”

  Raine stared back, blinking rapidly for a few moments, like I had somehow thrown him completely off-guard, his face a mask of naked surprise.

  “Yeah,” he said, his voice oddly tight, but he smiled. “Yeah, I think that one suits you.”

  I nodded. “Well, I’ll give it my best.” I opened the car door, half-stepping out, but I hesitated, turning back to face him -- and then I closed the gap between us to give him a quick and clumsy kiss.

  “Thank you,” I told him, low and sincere, watching his eyelids flutter back open, “For last night. And...everything. I had a really good time.”

  Raine grinned, soft and sweet and bright. “Yeah,” he said quietly. “Me, too.”

  10

  Raine

  When I finally pulled back into my driveway, cranking up the parking brake and snapping off the engine, I didn’t get out right away. Instead, I slumped back into my seat with a dreamy sigh, my fingers reflexively going to my lips. They still tingled underneath the pad of my thumb, lingering, buzzing echoes of Quinn.