The Quirin Stone Read online

“I'll be back ... uh....” She glanced at Thor. “Later."

  Thor dropped an arm on her shoulder, escorting her to the door. “No, she won't,” he said as he closed the door behind them.

  “You like living dangerously, don't you?” Cassie chided him as he walked her to his car.

  “Whenever I can,” he retorted agreeably.

  She fell silent as he started the car and pulled away from the apartment complex. Reaching for his cell phone, he handed it to her. “Number three on the programming key. Order what you want."

  She looked at him uncomfortably. “I don't know how to use one of these."

  He sent her a look of surprise but took it and dialed it for her before handing it back. When she'd placed the order, she handed it back to him and he turned it off, slipping it into its holder. He sent her a couple of glances. “You're quiet."

  She sighed. “I was thinking."

  “Don't."

  “Excuse me?"

  He glanced at her. “So ... what do you do besides study ancient civilizations and seduce college professors?"

  She sent him a look. “I don't ... I mean, I didn't."

  “I was teasing."

  “Oh.” She frowned. “Work and go to school. Not much else, actually."

  “Date?"

  “I'm not seeing anyone."

  “No?” He slid a look at her that she found hard to interpret.

  “Else. I mean ... are we? Or is this...?"

  “I see that's a habit."

  “What?"

  “The fill in the blank thing."

  She sucked her lip.

  “Unless you want me to pull over and fuck you silly, you should watch that particular little habit."

  She looked at him wide-eyed. “What habit?” she asked a little breathlessly.

  He dragged in a shuddering breath. “Breathing, I think,” he said wryly. “Don't look at me like that, either. I'm trying to keep my mind on driving."

  She glanced at him sharply and started laughing. “You are ... the strangest man!"

  “You've ever met?"

  “That wasn't a fill in the blank, but, yes."

  “I wouldn't be at all surprised."

  “You're not from around here, are you?"

  He glanced at her. “Why do you say that?"

  “You just sound different. Your accent, I mean.” She thought it over. “The way you talk, too. Some of the things you say."

  “No. I'm not from around here. I've lived in a lot of different places."

  “Where are you from? Originally, I mean?"

  He sighed. “Light years from here. What about you?"

  “I guess that means a long way?"

  “A very long way."

  Cassie studied him for several moments in silence. “Why don't you want to talk about yourself?"

  He glanced at her sharply. “I'm more interested in you."

  She nodded, but since he pulled up to the window of the pizza restaurant just then, she dove into the floorboard instead of answering.

  Thor looked down at her. “What are you doing?"

  “Somebody might see me,” she whispered. “I don't want you to get into trouble with the college board."

  He shook his head, but since the server opened the window at that moment, he was distracted. When he drove off, she climbed into the seat again, holding the pizza boxes. “Don't do that again."

  She looked at him in surprise.

  He shrugged irritably. “I'm willing to be discreet, within reason, to pacify everybody, but I'm not going to hide like I'm doing something I should be ashamed of."

  Cassie couldn't think of anything to say to that, so she lapsed into silence.

  They took the pizza into the great room and ate, placing the boxes on the table between the two couches. Cassie took the floor next to the table, leaning back against the couch. Thor kicked his shoes off and sat in one corner of the couch, his legs sprawled before him, watching her when he wasn't eating.

  Cassie was nervous, and a little uncomfortable at first, but he put her at ease by telling her about a few of the digs he'd been on. She was actually surprised she didn't feel more self-conscious around him anyway. She'd hardly known him more than a handful of hours and she'd already slept with him. That had to be some kind of record.

  It was certainly a record for her. She had her own version of the three date rule. If she knew by the second date that she wasn't going to be interested in having sex by the time they went out again, there wasn't a third date. In reality, you either clicked with a guy right off, or you didn't click. Sometimes you might think you did till you tried the bed scene and then you'd find out you were wrong, but as a general rule she knew by the end of the first date whether she had any interest in going any further.

  She never did it before the third date, regardless. Or she never had before. She didn't want to be known as easy. She knew how guys were about such things. If you didn't put out by the third date, they were gone. If you put out before the third date, you were a slut.

  She hadn't been in town long enough to meet anybody that interested her. Which was why she wasn't dating anybody.

  Actually, she hadn't dated anybody in over a year. The last boyfriend hadn't been a heartbreaker. They'd ended it in mutual boredom. She just hadn't dated since because she'd been busy and she hadn't run into anybody that interested her.

  She wondered if she should just mention that. She didn't want Thor to have a really bad opinion of her, like she just dropped her pants for any guy. He was bound to think badly of her when they'd only just barely met. Would he believe her though if she told him that wasn't something she'd ever done before?

  Guys never did, it seemed to her. You could tell them till you were blue in the face that it was because they were special, but they were convinced you'd do it with anybody if you'd do it with them. Even if you were a damn virgin before you did it with them!...and they accused women of being illogical!

  She still wasn't entirely certain how it had happened, for that matter. One minute she'd been trying to explain that the hug had been impulsive and purely platonic and the next he was tearing her clothes off.

  It had been gratifying, of course, and absolutely satisfying, the best sex she'd ever had in her life, but almost as scary. She didn't usually have that affect on men.

  She'd certainly never had that affect on any man that looked like Thor did.

  She glanced at him. Actually, she'd never seen anything quite like him, not in person.

  “You're thinking again. I can see the wheels turning and you've already glanced at me twice with that speculative look in your eyes."

  Cassie blushed. “Did I?"

  He held out his hand. She looked at him a moment, but finally set her cola down and crawled toward him on her knees. He caught her just beneath her breasts and lifted her onto his lap. “What's on your mind?"

  She tried to think of a starting point and discovered she couldn't. Finally, she sighed in frustration. “I was just wondering what you thought about me, I guess."

  He studied her down turned face in silence, apparently waiting for her to continue. “And?"

  She glanced up at him. “I've never done anything like that before. I don't ... actually, I don't think I really understand it. I'm not real sure what happened."

  Chapter Seven

  Thor stroked her hair, then gathered it into his fist and tugged on it until she looked up at him. Leaning close, he skimmed his free hand beneath her T-shirt and up her ribcage as he opened his mouth over hers, flicked his tongue lazily along the sensitive inner surfaces of her mouth and lifted his head again. “Mmmm, cheese pizza and cola."

  Cassie smiled. “And pepperoni."

  “Do you need to understand?"

  His hand, just beneath her breast felt like a firebrand. She frowned, struggling to change gears. “You don't?"

  “No."

  “Why?"

  He dipped his head toward her again as he moved his hand from her ribcage to cup a b
reast, massaging it as he nuzzled her throat and then sucked a love bite on the side of her neck that sent a flock of goose bumps scattering along her neck and arm. “Because I already do."

  Cassie swallowed with an effort, feeling warmth suffuse her. “Well, then explain it to me, because I don't."

  A smile tipped the corners of his lips up. His eyes gleamed, but there was more than amusement in them. “I'd rather show you."

  The heat in his gaze sent another wave of warmth through her and she felt suddenly breathless as he released her breast and skated his hand downward over her belly, tugging her jeans snap open and parting her zipper as he delved his hand into the front of her jeans. Her position on his lap prevented him from reaching his goal.

  Abruptly, he scooped her off his lap and stood her on her feet. She was still blinking at him in surprise when he stood, grasped her hand and began to tug her from the great room. “Where are we going?"

  “To bed."

  “Now? I mean, I should really get back. It's getting late and I have classes tomorrow."

  He stopped, pulling her to him and slipping his palm down the open front of her jeans until his finger found her clit. “What time?"

  Cassie gasped, finding her thoughts had scattered. “My first class is at nine."

  “Good. It works with my schedule,” he said with finality.

  Before she could point out that she hadn't actually agreed that it suited her, he grabbed her and tossed her over his shoulder. She shrieked in surprise. “Thor! What are you doing?"

  “I'm just going to show you the master suite,” he said, catching the waistband of her jeans and tugging them down her hips.

  Cassie made a grab for them as cool air brushed her buttocks. “Very funny! I'm serious. I have class tomorrow."

  “I got that part,” he said, climbing the stairs.

  “I can't stay. Really, I can't. I don't have my books, my clothes—anything!"

  “We'll leave early. Run by the apartment and pick them up—or, better yet, you can cut class tomorrow."

  “No I can't—Oh! This makes me dizzy. The blood is rushing to my head!"

  “Mine too,” he said, turning his head to suck a quick love bite on her hip as he reached top of the stairs and strode down the upper hallway to his room.

  “You seriously think you can throw me over your shoulder like a barbarian and haul me off to bed?"

  “Looks that way,” he pointed out, opening the door to his room.

  She screamed when he dropped her. Hitting the bed, she bounced almost a foot. When she came down the second time, she saw that he'd stripped his T-shirt off and was unfastening his jeans. Flipping onto her stomach, she scrambled toward the other side. Thor dove after her, catching her by one ankle and jerking her pants down her legs. Her panties hung up around her knees. The jeans sailed across the room. Laughing, she grabbed a pillow and smacked him in the face with it. He snatched it out of her hand and tossed it off the bed, then levered himself up and planted his chest in the middle of hers, manacling her wrists to the bed. She looked up at him, laughing. “What now, oh barbarian? You can't hold me and finish undressing me."

  “No?” Lifting her wrists, he pushed her hands together and wrapped one of his huge hands around both her wrists.

  Her laughter died in her throat as he placed his free hand on her belly and skimmed it down her body, pushing her panties down to her ankles. When the heat of his mouth settled on her belly, it snatched the air out of her lungs and she lost the ability to think. Her kegels along the channel to her womb clenched reflexively, the walls reaching dew point instantaneously.

  She didn't even realize he'd released his grip on her wrists until he pushed her T-shirt up her belly and cupped one breast with his hand, massaging it as he licked a hot path across the center of the other. Both nipples puckered in anticipation. Scalding sensation brimmed from her breasts and coursed down her body like a waterfall of molten desire.

  She splayed her hands in his hair and along his shoulder, trying to hold perfectly still as he tortured her senses with the fervor of his needful mouth, the faintly abrasive roughness of his tongue and the heat and moisture of his device of torment. She found she couldn't. Her fingers, like the claws of a contented cat, kneaded him seemingly of their own accord. The unbearable pleasure prevented her from lying still and she moved restlessly in her exquisite torment, shifting, arching toward him as he moved from one breast to the other. She was moaning almost incessantly by the time he shifted the focus of his assault.

  Lifting away from her, he dragged her beneath him, pushing her thighs apart as he settled his body against her and kissed her throat and then her mouth with an urgency that pushed her own need beyond desperate. She broke the kiss. “Now, please,” she half whispered, half moaned, clutching at his shoulders.

  He shifted upward until she felt the head of his cock nudging her cleft, his jeans abrading her inner thighs. He pushed his jeans further down his hips and nudged her again, the head of his cock slipping toward her vagina and snagging there as if their bodies needed no aid in finding their way. Gaining leverage, he rocked his hips, applying a slow even pressure. She panted, concentrating on relaxing her muscles as she felt him parting her, felt the head of his cock stretching her further and further until his possession reached the threshold of pain. As if he sensed it in the tensing of her body, he stopped. Gasping hoarsely, he withdrew slightly and began again, pushing slowly. Sweat broke from his pores, beaded his skin. His body trembled.

  Impatient, Cassie arched upward to meet him as he withdrew and then began to press more deeply. Pain and pleasure shot through her in almost equal measure as the head of his cock slammed into her tender womb and it convulsed and she groaned.

  A shudder went through him. Withdrawing only a little, he pushed deep again, over and over until her body's lubricant at last eased his way, slicking the tight muscles of her passage. Gritting his teeth as they rippled around him, massaging him with maddening finesse, he scooped his arms beneath her and caught her shoulders in his hands, holding her as he began to increase the tempo of his thrusts.

  Cassie's gasps became groans as he thrust in and out of her. Her groans took on the high, fine edge of sharp cries as the stroking of his cock sent harder and harder waves of pleasure through her and the first tremors of release began quaking through her. A tremor went through Thor. He drove deep, hesitated, and groaned as his release caught him, thrusting into her hard and fast as his seed spilled from him and finally driving so deeply inside of her she thought he would split her in two.

  She subsided limply against the bed, feeling as if she were sinking into it, becoming no more than a puddle of liquid satisfaction. Thor melted on top of her, breathing harshly. Finally, with an effort he lifted his head. “Am I crushing you?"

  “No,” Cassie grunted.

  A chuckle escaped him and he rolled off of her and onto his back, shivering as the cool air dried the sweat on his body. Finally, he reached for her. Dragging her against his side, he settled her head on his shoulder, stroking her back.

  Cassie relaxed limply against him, feeling the last echoes of release slowly fading into a mellow warmth, feeling drowsiness steal over her with the complete lack of tension. She was more than half asleep when he nudged her chin up, brushing his lips across hers lightly, then carefully molding them to hers as if testing the perfection of their fit. “Cassie,” he murmured. “I've waited stale, torturous, endless aeons, hoping but never knowing if there was reason for hope. I'm too impatient to have what I've missed to go slow.” He kissed her eyelids, the tip of her nose. “I know you don't understand. Just ... tell me if I'm scaring you and I'll try to slow down."

  His tenderness completely disarmed her. She rolled his words around in her mind, trying to understand them and began to think she did understand. As strangely as he spoke, she thought he was trying to tell her that he'd been desperately lonely since he'd lost his wife. He'd said he had been with no one since. She didn't know why, or how it was
that she had managed to reach him, but she felt a strangely fulfilling gladness that she had.

  She arched up toward him, seeking his mouth with her own, tracing the outline of his lips with the tip of her tongue. He caught her tongue between his lips, coaxed it into his mouth. Her heart fluttered with renewed excitement as she tasted him on her tongue, felt the contrast of size, and texture, and taste between them as she stroked his tongue with her own. Moaning with pleasure at her caress, he molded his mouth around her tongue, pouring fire through her as she felt the slick flesh of his inner cheeks cupping her sensitive flesh as he sucked her.

  The urgency she sensed building in him as he repaid her caress in kind, the miming of sexual possession performed by their mating tongues, eroded her desire to build the passion slowly. She was breathing nearly as raggedly as he was when he dragged his mouth from hers and down her throat, opening his mouth over her breast and flicking his tongue back and forth across her nipple.

  Within moments, the conflagration they had thought extinguished, if only momentarily, roared to life once more. He moved over her, pushing her thighs apart and mounting her. The residue of their coupling eased his way, allowing him to sink deeply inside of her with his first thrust. Cassie gasped, panting as he filled her almost beyond her limits. Withdrawing slightly, he thrust again, sinking to her depths. She arched upward, catching hold of his arms.

  He sat back on his heels, slipping an arm around her hips and one around her upper back and pulling her upright. She threw her head back as her body settled more firmly over his, feeling him almost painfully deep inside of her. He kissed her throat, urging her to lift her hips and then arching up to meet her as she relaxed her legs, lowering her body until she was skating the threshold between pain and ecstasy. Looping her arms around his shoulders, she began to move faster, watching his face contort with the agony of ecstasy, the fine sheen of moisture that beaded his brow as he struggled to hold his climax at bay. He lost the battle within moments, crushing her to him and driving himself deeply inside her as a groan was wrenched from him. The convulsions of his release set her own off. She opened her mouth on his shoulder, sucking hard as waves of pleasure rocked her.