by Radclyffe
Honor’s lips parted slightly in a lazy smile as she observed Quinn through half-opened lids. “I don’t think I’ve ever been so relaxed and so hot at the same time in my life.”
Quinn knelt between Honor’s thighs by the side of the bed and rested her cheek against Honor’s stomach. With one hand, she cradled Honor’s breast, running her fingertips over the small hard nipple. Honor’s heart fluttered beneath her face and her own raced in time with it. “I love you.”
Wordlessly, Honor stroked Quinn’s face and neck, pressing Quinn more tightly to her body. The fingers on her breast stirred her flesh, but Quinn’s tender attentions and gentle words fired her passion. For long moments, she luxuriated in the simple pleasure of Quinn’s body against hers. “You make me feel so wonderful.”
Nearly drunk on the sight and sound and scent of her, Quinn pushed upright and braced herself with one hand against the mattress. She glanced down to the damp silk between Honor’s thighs, then brought her palm to cover the small triangle of fabric. Honor arched against her and sighed.
“I love you.” Quinn drew the thin barrier aside and slid smoothly into Honor’s depths, watching Honor’s face as she filled her.
“Oh...you feel so good.” Dazed, Honor kept her eyes on Quinn’s as her hips slowly lifted and fell to the steady cadence of Quinn’s strokes. Before long, she felt the orgasm unfurl along her spine, hot and feathery. “Oh, yes. Like that, Quinn. Like that.”
Quinn gripped the sheets in her fist, concentrating fiercely to contain her own wild need to go faster, deeper, harder. Distantly, she was aware of her own excitement, a hard ache rising on the crest of Honor’s pleasure. Her breath came in shallow gasps, echoing Honor’s rasping pants. Her muscles trembled as Honor’s closed around her fingers.
“Baby, I’m coming. I’m coming.” Honor arched her back and pushed down hard against Quinn’s hand. The added pressure triggered the climax that had hovered teasingly, just beyond her reach. With a cry, she reared up, wrapping her arms around Quinn’s shoulders. She buried her face in the curve of Quinn’s neck, wracked with tremors.
“Oh yeah,” Quinn moaned, pressing her face to Honor’s shoulder, holding her close with one arm as the other gentled between her thighs. As Honor quieted in her embrace, moaning softly with contentment, Quinn let out a long shaky sigh. “Sometimes when I’m that close to you, I feel like my heart will burst. It’s a good feeling.”
Honor brought trembling hands to Quinn’s face and lifted her head until she could look into her eyes. “You touch me. You touch me in ways I’ve never been touched.”
“That’s all I want.”
Honor closed her eyes and rested her forehead on Quinn’s. “That’s everything.”
The ringing phone awakened them at just after five.
“Blake,” Honor grumbled into the receiver. Quinn stirred beside her, and Honor drew her close. “Uh-huh. Uh-huh. Okay. Right.” She fumbled the phone back onto the base and groaned. “The team from the CDC just arrived at the airport from Atlanta and will be in the ER in forty-five minutes.”
Quinn opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling. “I guess there’s not enough time to hire a band.”
“No, probably not.” Honor laughed. “I guess I’ll have to do as the reception committee.”
“I’ll come in with you.” Quinn sat up and pushed the covers back. She was tired, but it was only from lack of sleep. The weariness that had plagued her soul for so long had lifted.
“You don’t have to, baby.” Honor ran her fingers down Quinn’s back. “I’m sorry I fell asleep last night.”
“No need to be.” Grinning an altogether satisfied grin, Quinn glanced over her shoulder at her lover. “It made me feel like a superstar.”
“Oh, you are,” Honor purred as she wrapped both arms around Quinn from behind and lay her cheek against Quinn’s back. “Still, I want to please you the way you please me.”
“As fabulous as you make me feel, if I could only have one thing, I’d rather touch you.”
“Mmm.” Honor moved her lips indolently over the edge of Quinn’s shoulder blade as she caressed her palm over Quinn’s stomach. “Me, too. That’s something of a conundrum, isn’t it?”
Quinn guided Honor’s fingers down her belly and between her thighs. She stiffened at the first electric contact and heard Honor gasp in surprise. Quinn’s voice was husky as she said, “Should be interesting solving that particular problem.” She covered Honor’s hand with her own and pressed hard, hard enough to make her body twitch and her vision dim. Then she shifted her hips and rose abruptly, breaking Honor’s startled grip. “Guess it’ll have to wait, though.”
“You...” Honor sputtered indignantly. “I can’t believe you did that!”
Quinn grinned. “Just wanted to give you something to think about today.”
Honor came off the bed so quickly that it was Quinn’s turn to jump. “I’m going to make you pay for that, Maguire.”
“Promises, promises,” Quinn laughed, making a quick dash for the adjoining bathroom.
“Later,” Honor muttered, gathering their clothes from the floor. “You’ll get yours later.” Smiling, she followed Quinn. “And so will I.”
Chapter Thirty
Almost a week passed before Honor had even a moment to consider making good on her threat. During that time, she worked eighteen hours a day and admitted thirty-two more patients with acute hepatitis. Close to three hundred new cases were diagnosed in the greater Philadelphia area. Unfortunately, there were also two deaths.
At the height of the outbreak, the CDC epidemiology team interviewed patients, constructed demographic charts, and investigated dozens of potential sources of the contagion. Honor was constantly on call, interfacing with her own emergency room physicians as well as the out-of-town consultants. She and Quinn saw each other in passing at work, but by the time Honor got home, there was barely enough time to sleep before she needed to be back at work.
By Friday evening, the number of new cases had dwindled, and it appeared that the source of the infection—a contaminated delivery of scallions from Mexico—had been identified. With the crisis waning, Honor was able to leave the hospital by seven p.m., and the first thing she did when she walked out the ER doors was to punch in Quinn’s number on her cell phone.
“Hello?” Quinn said.
Honor smiled just to hear the sound of her voice. “It’s me. Are you free?”
“Well, not really.”
“Oh.” Honor worked to hide her disappointment as she fumbled her keys from her briefcase and leaned to open the door of her car. “Well, then...”
“Hold on a second.”
A new voice came on the line.
“Mom? Are you on your way home now?”
“Honey? What’s going on? Where are you two?” Honor slid into the front seat of her car and tossed her briefcase beside her. She hadn’t seen Arly all week, because her daughter had been asleep by the time she’d gotten home. As far as she knew, Arly should have been with Phyllis.
“Home. Quinn and I are making pizza.”
“You are?” Quickly, Honor dispelled the image of pizza sauce all over her kitchen. “Is there enough for me?”
Honor heard a giggle followed by mumbling, but she could not make out the words. She keyed the ignition and started to drive as Arly came back on the line.
“Quinn says it’ll be ready in twenty-five minutes. But we’re awfully hungry.”
“Well, you tell Quinn that I’ll be there in five, and I’m hungry, too.”
Arly laughed. “’Kay, Mom. We’ll share with you.”
Quinn waited on the back stairs. When Honor pulled into the driveway, she walked around to the driver’s side door, opened it, and leaned in to kiss Honor. “Hi. Dinner will be ready soon.”
“This is a nice surprise.” Honor grasped her briefcase and slid out.
“You haven’t seen the kitchen yet.”
“No, but I can imagine.” Honor smiled and wrapped an
arm around Quinn’s waist as they walked toward the house. “I’ll just have to keep my eyes on you.”
“The chef’s upstairs getting ready for a bath,” Quinn informed her. “I thought that would be smart before you saw her.”
“Where’s Phyllis?”
“Another hot date.” Quinn brushed her lips over Honor’s temple. “And don’t even think about thanking me. I missed Arly this week. I missed you.” Every second.
Honor dropped her briefcase at the bottom of the back stairs, turned to Quinn, and put both arms around her neck. She pressed against her and kissed her lingeringly. She kissed her until she could feel her in every cell. “I missed you, too.”
“Oh, yeah.” Quinn sighed contentedly, then reluctantly backed away. “I’d better get upstairs and give Arly a hand with her bath.”
“Let me change, and I’ll help.”
They linked hands and climbed the stairs together.
“Mom,” Arly said over pancakes and bacon the next morning, “are you and Quinn going to live together soon?”
“That’s a very important decision, sweetie, and Quinn and I haven’t really talked about it yet.” Honor glanced at Quinn across the table. This was the first time that Quinn had spent the night and been there the next morning when Arly got up. The three of them had made breakfast together, and Arly had seemed to take it all in stride. Phyllis, interestingly, had called to say she would be “detained.” “How would you feel about that?”
“I think it would be cool. Then I’d have two moms like Kim and Denny, right?” Arly looked from Quinn to Honor expectantly.
Quinn cleared her throat. “Remember when I told you that we would tell you as soon as we could?”
“Uh-huh.”
“Well, it really helps to know that it would be okay with you if we wanted to do that,” Quinn said carefully, looking from Arly to Honor. “But your mom and I need some more time to think about it. So we need you to be patient, okay?”
“Okay.” Arly finished the last of her orange juice. “How long do I have to be patient?’”
Quinn smiled. “Well, sometimes you have to wait until just the right time, like when you don’t kick on goal until you see the perfect opening and you know it will go in.”
Arly nodded seriously and then looked at her mother. “You’re coming to the game today, right?”
“I’ll be there.” Honor smiled as her daughter ran from the room to gather her gear. She sighed and glanced at Quinn with a wry expression. “Sorry. I have a feeling we’re going to hear these questions again.”
“Do they bother you?” Quinn asked quietly. She was very aware of the fact that Honor had consistently avoided the discussion of any kind of commitment. She wanted to be part of Honor’s life, and it took every ounce of willpower not to push.
“No,” Honor said softly. “They don’t bother me. What about you? My life is a bit complicated.”
Quinn had to smile. “You mean because of Arly?”
“Among other things.”
“She’s terrific. I...I’d love to be a part of her life.” Quinn met Honor’s gaze. “And yours.”
“God, you’re better than a dream come true.” Honor reached across the table and stroked Quinn’s cheek. “I hope you know I care. Can you be patient a little longer?”
Quinn turned her head and kissed Honor’s palm. “I’ve probably got just a little more willpower than a seven-year-old.” When Honor laughed, Quinn added, “But not much.”
“Mmm, I seem to remember you weren’t all that patient last night.”
“That was different,” Quinn replied, leaning forward to kiss Honor on the lips. “I hadn’t seen you all week. Of course I couldn’t wait.”
Honor’s blood ran a little hotter just thinking about the relentless demands of Quinn’s mouth and hands and... She shivered and pushed back from the table. “I have to get away from you. You do...things...to me. Scary, wonderful things.”
Quinn laughed as Honor walked away. “You can run, but you can’t hide.”
Honor stopped in the doorway and regarded Quinn tenderly. “I think I’m done with both. Now, I’m going to shower and get ready for the game.”
Heart pounding, Quinn watched her go. I love you.
“I saw you, Quinn, and Arly leave the house together this morning,” Linda said as she sidled up to Honor on the sideline.
“Uh-huh.”
“The three of you looked cute together.”
Honor turned and gave Linda a piercing glare. “Whatever it is you want to know, just ask so I can watch the game.”
“Okay,” Linda said accommodatingly. “How serious are the two of you? Is she wonderful in bed? Has she told you yet that she loves you?”
“I don’t know. Definitely.” Honor hesitated and glanced at Quinn, who stood only yards away, her attention riveted on her young players. “Yes, she’s told me.”
“It sounds like things are very serious, then.” Linda’s tone was serious as well. “Do you love her?”
“I—” Honor broke off as Quinn turned to her with a stunned expression on her face. She saw Quinn press her right hand to the center of her chest just before she collapsed abruptly to the ground. Even as she started to run, Honor snapped to Linda, “Call 911 and keep the kids away from here.”
In less than five seconds, Honor was kneeling on the ground by Quinn’s side. Quinn lay motionless on her back, eyes closed. When Honor pressed two fingers to the carotid artery on the right side of Quinn’s neck, her stomach seized, and for an instant, her mind went completely blank. She couldn’t feel a pulse. Then, with instinct born of years of training and motivated by a resolve that burned through her with white-hot fury, she brought her closed fist down sharply in the center of Quinn’s chest. You will not die. I will not lose you. God damn you, you will not do this to me.
Just as Honor, preparing to start CPR, pressed both hands to the center of Quinn’s sternum, Quinn’s eyes fluttered open. The breath stopped in Honor’s chest as unfocused blue eyes met hers.
“Honor?”
“It’s all right, baby. You’re all right.” Honor, almost weak with fear and relief, fought desperately to keep her voice steady. “Just lie still.”
“What happened?” Quinn tried to push up on her elbows but found that she was light-headed. “I’m a little dizzy.”
“I know.” Honor wrapped her fingers around Quinn’s wrist, enormously comforted by the strong, steady pulse. “You fainted. We need to take you to the hospital so I can evaluate the situation.”
She didn’t see any point in telling Quinn that she’d had a cardiac arrest. It had been a brief episode that had responded immediately to the “cardiac thump,” and in all likelihood, no heart muscle damage had been sustained. Still, the danger remained that she’d have another arrhythmia that Honor would not be able to convert so easily again. She needed to get Quinn into the EMS van where she would have a defibrillator at hand.
“I think I’m okay,” Quinn said quietly, slowly realizing what must have transpired. Honor was white as a sheet and her eyes were huge, all pupil. God, please, don’t let me lose everything now. Not now. “Sweetheart, I’m okay.”
“You seem to be, but I still need to run some tests.” Honor brushed her fingers over Quinn’s forehead but kept one hand on her shoulder to prevent her from trying to rise again. “Baby, please don’t argue.”
“No,” Quinn replied, catching Honor’s hand and holding it firmly. “I won’t. Can I see Arly before we go? Or do you think it would be better not to let her see me now?”
The sound of the siren grew nearer. Honor glanced around and saw that a ring of adults had enclosed them, keeping everyone else away. Linda stood nearby, her attention on Honor and Quinn.
“I’ll get her if you promise not to move.” When Quinn nodded her assent, Honor motioned to Linda. “Will you stay with her while I get Arly?”
“Sure.” Linda took Honor’s place and automatically grasped Quinn’s wrist. “How you doing, h
oney?”
“I’m all right.” Quinn turned her head and tried to follow Honor’s movement through the crowd. “Listen, will you take care of Honor? Just in case I have another problem. She shouldn’t be the one running a code if this goddamn defibrillator misfires again.”
“She’s not going to let anyone else take care of you,” Linda said quietly. “You’ll both be fine. Now here comes Arly, so look sharp.”
“Quinn? Are you sick?” Arly hunkered down next to Quinn between her mother and Linda. Her expression was concerned, but she wasn’t afraid, because her mother had told her not to be.
Quinn shook her head. “I didn’t feel very good a few minutes ago, but I feel much better now. Your mom wants me to go to the hospital so she can check me out. So we’re going to go for a ride in one of the medical vans, okay?”
Arly nodded intently and glanced at her mother. “Can I come?”
Honor rested her hand on her daughter’s back. “I’m going to be busy for a while taking care of Quinn. Linda will bring you over later, I promise.”
“Okay.”
Quinn patted Arly’s knee. “I think you should get back to the game now. I’ll see you in a little while.”
“Come on, honey,” Linda said, taking the child’s hand. “Robin is going to need you back on the field.”
“Is she going to be okay?” Quinn asked as Arly disappeared.
Honor nodded, waving the EMTs over. “Yes. She understands that I’m a doctor, and she trusts that I’ll take care of things. She’ll be fine as long as she can see you later.”
“Good,” Quinn said with a sigh and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry about this.”
“Don’t ever say that to me again.” The words were delivered gently, but when she stood and addressed the first EMT on the scene, her command tone was in evidence. “I’m Dr. Blake. We need transport to PMC. She has an unstable arrhythmia and needs to be monitored all the way.”
“Yes, ma’am,” the technician said as he and his partner started an IV in Quinn’s arm and attached EKG leads to her chest.
