Double Alchemy: Climax

by Susan Mac Nicol

  “I love you too, Quinn. And you need not worry about Coop. You’re the only man for me, you know that. In fact, I’m thinking it’s about time you made it up to me with actions, not words.” Cade stood up and extended a hand to Quinn who grinned and took it as he got to his feet.

  “Why, Mr. Mairston, you little slut. I’d be happy to.”

  Chapter 31

  The cold wind howled across the vast expanse of water in Crieff, in the highlands of Scotland, causing it to ripple as the surrounding conifers swayed fiercely. Cade sat by the roaring log fire in his cabin. The cabin he was staying in on the spectacular Loch Manzievaird was beautiful and luxurious but simply the high keening sound of the wind outside was enough to make him shiver. The past few weeks had been hectic to say the least, as the anthropological team he was part of put their research hats on and travelled the area anxious to pursue the history of the Picts, particularly the saga of the ninth-century Pict King Kenneth MacAlpin. It had been a fairly intensive project and Cade was glad it was coming to an end in two days. He’d be glad to get home.

  Cooper had been warned in no uncertain terms that Cade was off limits and in fact, his original ardour seemed to have cooled somewhat. Cade had seen him making out with some young twink in a rowboat on the Loch only two days before.

  Quinn of course was inordinately satisfied at this turn of events. “You can’t trust these younger men,” he’d murmured smugly the last time he’d appeared in Cade’s cabin. “Fickle fellows, they are.”

  Cade waited now for Quinn to appear on what he called laughingly his “conjugal visit” and he smiled at the thought of seeing him again. The fire was burning, the logs stacked up to keep it burning, and the red wine was currently breathing on the table. There was the familiar disconcerting change in the air as Quinn’s Withinner transported him up to the Highlands of Scotland from their cosy home in Hampstead Heath. Cade turned to see Taliesin standing behind him, his dark face smiling, his eyes warm.

  “Taliesin, it’s good to see you again.” Cade moved over and they shook hands. The Fey urges the pair had originally experienced had disappeared altogether from their first rather raunchy meeting, although Cade’s face still flushed in sheer embarrassment when he saw him. The Withinner looked pleased and bowed slightly.

  “It is good to see you too, Cade. I asked Quinn for this time together so I could present you with something.” He rummaged around in his cloak and pulled out a small item that looked like the muslin pods used to make mulled wine. He placed it in Cade’s hand.

  “This is a good luck charm for the marriage. It has been enchanted to wish you personally all my best wishes for the coming nuptials with Quinn.” He grinned sardonically. “You are going to need it, probably more than one bag if truth be told.”

  Cade chuckled loudly. “Thank you, that’s a lovely thought. I think you’re right on the needing luck part.”

  The two men grinned at each other conspiratorially. Taliesin grinned. “You are looking well. I wish I could say the same for Quinn. He seems very moody the last few days with all his wedding plans.”

  Cade guffawed in amusement. “Really? My big bad Quinn is stressing over wedding favours and venues?” Quinn had been emailing Cade with suggestions put forward by his team of QuinnCo virtual employees serving as wedding planners so Cade could be involved from the start. Cade quite enjoyed all the preparation work and decision making.

  The Withinner nodded. “He has been short tempered and rather testy.” He grinned. “Quinn is impatient to get here. He revokes me. I wish you well and look forward to meeting you again.”

  The air changed slightly and as Cade watched, his future husband appeared in front of him. He had to admit Quinn looked a little haggard.

  Quinn smiled at him. “God, it’s good to be here again. I missed you.”

  He leaned forward to give Cade a bear hug.

  Cade kissed him deeply, his hands wrapping around his waist. “It’s only been three days,” he said wryly.

  Quinn chuckled. “I know. I had some business to take care of yesterday that took a while.” He made his way over to the table lit up by the flickering flames of the fire and poured two glasses of red wine. He handed one to Cade.

  “Is everything still on track for you to come home on Friday?” Quinn’s voice was hopeful.

  “Still the plan. Then I’ll be able to help you more with the wedding plans. I understand from Taliesin that you may be showing some signs of stress?” Cade said slyly.

  Quinn flushed. “It’s no big deal,” his fiancé growled as he sipped his wine and sat down on the sofa by the fire. “I’m perfectly capable of organising our wedding in your absence. It’s my employees who are testing my patience with their endless questions. What about this colour, these flowers, these centrepieces. Perhaps we should get married in the registry office then swan off to some Caribbean island for an extended honeymoon…”

  He looked at Cade hopefully. Cade ignored the entreaty. This was his first and —he hoped—only wedding and while it wasn’t some huge celebrity bash worthy of appearing in OK! or Now magazine, the lure of having a Wiccan-Warlock ceremony with he and Quinn exchanging vows and the resulting festivities was too much for him to resist. Besides, he was getting the honeymoon anyway as a wedding present from Quinn.

  Quinn scowled as he realised Cade wasn’t falling for his plan. He took off his shoes and socks, chucking them carelessly at the side of the sofa as he settled back comfortably on the couch. He closed his eyes and Cade sat down next to him and caressed his hair. He’d always thought his man was a definite Leo the way he loved his hair stroked.

  “How did your business meeting go?” he asked as his lips slowly nibbled Quinn’s ear. “Was it all about Barton Sinclair again?”

  Quinn nodded. “The stupid bastard has formed his own organisation and appointed himself as ‘Worshipful Master.’ What a crap bloody title. He has his little sycophant there, Troy Cavanaugh as well as a few other misguided tossers that don’t know their arse from the elbow.”

  “But he does have a large following,” Cade said quietly. “He could be trouble for you.”

  Quinn sighed as his eyes opened and he looked at him. “Yes, he could be trouble. But I’ll have to deal with it seeing as how I’m the one who caused it in the first place. But I’m not going to worry about that until something actually happens. For now, let him build his little empire. Mine’s bigger.”

  Cade shook his head at the satisfaction in Quinn’s voice. “You are so bloody arrogant,” he whispered, as his tongue delved into Quinn’s ear, making him shiver. “I love it when you’re so masterful.”

  “I’m glad you like it,” Quinn murmured, his voice husky. “I’ve got a few plans to be just that later on.” His eyes closed again and he sighed in content.

  “How’s Daniel?” Cade asked.

  Quinn’s eyes flicked open. “Daniel is finally safe in RAW and managing to play the spy even better than before now that he’s on his own turf. Everything seems to have worked out for the best and Valensia is doing her bit to help. She seems to have really taken to him.”

  He laughed softly. “But Daniel is playing with fire.” He stretched his long frame, raising his arms above his head and yawning. “He’s seeing Valensia despite my warnings and the man is going to come off second best. But he thinks he knows better. I think he plans on bringing on her to the wedding reception as his plus one. That’ll be a hoot.” He chuckled.

  Cade slapped his shoulder with a frown. “The man’s having some fun, for God’s sake. What’s wrong with that?”

  “The man is almost twice her age. She’s a witch, he’s a human. She’s a conniving and complicated woman and he’s a decent man. You can’t tell me that’s not a recipe for disaster.” Quinn scowled fiercely. “I just don’t want him getting hurt.”

  “Daniel is a grown man. Let him make his own decisions and fate.” Cade whispered seductively in his ear. “You’re not perhaps a little jealous, are you? I mean, that she mi
ght want him for her sex slave now instead of you?”

  Quinn opened his eyes and Cade shivered at the predatory look in them.

  “Cade, my sexy Sprite,” he said silkily as his arms pulled him closer, onto his lap, facing him. “You’re my sex slave. I have no need of anyone else and I definitely mean to prove that later tonight. I even brought the ties with me.” He reached into his jeans pocket and Cade gasped as Quinn pulled out the four red ribbons they’d used in a previous bondage session.

  Quinn grinned. “That lovely wooden bed over there is not going to know what hit it,” he whispered softly, as his tongue trailed down the side of Cade’s throat and licked the pulse flickering in his throat. Cade moaned softly.

  “Perhaps you should take your clothes off,” Quinn murmured. “And I’ll do the same.”

  Cade stood up and slipped his sweatpants and boxers off, leaving them in a pile on the floor. He tugged off his tee shirt and that too was thrown unceremoniously into the corner. Quinn stood up and unbuttoned his jeans, stepping out of them fluidly and reaching up to take off his blue sweatshirt in one quick, catlike movement.

  He stood naked before Cade, his eyes assessing him, and then Quinn sat back down on the couch, legs spread, motioning with an imperious gesture for Cade to get on top of him. Cade noticed Quinn was definitely ready for the night’s event. His lazy grin as he stroked himself idly made Cade’s blood heat up and his throat dry. Cade loved it when his lover was like this. This was the one area in their relationship that he loved Quinn’s arrogant, dominant side and his man played it so well.

  Cade moved onto Quinn’s lap, straddling him and reaching for the lube. He opened the tube, squeezing it onto his fingers and reached around to open himself up.

  Quinn grinned. “Nuh-uh. Tonight I want you inside me.”

  Cade was always more than happy to make his slow languorous way inside Quinn’s body, feeling his lover clench tight muscles around him and drive him crazy with lust. It happened often enough, although Cade’s preference was having Quinn’s cock thrusting into him with either slow, teasing moves or powerhouse drives that made him beg for more. Tonight though, from the look in Quinn’s eyes, it was Cade’s turn to be the pile driver.

  Cade reached over and took Quinn’s lips in a passionate kiss, as teeth clicked together and greedy tongues played a game of catch inside each other’s mouths. Finally, panting, they drew apart and Cade moved off Quinn and pushed him onto his back.

  “Just lie back and enjoy, lover boy,” he murmured as his fingers slid their way inside his fiancé and Quinn’s breath caught, face lighting up with pleasure. Soon there was only the slow, languid movements of two bodies so in tune with each other that it became an opus of passion and lust, heated bodies rubbing against one another until that sweet, intense climax when both of them exploded with their need and desire to be as one. It was this melding of minds and bodies that took Cade’s breath away, that made his heart beat frantically in his sweaty chest and made his groin heat up in sheer abandon and release. The feeling of coming inside Quinn was primal, and Cade revelled in hearing his lover’s cry as his head arched back and his hips thrust upward as he came. Finally, Cade lay spent against the stickiness of Quinn’s stomach and chest hair, matted with come, as he watched his lover’s face slowly relax and the eyes that only a moment ago had been black pools of desire turn soft with glances of love and possession.

  Quinn looked at him from hooded eyes, in which flames from the firelight flickered. “Cade, do you think you could get off me? I’m bloody freezing and your skin has gone all goose bumpy. I think we should sneak in under the bed covers now and keep each other warm.” Quinn grinned and Cade moved off him. Quinn stood up and threw more logs on the fire, causing it to hiss and spit as the flames reared up. He padded naked over to the bed and drew back the covers, looking at Cade wickedly. “Don’t forget to bring those ribbons over here,” he said huskily. “I’ve a definite need to do something with them later.”

  Cade chuckled as he watched Quinn crawl under the goose-down duvet and settle back with a sigh of contentment.

  Could this get any better? He thought to himself. Quinn in my bed, becoming my husband when I get home, a plan for a child underway and an evening of what looks to be fairly strenuous and exciting sex with the man of my dreams.

  Cade stood for a while, naked in the cabin with the log fire roaring and the wind howling outside and simply embraced what his life had become. He had never felt so complete.

  “Are you coming to bed?” Quinn’s eyes were dark as he watched him, and his gentle smile told Cade without words just how much he loved him.

  “Yes, I’m coming to bed. I was just thinking how lucky I am.”

  Quinn spoke quietly. “Ralph Waldo Emerson said, ‘Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance. Strong men believe in cause and effect.’ To me, nothing happens by chance. You and I were meant to be together. It was no accident meeting on the heath all that time ago.”

  Cade climbed into bed beside Quinn and burrowed into his shoulder as Quinn’s arm went around him, stroking his hair softly. “I love you, Cade, heart and soul. You’re the one I’ve been waiting for all my life. You’ve helped me banish a lot of demons and given me your unconditional love and for that, I will always be grateful. And now we’re going to become fathers together and that’s just a miracle I’d never really seen coming.”

  Cade reached up and touched Quinn’s face tenderly. “I love you with everything I’ve got. You are my rock and my world and I could never think of having a life without you. And having a child is just going to make that love stronger. We’re going to be a family, and I love the sound of that.”

  Quinn laughed softly. “I think we should use these words in our wedding vows. I still have to write something and until now I was struggling to find the right words.”

  “God, I’d forgotten about that. I’ve nothing either.” Cade nestled closer against him, his hands running through the hair on Quinn’s chest as his lips gently kissed his shoulder. The cabin was filled with the sounds of the night storm outside as it began to rain, the drops plopping down onto the roof and running down the windows in icy rivulets. Outside, the sounds of the tree branches rustling as they were battered in the wind was calming. There was a distant sound of thunder.

  “I love it here but I’ll be glad to get home,” Cade murmured. “I’m looking forward to being your husband. Mr. Cade Mairston-Fairmont. It has a good sound to it. Almost royal.”

  Quinn moved his arm from behind and moved toward Cade as he half covered his body with his, the red silk ties he held in his hand teasingly trailing them across his stomach. Cade stared into his eyes, seeing them darken as Quinn’s pupils grew wider and he shivered in anticipation for what he was promising.

  “Time to put these to good use, Cade,” he purred. “I’ve been looking forward to this all day. My turn to be inside you now.”

  Cade saw the desire in his eyes and as he reached out for him, he sighed and waited for Quinn to work his magyck.

  The End

  AUTHOR’S NOTES

  The beautiful village of Mistley in Manningtree in Essex, the county I live in, features quite a bit in this series. It’s a serene, coastal town where the Witchfinder General, Matthew Hopkins, is supposed to be buried. You can find out a bit more about it and Matthew here:

  http://www.visit-manningtree.co.uk/places/mistley.html

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Hopkins

  Taliesin was a great (and real-life) bard who lived in the sixth century. If you’re interested in finding out a little more about this enigmatic man then is the place to go.

  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliesin

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Sue Mac Nicol was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom. At the age of eight she moved with her family to Johannesburg, South Africa, where she stayed for nearly thirty years before arriving back in the UK in December 2000. The first year Sue was back in the UK, it snowed on her birt
hday, as it did the day she was born in 19—cough—and she swears this was England welcoming her back.

  Sue’s career has mostly been in the financial services area, and she specialises in what she calls “boring” compliance and regulatory work. That’s why she escapes into the world of writing and fantasy where she chats to her characters ad nauseum and is overjoyed when they reply. It beats the monotony of legalese, contracts and legislation—and let’s face it, writing hot scenes between men can only be rewarding.

  Sue’s M/M Romance books, Stripped Bare, Saving Alexander, Worth Keeping and Waiting for Rain have all hit various bestseller lists, a fact that continues to awe and humble her. Sue is a PAN member of Romance Writers of America and a member of the Romantic Novelists Association in the UK. She lives in the quaint village of Bocking in Essex, set in the countryside and not far from the sea should she get the yen to eat oysters.

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