Page 30 of Pleasure and Mane
Tell him now,her inner voice urged.Tell him you know about being his fated mate.
Instead, she found herself saying, "Can I come up to your room tonight? I have something important I need to discuss with you."
Caius's hands tightened on the steering wheel, his knuckles going white. When he looked at her, his eyes had darkened to midnight blue, and she could practically feel the raw heat radiating from his body.
"Quinn," he said, her name coming out like a growl. "If you come to my room tonight, I'm not sure I'll be able to control myself around you."
The raw honesty in his admission sent liquid fire through her veins. "Maybe I don't want you to."
TWELVE
CAIUS
Caius's hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly he worried he might snap it off completely. Quinn's words echoed through his mind like a siren call.Maybe I don't want you to.
The drive back to the mansion felt both endless and far too short. Every breath brought her intoxicating scent deeper into his lungs—lavender and rain and something uniquely Quinn that made his lion prowl restlessly under his skin. His arousal pressed insistently against his dress pants, and he shifted uncomfortably, grateful for the darkness hiding his reaction.
Control yourself,he commanded silently, but his inner beast had other ideas. The lion wanted to pull over, drag her into his lap, and claim her mouth until she forgot everything but his name.
When they finally reached the circular driveway, he forced himself to walk around the truck at a normal pace instead of rushing to open Quinn's door like a lovesick teenager. But when she placed her hand in his to step down, the contact sent heat rushing through his veins.
"Thank you," she said softly, and the simple courtesy nearly undid him.
They walked through the mansion in charged silence, their footsteps echoing off the marble floors. Caius's bedroom suite occupied the entire west wing, and the journey there felt like walking to his execution—if executions involved overwhelming desire and the woman of your dreams.
His hands shook slightly as he unlocked his bedroom door, the familiar sanctuary suddenly feeling foreign with Quinn's presence. The space reflected his personality: rich leather furniture, dark wood accents, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the north gardens. A fireplace dominated one wall, flanked by the leather couch where he spent countless evenings reading.
"Can I get you a drink?" The words came out rougher than he'd wanted. "I could use one."
Quinn's lips curved into a smile that made his pulse hammer. "Sure. What do you have?"
"Bourbon, scotch, wine..." He moved toward the well-stocked bar cart near his desk, needing the activity to steady his nerves.
"Bourbon on the rocks."
Caius froze, the crystal decanter halfway to the glasses. "That's my drink."
"Good taste recognizes good taste." Her green eyes sparkled.
Another thing we have in common,he thought, warmth spreading through his chest. The list kept growing: their dedication to helping others, their shared intensity, and now their preference for bourbon. Fate definitely had a sense of humor.
He poured generous measures into two glasses, the amber liquid catching the lamplight. When he settled beside her on the leather couch, Quinn kicked off her heels and tucked her feet beneath her, the casual gesture somehow more intimate than anything that had passed between them.
The fire crackled in the hearth, casting dancing shadows across her face. She looked stunning in that navy dress, the color bringing out the emerald depths of her eyes. Her hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, and he wanted nothing more than to bury his face in those silky strands.
"So, why didn't you tell me I'm your fated mate?"
Caius choked on his bourbon, the liquid burning his throat as he struggled not to spray it across his expensive rug. His glass hit the coffee table with a sharp clink.
"You've been talking to Lavinia." It wasn't a question.
Quinn nodded, completely unruffled by his reaction. "I asked her what a mate meant because of all the whispers last night and today in town. People kept saying the word around us."
Damn his pride members and their lack of subtlety."Yes, you're my fated mate." The admission scraped his throat raw. "I wanted to tell you earlier, but I was terrified you'd run back to Denver the moment you found out."
"Actually, now that I know, everything I've been feeling makes perfect sense." Her voice held wonder instead of panic. "This pull toward you and the way my body reacts when you're near—it's not just attraction."
Relief flooded through him so intensely he felt lightheaded. "You're not running."
