An orgasm began to build, her leg muscles tightening. She moaned around his cock, and he responded by thrusting into her mouth deeper, the head butting against the back of her throat. She tried to suck him in again, but she was getting distracted by her burgeoning orgasm, and a moment later, it crested. Edie cried out as he continued to lick her clit and thrust into her with his finger. She lost her grip on his cock and whimpered through the waves of the orgasm. When she recovered her breath, she began to kiss and lick his length, still quivering as he thrust his finger into her, sending aftershocks through her body.

“I’m going to come,” he warned her, thrusting against her lips.

“Do it,” she encouraged, pressing her lips to him and kissing the soft, scorching-hot skin over his cock. “I want to taste it.”

He groaned, and she felt the first hot spatter of cum against her mouth. Hot jets of it splashed across her hands and face. He murmured her name, and she felt his entire body shudder under hers, felt the tremor of his orgasm as it ripped through him. It felt oddly intimate, even if she was a bit sticky now.

Magnus heaved a long breath, then patted her ass. “Can I keep you?”

And she laughed, because even though she was tired and her knee hurt, and despite everything else, she was having a wonderful time. They got up, cleaned up, took a quick shower together, and a few minutes later, returned to bed together, both naked. Magnus pulled her against him, his body smelling like soap and clean skin. He nuzzled her neck and wrapped his arms around her. “Get some sleep. I’ve got a long day of coding tomorrow, and there’s more of the convention you’ll probably want to see.”

“Mmm.” More Bronies and cat girls and people looking at her weird when she didn’t get their gamer jokes. “Or . . . I could stay in the room with you, and whenever you take a break, we can cuddle?”

“If by cuddle, you mean sixty-nine again, I am all for that.”

Okay, that was kind of what she had meant. She giggled at the thought. Magnus was turning her into the world’s raunchiest cat lady. How Bianca would be shocked.

Then, she decided, she didn’t give a shit what Bianca thought. Content, she burrowed against Magnus’s side and went to sleep.

Chapter Fourteen

The rest of the stay passed in a blur. Magnus was in a coding frenzy, the ideas pouring out of him faster than he could write the basics down. It would be months and months of work, he told her, but he seemed utterly happy about it. Things were moving for him again, and moving without Levi, and she’d never seen him so pleased with his work. And she was a little proud that she was the catalyst for it.

For herself? She went down to the convention a few more times, but it wasn’t her sort of thing, and her knee didn’t care for all the walking, so she ended up hanging out in the room with Magnus. She read a book on her phone, watched a few movies, and just snuggled with him in bed while he worked, and it was pretty much perfect.

The only thing she missed were her cats. If she’d had a few of them curled up in bed with them? Heaven. Magnus called his assistant and checked on his two “ladies” and she’d talked to Jenna about her cats, too, because she was weird like that.

Bianca sent her a few inquisitive little texts, but she ignored those. Oh, Edie wasn’t totally heartless. She sent a chirpy Having fun! Busy! XO text to shut her up, but she didn’t want to have Bianca and the real world intruding on their little interlude.

Soon enough, she’d have to go back to her tiny townhouse and her tiny life. Right now, it was just her and Magnus in a happy bubble, and she wanted to enjoy it.

Eventually, though, the con ended, and they checked out and drove back to Edie’s townhouse. For some reason, she felt vaguely sad to see the car pull up in front of her place. She looked over at Magnus and gave him a smile. “Thanks for inviting me. I had a lot of fun.”

She opened the door to get out, only to be dragged backward. “Is that all I get?” he teased. “No good-bye kiss?”

And of course she smiled and kissed him. The kiss turned into a make-out session, and the next thing she knew, she was clinging to his shirt, dazed, as he tongued the hell out of her mouth. Then he gave her a lazy, satisfied smile, and one last, soft kiss. “I’m going to miss you this week.”

She melted a little at that. “I’m going to miss you, too.”

“Say hi to Spanky for me.”

Edie giggled. “There isn’t a cat named Spanky.”

“There should be. It’s a great cat name.”

“Then name one of yours Spanky!”

He pretended to consider it. “Lady Spanky just doesn’t have the right ring to it.”

Edie rolled her eyes. “You are the worst, you know that?”

“Naw, baby. I’m the best and you love it.” He kissed her again. “I’m probably going to be in a work bubble for the next few days, though. You want to come stay at my place with me?”

“I wish I could,” she said wistfully. “The cats need me, though, and I have a few clients to visit this week.” Business was light, but she had her repeat customers and she didn’t want to disappoint them. “Maybe this next weekend?”

“Just text me,” he told her.

“I will.” Reluctantly, she left his embrace, and the car.

It was hard not to feel a little down after leaving Magnus behind, but the moment she opened the door, a chorus of meows greeted her. “Hi, babies!” Edie set down her bag and moved to the couch, petting heads and scratching backs as the cats clustered near. They looked good, she was pleased to see, and as Tripod jumped into her lap, she felt relaxed and happy. The only thing missing was Magnus, who’d just driven away. But she’d see him again this weekend. Hopefully. Edie closed her eyes and petted the cats, relaxing and thinking of the wonderful time she’d just had.

Footsteps thumped down the stairs and inwardly, she winced.

“You’re home,” Bianca said, voice accusing.

Edie cracked open an eye. “I am. Did you miss me?”

“Of course.” Her sister wore a hurt look. “I worried about you.”

“Why?” She stroked her hand along Tripod’s back. “I was fine.”

“Because Magnus has a lot of stairs and you were at the house by yourself. Of course I’d worry. What if your knee gave out on you? I’d never forgive myself.”

Now Bianca was making her feel bad. Edie hated lying—she’d told Bianca that she was staying with Magnus’s cats while he went to the convention—but she wasn’t sure how her sister would take the news. “I can handle a few sets of stairs, Bianca. No big deal. I’m not completely incompetent.”

“Of course not.” Bianca sounded offended that Edie would think it. “Excuse me if I worry about my sister after not seeing you for a few days. I’ll just . . . leave you alone.”

Edie sighed. At this point, she was probably supposed to apologize to Bianca for being bitchy and soothe her hurt feelings. But she didn’t feel like it. Being with Magnus had been nice, because he’d accommodated her knee without making her feel like she was broken. Bianca always made her feel like . . . less. And she hadn’t realized it until just now. “Can we do this later? I’m kind of tired and I’d just like to snuggle with the cats for now, if that’s all right.”

“Sorry if I’m bothering you.” Bianca turned and headed back up the stairs. “I’ll just go upstairs by myself, then. Like I have been for the last few days.”

Edie rolled her eyes.

***

Bianca nibbled on a delicately painted fingernail. She didn’t like this. Not at all. Why was Edie blowing her off? Edie normally needed her. She needed Bianca to drive, and to help her with the business. She relied on Bianca and couldn’t get things done without her. Edie leaving for four days and not even asking Bianca to take care of the cats?