Magnus: Just one cat lady.
Hunter: I see. If you hear a shriek of “I told you so” in the air, that was Gretchen.
Magnus: Ha. Just let me know what you find. The sooner the better.
Hunter: I’m sure I can get something lined up for you this week. I’ll get my best guy on it.
Magnus: Thanks, man. And tell Gretchen I want this to be a surprise for Edie.
Hunter: She won’t say a thing.
Feeling rather satisfied with himself, Magnus switched out of text mode and went to download a few of the new games he’d seen at the con this afternoon. Might as well take the time to check on the competition while Edie slept.
***
When Edie awoke, it was dark in the hotel room. She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and checked the clock. Three in the morning. Whoops. She glanced around, but the bed was empty. “Magnus?”
The faint sound of music caught her ears and Edie got out of bed. She was naked, so she threw on one of the soft complimentary bathrobes the hotel had left for them. Cracking the door to the bedroom, she peered out into the living area of the suite.
Magnus sat at a desk, headphones on, music blaring so loudly through them that she could make out the tinny strains of guitars. His laptop was lit up and he was typing furiously. As she hesitated in the doorway, he cursed and hammered on the backspace key. Then, he rubbed his face and stared at his screen, clearly frustrated.
Was this a thing for Magnus? This was the second time she’d caught him working late at night . . . and nearly tearing his hair out in the process. Did the man ever rest? He had ridiculous amounts of money, but he was driven to somehow produce a new game instead of resting on his laurels. She padded toward him and touched his arm to get his attention.
Magnus looked up at Edie, then pulled out his earbuds. The music blasted a bit louder. “Did I wake you up?”
“Nope,” she told him. “Your rage was utterly quiet.” She gestured at the screen, which looked like nothing but lines of code. “What’s all this?”
He pulled her into his lap and wrapped his arms around her. “Just more fucking coding. I was looking at a few other games and noticed they’re all extensively using multiplayer co-operative play, and I’m wondering if that’s something we can do while still in an app versus a console game without breaking the entire system. But the problem I have is the same one I’ve been having—the different nations get over-powerful too quickly.” He raked a hand over his short hair again, rubbing through the bristles. “It’s not working. There’s something wrong with the concept and it’s inherently flawed. I just can’t get it to work. I need Levi.”
“Bullshit,” Edie told him. “You just think you need Levi.”
“No, I really do,” he protested, arms tightening around her waist. “He’s the creative genius. I’m just the grunt.”
“And I still say that’s bullshit,” Edie protested. “You’re smart as hell and you’re just as creative as him. You can do it without him. You’re just stuck in a mental rut and need to work your way out of it.”
“Which is why I need Levi,” he repeated.
She pressed her hands to both sides of his face. “You don’t. You can figure this out on your own. Just spitball a bit with me.”
He shot her an irritated look, but she ignored it and gestured for him to continue.
With a heavy sigh, Magnus began to speak. “Okay. So the point is that you start out at the beginning of your civilization. You’re randomly tossed into a fantasy continent, which is one server, or you can elect to become part of an existing country on the world server. From there, you start out as a small warrior and move up in the ranks. You fight other people for spots, and quests in-game can give you loot or temporary bonuses that work against other players. As you build up, you rise in the ranks of your kingdom and you can displace existing NPCs—
“Wait, what’s an NPC?”
“Non-player character. Basically the computer.” He looked a bit irritated that she interrupted, and shook his head as if to clear it before continuing. “The NPCs or other players can build armies and take over neighboring kingdoms or band together to take out a rival. The problem is that there’s nothing stopping a player from playing for a day or two and then completely steamrolling the other players because he’s put in a bit more time or got a lucky loot drop. And once one player conquers the territory, there’s not a lot stopping him from completely unbalancing the game. It’s almost like I need something that will strip them of loot or . . .” His eyes widened. “Oh my god. Armor decay. Weapon decay. That could work.”
“Whatever you say, baby.” Sounded like gibberish to her.
“Maybe I need to add another level—instead of man versus man, I could add man versus environment as well.” He reached around her and began typing notes into the computer. “So not only will they have to deal with other players, but the environment will be against them as well. There can be rust for metal items, and wear and tear, and—”
“Weather?” Edie offered helpfully.
“Weather is good,” he agreed, typing furiously. “Anything that slows the game down without making it feel like a cheat. We could do world events and give bonuses to those who participate and also randomly penalize those who are exposed, like hurricanes on a coastal country. Or . . .” He looked at her, and then grabbed her shoulders excitedly. “The black plague!”
“I never heard a man so excited to say those three words.”
Magnus gave her a wild smile, and laughed delightedly. “Holy fuck. Plague! Natural disasters! Perfect!”
“Sounds like it,” she said drily. “Should I leave you to your computing?”
He ignored her, typing away around her for a few minutes longer. She waited patiently, watching as he worked furiously, his eyes narrow with focus. The man was flinging words onto the page with a fury, typing as if she wasn’t even in his lap. She settled in for the long haul when he suddenly thumped one of the keys and then threw himself back in his chair. He tilted his head back and dropped his hands from the keyboard, and the look on his face was almost orgasmic, which amused Edie to no end.
“So, good stuff?” she asked.
“So many fucking ideas. Jesus. It’s perfect. It’s like, I don’t even need Huns as a diversion. We can treat them like another nation instead of as an outside element. I don’t need Levi after all. It’s fucking perfect.” He looked up and his gaze fixed on her. “You’re perfect.”
“I did nothing,” she protested, and wiggled on his lap. “All I did was ask you to throw some words at me. You came up with it all on your own. You just needed someone to bounce ideas off of.”
He wiggled his eyebrows at her and his look became distinctly lascivious. His thighs flexed under her and she bounced in his lap. “Speaking of bouncing . . .”
“Mmm.” Her hand went to his shirt and she began to unbutton it slowly. “You feeling frisky now?”
“I feel revived,” he admitted, and he tugged the belt of her robe free. “Relieved and happy and utterly fucking stoked.” He pushed the robe back, revealing her breasts, and cupped them. “And I’ve been neglecting you, haven’t I? Sounds like I need to make it up to you.”
“I’m down with that,” she agreed, pushing her breasts against his hands. His touch always made shivers race through her body. “You may proceed.”
“May I?” He pulled her against him and hauled out of the chair, carrying her. She wrapped her legs around him, loving how strong he was. Magnus always made her feel dainty and girly, especially in bed. He threw her down on the bed and his eyes gleamed as he gazed down at her. “I think you should sit on my face.”
Her lips parted in shock. “I what?”
“You heard me,” he said, bending over her and biting at one of her nipples. “I think it’d be sexy as hell. Don’t you?”
She had to admit to herself, the thought o
f straddling Magnus’s face and letting him lick her until she came was making her extremely aroused. “I just . . . I . . .” Her breath escaped her.
“I bet you’d like it,” he murmured enticingly. His mouth tugged at her nipple before kissing down her belly, then paused just above her pussy. “I like the thought of those thighs of yours against my ears. Your pussy in my face, and me sticking my tongue so deep inside you that you come all around it.” He moved up and flicked his tongue against her belly button.
Edie moaned.
“That’s not a no,” he told her in a sultry voice. “And you should be rewarded for your genius.” He took her by the arms and dragged her to an upright position, kissing her mouth again. “Come and clutch the headboard, babe, so I can shove my face between your legs.”
She trembled again, but she was going to do it, wasn’t she? It felt incredibly intimate and yet. . . . sounded so delicious. She nodded and got to her feet, watching as he laid flat on the center of the bed, and then patted the top of his chest. “Come here.”
She went, shedding her robe on the floor.
Edie’s thighs trembled as she moved forward, and her hands clutched the headboard for support as she moved next to him on her knees. This was so awkward. She looked over at him, not sure where to begin. As if in answer to her silent plea, he patted her thigh. “Spread these for me.”
She did as he asked, feeling vulnerable and exposed as his head slid between her parted legs.
He grinned up at her and then his hands went to the tops of her thighs, holding her from underneath, and he began to tug her downward, toward his mouth.
She closed her eyes, determined to not feel weird about this, but to just feel. Magnus had seen her naked. He’d licked every inch of her. This shouldn’t feel any more intimate than anything else . . . and yet it did.
Her breath sucked in as his mouth touched her flesh. Her knee started to protest bearing her weight, but she ignored it because his lips were lightly exploring her folds and licking every inch of her. She wanted to squirm, but she remained completely still, holding her breath, as his tongue brushed over her. Oh god, he was lapping her like he would an ice cream, and it was maddening and so fucking sexy at the same time. She made a small whimper in her throat, and he groaned at the sound of it.
And she felt his groan right against her core, a moment before his tongue speared deep into her. Edie whimpered again, arousal overtaking any awkwardness. Her knee throbbed, the ache increasing, but she wanted to ignore the damn thing.
“Damn, you taste sweet,” he murmured. “I could lick you for hours on end. In fact, I just might.”
Her knee cramped a protest and this time when she whimpered, it was a mixture of pain and pleasure. “I—I can’t do this, Magnus—”
“No, baby, you’re doing great,” he murmured, holding her thighs tighter as he licked up against her clit. “I’ve got you—”
“It’s my knee.” She straightened and hauled off of him, getting to her feet with a wince. “Ow. Fuck. I hate my knee!” She hopped around and flexed her leg, trying to work out the kinks.
“It’s okay,” he told her from his spot on the bed.
“It’s not okay.” Edie bit her lip, hating that her old injury was wrecking sex. “I want to, I just—”
“I know,” he said, getting up and cupping her face in his hands. He kissed her gently. “Seriously, though, it’s all right. We’ll try again with a bit of a twist.”
She gave him a suspicious look. “How?”
He winked. “Sixty-nine, of course. You can lay on top of me, and I get a bit of an added bonus that way.”
Edie narrowed her eyes at him. “Convenient.”
“Isn’t it?” The look he gave her was boyish. “I admit it, there’s no downside to it. I get to lick the hell out of you and get my cock in that pretty mouth of yours.” His fingers grazed her lower lip. “Because damn, you have the prettiest mouth. It was made for fucking.”
His words made desire ripple through her again. She nodded. She’d follow anywhere this man led in bed, because he could wring orgasm after incredible orgasm from her.
Magnus kissed her again, then took her hand and led her back to the bed. This time, he pulled off his loose shirt and undid his pants, stripping naked in a matter of moments. As he dropped his pants, the length of his cock caught her attention, hard, erect, and the head already glazed with pre-cum. And she was suddenly excited about the thought of taking him in her mouth while he did the same to her. She’d never done it before, but she loved giving head, and she loved receiving it, too. Seemed like a win-win all around.
She moved forward and her hand went to his cock, wrapping her fingers around his length. He groaned and pushed against her hand, kissing her mouth again.
“Trust me?” he murmured against her mouth.
She nodded. “Want you.” And she gave his cock a small squeeze, then ran her thumb over the head, picking up a bead of slickness. She brought it to her mouth and licked it off, enjoying the heat in his gaze.
“On the bed,” he growled. “Now. I want that pussy in my mouth.”
Her knees went weak. Okay, she was a sucker for the dirty talk. She sat on the edge of the bed and watched as he went around the other side and laid down flat. His cock jutted into the air and she leaned over to take him into her hand again, unable to resist the sight of it, so blatant and obscene and utterly fucking sexy.
“Come here, Edie.” He patted his chest. “I want your hips right here.” Then he pointed at his cock. “And your mouth right there.”
“Any other commands?” She teased even as she crawled forward on the bed, mindful of her bad knee.
“Nope. I will be completely content if I get those two things.”
Even as she moved, he pulled at her, hauling her legs over his chest as if she weighed nothing. She lost her balance and sprawled against him, her face near his cock and settling against his thighs. She almost protested, but then his arms gripped her hips and she felt his mouth nuzzle her pussy. “Mmm, right there,” he murmured, sounding so pleased as his tongue gave her a long, slick swipe that made her shudder.
She propped up on her elbows, adjusting her body. His cock was so big that it brushed against her face, and she leaned on one arm as she took him into her hand with the other, then put her lips to the head.
As soon as she did, his tongue stroked over her clit and she heard him groan. “Right there, baby.”
A whimper escaped her—she seemed to make all kinds of needy noises when he touched her—and she licked the head of him over and over again, teasing him with her tongue like he was to her.
“How do you like it, baby? Want to stop?” His tongue circled her core, the tip pushing inward, and she felt the urge to buck against it, moaning. “Or you want to keep going?”
Her entire body felt as if it were quaking with need. “Keep going,” she breathed. “Feels good.”
“Take me in your mouth,” he commanded.
She did, feeding his cock in between her lips. Her tongue dragged along his length, and she licked and nibbled every inch of him, and all the while he licked her folds and teased her clit, thrusting his tongue against her core every now and then. Edie took him deep and began to suck, hollowing her cheeks.
Magnus groaned. “Fuck, that’s good.”
She felt something new press against her core—his finger. His tongue teased her clit even as he began to stroke a finger in and out of her, and Edie began to make soft, needy sounds all over again. His length filled her mouth, and he started to pump against her tongue, her lips moving over him, even as his finger worked in and out of her.
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 burgeo
ning 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.