by Laura Lee
Quinn’s eyes were a little glassy, her cheeks slightly rosy, but she definitely had her wits about her. She looked like she was gearing up for a fight should I dare challenge her.
I grinned. “Excellent answer.”
Her returned smile made my chest ache. There was so much goddamn joy behind it. She had never looked at me like that before. Like I was the source of her happiness. It made me want to strut around like a proud peacock—the one with the tallest and brightest feathers in the flock. Quinn stared up at me for several long, loaded beats. Neither one of us said a word, nor were we in any hurry. We just absorbed the moment, perfectly content just being near each other.
Fuck, this woman makes me feel unhinged.
I ran my thumb over her cheek. “What is it about you? Why do you make me feel like this?”
She turned her face into my palm. “Like what?”
“Like a fucking superhero. Like I can do anything. Like I would do anything, just to see that smile on your face.”
Her mouth dropped open and her eyes went wide. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me.” She gave me a sassy smirk. “Although if I ever repeated that, nobody at work would believe that it came out of your mouth.”
“Let’s just keep it between us then, huh?” I winked.
Quinn laughed and slowly traced her index finger across my eyebrow and over my jawline, before landing in the middle of my chest. I closed my eyes when her warm hand slid down my abdomen, curling her fingers under the waistband of my shorts. “Ronan?”
I bent low so our foreheads were pressed together. “Yeah?”
“I need you to fuck me now.”
She squealed when I lifted her up and tossed her on the mattress. “Yes, ma’am.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
QUINN
“So... tell me about your past exploits.”
Ronan released a deep belly laugh. Damn, he had a good laugh. “Exploits?”
He wrapped his arm around me as I snuggled closer. “Yeah. I want to know about the women of your past.”
“Is this your way of asking how many women I’ve slept with?”
I propped my chin on his chest, meeting his eye. We’d been lying in bed talking for the last two hours. The sun had risen just enough to allow us to see each other clearly. “Not really. I mean, I probably don’t want to know the answer to that question. I’m more curious if there was ever anyone serious in your life?”
He tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. “I was married once. Is that serious enough for you?”
My eyes widened in surprise. How did I not know that? “Really? When?”
“Right before I started grad school. We had dated all through college; we were your typical young and hopelessly stupid couple. We thought nothing could touch us.”
“What happened? How long were you married?”
His shoulder lifted. “Less than a year. There was never any one big event. I guess you could say that we realized our differences were insurmountable. We grew up together, ran in the same circles, but we never had much in common. When we both ended up at Columbia, it was convenient, I suppose, to have someone you already knew in a land of strangers.” He gave me a crooked grin. “Plus, I was eighteen; I had sex on the brain 24/7 and she was hot.”
His muscles clenched as I trailed a finger down his abdomen. “So, not much has changed there. Go on.”
Ronan pinched my butt, making me yelp. “Anyway... as I was saying, I started my internship with the company’s New York office shortly after we got married. She thought I worked too much—didn’t understand why I was so invested in such a lowly position. Why I didn’t want to live off my trust fund like she did and party around the world. Over time, I became increasingly frustrated because she didn’t get it.”
“That your last name didn’t get you the job?”
He looked at me thoughtfully. “Exactly.”
“Eventually, Kylie—that’s her name—finally had enough and filed for divorce. The funny thing about it was that I don’t think either one of us really cared. If anything, we were relieved. Since then, I’ve had... arrangements here and there, but never had time to manage an actual relationship. Found it was easier to avoid them altogether.”
I kissed the spot in between his pec muscles. “Is that what you want with me? An arrangement?”
“Hell, no.” Well, this was awkward. I tried pulling away from him, but he tightened his hold on me. “Not so fast there.” He tilted my chin up. “You’re different, Quinn. What I want with you is... unprecedented. Ineffable.”
“Right,” I scoffed.
He searched my eyes. “Why are you doubting me? You know I’m not a bullshitter. Look... I’m not exactly a hearts and flowers kind of guy, and I can’t make any promises, but this thing between us is different and I’m tired of pretending it’s not. You’re not some fleeting interest; I meant it when I said that I’ve wanted you for a long time. And now that I’ve had you... now that I know what I was missing... I definitely don’t want to give that up. I sure as fuck don’t want any other man putting his hands on you.”
I smiled to myself. “So... you want monogamy?”
“Fuck yes, I want monogamy.”
I shifted my body until I was straddling his lap. Since we were still naked, I could easily feel his growing erection beneath me. “Okay.”
His fingers dug into my hips. “Yeah?”
I rolled my hips, sliding along his length. “Yeah.”
Ronan groaned. “What about your past exploits?”
“Not much to speak of.” I gasped as the flared head of his cock rubbed against my clit. “Had a steady boyfriend in high school, another in college, but in both cases, we knew we’d go our separate ways after graduation. Since then, I’ve dated, but nothing serious. I wanted to focus on my career.” I moaned when Ronan took my nipple into his mouth, sucking and biting it before releasing me with a pop. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m a lot younger than you.”
“Not that much younger,” he argued.
“Plus,” I continued, “there was this guy I was attracted to. Painfully so. I didn’t really think it was fair to pursue something with anyone else while that lingered.”
I was still rubbing myself back and forth, coating Ronan’s dick with my arousal.
His pretty blue eyes narrowed as he shifted our bodies until I was perched over him. Pulling me over his cock in one smooth motion, he growled, “What guy?”
God, why did I find his inner Neanderthal so hot? I couldn’t resist poking the bear. “He’s a major asshole, actually. And so cocky it’s almost unbearable at times. But for some reason, I couldn’t stop wondering what it’d feel like, taking him into my body, riding him until we both exploded.” I demonstrated by rolling my hips, sliding up and then back down. “I wanted to know if his pretty mouth was good for anything other than delivering barbs or barking orders.”
By this time, it was obvious Ronan had caught on. Mainly because he no longer looked like he wanted to maim somebody. “Did you ever find out?” He grabbed my hips and started thrusting into me from below. “Did he live up to your fantasies? Did he fucking own this pussy? Ruin it for any other man?”
“Mmm, and then some.”
“Oh yeah? Better than me?”
“So much better,” I teased.
“You’re going to fucking pay for that, you little witch.”
Before I knew what was happening, I was suddenly on my back, with my legs thrown over his shoulders. Ronan showed no mercy—not that I was complaining—pounding into me hard and fast, with no signs of slowing down. My back bowed off the bed, meeting him thrust for thrust. Our skin glistened with sweat, the sounds of bodies slapping echoed throughout the room. I was positive his fingertips would leave bruises on my hips. This was sex in its most primal form. Raw, gritty, and incredibly dirty.
“This pussy is mine.” Sweat dripped down his temple as he picked up the pace. “Mine to fuck. Mine to taste.” He grabbed my
butt cheeks, spreading them wide. “This virgin ass is mine to take. No other man will ever have that pleasure, if I have anything to say about it.” He palmed my breasts. “These gorgeous tits are mine. I’m the only man who gets to lick them, or suck them, or slide my dick between them.” He moved to my lips, tracing them with his thumb. “These lips are mine to kiss.” He pushed his thumb into my mouth, imploring me to suck. “My cock is the only one that gets to come inside this mouth. My tongue is the only one that gets to tangle with yours.” Ronan leaned closer until my knees were pressed against my chest and his lips were a hairsbreadth from mine. “You get what I’m saying here, Quinn?”
I tried to say yes, but I’m pretty sure it was more of a groan. Jesus Christ, no one had ever claimed me like such a caveman before. As much as it offended my feminist sensibilities, I couldn’t say I minded it one bit.
He smiled. “Good. I’m glad we cleared that up. Are you ready to come now?”
“So ready,” I panted.
Ronan braced one hand on the bed and used the other one to make circles over that tiny bundle of nerves. “Hold on, baby. I’m not going to be gentle.”
“Good. Don’t.”
My arms flew over my head to grip the headboard. Blood thundered in my veins as he resumed an unyielding pace. Ronan watched my face the entire time, as if he were memorizing every little freckle. The way my lips parted as he rubbed my clit. How my eyes rolled back when he sank one knee lower into the mattress, deepening the angle. How the telltale flush of arousal scattered across my flesh as my orgasm violently ripped through my body. Not once did his ocean-colored eyes stray.
As my climax faded, he pulled out and flipped me onto my stomach. Ronan licked a trail down my spine, nibbled the generous globes of my ass, sucked the skin on the backs of my thighs. He sank back into me so deep, a slew of expletives flew out of both of our mouths. His powerful thighs clamped around mine, pushing them together, making our fit impossibly tight. With his hand on the middle of my back, pressing me flat into the mattress, he fucked me so hard, I wouldn’t be surprised if there were a permanent imprint of my body on the bed when we were done.
I screamed his name as I spun out of control once again, and only moments later, Ronan did the same. I didn’t think either one of us could move as we caught our breath. My body felt like Jell-O; every single muscle screamed in protest. After a while, he pulled out of me with a shudder and rolled onto his back beside me.
“Fuck,” he muttered as he turned his head in my direction.
“Yeah,” I agreed, not really capable of stringing together sentences at the moment.
Ronan grabbed my hand and brought it to his mouth to kiss my knuckles. “You’re pretty fucking incredible, you know that?”
“You’re not so bad yourself.”
“You know what else?” He leaned closer, a conspiratorial gleam in his eye.
“What?” I whispered.
He brushed a patch of sweaty hair away from my face and placed a gentle kiss on my forehead. “I think we’ve nailed this relating on a personal level thing.”
I smiled. “I think so, too.”
***
The next morning, I awoke to an empty bed. I reached over and touched the rumpled sheets beside me. They were cold, so I knew that Ronan had been gone for a while. I couldn’t say I was surprised, but I was more disappointed than I’d like. Dozens of images floated through my mind as the reality of what had happened yesterday hit me.
Holy shit.
I told myself not to panic, but I still struggled to find my breath. Last night, the sex had been incredible as always, but there was this level of uncharted intimacy. With every touch, every kiss, and every word, Ronan had allowed me to see a side of him that I never knew existed. When he spoke about his ex-wife and his need to prove his worth at work, he was so exposed, yet he trusted me enough to offer that information. I was positive he rarely, if ever, shared such private thoughts.
How could so much change after only one night?
I climbed out of bed and made my way into the bathroom. Ugh, my body ached everywhere. It felt like I’d been ridden hard and put up wet. I startled when I caught sight of my reflection in the mirror. My hair was a disaster, as it should be after a night of marathon sex, but it was everything else that gave me pause. My lips were swollen. My eyes were wild. Tiny little patches of red dotted my skin where Ronan’s unshaven face had pressed against it. I smiled when I spotted the R-shaped hickey on my inner thigh.
Such a caveman.
My phone pinged with a new text message from said Neanderthal. When I opened it, I saw that it was actually the second message he had sent me. The first one was from an hour ago, explaining that he was heading to his room to shower and dress.
Bosshole: Just checking in to make sure I didn’t fuck you into a coma.
Only he could make such a crass statement cute.
Me: No coma here. You’ll need to try harder next time. I’m about to jump in the shower.
Bosshole: *Groans* Great. Now my dick is hard.
I chuckled.
Me: So join me and do something about it.
Bosshole: Sweetheart, I wish I could. I’m already downstairs—needed some real coffee before we got started for the day. Someone kept me up most of the night.
I checked the time and realized that our meeting with the hotel manager started in forty-five minutes. Shit, I needed to get a move on.
Me: I’ll be down ASAP. Grab me an iced one.
Bosshole: Hazelnut or vanilla today?
I smiled. Ronan had never bought me coffee before. We’d shared a lot of meals together, but I always grabbed my own coffee before heading to the executive floor for the day. The only way he could’ve known what I liked to order was if he paid attention to the cups that sat on my desk.
Me: Hazelnut please.
Bosshole: See you in a bit. If you feel the need to play with yourself in the shower, make sure you set your phone up and record it for me.
I shook my head.
Me: Ass.
Bosshole: You love it.
My lips twitched.
Me: Maybe...
Bosshole: Stop texting me and get ready so I can see your sexy ass in person.
Me: Yes, sir, Mr. Maxwell, sir.
Bosshole: You’re getting spanked for that one later, wiseass.
Was it bad that I was actually looking forward to that? I set my phone on the nightstand and headed for the shower, knowing that if I continued this conversation, I’d never make it to our meeting on time.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
RONAN
If my site manager didn’t stop hitting on Quinn, I swear to Christ, I would kick his ass. We’d been touring the property for almost an hour and he had been getting increasingly flirtier by the minute. He was still on the right end of professional—most likely because I was present—but I’d about had it.
I held my hand up to cut off whatever the hell he was saying. “Mr. Hamilton, will you excuse us?”
He cleared his throat. “Of course. Is something the matter?”
Quinn gave me a what the fuck are you doing look, but I ignored her.
“Yes, everything’s fine.” I thumbed through the emails on my phone. “I just received an email from headquarters, and I need to address it.”
“I can continue with Mr. Hamilton if that helps,” Quinn offered.
If I thought she was actually trying to be helpful, I’d be fine, but the look on her face told me that she was fucking with me because she knew I was up to something.
I narrowed my eyes at her. “Miss Montgomery, I’ll actually need your assistance with this.” I turned to Mr. Hamilton. “We were almost finished touring the grounds anyway, right? I wouldn’t want to hold you up; I’d rather let you get back to business. Miss Montgomery and I have already visited the pool area and we can easily stop in the spa when we’re done taking care of this urgent matter.”
“Of course, sir.” Mr. Hamilton nodded and pulled a busi
ness card from his pocket. “If you need anything, my personal cell number is on there.”
I took the card from him. “I appreciate it. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we really do need to address this.”
“What is going on?” Quinn whispered harshly as we were walking away.
I led her down the hallway to an empty conference room. Once inside, I locked the door and slammed my mouth into hers.
“Whoa, what’s that about?” she asked as I pulled away.
“Going forward, I’m going to need you to stop flirting with the on-site staff.”
She narrowed her chestnut eyes. “Excuse me?”
I flung my hand toward the door. “That guy was checking you out the entire time! You weren’t helping the situation by wearing that dress or being so goddamn friendly.”
“Did you really just imply that it’s my fault he was leering at me because of what I’m wearing?” Her face reddened. “You ass!”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “What? No.”
My eyes traveled the length of her body. Today, she was in a light pink linen dress that had a large floral pattern on it. It hit her about mid-thigh before flaring out into a ruffle-type thing. It was an aloha style dress so totally appropriate for the circumstances, but the way that it showcased her curves combined with her stiletto sandals, she was turning heads everywhere we went.
“Well... maybe,” I admitted. “I didn’t fucking like the way he was looking at you.”
“Unbelievable,” Quinn muttered. “You know, I might be okay with the caveman routine in the bedroom, but it’s not acceptable under any other circumstances, especially work. What happened to exercising self-control while on the clock?”
I tugged at my hair. “You make me fucking crazy.”
She growled. “Yeah, well, I’m not so fond of you right now either. You’re being an epic dick.”
“What did you say?” My voice was low. Menacing. I advanced upon her until Quinn’s back was pressed against the wall.