“I’m not good at this stuff, Quinn. You need to know that.”
“Okay.” Quinn finally managed to take back her hand. She wasn’t going to sit here and let him coddle her while he talked away his absence. She shouldn’t care. She shouldn’t. She should just hop in her car and go home. To hell with the ranch and to hell with Joe McKinnon.
“I’m not good with women.”
She rolled her eyes. “Gee, ya think?”
“Fuck!” Joe stood and walked a few steps away before turning to face her. He stalked back and spun her chair, with her in it, to face him. Grabbing onto the sides, effectively caging her in, he leaned close. “I’ve never wanted a woman the way I want you, Quinn. Do you hear me? If I had my way, I’d carry you up those stairs and spread you out beneath me but that would just scare you off.”
Quinn wasn’t easily manipulated but damn, if she wouldn’t mind being manipulated by him in the bedroom. Dominance rolled from the man in giant waves of heat, scorching her. She caught her breath and focused on him. “You think I scare easily, cowboy?”
Silence fell until one corner of his mouth kicked up. “Doubt there’s much you can’t handle. I really like that about you.”
She started to deliver another feisty retort when he moved in and took her lips in a swift, hot kiss. His tongue swept deep inside, tasting her. Breathless, she drew back wanting more but knowing this was dangerous to her composure. “You tryin’ to make up, Big Joe McKinnon?”
“Is it working?” He whispered the question against her lips.
“Not hardly.”
Joe kissed her again, drawing her bottom lip into the heat of his mouth to suck and then he planted his lips against her forehead. “I want you to stay. This is your place and my moving in on you like some kind of animal wasn’t gonna do the trick.”
“Why is this so important to you? Why do you want me to stay?” She leaned her head back and looked at him. “You could buy me out, Joe. Lord knows I could use the money.”
Joe’s hands went to her shoulders where his fingers did a slow massage. “The ranch belongs to both of us. Together. It’s what your father wanted until the day he died. I aim to see it happen. Don’t give up your claim to this place. Give it a chance. Give me a chance. What do you have to lose?”
“Dangerous question, Joe. What do you have in mind?” she whispered, feeling the heat of his body as he invaded her space.
“Ah, honey, I have a lot of things in mind but for now, how about you join me for a tour of the ranch, maybe a picnic out by the creek? At dusk.”
How could she say no?
* * * * *
By the time late afternoon rolled around, Quinn had worked herself into a frenzy and her last nerve was worn razor thin. What the hell had possessed her to make plans with this man when she had every intention of leaving the handsome cowboy and hightailing it home before long? Throughout the day she’d tried to work off the worry that she was making the biggest mistake of her life but it hadn’t helped. She’d cleaned until the huge house was sparkling. In the end, she’d taken a long hot bath and primped, all the while thinking about how hot Joe had looked this morning when he’d leaned over and tasted her mouth. He was so different from the men she’d known before. There was something so…well, powerful about this man. Intensity radiated from him. It left her melting, drenched, needy in a way she’d never been before. Yep. He was dangerous but she’d be a fool to let pass the once-in-a-lifetime chance to know him better before she headed back to her dreary life.
By the time she got downstairs, Joe was waiting in the kitchen for her and Quinn’s heartbeat kicked up in her chest. Leaning against the counter in a lazy stance, he gave her a slow up and down. “You look beautiful, Quinn.”
Nervously, she smoothed her hands over the short, sassy shirt she wore and laughed a little. “What? This old thing? Thanks.”
“Not talking about the clothes, sweetheart. I’m speaking of the woman wearing them.”
Ah, damn. What was a girl supposed to say to that?
“Um. Thanks.”
How could she not fall head over heels for a man like this? She swallowed, realizing her mouth had gone dry.
Joe wore his trademark faded jeans and a dark blue tee. Nothing fancy for sure but he looked absolutely edible. His thick wavy hair was slightly damp as if he’d just showered. He straightened from the counter and in two seconds flat had her wrapped in his arms. Bending his head, he took her mouth in a lazy kiss that threatened to knock her on her butt.
“You’re welcome,” he whispered, before going for her lips again, dragging his tongue along her bottom lip then going deep for a fuller tasting. His arms tightened as he aligned his body to hers, letting her feel the press of denim between her thighs. He was hard and as his hands settled on her butt, he raked his erection over her. Pleasure rolled through her pussy and her knees went weak. “Been thinking about this all day, Quinn.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Been thinking about the way you fit so good in my arms. About the way your pretty breasts feel against my chest.”
As if to emphasize the point, he rubbed his muscles against her aching breasts and she almost whimpered. Somewhere during the tender assault her nipples had gone as hard as diamonds and, oh lordy, they ached.
But before she could say another word, he let her go and stepped back. For the first time, Quinn noticed the large wicker basket on the table and smelled something delicious. Fried chicken.
She went to the basket and peeked inside. Yep. Sure enough there was a small white box that said Dixie’s Deli in red script. She also spotted a container of potato salad. A small bag was stuffed with delicate baby carrots, celery sticks and black olives. Along with that were two plastic plates, utensils and a long-stemmed wine glass. “You went to a lot of trouble here. It smells great.”
“No big deal. I had to run into town anyway so I just picked this stuff up.”
The yummy scent of the food made Quinn realize she had hardly eaten all day and her tummy rumbled in reaction. Joe laughed and grabbed the basket from the center of the table and took her elbow. “I heard that. Come on. Let’s get you fed.”
Within a few minutes, she was seated in his big, black doublewide truck and watched him get behind the wheel. The sun was lowering, throwing streamers of blue and orange across the horizon in a breathtaking display but she knew she couldn’t appreciate the scenery as she should with Joe sitting beside her. Nerves danced beneath the surface of her skin and she forced herself to try to at least appear calm. He’d be on her in a flash if he knew what the close proximity did to her composure.
His presence filled the cab of the truck and he brought with him the scent of the outdoors and the subtle spice of his cologne. A Tim McGraw song blasted from the radio and Joe immediately reached out to turn down the volume. “You dance?”
The question caught her off guard and she turned to see him smiling faintly. “Yeah. I love to dance. How about you?”
“Hell no. But for you I might give it a shot. Cloverfield has a nice little honky tonk if you’d care to check it out with me.”
She arched her brow as everything female deep inside her grew warm. “Are you asking me out on a date? Another one?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “Yeah. I’m sick of dicking around, Quinn. I want you to stay but I want you more. I figure ladies like that kind of thing.”
“You mean, as opposed to a quick good time on a desk?”
He shot her a sharp look. “Yeah. As opposed to that, although it was great.”
Emotions rolled from Joe into her and she suddenly felt his worry about overstepping where she was concerned. But more than that, she felt his need and her skin pickled with awareness of him. Unable to stop herself, she reached out and sifted her fingers through the long hair that brushed his shoulders, heard his sharp intake of breath. “It was great, Joe. Hot and powerful. But it was also really quick considering we were, still are, complete strangers. I’m not the kind of woman
who falls so easily into sex with a man.”
“Don’t you think I know that, Quinn? Too damn ornery to be easy.”
“I’m glad you know. As to the date? Yeah, I’d love it. Sounds fun.”
She felt the relief that swept him and focused her gaze on the miles of landscape that stretched out before her as they left the main road and drove the well worn trails that traced paths over the ground. In the distance, two cowboys were repairing a fence and both stopped to offer a wave. She recognized them from that embarrassing first day and had seen them a couple of times as she’d come into the kitchen to get her morning coffee. But Joe kept driving until they approached a mossy green creek that was dappled with shade in spots and sparkled in other places as it caught the waning light of the sun and threw the reflection back. Huge oaks and cottonwoods lined the area then continued on into a densely wooded area. Where most of the land was beaten brown by the summer heat, here thick patches of grass formed a lush carpet.
It was beautiful. Private. Strangely stirring.
She helped Joe fetch the hamper and a brightly colored quilt and had to smile as he reached into the bed of the truck to pull out a small ice chest. When he set the basket and ice chest on the ground, she couldn’t resist a peek. A bottle of chardonnay and three longnecks were nestled, chilling, in the ice along with a corkscrew. “My, my,” she murmured, looking at the sight with a grin. “You’ve thought of everything. I’m impressed.”
And she was, she realized, as she helped him smooth the quilt on the grass and unpack the goodies. Feeling more at ease than she had in days, she kicked off her shoes and helped Joe with his boots. When she served up the food and they started to eat, she asked questions about the ranch. She didn’t want to get into the subject of her long-lost dad or her mom and she figured he sensed it because conversation was light, interspersed with the chirping of crickets and the occasional drone of a dragonfly hovering over the water.
Near dark, the stars began to pop out in the sky overhead and Quinn noted the single remaining drumstick sitting in the box. Smiling, she plucked it up and held it out to Joe who shook his head. “You eat it.”
Quinn laughed. “I don’t dare. One is my limit. Any more will go straight to my ass.”
Joe grinned, seeming lighter of heart than she’d ever seen him. He leaned close, bridging the space between them. “And such a nice ass it is too.”
“Ah, you say the sweetest things. Still trying to get me to stay, aren’t you?” She chuckled as she grabbed the last long-necked bottle of beer from the chest, twisted the cap and handed it to him.
“Yeah but I’m not lying about your great ass. It was the first thing I noticed about you.”
Feeling light and happy and wondering if the two glasses of wine she’d drunk were making her giddy, she poured a teensy bit more into her glass. Just a sip. Then she looked up and grinned. “Liar. I was coming toward you, remember?”
“All right. I noticed your very nice breasts and then I noticed your ass.”
Quinn was still smiling when she heard the low growl of a wolf and she froze. Beside her Joe went still too and they looked toward the sound to see the great black beast on the other side of the creek, snarling loudly at them. Two other wolves ran toward it, nudged and circled and snapped their teeth. With a yip of sound, the black wolf took off at a run into the woods leaving the other two to follow.
“What the hell?” Quinn whispered. Suddenly Joe’s arms were around her. Damn, the man moved fast.
“Shh. Don’t be afraid.”
Her cheek was pressed against his sturdy chest and his arms were strong. Fear? What fear? “I’m not. I can’t believe it but I’m not.” She looked up at him noting the concern in his eyes. She mustered up a smile. “Maybe your pet has taught me to not fear wolves.”
Joe studied her. His brow lifted. “My pet?”
Quinn straightened. “Yeah, your wolf. He spends time with me every night in my room. He’s gorgeous, Joe. He does belong to you, doesn’t he?”
Joe huffed a breath. “I’m not sure he belongs to anyone.” Reaching out, he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, then traced his thumb down the side of her face. “At least not yet. Tell me something, Quinn.”
“Yeah?”
“Why aren’t you afraid?”
She’d actually wondered the same thing. Drawing away, she stood and walked to near the edge of the creek bank. Sighing, she leaned against the bark of an aged oak and looked off into the direction the wolves had gone. A lone howl ripped through the quiet of the night. She shook her head, feeling Joe’s presence behind her. “Crazy, huh? Honestly, I don’t know but I’m not afraid. I feel a connection with their wildness that I can’t explain.”
“Like wild things, do you?”
Her body hummed with awareness as she caught the hungry glint in his eyes. “Thinkin’ I must. I do.”
They both knew she wasn’t talking about the wolves now. She was talking about Joe, this place, this whole new world and the endless possibilities that lay before her. Joe made a low sound and faster than she could blink he’d grabbed her hands holding them together, high against the tree. His gaze dropped to her lips then locked on her eyes. “That’s damn good to hear, darlin’, cause we’re about to get wild together. What do you say to that?”
He’d whispered the words against her lips, letting her feel the press of his hard body against her. She gasped a sharp breath and absorbed the heat of him. Her response rose fast and sweet as heady lust sank into her bones. “It’s about damn time. Tired of fighting you, Joe. I’m tired of fighting this.”
Energy sparked around them making the cool night air practically sizzle. Her skin tingled with pleasure and she felt her mind expand to lock with Joe’s. She felt his lust, his need, the power of him. It was like that first day at the cemetery when the world had compressed to just the two of them. And then there were no more words as his mouth took hers in a kiss hotter than a Texas summer.
Finally. Yeah, finally she was going to take what she wanted and she was damn sick of all this pussyfooting around.
Chapter Six
Carefully, Joe lowered his shields feeling Quinn’s latent power hovering on the precipice where it would linger until he coaxed it to the surface with his passion. He was burning with need for her and the memory of watching her in various states of undress only fueled the fires that threatened to rage out of control. Yeah, he’d been an ass to spy on her in his wolf form but, damn it, he’d wanted to be close to her. It had been the only way.
But now the time for waiting was over. He held her hands over her head against the bark of the tree and felt her delicious curves go all soft against his body, a perfect counterpoint to his hardness. “You ready for me, wild thing?” he whispered against the golden coolness of her hair. “You ready to burn, darlin’? Because I swear to God, if you tell me no, I don’t think I could stand it.”
He lowered his lips to hers and took the kiss deep, dipping his tongue into her mouth, tasting her surrender. Her breath mingled with his and when he drew back, he caught the brilliant shine of her eyes. Their melding powers made them glow like laser lights in the darkness.
Joe knew his eyes were glowing too. Carefully, he buried his face at the curve of her neck. He drew his tongue along her throat. He sucked the tender flesh and heard her gasp. He nipped the spot and his gums tingled as he fought the need to bite harder When he palmed one abundant breast, he wanted to howl at the feel of it. Her nipple had gone hard and he teased it with his fingers, dragging a groan from Quinn’s lips.
“More, Quinn. Gimme more.”
“Yes.”
Scraping his thumbnail against her puckered nipple, he quickly replaced it with his teeth, wishing the thin cotton of her top gone. Ignoring her swift intake of breath, he sucked her through the fabric, feeling the diamond hardness against his tongue but it wasn’t enough. Violent urges to take had him gripping the hem of the flimsy top and pulling it up over her head. He tossed it aside and with
in seconds, he’d unhooked the center snap of her lacy bra. When he parted the sides, his mouth went bone-dry. “Beautiful,” he murmured before taking one white mound in his hand. Squeezing, flexing his fingers over her lush flesh, he thought he’d never seen anything prettier. He bent to tease with his tongue, trailing it around the pale pink color before drawing the tender nipple into his mouth to suck. While he played, her fingers speared through his hair to hold him closer. The soft sounds she made as he sucked the morsel spurred him on and as he switched his attentions to the other breast, he sent his hand beneath the sorry excuse for a skirt to find her center with deadly accuracy.
Quinn’s inner thighs were damp. His hand swept over that soft flesh, loving the way she trembled. He felt her need, smelled the desire in her, as he trailed a finger over her silky wet panties. They clung to her layers, outlining what he most wanted. Her clit was a distended little bump against the fabric and he took it in his fingers, tugged, squeezed, plied her there. “Yes, oh Joe.”
Her lower body pushed against the invasion, the single touch and he made a low sound, releasing her nipple with a soft pop. “So wet, Quinn. Gonna take you here. That sound good?”
She didn’t answer but that was fine with him. They were beyond simple words and he knew it. He reached for the waist of her skirt and wanted to howl his impatience until Quinn said, “Button. Zipper.”
There it was. He found the oversized button, then the zipper and lowered the garment down her beautiful, long legs. It pooled around her ankles so he lifted one foot, then the other and freed her of it leaving her wearing only the utterly useless panties.
Joe stood back to take her in and she didn’t flinch away or try to cover her body. He damn sure liked that about Quinn Harlow. She was fearless. Pride in her surged high as he jerked his tee shirt over his head and tossed it to the pile of discarded clothes.
“Touch me.”
He moved in as she reached out. He watched her draw her bottom lip between her teeth as she sent her hands over his chest in long leisurely strokes. Tenderly she stroked her thumbs over his nipples and he caught his breath. Closing his eyes, gritting his teeth, he realized this was the first time a woman had touched him this way. She didn’t want anything from him. She didn’t know who or what he was. To Quinn, he was just a simple man. She-wolves like Selena saw power and glory, a means to a higher station when they touched him this way.
Lone Star Lycan Page 6