VINCENT (Dragon Security Book 2)

by Glenna Sinclair

  “She’s right, Olivia,” I said, leaning down and scooping her up into my arms. “We can’t eat anywhere unsafe.”

  “But you said I could choose where we had lunch today.”

  “I did. But you’ll have to choose another place, okay?”

  I carried her back to the SUV and deposited her on the backseat even as she started naming off restaurants she’d like to go to instead of this one. Then I turned to Quinn. “I didn’t know you had a peanut allergy.”

  “Yeah. It’s not as bad as it could be, but eating something that’s drenched in peanut oil can make my throat swell up in seconds.”

  “Good to know.”

  I helped her into the car, my hand lingering on her hip. She smiled at me, this smile that made promises I hoped she would keep once we settled back at her place.

  A man could hope, right?

  We ended up eating at a national fast food chain, gobbling hamburgers and sharing a massive ice cream sundae with fudge sauce mixing with the caramel sauce in the melting ice cream. Olivia fell asleep fifty miles from the house, her face flush with all the excitement of the last few days.

  “It’s amazing how much noise one little person can make.”

  Quinn chuckled. “You should have known her when she was a baby. She babbled non-stop.”

  “I believe it.”

  We pulled into the driveway of Quinn’s house. The lights in the house next door went off almost the second we pulled in, almost as if the person living there had been watching and had seen us pull in. It was a little creepy. Or maybe I was just watching for creepiness.

  I lifted Olivia into my arms and carried her up to the house as Quinn unlocked the front door. The alarm immediately beeped.

  “Megan said the temporary code was 1-2-3-4.”

  Quinn quickly typed it in and the beeping stopped.

  “We can change that, right?”

  “Of course. There should be instructions there on the table.”

  Quinn picked up the little book while I carried Olivia upstairs. She woke the moment I lay her on her bed.

  “Are we home?”

  “We are.”

  She sat up. “Are you going to stay with us a little longer, Vincent?”

  “Of course.”

  “I don’t want you to leave yet.”

  “I won’t.”

  She crawled into my lap and lay her head against my shoulder. I pulled her close, pressing my lips to her temple. Sydney used to talk about having kids. She would insist that I’d be a great dad even though I didn’t agree. She even told me that she hoped our first was a girl because she could see me cuddling with a little girl, loving her just the way I was loving Olivia right now.

  It hurt, that memory. It didn’t feel right for me to be living out even a small bit of our dreams together without Syd.

  Quinn tapped on the door.

  “Someone’s here to see you.”

  “Me?”

  She nodded, coming over to slip Olivia from my arms. “Let’s get ready for bed,” she told the child, even as she studied me over the top of her head.

  I bounded down the stairs, taking them two at a time. Standing just inside the foyer was Cole Bradford.

  “Brother!”

  We greeted each other with one of those enthusiastic bro hugs, the kind where we sort of pat each other’s backs as we shake hands.

  “What are you doing here?”

  Cole buried his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “Megan sent me.”

  “She wants her keys back?”

  “No. She wanted me to give you a heads up. I’m to watch over Olivia from here on out, until we can find whoever’s doing this.”

  “Olivia?”

  “Take her to school. Hang out, watch the place for anyone taking the wrong sort of interest in her. Bring her back here and hang out until you get home.”

  “Why now?”

  Cole shifted slightly. “She’s concerned because of what happened here Friday. She doesn’t want Ms. Smith’s stalker to go after her daughter.”

  “She thinks that’s possible?”

  “Anything’s possible.”

  “I didn’t realize you still worked for Dragon.”

  Cole smiled. “Yeah, well, I don’t. But Megan thought it would be better for me to do this than one of her other guys. They tend to be a little…intimidating.”

  “And you’re better?” I laughed a little. “Does your sister know you well?”

  “Things have changed since I last saw you, Vince. Having a woman and a baby in my life…it has a way of softening the rough edges, you know?”

  “I never imagined you settled down with one girl.”

  “You can’t have the monopoly on monogamy, brother.” Cole slapped me on the shoulder. “How are you doing with all that, anyway? Her folks still causing you heartache?”

  I didn’t particularly want to talk about it. The truth was, I’d gotten a letter in the mail just the day before Megan put me on Quinn’s case. They still wanted justice. If they couldn’t get it through the legal system, they were going to find a way to get it. The letters came once a week, sometimes twice, letters describing exactly what circle of hell I belonged in. What they didn’t realize was that I was already there.

  “We could hire a lawyer. Get them to back off.”

  I shook my head. “It gives them an outlet. I wouldn’t want to take that from them.”

  “Vincent, what happened was an accident. Surely they would understand that if you told them.”

  I didn’t want to talk about it, especially since I heard Quinn’s footsteps coming down the stairs.

  “She wants you to come up and read a story,” she said, as she came around the curve in the stairwell. She stopped when she saw that Cole was still there.

  “Quinn Smith, this is Cole Bradford.”

  “Bradford? As in Megan Bradford?”

  “My sister.”

  Quinn shot a glance at me as she crossed the room to shake Cole’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Bradford.”

  “Cole, please.”

  “Cole.”

  “He’s come to let us know that Megan has assigned him to watch over Olivia until all of this is over.”

  “What?” A stricken look came over Quinn’s face. “Where are you going?”

  “Nowhere.”

  “Megan just wanted someone on Olivia who was separate from Vincent’s assignment to you,” Cole explained. “The break in on Friday seems to be an escalation, and because the pictures the stalker sent you were taken at Olivia’s school, she thought it wouldn’t hurt to have someone watch over Olivia constantly. Plus, it will free Vincent up so he can concentrate only on you during the day.”

  “The thing is,” Quinn said slowly, looking from Cole to me, “my daughter doesn’t know what’s going on. She thinks Vincent is a cousin of mine.”

  Cole’s eyebrows rose. “Well, you can tell her whatever you’re comfortable with. But make sure you tell her something by morning because I’ll be here at seven.”

  He tapped his fist to mine, said polite goodbyes to Quinn, and disappeared out the front door.

  Quinn immediately went to the security system’s pad and typed in the code to set it.

  “He’s your friend from the military?”

  “Yes.”

  “The one who saved your life a couple of times?”

  “The same.”

  She studied my face, concern still etched into every line. I crossed to her and took her hands in mine.

  “I trust Cole. He’ll keep Olivia safe.”

  “I believe you.”

  “But?”

  She stared at a spot on my chest as though there was something profound written there.

  “Quinn?”

  “I’m just…it’s my job to keep my child safe. I hate that we have to put her through this. That I’m putting her through this.”

  “This is not your fault. This is because some asshole became obsessed with you. You
cannot control other people.”

  “But she’s my child. She has nothing to do with this.”

  I ran my hand over the side of her face. “She’ll be okay.”

  She stepped back, a little groan slipping from between her lips. “I better go talk to her before she goes to sleep.”

  I followed her up the stairs and stood just inside the door as she settled on the bed beside Olivia.

  “Is it story time?” Olivia asked.

  “In a way.” Quinn took her hand. “I need to talk to you about something.”

  “Am I in trouble?”

  I could see the tension rippling across Quinn’s shoulders as she asked that question.

  “No, baby,” she said, leaning close to kiss Olivia’s cheek lightly. “I just…do you remember when I told you that Vincent was my cousin and that’s why he’d come to stay with us?”

  Olivia’s eyes shot to me, the same fear that I’d seen in her mother’s eyes washing over her expression.

  “He’s not?”

  “He’s a professional bodyguard. He came here to protect us.”

  “From what?”

  Quinn couldn’t answer. I could see it on her face. She couldn’t come up with a lie that was good enough. I crossed the room and stood behind her, laying a hand gently on her shoulder.

  “Your mom has lots of friends at work and one of them got a little mad at her and he’s been sending her letters that aren’t very nice.”

  “You mean the people she makes movies with?”

  Quinn’s head shot up. “What?”

  “The movies you make.”

  “How do you know…?”

  “Someone at my old school told me. He said you make movies for grownups. He was really impressed.”

  Quinn glanced at me, completely bewildered. “One of your classmates? One of your third-grade classmates?”

  “Yeah. Bobby Thomas. You remember him?”

  Quinn just shook her head.

  “Are you staying a long time, Vincent?”

  “Until the police figure out who this guy is.”

  “Well, I hope it takes a long time.”

  She jumped off the bed and ran into my arms. I lifted her up and cradled her against my chest for a long minute, meeting Quinn’s eyes over her head.

  “Listen,” Quinn said, coming to stand in front of me, “Vincent’s friend, Cole, is going to take you to and from school from now on. Is that okay?”

  “Why not you?” Olivia asked, looking into my eyes.

  “So that I can stay with your mom. But I’ll be here every night.”

  She studied my face for a second. “Will you tuck me in at night?”

  “If you want me to.”

  “Okay.”

  She kissed my cheek and tightened her arms around my neck. I carried her to the bed, laying her back down. Quinn came over, leaning down next to me, and kissed Olivia’s cheek before pulling the covers up to her chin.

  “Go to sleep, Angel.”

  “Good night, Mommy. Good night, Vincent.”

  Quinn leaned against the door after we stepped into the hallway, her eyes sliding closed.

  “I can’t believe she knows.”

  “She doesn’t know details.”

  “But she knows enough. She knows I make movies. One day she’ll put two and two together, and she’ll know that her mother had sex for a living.”

  I rested my hands on her shoulders. “You have nothing to be ashamed of, Quinn. You did it for her. Someday she’ll understand that.”

  She nodded, a big sigh slipping from between her lips. “I should get some sleep. We’re filming again in the morning.” She looked up, guilt darkening her eyes. “My last starring role. Another fetish thing with a couple of actors I’ve worked with in the past. And then, after this…production only.”

  I knew she was watching for a reaction, that she wanted to know how I felt about her starring in another of those fetish videos after what happened between us last night. I was careful with my reaction, careful that the truth of my feelings didn’t show in my expression.

  I didn’t like it. I didn’t want to see her touching another man. But I didn’t have the right to put those restrictions on her. She wasn’t mine.

  “Good night, Quinn,” I said softly.

  I pressed my lips to her forehead, then turned her and sent her across the landing to her bedroom door. I turned on my heel and shut myself behind the door of her office, leaning against the door in an attempt to catch my breath.

  I had no right to put restrictions on anyone. I’d had my great love. Now…Quinn was beautiful and intelligent and strong, but she was her own woman. She didn’t need a man like me in her life.

  I began to undress, needing to concentrate on something else. I caught sight of myself in the mirror, of the tattoos that were scattered across my chest. Syd’s name and the date of her death were written above my heart. I remembered the pain of having that done. I remembered how I sat there, thinking I deserved every bit of the pain. The broken ribs and the concussion hadn’t been enough. I deserved so much more.

  There were other tattoos. A couple of drunken-on-leave tattoos scattered over my chest—a Chinese symbol, a heart with Syd’s initials in the center, a small dragon—along with the Marine’s emblem on my arm, but that one over my heart was the first and the hardest. I had it done a month after her funeral.

  I ran my fingers over it now, like I’d run my fingers over her name on the headstone her parents bought to mark her grave. A part of me still couldn’t believe she was really gone, that she wouldn’t call my phone and tell me it was all a cruel joke.

  I shook my head, trying to shake that thought away, but my thoughts were already moving on. I found myself wondering what Quinn had thought last night when she read that name. I wondered if she understood the significance of it—though I was pretty sure she wouldn’t—or if she was jealous that I was branded by another woman. Was it all so temporary to Quinn that she didn’t care? Or was there enough hope inside of her that she allowed herself to wonder?

  I didn’t know. She never mentioned it last night. And tonight, she didn’t seem to want me.

  But then, as that thought floated through my head, there came a soft knock on the door.

  “I can’t,” she said, gesturing at her closed bedroom door. “Knowing that guy was in there…”

  I stepped back, gestured for her to come inside her office.

  She was wearing these high-cut shorts that left very little to the imagination, the sexy “v” that delineated her ass cheeks and down, lower, separating her thighs, made thoughts slip through my head that were unprofessional. I was here to protect her, but all I wanted to do was roll with her under the sheets until neither of us could move.

  And then she turned, watching my face as she lifted her shirt up over her head.

  I crossed to her in fewer strides than it took for her to move across the room, grabbed her hips, and pushed her roughly against the wall. I stole her lips and invaded her mouth, taking her with all the need that suddenly burst inside my chest. I tugged at those shorts, yanking the button loose and tearing at the zipper until it slid down of its own accord. I slipped a hand down inside her panties, found that thick, rounded clit, and made her rotate her hips against my hand. She wrapped her arms around my neck, lifting herself up the length of my body so that I had all the space I needed to do what I wanted. And I wanted everything.

  I ripped her shorts away, tearing her panties from her body. Then I lifted her up, her legs immediately coming around my waist. She reached down, pulling at my zipper, freeing my cock from the confines of my pants. Her hand moved slowly down the length of me, her thumb brushing the sensitive glans at the head of my cock. And then she pulled me to her, teasing her own cunt, teasing me until I thought I might cry out against her mouth.

  I was inside of her—and it was just as perfect as it’d been the night before. So fucking tight! She writhed against me, grinding her clit against the base of my c
ock. And we rocked, moving hard against each other, her body doing things I’d never experienced. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to taste those perfect lips, but I couldn’t catch my breath. I couldn’t do anything but pound myself against her, feel her body take me in and hold me so tight inside of her. I lost myself in the movement, in the feel of her, in everything about it.

  I reached the edge sooner than I intended. Normally a silent lover, these sounds started to escape my lips. Quinn pressed her hand to my mouth, amusement dancing with pleasure in her eyes. She moved her hips, and I was gone. I closed my eyes and lost all control, pinning her to the wall like a tack through a paper poster. She cried out a moment later, her entire body tensing around mine. I could feel the quivers deep in her belly; I could feel her orgasm race through her. And that—the idea that I could make her climax so easily—made mine that much more intense.

  My knees grew weak as the adrenaline of the moment began to subside. I carried her to the couch, careful not to trip over my jeans, which were still wrapped around my ankles. We fell at an awkward angle, but she managed to maneuver herself so that she was tucked just right into my arms. I kicked off my jeans and pulled her closer, running my hands over her bare ass as she peppered my chest with tiny kisses.

  “I’m sorry,” she said after a time. “I just couldn’t bear the idea of being in there alone.”

  “I’m not complaining.”

  She laughed softly against my chest. “I don’t suppose you are.”

  “Your body feels so good…I could sit here like this all night.”

  “Yeah? Even if I did this?”

  She wiggled her hips a little, pressing herself down hard against the base of my cock. I groaned, tugging her up a little.

  “Give me twenty minutes, then do that again.”

  She laughed again, her lips pressed to my skin so that I could feel every puff of her exhalations. I ran my hands over her back, tugging at the clasps on her bra. In my hurry, I hadn’t bothered to remove it. But now…her breasts fit so perfectly in my hands. I couldn’t believe I’d never seen the joy of being with a full-breasted woman. I’d always been drawn to women with just a wine glass full, but this…now I got some of the comments my companions in the military had made over the years.

  She started to nibble at my throat, and then she found my mouth, sliding her lips over mine until I couldn’t wait. I grabbed her bottom lip with my teeth, drawing it into my mouth, running my tongue over the tender flesh.