by Cathryn Fox
Rebecca held her hand up to stop them and Quinn’s heart sank. She was a strong-willed woman—it was one of the things he loved about her—but she needed to hear him out. She’d come to mean so much to him and if she pushed him out of her life now, Quinn had no idea what he’d do.
“You three stay. We’ll go.”
Overwhelmed with relief, his knees gave a little as he stood and pulled her up with him. “My driver’s waiting. We can go anywhere you want. Anywhere you feel safe.”
She nodded and when they turned to go, she banged into some guy looking at her in a lewd way that fired Quinn’s blood.
“Rebecca,” the guy said, putting his hand on her shoulder. “I finished my meeting early and thought I’d come see if you changed your mind.”
Quinn put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him to lay claim. The guy’s hand fell from her shoulder and his eyes narrowed.
“Rick,” she said, “This is Quinn. Quinn, this is Rick. He’s my…an old friend.”
A half smirk lingered on Rick’s face. “An old friend?”
When she didn’t respond, he stuck his hand out and met Quinn’s glance. “Are you an old friend too?” he asked.
“No,” was all Quinn said as he gave the man’s hand a hard shake.
“So I guess you really are seeing someone,” Rick said. “My loss.”
Quinn pulled her closer, ready to piss a circle around Rebecca if Rick didn’t back the fuck off.
Rick smiled at Rebecca, like Quinn was of no importance, and touched a loose tendril of her hair when he said, “I guess I’ll see you here Friday night then.”
Quinn’s jaw seesawed from side to side, ready to tell Rick to stop fucking touching her, but the last thing Rebecca needed was more violence, or for him to make a scene.
Rebecca frowned and went quiet for a moment. A second later, she glanced back up at Rick, her eyes wide like a light bulb had gone off. “Right, Sophie’s party.”
Struggling to keep his anger in check as the asshole blatantly made a play for Rebecca in front of him, Quinn sucked in a quick breath to keep his shit together. He looked Rebecca over and read her body language: lashes blinking rapidly, weight shifting from one foot to the other, body far too tense. As unease poured off her in waves, his protective instincts kicked in. He put his hand on the small of her back to remove her from the situation. Whether she wanted to be with him or not, it wasn’t going to stop him from taking care of her.
“Ready?” he asked. She nodded and grabbed her purse and umbrella. Quinn maneuvered them around Rick and made their way to the front door. Once outside he called for his car and stood under the awning with her as the rain pounded the pavement.
She didn’t have to answer, and he wasn’t going to push, but he couldn’t help but ask, “Who’s Rick and what’s going on Friday night?”
“He’s a friend, and Friday night is a celebration. Sophie made partner.”
“Good for her. Why does Rick make you uncomfortable?”
Her lips thinned and she folded her arms across her chest. “You didn’t have to go all alpha on him.”
Did she have no idea how protective he was of her or the measures he’d take to ensure her safety? “You think that was going alpha?”
“Yes.”
Quinn put his hands on her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. Behind the blue he saw that wall again. One she’d put up for protection and he couldn’t get past.
“Let me just say this. If he ever touches you again, you’ll really see me go alpha.”
“Actually, I already have,” she said so quietly he had to strain to hear her.
Her body visually shivered as she looked away. “Look at me,” he said. She instantly obliged, the sweet submissive in her responding to his command. He cupped her face. “I’m sorry. I promised you I’d always see to your safety, and I failed.” He looked back into the lounge, watching Rick from afar. “I won’t fail again.”
“Quinn…”
His car pulled up to the curb and he stepped to the sidewalk to open the door. She hesitated for a moment and rain poured down his face as he waited. “All I want to do is talk. Any time you say you want to leave, my driver will take you home. I promise you that.”
She nodded and he let loose a breath of relief as she slid in. His phone buzzed again as he slipped in next to her. He ignored it and asked, “Where to?”
“My place.”
She gave the driver the address, then sank back next to him. Quinn took her hand and shifted to face her. The unsure look in her eyes gave him pause. If he wanted her to trust him, he’d have to change tactics.
“How about we start again.”
“Quinn, I’m not interested in playing in that lifestyle again,” she said quickly, a slight quiver to her voice.
“I know,” he said in a bid to relax her. “I’m not asking you to. What I’m asking is for you to be my friend.”
Her head came back with a start. “Friend? After what we’ve done, you think we can just forget it all and be friends?”
“Sure.”
“You mean friends with benefits, right?”
“Of course I want sex, Rebecca, but I want to give you space, start fresh. I want everything that happens to be your choice, your call. I want you, and will do whatever it takes to have you, but every choice has to be yours, every single move is based on your terms this time.”
She went quiet for a long time, and then said, “My terms mean doing things the way I normally would. Like hanging out, going to the movies, eating dinner. And when it comes to sex…well, I guess that would mean vanilla, no dungeon.”
No BDSM. He got it. “I can do all that.”
She shook her head. “But I’d never ask you to change. I’d never want you to. You deserve to have the things you want.”
“You’re not asking, I’m offering. It’s what I want.”
She turned and stared out the window. He watched her, letting her digest what he was asking. It’d kill him to be around her without dominating her, but he’d have to find a way. She needed that from him. If giving up the lifestyle was what it took to gain her trust and show her how much he cared about her and her needs, then he’d damn well do it.
“So can we start again?” he pushed. “Friends. Your terms.”
Her eyes met his, and she smiled as she pulled her hand from his to place it on her lap. “Friends don’t hold hands in the backseat of a car,” she said.
He exhaled slowly. “So that’s a yes?”
“Yes, we can be friends. If that’s what you want.”
He touched her chin and drew it back to him. “I told you I’d always be honest, so the truth is, what I want is to tie you up and possess you, physically and mentally, but I can’t…won’t…put you through that.”
Her body shook. She might be walking away from the lifestyle, but it didn’t mean she was no longer a sub. He’d awakened that part of her and now it existed whether she wanted it to or not.
“Okay,” she said quietly.
“So…” he began. “What do you want to do tonight?”
“Before we do anything, I think you should answer your phone. It’s been ringing all night.”
“Right.” Quinn fished his phone from his pocket. He slid his finger across the screen and his brother’s number popped up. “Hey, Josh, what’s up?”
“That’s what I was going to ask you. I haven’t heard from you in days. Neither have Dean and Gabe.”
“Been busy.” It was a half-truth. He’d been agonizing over Rebecca for days and had ignored their calls on purpose. He loved his brothers more than life, but damned if they knew how to mind their own business. They’d be in New York in a flash if they thought Quinn was in any kind of trouble. Then again, he’d be on the next plane to L.A. if the situation were reversed and his calls were going unanswered.
His brother went quiet for a moment, and Quinn cringed. Jesus, he wished his twin couldn’t read him so well. “Doing what?” Josh asked.
<
br /> “None of your business, little brother.” Okay, so Quinn might have been born only one minute before Josh, but he never let his twin forget it.
“I know when something is wrong, bro.”
“Have you come off your meds again?”
Rebecca chuckled, and Quinn grinned at her.
“Fuck off,” Josh said, the worry in his voice lightening as he laughed. “I was just about to jump on the next plane and check on you.”
“While I would like to see you, nothing is wrong and you don’t have to check on me.” Wanting to turn the focus off him, he asked, “How’s Mom?”
They talked for a few more minutes, and when the car pulled up to the curb in front of Rebecca’s place, she opened her door.
“Listen, bro, I have to go. Tell the guys I’m fine. Talk to you soon.” He powered his phone down, slid from the car and met Rebecca on the sidewalk. He put his arm around her back and she eyed him.
“What?” he asked. “Friends do that.”
She rolled her eyes and fished her key ring from her purse. “So that was your younger brother.”
“Yeah. Josh.”
“He was worried about you.” She went quiet for a moment, thoughtful, then added, “He sounds nice.”
“He’s not nice. He’s a pain in my ass.”
She laughed softly and he followed her into her condo. He looked around when she flipped her lights on.
“Nice place,” he said.
“It’s home.” She led him to the living room and he gave the room a once over.
He took in the artwork on her walls and admired the paintings. “You have great taste.” As he appreciated her belongings, he looked for something more personal. Family was important to the Montgomerys and his mother made sure Quinn had memorabilia when he’d moved to the East Coast. He sat on the sofa. “No brothers and sisters?”
“Not that I know of. Like I said, I never knew my mother.”
“What happened to her?”
“I have no idea.” She pointed toward the hall and he could tell she was trying to redirect the conversation. “I’m going to get changed. Why don’t you find us a movie to watch?”
Right. A movie. That was what she’d normally do.
“Okay.” He grabbed the remote and pressed the power button. He listened to her heels on the wood floors as she disappeared down the hall. He flicked through the channels, fighting an internal battle to go to her. He’d promised her friendship, to let her call the shots, but it warred with the need that sang in his veins.
He dropped the remote, and under the guise of finding the bathroom, he walked down the hall. Rustling sounds of her removing her clothes came from her bedroom, and he kept his distance, his body on fire as he visualized her naked on her knees before him. Shit. He clenched his teeth and cursed under his breath, determined to keep that side of himself in check.
He raked a shaky hand through his hair, and just as he was about to do a one-eighty and make his way back to the sofa, she came from her room and crashed into him.
“Oh,” she said, surprise in her eyes.
He wrapped his arm around her waist and splayed his hands over the T-shirt and pajama pants she’d changed into as he tugged her up against him. “Sorry.”
“What…what were you doing?” Her body pressed against his and the heat they generated was enough to light an entire New York block.
“Looking for the bathroom.”
She looked over his shoulder. “You passed it.”
“I know.”
He dipped his head, his lips so close to hers he could taste her sweet breath. His heart pounded with the urge to take her. One kiss. One quick little kiss was all he needed to get him through the night. He was sure of it. He dipped his head, unable to help himself.
“Quinn…” she said breathlessly as his lips hovered over hers. “What are you doing?”
Her words snapped some sense back in to him. He stepped back before he ruined what he was trying to do. Get it together, Montgomery. She’s calling the shots.
“Fuck. I’m sorry. I just…”
Desire reflected in her eyes and he knew she wanted this every bit as much as he did. But he’d promised to back off, and he intended to keep his words. If she wanted sex, she’d have to initiate it.
She shook her head and stepped back. “You can’t do this, Quinn. You can’t do vanilla. And you shouldn’t have to try.”
Worry ripped through him. He couldn’t lose her again. He reached for her elbow to bring her back. “Yes, I can. I want to.”
She pulled farther away from him and lowered her head. “You’re a good man, and you deserve someone who can give you what you really want.”
Quinn stepped closer to her, put his fingers under her chin and lifted until her eyes met his. “Rebecca, what I really want is you and I can do this. I’ll never ask for anything you can’t give.”
Chapter Four
Even though every alarm bell was ringing, warning her to walk away from this—from Quinn—her brain was no longer calling the shots. Her body ached for him, craved him in a way she couldn’t quite put into words.
She looked into his eyes and the heat she met there fired the needy spot between her legs. I’ll never ask for anything you can’t give. Was it possible that he could check the Dom at the door and engage in vanilla sex with her?
But wasn’t it the Dom in him that attracted her in the first place?
Regardless, that was a path she wouldn’t—couldn’t—walk again. No way could she engage in activities that unearthed her dark past.
“I want…” She stopped speaking. If she started this, it would be on her. He’d asked for friendship to start, and what she did next would determine the amount of intimacy involved in the early stages of said friendship. But she’d missed him too much and was too fired up to think past tonight. Maybe she wouldn’t. Maybe she’d just concentrate on how much she needed to feel him inside her right now.
His nostrils flared. “Tell me what you want, Rebecca.”
“What if I said I wanted friends with benefits to start?”
“Then that’s what I’ll give you.”
He cupped her elbow and drew her close, until her body was pressed against his. Sexual tension flared between them as his touch went right through her.
“You once said there was no middle of the road.”
“That was before.”
“Is changing even possible?” she asked, wondering if she could go back to vanilla after experiencing his brand of lovemaking. “Is it possible for us to do vanilla in the bedroom after what we’ve been through?”
“Let’s find out.”
His mouth came down over hers again, and his tongue slipped inside. He kissed her long and deep, then picked her up and carried her to her room. He placed her on the edge of the bed and her T-shirt rode up a tiny bit to expose her flat stomach.
His eyes darkened when his gaze dropped and she sensed he was fighting an internal battle. He briefly closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.
“Quinn.” God, could they really do this?
He opened his eyes and reached for the buttons on his shirt. “Yeah,” he said, his voice so deep it sent quivers through her. Her train of thought derailed when he removed his shirt to expose his muscular body. Her mouth watered and her hands itched to touch him. She sat still, taking in all his beautiful nakedness as he kicked off his shoes and ripped open his pants. He pulled them off, along with his boxers, and kicked them away.
His cock sprang to life, and she reached out and closed her fingers around it. He groaned and all she could think about was dropping to her knees. Instead, she focused on the texture and hard length of him, and when he stepped closer, she wrapped her lips around his cock, drawing it deep into her mouth.
His hands gripped her hair and he tugged. Her head jerked back and her breath caught. Was he crossing into Dom territory? As if catching himself, a groan sounded in his throat and he let go of her hair to slide his fingers
around the back of her head. He held her and followed the motion as she drew him in and out, licking her tongue over the crown with each passing.
Pre-come pooled on his crown and she moaned with pleasure as she lapped it. Quinn made a noise that sounded like he was in complete agony, then pulled his cock from her mouth. He dropped to his knees in front of her and his glance met hers. The intensity in his gaze sucked the oxygen from her lungs. She swallowed—hard—as he gripped the band of her pajama bottoms and pulled them off. Her T-shirt and bra came next, and he tossed them on to the top of the pile, leaving her only in her panties. He gripped her inner thighs, his fingers biting into her skin hard enough to leave bruises as he widened them. Was this his way of marking her, claiming her without the ties that bind? His breath whispered over her thighs, then he pressed his nose against her skin and breathed her in.
He gave her an easy shove and she fell backward onto the mattress. Warm fingers slid along her thighs until they reached her panties. He toyed with them for a moment, rubbing the material between his thumb and index finger. He opened his mouth, then closed it again. Was he contemplating a reprimand for having them on? Much to her dismay, a thrill moved through her. He slowly slid the slip of material down her legs and removed them. His jaw clenched, and while he was exercising extreme restraint, there was a part of her that wanted him to lose it, to take control, be the man he really was.
His head dipped. She bit her lip at that first sweet touch of his tongue. He stroked from bottom to top, circling her clit until she was nearly delirious with want.
She gripped the sheets beneath her and held on as he took possession of her sex. That’s when she realized she was lying perfectly still, the way her Dom had always instructed.
That thought flew from her mind when he inserted a finger. His warm breath whispered over her wet sex with a growl of approval. With his finger still inside her, he slid over her body. His mouth found hers and his kiss was full of passion when their lips collided. His cock pressed against the side of her stomach as he pulled his hand from between her legs to capture hers wrists. He shoved her arms above her head, holding them in one hand as he repositioned himself until his cock teased her opening. His other hand pushed into the bed beside her head, and the next thing she knew he was thrusting inside her.