The Best Part of Me

by Jamie Hollins

  Hesitantly, she approached the small group, none of which even noticed she’d joined them. Quinn skirted around the perimeter under the glow of the streetlight. Two men were fighting. With the way the crowd shouted at them, she figured that this wasn’t just some random fight between two guys with bad blood.

  Most of the people had money clenched in their hands. Some were waving it in the air, provoking the two fighters, cheering on their favorites.

  When Quinn’s attention came back to the fighters, her breath faltered. The tall, shirtless man with his back to the crowd was Ewan.

  She didn’t need to see his face to know it was him. His muscular back gleamed with sweat in the dull yellow light. His broad shoulders lifted steadily with each breath, each defined muscle tight from exertion.

  His opponent had red hair and was slightly taller but not quite as broad. One of his eyes was red and swollen. He taunted Ewan, but the rumble of the crowd drowned out what he was saying. Ewan remained eerily calm as he stared down the other man.

  The two men circled, and Quinn could finally see his face.

  Ewan’s dark stare was locked on the man he was fighting, his strong hands clenching into fists at his sides. There was a dusting of dark hair on his chest that continued in a trail down his flat, tight stomach before disappearing under his low-hanging black pants. He looked dark and menacing, and any sane man would have run the other way.

  The opponent threw a left hook and connected with Ewan’s jaw, snapping his face sideways. Quinn cringed as he stumbled. The other man backed up from Ewan, looking quite shocked that he’d landed such a hit. Ewan turned his head, spit out some blood, and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

  He looked at his opponent and smiled. Quinn felt her heart thump in her chest. She’d been waiting for that smile and the two dimples that dotted each cheek. But somehow seeing it with a trickle of blood running from his mouth made her shiver.

  His shoulder blades were pulled together, and his chest was rising and falling with each heavy breath. The men stared at each other as they began to circle again. The red-haired man lunged at him, but Ewan stepped to the side. His opponent swung, but Ewan ducked out of the way. Ewan was physically tiring him out. He was always two steps ahead.

  The man lunged once more, but again Ewan was too quick. He stepped away and landed a punch to the guy’s ribs. His opponent buckled forward, and Ewan followed with an uppercut square under the man’s chin. His entire body lifted off the ground and flew backward, falling on his back like a bag of sand. Cheers erupted from the crowd as Ewan stepped back, his breath heaving in his chest.

  Quinn was sure the man was dead.

  She stood motionless and watched the man lying on his back with his arms collapsed to the sides. It seemed like minutes passed until the man moved. Ewan knelt beside his opponent and spoke to him. The man on the ground nodded and took Ewan’s outstretched hand. He pulled him to his feet and slapped him on the shoulder. The other man smiled with blood-stained teeth.

  Ewan bent down, picked up a white shirt from the grass, and as he stood, he saw her.

  Quinn’s breath caught in her throat as he froze in place. Quinn wanted to rush to him to make sure he wasn’t hurt. But the man who stood there staring at her—the one who’d just put on a marvelous show for the small crowd gathered at the edge of the forest—was a stranger.

  How could those same strong hands that had just beaten another man have felt so warm and wonderful on her skin? How could that beautiful mouth that had been bloodied by another man’s fists have kissed her so passionately?

  And how could she want him more in that moment than she’d ever wanted anything in her life?

  He pushed his arms through his shirt and pulled it down over his head. When he started to walk in her direction, Quinn turned quickly toward the dim lights of the village.

  She was no longer paying attention to how cold her legs were. The rain was coming down in fat drops, and she was having a hard time keeping water out of her eyes. She walked past all the dark storefronts of the village as quickly as she could.

  She clenched her fists until they shook, not daring to look behind her to see if Ewan still watched her from beneath the lone lamp post.

  Quinn kept to the narrow sidewalk for the most part, but once she was through town, she quickly cut across a one-lane alley to meet up with the road that led to home. The closer she got, the faster she walked, taking a few jogging steps in between her quick strides.

  She ground her teeth together. Quinn couldn’t pinpoint what it was that was making her run, but with each step she took, her anger rose. Once she got as far away from Ewan as possible, then she’d stop and analyze why her blood pressure was rising. Just being near him made her brain stop working.

  Right now, she just needed to keep going.

  She reached her aunt’s driveway, but instead of going into the house, she went straight to the backyard, past her pergola, and into the garden shed. It’d been raining steadily, and the noise inside was amplified by the metal roof.

  She ran her hands through her hair, trying to wring it out. The combination of the rain and the cold made her shiver. She knew she should go inside to change and then crawl underneath the warm quilt on her bed. Her mother had told her that things would always be better in the morning. Yet she stayed in the shed, pacing.

  She clenched and unclenched her hands. Anger surged through her entire body, burning her extremities like boiling water. She realized that although the shock of seeing Ewan fighting was startling, her current state had nothing to do with him. It had nothing to do with the fact that her body wanted him but her mind was definitely telling her he was trouble.

  It took her only a few moments to figure out that this sudden burst of rage stemmed from feeling helpless. And she hated it.

  Quinn let her head fall back while she roared at the ceiling. She took a deep breath, enjoying the way her vocal cords burned.

  Life didn’t play fair. It didn’t pick favorites and if it did, she must not be one of them.

  She picked up an empty plastic flower flat and flung it across the room. It hit the wall with a silent crash, the rain on the roof drowning out her temper tantrum.

  What she wouldn’t give to be able to fight like Ewan. To take all the pent-up rage she carried around with her and let it out through punches and jabs. To feel her knuckles protest in pain against someone’s stomach. To feel the sharp sting of contact when she connected with someone’s jaw.

  Women just didn’t do that. When women got angry, they cried. When they got angry, they ate a whole tub of ice cream. Or in her case, they planted an entire vegetable garden and landscaped an entire goddamn backyard.

  Quinn gritted her teeth and kicked a partially filled watering can, watching as it flew across the floor, spraying water everywhere. She squeezed her eyes shut, wishing for just one moment she could tell the world to fuck off and be the person she wasn’t supposed to be.

  “Quinn.”

  She spun around to find Ewan standing in the doorway. His dark eyes searched her face, no doubt finding a woman on the edge of sanity. He stood with his hands braced on both sides of the entryway. He was soaked to the bone. His white shirt stuck to his chest, his hair was dripping, and the front of his pants clung to his thighs. His brows were pulled together as he looked at her.

  “Get out,” she growled.

  He blinked slowly at her and then stepped inside the small garden house, the dim light of the lanterns casting shadows across his face. He stood just inside the door, not moving any closer to her, giving her the space she needed. He ran both hands through his rain-soaked hair.

  “I said get. Out.”

  She turned away from him. She knew she was acting completely crazy. She was throwing a tantrum of epic proportions. But instead of crumpling into tears like she usually did at this point, she found herself growing more and more furious. Furious at the world for being unfair. Furious at her parents for not being here. Furious at herself
for being a coward.

  She put her hands in her hair and screamed, bending forward.

  “God, I just—” She panted. “I just want to hit something!”

  “So hit something.” His low, taunting voice was barely audible over the sound of the rain.

  She turned and looked at him. He hadn’t moved from where he stood inside the door. She turned back and gave the empty watering can another kick. This time it flew upwards and collided with the wall.

  “You call that a kick?”

  “Leave!” she shouted, not bothering to look behind her.

  She couldn’t hear his steps, but she felt him draw nearer. “What are you scared of?”

  Scared? She wasn’t scared. She was livid.

  “I’m not scared of anything.”

  “Bullshit.”

  This stupid man! Why wouldn’t he leave her alone?

  She walked forward and braced her hands on the pristine workbench. A workbench she’d scrubbed until it shined. She flexed her fingers until her joints ached.

  “Hit me.”

  She turned her head and saw him standing directly behind her with amusement dancing in his eyes. He was standing right there, so close. She felt her right hand form a fist, and before she even knew what she was doing, she swung. She put all her blind fury into the arc of her swing, and when her knuckles connected with the hard muscles of his chest, all the air rushed out of her lungs.

  Ewan didn’t even flinch.

  She hadn’t even moved him! He stood there completely unaffected by the hit she’d just landed. Her arm wound back up, and this time she screamed as she made contact with the opposite pectoral muscle. This time, he let his body fall one step back.

  That intense stare he’d given to his opponent earlier on the outskirts of the village was now directed toward her. His heated eyes never left her face.

  “That all you got?”

  Something snapped inside her. She lunged at him, ready to strike with both fists. He caught her wrists in one quick motion and pinned them to her sides. The move brought them inches from one another. She screamed again, driving her foot into his shin. He grunted from the impact, pursing his lips together as he forced her backward. It was either stop kicking him and walk back or fall flat on her ass from their momentum. She fumbled back, trying desperately to get her arms out of his grasp. She wanted to hit him, to kick him. But he was stronger than she was.

  Her back connected with the wall next to her workbench. Realizing she was trapped, she fought harder, trying to bring her knee up into his groin. He blocked her with his hip and leaned into her, using his body to pin hers entirely against the wall.

  Even though she raged inside, she felt her body hum with desire. She could feel his breath hot on her face, and when she looked into his eyes, she saw a fierce hunger that forced all the air from her lungs.

  Before she could make the move herself, Ewan crushed his mouth against hers. He devoured her mouth as if he were starved for her. When she tried to pull in some air, his tongue shoved past her lips and licked the insides of her mouth. He let her wrists go and pushed his hands into her hair. Overcome with lust and frustration, Quinn latched her arms around his neck and returned his kiss, demanding more. Their lips moved hungrily against one another. Every lick was sinfully delicious as she tried to press herself closer to him. She couldn’t get close enough.

  She was desperate, her hands pulling at his wet shirt to run her fingers up his back. His skin was damp and hot, and she could feel the tension in his muscles.

  He quickly jerked down the zipper of her hooded sweatshirt and pulled it over her shoulders, once again trapping her arms at her sides. She was helpless and at his mercy to do whatever he pleased, and she loved it.

  She arched against him, desperate to feel his body if she couldn’t touch him with her hands. She could feel his erection through his pants, and she moved her hips against it. He growled into her mouth as he continued punishing her lips with his. She wore nothing underneath her sweatshirt except a cotton camisole, which was soaked, her nipples tight underneath the thin fabric.

  He pulled his lips away long enough to look down at her breasts.

  He yanked her sweatshirt down her arms, one hand going to the small of her back, the other gliding up her stomach between her breasts. As soon as her arms were free from her hoodie, she grasped his neck and pulled his lips back down to hers. She bit his lower lip, and he hissed with pleasure.

  His kiss grew more demanding, and the relentless strokes of his tongue on the insides of her mouth caused her to melt against him. Pushing a strap down past her shoulder, Ewan tugged her cami aside, exposing one of her breasts. She gasped as the cold night air touched her bare skin, and at the friction of his hand as he kneaded her. Quinn’s pulse raced, and she found it difficult to pull air into her lungs between each kiss.

  Ewan brushed her nipple with his thumb. The pressure was exquisite, and she reveled in the feel of his warm, strong hand on her sensitive skin. He teased her nipple into a hard peak, squeezing it between his thumb and index finger. Good God, she was going to faint from the pleasure.

  He pushed a knee between her legs, spreading them wide. He rocked his hips into her, and the thought of him moving like that inside of her stole the strength from her legs.

  His wicked mouth slid to her neck, sucking and biting his way down to her shoulder.

  “Oh, God…” she moaned as she curled her fingers into the hair at the back of his head.

  His skillful hands moved down her sides and into her pajama bottoms, sliding them over her hips. Quinn quickly kicked free of her shorts as he lifted her, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. She arched against him and couldn’t help the whimper that escaped her mouth as he pulled down the other side of her top. At the first touch of his tongue on the sensitive peak of her breast, she cried out. His fingers dug into her ass as he licked and suckled each nipple, not playing any favorites. She ran her fingers through his hair, pulling his head closer.

  He gripped the backs of her knees, pinning her against the wall so she could feel him at the juncture of her thighs. She dropped her arms, and her fingers fumbled desperately to unbutton his pants. As if sensing her urgency, he shoved his pants and briefs down, his erection springing free. She ran a hand along its hot, throbbing length, and he pressed his face into the crook of her neck and groaned.

  Not surprisingly, he was big. Very big. A moment of panic moved through her as she wondered how she’d be able to take him inside. But she was dying to feel him, all of him. She cupped him in her palm before slowly stroking back up his cock.

  Reaching down between her thighs, he pushed her panties aside, and Quinn felt a blast of cold air against her heat. She felt Ewan position himself at her opening. Quinn held her breath as Ewan paused, giving her one last chance to back down. She slipped her hand around to his tight ass and squeezed.

  Hesitation over, Ewan thrust into her hard, burying himself to the hilt. Quinn gasped before biting down on the thick cord of his shoulder. He was rock solid and filled her completely. She squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the sweet sting of his entry as he stretched her. She felt his chest heave against her bare breasts and his body tremble.

  He withdrew slightly and slid back inside. With each withdrawal, he pulled out farther. And with each entry, he pressed harder. His hands were on her waist, keeping her in place against the wall as he picked up his rhythm. With every thrust, her body knocked against the stone wall, the friction driving her higher. Her head fell back and a moan escaped her lips. His breath was hot and heavy on the side of her neck as he found a steady rhythm, and she dug her nails into the shifting muscles of his shoulders.

  He wrapped one arm around her waist while knotting the other in the hair at the nape of her neck. His lips moved against Quinn’s while his tongue thrust inside her mouth to match the crushing tempo of his hips. Breaking the kiss so she could breathe, he touched his forehead to hers, and each hot breath on her lips pushed Quinn closer
and closer to release. He pulled his head back just enough so he could look into her eyes. She watched him from under heavy lids. Ewan’s mouth was open, pulling in air as he pumped into her. His eyes, dark with desire, focused on her face.

  He was gorgeous.

  Her climax was just within reach as she dropped her head back again and closed her eyes.

  “Harder,” she whimpered, begging him to take her further.

  He moved his hips faster, thrusting inside of her so deep it ached.

  She felt his hot mouth close on one of her nipples, and that was what threw her over the edge. Her orgasm exploded inside of her as she cried out. Quinn shook as pleasure shattered through every cell in her body. She saw nothing, heard nothing. Only felt each amazing wave flow through her from the top of her head to her toenails. And after one more hard thrust, she felt Ewan still as his cock twitched inside of her. He released a guttural moan so goddamn hot another wave of pleasure erupted and moved through her.

  After what seemed like hours and after every tremble left her body, Quinn finally returned to earth. She was limp in his arms, Ewan’s breath still heavy in the crook of her neck. He slowly pulled out of her, returning her panties to order, and lowered her to the ground. He drew his pants up over his hips after pulling Quinn’s cami back up to cover her breasts. Robotically, she slid her arms through the straps and watched as he dusted her sweatshirt and shorts off before handing them to her.

  She no longer heard the rain outside. She only heard the silence between them.

  Her body was hot and damp with more sweat now than rain. What he’d just done to her made all her previous sexual encounters seem like foreplay. And as she leaned against the wall to pull her shorts back on, a wave of horror washed through her. The pleasure of the moment quickly slipped away to panic.

  “We didn’t use a condom,” she whispered.

  He raised his dark eyes to her as he buttoned his pants.

  Her breathing increased again as she realized how irresponsible and impulsive she’d been. Dread prickled along her legs.

  “I’ve never had unprotected sex. Ever,” she said.