Damn! There were meatballs too.
It was as if she knew how to get to his heart.
Yeah, outmaneuvered was definitely the right word to use when it came to Callista Carter.
He didn't have a chance.
During dinner, they spent the entire meal lost in conversation. For that brief time, they put away the death, taking the opportunity to discuss themselves. When they went on their first date, there was the hint of nerves and more silence than speaking.
Now, the opposite was true.
“I think you may cook better than my mom used to,” he said, popping the last half of the meatball into his mouth.
Callie took that as the ultimate compliment. “Thank you, Quinn. I’m glad that I get to cook for someone. It’s not the same when you make dinner for yourself.”
And it wasn’t.
It was lonely.
Callie never realized that she had been so alone before he tromped into her life.
“That’s why I just grab take out,” he said. “Plus, I can toss the dishes out.”
Leaning forward, she saw some sauce on his face. “Come here, Quinn.”
When he obeyed, she dabbed at his chin.
It shot a bolt of want and need straight through his body.
Callie saw the glimmer in his eyes, and it made her pulse thump. “So, if you couldn’t be a police officer, or sheriff, what would you be, Quinn?”
“I don’t know. I only ever wanted to be a cop. From the time that I was a young boy, I needed to find the bad guys.”
It fit him.
She cut her meatball in half, and fed some to him. It was so intimate and personal, that she never wanted dinner to end. This was a feeling that was missing before with anyone else.
It was amazing.
He willingly accepted her offering. “How about you?”
“I think I would have been a doctor. When I was in my med school rotation, I liked pediatrics. I think I would have pursued that.”
Quinn could see her nurturing children. She was calm, patient, and doting. The only other thing that flooded his mind was that she would make the perfect wife.
The thought horrified and pleased him at the same time.
“I’ll do the cleanup. It’s only fair. You’ve cooked for me, and you planted your own rose bushes. It’s the least I can do.”
Callie helped him clear the table, and the entire time, she couldn’t help but watch him and wonder.
Could they make this work?
God, for the first time in her life, she really hoped so.
After washing the dishes and watering her plants, they locked up her house. Out at his truck, Quinn lifted her up, trying not to enjoy the view. Once behind the steering wheel, he wasn’t in the mood for the night to end, so he went for it. “How about I treat you to some dessert?”
“Whatever do you have in mind, Sheriff?” she asked, batting her eyelashes.
He had to swallow hard. “Do you like ice cream?”
“Darlin’ who doesn’t?”
He laughed, realizing that this could actually count as their second date. Quinn said a silent prayer that he wouldn’t screw it up too bad.
Heading into town, he parked before helping her out. As she slid down his body, Quinn stared into her eyes as if searching for something.
“Are you okay?” she asked, touching his cheek.
“Yeah, I’m just excited to have this time with you. I never want it to end,” he admitted.
“I’m having a good time, too.”
Quinn ordered their ice cream and carried it over by the duck pond. They wanted to savor their dessert and enjoy the evening.
“How’s yours?” he asked, as he licked his green mint chip.
“Mmmmm… It’s really good, want to try my coffee mocha?” she asked, holding out her ice cream cone. After he took a lick of hers, he offered up his.
“Interesting,” he said. “I’m not sure if I would mix the two.”
Callie laughed. “I like them mixed. It tastes like mint flavored coffee.”
Quinn leaned in. “Maybe I should taste them again,” he suggested, as he caught her lips against his and deepened the kiss. When he pulled away, Quinn wasn’t smiling. Instead, his pulse was pounding in his ears. “Yeah, I changed my mind, baby. I really like the way that tastes.”
“Yeah, me too,” said Callie, to his surprise. “I think that’s the problem.”
“Yeah, but I like problems. That’s why I became a cop,” he said putting his arm around her. It was hard not to think about how nice it felt to have her at his side. When she laid her head on his shoulder, he couldn’t think of another place he would rather be.
Well, except possibly at home in bed with her.
“Well, isn’t this nice. My daughter is dead and here’s the sheriff, doing absolutely nothing about it,” accused Billy Wilkes, slurring his words.
Quinn turned around to glare at the drunken man. “Billy, you might want to head on home and sleep the booze bender off.”
“What’s wrong, Sheriff? Too busy screwing the little lady to worry about the town and the women you’re not banging?” said Billy, stumbling.
“Mr. Wilkes, head home,” ordered Quinn, getting angrier at the insinuations the man was throwing down regarding Callie.
She put her hand on his arm, “Let him go, Quinn, he’s just distraught.”
“Yeah, Sheriff, I’m distraught! All I know is that my kid is dead, and you know jack. I take that back. You know how to screw the high-priced doctor. Good for you.”
Quinn pulled out his cellphone and dialed the station. When dispatch came on the line, he requested help. “Dory, send a deputy to the duck pond. Mr. Wilkes needs to dry out in the tank,” he said, as he hung up the phone up. “You’re going into the station Billy. When you’re this drunk, you’re a danger to yourself.”
Billy sneered but before he could say anything else, a deputy pulled up.
The approaching man stared at all three people, but mostly at Callie. “Sheriff, you want me to take him in?”
“Yeah, Junior. Let him go when he sobers up.”
They watched Billy Wilkes being loaded into the car, and Quinn turned back to Callie. “I’m sorry that this night was ruined. Whenever I try to have a date with you, it seems to be a disaster.” He looked miserable.
Callie pulled him down by his shirt to kiss him. She let her lips linger, until once more they both pulled apart a little breathless.
“I think it’s far from ruined, Quinn,” she offered, taking his hand. When their fingers locked together, a peace settled between them.
It was perfect.
His chest tightened at the simple contact.
“Come on. Let me take you home,” he said, as they walked back to his truck.
“Okay, Quinn,” she replied, as she moved closer to him. Suddenly, she couldn’t wait to see his place.
She was sure it would say a lot about the man.
Chapter Five
Q uinn’s house was nothing like what she thought it would be. She expected a bachelor pad with unkempt grass and no nature blooming. Instead, there were trees and large patches of flowers everywhere. This was a side of him that caught her off guard, making her feel welcome and very much at peace.
At the door, he stared into her eyes as he invited her into his sanctuary. She could see the emotion there, right behind the tough exterior. This man was definitely not what everyone else saw. Beneath it all, there was a gentleness that she found very appealing.
It called to her.
As he held the door open for her, Callie didn’t know what to say to him when he welcomed her home. The words kept replaying over and over in her mind.
Home.
His actions tripped her up, causing Callie to lose her bearings. As she walked into the big farmhouse, Zeke rushed her, nearly taking her to the floor. Callie would have landed on her ass, if Quinn didn't save her at the last second.
“Are you okay?” he asked, lettin
g go of her arm. He couldn’t believe how nervous he was to have her see his personal space. Everything here was the real him, and who he saw himself to be. Quinn never brought women here because this was his private retreat.
“Yes, but I think your dog has it in for me all the sudden.”
Quinn laughed. “He’s just excited. We don’t get visitors of the opposite sex here,” he said, trying to sound casual, but not knowing if he actually succeeded.
“Well, if he stops trying to kill me, I’ll run with him tomorrow morning,” she said, rubbing the dog’s head.
“Let me show you around,” he offered, taking Callie’s smaller hand in his.
“Okay.”
The first stop was the living room. Inside, it very much reminded her of Quinn. There was a big screen TV and two big comfortable couches facing it. They were made of a warm leather and gave the room a cozy feel.
“I like the fireplace. I can’t imagine that you get to use it that often.”
He stared at it. “No, but I always thought it would be nice on Christmas. I’m waiting for it to snow.”
She laughed. “Good luck with that one.”
Quinn grinned at her. “One never knows what the future holds. I think there will be snow and a fireplace crackling somewhere in my future.”
The way he watched her, it was more than she ever expected in life. Emotion flowed from him, alluding that she, too, would be part of that future.
God, she hoped so.
“Then over here is the dining room. I don’t use it for anything other than a place to drop my mail,” he said, pulling her toward the room.
Callie ran her fingers over the deep, rich mahogany wood and appreciated the beauty of it. “This table is gorgeous.”
“I made it.”
Now, she was really staring at him. “Seriously?”
He started laughing. “We all have hobbies, Callie. I do have a life outside of police work.”
Yeah, who the hell was he kidding? He was as boring as hell outside the job. Bringing her here showed him that.
“Well, it’s beautiful. I’m impressed,” she said, going up on her toes to drop a kiss to his cheek. “I can’t wait to see what else you built.”
“I made an armoire too. It’s in the spare bedroom. You really want to see it?” That staggered him. He never believed that a woman would care to see what he did in his down time.
With Callie, he should have known better.
“Hey, any place a girl can put her shoes is a sight worth checking out, darlin’,” she drawled.
Immediately, her hand went back into his, and his body reacted. He was a little off-balance with her there.
Upstairs, they stopped in the guest bedroom, and Callie ran her hands over the wood of the armoire.
“It’s gorgeous, Quinn. If you weren’t a sheriff, this is what you should have been doing. This is amazing.” She examined the scrollwork, the intricate carvings, and the sturdiness of the piece. It was absolutely lovely.
“Thank you, ma’am,” he said, leaning against the doorframe. “You can put your things in it, while you stay here,” he offered. It was going to be damn hard to sleep, while she was in the next room.
“I can’t wait,” she answered, staring at him over her shoulder.
The smile she was giving him took his breath away.
“You’re a very interesting man, Quinn,” she said, returning to his side. “You’ve got a depth to you that I don’t think many people see, unless you want them too.”
She was absolutely right.
“Is that your professional opinion, Doc?” he drawled, and then winked at her.
“It certainly is, Sheriff.”
While she was attracted to him physically, this other side of him was so much more alluring. There were plenty of sexy men around, but men with depth of character were a treasure.
In that instant, she recognized the truth.
It all led to here, and fate had a plan.
“One last room,” he said, holding her hand. “When I say this room gets no action, I’m not kidding.”
She wasn’t sure where he was leading her, but she couldn’t wait to learn more about him.
The man was fascinating.
When he completed the tour upstairs, he walked her down to the kitchen. Lifting her up, he placed her on the counter. The action surprised her.
“I wasn’t kidding about nothing happening in this room,” he teased. “I hope you didn't think I meant my bedroom.”
She started laughing. “With you, I never know what to think.”
“Trust me, both rooms are pretty boring, but in this one I can check on your foot and put a new bandage on it. There’s better light,” he said, slowly pulling the tape from the wound.
“Ouch,” she yelped.
“Sorry, baby, but it’s off now.” Heading to the cabinet, he pulled out a first aid kit and began taking care of her wound.
“It looks better today, but I think you should let it get some air,” he said, looking up at her from his knees.
“Okay,” she replied, brushing her hair from her face. “Quinn?”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you for letting me stay here with you,” she added. When he moved closer to her, she could smell his cologne and see the steady rise and fall of his chest.
“It wasn’t so noble, Callie. I wanted you here for selfish reasons,” he quietly admitted. Bringing her here had been a test, to see if he was really experiencing what he was feeling. Quinn needed to see her moving around in his environment.
“I see,” she said, wondering if he was feeling the same butterflies in his stomach.
“Do you, Callie?” he asked, touching her cheek with his rough palm.
Callie knew what Quinn was offering, and he was leaving it up to her. She could dive in headfirst and worry later about the outcome, or she could analyze it more and risk the chance of them never going any further.
“I think I do, Quinn,” she answered. Taking a giant risk, she pulled him forward and brought his mouth to hers in a scorching kiss. His tongue urgently tangled with Callie’s, as his large hands were buried deep in the inky depths of her hair.
Time stopped for both of them.
It was only the mating of mouths that mattered, as they battled for what they both craved most.
Quinn wanted peace, and he found it in her.
Callie wanted a rock to hold and protect her, and no man could do that like him.
Regretfully, he broke the kiss. “God, Callie! Please be sure that this is what you want. If we start this tonight, I don’t know if I can stop and let you walk away.” He offered her the truth in his heart. Why not? He already shared a look into his soul by bringing her to his home.
“Will you hurt me, Quinn?” she asked softly.
“Never, baby, I swear,” he promised, as her blue eyes focused on him. It took her but a second to dwell on his words, before she pulled him back down to her lips. As her arms wrapped around his neck, pressing her body to his in a silent response, he knew that she had made her decision.
“Oh, God, baby,” he whispered, as he picked her up off the counter and practically ran for the stairs. Now, he needed to get her up to his bed, so he could make love to her the all-night long.
Callie nuzzled his throat and laid warm open-mouthed kisses below his ear. When he sucked in a ragged breath, Callie had to smile at the response she easily pulled from him. When he kicked open his bedroom door, Callie felt oddly comfortable in his masculine surroundings.
“Wow, that’s some giant bed, Quinn,” she teased.
“I’m a big guy, and I need space,” he answered. “Besides, have you met my dog?”
Callie refocused on his face and could see he was watching her intently, as if at any second, she planned to bolt and break his heart.
“Will there be room for me?” she asked, alluding to the fact she wasn’t going to be using the other room.
“There’s always room for you, Callie.”
The words touched her deeply.
Quinn lowered her to the bed and was mesmerized by her lying there. She looked so delicate and fragile against the dark material beneath her.
It took his breath away.
“I want to take my time and unwrap you, nice and slow,” he drawled.
Callie didn't miss that when he was aroused, he gained more of his southern accent. “So start unwrapping, Quinn,” she replied, her blue eyes never leaving his face. “I’m ready to be with you.”
He stared down at her in the pale moonlight, as it shined in through his window. Running his hand up her leg, he was wound tight and throbbing in anticipation. “Callie, I don’t know if I’ll survive this. I’ve wanted you for a while, and this seems like a dream.”
“I want you, too, Quinn,” she answered, her breath hitching at the way he was staring at her.
It was like predator and prey. Beyond anything, it heated her body.
Reaching down, Quinn pulled the sundress over her head. When he found the miniscule bra and panties, he nearly lost his mind.
His mouth went completely dry.
Her body was amazing.
Quinn was pretty damn sure that he had never seen anything so perfect before in his life. Callie was lean, strong, and had long lines that dipped into some erotic curves.
Immediately, his attention was drawn to an intricate symbol on her hip. It appeared that he found one of her tattoos. “Where’s the other?” he murmured, as he slipped her panties down her thighs.
“On my back,” she whispered, as her body betrayed her with its reaction to him.
Quinn couldn’t wait to see it, but for now, he was focused on other things, like running his fingers down her silky skin. When she shivered at his touch, he was hungry all over again. Pulling Callie up, he let his hands glide around her ribs to remove the lacy creation that was supposed to be a bra. “You wear stuff like this under your clothes all the time?”
“Yes,” she whispered against his shoulder, and it was his turn to shudder when she nipped at his flesh with her teeth.
Quinn slowly moved away from her so he could kick off his boots. He heard her moving behind him, and then felt her pulling his shirt out of his pants.
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