She frowned. "You think I'd dump you for him? That's crazy talk, Quinn."
"Good to know." He drew her up and pulled her against him. "I've had enough pizza. How about you?"
"Yeah." Her voice was low and throaty. "I'm still hungry, but not for pizza and beer."
"What do you want, Tessa?" He brushed his mouth over hers and felt her shiver.
"You, Quinn. I want you."
"Show me."
She kissed him, her mouth playing with his, tormenting him. Sucking his lower lip into her mouth and caressing it with her tongue. He groaned and tried to take control of the kiss. He pressed her against the refrigerator and curled his arm around her. His cock was swollen, hot and aching for her. He wanted to strip off her clothes and take her right here in the kitchen.
He wanted to lift her up, feel her wrap her legs around him, make those little noises deep in her throat that told him how turned on she was. How much she wanted him.
Her hands were busy at his waist, and he thought she was trying to undo his belt. He reached down with one hand to help and felt cold metal against his wrist. A moment later, he heard the snick of his handcuffs closing around one hand.
"What the hell?" He leaned back and found her eyes heavy-lidded with desire. Her mouth was red and swollen from their kiss, and she pressed her mouth to his throat.
"You can't always be in control, Quinn. Tonight, it's my turn."
"You going to tie me to your bed? With my own cuffs?"
"Yep. And then I'm going to do whatever I want to you." She slid against him and pressed her breasts against his chest, her sex against his throbbing cock. "For as long as I want."
"Might not be as long as you think," he gasped. The thought of being helpless in Tessa's bed, of having to lie there and let her do whatever she wanted made him feel as though he was bursting out of his skin. His cock was harder than granite, pulsing with blood until he was afraid he'd come before they even got to the bed and the handcuffs part.
"Oh, I'll make it last," she promised with a wicked smile. She took his hand and let him into the bedroom. "Take off your clothes," she ordered.
His hands shook as he fumbled the buttons through holes that were impossibly small. Never taking his eyes off Tessa, he tossed the shirt onto the floor and followed it with his tee shirt. Shoes were next, then his pants. Finally he was down to his boxer shorts. His cock ached behind the soft material, and he was careful not to touch himself as he removed them. He was primed and ready, and it wouldn't take much to set him off.
Tessa still wore her scrub suit, although he could see her hardened nipples beneath the thin material. She must be wearing one of those lacy bras that barely hid anything. The second night they'd been together, he'd showed her how much he liked them. That's all she'd worn since then.
Her gaze dropped to his groin, and she touched him with one finger, smoothing the pre-come around his tip. His hips jerked involuntarily. "If you keep that up, this is going to be over faster than either of us want."
Trailing her finger down his almost painfully hard length, she said, "Okay. Then why don't you lie down?"
She waited until he was settled, then she pulled both his arms over his head. "I don't know about these, Quinn. They don't look very comfortable."
"They're not supposed to be," he said, flexing his one cuffed hand.
She spun around and opened a drawer. "This will work better."
She pulled out two scarves, then rooted in the pocket of his discarded pants for his keys. The handcuff key was the smallest one on the keychain, and in a moment she'd unlocked the cuffs and tossed them on the floor. Then she tied his wrists to the spindles in her headboard.
"You do this often?" he groaned, tugging at the restraints. She hadn't tied them tight, but he couldn't slip out of them. He'd never been a big fan of being tied up – he suspected most cops wouldn't be. But if Tessa wanted it, he was game to give it a try.
Her face flushed. "I've never done this before. But I want to do it with you."
"Maybe I should tie you up."
"Too late," she said, crawling onto the bed and settling over his thighs. "I've got you now. And I'm not setting you free until I'm done with you."
"I'm fine with that," he managed to say. He hoped she didn't set him free for a very long time.
She sat back on her heels, studying him, and he wondered if she wasn't sure what to do next. "Need some suggestions?" he asked.
Her smile was devilish. "Just trying to decide what to do first."
"What did you decide?"
Her gaze lingered on his cock. "It's way too warm in here. I think I need to cool off a little." She tugged off her scrub shirt, and he'd been right. She wore a tiny scrap of black lace that did nothing to hide her erect nipples. They were tight and hard, a dark rose against the lace of her bra.
"What should I take off next?" she asked, being careful not to touch him.
"Your bra," he breathed. "Take it off. I want to see your breasts."
She drew her hand over one breast, then the other, lingering to rub her thumb over each nipple. His hips rose from the bed and he closed his eyes and swallowed. If she kept this up, he was going to come before she even touched him.
Finally she reached behind her and unhooked the bra, letting it fall to drape over his thighs. "Now your pants," he said, barely able to form the words.
She rose to her knees and untied the string holding them up. They fell to her knees, revealing a tiny scrap of lace that matched the bra burning into his skin. "More?" she whispered.
"God, yes," he groaned.
She pulled off one leg, then the other, wriggling against him as she worked the fabric down her legs. "Wouldn't it be easier if you stood up?" he gasped.
"Maybe. But where's the fun in that?"
When she finally tossed the pants to the floor, she settled back on his thighs. His cock swelled even more. "You're so wet."
"For you, Quinn." She leaned over and brushed a kiss over his mouth. Her breasts dragged over his chest, leaving a trail of fire and making his hips rise again.
"I'm not sure what I want to do first." She held his gaze as she cupped her breasts in both hands. "Since you can't touch me, I'm going to pretend these are your hands."
She was going to make him lose all his control. "You're killing me, Tessa. God." He twisted beneath her, trying to slide his cock against her clit.
"Mmm. Can't have that," she murmured. She took her hands off her breasts and put them on his chest instead. "I want to see how you taste."
She licked a wet circle around his already-taut nipple. His hips rose and fell rhythmically, desperate to touch all that heat and wetness between her legs. Then her teeth nipped at his nipple and he cried out.
Grinning against his skin, she moved to his other nipple and sucked on it, swirling her tongue around it. He was making mindless noises now, more turned on than he'd ever been in his life.
She trailed her mouth down his abdomen, paused at his navel, then kept going. When her warm breath blew over his cock, he lifted his hips toward her mouth. If she didn't touch him in the next five seconds, he was going to go out of his mind.
Finally she took his tip into her mouth, swirling her tongue around the edge. He was so close to exploding. He tried desperately to control himself, to make himself last for her. To give her everything she wanted. But when she drew him deeper into her mouth, he cried out.
"Tess. Stop, Tess. I'm going to come."
She released him with a tiny pop that was sexiest noise he'd ever heard. "Isn't that the point?"
"I thought you wanted to play. That you wanted to torture me for a while." He flexed his hands into fists, over and over. He wanted to feel her smooth, silky skin. He wanted to put his hands on her breasts, caress them the way she'd done herself.
He wanted to feel her heat. Taste it. Make her come screaming his name. But he couldn't get his hands loose.
"I'm rethinking that idea," she said, her voice hoarse. "I'm...I don't kno
w how long I can last."
"Untie me, Tess. I want to make you feel as good as you're making me feel."
"Maybe you'll get a turn when I'm done with you," she teased. Holding his gaze, she took him in her mouth again. One of her hands cupped his balls, and his orgasm burst through his balls and shot down his length. He tried to pull away from her, but she wouldn't let go.
His orgasm went on and on, until he was limp and sweating beneath her. Finally she crawled up next to him and nestled at his side. "That was fun," she whispered. "Can we do that again?"
"Not until I have my turn."
Grinning, she untied the two scarves and put them in his hands. "All yours."
She meant the scarves. But as he wrapped his arms around her and held her tight, he let himself believe she was talking about herself. Because he knew he wasn't going to be able to let Tessa go.
***
The next evening, since Quinn had to work and she didn't, she agreed to go out with Abby and her boyfriend Jason. As they talked and laughed, Tessa watched Jason and Abby. They seemed happy together. Jason was attentive and clearly crazy about her friend. Abby kept one hand twined with his as the three of them talked – she was clearly crazy about him, too. Tessa hoped it worked out for them.
Finally Jason leaned over and pressed a kiss to Abby's lips. "I see a guy I need to talk to, babe. Be right back."
He made his way toward the bar, sliding in between two guys who seemed to know him. He nodded toward her and Abby, then one guy said something and Jason shrugged with a grin.
"You told him to make himself scarce, didn't you?" Tessa said.
"Of course I did. I want to hear the latest on you and Hot Cop."
"There is no latest. He picks me up after work when he can. That's it."
Abby studied her, her eyes sad. "Really, Tess? That's all it is? You don't go on dates? You just hook up?"
"Hey, the hooking up is amazing."
"You deserve more than being a booty call."
"It's not like that, Abby." Tessa moved her drink around on the varnished table, leaving a trail of condensation behind. "We're going to Oscars on Friday to listen to music. And he asked me to go to dinner at his mom's next Sunday."
"Yeah?" Abby's eyes brightened. "Cool. I'll expect details. Lots of them."
"I'm not sure I'm going."
Her friend's smile faded. "Why not?"
"Come on, Ab. Dinner with his family? With his mother and three brothers and sister? That's more than a fling. It's verging on a relationship."
"Nothing wrong with that." Abby touched the back of Tessa's hand. "You told me once you wished you had a big family. Sounds like Quinn has a ready-made one."
"That's the problem. What if I really like his family? What if they have me over for more meals? For holidays, even? That's a serious relationship. Exactly what I don't want."
"You don't know that unless you give it a try." Abby frowned at Tessa. "Are you afraid of falling in love with him?"
Of course she was. Quinn was...amazing. Wonderful. Everything she wanted in a man. But he was a cop. "No! I just...I don't want to set up unrealistic expectations."
"For Quinn?" Abby asked shrewdly. "Or for you?"
"For either of us. Meeting the family is a big step. I've known him for less than two weeks. We haven't been on an actual date yet. So it's a little early for the whole 'meet my family' scene."
Abby nibbled on a pretzel and took a sip of her wine. "You're scared," she said. "Scared you're going to fall in love with him. And that he's going to die, just like Brian." She pointed the pretzel at Tessa. "And that's just a pathetic excuse. You're afraid of getting hurt again."
Abby took a long drink of her own beer. "So what if I am? What's wrong with that? I'm not a masochist. I don't want to hurt like that, ever again." She didn't want to feel that guilt again, either.
"You'd rather spend the rest of your life alone? Working at the hospital and going home to an empty apartment? Or maybe you'll get a cat and a vibrator. Wouldn't that be a full, rich life?"
Tessa gasped just as she was taking a drink. Coughing wildly, she didn't stop until a waitress put a glass of water in front of her. "Nice talk, Abs," she said when she could breathe again.
"What? Would you rather I say what I really think?"
"And what's that?"
"You're a coward. You've found a great guy you really like, and you're too scared to do anything about it." She pointed her finger at Tessa when she opened her mouth to respond. "Don't even start with me. We both know I'm right."
Jason chose that moment to re-appear. "Hey, sorry it took me so long." He looked from Tessa to Abby. "You guys want another drink?"
As Jason went to fetch a beer for Tessa and a glass of wine for Abby, Tessa stared at the table. Was Abby right? Was she running scared? Did she need to think about Quinn in a different way?
Was she making the biggest mistake of her life?
Chapter 15
The next night, Quinn texted Tessa at the hospital in the early evening, telling her he'd be there in an hour or two. Tessa tended her patients and filled out paperwork, but her mind wasn't on her job. She caught herself looking at the elevator, as if that would make Quinn magically appear.
Around eight, Kyle appeared on the floor with his x-ray unit. He pushed it past the nurses station, glancing at her and then quickly looking away. She couldn't read his face – was he embarrassed? Angry? Ashamed?
He leaned against the wall as he waited for the nurse in a patient room to finish, then pulled out his phone. He seemed completely absorbed in whatever was on the screen. As if oblivious to Tessa, sitting twenty feet away.
Last night, he would have stared at her as she worked.
So maybe he was embarrassed about his outburst last night. Good. It would keep him away from her.
Maybe Dr. Hunter had said something to him – although Hunter had acted as if he hadn't even noticed the scene yesterday. And she doubted James would say anything. It had been nice of the intern to step in, but she was pretty sure the guy was too insecure and quiet to go out of his way to confront anyone.
It must be one of the intern's rare nights off, anyway, because Hunter had been on the floor earlier and James hadn't been with him. She glanced at Kyle and caught him watching her. He looked away immediately.
The elevator pinged and when the door open, Quinn stepped out. Tessa's heart fluttered. He wore jeans and a dark sports coat, with a blue oxford shirt beneath it. As he walked she could see the flare of the gun at his hip and the flash of his badge clipped to his belt.
He nodded to her when he reached the nurse's station. "Ms. Porter. Can I have a minute of your time?"
"Certainly, Detective." She stood up, smoothing her suddenly sweating hands down her scrub pants. She didn't look at Kyle, but she could feel his gaze on them. "What can I do for you?"
Quinn's eyes darkened, and her breath caught. Then he cleared his throat and his gaze flickered over the two nurses behind her. "Is there somewhere private we can talk?"
"There's a patient lounge at the end of the corridor." She nodded toward the closed door. "I don't think anyone's using it."
She led him down the hallway past Kyle. When she glanced at him, Quinn seemed to understand she was identifying the technician. Quinn nodded once.
Kyle's gaze burned into her back until they reached the lounge. She knocked on the door, pushed it open and made sure it was empty before stepping inside.
Quinn followed her in and the door closed behind him. The windows on the opposite wall looked toward downtown Chicago, and the lights of the city glittered below them. Knowing no one could see them, Tessa reached for Quinn. He grabbed her hands, kissed each palm once, then let her go.
"I'm here as a police officer," he said. "If you touch me, that's all I'll be able to think about."
His words sent a little thrill through her. She had that much power over him? But the thrill was followed by a tiny quiver of fear. This was too much, too fast. And it
was scary as hell.
"Okay. What can I do for you, Detective?"
One corner of his mouth turned up. "You can still call me Quinn. There's no one here besides us."
His blue eyes twinkled at her, and she wanted to kiss him. Way too much. But instead of moving into him, she took a step backward. "No, this is business. So how can I help you, Detective?"
His mouth twitched. "Well, Ms.Porter, you can start by telling me about all the men you work with."
"All of them?" She frowned. "I thought this was about Kyle."
"Yeah, I have lots of questions for Kyle Nolan." His mouth tightened. "But I need to know about other men you interact with here. I'm not going to rule anyone out."
Tessa thought about prickly, arrogant Jonathon Hunter breaking into her apartment and playing with her underwear. Or shy, awkward James Dietrich. Or any of the other nurses, doctors and technicians she saw on a regular basis. Shaking her head, she said, "No one seems like the type."
"There is no 'type', Tessa. So just tell me about everyone. First and last names."
Tessa sat on one of the couches, thinking. She began with Hunter and Dietrich, then Kyle, then the two male nurses she worked with. She listed as many of the doctors as she could think of, and named technicians and maintenance workers. Finally she trailed off. "There are probably more I see occasionally, but this is a busy floor and there are a lot of people who pass through here."
"I understand." Quinn tapped his pen against his notebook. "Anyone but Nolan who makes you uncomfortable?"
"Dr. Hunter," she said immediately. "But not in a creepy way. He's just an arrogant jerk who has a God complex. The rest of us mere mortals are only here to serve him."
She hesitated. "James Dietrich is his intern. He's socially awkward and very shy. He's hard to talk to, but that's not uncomfortable. Just...difficult sometimes. Some of the nurses think he’s creepy because he watches us.
"One of the maintenance men teases me about my hair." She eased against the back of the couch. "It's verging on inappropriate, but I know he doesn't mean anything by it, so I ignore it. A couple of the doctors have asked me out, but they haven't gotten weird or anything when I turned them down."
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