Quinn's Quest l(-4

by N. J. Walters

  “Then I want to take you hard and fast, driving into you over and over until you scream my name as you come.”

  She could barely breathe, let alone speak. But she managed one word. “Yes.”

  She could have died at any point these past few weeks. It was a miracle she was even alive. She was a half-breed werewolf and so was he. Quinn understood her far better than any other man ever had.

  She was attracted to his strength and his sense of loyalty to his family. The fact that he looked like sex on a stick didn’t hurt either. The man pushed all her buttons without even trying. She’d been turned on since the moment she’d first laid eyes on him.

  There was something about him that called to her. Her biology was pushing her hard, driving her to mate. Probably any male werewolf would do in this situation.

  No. Something inside her rebelled and she knew it wasn’t true. There were other unattached males here. She’d met them all. But none of them revved her internal engine. Made her want them. Not the way Quinn did. She could look at them and think they were handsome, maybe even feel mild arousal. But when she looked at Quinn everything inside her exploded.

  She should be scared out of her mind by the sensations, but right now, she didn’t care. She wanted to feel alive. She wanted to celebrate life.

  Quinn didn’t waste time talking. He swooped down and captured her lips in a torrid kiss. Here was the passion, the claiming she’d expected earlier. He tasted like rich, dark chocolate spiced with hot sauce.

  She tried to wrap her leg around his hip but her nightgown got in the way. Quinn felt her struggles and drew back. “Let’s get this off you.”

  Bethany helped him drag the cotton garment over her head. He tossed it aside and stared down at her. She fought the urge to cover herself with her hands. Dawn hadn’t broken yet, but there was more than enough light from the streetlamp to allow him to see. Not that he needed the light. He was a half-breed werewolf, like her. He would have exceptional night vision, probably even better than hers because he was already able to change into his wolf form. His senses had been fully integrated.

  “You are beautiful.” His voice was hoarse with arousal and she could feel the hard throb of his cock against her hip.

  She smiled at him. The world would intrude soon enough. This was their time out of time. And Bethany planned to make the most of it.

  His facial features were strong, almost harsh. His chin was firm, his nose straight and his forehead high. She loved his eyes. They were pale blue and should have been cold. Could be icy. She’d seen them turn that way when he’d been hunting for his sister. She much preferred them this way, warm and inviting as a summer’s day.

  He lowered his head, but it wasn’t her mouth her sought. Not this time. He lapped at the tip of one breast before moving to the other. She arched her back as pure white lightning shot from her nipple to her sex, offering him whatever he wanted. Urging him to take whatever he needed.

  Her blood was thick as syrup as it slowly flowed through her body and pooled between her legs. He blew on one of her nipples. The combination of his warm breath on her damp skin made her moan.

  She’d had sex before. Other men had touched her breasts, put their mouths to them. But it had never brought anything other than mild pleasure. This was off the charts.

  Quinn moved down her body, his tongue and mouth licking and tasting her, leaving no spot untouched. He stroked over her ribcage, the curve of her waist. She laughed when his tongue tickled her bellybutton. All laughter ceased when he nuzzled her pubic hair.

  He shifted, moving between her legs, spreading them with his broad shoulders.

  “Quinn?” Uncertainty ate at the edges of her arousal. No man had ever done this for her before.

  “Shh,” he soothed. His hands were warm on her upper thighs as he held her open for his inspection. “Your pussy is so pretty. Hot and pink and swollen with need.”

  Bethany just about swallowed her tongue. Quinn was earthy and raw and didn’t shy away from his desires, from what he wanted.

  “No one…” She swallowed hard and made herself push past her normal reticence. “No man has ever looked at me the way you are.”

  The corners of his mouth moved upward until he was wearing a pleased male smile. “Is that so?” He leaned forward and kissed her pubic bone. “I’m honored to be the first.”

  Before she could think of what to say next, his mouth was on her and he used his clever tongue to stroke over her slick folds. He traced every crevice, every curve, and the sounds of pleasure he made as he did so sent her temperature soaring.

  She arched her hips, wanting more. This was delicious. Heaven. He found her clit and sucked on it. Bethany almost came off the bed. Her cry of bliss echoed around the room.

  “That’s it,” he crooned. “Take what I want to give you.”

  Bethany didn’t think she had much choice in the matter. Her body was out of control. It no longer belonged to her but to Quinn. Her skin was on fire with a deep-seated longing that only he could quench.

  He pressed two fingers into her snug channel. There was a slight resistance but it gave easily as her inner muscles softened and accepted him. She was so wet, so aroused, he slid in easily. “Oh, yeah.” He worked his fingers in and out of her pussy. “This is what I want. You all hot and wet around me. You’ll squeeze my cock so tight I won’t last.”

  She panted hard, barely able to catch her breath. Every cell in her body was focused on what he was doing between her legs. He plied his lips and tongue, teasing her clit. All the while his finger continued to pump in and out of her snug sheath.

  Tension built inside her. She gripped his head, holding him to her, unable to tell him what she needed. But she didn’t have to. He knew just what to do.

  One more stroke of his fingers and tug of his lips and Bethany came undone. She cried out as the world exploded around her. She pumped her hips and moaned, her body spasming. Quinn continued with his magic touch and her orgasm went on and on.

  She finally collapsed with a groan, totally spent. Wrung out. She also felt tingly and happy inside.

  Quinn raised his head and stared down at her, licking his lips with satisfaction. “You taste exquisite.”

  She was too tired to be embarrassed or at least she thought she was. She could feel her cheeks getting hot and Quinn smiled down at her.

  “Now it’s my turn.”

  Quinn couldn’t take his eyes off Bethany. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Her brown hair was mussed and tangled, her hazel eyes half-closed and sleepy with pleasure. Her mouth was moist from his earlier kisses. As he watched, her tongue came out to lick her bottom lip.

  His cock flexed and his balls tightened, a reminder to get on with the business at hand. He had to get inside her before his dick exploded. He could taste her essence on his lips. It was even better than he’d imagined—sweet, with a touch of honey and cinnamon, and incredibly addictive.

  He didn’t want to take advantage of her. Didn’t want to hurt her in any way. But what was happening between them wasn’t wrong. They were two adults sharing something very special.

  He levered himself over her, taking his weight on his forearms. She put her arms around his shoulders, welcoming him. He couldn’t wait any longer. He nudged the opening of her hot channel with the tip of his cock. Her essence bathed him with heat. It felt so damn good.

  Too good.

  Swearing, he rolled off her and dragged the drawer of the bedside table open. He found a condom and ripped it open. Beside him, Bethany was still and silent. He hoped he hadn’t killed the mood.

  He got the condom rolled on in record time and came back over her. She was watching him, all big eyes and soft skin. “Thank you.”

  He frowned, not quite sure what she was talking about.

  “For thinking about protection. I didn’t even think of it.” A light pink color tinged her cheekbones.

  Her admission made his chest swell and his cock throb. She’d been so fa
r gone she hadn’t thought of condoms. He couldn’t help but grin. “I told you I’d protect you.”

  Something about Bethany made him want to be more than he was. Better somehow. He knew it was nothing more than a momentary dream, a fantasy brought on by the situation they found themselves in. He was what he was, a man with a dark past and blood on his hands, a man who’d failed to protect those who’d depended on him.

  She was a woman whose world had been shaken. She was the victim of an act of violence. It was only natural for her to reach out, to want to experience the most basic celebration of life. Maybe he shouldn’t take advantage of her generous offer. If he were noble, he’d walk away until she’d found her feet in the crazy world she now found herself a part of. But he wasn’t noble, and he wanted her more than he wanted his next breath.

  Quinn didn’t want to think any longer. He wanted, no needed, to lose himself in Bethany’s sweet body. He angled his body until his cock was against her opening and he pushed.

  There was resistance at first as though her body sought to keep him out, but he persisted. The tight muscles ringing her opening relaxed, finally admitting him. He gritted his teeth as her channel rippled around his cock, clamping down on the head. She was so damn snug.

  Her fingernails dug into his shoulders, an erotic bite. He shoved one hand beneath her ass, enjoying the smooth, supple skin that filled his palm, before he tilted her toward him. The move gave him better penetration and his cock slid deeper.

  She cried out and angled closer. He loved the way she didn’t hold anything back. Bethany was a moaner, letting him know what she liked and what she didn’t like. So far, she’d liked everything he’d done to her.

  He withdrew until only the tip of his cock was still inside her. Then he forged inward again. Her channel rippled around him, squeezing his hard length.

  His balls drew up tight and he could feel the release gathering there. He was close now.

  He began to move faster, powering in and out of her slick sheath. She was with him, her breathing getting faster and shallower. Her breasts swayed as he fucked her. They were full and firm, the tips a deep pink. He wanted to taste them again. He could remember how they felt against his tongue, firm and ripe.

  “Come with me,” he urged. He inserted a finger between their bodies, found her clit and stroked it. Bethany cried out his name and then she convulsed, her pussy clutching him hard.

  He yelled and pumped once more, emptying himself into the condom. He’d never resented a piece of latex before, but he did now. He wanted to spill his seed in her, to mark her as his.

  His wolf howled inside him in protest. He ignored that part of himself, keeping it firmly chained. He couldn’t claim Bethany. Not as a mate. He didn’t want a mate. Couldn’t have one, not until he’d found his sister and brought her home. Besides, what did he have to offer her? He didn’t have a job or a home.

  He lost the ability to think as another spasm took her, the tightening of her sheath around his cock wringing another groan of pleasure from him. He collapsed onto the bed, barely managing to shift the bulk of his weight off her. He’d move as soon as he could find the energy. Bethany had drained him.

  He felt content.

  Soft hands stroked his shoulder and he nuzzled her neck. Damn, she smelled salty and sweet. He could eat her up. Wait, he already had. His cock jerked in response. He might have just had her but he wanted her again.

  He rose up on his hands and knees and eased out of her. It wasn’t easy with his dick still hard. He sat on the edge of the bed and removed the condom, dumping it in the nearby wastebasket.

  He lay down next to Bethany and gathered her into his arms. She placed her hand over his heart. He kissed the top of her head. Neither of them spoke.

  His life was crap at the moment. He’d come so close to finding Chris only to lose her trail. But one good thing had come out of this situation—Bethany. She’d given him renewed hope. She touched something inside him. Something he thought he’d lost over these long, hard months. She was sunshine and hope and promise.

  But this interlude was over. The search began anew today. Quinn hoped the new information they had would enable Damek to find something that might help them.

  If he knew his brother, and he did, Craig had worked most of the night, trying to find out anything and everything about Doctor Phillip Morton and the property where Chrissten and Bethany were held.

  He knew he had to get up, shower and start the day. The sun peeked into the room, a room that didn’t even belong to him, any more than the woman beside him did.

  He reluctantly untangled his limbs from hers, rolled out of bed and scrubbed his hands through his hair. “You want the bathroom first?”

  The sheets swished behind him. “Sure.” He could hear the uncertainty in her voice and hated it. He might not be able to offer her forever, but he could make her feel better about what had just happened between them.

  He turned, caught her face in his hands and kissed her. He’d planned to keep it light and teasing. But one taste of her changed everything. He deepened the kiss, tasting, taking, until they were both out of breath. He broke away and dropped another hard kiss on her lips. “We’ll figure it out.” He wasn’t sure what he meant by that but he had to say something.

  She offered him a tentative smile as she stood and padded off to the bathroom. The sheet she was wearing dipped slightly, giving him a tantalizing view of her supple spine, but stopping short of letting him see her perfect ass.

  If the start was any indication, today was going to be a good day. Energized and renewed, he dragged on his jeans and went to find his brother to see what he’d discovered.

  Chapter Five

  Chrissten didn’t know if it was morning or night. It was all the same to her. Hours bled into hours. Days passed in a sameness that made her lose hope. They’d moved her again and she had no idea where she was. Not that she’d known before, but at least Bethany had.

  Now she was alone. Again.

  She closed her eyes to shut out her dismal surroundings. The room was tiny, barely large enough for a cot, a toilet and a sink. It was more like a prison cell than a room. The fact that her wrists were manacled to the sides of the bed completed the image. Her arms ached and she knew her wrists were rubbed raw from her desperate attempts to free herself. The metal had held but her skin had torn. The ripe scent of blood filled the air around her.

  She was trapped. And like many creatures who found themselves in such dire straits she was tempted to chew her own hands off if she could free herself. It was probably just as well she was too weak to summon her wolf form or she’d have been sorely tempted to try. Of course, if her weakness hadn’t impeded her, the fact the manacles were coated in silver would have. Either way she was screwed.

  Her brain was still foggy from the drug the doctor had pumped into her. Her body grew weaker with each passing day. Her strength waned.

  She honestly didn’t know how much longer she could go on fighting. It had been so long. She could barely remember the carefree woman she’d been before. Her biggest worries had been paying the rent and keeping her nosy brothers out of her business.

  Craig and Quinn. Their faces filled her mind and brought an ache to her heart. She missed them both. Oh God, how she missed them. She missed Quinn worrying about her, warning her to be careful riding the subway. She missed Craig asking her what was for supper. As a teenager, he’d been a bottomless pit. He was twenty now. A man.

  She’d missed so much. She worried about them both, wondered how they were coping with her disappearance. One thing she knew for certain was they were searching for her. They were a loyal, loving family, depending on one another for support in everything. They wouldn’t stop looking until they found her body.

  Chrissten worried that might happen sooner rather than later. The lack of food, the constant testing and, worst of all, the constant attempts to fight off Brian were slowly killing her. She’d lost weight and muscle tone. That combined with the sil
ver-coated shackles made it impossible for her to summon her wolf.

  She swallowed hard and ignored the growl of her empty stomach. The cold and damp sank into her bones and she wrapped her arms around herself to try to keep warm. There was just enough give in the chains attached to the manacles to allow the motion. It didn’t help.

  She tried to picture herself in a cozy bed with about a dozen comforters thrown over her. She wiggled around slightly, trying to find a comfortable spot. When she found the sweet spot she sighed with relief.

  With her eyes closed she could pretend she was somewhere else. It was the only way to get any relief from the unrelenting depression that threatened to crush her.

  Strong male arms wrapped around her. Protecting her. Quinn, she thought at first. Then she frowned. No, it wasn’t her twin or Craig. The phantom male she’d created in her mind smelled delicious and he was so warm, almost hot. She was drawn to his strength, his heat.

  “I’ve got you,” he murmured.

  The fantasy was so tangible she could almost believe it was real. Then the sound of metal scraping yanked her from her waking dream and reality came crashing back down.

  “Good, you’re awake.” The doctor strode into the room, a frown on his face. “It was quite a disruption to my schedule having to move so suddenly.”

  As if she cared about his schedule.

  He withdrew a needle from his pocket. “Let’s get some fresh blood so I can make sure the drugs have had no lingering effect on you.”

  Chrissten didn’t speak to him. There was no point. She’d spent the first three months of her captivity desperately trying to reason with the man. But there was no reasoning with someone who was insane.

  She wanted to lunge for his throat, but her own weakness and the manacles kept her at bay. He jabbed the needle in her arm. She didn’t even flinch. It would bruise, but it would heal. It always did. Or at least it had. The process was getting slower and slower each time. Another sign her body was wearing out. She still sported bruises from her escape attempt. If she were healthy they’d have been almost healed by now.