by Debra Kayn
Her neck heated, spreading to her shoulders. She'd noticed the sexual attraction happening between her and Quint, and she had no idea what to do with the information. Every time she looked at Quint, she imagined him shirtless, sweaty and wanting her.
"Ah ha." Iliana laughed, leaning back in her chair. "I was right. You do want more from him."
She shook her head. "It's not like that."
"What do you mean?" Iliana scoffed. "Don't tell me you're not in love with him."
"There's more to having a relationship than being attracted to each other." She shrugged. "He's older. I think he sees me as too young and feels more responsibility toward me than as an equal."
"Well, he is your boss." Iliana's mouth twitched. "Anders was my boss at the beginning, too."
"That's true. He is bossy," said Katelynn, trying to change the subject.
"Stubborn, too?"
"God, yes," she said, laughing.
What in the world was wrong with her? She couldn't stop talking. She'd promised Quint that she'd keep up the charade. Not make it appear as if they were in a complicated sex relationship.
She wasn't in the position to fall in love with Quint. He was only helping her. He gave her a job, a place to live.
Could he see her as someone available to him? Could he want her? That tiny spark of hope warmed her stomach.
A customer stopped at the table and asked Iliana if she was singing on Friday. Katelynn used the interruption to sip more of the drink in hopes it would cool her off.
"Sorry about that," whispered Iliana when they were alone again. "Customers see me down here and think I'll be performing. They're good people though. I've gotten to know most of the ones from the mountain who come in regularly. I bet it's that way for you too, at the campground."
"Not really. Since most are on vacation, I've only seen them once." She set her glass down. "Everyone seems to know Quint, though."
"Anders mentioned Quint's old boss came by," said Iliana.
"Yeah, he's quite the character and pretended to be a cranky old man in the office to test me on my customer service skills. Then, not a half hour later, another old guy came in and acted the same way, asking for Quint." She inhaled deeply. "I started to feel like I was being reviewed, but it was someone who Quint wanted to deal with on his own. Though..."
How easy was it for her to slip into gossiping about her day?
"Oh, did they dress up to fool you?" Iliana laughed. "Like on that show...oh, what's the name of it when the boss comes into the workplace and disguises himself to fool his employees?"
"I don't know."
"Anyway, wouldn't that be wild?"
Not much of a television watcher, she had no idea what show Iliana talked about. "Most campers are thirty to fifty years old. The last man was in the same age group as Quint's old boss. Dressed like him, too, with his snapback on his head, always shoving it up and down. I almost didn't recognize him from the picture Quint showed me because he was a lot heavier around the middle and in the face except, he has baby blue eyes, very noticeable, and white-white hair. In the photo, he had gray hair. Anyway, it made me take a second look at everyone above the age of sixty-five for the rest of the day."
"At least it wasn't a test for your employment. I don't think Quint would do that to you." Iliana played with the napkin. "Your day reminds me of when I used to audition. I would get so nervous as if everyone was judging my every move, not to mention my singing. I don't miss that part of my career since the Lair became my permanent gig. The pressure is off."
She nodded in agreement. At the Emporium, they had secret shoppers to spy on the employees. She and her co-workers never knew when they were coming.
"Oh, look. The guys are here." Iliana waved, looking past Katelynn's right shoulder.
Katelynn turned her head, her gaze connecting with Quint. Guilty for having talked to Iliana about her relationship with him, she ran her tongue over her front teeth to calm the butterflies in her stomach.
Chapter 18
Quint unlocked the door to the cabin. Uncomfortable the entire ride back from the Lair, he hesitated on the porch.
"Go ahead and go on in. I'm going to sit out here for a few, cool off, and have a smoke." He stepped away and sat in the rocker.
"I'll sit with you," she said.
Katelynn walked past him and started to sit on the upturned cut log when he shot out of the chair and grabbed her arm. "Take the rocker. You don't want to get sap on your dress."
"Oh." She ran her hand down her hip. "I forgot I was wearing it."
He took up position by the railing and leaned against the pole anchoring the roof. The gentle groan of the rocker filled the night. They'd spent more time at the Lair than he'd planned but Katelynn—hell, she enjoyed being around the others. He couldn't take that away from her when she kept smiling and sharing her pleasure with him.
If it had been up to him, they would've stayed home.
Half the time, he'd fed off the mood of the others in the room, who made her smile and laugh. He'd found himself jealous and territorial, and hadn't been able to take his gaze off her all night.
She'd become a beautiful, sexual, woman tonight. On the ride home, she'd entertained him with things she'd seen and overheard at the Lair that amused her. But it wasn't the private conversation that keyed him up. He had a hard time keeping his eyes on the road because every time she moved her arms, the tops of her breasts moved above the line of her sundress. Every time she crossed and uncrossed her bare legs beside him, her dress shifted higher on her thighs.
He'd gone too long without a woman.
He inhaled and blew out a stream of smoke. Nah, he wanted Katelynn, and his need had nothing to do with how long he'd gone without sex.
Her foot swung as she rocked. She'd slipped off her flipflops.
No matter how many times he walked away from her to keep from touching what wasn't his, he always came back, wanting her twice as much. He was almost twice her age. Hell, she'd met her last boyfriend over the internet.
Their lives were too different. The only thing they had in common was being in the same place at the wrong time. She needed his help, not his cock.
"It was nice to get out of the heat and into the air-conditioned space of Anders' Lair tonight." She pressed her head against the back of the rocker. "You have nice friends."
Will, Mark, and Anders were closer to him than anyone in his life. Having grown up in group homes, he'd kept to himself, never wanting to bond with anyone else because either the state moved him or other kids moved out.
The group "mom" ran the small group of kids like a warden than a parental figure. His teachers at public school became his example of what other kids got having a mom or dad at home, but he'd learned at an early age his assessment was wrong.
It wasn't until he found himself held captive in Mexico with five strangers his age how to rely on someone else. He'd learned to trust the other five kids. Because everything else had been stripped away from him, he'd done what he'd needed to survive.
"How long have you known them?" she asked.
He took another draw off the cigarette. "Since I was fifteen years old."
"No kidding?" She sighed. "Iliana and I were just talking about how the friends we had in school had drifted from our lives now that we're in our twenties. It's seriously legit that you've stayed close to your friends. That's a rare gift."
He walked over and stubbed out his smoke in the ashtray on the railing. The last thing he wanted to do was talk about his childhood or the others. If Katelynn knew Iliana had sneakily found out what Jaster looked like for them, and he had ulterior motives for taking her to the Lair, she'd have a different opinion of him and the others.
He turned. "Are you ready—?"
"Yes?" She stood and almost bumped into him.
He caught her arms, keeping her from leaning back and losing her balance. She gazed up at him, eager and curious. Even in the darkness, he could see her full lips slightly parted.
"Quint?" she whispered.
Not remembering what he was going to say, he lifted his hand and outlined her lips with his thumb. His balls constricted. Her soft mouth moldable and willing, he could almost feel them around his cock.
Her tongue came out and licked her bottom lip where he'd touched, and she might as well have caressed him.
"You're not old enough to know what you're doing to me," he whispered back, more to himself.
She grabbed his wrist before he could move away. "What's going on between us?"
"Something that can't happen." He looked down at her slim fingers holding on to him. "Go to bed, Katelynn."
She leaned her head back, exposing her slim neck. "Why are you sending me inside?"
"For both our sakes, go to bed." He lifted his chin. "Now."
She flinched and scurried through the door. The soft click shattered the hold he had on himself.
His cock pulsed, hard as a rock. He thrust his hands through his hair and exhaled loudly. How in the hell was he going to go inside and sleep, knowing she was a few steps away in his guest bedroom?
She had no idea the things he wanted to do to her that polluted his head. If she could read his mind, she'd run out of here as fast as her sexy legs could take her.
KATELYNN PACED THE bedroom. Quint had wanted to kiss her out on the porch. She hadn't imagined the way he touched her or the hardness of his body.
Planting her hands on her hips, she pivoted and stormed back to the other side of the room. God, she could feel how much he wanted her.
She closed her eyes and ran her fingers over the skin of her neck. His hands had vibrated against her.
Shivers went down her arms, not even comparing to the tingles between her legs. Why hadn't he kissed her?
Why had he acted like she was too young?
Why wasn't he letting himself have what he wanted?
Couldn't he tell she wanted him, too?
She stopped in the middle of the room and let her head fall back, clenching her teeth together in a silent scream. What was she doing hiding in the bedroom, just because he ordered her to?
All she was doing was proving him right by pitching a fit behind a closed door like a child when all she wanted to do was run out there and kiss him before he could stop her.
She tapped her bare foot against the wooden floor. The last time she'd looked, she was a grown-ass woman. So, what was stopping her from going out there and getting what she wanted?
"Nothing," she mumbled, walking across the room and throwing open the door.
She'd go out on the porch, grab him, and take that kiss they both wanted. Take it so hard she felt it for the rest of her life. She swung her arms going through the living room. Take it so deeply. He wouldn't know what hit him.
She opened the door and stormed across the porch.
Quint lifted his hand, stopping her, and pointed to the phone at his ear. "Sorry, we were traveling through the mountains. The reception is bad," he said into the cell phone.
Her shoulders sagged. All her earlier confidence quickly left her. He was talking to someone else on the cell.
"Yeah, she'll be here. I'll pass her the message." He held up a finger in a sign for her to stay.
She huffed and crossed her arms. There was no way she could kiss him now. The mere mention of him talking about another woman stomped out her mojo.
Making her escape, she turned around and opened the door.
"Katelynn?" said Quint.
She glanced behind her. "I'm going to bed."
"Give me a sec first." He pocketed his phone. "That was the Idaho State Police. Officer Norris has been trying to get ahold of you at my number this evening but—"
"Officer Norris?" She stepped toward him, shocked out of her plan for the night. "What did he want?"
"He wants to meet with you tomorrow at nine o'clock." He studied her. "He'll come here. I told him you'd be at the cabin."
She'd almost let herself believe the police had stopped suspecting her in Cord's disappearance. The last time they'd contacted her was the one, and only time they'd questioned her. Her pulse roared in her ears. This was bad.
Drawn to Quint for a different reason than what she'd come out on the porch for, she said, "Do you think they found him?"
"No." He turned her around and guided her into the cabin, shutting the door. "I know they haven't and won't."
She gazed up at him. "I’m scared."
"It'll be okay." He rubbed her back. "Just stick with what you've already told them. They're probably trying to find more clues, and you don't have any for them. Your story is even stronger today because you have a history of living with me."
Everything about covering up the crime made the guilt pile up on her. She shook her head. Nothing about her was stronger.
"You should go to bed and get your rest," he said.
Looking up at him, she didn't want to be alone. "Can we sit on the couch for a while, until I calm down?"
He walked her over to the sofa and sat beside her. She leaned against him, putting her head on his shoulder. His arm came around her.
Closing her eyes, she soaked in all that Quint brought to her life. Without him, she would be alone, sitting in jail, and looking to spend the rest of her life in prison.
Chapter 19
"Thanks for letting me take a few minutes of your time." Officer Eric Norris stepped off the porch, still facing Katelynn and Quint. "I'll let you get on with your day."
"Officer...Norris?" Katelynn stepped forward. "What happens now?"
"While we'll always take tips from the public and follow through in hopes of discovering any clues to his whereabouts, the Idaho State Police will no longer be actively searching for Cord Miller." He cocked his head to the side. "You both have a good day now."
"Thanks, Officer Norris." Quint joined Katelynn at the end of the porch and put his arm around her, palming her hip.
She dared not look up at him while the police officer got in his patrol car. Physically sick all morning, she imagined law enforcement showing up with lights flashing and dragging her away in handcuffs.
When the news that Cord was still missing and no further signs of him being in the area had come forth during their investigation, she almost passed out and had to hold on to Quint. She still couldn't believe no one had found Cord and Quint had protected her. The possibilities of her getting away with murder became more of a reality.
She wasn't sure what to feel. Happiness or disgust?
The cop car disappeared around the turn. Quint tightened his hold on her. "Let's go inside."
She walked into the cabin and instantly turned to him. "Do you believe him?"
"Yes." He cupped her face. "I promised you, nobody will find him."
She closed her eyes. "How am I going to live like this? Always wondering? Always worried?"
"You keep going forward because your heart is good." His thumbs caressed her cheeks, forcing her to look at him. "Men like Cord...if it wasn't you who fought back, it would be the next woman or the next. He was an abuser, only out for himself. You're lucky you escaped with your life. I don't ever want you to doubt you've done the right thing. You're worth a thousand times more than Cord Miller."
"I don't know what I'd do without you here keeping me semi-sane." She pressed her cheek into his hand. "Thank you."
His thumb slipped from her cheek to her bottom lip.
There he was, touching her again. Her stomach tingled. She couldn't ignore the growing ache in her chest. The longing and restlessness that so quickly made her push the police showing up again to the back of her mind.
"Katelynn?"
She sucked in air. "Yes?"
His pupils dilated. They stood close enough, his gaze flickered back and forth from one of her eyes to the next. Her heart beat wildly.
She hung, suspended, waiting for him to tell her what was happening between them. To validate her feelings, she needed him to show her, tell her, do something to explain the qu
easiness gripping her stomach.
Living on the edge lately, she held on to him. It was the only place she felt normal.
Quint inhaled deeply. His nostrils flared before he looked away from her. "We're late. Let's get to work."
Work?
He stepped away, grabbed his phone, and walked out the door. She swayed without him holding on to her. Moaning, her body bent like the limbs of a willow tree.
The door opened again. Quint stuck his head inside. "You coming?"
She straightened her shoulders and nodded. Following him, she walked outside and slid onto the back of the ATV, wrapping her arms around him.
Riding back and forth to headquarters gave her an excuse to press herself against him. The subtle hardening of his body when she trapped her breasts between them now a red flag being tossed in the air. She liked when he softened, but lately his rigidity when around her seemed to grow tighter and bigger
He stopped outside the building. She slid off and turned to wait for him, but he rode away. Blowing out her breath, she trudged to the door and let herself in.
Jared looked up at the bell tinkling and grinned. "Oversleep?"
"Something like that." She tucked the back of her T-shirt into the pair of shorts she'd slipped on early that morning before the police had arrived. "Please tell me it hasn't been busy."
"Not bad," said Jared.
She turned the registry book around and counted the names. "Only six arrivals?"
"Yep." Jared grabbed his cap off the counter and plopped it on his head. "I'm out of here."
She sighed, knowing she'd be alone until a camper showed up wanting toilet paper. "Have a good day."
"You, too." Jared whistled a tune on his way out the door.
Katelynn walked around the counter and sat on the stool. Glancing at the clock, she had three hours before she could break for lunch and see Quint.
"HEY, BOSS." JARED WALKED toward Quint. "I put Sam and J.T. on maintenance and the cleaning crew is making a sweep through the community bathrooms."
Quint's needle-nose pliers slipped off the wire, and sparks shot off the tool. "Fuck."