One of his large hands slid up my back and into my hair. He gently fisted and tilted my head back. I could see his eyes glittering in the moonlight through the window.
“Don’t want anyone else right now, sweets. Can’t see me wanting anyone else for a while yet. But you have my word. I would never do you that way, understand? Not ever.”
“Yeah, of course,” I said, emotion rushing up on me out of nowhere.
He pressed his lips to mine gently then leaned back. “You’re not just some random piece of ass, Quinn, but you have to know…Christ, I hope you know, I wouldn’t fuck anyone over like that, and especially not you.”
“No, I do. I just…I thought we should sort out the boundaries or whatever,” I said, deflecting. I didn’t want to delve into my deep-rooted fears right then, not when I was enjoying myself so much. I knew Bull would eventually get bored of me—they always did—but I wanted to feel happy, secure, with what we had while we had it. “Like rules, I guess.”
He started toying with my hair. “What kind of rules?”
“Umm, well, I guess, while I’m here, until I go back to Portland, we should keep what we’re doing a secret. If Cal or Dane or Cassy found out, they’d get the wrong idea, you know, think it’s something different than it is.”
He slowly dipped his chin. “Yeah, okay.”
“Has Dane said anything? About the other day, catching us kissing?”
“No, but I’ll talk to him.”
“Good.”
“What else?” he said.
“When one of us wants to end it, that’s it, it’s over. No harm, no foul, we move on and go back to the way we were…just friends.”
This time I got a grunt and a hand sliding over my butt then dipping between my thighs.
“We done with the rules,” he said, sliding his fingers through my already slick flesh.
“Ahhh…yup.”
“Good. Now put your hand on my dick.”
“Excellent plan.”
He chuckled, and it was sexy as hell. Though the chuckles died when I fisted his thick cock, dragging my hand up and back.
“Christ, I want inside you,” he growled.
“Next time,” I said, or more moaned when he slid a finger inside me. “I’ll bring the condoms.”
He hissed as I cupped his balls with my other hand. “So will I.”
Then there was no more talking.
Chapter Ten
Bull
Today was like the day that never ended.
I watched Quinn move across the bar, and, fuck, she was trying to kill me wearing those jeans with the roses on the ass. She’d also forgone her usual bar shirt and was wearing a little red thing with sparkly bits and a deep V neck, giving a nice view down her shirt. The gentle mounds of her breasts were encased in a red bra to match—I knew because the shoulder of her shirt kept drooping off one shoulder, flashing the strap. Christ, I was hungry for another taste of her.
I’d left her place early this morning, and she was all I could think about—what we’d done, what I planned to do to her later.
Maybe it was just another dream, and in a moment I’d wake up hard and alone in my bed.
Quinn looked my way, a secret smile on her lips that squashed the dream idea. That smile, shit, had anyone looked at me like that before? I didn’t think so. It was sexy and knowing and…beautiful.
There was also the fact I’d made a run to the pharmacy in Springhaven this morning, after reluctantly leaving the warmth of Quinn’s bed, unfolding her soft limbs wrapped around me to make the thirty-minute drive to our neighboring town rather than the one just down the street.
The last thing we needed were tongues wagging, making more of this than it was, right? Someone at the pharmacy would talk, and then everyone would want to know who I was fucking. We didn’t need that shit.
“While I’m here, until I go back to Portland, we should keep what we’re doing a secret.”
Because she wasn’t staying, she would leave eventually, and she’d made a point of reminding me last night.
“When one of us wants to end it, that’s it, it’s over. No harm, no foul, we move on and go back to the way we were…just friends.”
That’s what Quinn wanted. I mean, I did, too, of course. That would be a lot harder if the whole town knew we were sleeping together.
“Orange juice.”
I glanced at Dane who was sitting in front of me. “Yeah,” I said and poured him his drink.
He took a sip then glanced over his shoulder at Quinn. “So it’s all on, then?”
I shook my head. “You need to forget what you saw. Nothing’s going on.”
Dane shrugged. “Wasn’t going to tell anyone.”
“Nothing to tell.”
“If you say so.” Dane looked down at his phone clutched in his hand and frowned, then typed something out quickly.
“What’s up? That Everly?” Everly had lived in the same foster home as Dane for three years, and they’d gotten tight, until an aunt no one knew about came and took her away.
Dane nodded distractedly. “Yeah.”
The only time he took anything seriously was when it involved that girl.
My younger cousin didn’t talk much about what went down when he was taken away, but he’d opened up a little and told me a few things after one too many. None of it good. I got the feeling he’d spent a lot of his time there protecting Everly, taking care of her, and they still texted each other every day.
It was hard on him, though, having her live several hours away on her aunt’s ranch, not being able to see she was doing okay with his own eyes.
He’d worried about her almost constantly when he finally came home. I wondered if that had ever changed.
“She all right?”
Dane’s head came up and his eyes looked flat, something in them that made my stomach knot. “Some asshole asked her out.”
Ah hell. “That’s a problem?”
Dane shoved his fingers through his blue hair. “Nope.”
He was totally lying. “So why the anger?” Sometimes you needed to get Dane to talk shit through and he’d calm down, take a breath, and see things differently.
“She won’t give me his name. I want to look this fucker up.”
“Why would she? She’s what…nineteen, right?”
Dane scowled. “Why won’t she is more the point.” He was shaking his head, fingers curled into a fist. “I don’t like this.”
Fuck. I knew when Dane was close to spiraling and he was right there on the edge. When that happened a whole lot of self-destructive shit usually followed.
“Dane?” He didn’t hear me, too busy texting her back. “Dane,” I said with more force.
His head finally came up. “What?”
“Is there more between you and her, more than just friends?”
“No,” he said quickly, too quickly. “People make assumptions about her, that’s all, because of her past. They think they can take advantage of her, that she only has her aunt looking out for her. I hate not being there. I need to…fuck, I just need to be there.”
I hated seeing him like this, feeling so helpless. I got the feeling he’d had a lot of that while he was in the system, and being back in that headspace was never a good place for him. “You don’t have to protect her anymore. You kept her safe when she needed it most, but she has family, friends with her now, right? They’ll make sure this guy doesn’t hurt her,” I said, trying to reason with him.
Dane’s eyes flashed. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”
I didn’t, not in this situation, and I hated that I didn’t understand and couldn’t help him the way he needed, the way probably only Everly could. “You’re right. But I’m thinking you need to trust her in this. She’s smart. Christ, after what you told me, if anyone can pick an asshole out of a crowd it’s her.”
“So…what? I should just stand down?” he said, even more pissed off.
“Yeah, unle
ss you want to drive her away.”
“Like you did with Quinn, right?” he bit out.
Yep, I was a fucking hypocrite. How could I expect Dane to control his need to protect Everly when I’d behaved like a rabid guard dog since Quinn came home?
He stood, shoving his phone in his back pocket.
“Dane—”
“I need to go. I have a piercing at four thirty.” He strode out.
I fired a quick text to Cal, giving him a heads-up. When Dane was like this, any fucking thing could happen. He went looking for trouble to take his mind off things or, shit, to punish himself, which meant Cal and I had bailed him out of a lot of scrapes over the last few years.
Warm fingers curled around my forearm. “Okay?”
Quinn was beside me, looking up at me with her big gray eyes. I wanted to yank her off her feet, march to my office, close us in, and sink inside her.
Instead, I nodded. “Yeah.”
She bit her lips and glanced after Dane.
Fuck, I wanted to kiss her. “Girl trouble,” I said.
“Ahhh. No wonder he looked like he needed a hug,” she said absently.
Jesus. Now all I could think about was the way she’d wrapped herself around me after telling me she was a cuddler. I’d never liked or wanted that kind of affection. It always made me feel awkward. Not with Quinn. Christ, several times it had been me pulling her closer.
I tucked her hair behind her ear before I could stop myself. “Anyone would feel better having you wrapped around them,” I said, voice full of grit. “Though if it’s with anyone but me, I might have to kill them.”
She blinked up at me, a surprised look on her face, before she suddenly stepped back, gaze darting around the room.
Fuck. Day two and I was already close to breaking the damn rules.
She was blushing and that made me want to kiss her more.
She aimed her thumb over her shoulder. “I better get back to work.”
I dipped my chin and forced myself to look away from her when I wanted to do the complete opposite.
After that, I headed into the basement to do inventory. It was either that or blind myself with hot pokers, because looking anywhere but at Quinn turned out to be an impossibility. A couple of hours later, I heard someone on the stairs.
Quinn had only come down the first four steps, too far away for me to reach unless I went up after her, but then that would be too risky. Someone might see us.
“I’m gonna head off,” she said.
I bit back all the things I wanted to say, and said, “See you later?”
Her chest rose sharply, and her slender thighs pressed together. “I’d like that.”
Christ, I was hard in an instant.
Thank fuck I had cover tonight ’cause I planned on leaving early. “I’ll swing by when Graham gets here for his shift.”
“Looking forward to it,” she said and vanished back up the stairs.
* * *
Quinn
I took in my reflection in the bathroom mirror and blew out a breath.
The short robe I wore was bright pink and gauzy, so you could kind of see through it. Underneath I wore a matching pink lace bra and panties. I hadn’t forgotten the look on Bull’s face when he saw me in my new T-shirt with the slits in it, the way his nostrils had flared when he saw my pink bra.
And after seeing the concern in his eyes while he spoke to Dane earlier, and the way I knew he worried about his younger cousin, I wanted to soothe Bull, make him feel good, take his mind off whatever had put that shadow in his eyes.
This was what I’d come up with.
Could I really greet Bull at the door like this?
He’s not coming over for a freaking cup of tea. He’s coming over to screw you senseless.
I was not going to chicken out. Nope. While I was still in Rocktown, I planned on making the most of it…of Bull.
I fluffed my hair that I’d left down and went back to my room to make sure everything was perfect. Bed made. Salt lamp on, since Bull wasn’t exactly a scented candles kind of guy. Thermostat just right, since we’d be spending most of the night naked. Laundry no longer scattered around the floor—
There was a knock at the door.
Excited nerves instantly took flight. I wasn’t sure why. I mean, we’d already done stuff, but I guess I’d wanted this for so long, longer than I realized, to be with Logan like this. What kind of lover would he be? After the night we’d spent together, I imagined him to be demanding, most definitely intense.
Bare feet padding on the carpet, I silently rushed down the stairs.
A large shadow loomed behind the glass door, and after drawing in a steadying breath, I pulled it open…
And screamed.
Mase, my older brother, stood there, tall, broad frame filling the doorway, and eyes wide with the horror of seeing his sister in sexy lingerie.
Standing behind him was Bull, looking equally as horrified—for a different reason—even as his hungry brown gaze ate me up from head to toe.
I yanked my robe closed. “What the hell, Mase!”
He stormed in. “What the hell, me? What the hell you. Why are you answering the door like that?”
“I thought you were someone else, obviously,” I said, gaze darting to Bull, my face flushing with heat.
“Who?” His gaze shot to Bull as well. “You didn’t tell me she was seeing anyone.”
“Bull doesn’t know,” I said quickly, and finally got a good look at my brother. He looked terrible. Eyes bloodshot, hair sticking up everywhere, clothes rumpled. “Did you drive here?”
He shoved his fingers through his thick dark hair. “Yeah.”
It was a fifteen-hour drive from Portland and he looked like he hadn’t stopped. You didn’t do that for a quick visit or on a whim, and he hadn’t told me he was coming. I touched his arm. “Jesus, Mase, what’s going on?”
He shook his head, shoving his fingers through his hair again. “Janie left me.”
I jolted, shocked. “What? Why?”
He pulled off his jacket, tossed it on a chair, sat heavily on the couch, my state of undress forgotten, and rubbed his hands over his face. “Says she’s fallen out of love with me. I’m not the one,” he recited monotone.
I dropped to my knees and pulled my big, tough cop brother in for a hug. He wrapped his strong familiar tattooed arms around me in return, and I held him tight.
I couldn’t believe it. I thought they were solid, in love, unshakeable. If Mase and Janie couldn’t make it work, no one could.
“I’ll leave you to talk,” Bull said from the door.
Mase glanced up, giving me one last squeeze before releasing me and sitting back. “No, stay, have a beer with me. Don’t want to talk about it. I’m all fucking talked out at this point.”
I squeezed his hand. “How long are you home for?”
He shrugged. “A few days, maybe more. Took some annual leave owed to me. I just needed out of the city.” He glanced back at Bull. “Glad I ran into you, man.” Mase frowned. “Did you and Quinn have plans?”
I forced a laugh that sounded a little shakier than I’d have liked and shot a look down at what I was wearing. “Um…no. Obviously not.” I thought my heart was going to pound right out of my chest.
Mase chuckled as well.
“Quinn had a cougar hanging around. Came to check on the alarm I installed.”
My brother stood and moved to Bull, taking his hand and clapping him on the back. “Thanks for watching out for her. Appreciate it.”
Bull shrugged, looking more uncomfortable than I’d ever seen him.
“Come on, let’s go raid Quinn’s beer.” Mase turned to me. “Maybe you should get changed? If I wasn’t already traumatized from my breakup, seeing you in your underwear would have done it.”
I smirked and flipped him the bird.
Bull and Mase headed for my kitchen, Bull’s gaze shifting and locking on me for several heart-stopping moments, that dark c
hocolate stare unreadable.
I let out a shaky breath and raced upstairs, heart beating like crazy at how close we’d come to being caught. If Mase had arrived just ten minutes later…
Yanking off my robe, I pulled on a pair of jeans, socks, and a big comfy, extremely unsexy sweater, then headed back downstairs. Mase and Bull were back in the living room, beers in hand.
“So we going to meet this mystery man?” Mase said. “I guess he’ll be here any minute?”
Shit. “I, ah…called him while I was upstairs and canceled.”
Mase nodded. “It serious?”
My gaze darted to Bull. I couldn’t help myself. “No, nothing serious. It’s new.”
My brother frowned. “You think jumping into another relationship’s a good idea right now?”
I rolled my eyes and flopped down on the couch beside Bull, the only free seat. No way did I want to talk about Bevan or the state I’d been in only a few months ago. “Dude, chill. It’s nothing, just some fun. Anyway, we’re not talking about me.”
“Not talking about me either,” Mase said. “I just wanna get smashed and forget my own bullshit.” He turned to Bull. “What about you?”
Bull stilled then raised his brows at Mase.
“You seeing anyone?”
Bull shook his head.
“Good,” Mase said. “We’re drinking at The Mule tomorrow and neither one of us is going home alone. It’ll be like the old days.”
Now it was my turn to freeze.
“Another beer?” Mase said, standing.
Bull shook his head, and Mase strode out.
“Fuck,” Bull said under his breath when my brother was out of the room.
I winced. “I can’t believe he saw me like that.”
Bull gripped the back of my neck in a possessive hold. “Wish I hadn’t,” he muttered. “Been hard as fuck since.”
I chuckled.
“Evil wench.”
“Looks like we’ll have to keep it in our pants for a few more days,” I said, my nipples tight and a relentless throb between my thighs. “Thank the heavens for vibrators.”
SIN FOR YOU: ROCKTOWN INK, BOOK TWO Page 9