The Girl Who Doesn't Quit (Soulless Book 12)

by Victoria Quinn

  The colors of the fireworks brought a beautiful glow to her face, and when her head was tilted back, it showed off her elegantly long neck, the hollow in her throat, the sharp outline of her jawline. Her hair was down and around her shoulders, a curtain of beautiful strands that trailed down her back.

  When she felt my stare, she turned to me.

  I didn’t look away. I’d been caught—and I didn’t care.

  Her eyes shifted back and forth as she looked at me.

  I hadn’t noticed it before because her hostility was my entire focus, but damn, she was fucking gorgeous. She looked as if she’d been airbrushed in a magazine. She looked fake, like a porcelain doll.

  “Shit…you’re gonna kiss me.”

  I felt my lips pull into a smile.

  “Oh my god… This is really happening.”

  “You’re gonna like it.”

  “I don’t know. It takes a lot to impress me—”

  I pivoted my body toward hers as my hand slid into her hair. For the first time, I touched her, touched something besides her hand. My fingers felt the delicate bones of her face, felt the softness of her cheek, felt the silkiness of her hair.

  She stopped talking even though I hadn’t kissed her.

  I looked into her eyes as I cradled her cheek, then I glanced down to her plump lips.

  For the first time ever, she stopped talking.

  Her breathing changed. Her lips parted automatically. Her eyes dropped their combativeness and turned vulnerable, the intimate side of her coming out the second I touched her.

  Fireworks exploded behind us, her family cheering on the dock. But I forgot about all that—and I hadn’t even kissed her.

  My mouth moved in and made a soft landing.

  Cloud on cloud.

  My eyes closed when I felt her mouth, when I felt myself melt at her touch. My fingers remained in her hair, and I let our lips stay together for a moment, exchanging breaths, meeting each other for the first time. Then I kissed her again. Again. And again.

  Her lips mirrored mine perfectly, parting my lips with hers so she could kiss my bottom lip. A deep breath filled my lungs, and she turned her head to kiss me at a different angle.

  It was smooth. Really smooth.

  I kissed her harder, my hands now digging into her hair and fisting it.

  Her arms circled my neck, and she pulled me closer, her kisses more aggressive too, but always orchestrated.

  I gave her my tongue.

  She gave it right back.

  My arm circled her petite waist, and I squeezed her to me, wanting her to feel the hardness in my shorts, to know how much I enjoyed the kiss in case that wasn’t blatantly obvious already.

  The final boom sounded, and then there was a long round of applause.

  I pulled away, knowing her family might turn around at any moment. Even if Dr. Hamilton had encouraged her to go out with me, I didn’t want him to watch me make out with her and press my hard dick into her hip.

  She let me go, her lips still parted, her eyes in a dreamy state. “Damn, that was a good kiss…”

  “Is that a yes, then?”

  She rubbed her bottom lip with a finger, her dreamy eyes hardening. “I still need to think about it.”

  “Jesus, you have quite the screening process.”

  “Aunt Daisy!” One of the kids got her attention. “Did you see the fireworks?”

  She turned to them, dropping her hand from her lips. “I did. Awesome, huh?”

  “Coolest thing I’ve ever seen!”

  Now all her family turned to look at us.

  I discreetly took a step back, to make it less obvious that we had just shared the best kiss of my life.

  “We have an extra room.” Dr. Hamilton followed me outside to my car. “I insist you stay.”

  “It’s okay, Dr. Hamilton. I didn’t bring anything, and I have work to do back home.”

  “It’s not safe to drive back right now.”

  “Sir, I’m a good driver.”

  “But drunk drivers are not.” He stood beside me, his hands on his hips. “At least stay until morning.”

  I appreciated his concern, but I was sober and aware of my surroundings at all times, processing information quicker than the average person. He should know because he did the same thing. “I’ll be fine. Thank you for inviting me to spend the Fourth with your family.”

  Severe disappointment moved into his eyes, but he didn’t voice further protests. “You’re very welcome, Atlas.” He gave me a pat on the back of the shoulder. “See you on Monday. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

  “I look forward to it.”

  He stepped away so his wife could say goodbye.

  Instead of shaking my hand or giving me a pat on the arm, she enveloped me in her arms for a hug. “It was lovely to have you. Hope we see each other again soon.” She gave me a tight squeeze, her hair brushing against me, smelling like flowers. When she pulled away, she sent me a smile with her eyes as well as her lips.

  It felt like I’d just gotten a hug from my mom. “Me too.”

  She walked away with her husband, and then Daisy trailed out, her arms crossed over her chest, her eyes narrowed with playful hostility. “I know Dad can be bossy sometimes, but he means well.”

  “I know he does.”

  “He just cares—a lot.”

  “Yeah…I know that too.”

  “Well, I guess I’ll see you on Monday.”

  Her parents went back into the house and shut the door. I glanced at them then turned back to her. “You think anyone saw us?” I felt the smile tug at my lips, already anticipating her reaction before I finished asking the question.

  “God, I hope not. But my mom has eyes in the back of her head, so…” She shrugged. “But even if she didn’t, I’d tell her. I tell my mom everything.”

  “That’s cute. Gonna tell her you’re going to go out with me?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Goodnight, Atlas. I’ll see you on Monday.”

  “Alright.” I leaned against my car as I watched her turn around and walk to the front door.

  She must have felt my eyes because she turned around to look at me from the door.

  I repeated what she’d done to me when I’d spoken to Lydia, air-squeezing her tits then mapping out her curves with my hands.

  The chuckle that left her lips was uncontrollable. Her eyes lit up too, in this beautiful way that reminded me of the fireworks I’d barely gotten a glimpse of. With a smirk on her lips, she walked inside.

  13

  Daisy

  Mom sat with me at the table on the patio, my dad and brothers far on the other side grilling up lunch, while Emerson and Sicily were watching the boys. “So…were there any fireworks?”

  I snaked my hand into the chips and got a huge scoop of guac before I shoved it into my mouth. “Still got eyes in the back of your head, huh?”

  “Yep. They grew in once I became a mom.”

  I dipped another chip and popped that into my mouth. “Did you tell Dad?”

  “God, no,” she said with a chuckle. “He doesn’t want to know anything about anything ever.”

  “Really? Wasn’t clear when he became Lady Whistledown.”

  Mom chuckled as she grabbed a chip. “His work is done, so he can move on now. So, how was it?”

  “Pretty good.”

  “That’s all you’re going to give me?”

  “You want a blow-by-blow or what?” I asked incredulously.

  “That’s what you normally do. Being private about this one…”

  “Because Dad works with him, he’s my boss, it’s just weird.”

  “I don’t think it’s weird at all. Your dad was my boss, but that didn’t stop me from—”

  “Whoa, let me stop you right there.” I held up my hand. “I love that you guys are all in love and shit all the time, but let’s skip the details.”

  “Fair enough. So, on a scale from one to ten.”

  “You aren’t go
ing to leave me alone, are you?”

  “Nope.” She dunked her chip into the guac before she took a bite.

  “Alright…pretty high.”

  “Like a ten?”

  “I never give anyone a ten. Out of principle. But it’s up there.”

  “Ooh. Going to go out with him, then?”

  “Not sure.”

  “What are you uncertain about?” Mom was in cutoff shorts and a black tank top, her long hair back in a ponytail, looking like Emerson and Sicily with her aviator sunglasses on the bridge of her nose, rocking heels with those toned legs. “He’s hot, smart, successful, your father likes him…and he’s a good kisser.”

  “He’s my boss. That’s so not a good idea. And then he’s close with Dad, which is an even worse idea.”

  “Why?”

  “Because what happens when we break up? Super awkward.”

  “I’m sure you guys can be professional. And maybe you won’t break up.”

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m not holding my breath on that.”

  She studied me through her sunglasses as she broke a chip apart and dunked it into the guacamole. “Does this have anything to do with Mason?”

  “Psh. I’m so over that clown.”

  “But he hurt you pretty bad.”

  I shrugged in agreement.

  “Maybe that’s why you don’t even want to try? Because you actually like Atlas, which means he can hurt you.”

  I continued to take the chips and dip them into the guac, eating them with my head down. “I don’t know. It took a while for me to really get over what happened with Mason, and now that I’m finally free of that…I don’t want to put myself through the wringer again.”

  “Understandable.”

  “And I’ve got even more to lose with Atlas because of how connected he is. I actually like him as the director of my clinic. Don’t want to risk that.”

  “Everything comes with risk, sweetheart.”

  “Yeah, but I gotta make sure the reward is worth the risk.”

  When I went back to work, I wasn’t quite ready to jump back in.

  The weekend was too short.

  I loved my job, but I didn’t get to spend time with my family like that as much as I wanted to. We got together for dinners on a weekly basis, but it wasn’t the same as our trips to the cabin.

  I showed up early and got to work, seeing my patients for their appointments and monitoring data as I tried to fix these people. Work was always hectic, always two steps forward and one step back until I reached the finish line, but I could never imagine doing anything else.

  If it wasn’t hard, I didn’t want it.

  If it wasn’t complicated, I wasn’t interested.

  Every challenge needed to be hard as fuck.

  We had a staff meeting later that afternoon, toward the end of the day. Atlas was in his typical attire, laid-back in jeans and a t-shirt. He probably got used to the way my dad ran his company and carried that over to the clinic.

  He didn’t give me any special treatment when I walked in.

  Barely looked at me.

  In jeans that were low on his hips, he stood at the head of the table, leaning against the wall behind him with his arms crossed over his chest. His jaw was covered with a shadow, and his eyes were a little irritated, a little intense, like he was displeased about something. His muscular arms crossed over his chest, and he looked at Anthony. “Don’t misunderstand what I’m about to say. We’ve done good work here over the last few months, but not good enough. I was just notified that one of our patients has been incorrectly diagnosed. Treatment put them in the hospital because of an allergy—which was detailed in the chart.” His gaze remained on Anthony, like he was the culprit of the error.

  Oh shit.

  Anthony was still, all eyes on him.

  Atlas remained cold. “Explain this.”

  For the first time ever, Anthony was flustered. “I’m not even sure which patient you’re referring to—”

  “Abigail Ramirez. Discharged from our clinic last week. Missed the holiday because she was in the hospital. Thankfully, she’ll make a full recovery.” He grabbed the folder from behind him and tossed it on the table in front of Anthony. “Says right there that she’s allergic to sulfa. Severely allergic.”

  “I didn’t prescribe the treatment plan—”

  “But you diagnosed her—incorrectly. None of this would have happened if you’d done your job.”

  Jesus.

  Anthony grew distressed, ripped apart right in front of us. “We can discuss this in private—”

  “No.” Atlas remained unforgiving. “We’re a team. Your failure is our failure. Thankfully, Ms. Ramirez is being discharged today, but the clinic will be responsible for covering her medical expenses because it was our fault she ended up there. We follow patients from beginning to end. You failed to stay informed about her treatment—”

  “It was a holiday weekend—”

  “Irrelevant. You take on a patient, that patient is yours night and day, holidays and all. If you wanted to be excused from her care, you could have handed her to another physician for observation, but you failed to do that.”

  Now Anthony shut his mouth, his eyes down.

  Atlas pulled his stare from Anthony and looked at the rest of us. “We can’t make mistakes. Ever.” He looked at Shelly next. “What’s the status of your patients, Dr. Pierce?”

  A knock sounded against the frame of my open door.

  I finished the sentence I was reading before I lifted my chin and looked up.

  Atlas approached my desk with a folder in his hand. His eyes were still intense even though our staff meeting had ended hours ago. He placed it on the edge of my desk. “I spent some time thinking about your patients. Brainstormed a few ideas.” He slid his hands into his pockets and stared at me.

  I pulled the folder closer. “Thanks. I’ll look at these tomorrow.”

  He remained, his dark eyes on me expectantly.

  “You know, Anthony is a really good doctor.”

  “I know he is. Another reason I’m disappointed.”

  “You were pretty harsh on him, and I just—”

  “I was doing my job, Daisy. I’m not here to make friends. I’m not here to boost egos. I’m here for the patients—and no one else.”

  I stilled at the way his deep voice cut through the air, cut me off and severed my train of thought.

  “Have you made a decision yet?”

  “About what?”

  “Us.” Now that everyone was gone for the day and it was just the two of us, he went for it again. With his foul mood, it hadn’t seemed like that could even be on his mind right now.

  Guess I was dead wrong about that. “I’ve thought about it…”

  “And?” He came closer, his shoulders strong and straight, his handsome face sexy when it was serious like that.

  “I’ve got too much to lose in this situation, so I’m not going to bother unless all my requirements are met.” I closed my folder and got to my feet. “So, I need to check one more thing, and if it’s a go, then yes, I’ll give it a try.”

  “Alright. What is it?”

  “We need to have sex.”

  His eyes immediately widened in surprise.

  “You’re my boss, you work with my dad, we used to hate each other… It’s gotta be worth it. Are you done for the day? Because I’m ready to go.”

  He continued to look surprised, even a little overwhelmed. “Oh, you want to do this now?”

  “Yeah. My place is just down the street.”

  He remained frozen in disbelief.

  “Unless you aren’t up for it—”

  “No, I’m up for it,” he said quickly, a smile coming over his lips while the intensity in his eyes remained.

  “Good. Because I don’t want to get involved and then the sex totally sucks.”

  He gave a slight chuckle. “Yeah, that’s not going to happen.”

  “You sound confident. I li
ke that.”

  “Yes, I’m very confident that I’ll pass your little test.”

  I put my stuff away then pulled my bag over my shoulder. “Oh, it’s not a little test. I’ve got high expectations.”

  “So do I.”

  “Alright.” I rounded my desk. “Then let’s get out of here.”

  We entered my penthouse, and I dropped my bag on the couch in the living room. It was a modest penthouse, not like the ones my brothers had. But it was perfect for a bachelorette like me, with white moldings along the walls, the furniture in white and gray, a sleek and modern look that complemented the floor-to-ceiling windows, the artwork and sculptures my designer had picked out.

  I turned around and expected him to scan the room and give customary compliments.

  His eyes were only on me—like he didn’t give a fuck about the penthouse.

  Good.

  The stare continued, the intensity in his eyes and the tightness of his mouth. It was the same look he’d had underneath the glow of the fireworks—but a lot deeper. Confident and unyielding, he moved closer toward me, his steps audible against the rug.

  He stopped in front of me but didn’t make a move. His eyes studied mine before they dropped to my lips.

  He set the tone without white candles and music. He set it with his desire, filled the room with his palpable need to have me. He didn’t rush it by going straight for the kill. He let the natural chemistry between us burn like a fire in the woods.

  The first move he made was a hand to my neck, his big thumb pressed to my skin, feeling my pulse quicken at his touch. He tilted my head back slightly, his eyes examining the curve of my jawline, the elegance of my neck.

  That same hand slid into my hair, spun it around in his hand, and then fisted it like a rope to climb a mountain. His mouth landed on my neck, a gentle kiss to the warm skin, slow and purposeful.

  My eyes immediately closed.

  He kissed me again. Another slow and purposeful kiss. Tasting me. Feeling me. He forced my head the other way so he could kiss the other side, his free hand yanking down the strap of my dress so he could kiss my exposed shoulder.

  I sucked in a breath between my teeth, feeling his stubble scratch my skin, feeling the need in his kiss. His mouth migrated up, sprinkling kisses along my jawline, getting closer to my lips. When he got there, my lips immediately parted, ready for the fireworks again.