“You and Ian are seeing things,” he said at last. As was his mother, but he wasn’t about to make things worse for himself by admitting even the astute Christine had nailed his feelings for a woman he couldn’t have.
Paul’s concerned gaze rested on his. “Son, life is short. I, of all people, know that. I came close to not getting that kidney because I didn’t want to risk the secret I’d agreed to hold years ago. It was your mother who convinced me to talk to all of you.”
Austin’s heart skipped a beat at the thought of losing a man who’d treated him better than his own father had. “I realize that.”
“Then you should go after what you want. Just because you hadn’t planned on a family doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have one. Can’t have one. Or don’t deserve one.”
His uncle’s words settled him somewhat. “I hear you. It’s just … there are a lot of pieces that have to fall into place and I’ve barely adjusted to the possibility of any of them. But I appreciate your wisdom and I’ll keep it in mind.”
“Good.” Paul rose and placed a hand briefly on Austin’s shoulder. Then, picking up his drink, he walked to the bar and poured it into the sink, causing Austin to laugh.
“Point taken. Less cranberry juice.”
Paul grinned. “And now I’m going for lunch with Ron.” He started for the door and turned. “I love you, Austin.”
Austin swallowed hard. “Love you, too.”
He stood and walked his uncle to the door, opening it in time to see and hear Quinn pat Jenny on her back and the infant let out a large, loud burp.
He laughed, causing Quinn to look his way. “Give her to me. I’ll put her down,” he said, picking the little girl off Quinn’s shoulder and gently placing her into the carrier.
She was already asleep, full and completely satisfied, he thought, as he stood up.
Paul looked from Austin to Quinn and back again. “You two make a good team.”
She blushed and Austin wanted to strangle his uncle.
“I love my job here. But I could really use a breather, so if you’ll watch Jenny, I’m going to pick something up for lunch.” In a frenzy, Quinn gathered her purse and some other items. His uncle’s words and innuendo had obviously rattled her.
“Sure thing,” he said, understanding she needed time to herself. She’d been at his beck and call since Friday night.
He waited until Quinn had walked out of hearing range before turning to his uncle. “Does that look like a woman who’s ready for a relationship, let alone a built-in family?”
Without waiting for an answer, he picked up the carrier handle and walked into his office, closing the door behind him.
* * *
By the time they were ready to leave work, Quinn was exhausted, and when they arrived at the house, she was only too happy to let Austin give Jenny a bottle. She had other things to handle around the house. But when she walked into Jenny’s room with the intention of gathering her laundry, she discovered his housekeeper had been there and washed the baby’s dirty clothes, sheets, and blankets.
And in her bedroom, the laundry basket was empty as well. Although she was grateful, she didn’t want to make extra work for anyone while she was here. Still, it meant she had some time to herself tonight, and my God, did she need it. Austin could spend time with Jenny.
She needed a distraction and decided to go for a swim and eat something for dinner afterwards. Having seen the pool when she was here once before, she’d tossed her bathing suit in along with her clothes on a whim, and now she was glad that she had.
After grabbing a towel from her bathroom, she headed down to the pool, but not wanting to talk, she bypassed the kitchen and family room where Austin might be and headed out to the backyard through a side door.
She placed her towel on a chair and dove into the deep end. The perfect-temperature water washed over her and she broke the surface, immediately starting laps. With each stroke, she let her mind wander to the sudden changes in her life.
As cute as the baby was, Quinn wasn’t used to being responsible for anyone but herself. It had been a long time since she’d had childcare duties, and she’d forgotten how tiring a day could be. And though she was getting her work done in the office, she couldn’t deny she missed her normal routine. But then Jenny would open those blue eyes and stare her down, and Quinn would melt like chocolate in the summertime, pick her up, and spend time cooing at her like a nut.
She was such a sucker for babies, which surprised her considering how adamant she was about not wanting kids of her own. And then there was Austin.
Last week, he’d been her boss. A man she’d kissed once and put it out of her mind. Or at least, she’d tried to forget that sensual meeting of their lips and his deeply masculine taste.
There had been so many reasons she couldn’t get involved with him then, from not risking her job to not wanting to get involved with a man who didn’t do relationships. In the year she’d been working for him, she’d never seen him with any one woman twice. Same for his past, if the internet was to be believed. And the fact was, Quinn did want a man in her life. A partner who understood her needs, her drive, and her desire to work.
Now suddenly she was living with her boss and his possible baby, she’d come apart in his arms, she was caring for said infant, and her life had been turned upside down. She consoled herself with the fact that by Friday his mother would return, Quinn could go home, and everything would return to normal.
But for some reason, even knowing that, the pit in her stomach remained, anxiety a sudden part of her she didn’t understand.
* * *
Austin heard a door slam shut, and since he hadn’t seen Quinn walk by, he assumed she’d gone out back to the pool. If anyone had been stressed and needed a break, it’d been Quinn and for that he felt bad.
He walked to the window in his bedroom that overlooked the yard and saw her on the pool deck wearing a formfitting racing suit that showed off that gorgeous body he’d only had glimpses of in a short camisole. His dick immediately responded, and when she dove into the water, all slick grace, he groaned, wanting nothing more than to be there with her.
She was a special woman. From the moment he’d called her in a panic, she’d been there for him. She’d stepped up and taken care of Jenny like she was a born mother, despite the fact that she’d since admitted she didn’t want children. But with every minute that passed, he came to appreciate her more and more. He watched her as she swam to the end of the pool, drew a breath, turned, and headed toward the front end.
His thoughts went to their tag-teaming of nannies today. He’d rejected candidates because none were good enough for Jenny. Quinn had done the same, as if she had a say in the decision. As far as Austin was concerned, she did. In his mind, no one else could supply the baby with the love, attention, and complete understanding that Quinn seemed to give her. Though it had only been a couple of days, he couldn’t imagine his life without her in it.
Ian was right.
His uncle had a valid point.
Austin desired his assistant.
He scrubbed a hand over his face, wondering what to do, and then he decided. Fuck it. He was going down to join her.
He shucked his shirt and swapped his pants for a pair of swim trunks, grabbed the baby monitor, and headed downstairs.
He strode through the house and opened the sliding glass doors leading outside, stepping into the hot, humid air. Quinn was still swimming laps, gliding through the water with fluid movements. He placed the monitor on a small table and turned up the volume so he’d hear the baby if she woke up.
Then he walked into the shallow end, taking the two steps down to the pool, and waited until Quinn swam toward him, stopping when she reached him. She stood, brushing the water off her face and out of her eyes. Her dark hair hung to her shoulders. Her breasts were full in the suit, her nipples hardened into tight peaks. His own body responded, and if she looked, there was no way she’d miss his erection.
But those her green eyes narrowed on his. “What brings you out here?”
“The pool looked inviting.” And so had she.
“I thought so, too. I needed to get rid of my frustrations. Today drove me insane. I can’t believe we couldn’t find a nanny,” she said.
“Are there more people coming tomorrow?”
She shook her head. “Since we need someone so quickly, they sent out their best people today. The woman who runs the agency is going to put out the word she’s looking for the right type of nanny. But I had an idea. It came to me just now while I was swimming.”
“I’m all ears.” He walked to the side of the pool and sat on the edge.
She joined him, hopping up next to him. “Remember I told you I have a huge family? Well, those cousins I used to babysit for are grown up now. I have one who is going to college in September, but she didn’t find a job for the summer. I could see if she wants to babysit while we’re at work. It wouldn’t cover the nights, but at least Jenny would have someone capable at home during the day.”
“Really? That would be amazing.” His work life could return to some semblance of normalcy, and Quinn wouldn’t have to juggle Jenny and her normal daily business.
“If she wants to do it. The choice has to be hers,” Quinn said, her tone adamant.
“Because nobody gave you the choice?” he guessed.
She raised her eyebrows, obviously surprised. “You remember I said that?”
He nodded. “Of course I do. And it didn’t escape my notice that I pretty much did the same thing to you when I called and all but demanded your help.”
Her lips lifted in a smile. “At least you recognize it. That puts you way beyond my family.”
He raised a hand, ran a finger down her cheek, enjoying the silky-smooth feel of her skin. “I try to be self-aware. You should know, the fact that I asked you to help me with Jenny? It’s because I trust you.”
She shivered at his touch, and her nipples hardened even more beneath the thin bathing suit. His mouth watered with the desire to pull down the stretch material, view her breasts for the first time, and pull one rigid nipple into his mouth.
“I also want you,” he said in a thick voice.
Her frown took him off guard. “Do you? Or do you want the built-in nanny I provide? One you trust,” she said, throwing his words back at him.
“That’s not fair.” She’d twisted his words to mean something different than he’d intended. He dropped his hand from her face, letting it rest on the strap of her bathing suit, his fingers running beneath the stretch material.
“No? Don’t you realize what getting involved with me looks like? It looks like we’re together, and God knows you’re not the relationship type.”
He narrowed his gaze at her words. He couldn’t deny they were true. Well, they had been true at one time. “Maybe I wasn’t the relationship type. Doesn’t mean I can’t change for the right woman.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Come on, Austin. I already told you I don’t want kids, so you can’t possibly think I’m that right woman for you. Besides, I’ve seen your type. And she’s not the executive assistant with a brain. She’s the woman who runs at the first sign of trouble. Or an infant, as the case may be.”
He winced. “Touché. But that doesn’t mean I don’t desire you. And I’m not asking for a future you don’t want. I’m asking for tonight.”
She swallowed hard and he knew he was getting to her.
“Can you deny the attraction between us?” He continued to rub his finger along her shoulder, sliding up to her collarbone, and watched her tremble beneath his touch. “I want you, Quinn. You. Not what you can do for me.” And if this was all he could have with her, he’d take it.
Her mouth parted slightly as she obviously considered his words.
He slid his hand around her neck and pulled her toward him. “Let me show you how good we can be together.”
Without waiting, he sealed his lips over hers and made his point the only way he knew how. By devouring her in the most intimate way.
Chapter Six
Quinn didn’t want to push Austin away. She wanted him as much as he desired her, and she’d be foolish not to give in.
After all, he understood what she did and didn’t want out of her future. He respected her. One night was just what she needed to get Austin Prescott out of her system.
With that thought, she parted her lips and let his tongue tangle with hers. What started as a teasing kiss quickly turned hot. He nipped at her bottom lip, readjusted their mouths, and thrust his tongue deeper into her waiting mouth.
She lifted her hands, threaded her fingers in the longer strands of his hair. He did the same. He tilted her head so he could kiss her harder, and she leaned into him, deliberately brushing her breasts against his chest.
He groaned and pulled back. “Inside now. I can’t do what I want to you with concrete surrounding us.”
She blinked, dazed by the kiss, her sex wet and not just from the pool. Desire pulsed inside her, and somehow she managed a nod. He rose and held out a hand, helping her to her feet. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself, drying off, just as he snagged the monitor and they headed inside.
They entered his bedroom and he put the monitor on the table. Then he turned to her and yanked the towel off her and tossed it onto the floor.
“Undress,” he said in a gruff voice. “I’d do it but I have a feeling that bathing suit is just too tight for me to work off of you myself.”
She nodded. “It is.” And while she tugged the straps off first one shoulder, then the other, he pulled his own bathing suit down and kicked it aside.
She took one look at his thick, hard cock and let out a low moan.
“I’m glad you like what you see, but you’re still dressed.” A sexy smile curved his lips.
Blushing, she pulled her bathing suit down, revealing her breasts to the cool air conditioning and his heated gaze. Her nipples puckered tighter, almost to the point of pain.
“More,” he said in a strangled tone.
She hooked her fingers into the sides and wriggled the suit over her hips, bending to take it down her legs, and picked it up off the floor and placed the damp suit on the dresser.
His approving stare ate her up, and she did her best not to squirm beneath his appraisal.
“Jesus, you’re beautiful.” Reaching out, he cupped one breast in his hand, testing the weight, rubbing his thumb over the tight peak.
Desire shot straight to her sex, and she rubbed her thighs together at the same moment he dipped his head and pulled her nipple into his mouth. He grazed his teeth over her, licked and soothed the tiny bite, and suckled her nipple into his mouth. She grabbed on to his head, aware of his dark hair grazing her chest and the groan that came from deep inside his throat.
Without warning, he released her nipple with a pop, bent and lifted her into his arms. Next thing she knew, she was on the bed, and Austin crawled over her, his hard cock a hot rod against her belly. His mouth came down on hers for another hard kiss while he ground his erection against her pussy.
She writhed beneath him, enjoying the hot friction, but he didn’t remain there long enough for her to come. He slid down her body and parted her legs, baring her completely.
Startled, she met his darkened gaze.
“I’m dying to know what you taste like.” His voice sounded gruff and sexy.
Before she could process the words, he dipped his head and did just that, his tongue taking a long lap over her pussy. Her hips bucked, but he placed a hand over her belly, holding her in place, and then he devoured her. She didn’t know a man’s tongue could be that talented, but her hips rocked, her back arched, and soon she was grinding herself against his mouth. He flicked her clit back and forth until she couldn’t take another second, and then she was flying, coming hard and crying out his name.
By the time she came back to herself, he had a condom in his hand and was about to sheathe him
self.
“Let me. I didn’t get a chance to touch you and I need to.”
He hesitated then handed her the square packet. She unwrapped the condom, but before she rolled it on him, she gripped his thick cock in her hand. Now she knew what velvet and steel felt like, she mused as she pumped up and down his shaft.
A low growl erupted from his throat, and she inwardly smiled at the fact that she could make this big man react with such intensity.
She brushed the pre-come off the head and he drew in a harsh breath.
“Keep playing and you won’t get to know what it feels like to have me inside you,” he warned her.
“Now that would be a shame.” Because she really did want the experience of feeling him in her body this one time. Her heart gave a kick at the limiting thought. Pushing it aside, she covered his shaft with protection.
And then he took control. Once again, he spread her thighs, this time making room for himself between her legs.
“I don’t think I can go slow,” he said, those indigo-blue eyes almost black.
“I don’t want you to.” No, she wanted to feel him, hard and strong inside her, now, and again tomorrow when she had to put this behind her. She didn’t ever want to forget.
He met her gaze, thrust deep, and she felt him everywhere. He didn’t take it slow nor did he hesitate. He began to move, and she soared to heights she’d never experienced before or even dreamed of. If this was great sex, then she’d been seriously missing out. Compared to this, she’d never even had good sex.
He rocked into her, his gaze on hers, never breaking eye contact, and that was what made this so different. And—dare she even think it?—special.
He dipped his head, his mouth capturing hers in a kiss as he ground his body against hers, and she was lost. All she could do was feel.
Austin inside her.
Austin taking her harder.
Austin consuming her.
Owning her.
And then she was coming so hard she saw stars. Her body was his to do with as he pleased, and somehow he stretched her orgasm out, utter bliss dominating her, as he stiffened and came, not on a shout but with her name on his lips.
Dare To Resist (Dare Nation Book 1) Page 9