“But things settled in this week. He hired my cousin Amy to babysit so we had someone during the day. Work got easier. I’m not wearing Jenny hanging from my chest anymore.” She smiled at the memory of the sweet baby smell when she’d lean down with the baby tight against her. “And Amy will watch her while we go to the banquet tonight and…” At the dumbstruck look on Evie’s face, Quinn’s voice trailed off. “What’s wrong?”
Evie glanced at the three different colors on her toes and picked the one she liked best before looking back at Quinn. “I thought I heard you discussing wearing a baby like it was no big deal.”
Quinn pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and released it with a pop. “It isn’t a big deal. I was doing Austin a favor. The man was completely at a loss. Now he’s not a pro but he can really handle the baby better. It’s really cute to watch.”
“I’ll bet it is,” Evie muttered with a smirk on her face. “Hot ex-football player taking care of a tiny baby. Has all the makings of a Hallmark movie with a happy ending if the heroine wasn’t so anti-baby.”
Quinn shook her head and groaned for good measure. “Be quiet and quit reading into things.” She glanced away because she knew Evie would see too much. Like her growing feelings for Austin and Jenny.
“So let’s talk about you. Are you over what that jackass John did to you?”
She glanced at the light leather jacket Evie wore all the time. A woman had hired Evie to follow the husband she suspected of cheating. That husband had turned out to be John, who had lashed out physically at Evie when he’d realized she would cost him his family.
Evie frowned. “You know that subject is not up for discussion.”
Quinn reached out and squeezed her friend’s hand. “Someday it will be. You’ll need to talk about it and I’ll be there.” Because the incident had shattered Evie’s confidence in her own judgment and she’d need to get over it to do her job. “You aren’t still drowning your sorrows in chocolate fudge ice cream, are you?” Quinn lightened the subject.
“Because of that jerk? No. But I’ll never turn down chocolate. Speaking of, want a Hershey’s kiss?” Evie reached into her oversized bag and pulled out a handful of chocolate.
Quinn grinned and accepted a kiss. By tomorrow, Christine would take over baby duty. Quinn would move back home, and these silver candies were the only kisses she’d be receiving. At that thought, she sunk deeper into the massage chair and sighed.
Her cell rang and she saw it was Austin. “Hello?” she asked, answering the call.
“Hi. So I have something to tell you.”
She stiffened in her seat. “Is Jenny okay?”
Her words caught Evie’s attention and she unabashedly leaned in to listen. Quinn rolled her eyes.
“Jenny’s fine,” he said and she relaxed. “Then what’s wrong?”
“Well, my mother called, and she picked up a really bad cold on the cruise so she can’t come help out. Yet.”
“I see.”
At her deliberately bland tone, Evie raised her eyebrow in curiosity.
“I’m sorry, Quinn. I know you’re looking forward to getting back to your life.”
She drew a deep breath. “I’ll stay,” she said. “But I have to go. I’m in the middle of a manicure.” She disconnected the call and refused to look too deeply into how she was feeling about the unexpected change in plans.
She’d thought she’d be going home to her own bed for the first time in a week. Instead she was going to maintain the status quo. So why did she feel so relieved instead of disappointed?
* * *
Austin waited for Quinn to meet him downstairs to head over to the Fortieth Annual Joe Matthis Awards Dinner. Matthis had been a quarterback for the Miami Thunder during a particularly spectacular ten-year run years ago. The event benefitted the Miami Special Needs Foundation, which was a fundraising, grant-raising entity that supported programs for children and adults who had intellectual and developmental disabilities in Miami. In essence, the foundation protected benefit eligibility and had been founded by Joe Matthis himself.
The Miami Thunder players would be there, along with Ian and his wife and members of the press. Austin would be proud to have Quinn on his arm and not just as his assistant.
He’d broken the news to her about his mother’s illness and she’d said two words that sent relief rushing through him. I’ll stay. And though he sensed she was fighting herself, enjoying her time with him and Jenny more than she wanted to admit, he wouldn’t press her to say it out loud. He’d just take one day at a time.
Meanwhile, he hoped to have the DNA test results early next week, which would either cement his future with Jenny or put him in the awful position of deciding what to do with the infant who had grown on him in the short week she’d been in his home.
A rustle of noise sounded, and he turned to look up the circular staircase in time to see Quinn descend wearing a red floor-length dress, and damn if that wasn’t her color. The material draped around her body and up one shoulder, leaving both arms bare.
His dick perked up at the sight of her, her beautiful face made-up, smoky eyes lined in black, and lipstick matching her dress.
As she reached the bottom step, he let out a low whistle. “You’re gorgeous.”
A light flush rose to her cheeks. “Thank you.” She stepped up to him and pulled on either side of his bowtie. “You’re pretty hot yourself, Mr. Prescott.” In her high heels, she didn’t have to lift onto her tiptoes to lean in and press a kiss on one side of his mouth, then the other.
“Marking me?” he asked with a grin, lifting a hand to wipe his mouth in case she’d left red marks. He couldn’t walk into the banquet with lipstick on him.
“Actually it’s long-wear and smudge-proof. You’re safe.”
Looking at the seductress in the formfitting dress, he wasn’t so sure.
* * *
Quinn watched Austin schmoozing businessmen, athletes, and reporters, struck by how at ease he was with a variety of different types of people. How much others gravitated toward him, men and women alike. And while he did his thing, he kept a strong arm around her waist, hanging on to her as if she were his date and not his assistant.
She refused to overthink anything about his actions or her emotions or how good she felt against his hard, hot body. Instead she enjoyed the night. How could she not when Austin in a tuxedo took her breath away? His scruff, a permanent fixture, made him sexier than if he were clean-shaven. And his masculine scent was not only a turn-on but it reminded her of the nights she spent tangled in his arms. The fact that she knew she’d end the evening in his bed made the mingling part of this event more bearable.
“Austin?” an unfamiliar voice called.
He turned. “Alex! Good to see you!”
The two men embraced with a quick hug and slap on the back. “Alex Dare, this is my … assistant, Quinn Stone. Quinn, my cousin Alex.” The word cousin slid smoothly off his tongue. He really had adapted to his new reality.
She looked at the handsome man, giving him a warm smile. His brown hair and matching eyes made for a striking combination, and like Austin, his muscular frame filled out his tuxedo.
“Hi, Alex. Nice to meet you.” She knew this was Ian Dare’s half brother.
“Same here. And this is my wife, Madison.”
A pretty woman with blonde hair and blue eyes grinned back. “Hi, Austin. It’s been awhile. Hello, Quinn. Nice to meet you, too.”
Austin chuckled, the sound low and deep, settling in Quinn’s stomach.
“Well, you two and your many kids, your traveling for the Thunder … keeps you busy,” Austin said. He glanced at Quinn. “Alex and Madison run a foundation for the Thunder that teaches athletes how to prepare for life after football. Especially those with concussion issues and CTE,” he said of the brain injury that was debilitating for many football players and was only diagnosed postmortem.
She nodded. “I’ve read a lot about your work. I think it’s
wonderful. And Madison, it’s great to meet you. I also heard about your foster kids. What you two do … it’s just amazing.” Madison and her husband took in foster children who needed homes. Some they adopted, some they kept until they moved on. Whatever was best for the children. She’d heard Ian mention it more than once.
Madison smiled. “We love our kids and our lives. And it was cool to discover there were more Dares,” she said to Austin, a grin on her pretty face.
“Well, well. Everyone is here.” Ian Dare joined them, his wife, Riley, by his side.
“Look at us, one big, happy family. Should I say we’ve come a long way?” Alex asked, letting out a laugh.
Riley, a pretty brunette, rolled her eyes. “How about not?”
Apparently the Dare family dynamic was unique on all sides. Sperm donation for the Prescotts, and Paul’s brother, Robert, had two families at the same time. It had taken Ian awhile to accept Alex and his siblings, but they were now close, according to Austin.
“Always the wiseass,” Ian muttered. “I’d worry if you changed.”
Everyone laughed.
The night went on, the Dare family mingling more than not, everyone friendly to Quinn. She liked Ian’s and Alex’s wives, and they went out of their way to be open, warm, and genuine. Given Quinn’s experience with many of the sports wives, Madison and Riley were a welcome change.
Quinn excused herself to go to the ladies’ room and, when she finished, made her way back to the bar area, needing a glass of water for her dry throat.
“Quinn? Is that you?” a familiar voice called, and a frisson of unease wrapped its way around her. She turned. “Daniel, hello.” She faced her ex-fiancé, who stood in his tux, an arm around an attractive woman with dark hair and the beginnings of a pregnant belly.
She swallowed hard.
“Hi, Quinn. I thought that was you.”
She smiled at him. “Yes, this is an event that’s part of my job. What are you doing here?” Last she’d heard, college professors didn’t come to sporting foundation events.
“My wife, Kelly, is a reporter and she’s here for work, too,” he said proudly.
“Is this Quinn, as in your ex-fiancée?” Kelly asked.
Daniel cleared his throat. “It is. Kelly, this is Quinnlyn Stone.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” Quinn murmured.
Before they could continue, Austin had joined her, easily slipping in beside her and wrapping an arm firmly around her waist. “What did I miss?” he asked, eyeing her ex and his wife.
Quinn wondered if Austin had caught an expression that indicated she wasn’t overly comfortable. She’d meant to hide her feelings, but coming face-to-face with Daniel and his pregnant wife had been a surprise. She didn’t begrudge him happiness, but she hadn’t seen him in so long, this meeting was awkward for her.
“Who is this?” Daniel asked, his gaze on Austin.
“Austin Prescott.” He extended his hand and Daniel took it. “I’m Quinn’s…”
“Boss,” she chimed in.
“And you are?” Austin asked.
“Daniel Munroe. Quinn’s ex.” Daniel grinned sheepishly, pulling his wife closer to his side.
“They were engaged,” Kelly said, her voice tight.
Beside her, Austin stiffened. He didn’t know about her engagement and why should he? She’d ended it just before she’d gotten the job at Dare Nation, and they’d been colleagues for the past year. Not friends. Certainly not lovers, at least not until this past week. She’d had no reason to get into her past.
Wanting to keep things light, Quinn glanced at Kelly. “I hear congratulations are in order. My brother told me you’re expecting.”
At her curious glance, Quinn explained, “Matt is a professor at the college with Daniel.”
“Right,” Kelly said. “I forgot that.”
“Do you want to see pictures of the baby’s sonogram?” If Daniel had had a particularly annoying fault, it had been that he was clueless to other people’s discomfort or emotions. Which was probably why he’d thought Quinn would change her mind and want to have his baby one day when she’d made her feelings perfectly clear.
Kelly shifted uncomfortably on her feet. “I don’t think they want to see—”
“Of course we want to look,” Quinn said. She didn’t want Kelly to view her as a threat of any kind.
Daniel pulled the picture from his wallet, and they spent the next few minutes oohing and aahing over the black-and-white blob.
Finally, Kelly spoke up. “My feet hurt. Can we go sit down now?” She tugged on her husband’s arm.
Catching on, Daniel nodded. “Sure. It was nice seeing you again, Quinn. Good to meet you, too,” he said to a silent Austin.
Finally and blessedly they were left alone and Quinn let out a relieved breath. “God, was Daniel that obtuse when I was with him?” She shook her head, laughing until she caught sight of Austin’s stony face. “What’s wrong?”
“You were engaged?”
“I was. Yes.” And she didn’t want to discuss her past here. “Is it time to go home? If we’re going to dig into my old relationships, I’d like to do it in private.”
He inclined his head and took her elbow, leading her out of the ballroom.
She didn’t know what his problem was but she intended to find out. Except he didn’t make it easy.
He hadn’t said a word since they agreed to leave. Not when they waited for his Porsche to be brought around by the valet. Not on the drive home. And not when they walked into the house and she checked in with Amy and let her cousin out, locking up for the night. And not when she walked into the bedroom and closed the door behind her.
Clearly something was going through his mind. Walking up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist and placed her cheek against his back. He’d already removed his jacket, so she leaned against his shirt, not worrying if she transferred makeup to the white material. “Austin? What’s bothering you?”
“Nothing. I’m fine,” he said curtly.
“Liar.” Her body moved against him as she laughed quietly. “You’re jealous for no reason.”
“Why did you break up?” he asked, not denying her accusation.
She kept them entangled together when she spoke. “When Daniel and I got engaged, we agreed that we didn’t want kids, but come to find out, he thought he could convince me to change my mind. I just… I didn’t want children with him. So we broke up.”
“And you have no feelings left for him? Because when they walked up to you, the look on your face…”
She shook her head and turned him around to face her. “None at all.” She felt more for Austin than she ever had for Daniel, but how did she admit that when they had to have an end date? “But I have lots of feelings for you.” In the end, she couldn’t deny him knowing that she cared.
“I spent the night watching you in that dress and wanted nothing more than to peel it off you,” he said in a gruff voice.
She turned the side where the zipper was under her arm. “Then do it.”
He reached out and slid the zipper down slowly, careful with the thin material and watching out for her skin. Once he’d freed her from confinement, she shrugged off the one shoulder and let the dress slide to the floor.
His hot gaze raked over her, taking in her matching red thong and barely there strapless bra. “Fuck,” he said as he adjusted his cock.
She grinned. “Uncomfortable? Then take them off.”
Without waiting for him to act first, she unhooked the button, unzipped the fly, and eased the slacks over his hips, taking his boxer briefs with them. Then, keeping her eyes on his, she knelt down and took his cock in her hand.
He groaned as she wrapped her hands around the thick shaft and slid her hand up and down his erection. “You didn’t let me finish last time. Are you going to deny me the chance tonight?” she asked, licking him like the most delicious treat.
His hand came to rest on her head. She opened her mouth
and took him in. The next few minutes happened in what felt like slow motion. Her sliding him deep into her throat, guiding him out, in and out until he took over the motion himself. His hips pumped back and forth, and he was in control, all but fucking her mouth.
Her knees rubbed against the carpet, her hands gripped his thighs, and soon he was coming, long spurts down her throat. She swallowed quickly, accepting all of him until he pulled out and she nearly collapsed to the floor.
* * *
Austin drew in deep breaths, recovering from the most intense orgasm of his life. When he could breathe, he leaned down, lifted Quinn into his arms, and laid her down on his bed. Her eyes gleamed with the satisfaction of a job well done, and he smiled at her, shaking his head.
“Liked that, did you?” he asked.
Her lips were still red from the non-smudge lipstick and she grinned. “So what if I did?”
He pressed his mouth to hers, not caring that she tasted like him. He only wanted to devour this woman who had crept into the deep recesses of his soul. Parts he hadn’t known existed but now had to face.
He’d never cared what a female he slept with did in her past, her present, or with whom. But when he’d found out Daniel Munroe was Quinn’s ex-fiancé, an unfamiliar emotion had flowed through him, thick, molten, and ugly. Quinn had pegged it tonight. But jealousy was a foreign feeling. No wonder he hadn’t been able to pin it down at first, yet the word felt right to describe the pain in his chest. The hole in his gut. The desire to keep her by his side and not let another man even look her way.
And when she’d told him she’d ended things with Daniel because she hadn’t wanted children and he had, something inside Austin had broken. It made him want to own her while he could, make her his, ruin her for all other men.
The kiss turned hot and hungry quickly, and he rolled to his back, pulling her on top of him. He wanted to see her face when she clasped him inside her body and watch her expression when she came. His cock rubbed against her damp sex and desire ricocheted through him.
He paused only long enough to grab a condom and cover himself before he braced his hands on the mattress and raised himself above her, his dick poised at her entrance. Then he began to slowly push his way inside.
Dare To Resist (Dare Nation Book 1) Page 11