“But it meant so much more to Ethan for him to be able to do it.”
He pulled his head back and looked at her. “You know, for someone who swears she’s not very good with kids or dogs, you’ve got the stray no one has been able to get to stick around more than a day living at your house, and you allowed a boy to make a memory that will be with him for the rest of his life. I’m going to go out on a limb and say you’re pretty damned good with both kids and dogs.”
He expected a smile or for her to roll her eyes or something. What he didn’t expect was for a look of acute sadness to cross her features. She shrugged. “I guess so.”
He reached a finger under her chin and tilted her head back. “Hey, what’s that about?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. I had a great time today. All of it. Eating my weight in pies and playing football and watching everyone take your announcement totally in stride.” The sad look slid off her face. “These people love you, Baby.”
He decided to let it go for now. “Yeah, I’ve probably been an idiot for years, not asking for help when it was right here in front of me. Charlie is going to kick my ass.”
“Let’s just say she definitely is going to make sure you make it through those last three college classes. Fun time is over, buddy.”
He threw his arm around her shoulders as they began walking back toward the main Linear Tactical facility. Everyone would be heading home soon. “It was my own stupid pride that got in the way.”
“We can be our own worst enemies sometime. That’s hard to combat.”
Why did he all of a sudden feel like they weren’t just talking about him anymore?
He was still feeling that way as they drove back to his place. He’d planned to go to her house and spend the night—what he’d been doing for a while since she liked to be near Grizzly—but she’d been adamant that they go to his apartment.
He was going to press her about it, about all of it, but she started kissing his neck and trailing her fingers up the inside of his thigh as he drove. Within a few minutes he wasn’t sure he was going to make it to his place or hers. When he told her that, she boldly cupped him through his jeans.
“Prove it,” she whispered before nipping at his ear lobe with just enough force that he let out a soft curse before turning his truck down the next dirt road.
She slid away from him, and he thought maybe she’d come to her senses, but when he looked over, he realized she had kicked off her shoes and was shimmying off her pants.
If he thought he couldn’t get any harder, he’d been wrong.
“Christ, Cupcake, I don’t have any condoms with me.”
That didn’t stop her. “I’m on the pill. And besides I’m too old—” She cut her herself off, shaking her head. She smiled a deep sexy smile, but not before he saw a shadow cross her features.
“Whoa. Hey...”
“We’re both clean, Baby. I want to feel you inside of me. Just you, just once. Please.”
There was more going on here than he knew. He knew people well enough, hell, knew her well enough to know there was more going on than a hot quickie.
But damned if he would make her beg for something he wanted as much, if not more, than she did.
He unzipped his fly and pulled his jeans down just enough to free himself. He reached over and grabbed her by the hips, lifting her up as she swung her leg over and straddled him.
They both hissed out a breath as he slid inside her.
He eased his head back against the seat, reveling in this feeling. Skin against skin. But more than that.
His skin against Quinn’s skin.
He grasped her hips, trying his best to have enough sense not to bruise her, and knowing he was failing. But she didn’t seem to mind. She threw her head back as she rode him, deep and hard, over and over. He’d never seen her like this, wild with abandon. The pieces of civility and composure that always seemed to surround her were completely gone.
This was Quinn at her most base. The woman without the veneer. The woman with no parts held back.