All the Right Places (RILEY O'BRIEN & CO #1) (21 page)

“I’m coming,” he groaned. “Right now.”

As he pressed her down on him, his penis jerked inside her, deep explosions that set off her own orgasm. Her internal muscles clenched tightly around his length.

He shouted out his release while she moaned, grinding against him. Her orgasm seemed to go on and on, and when it was finally over, she collapsed on top of him. She’d never been so mindless with pleasure.

“I think you might be my Kryptonite,” he muttered weakly.

She smiled at the idea that Quinn was Superman, and she was the material that weakened him. “Well, you definitely felt like the Man of Steel just a few seconds ago,” she replied and then giggled . . .
yes, giggled . . .
as his shoulders shook with mirth.

The hallway leading to the luxury suites in the 49ers stadium was remarkably silent, especially since there were nearly seventy thousand football fans cheering inside the sports venue. Quinn’s footsteps echoed on the hard tile floor, along with Teagan’s lighter tread. He had run into her as he’d exited the bathroom. It was well into the first quarter, and he’d wondered if she would show up.

As they reached the suite, Amelia’s laughter filtered through the door. It was such a light, happy sound he couldn’t help but smile. He’d been smiling a lot lately, and it wasn’t just because he finally had Amelia in his bed . . . although she had spent quite a bit of time there.

After he had visited her in the penthouse and she’d given him the best hummer of his life, he’d taken her out for dinner the next night and back to his place where they’d had each other for dessert. She had come home with him Friday evening, and he had suggested that she bring an overnight bag with her so she could stay the weekend.

He’d quickly become accustomed to falling asleep with her curly hair stuck in his stubble and her luscious ass pressed against him. He dreaded the day he had to leave her
in Nashville, and he was suddenly anxious to see her again, even though he had been gone less than ten minutes.

Opening the door to the suite, he held it for Teagan. Once they were inside, he immediately looked for Amelia’s bright head. His smile slid from his face when he saw her talking with Nick Priest.

Teagan gasped, and he shot a quick look in her direction. She was unnaturally pale, her lipstick garishly bright in the fluorescent lighting.

“What’s wrong?” he asked sharply, following Teagan’s gaze, which was focused on Amelia and Priest. He brought his eyes back to his sister, and she flashed a smile that looked more like a grimace.

“Nothing,” she answered before hurrying to join their parents in the stadium chairs near the windows.

He frowned at Teagan’s odd behavior but forgot all about it when Amelia laughed again as she visited with the man she had previously described as eye candy. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was jealous. The thought of Amelia preferring another man made him want to throw his head back and howl.

He clenched his fists.
Fucking Nick Priest.
Why wasn’t he on the field with his team?

Priest smiled when he saw Quinn, and Amelia looked over her shoulder to see what had caught his attention. When she saw him, she smiled, too, revealing the little gap between her teeth that drove him nuts.

He had to remind himself that he couldn’t go caveman and drag Amelia away from Priest since their relationship was supposed to be a secret. Instead, he held out his hand toward the other man. Priest grabbed it in a modified shake, giving him the classic half hug, half backslap.

“Priest. It’s good to see you, chief. But I have to ask . . . What are you doing here?”

“Suspension.”

As usual, Priest’s response was quiet and monosyllabic, and he didn’t bother to expand on his answer.

“Nick got suspended for helmet-to-helmet contact during last week’s game, and he can’t be around the team while he’s suspended,” Amelia chimed in, her understanding of NFL rules further proof she was the hottest woman on the planet.

Rocking back on his heels, he shoved his hands in his pockets to stop himself from snaking his arm around her waist and pulling her closer. He brought his attention back to Priest.

“I remember now. That was a bad hit. I was worried for a second that you wouldn’t walk away from it.”

Priest nodded. “It hurt.”

“Since you’re suspended, I’m surprised you didn’t stay in Nashville and catch up on your beauty sleep,” Quinn joked.

Priest looked down, rubbing his thumb over his eyebrow. “Too long since I’d seen my favorite family,” he mumbled.

Quinn narrowed his eyes, noticing for the first time Priest looked a little rough around the edges. His blond hair was shaggy, his eyes had dark circles under them, and stubble covered his face.

“Have you seen Mom and Dad yet?”

Priest nodded.

“Where’s everyone else?” Amelia asked.

“Cal and Saika are at Valerie’s dance recital, but they’ll be here later,” Quinn explained. “Teagan just got here. She’s sitting with my parents.”

Priest sucked in a breath like he’d been punched in the gut before rubbing his chest with the palm of his hand. Amelia gave him a concerned glance.

“Nick, are you okay?” she asked, placing her hand on his forearm.

“Heartburn.”

She made sympathetic noises as she stroked Priest’s arm, and Quinn wanted to grab her hand and tuck it into his. He was extremely annoyed by the attention she was giving Priest.

Bastard.

“You should see if Tums needs a new spokesperson,” he suggested sarcastically, trying to figure out how he could get Amelia away from the man he used to consider his best friend.

Priest laughed, but it sounded forced to Quinn, and his aggression transformed into concern. Something was going on with Priest, but Quinn knew it would take an act of God to pry it from the man’s lips.

“Let’s sit down,” he suggested, snagging two beers from the catering cart for himself and Priest along with a bottle of
water for Amelia. He nodded toward the empty seats near his parents and Teagan. There were only three seats left, two on the back row and one on the first row next to his sister.

As Priest glanced toward the seats, Quinn felt his friend stiffen. “There’s plenty of room,” he added, trying to make sure Priest knew he was welcome. “You can have the seat next to Teagan.”

Priest didn’t bother to reply. He just headed toward the empty seat.

Quinn shifted closer to Amelia. “You’re sitting next to me, not Eye Candy.”

She let out a breathy laugh that made his skin tingle. “If you insist.”

“I do insist. And I might insist that we leave the game early.”

She shot him a quizzical glance. “Why? Aren’t you having a good time?” She smiled wryly. “I am.” He detected a bit of surprise in her voice.

He leaned down. “I’m having a good time, Juice, but I don’t think I can wait another three hours before I get you naked again,” he whispered into her ear. “What would you think about sneaking off to the janitor’s closet down the hall?”

Her brown eyes widened, and she looked around before replying. “Seriously? We had sex right before we left.”

His cock twitched at the reminder. The sex they’d enjoyed in his Audi had been fast and rough, and it had barely taken the edge off his hunger for her. He imagined he was just like a junkie who needed more and more heroin to achieve the mind-numbing rush.

He was a little worried his hunger for Amelia might never be sated. His feelings for her were more intense than simple affection and basic desire.

He had told Amelia that meeting his parents wasn’t a big deal—that it was just business. But when he’d introduced her to them, he realized he’d been lying to himself and to her.

It
was
a big deal.

Quinn had wanted to claim her. He had wanted to let his parents know she meant something to him beyond their professional relationship—that she was important to him not
only as the future president and CEO of Riley O’Brien & Co. but also as a man.

He had studied Amelia as she’d talked with his parents. She was engaged but reserved. Friendly but not warm. Her brown eyes had been wary, like she had expected rejection or something worse, and he’d fought the urge to wrap her in his arms and reassure her.

He knew his parents were no threat to Amelia, but he’d stayed close in case she had needed him. She’d unearthed his protective instincts—instincts that usually lay dormant unless the situation involved someone he loved.

•   •   •

“So tell me, Amelia, has my son been helpful? Has he given you what you need?”

Oh, yeah, he’s given me what I need. Several times, in fact.

Praying her cheeks weren’t red, she met Kate O’Brien’s dark blue gaze. Even the most innocent question made her think naughty thoughts, and she couldn’t believe she was thinking about sex when Quinn’s mother stood right next to her.

Kate arched a blond brow at Amelia, reminding her that she’d not answered Kate’s question. “He’s been very helpful,” she replied.

“I’m glad to hear it. Has he been hands-on?”

An image of Quinn’s hands on her breasts flashed through her mind, and Amelia knew there was no hope of avoiding a blush this time. Heat raced across her face like wildfire.

Ronald Wilson Reagan!

“No, he hasn’t been hands-on,” Amelia averred. “He told me that he didn’t want to be too involved with the project.”

Kate sighed. “I had hoped Quinn would be more interested in the women’s division than James.” She shook her head. “But O’Brien men are so stubborn, and my sons are the rules not the exceptions.”

Amelia laughed. Quinn caught her eye from across the room and winked at her. She smiled, and Kate turned to see what had caught her attention.

It was halftime, and the suite was full of people, but Kate
realized the recipient of her smile. The older woman returned her gaze to Amelia, giving her an appraising glance that made her smile fade.

“Your relationship with Quinn is not strictly business,” Kate said baldy, a statement rather than a question.

She didn’t know how to respond. Even if she’d had an idea of what to say, her tongue was stuck to the roof of her mouth. Kate stared into her eyes, and whatever she saw there made her frown. She opened her mouth, but the arrival of James and Cal silenced her.

“What are you lovely ladies discussing?” Cal asked, his voice light and teasing.

Saika’s daughter, Valerie, was perched on his shoulders, still dressed in the pink tutu from her dance recital. It was obvious he loved spending time with her, and the little girl clearly felt the same way about him.

Kate looked toward Amelia before answering her youngest son. “We were chatting about Amelia’s progress on the new accessories.”

“Are you going to have something to show us soon?” Cal asked.

Amelia nodded. “Soon,” she promised.

James hadn’t said anything, and Amelia took the opportunity to study him. It was obvious he’d been ill. His skin carried the strange yellowish-gray pallor common with cancer patients. Even though it was apparent he wasn’t well, it also was obvious he had been an extremely handsome man. He was still handsome, but illness overshadowed his good looks.

James’s gaze fell on Amelia, and she was embarrassed she’d been caught staring. His lips curled up, a duplicate of Quinn’s enticing smile.

“And how do you think Riley O’Brien & Co. customers will respond to your accessories, Amelia?” James asked.

“At the very least, I hope they’re going to like them,” she answered. “But I really want them to love them.”

She knew James had little or no interest in the women’s division, but she didn’t know why. Was he sexist?

Given the way he treated his wife and daughter, she couldn’t imagine he was. It was obvious Kate and Teagan
were strong women who wouldn’t put up with any kind of sexist behavior.

So what was behind James’s indifferent attitude toward the women’s division? And more important, did Quinn feel the same way? She had tried to bring up the subject several times with him, but she’d clearly been too subtle with her questioning because she still was in the dark.

Was it simply about tradition? Was James unwilling to embrace change? Perhaps he’d passed along his way of thinking to his oldest son along with his smile.

Either way, she needed to tell Quinn the truth about her project with Teagan. She’d become very adept at silencing her conscience, but she hadn’t been able to silence Ava Grace’s warning. It rang in her ears constantly, reminding her that it didn’t matter how she felt about Quinn as long as she continued to lie to him.

James’s derisive snort interrupted Amelia’s internal musings. “The fashion world is fickle,” he noted with a frown. “They might love you today and hate you tomorrow.”

Unfortunately, he was right. That’s why she was so determined to become a brand that extended beyond a pair of boots or a stylish bag. Her boutiques would play a huge role in the creation of that brand, cementing her as more than a trend.

She nodded. “I know. It can be ugly.”

Suddenly, Cal yelped, and Amelia glanced up to see Valerie’s tiny fingers twisted in his dark hair. The little girl giggled.

“Sorry, Cal,” she said.

He patted Valerie’s leg. “It’s okay, ballerina. Do you want down? The game’s starting again.”

Valerie’s high-pitched squeal made everyone laugh, and Cal carefully plucked her off his shoulders and placed her on the ground. She did a quick pirouette before running to the glass to look down onto the field.

Amelia took advantage of the break in conversation to excuse herself. She had planned to run to the bathroom during halftime, but Kate had distracted her.

She swiftly made her way toward the ladies’ room. It was quite a walk from the Riley O’Brien & Co. suite. She followed a sign directing her down a long hallway, feeling like a rat in a maze.

The hallway dead-ended, and Amelia realized she was lost. She turned toward the right but came to an abrupt stop when she saw who was there.

Teagan and Nick Priest were wrapped in each other’s arms, totally oblivious to the rest of the world. He had her backed up against the wall, his hands clenched in her dark hair, and his mouth devouring hers. She was kissing him back, her hands tightly gripping his lean waist.

Blood rushed into Amelia’s face. She had never seen such a passionate embrace except on television, specifically daytime TV. She felt like a voyeur, and she tried to back up as quietly as her boots would let her.

She hesitated when she heard Teagan’s voice. It was thick with a bitter mix of tears and anger.

“Stop, Nick!” Teagan exclaimed.

Amelia was suddenly unsure about what she had interrupted, and she decided to stay put in case things got ugly. She didn’t think Nick was dangerous, but there were some men who took what they wanted regardless of what their partners were willing to give.