Danger Zone (20 page)

“I think it’s coming back to me,” she said a few moments later as he nimbly unbuttoned her top. He spread the cotton apart as his tongue grazed her skin.

“‘Coming,’” he said between kisses, his lips dangerously close to one peaked nipple. “That’s the perfect word.” He licked her into his mouth and sucked, and she pressed him closer, made a strangled sound in her throat. Bolts of sensation streaked through her body and threatened to explode in a blinding flash. She throbbed between her legs, ached for his touch where it would set her off, just like last night.

He cupped her other breast and squeezed before giving it equal time with his hot, wet tongue. She ran her hands along his powerful shoulders, felt his tempered strength as he moved slowly down her body.

“I definitely remember these not being here yesterday.” In one quick movement, he sat back and stripped her bottoms over her hips and off her legs, leaving her completely bare, fully exposed to his all-consuming gaze.

As he hovered between her legs, he touched her, so softly. Ran his hands up her thighs and back down as though she was something to be worshipped or treasured. The feeling had her off balance, breathing hard.

“So beautiful,” he whispered. And he lowered his head and kissed her just below her belly button. Her stomach contracted with the contact, her breath faltered. Every stroke of his tongue, every brush of his lips sent more desire coiling low in her center.

Ellie watched, fascinated as his mouth moved lower, as his hands teased her where she was wet and wanting him. He kissed the inside of each thigh, grazing his nose across sensitive flesh that made her jump. When he glanced at her, his eyes swirling with raw heat, she felt another rush of moisture between her legs.

“I remember this part,” she croaked. Because this was where it had ended. His head between her legs, his tongue ready to dive into her core and her heart nearly pounding out of her chest.

His smile was the smile of a devil. Purely sinful. When he touched her with his lips, she moaned. When he stroked her with his tongue, she cried out.

“That’s it,” he said when she pressed against his face, wanting more. “Give me everything.” He slid a thick finger inside her as his tongue circled her clit, as her world tilted and spun out of control.

She hurtled toward a cliff, no stopping, as his tongue lashed her and his finger worked her. He said something but she missed it when he took her in his mouth and sucked her hard. Ellie came in a hot, blinding rush, her body strung taut as each new wave of pleasure pounded through her, making her dizzy. Quinn stayed with her, drawing out the sensations even more, until she was completely tapped out.

Breathing hard, she opened her eyes. Quinn was stripping off his jeans and covering himself with a condom. The man had a lot to cover. Good God, he was gorgeous.

A tingle of uncertainty washed through her, but Ellie threw it away as she threw off her pajama top. Quinn settled himself over her. His lips crashed down on hers with ferocious intent. She tasted herself in his mouth, sucked on his tongue as he’d sucked on her.

A strangled groan rumbled from Quinn’s throat when he slid every last inch along her wet entrance, teasing her, and himself. Another blast of hesitation ran through her. It seemed a real possibility that he was simply too much for her.

But, God, he knew how to kiss her, knew how to move against her so that she wanted him despite her doubts. Lifting her hips, Ellie caught him at her center and he stopped, suspended time as he watched her.

“We’ll take this real easy,” he murmured. He kissed her more gently this time. Slowly devouring her mouth with his tongue as he pressed closer, slid the head of his penis inside her. The pressure was intense, stretching her to the limit and her eyes flashed open, stared up into his. He clenched his jaw and sweat trickled down his hairline.

“Tell me if it’s too much.” His whispered words rasped against her ear.

He inched in, slowly, backing out only to move a tiny bit farther in. Ellie found a spot that caught her perfectly and arched against him. She didn’t see how she could come again, yet with every small stroke he took her higher.

“That’s it, take what you need,” he told her. Still he moved slowly, not all the way in, but more than enough to send her off. Every nerve ending sang his name. The pressure against sensitive tissue ramped up and she shifted beneath him. Clenching his jaw, controlling every move, every muscle, he continued to drive her closer to the edge.

Ellie gripped his arms as he moved in again and she took more of him.

“I can’t wait to feel you come on me,” Quinn whispered before he kissed her.

That did it. She rocketed out of control, her cry caught in his mouth. Above her, Quinn’s restraint broke and he groaned. Ellie felt him expand inside her. Felt his release even though he was only halfway in. His muscles tightened as he held himself still.

Sharing this moment with him took her to a whole other plane. Knowing he was experiencing the same high sent pure emotion flooding her heart. His compassion for her, his tenderness, his uncanny ability to know her thoughts, her fears, all of it knocked her off guard. She’d been so ready to have this experience and not get caught up in emotion, and here she was, exactly where she didn’t want to be.

Gently, Quinn pulled out and rolled to his side, but he took her with him, kept her close in his arms. Ellie held on tight, afraid to say anything. She breathed him in and concentrated on his fingers circling absently against her back and sending sweet shivers down her spine.

“You okay?” he asked softly.

She nodded, words impossible.

“I need to get cleaned up, but I’ll be right back.” He didn’t move. Actually, his grip on her tightened. “And then I want to do it all over again.” He grabbed a chunk of her hair and forced her head back in a fiercely tender gesture that brought them eye to eye. “And I want to keep doing it until the minute we have to leave.” Quinn kissed her. His velvet tongue invaded her mouth and unbelievably she felt his semi-hard erection grow against her.

“Amazing,” he murmured at her lips.

She had to agree.

Two hours later, Quinn stirred honey into Ellie’s tea as he sipped his coffee. He couldn’t get rid of the grin on his face. Despite the hard-on he’d gone to bed with, he’d actually managed a good night’s sleep. After the last hour and a half in Ellie’s arms and inside her body, he was raring to go. Though he’d come so fast the first time and hadn’t even fully penetrated, he’d made up for it. Not just once.

On the way back to the bedroom he spotted the mail on her table and very strategically balanced both mugs in one hand so he could take it to her. He’d become her personal lapdog and he didn’t mind.

Just the sight of her combing out her long wet hair in front of the dresser mirror got him ready for another round. Her tight jeans and body-hugging T-shirt didn’t hurt either. But fun-time was over and that was okay. Because tonight when they came back, he knew damn well they’d be in that bed, starting from where they’d left off twenty minutes ago.

Not even the idea of driving to Barstow could dampen his mood.

“Mail call,” he said, dropping a stack of envelopes on her dresser and handing her the tea. “I figured you’d want to check it out before we left.” Standing behind her in front of the mirror, he planted a soft kiss against her neck and watched the goose bumps rise across her skin. He loved her reaction to him. Loved her sighs, her moans and that throaty little hum when she got turned on.

“Most of it’s Ashley’s,” she said, setting her comb down and glancing through the pile. “I rarely get anything.” Sorting through the letters, she cringed when she came across an elaborate envelope addressed to her. She left it on her dresser with everything else and headed into the bathroom.

“An invitation you weren’t looking forward to?” Quinn asked.

“It’s probably one of those charity organization galas that want five hundred dollars to enjoy a rubber chicken dinner,” she said over her shoulder. “Can you open it up for me? I need to fix my face so we can leave.”

“Your face is perfect.” He couldn’t decide what turned him on more…her sweet little dimple or that tiny beauty mark on her cheek. Forcing his gaze away from Ellie, he ripped open the envelope and scanned the invitation. “Someone named Mary Jane is getting married and requests the presence of your company.”

“Oh, right. I forgot Mary Jane’s wedding. She’s a fellow stuntwoman. We doubled two actors six months ago on a film. The first weekend in November, right? Saturday?” When Quinn confirmed it, she pulled out her monthly calendar from her bag at the foot of the bed, found the weekend and marked the date.

“There’s an envelope here for an RSVP,” he said as he stuffed everything back into the big envelope.

“Great. You can just set it on the dresser. I’ll get to it later.” She replaced her little black book and shoved her feet into pristine white sneakers.

He rifled through the rest of the letters in his hand. “Did you want to go through Ashley’s mail?”

“No. I’ll…I’ll give it to her mom.”

Ellie finished getting ready and they walked out to the cars parked in the tenant spots next to each other. The partly cloudy skies hid most of the sun and took the edge off the heat. She tossed Ashley’s car keys to him as she opened the Honda’s door.

“Oh, maybe you should give those back to me,” she said. “The car is tough to start.”

“I remember.” Quinn moved close to Ellie, blocking her between him and the car. The smell of strawberries started his mouth watering. Leaning down with a smile, he pressed his lips against hers and brushed his tongue into her mouth. No other part of them touched, but the hot, wet connection brought back the last two hours with complete clarity. The way she melted into him, the way she tasted. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her.

That thought alone sobered him. He broke the kiss and glanced into the car, spotting something he hadn’t noticed before. “What’s that?”

Ellie followed his gaze. “What’s what?”

Quinn pointed to the clutch, then the middle console. “That. Ashley drives a stick?” He said it as though he hadn’t just sucked the air out of her lungs and made himself hard enough to jump her in the backseat of Ashley’s car.

Ellie took a deep breath and exhaled. “Yeah. It’s a five-speed. Is that a problem?”

Grinning, he stood up straight and folded his arms across his chest. “Well, maybe not for you, but I’ve never driven a stick.”

She didn’t bother hiding her surprise. “You’re kidding me? You own race cars and you’ve never driven a stick shift?”

“No. I own a company that owns race cars and I’ve never driven a stick.” He laughed. “Don’t look at me like I’m not a man. It’s not my fault I didn’t learn on a standard transmission. I drove what my father and brother gave me to drive. Now what are we going to do?”

Ellie plucked the keys out of his hand. “Now, you’re going to drive my car and I’ll drive Ashley’s.” She tossed her keys and he caught them. “We’ll just go back to the original plan.”

Quinn eyed the Mustang then looked at Ellie. His grin widened. “Now
that
is a thing of beauty.”

“She’d better be. She’s costing me a fortune.” Ellie ticked off the list with her fingers. “I updated the seats from a BMW, I had to get a new stereo system, four barrel carbs didn’t give me enough power so I had to sink money there. The air conditioner—”

“I’m talking about you.” He kissed her again, her mouth warm beneath his, but this one didn’t last nearly as long as the first. “I just wanted to give you something to think about while you’re driving,” he whispered. He teased her for a few moments, his lips brushing hers, her breath toothpaste-fresh.

Damn. This drive was going to take forever. He already needed a distraction.

Ellie stared up at him, and the open trust radiating from her gaze should’ve scared him. But she blinked, moved away and the moment disappeared. Opening the passenger door to her car, she took something out of her glove compartment and handed it to him. “Here. It’s never been used,” she said of the plastic-wrapped headset. “It was a buy one, get one free deal. I’ve got three thousand weekend minutes to burn. We can chat on the drive.”

Quinn stared at the headset and flashed back to his accident and the screaming match he had with Mac on the phone right before impact. He swallowed. No time to panic now. He was doing this drive even if it killed him. Stupid thought. He gave Ellie his best smile. “A girl ready for anything. I knew I liked you.”

She pressed a couple of buttons on her cell phone and handed it to him. “Here. Enter your name and cell phone number while I move my bag. Then, if we get separated, we’ll be able to reconnect. But don’t worry. I won’t lose you.”

“I wasn’t too worried about it. Besides, I won’t let you.” He found his number in her call log and punched in his name as Ellie moved her heavy bag from the front seat of her car to the front seat of Ashley’s car. “What do you need that for?” he asked, gesturing to the bag. He handed the phone back to her.

“I use hand weights when I’m driving to strengthen my forearms. I use different kinds and it’s easier to keep everything together in one bag.”

Quinn wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close until she stood flush against his chest. “That is so sexy.”

She laughed. “No, it’s not. It’s working out. And on days when I can’t get in a real workout I fake it.”

“Strong is sexy,” he murmured. He kissed her again, a full throttle kiss complete with his tongue deep in her mouth and his hand cupping her head, holding her steady. The kind of kiss that had hot monkey sex usually following on its heels.

Goddammit. If he wasn’t careful, he’d have her back in her apartment, in her bed and on her back, and he couldn’t because he’d promised her a ride. But having his tongue in her mouth was turning out to be one of the things he liked best in life.

Quinn pulled away and stroked her jaw with his thumb. “You ready to hit the road?”

“After that kiss I’m ready to climb Mt. Everest, but I should be asking you that question.” She chucked his arm. “You’re the one who doesn’t drive.”

“I drive.” The words came out sharper than he intended and he stepped back. The immediate loss of her heat hit him like a small shock.

“Hey, I was kidding.” Ellie’s smile faltered as she opened the Honda’s door wider.

Fuck. He didn’t want this between them. He hated the uncertainty his accident had poured into his life. Exhaling sharply, he took her arm, forcing himself to meet her gaze. “I know. Sorry.”

How could he expect her to understand something he could barely grasp himself? Driving a car shouldn’t be anything this traumatic. But just thinking about his accident brought back the sounds and the smell… Not a good time for this to happen. “Let’s go,” he said, heading to the driver’s side of the Mustang before he could run away.

“Don’t forget to buckle up,” she told him. “Click It or Ticket. It’s California law.”

“Got it.” Quinn sat behind the wheel and sank into a new leather seat. The car was a beauty. As shiny and clean as if it had just come off the line. He adjusted the leg room and got comfortable. He didn’t feel half bad.

Ellie cranked the Honda’s engine and it turned over on the first try. The surprise on her face made him grin. Apparently, this was the miracle of all miracles. She pulled the seat belt across her shoulder and it took her a minute to get situated. While she did that, Quinn started the Mustang. The powerful engine roared to life beneath him and his heart pumped harder.

Ellie pulled out of her spot and Quinn put the Mustang in gear. He ignored his sweaty palms. Goddammit. It wasn’t like he was going to have a head-on collision the first time back behind the wheel of a car. In fact, his chances of another head-on collision ever again had dropped to a miniscule amount. Hell, those odds alone should’ve made him feel better.

They reached the hospital without incident and after a thirty-minute visit with Ashley, they hit the road for real. Unfortunately, traffic crawled. Quinn wouldn’t have minded too much except it took time away from Ellie on the backend of the trip. The time he’d have her in his arms and her bare skin at his fingertips.

Quinn’s phone rang and he adjusted the headset. He didn’t need to look at the caller ID. He saw Ellie glancing at him from her rearview mirror. “You rang?” He answered in an extra low voice and she laughed. Hearing that sound brought him a sense of happiness he hadn’t experienced in a long time.

“Hey, I forgot to ask,” she said. “Did you want the top down?”

“No. I’m not a fan of flies in my teeth.”

“Flies don’t get into your teeth. They splat on the windshield.”

He grunted. “Not in this traffic. In this mess they fly around your head and make fun of you. Besides, it’s a little overcast. With my luck it would pour and I’d get soaked. Of course, this is California. You probably get rain…what? Twice a year?”

Ellie laughed, but quickly changed her tone to sound offended. “Hey…at least
three
times.”

Quinn smiled. He loved talking to her, joking with her. Had history repeated itself, he’d have flown the coop after finally being with her, but he had no itch to run. Sure, he’d promised to drive her today and he wouldn’t have gone back on his word, but the usual urge to vacate the premises after sex never materialized. Instead he’d turned into a tea-making, mail-fetching suck-up. And he’d do it all again in a heartbeat if it meant having Ellie. Being with her made him feel…whole. If he really wanted to delve into his past, he couldn’t ever remember feeling that way. As if his presence made a real difference in someone’s life.

Or that someone else’s life made a difference in his.

“Sorry about this,” Ellie said, adjusting her earpiece and looking in her rearview mirror. “I really thought we might be able to cruise in pretty easily. Especially on a Saturday morning. I’m guessing this is the traffic that wanted to bug out of town last night and couldn’t because of the gridlock.”

Quinn actually liked the slow pace, but he didn’t dare confess it. Instead he practiced his new second favorite pastime. Teasing Ellie. “Tell me again,
how
long have you lived in this state?” He sensed his wry question put a smile on her face. “Wait. I know. Probably as long as this drive is going to take.”

Chuckling, Ellie shook her head. “I’ve lived here all my life.”

“You live in the traffic capital of the world and you like driving…why?”

“And you
don’t
like driving…why?”

Quinn tightened his hold on the wheel. The answer was too gruesome to mention aloud, but it formed in his head anyway. Because he’d killed a person. Yeah, anyone could argue it wasn’t his fault alone, but he had culpability. A lot of culpability.

“Hello?” Ellie said softly. “Anybody out there?”

“I’m here.” But he didn’t know what else to say.

“It’s the accident, isn’t it?” When he didn’t say anything she kept going. “God, Quinn, this is the first time you’ve driven since then, isn’t it?”

One of the reasons he liked her so much was because of her smarts. She’d nailed this one.

“Give the lady a lollipop.” She deserved the truth even if it was only the partial truth. “The accident happened six months ago,” he said.

“Why? Why are you doing this? I could’ve found someone else.”

“I didn’t want you to find anyone else.” He couldn’t imagine another man taking this trip with her, having this time with her when he wanted her all to himself. Even driving in separate cars they had an intimacy that he craved. “I wanted—I want—to be with you. I’ve wanted to be with you since the first day we met.”