Dream Lover (12 page)

Every so often the sound of laughter filtered through from Maxwell’s office and Quinn would feel a mixture of jealousy and sickness wash over her, but no matter how many times she told herself it was none of her business she could not push away the feelings.

CHAPTER EIGHT

It was just over a month after the Paris trip that Maxwell and Quinn were away in Brussels for a three-day conference. One of the men from another company attending had asked Quinn to join him for a drink. At first she had been going to refuse but then changed her mind and accepted much to Sam Adams pleasure.

At the arranged time she was waiting in the hotel foyer for him when Maxwell approached her, ‘Waiting for someone?’ he asked casually.

Quinn looked up into his eyes, she could do that again after weeks of practice, ‘Yes,’ she said simply then turned away.

‘May I enquire as to whom you are waiting for?’

‘No, you may not,’ she smiled up into his unsmiling face. She was unsure why she said what she did next, maybe to see his reaction, maybe just to annoy him because she knew she could. ‘Besides I haven’t decided yet, but rest assured it won’t be anyone who works for your company,’ she said sweeping her eyes around the assortment of people who were passing then back up into his stunned face before adding, ‘I would hate anyone to be dismissed for fraternising with me.’

Maxwell narrowed his eyes at her for a moment, ‘I will not have a member of my staff picking up men from hotels while they are working for me!’ he snapped angrily.

Quinn smiled as she spotted Sam’s blonde head across the room, ‘Ah this one’s just what I’m looking for, he looks fun,’ as she went to move away Maxwell caught her arm. She looked from her arm to his angry face. ‘Get off me, and get yourself a sense of humour,’ shrugging his hand from her arm. ‘He’s my date,’ she snapped ‘I don’t pick men up in bars or anywhere else for that matter, not that it’s any of your business Mr Cordell!’ she retorted angrily.

Sick to the stomach he watched as she walked away from him, mentally he kicked himself; another lost opportunity… this woman was going to drive him crazy if he wasn’t careful.

Quinn had enjoyed a very pleasant evening; Sam took her to a small intimate restaurant then to a small cosy bar where they sat chatting. She found him easy to get along with and he had made her laugh with his stories, kept her entertained with his tales of his work abroad, their conversation light nothing personal until he asked her about her working for Maxwell.

‘How do you enjoy working for Maxwell?’ he asked casually.

All ways on her guard when her boss was mention and his question sounded just a little too casual for Quinn his words sounded forced to her ears. ‘Fine, I’m only working for him as relief p.a., while his regular is recovering from a car accident,’ she told him keeping her tone noncommittal.

‘I hear he has a foul temper, ever take it out on you?’

Quinn smiled, ‘I can give as good as he dishes out, why you are so interested in him?’ she asked keeping her own expression casual.

He shrugged his shoulders carelessly then creased his brow for a moment, ‘Just rumours I’ve heard about him...’

‘What rumours?’ she asked quickly. One thing she hated was rumours and wanted to know more especially if it concerned her.

‘I probably shouldn’t say anything,’ he started then changed his mind, ‘I’ve heard his p.a. wasn’t in a car crash but that they had a huge fight…’

Quinn laughed and shook her head, ‘You don’t want to listen to rumours Sam, Maxwell is bad tempered not violent. Believe me Paul was in an accident,’ she rested her hand on his arm while she spoke and laughed again. ‘I’ve been to the hospital to see him, it was a car crash.’

Suddenly his attention drifted from her to the new arrivals across the room, Maxwell and two overseas managers. Quinn was unsure if Maxwell had seen them but she turned to Sam and asked if they could leave. He seemed quite pleased to go and they walked slowly back toward their hotel.

Standing at the reception waiting for her key Sam slipped his arm casually around her waist and pulled her close to his side. When the receptionist slid her key across the desk he picked it up before she had the chance.

Quinn’s room was on the fourteenth floor on the journey up Sam kept his hand around her waist; every so often he would lower his head and press his lips against her temple. When the last person alighted from the lift on the fifth floor he pulled her into his arms. Until his lips touched with hers she had thought that she had wanted his kisses. But she realised the only lips she wanted touching her own were Maxwell Cordell’s and pushing gently on Sam’s shoulders she looked up into his face, ‘I’ve had a lovely evening, thank you.’

He smiled, ‘But this is where it ends?’ he took her key from his pocket and handed it to her. ‘I thought as much, thank you for your company,’ he pressed his lips against her cheek, ‘in case you change your mind I’m in room ten twenty.’

Quinn had just finished dressing for bed when there was a knock on her door, concerned as to who it could be; she tied her dressing gown tightly around her waist and went to the door. ‘Yes who is it?’ she called.

‘Maxwell.’

Quinn sighed and turned the key, ‘It’s very late,’ she sighed again opening the door thinking he was going to give her more work for the following day.

In an instant she had taken in his appearance, his jacket was open, his tie pulled so it hung loosely through the collar of his shirt and the first two buttons were open. His hair was slightly tussled as though he had just run his fingers through it and he looked totally devastating. But when he looked over her shoulder and into her room she flew into a temper, ‘Don’t you dare come to my room to check up on me!’ she said indignantly.

‘I didn’t,’ he snapped back walking straight past her and into the room anyway. ‘I came to see if we couldn’t bury all this damn hostility between us,’ he raked his hand through his already ruffled hair. ‘I can see I’m wasting my time, you’re too much of a bad tempered shrew I don’t know why I bothered!’ he turned toward the door once more.

‘How dare you call me names,’ she leapt in front of him before he reached the door. ‘And as for bad tempered you should listen to yourself sometime…’

Before she could move he grabbed her by the shoulders and hauled her up against his body. Quinn’s breath caught in her throat as she looked up into his eyes, the burning desire that filled them almost made her heart stop.

Max moved one hand to cup her face, brushing his thumb gently across her lips. ‘Shh Quinn,’ he murmured softly, ‘You talk too much.’

Now his thumb no longer touched her lips but his firm moist lips, the tip of his tongue traced the outline of her lips before slipping between them and into her mouth. She wrapped one hand around his neck, to stop from falling down to the floor, her other hand she moved across his chest opening the remainder of his shirt buttons. Pushing the two edges apart she ran her hand across his muscular torso closely flowed by her lips. A flash of her dream made her gasp, his skin tasted just as she dreamt it had.

Quinn’s heart raced with pleasure, joy at being in his arms, joy of having his mouth on her own. And those kisses, she gasped softly as he kissed her so passionately she forgot she was angry with him.

‘Let’s not fight Quinn,’ he whispered against her throat, while his strong gentle hands moulded her tightly against his body. ‘This is so much nicer,’ he lifted her up into his arms and carried her across the room laying her down on the bed. ‘So much nicer,’ he repeated covering her breast with his hand, teasing and stroking until she ached.

‘Maxwell, please….’

‘Shh …’ he silenced her words with his mouth.

Quinn slid her arms inside his jacket and pushed it over his shoulders; he released her for a moment to shrug it away from his body. Sighing she wrapped her arms around his broad back, his muscles bunched and flexed as he held her down to the soft bed. She hadn’t realised he had undone the belt on her dressing gown until her skin made contact with his hair roughed chest.

Lowering his head Max buried his face in her warm full breasts, covering them in soft moist kisses. He half opened his eyes and focused on her dark tight nipple, he parted his lips and ran his tongue over one then the other and felt and heard her immediate response. Her body lifted and a soft whimper of pleasure escaped her lips. Such an erotic sound he did it again and felt his heart crash against his ribs.

Quinn accepted his more intimate caresses, his thigh between her own pressed firmly against her filling her with an unfamiliar longing. The feeling deepened became more intense when he peeled back the top of her nightdress and covered her naked breasts with soft kisses; she gasped loudly, her body lifted from the bed and couldn’t hold back the sounds of pleasure which escaped her lips.

‘Oh Quinn,’ he whispered huskily as she moved her hips against his, quite unaware she was taking him to the edge of his control.

Suddenly she was moving away from him pulling her nightclothes across her body, down her body, covering herself from his desperately hungry gaze. Her golden eyes were liquid, full of desire as they looked up into his. Her lips soft and swollen from his kisses as she told him… ‘Please stop…’ she pleaded with a soft catch to her voice.

Maxwell lay on his side and watched her as she scrambled away from him; he’d never had to run after a woman in all his adult life. Arrogantly he’d sat back and waited for them to come to him. Women either found him attractive for his looks, his money, his position or all three. But Quinn Morgan from the first time he had seen her had intrigued him, her cool indifference to his looks, his money or position fascinated him. It was sad to admit but he had come across some very shallow women in his time. But as far as he could see fame and fortune did not interest Quinn in the slightest.

For weeks since the Paris episode he had played things cool with her hoping he would be able to win her over. Twice she had disturbed him with her sleepwalking, last time though he had realised and he’d resisted the temptation to get into her bed, but he hadn’t been able to forget her soft words as he dashed across the room away from her. ‘
I love you’
she called after him.

‘Calm down Quinn, I can kiss a woman without going any further,’ he took a deep breath and pushed his long legs over the side of the bed and followed her to the where she stood by the window.

Quinn looked up uncertainly into his face, ‘Sorry,’ she muttered brushing her fingers through her hair, realising it would be all over the place.

‘Come here,’ he pulled her rigid body against his own. ‘You must have had some bastards for boyfriends in the past,’ he tilted her head back and looked into her face. ‘I don’t deny I want to make love to you, but I won’t use force Quinn so stop looking at me like that,’ he smiled and pulled her head against his chest again. ‘I want us to have a relationship and don’t want to wait until Paul returns to work before we get involved, personally,’ he looked down into her face. ‘He’s going to be away for at least another four weeks, can you honestly say you want to wait that long?’ he asked, smiling when she shook her head. ‘I won’t rush you, but I want to spend time with you and I don’t mean in work,’ he added with a small laugh. He could see she was weakening, he ran his hands across her shoulders easing the tense knots away until she relaxed against him, and the moment he felt her relax once again he lowered his head and kissed her.

When he promised once again not to rush her against all her better judgements she agreed, her feelings for him ran too deep to be denied or ignored. If she thought about what was happening between them it was inevitable, it was more, it was what she wanted.

Quinn accepted his devastating kisses and caresses, sighing softly when his tongue pushed passed her lips and brushed against her own. Lifting one hand from his chest she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair.

‘Unless you want to end up on that bed again I think I should go,’ he murmured huskily between kisses. Maxwell tilted back her head so he could do two things, one kiss her neck the other look into her eyes. ‘What’s it to be Quinn?’ he asked nibbling on her ear lobe while he waited for her answer.

‘Mmm?’ was all she could manage as his lips moved slowly across her neck and his hands across her body. Sighing softly once again when he kissed his way down her throat; pushing her silky dressing gown away from her body with his chin, he kissed the creamy mound of her breast. ‘Mmmaxwell,’ she murmured softly as he continued to cover her with soft kisses until she could hardly breathe at all. Somewhere deep inside her head a voice told her something wonderful was about to happen to her, muscles deep in her stomach tightened while her heart pounded uncontrollably. Quinn held tightly onto him, one hand around his back the other against his head, her fingers entwined in his hair.

She gave a soft gasp when his teeth grazed against her sensitive skin, he repeated the wonderful torture when he heard the sound, tightened his hold around her body supporting her almost as though he knew she was about to loose her ability to stand.

Suddenly she was pushing him away, ‘I want you to stop,’ she gasped pulling her dressing gown back across her body. She looked up into his face waiting for him to berate her for letting him go so far then stopping him again.