Under the Gun (CEP Book 3) (18 page)

“Hang on, it might be a client,” she said, looking up at him through her lashes and biting her lip. She so wanted to jump his bones right there, but duty called. Yay.

Going to the phone, she pushed the button for the voicemail putting it on speaker.

“Hey, Quinn, it’s Daphne. I tried your cell but kept getting sent straight to voicemail, which is what this is too, I guess, but whatever.” As she listened, Quinn got her cell from her purse to see it had died. Damn it. She plugged it into the charger as Daphne continued. “For some reason I thought you’d hear this message before the other. Don’t ask my rationale behind it. One of those quirky things. Anyway, Todd’s still healing and I think I’m gonna take this week off too. I’ve called Justine who’s shifting my patients to Gary Unruh. He owes me for taking his last year so I’m cashing in now. Okay, give me a call if you need anything! I’m off to take care of my poor husband. You know what babies men are.” She chuckled. “Oh! And I hope you’re getting things cleared up with the Edwards boy. I’m here if you need me! Bye!”

The voicemail let her know another message was coming, but upon hearing what was said, her face went white.

“You’re gonna die, Dr. McDonnell,” an obvious adult speaking in a little boy’s voice announced before hanging up.

“The fuck?” Gunner growled, his face turning to stone as he stepped to the phone just as the message stopped. He pushed the button and played it again, frowning the entire time. Then looking down at her, he asked, “Your patients have access to your home phone?”

“I-I use call forwarding in case there’s an emergency,” she explained, shaken to the core as she stood there feeling helpless.

“Come here,” he said, clearly angry which made her hesitate. Seeing her reluctance, he softened his face then pulled her into his arms. “I’m gonna find out who the fuck’s doing this. I promise.”

God. She couldn’t even cry. She was so tired. Tired of it all. “Why’re they doing this to me?” she whispered.

She felt his chin on her head. “I don’t know, baby. Someone with a sick mind is the only thing I can come up with.”

After a moment, she pulled away looking up at him, deciding she’d had enough of whomever was trying to scare her and she wasn’t going to let him make her live her life in fear anymore. She needed Gunner to take her mind off everything, but really she just…needed him. So arching a brow in challenge, she said, “I’m ready to pay now.”

At hearing this, Gunner jerked his head back, taking all of her in, checking to make sure she was okay, she supposed. And when he seemed satisfied, he bent to give her a searing kiss that made her melt in his arms. Then picking her up, he took her to bed where he made her pay all right.

And then he made love to her.

Chapter 16

“Just fucking do it,” Gunner said low into the phone.

“Damn. Would a fucking ‘please’ hurt?”

“
Please
,” Gunner corrected sarcastically.

“That’s all you had to say,” Boone declared. Then he not so diplomatically added, “Fucker.”

Shirtless, barefooted and wearing jeans, Gunner sat at the bar in the kitchen waiting to hear what Boone could find. He’d left Quinn in bed sound asleep not wanting to disturb her because God knew she had enough shit going on.

A few moments later, Boone came back on the line. “Prepaid. Can’t trace it.”

“Fuck. Of course. Why can’t these assholes be stupid?”

“They eventually get stupid. Then we catch ‘em,” Boone replied.

“I fucking hope so. Thanks, man. I owe you.”

“I’m keeping a tally.”

“Am I up ten to two now?” Gunner asked with a chuckle.

“I’m up four to one, dude. I’m thinking your girl has some hot friends, so I’ll start with you hooking me up with one of them then loaning me your Camaro to take her—”

Gunner hung up smiling at what Boone had said because he liked it; he liked it a fuckova lot.

Your girl.

The next morning Quinn came into the kitchen, hair in a chignon and wearing a black business pant suit, looking stunning. Jacket buttoned in front, pants crisply tailored and those fucking stilettos she wore, black with a strap across the middle. Named after some chick or something, Gunner thought, but really all he could think was how he wanted her legs wrapped around his waist and those heels digging into his back.

“Hey,” she uttered sleepily, walking to the fridge to get her usual caffeinated water.

So fucking cute.

As he watched her, he knew something had shifted between them last night. What’d started off as his playing with her in bed, bringing her to the edge but not taking her over a few times had ultimately turned into full-on lovemaking by the end.

And he did…he loved her.

He let that feeling soak into his bones as he took her in, eyes only on her, watching her shapely lips on the bottle as she drank. Her delicate throat moving as she swallowed.

“Fuck,” he mumbled.

Quinn lowered her drink, the concern discernible in her features. “What’s wrong?”

He ran a hand through his hair, still wet from his shower. “We need to go.” She turned a frown toward him, probably wondering what the hurry was. “Baby, you wanna get to work on time, we need to go now.” She kept the puzzled look as he went to her, coming in from behind and locking his arms around her waist. Then whispering in her ear, he explained, “Otherwise, I’m gonna take you back to bed and fuck you…hard.” He dropped a hand down to cup her between the legs making her moan. “You get me?”

Her head fell back against his shoulder. “Honey, I get you…and just so you know, I’m tempted to call in sick today to make that happen.”

He chuckled low before pulling away. “Let’s go. Now.”

“Well, all right then,” she murmured. Taking the bottle with her, at the door as she pulled on her coat he heard her whisper, “Aruba.”

“Sounds good,” he answered, opening the door for them to leave.

On his knees behind her, Gunner watched as Quinn wound her arm up and behind, her hand moving to the back of his neck. She faced forward up on her knees in front of him, her back to him as he thrusted up inside her hard.

“Oh, my God,” she whispered as he moved a hand down between her legs, his thumb making lazy circles on her clit causing her to bow her back as she came down hard on his cock.

“That’s it, baby, ride me,” he said, moving his hands behind him on the bed and leaning back to watch.

Fuck but he loved her moving on him, her ass bouncing on his cock, her moans making him even harder than he thought possible. He was enjoying the show when suddenly she reached a hand behind and down caressing his balls which was a huge turn on. Pushing off his hands, he came up, and grabbing her by the waist, pulled her up and off him, twisting her to her back on the bed where he grabbed behind both her knees and entered her powerfully making her cry out.

“Oh, God! Gunner!” she screamed as she came hard, her core pulsing around his cock as he drove in hard.

“Fuck!” he growled, reaching his peak and burying himself to the hilt as he released inside her. He pumped his hips a few more times before coming down on top of her, breathing hard.

Christ. He’d thought he’d had amazing sex before but Quinn…fucking hell, the woman just did it for him. Knew how to get him off harder than anyone he’d ever been with.

And he knew it really wasn’t anything she did.

It was just…her.

“Fucking love you, baby,” he said, his voice full of emotion and gravelly as hell.

“I love you too,” she answered between breaths.

As they lay there he suddenly felt her shaking under him. Pulling back, he looked down to see her giggling.

“Not usually what a man wants to happen after he’s fucked his woman,” he said, eyes narrowed.

This made her laugh even harder and he had to smile at how beautiful she looked, all blissed out from her climax and sexy as hell.

“Honey. First of all, best Monday ever.”

He had to agree. It was a pretty fucking good way to end a Monday.

“Second, I was just thinking that you’re stuck with me. You try to leave, it’s not happening,” she explained, laughing.

“I’m not going anywhere, baby. Far as I’m concerned, you’re it.”

He touched his lips to hers then had to chuckle at the words that’d just come out of his mouth. Jesus. His brothers would’ve had a field day if they could’ve heard him right then.

But the thing was, he didn’t give a damn if they did.

There were no phone calls or other incidents the rest of the week, but Gunner warned Quinn not to get complacent because, again, that was when things always seemed to happen.

He’d had eyes on Vance and the Edwards kid but nothing had panned out, obviously, which was good, he guessed. Maybe whichever one it was had thrown in the towel, or so he hoped.

On Thursday, as he sat at the main desk at her office, a call from CEP came in.

“Gun, Brock needs backup,” his dad said when he answered.

“What’s up?”

Hank explained, “Wife kicked her cheating husband out a couple nights ago. She changed the locks, but every day she gets home, something else is missing from the house. Need you to surveille in case it’s more than the husband.”

“Okay. What time?”

“Around six.”

“I’m on it. I’ll call Brock ask if he wants me to meet him there or at the office,” Gunner said.

“No, let me give you the address. Just meet him there to save time.” Gunner grabbed paper and pen and wrote it down. “How’s everything on that end?”

“Good, I guess. Nothing all week. I’m hoping they got their kicks and are done with it.”

“Yeah, kid, just be careful,” Hank replied.

“Always. Who’s off tonight? I need them to come stay with Quinn then take her home.”

“Boone. I’ll give him a call and have him head over. Office, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. Oh, your mom wants you two over tomorrow night for dinner. Chase and Julia will be there too. I know it’s short notice, but it popped in her head this morning and you know how she is once she gets something in mind. That work? Don’t wanna disappoint your mother.”

Gunner laughed. “No, don’t wanna do that. Yeah, we’ll be there.”

“Good. Boone’ll be on his way in a few.”

“Okay. Thanks, Dad. See ya.”

When Quinn’s last client left right at six, Gunner stood at her office door watching as she entered notes into her computer. Looking at her, taking in all that was Quinn McDonnell, he had to shake his head. So fucking gorgeous. And so fucking brave. He couldn’t help but be proud of how she’d handled everything so far.

“Hey, baby? Gotta go help Brock on a stakeout. But Boone’s on his way. He’ll call when he gets in the lobby so you’ll be ready to let him in when he comes up. You don’t leave until he gets here, got it?”

Looking up at him, she frowned. “You know, you don’t have to be so bossy all the time, Gunner. I’m a grown woman. You don’t have to order me around,” she replied testily before going back to her notes.

He grinned. “Guessing your last session was shit?”

“Don’t wanna talk about it.” She continued typing.

“Mom and Dad’s tomorrow. Dinner. Chase and Julia will be there.”