Dare to Resist

by Carly Phillips

  Quinn’s eyebrows lifted high. She wasn’t used to how blatant the come-ons could be. If she was going to do her job, she’d get accustomed to seeing it.

  “Excuse me but I’d like to order, too?” Quinn deliberately called the woman’s attention away from Austin, and he had to wonder if she was doing him a favor or if there was a touch of jealousy involved.

  The waitress straightened and barely glanced at Quinn, clearly annoyed by the interruption.

  “Quinn, what do you want to drink?” Austin asked.

  “A club soda with a splash of cranberry juice. Thanks.” She treated him to a genuine smile.

  “And you, gentlemen? What would you like?” the waitress asked in a syrupy sweet voice.

  They both ordered Pellegrino. Austin was keeping his body clean for the organ donation and Damon was in training.

  They made small talk for a little while, Quinn holding her own on discussions of the game, plays, and positions.

  After they ordered their meals, Quinn placed her napkin on the table. “If you’ll both excuse me, I’ll be back in a few minutes.” She rose and headed for the ladies’ room, and as he expected, Damon watched her go.

  He waited until she was far enough away before letting out a low whistle. “Damn, bro. You should have fucked her, not hired her.”

  Austin narrowed his gaze. “Watch how you talk about her, asshole.”

  “Whoa.” Damon raised his hands in a gesture of peace. “Hey, I didn’t mean anything by it. Since when are you so damn sensitive about any woman?”

  Austin forced himself to relax. Damon was right. Unless someone insulted the females in his family, he was usually calmer than this. Something about Quinn fired up his protective instincts, not that she needed him to look out for her. She could clearly hold her own. But he didn’t like the sound of his brother demeaning her in any way.

  “So she’s different.” Placing his hands behind his head and stretching, Damon met his gaze.

  “Yeah. But she’s off-limits.” Austin pinned his brother with a steady stare, making sure the kid knew he meant back off.

  “Message received.” Damon looked past Austin and gave a short incline of his head, letting him know Quinn had returned.

  She rejoined them at the table and they had an enjoyable lunch. One where he was damned glad the tablecloth blocked the view of his dick, because everything about her did it for him. Her laugh, her stories, her expressive words, and the full pink mouth. He didn’t care what color lipstick she wore, he wanted to taste her. To feel her lips around his cock.

  This hiring was going to be the test of a lifetime.

  * * *

  Quinn had been on the job for three weeks, and Austin had been out for the last seven days following surgery. She drove up to the house where he lived. It was more like a mansion, located in an exclusive neighborhood in South Beach. She asked herself what she was doing here and the answer was simple. She wanted to reassure him she had things under control.

  In the time she’d spent by Austin’s side, becoming familiar with clients and learning the office, she’d discovered she liked the man she worked for. He was demanding, which she could handle, didn’t put up with shit from his young clients who thought they were God’s gift to whatever sport they excelled in, and was a whiz at negotiating and putting someone in their place. She admired him and could learn a lot from watching him.

  That was the professional Quinn.

  Quinn the woman still had a huge crush on her employer and admired the fact that he was donating an organ to a family member. But she would never act on her feelings, and the job, as she’d hoped, was perfect for her.

  Austin treated her with the utmost respect, and never in the time they’d been together had he crossed any boundaries or treated her like a woman he desired. She had, however, caught him looking at her with a slow simmer in his eyes more than once and convinced herself she was imagining things. It was for the best that they remain professional.

  Needing something to hold when she walked in to face him, she’d stopped on the way and found the perfect item along with a package of Tim Tams her friend had brought home from Australia.

  She headed up the long driveway filled with cars and across the walkway. The door was partially open, so she pushed the doorbell and walked inside.

  Bri greeted her immediately with a warm hug. “It’s so nice of you to stop by.” She glanced at the bag in Quinn’s hand. “Aww, you didn’t have to bring the patient a gift,” she said with a grin. “Come meet everyone.”

  Quinn followed Bri through a marble entryway into a hallway filled with people. The men all had a distinct family resemblance, not to mention the same requisite amount of testosterone. Wow, those Prescotts were hot, she mused as Bri pulled her past the guys who’d, for whatever reason, ended up in the hallway and into a big family room, where Damon sat in an oversized reclining chair drinking from a can of soda and watching television while Austin lay on the sofa.

  “Your highness, you have a visitor,” Bri said, causing Quinn to chuckle. Bri turned her gaze to Damon. “You. Out. Let them catch up so Austin stops asking what’s going on at the office. I’ll go feed the rest of the crew,” she said.

  Damon smirked at Austin, then headed out. Bri’s voice rose as she shepherded the family into the kitchen and the din of voices grew lower.

  Austin gestured for her to come farther into the room. He looked good in a pair of gray sweats and a navy tee shirt as he leaned back against a suede oversized sofa that was located in front of the massive large screen. The beard on his face suited him, and those gorgeous indigo eyes stared at her, a slow grin forming on his sensual mouth.

  “To what do I owe the pleasure?” he asked.

  “I wanted to see for myself how you’re doing. And here. I brought you something.”

  She handed him the bag, watching and suddenly embarrassed as he pulled out a stuffed horse, the Thunder mascot, wearing a jersey. “I love it,” he said on a low, sexy laugh.

  “I didn’t want to come empty-handed.”

  “What’s this?” He held the Tim Tams in his hand.

  “You’ve never had Tim Tams? They’re only the best Australian cookie ever. Chocolate biscuits surrounded by a chocolate cream filling.” She moaned at the thought of the cookie she’d had this morning, remembering the taste that had exploded on her tongue.

  His eyes dilated at her unintentional sexual sound. Shit. She cleared her throat. “You should try one.”

  An amused smile lifted his lips. “I will. And thank you, Quinn,” he said in his rumbling voice. “Have a seat. I can’t stand or I’d be a gentleman and do the right thing my parents taught me.”

  Grinning, she sat with a good amount of space between them.

  “I’ve never seen you in jeans,” he said.

  She blinked in surprise. “No, I guess you haven’t. But I wasn’t going to come here dressed for the office.”

  His gaze drank her in. “Well, I like the casual look on you.”

  “I … thank you.”

  He blinked and shook his head. “Sorry. That was inappropriate. So how have things been at the office? I’ve tried to check in, but my family has been alternating as babysitters, making sure I don’t do much as per doctor’s orders. Another five weeks of doing nothing and I may lose my mind.”

  She smiled, knowing how much he thrived on work. “Everything is fine. Quiet. You can relax and heal.”

  “Can we go over some of the new endorsements that have come in? I know Bri’s helping you as is Rex King.” He referred to the main agent who was directing her in Austin’s absence. “But I hate being out of the loop. So show me those papers I know you slipped into your bag.”

  He winked at her and damned if her panties didn’t grow damp. Damn, the man was potent.

  She shot him a mock glare and pulled out a bunch of offers from her purse. Drawing a deep breath, she slid closer until her thigh touched his and his body heat radiated through the soft denim. She swallowed h
ard, doing her best to ignore his warm masculine scent that smelled so good.

  He perused the documents, going over each by athlete, giving her his opinion, and placing the finished ones on his other side. She took notes, offering her own two cents deal by deal, but she saw him fading fast. Bri had told her he’d been warned about the exhaustion part of the recovery, hence his inability to return to work for a total of six full weeks and no heavy lifting at all.

  She pulled the papers out of his hand. “You need to rest.”

  He frowned. “Dammit. The doctors said the fatigue could last a good three months while my body gets used to filtering through one kidney.”

  “Well, behave yourself. Do what the doctors say and you’ll be back in no time.” She glanced across his lap and reached for the papers he’d put aside.

  Her arm brushed the bulge in his pants and she sucked in a breath. He stiffened and grabbed her wrist with one hand. Seconds passed with just the sound of their harsh inhales and exhales echoing between them.

  “Quinn,” he said in a gruff voice.

  She turned her head. Big mistake. Her gaze met his and his lips were way too close.

  “You should move away,” he said, not making an effort to shift his own head at all.

  “I know,” she whispered. But she was frozen in place, the desire to kiss him, to feel the beard that now covered his face against her skin overwhelming.

  His grip on her wrist tightened. And still she didn’t turn away. So he closed the distance between them and sealed his lips over hers. Her lashes fluttered closed and she met him halfway, accepting the kiss. His mouth slid over hers, causing her body to come alive. Flutters took up residence in her stomach, and yearning slid like honey through her veins. He might be lacking stamina but his kiss was strong enough to consume her whole.

  He parted his mouth, his facial hair tickling her lips as his tongue speared inside and tangled with hers. She groaned and his free hand came up to her neck, gripping her tight and holding her in place as he continued the delicious onslaught.

  If not for the recent surgery, nothing would stop her from climbing into his lap, settling herself over the hard erection that was still pressing into her arm, and grinding against him while he continued the deep, drugging kiss. His lips played with hers, their tongues tangled and teeth clashed, and she knew he wanted more, just as she did.

  “Jesus Christ, Austin. You just had major surgery. Can’t this wait?” a male voice asked.

  Though Austin released his grip on her neck, he didn’t seem nearly as disturbed as she was, and she jumped back, mortified.

  “Calm your shit, Dr. Prescott. I haven’t moved an inch. No violating doctor’s orders,” Austin said in a desire-laden voice.

  She closed her eyes, wanting the floor to swallow her whole. She peeked over and saw Braden shaking his head at his brother.

  “I’m sorry.” She jumped up, kneeling for the papers that fell to the floor.

  “Quinn—”

  Austin said her name but she ignored him, gathering the documents.

  Braden stepped over and helped her. “Relax,” he said in her ear. “He’s perfectly fine. I’m just making sure he doesn’t pull his Steri-Strips.”

  She shook her head. “No. This shouldn’t have happened. I work for him.” She stood and shoved the documents into her purse.

  “Braden, give us a minute,” Austin said.

  His brother left the room and she forced herself to meet Austin’s concerned gaze.

  “I shouldn’t have kissed you. If I made you uncomfortable, I’m sorry,” he said.

  “You didn’t. Make me uncomfortable, I mean. I wanted you to kiss me. It just can’t happen again. I need this job.” She had student loans for what her scholarship didn’t cover. Hell, given the way she was raised, taking care of every baby in her family, siblings and cousins, she needed this job to validate who she was as a person. “I love this job. And I’m not going to risk it by getting involved with my boss.”

  Especially not with a playboy who could pick up any woman he wanted at any random meal of the day. And she’d certainly seen females be less than circumspect, slipping him their number, rubbing against him, and being outright rude to Quinn, pushing her aside when they were out for business.

  “I value you, Quinn. I don’t want to lose you either.”

  She managed a nod.

  “So we’re good?” he asked.

  “We’re fine.” Even if her body was still quivering inside from the best kiss she’d ever had.

  * * *

  Quinn left like the flames of hell were licking at her heels, and Austin didn’t blame her. What the fuck was he doing, acting on his deepest desire and kissing the best assistant he’d ever had? Even in the short time she’d been working for him, he knew she could handle him. His demands. His clients. Their tantrums. He couldn’t afford to lose her.

  “Bro, damn, what were you thinking?” Braden sauntered into the room and slid into the chair Damon had occupied earlier.

  “I wasn’t,” he muttered.

  “Oh, you were, all right. Just with the wrong head.”

  Austin rolled his eyes. “Shut the fuck up,” he said without heat.

  He missed his brother when he was abroad, working for Doctors Without Borders, and Austin was glad he had Braden home for a brief time now.

  “Holy shit, are those Tim Tams?” Braden flew out of the chair and planted his ass next to Austin, grabbing the cookies from beside him and opening them without asking.

  “Hey! Those are mine.”

  “And you can share them unless you want me to run off with them, leaving you with none. It’s not like you can chase me.” Braden rolled a shoulder.

  Austin shook his head. Jesus Christ. Siblings.

  His brother pulled open the crinkly package and snagged a couple of biscuits, handing the rest back to Austin. “She must really like you if she gave you these.”

  “She works for me. What you saw was a slip. It won’t happen again.” It couldn’t happen again.

  His brother chuckled. “Keep telling yourself that. I saw how you two looked at each other.”

  “What are you, the expert on relationships now? I thought you were single.”

  Braden was the sibling closest in age to Austin, so they were tight. Always had been. “Let’s say there’s someone with possibility.” His eyes gleamed and Austin knew his brother was in deep.

  “I’m happy for you. As for me, I’m going to heal and get back to playing the field. After all, it’s what I do best.” He would put Quinn in the off-limits zone and keep her there.

  He had no other choice.

  Chapter One

  One Year Later

  Quinn sashayed out of Austin Prescott’s office, sweet curves encased in a tight black skirt with high fuck-me heels completing the outfit.

  “Stop staring at your assistant’s ass, or at the very least, don’t be obvious about it.”

  Austin cupped the back of his neck in his hand and let out a groan.

  “You’re right,” he said to Marcus Powers, an agent in his office and a close friend. “It’s not cool.” Quinn was the best executive assistant ever and Austin didn’t want to lose her.

  She’d proven herself to be extremely intelligent, could keep up with negotiations, handle the wise-ass players Austin represented, and on the times they went out for meals, make small talk with their fancy wives. Oh, and she tasted like the sweetest treat he’d ever had.

  He knew because they’d had one slip. A slip he couldn’t get out of his head, even a year later. The fireworks that had exploded between them were vivid even now. But they’d never discussed that moment again.

  Quinn was a different sort of woman than the groupies who used to chase him in his NFL days. Everything about her appealed to him, but he did his best to treat her with respect. When he wasn’t inadvertently staring at her ass, that is. It was dicey to have an affair with a co-worker, someone for whom he was directly in charge of her career. A
nd she didn’t strike him as a one-and-done kind of woman, and that was his MO. Not that he thought one time with Quinn would be enough.

  “Are you going to Allstars tonight?” Marcus asked of the exclusive sports and cigar bar in South Beach that catered to the elite athlete.

  It was a place players and industry people could frequent without groupies and hangers-on bothering them. Which wasn’t to say Austin couldn’t find a woman to hook up with there. Just that there was a higher class of female to choose from than a run-of-the-mill establishment.

  He ran a hand over his face. Maybe hanging out with friends and possibly going home with a woman was just what he needed to take the edge off this gnawing desire for Quinn. Since he’d put his rampant playboy days behind him, he was more discriminating and discreet, yet it had still been too long since he’d gotten laid.

  “Sure. I’ll be there.”

  “Awesome.” Marcus pulled out his phone to check his email.

  Just then, Austin’s desk phone buzzed and he picked up the receiver. “Yes?”

  “You’re needed in the conference room. You and Marcus both,” Quinn said in her normal voice. But he even found her husky tone arousing. “Can I let your sister know you’re coming?” she asked.

  “Tell her we’ll be right there.”

  Although she wasn’t a full partner, Bri had a definite say in how things ran around here. If something went wrong, she sorted out the issue.

  “We’re wanted in the conference room. Apparently Bri’s called a meeting.” Austin pushed up from his chair.

  “Any idea what she wants?” Marcus asked.

  He shook his head. “Not a clue but we might as well go find out.”

  He headed for the conference room, Marcus right behind him, stepped inside, and heard, “Surprise!”

  Blinking into the bright room, he realized the entire staff was present, along with his family. In the corners, gold and white balloons decorated the room, and a large cake sat on the rectangular gleaming wood table.

  “What is all this?” he asked, confused. It wasn’t his birthday.