Not My Shifter/ Sinfully Cursed (Shifter Paradise) (Volume 1)

by Kate Allenton

Barbara pulled a piece of paper out of her purse and handed it to Quinn. Parker leaned over Quinn’s shoulder. Nosy, most definitely, but really, what did she care? It was a child’s drawing. A crude drawing of a man and a child who looked to be playing catch.

  “Aw…how cute.” Parker’s smile grew bigger.

  “Richie drew that for you. He’s already fielding the ball better thanks to your help. He wanted me to remind you that you’re invited to his games. He’s already bragged to his friends that his uncle is coming to watch him play.”

  Quinn nodded; the tapping of his foot underneath the table stilled against Parker’s leg. She was keenly aware of everywhere their bodies touched. “Not sure about this weekend, but maybe my case will be solved by the next one.”

  Barbara left them sitting together on the same side of the booth. They looked like a couple finishing a date and ending the night with coffee. Parker glanced out of the window. Night had fallen, and the stars were hidden behind clouds. It had been less than twenty-four hours since she’d met Quinn Montgomery, and to be honest she didn’t know a damned thing about him. He’d insulted her, yet apologized. He seemed smart, yet naive to the creatures around him. He was strong and unyielding, yet enjoyed playing the role of mentoring uncle. The last two minutes contradicted everything she thought she’d figured out. What did that say about her detective skills and power of observation? Was she losing her touch?

  Quinn moved to the other side of the booth just as Cass brought over the drinks. “You two might not be happy with my drink choices, but trust me, they’re what you need.”

  Parker took her cup and sniffed the brew. “What is it?”

  Cassidy grinned. “It’s a sweet caramel cappuccino with a special ingredient guaranteed to bring out your compassionate side we all know and love.”

  Bingo, direct hit. Cass had gotten it right yet again. Parker had been so concerned about her life and how this all affected her that she hadn’t really thought about what Quinn might be going through.

  Parker nodded to the other cup as Cassidy set it down in front of Quinn. “And his?”

  “Hot tea with a special kick for embracing new beginnings. Even if you don’t understand, your soul thanks you.”

  Cassidy spun on her heel and left them to deal with the drinks and the folder. Parker sipped her coffee and cleared her throat. “We’ve got ten minutes before she closes up shop.”

  Quinn crossed his arms and rested them on top of the file. He picked up his tea and drank it like it was sweet tea. He covered his mouth with his hand as he coughed and sputtered. “Her idea of new beginnings is kind of spicy.” He glanced down in the mug. “If I’m not mistaken, I think she added a dash of hot sauce.”

  Parker twirled her hair with her fingers while sipping her cappuccino. Today hadn’t gone as planned at all. Here it was almost eleven o’clock at night, and she had yet to catch her breath, much less change her clothes. “How about we take the file back to my house, and we’ll talk to the demon in the morning?”

  He nodded, drained his tea, and slid out of the booth. “Care if we hit my place? I could use a change of clothes if I’m staying with you surrounded by the protection spells.”

  Parker wasn’t about to hurry and drink her coffee, nor was she about to leave it. She had Cassidy pour the rest in a to-go cup and sipped it on her way out the door. “No problem, just lead the way.”

  Twenty minutes later, she’d pulled up to a two-story log home on the outskirts of town and killed the ignition. “Nice place.”

  Quinn and Parker slipped out of the vehicle and she watched him glance up at the house. “In all honesty, I never thought I’d be back. Then Mom got sick, and it was just easier to stay with her.” He stepped up onto the porch and shoved a key in the lock and opened the door. “I put in for a job transfer and took care of her, when she died, I decided to stay in town. I just haven’t decided what to do with all of her stuff, yet.”

  Well, that sucked eggs. Grieving, inherited property, and a new job, no wonder the man was discombobulated. “Where’s your dad?”

  Quinn closed the door behind Parker. “Don’t know. He split when Mom sprang the father card on him. She raised me by herself. Make yourself comfortable while I go grab my things.”

  Parker stepped down into a sunken living room. Her gaze traveled around the open space. It exuded a feeling of home. Pictures lined the wall; not many but a few to prove that Quinn had a nice childhood, regardless of his old man. The two stories held a nice airy feel. The modest furniture was decent quality. A folded blanket lay over the back of one of the couches. A few days’ worth of unopened mail sat on the coffee table. Parker moved over to one the pictures. A pretty brunette in her forties was smiling at a younger version of Quinn outfitted in a baseball uniform.

  Quinn appeared beside her. “That’s one of my favorites. We won the championship that day.”

  “Your mom was beautiful. It sucks to lose someone you love. I’m sorry for your loss.”

  Quinn cleared his throat. “She was good to me. I think I miss her advice and her laugh the most.” He lifted a duffel bag that was twice the size of the one where Rachel had stashed his service revolver. “I’m ready whenever you are.”

  “Sure, it’s getting late.” She glanced once more at the picture before she walked out and slid behind the wheel of the SUV. Neither one spoke until they’d made it back to Parker’s house. Quinn dropped his bag on the couch and settled at the dining room table with the file in front of him.

  Parker grabbed two waters and set one in front of him before sliding into the chair next to his. He flipped open the file, and she scanned the document. Her gaze landed on the address where the Peeping Tom complaint call had originated, and she almost dropped her water. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

  Chapter 5

  “What? What are you seeing that I’m not?” Quinn asked with deceptive calm as he leaned back in his chair.

  She leaned over and pointed to the address. “I know the address.”

  He lifted a brow.

  “The Blue Moon.”

  “Isn’t that a club?”

  She pulled out her lip-gloss and rubbed the familiar gloss on her lips. “Zander owns it.”

  They continued looking through the file, though it didn’t hold much else she hadn’t suspected. Sully had been stupid by given his name when he called in the tip. What a moron. What the heck was he up to? None of his actions made sense. What if Quinn had tried to arrest her and she’d been detained? He couldn’t have predicted that she and Quinn would follow him, even though that was what Sully had implied. The more she thought about it, the more her head pounded while trying to make sense of everything that had happened.

  She rubbed her temples before showing Quinn to her spare room. He tossed his bag on the bed and glanced around. The poor guy was out of his element. Almost like a lost child. Her gaze raked down his body and back up. Okay, not a child. A big, sexy, burly man but still lost. Their predicament could have been worse; they could have been at the safe house with less comforts of home. The chief’s rant about her case had almost soured her mood. Almost, but not really.

  “Get some sleep, Detective. We’ve got a busy day tomorrow.”

  Parker pulled the door closed behind her and left him alone in her house for the first time since he’d showed up. It was the alone times she worried about, the twilight hours when rational thoughts weren’t so rational. Nothing that a good night’s sleep wouldn’t cure. Nothing she could have said tonight would have helped him to realize that being a Fae descendant was a blessing, not a curse. She sighed as she closed the door to her room and changed before climbing into bed. A brand-new day filled with answers awaited in the morning. She hoped.

  ****

  Quinn rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Sometime in the middle of the night his mind had calmed down enough for him to eventually fall asleep. He glanced over to the window and through the small crack in the curtains. It wasn’t sunny, and it wasn’t dark, so he kn
ew it was early. He’d realized several things last night while lying in bed. The first, Parker was only trying to help him and he’d been a dumbass and called her a freak. The second, his father, the little prick, had given him more than the gift of life. And the third, he was running out of time to get the Fae abilities out of his body and back into the damn crystal that had started his trippy quest.

  Quinn pushed the covers aside and sat up. He rubbed his hands over his face and through his hair. He stood and grabbed his clothes and toiletries out of his bag and stepped into the bathroom. He needed a shower to wake him up. He rubbed his hand over the stubble on his chin. A shave wouldn’t hurt either. He emerged fifteen minutes later clean and dressed, feeling like a new man.

  He crept out of the room to find the rest of the house still cloaked in darkness. His little fairy apparently was still sleeping in the next room. He ran his hand around the wall in the kitchen, found the light switch, and flicked it on. If he was going to be staying here with her, he could at least try not to be such a jerk. He grinned as he searched the cabinets for the coffee stuff and started the machine. He worked his way around the kitchen, familiarizing himself with where she kept everything as he went about making her breakfast. Coffee, French toast, and sausage would have to do the trick. He loaded everything on a tray and carefully made his way back down the hall to the other door she’d pointed out as hers. He knocked once, no answer. He knocked twice. A moan answered, or was that a muffled scream? He pushed the door open and couldn’t move.

  Parker was lying naked on her bed, her feet firmly planted on the mattress. The sight of her naked body fired his pistons. The sight of her pleasuring herself was a bonus, heating him from the inside out.

  Her eyes were closed. Her back was arched while she worked slowly sliding her fingers in and out of her body. Good god, she was beautiful. The polite thing to do would have been to back out of the room and pretend he hadn’t seen anything, but he just couldn’t. She moaned again, and his jeans tightened in response.

  He licked his lips. “I brought you breakfast as a way of apologizing for being such an ass.”

  Her hands stilled, and she snapped her legs closed. “What the hell are you doing in here?”

  She snatched the sheet and pulled it up around her body. He stepped into the room and set the tray on the dresser.

  “Wanted to apologize by feeding you, but I think I’ve come up with a better plan.”

  She sat up on the bed and pulled the sheet up around her chest.

  He moved toward the bed but didn’t sit. He leaned over and placed a soft kiss on her cheek and moved it down her neck. “I’ve wanted to kiss you since the minute I laid eyes on you in the alley, and you’re just as soft as I thought you’d be.”

  “I don’t sleep with strangers.”

  “Good thing you already know me…but don’t worry…” His hand came around her waist, caressing her body through the sheet as he continued kissing her neck. “…this isn’t about my pleasure. It’s about yours.” He lifted his lips. “Let me give you pleasure.”

  A play of emotions crossed her face. She’d been embarrassed and then pissed, and now if he was reading her right, she was tempted and turned on.

  “You’re so beautiful.”

  She reached for him and pressed their lips together. The battle was on. A dual of tongues and body caresses heightened his desire and as need rushed through him. His self-control was slipping. She leaned into him, and he moved back, putting distance between them. “Parker…I need you to slow down…or you’re going to make me break my promise.”

  He kissed her once more before trailing his lips down her neck. He pushed her back on to the bed and moved to lie beside her. He caressed her back as she pressed her body into his. Good god, she was testing his resolve.

  He tugged at the sheet until it fell around her hips. He leaned over her and trailed kisses down her chest and licked around her breast before sucking the mound into his mouth.

  Parker moaned and arched her back. Her hand landed in his hair, and she held him to her chest. “Oh god yes.”

  His other hand came up to caress her other breast before he moved his mouth to show the other one the same affection. He flattened his hand against her body and trailed it down her stomach, stopping at her curls.

  “Parker,” he murmured against her flesh. “Do you want me to stop?”

  Her eyes slowly opened, and she held his gaze. “No.”

  He slid his fingers down through her curls, parting her wet folds.

  “Oh god, Parker, you’re dripping,” he said, his voice strained. His rock-hard cock throbbed as he continued to explore. If he didn’t concentrate, he’d be embarrassing himself all too soon.

  He made lazy circles around her pearl with his thumb while his other fingers ran the length of her slit. He slid one in with an easy glide.

  “I need more.” She moaned.

  He slid in two more and continued gliding them in and out of her hot body at a quicker pace. He moved on top of her, kissing his way down over her stomach and between her thighs. He ran his tongue against her clit and blew a heated breath against the clit. Parker contracted around his finger.

  He licked her from bottom to top before working his three fingers back into her. “You taste like heaven.”

  She moaned as he pressed his mouth hard against her core once more. His tongue circled her clit as he twisted his fingers, stroking the one spot that would send her over the edge. He pressed his tongue against the bud and used his teeth to nip at the tender flesh.

  Mere seconds later, the muscles in her channel contacted around his fingers, her body tightened, and she screamed his name as she came.

  He moved up the bed beside her without removing his fingers. He continued to stroke her until he felt her body start to relax. He kissed her neck and moved up to her mouth and pressed his lips against hers. “Please forgive me for being such an ass yesterday?”

  Her eyes slowly opened. “Do you always apologize that way?” She nonchalantly shrugged. “You know…for future reference.”

  Quinn grinned and nipped her bottom lip. “I had made you breakfast, although I’m sure it’s cold now.”

  Parker leaned up and rolled with him until he was on his back. “Time for your next lesson.”

  “And what is that?”

  “Fae are sexual creatures. It’s not uncommon for us to enjoy sex. It’s the release that strengthens us.” She held his gaze. “Thank you.”

  He wagged his brows. “Anytime.”

  “You fulfilled one of my fantasies while charging my batteries.”

  She leaned against his body and kissed his lips. “We barely know each other, but we might as well take advantage of being attached at the hip.”

  He lifted a brow. “Oh?”

  The smooth glide of her hand travelled over his chest and down his stomach, stopping just short of the button of his jeans. “You’re going to need this as much as I did. It’s in your blood. Let me return the favor.”

  She moved her hand over his erection and gave a gentle squeeze. “I can feel you want me just as much as I wanted you.”

  His hand moved on top of hers and stilled her actions. He leaned up and kissed her once more before crawling off the bed. “This wasn’t about me. It was about you.”

  He walked to the door and turned around once more. She’d pulled the sheet up around her hips. He clenched his fist, struggling against going back to her. Her pert soft breasts were tempting him, her nipples were pebbled, and the sight of her was begging him to finish what he’d started and just take her.

  “I’m going to get another quick shower, but then I’ll be ready to go to the Blue Moon. I think you were the one who said we’re going to have a busy day today.”

  Quinn adjusted himself as he stripped out of his clothes in the bathroom. He was hard as a rock. It wouldn’t take him but a few strokes before he found his own release. He turned on the shower and stepped in under the warm spray. He braced himself against t
he wall with his hand. He grabbed his cock with the other and closed his eyes. Images of Parker filled his mind. Her soft lips, her creamy body, and her wet slit. He stroked himself and moaned. His whole body was strung tight. He continued stroking, rubbing his finger over the head and wishing he was balls deep inside of her. He tightened his hold and quickened his pace, fucking his hand as if it were her delicious body pulling him in. His balls tightened and drew up toward his body. His head fell back.

  “Fuck yeah.”

  He grunted and yanked three more times before he too found the release he needed. He opened his eyes and gently stroked, trying to catch his breath. He rinsed away proof of his need. “I’ve got to get out of here.”

  He dried off and dressed with a new mission in mind. They needed to figure out what the hell was going on before it got any worse. He left the safety of the bedroom in search of Parker. He’d expected her to be a bit embarrassed and guarded. He found her in the kitchen, pouring two cups of coffee.

  “Everything come out okay?” She gestured to his crotch.

  His mouth fell open. “Uh yeah...”

  She handed him a mug of coffee. “Next time I’ll return the favor.”

  His grinned, not used to such an upfront woman. “Um…sure.” He lifted his thumb over his shoulder, gesturing back out toward the living room. “You aren’t…”

  She grinned. “Embarrassed?” she said, finishing his question. “No. You’ll find that I’m not like most women. I’m not a stage-five clinger. I don’t expect a relationship just because of great sex, and I’m not looking for a man to take care of me. I can take care of myself.”

  Quinn sipped his coffee. Parker surprised him at every turn. Every red-blooded man’s fantasy was standing in front of him. She was beautiful, smart, sexy, and wanted sex without a relationship. Exactly what world had he just stepped into? Maybe he could take his time finding a way out. He studied her as she went about cleaning up the kitchen. She’d taken a shower. Her hair was still a bit damp, her face was fresh, and she’d changed into jeans with a green top. He’d had a taste of the body beneath the clothes but he hadn’t been given enough time to explore.