Quinn flopped onto his couch and covered his face with his hand. “Brother, I don’t even know where to start.”
Two hours later, Quinn walked Juliana to her front door. “I hope my family didn’t wear you out too much. I had no idea they’d stay so long.”
“No, I loved them.” She grinned, and she seemed to be genuine in her affection for Kellan, Clara, and Declan.
It was true that they were pretty fun people to be around, and if his date with Juliana ever went anywhere, her liking his family was a really good thing.
“When would you like me to pick you up for a date?” he asked.
“Why not right now?” she asked. “You could show me around town. As you know, walking in Texas isn’t the most practical thing. I haven’t bought a car yet, and I’ve only seen the hardware store and the Bluebonnet cafe.”
Quinn didn’t really care what they did. His cock was hard, which was going to make driving around interesting, but at least they’d be together. Inside his SUV, her scent filled his nose, and his cock throbbed. He pulled himself together and showed her around.
He took her by the movie theater, the library, the grocery store, the courthouse, and the lake. They couldn’t see much because it was dark, but they stopped at the edge of the lake, anyway. He went around to the other side of the car and helped her out, keeping his arm on the small of her back.
Once they were out under the bright stars, he framed her face with his hands and leaned down to kiss her. She didn’t hesitate. She leaned in closer, fitting her small body close to his. He deepened the kiss, licking over her sweet mouth and tasting the peppermint gum she’d chewed.
“Want to go back to my place now?” he asked.
She surged forward, leaning up on her toes. He put one hand behind her head, circling his fingers into her silky hair. He wrapped one hand around her waist, careful not to jostle her arm too much. She opened her mouth to him more, and he took advantage, kissing every inch of her mouth.
He pulled back, letting her catch her breath. “We better stop now. The sheriff would never let me hear the end of it if we got caught making out here.”
“Would he make fun of you forever?” she asked.
“Absolutely. He’d never let me live it down.” Quinn had explained his unusual family relationship to her a few days ago, and she seemed to get how much Kellan, Liam, and Brennan meant to him.
After kissing her once more, Quinn took her hand and led her back to the car. The drive home couldn’t go fast enough, and finally, they were back in his house.
“You want this?” he asked, making sure.
She nodded. “I do.”
He locked the door behind them and kissed her again. She melted into him, and he lifted her up and laid her on the couch, crawling on top of her, careful to keep his weight off of her. He kissed her jaw, her neck, and her collarbone while she rolled her hips, arching up into him.
“Juliana,” he breathed. “You feel so good. I want you so much.”
He lowered his hips, slotting them against hers, letting her feel his rock hard cock. She bent one knee, and her bare leg brushed over his. Quinn could have come right then as if he were twenty years old instead of thirty.
“You feel good, too,” she moaned, rocking her hips.
He was ready to explode. He trailed one hand down her arm to her leg, then pushed his hand under her dress. He skimmed his hand up over her bare thigh. He nuzzled her neck and kissed her ear. “What do you want? What feels good?”
“I’m not sure,” she breathed. “What do you want?”
“I’d love to put my cock in you,” he said. “But if it’s too soon, then I’ll happily taste you.” He ran his fingers over the front of her panties.
Instead of telling him her preference, she stiffened. Her good arm came up to grasp his bicep. “Can we sit up for a minute?”
“Of course,” he said. He helped her up, straightening her dress out. God. Had he fucked up already? Had he been too crude?
Once they were both sitting up, she bit down on her lip but didn’t say anything. He held his hand out, palm up, and she placed her hand in his.
“Hey,” he said. “We don’t have to do anything else. You don’t have to explain.”
She shook her head. “No. I do. I…” She chewed on her fingernail for a second, then put her hand back in her lap. “I haven’t…” She paused and then started again. “I haven’t dated much.”
“Okay,” he said.
She turned to face him. “I haven’t dated at all, not really. I haven’t ever slept with a man.” She looked down and then back up again, making eye contact when she said, “I’m a virgin.”
Oh. Damn. She was a virgin?
Internally, his dragon roared. Mine. She’s mine.
Quinn might be nervous about treating a virgin right, but his dragon sure as hell liked that no other man had ever touched her.
He gave her hand a little squeeze. “I’m glad you told me. I won’t push you.”
“You didn’t push me. You asked me if it was okay. It was. But I don’t think I’m ready to date yet.” She bit her lip. “I know I don’t talk much about my life before I moved here, but…”
She trailed off without saying anything, but he guessed it wasn’t a pretty story. He vowed that if someone hurt her, he would make them pay. Just like his brother Kellan had done. Kellan’s wife’s ex-boyfriend had hit her and been rough with her, and Kellan paid him a little visit to ensure it never happened again.
A trip north to visit whoever had made Juliana’s life difficult will be on my list once I have more details.
“I understand.”
“I think it would be best if we stayed friends only for now.” Her mouth turned down. “I’m sorry I led you on.”
Fucking hell. He brought his other hand down on top of their clasped hands. “Hey. You don’t owe me anything. We can be friends.”
The words tasted like ash in his mouth. Not because he was the kind of guy who couldn’t handle being told no, but because he’d really had a tiny fraction of hope that she was his mate. If she didn’t want him and considered him only a friend, then she would never be his mate.
He was going to have to learn to accept that, and so was his dragon.
7
Juliana
Juliana felt terrible. She did want Quinn, and she wanted to give him her virginity, but she wasn’t ready yet. All of this had happened so quickly. She’d left her home and her family and moved far away from Boston, the city where she’d lived her entire life. Her family might be shitty, but part of her missed the predictability of the life she’d known for so long.
The truth was that Quinn’s graphic words about sex hadn’t scared her. They’d turned her on. The space between her legs throbbed with desire, and hearing the words in his deep voice had made her core ache even more.
If he could be patient, she knew she’d get there. Quinn was a smoking hot man, though, and there was no way it was fair to ask him to wait until she felt ready. What if it took her longer than a week or two? What if it took months? Or even years?
She might never be free of the baggage from her past.
In her mind, she still saw Mihal’s face, the face of her would-be husband had she not escaped. She had no doubt that Mihal wouldn’t have been as understanding if she’d wanted to wait. He would take her virginity, by force if necessary, and then brag to all of his putrid associates about fucking his young, virgin wife. She knew these kinds of men. She hadn’t been around them much, but she knew they delighted in making others suffer, especially those who were less powerful than they were.
Those thugs didn’t matter right now, though. She was with Quinn, and she could be his friend, and maybe later, they’d move on to something more. If he hadn’t gotten tired of waiting by then.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” she asked, holding her breath for his response. It was late, but she wasn’t ready to leave yet.
“Of course,” he said. “I’ll make som
e popcorn and drinks.”
Within minutes, they were on the couch together, watching an action movie. She spent more time focused on Quinn and how hot he was than on the movie. She couldn’t stop glancing at him from the corner of her eye.
He’d said he wanted to put his cock inside her body. What would that be like? She’d never thought it sounded appealing, but now that Quinn’s big, strong body was beside her, it sounded like heaven. She licked her lips and crossed her legs, trying to suppress the urge to jump on him.
It wouldn’t be fair to get him turned on again, not after she’d already turned him down once tonight. Finally, the credits rolled, and the movie was over. She was bone-tired but didn’t want to leave him yet. She forced herself to the front door, anyway.
“Thank you,” she said. “For being patient and understanding.” There was no need for her to say what she was talking about—she was sure it was at the top of his mind, too.
“Don’t mention it,” he said. “I’ll walk you home.”
The whole way back to her house, which wasn’t very far at all, she was hyper-aware of his body next to hers. On her front step, she longed for him to kiss her goodnight, even though she knew that wasn’t fair of her. She gave him a big hug and said goodnight.
Over the next several weeks, Juliana settled into her life in Cedar Lake.
Like a gentleman, Quinn never seemed to hold it against her that she called off their lovemaking. Instead, he still made every effort to include her in Cedar Lake life. He introduced her to his brothers, Liam and Brennan, and she spent more time with Kellan’s wife Clara, who was proving to be a great friend.
Clara helped Juliana slowly furnish her house. Now she had a bed, a sofa, and a few plates and cups. She was going to have to buy a car pretty soon, though, and that would take more money than she had. Her next step would have to be getting a job. She wasn’t sure she wanted to use her accounting degree. She’d probably have to commute closer to Dallas to find an opening, and they’d want a background check. She was afraid that would alert her family to where she was.
For now, she’d stick closer to home and try to find something that wouldn’t require her to have a background check. The Bluebonnet Cafe had been posting help-wanted signs, but that wasn’t an option until her arm was fully healed. She’d opted not to go to a specialist because her arm didn’t hurt, and according to Quinn, she only had another week in the cast.
Quinn had also spoiled her. Not only had he introduced her to his friends and his co-workers, but he had also cooked for her or taken her to dinner almost every night. To her, it felt like dating, even though they weren’t having sex.
On Friday, to repay the favor, she made dinner for him. She still didn’t have a table, but the previous owner had left a bistro table and chairs on the patio. She’d made beef enchiladas. She usually made them with spinach, but over the last few weeks, it had become clear that Quinn loved meat, especially beef.
He was a creature of habit, and his hours were fairly regular unless there was an emergency. If anyone in town had a serious emergency, he sent them to Dallas, sometimes even driving them himself and waiting with the patient until he or she was seen by a doctor.
At five that afternoon, she propped open her front door and waited for him to come home. “Quinn!” she yelled when he got out of his car. “I made dinner. Beef enchiladas.”
He turned from his front door and headed straight toward her. He must have left work early to hang out with his friends because he was wearing shorts and a t-shirt instead of his scrubs, and she could see far more of his body than usual. Her pulse quickened at the sight of his handsome face and muscled body. Why the fuck had she turned him down?
Right. She had plenty of good reasons to turn him down. But, damn, he was smoking hot. Inside her bra, her breasts ached and her nipples tightened. What would it be like for him to touch them? She shivered with desire, just thinking about it.
“That sounds amazing,” he said.
He walked up and wrapped her in a hug, enveloping her in his strong arms before the two of them went to the patio and enjoyed two hours of eating and talking. Half of the time, she was turned on just listening to him talk.
When it was time to say goodnight, he lingered in the doorway. He brushed his hand over her cheek. “Sleep well, Juliana,” he said, and then he was gone.
When Juliana woke up, it was still dark outside. She hadn’t slept as well since she’d broken her arm. Even when it didn’t hurt, the cast was uncomfortable and cumbersome, and tonight she’d had the added discomfort of going to bed aroused and aching for Quinn’s touch.
She tapped on her phone screen to check the time—two in the morning. She sighed and started to roll back over. Then she froze.
Illuminated by the dim light of her screen was a figure standing over her bed.
Her heart pounded. Her blood rushed through her head. They’d found her. In just a few weeks, they’d found her, all the way down here in the middle of nowhere.
“Ah, you’re awake,” he said. He tapped on her cast. “Although Mihal won’t be pleased that you’ve damaged his property.”
Her stomach rebelled, twisting and turning at the sound of him calling her Mihal’s property. “How did you get in here?” She’d parted with so much of her money to install security, and now this thug was in her house. In her bedroom.
“Did you really think a few low-tech measures would stop me?”
Her stomach knotted up even more. She recognized his voice. She didn’t know his name, but she’d seen him before at her father’s business. He’d worked as a supervisor in the warehouse. That was his official title. She had no idea what other kinds of tasks he’d have done for her crooked father.
She had no weapons except the knife in the kitchen. Why hadn’t she gotten a gun? Because she’d thought the cameras and the alarm system would protect her. How stupid she’d been.
“You might as well quit thinking about escaping. You’re coming with me,” he said with a growl.
She sat up. “I’m not going with you.”
He yanked on her good arm, pulling her to her feet. “You can’t stop me. Even without a broken arm, you wouldn’t stand a chance. You can fight me. It won’t matter.”
She had to get away. She would not let this asshole take her. She brought her knee up as hard as she could, right between his legs. He dodged most of the blow, but it was enough to make him step back.
“Okay, you fucking bitch. You had to make this hard.” He flung her over his shoulder. “Goddamn your father for telling me I can’t cause any extra damage.”
It was a small consolation that her father didn’t want her beaten up, only kidnapped. She opened her mouth and bit down on this man’s neck as hard as she could. He swatted at her, stumbling forward, but he didn’t let go of her.
She screamed as loud as she could. All the rage she’d felt for the last few weeks poured out.
“I’m going to muzzle you if you don’t shut the fuck up.”
She grabbed his ears and tugged. “My father isn’t going to go easy on you when you come back without me. Enjoy your punishment,” she screamed.
He yanked her off of his shoulder and flung her to the floor. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her.
“One more scream, and you won’t like what happens next,” he said, spittle flying from his lips as the pure rage he felt toward her came through in his voice.
As the man flung her to the floor, Juliana wondered if she’d ever get to see Quinn again.
8
Quinn
Quinn was sound asleep when a high-pitched sound woke him. As a dragon shifter, his hearing was much better than a human’s. He rubbed his face. He wasn’t used to hearing screaming in Cedar Lake. It was a quiet little town, and there wasn’t much violence. His clock said it was just after two in the morning, so that made the screaming even more unusual. Usually, everyone went to bed around ten.
It happened again. The scream was louder the second ti
me. He stopped moving. The voice sounded like a woman’s, and it was coming from next door.
Fuck.
Juliana.
He pulled on a pair of shorts and ran. He could see in the dark, even with his human eyes. His dragon roared, wanting to be unleashed to protect Juliana.
Mate.
No. She wasn’t his mate, but he’d do anything to keep her safe.
He was at her house in seconds. He didn’t bother hiding his strength. He ripped the door handle right off as he charged into her house.
He smelled the man before he saw him. He was big and burly, but not as big as Quinn. He was human, and thus no match for a dragon shifter. In a split second, he took in the scene before him—Juliana on the floor with this monster hovering over her.
Quinn didn’t stop to ask who he was or what was happening. He could smell Juliana’s fear. Quinn grabbed the man by the throat and lifted him into the air. Juliana scrambled backward, getting to her feet.
She grabbed onto Quinn’s arm, pleading, “Let him go. Don’t mess with him.”
He wanted to reassure her that this human was no threat to him.
“Please,” she said.
He couldn’t resist her eyes when they made contact with his. Quinn didn’t immediately let go of the man. He lowered him until his feet were on the ground, and then he dragged him forward by the neck, taking him to the back door, where the rest of the town wouldn’t see Dr. Walsh throwing some guy around during the middle of the night.
He pulled the man right in front of him. “If you ever come near her again, it will be the last thing you do.”
The man’s arms came up to grip up at his throat. “Fuck you.”
Quinn put his free hand on the man’s shoulder and pressed his fingers into the bone. “Do you want to reconsider?” He kept pressing, knowing the bone would crack soon.
Doctor Dragon's Fake Bride (Irish Dragon Shifter Brothers Book 2) Page 4
