Strong, Silent Type_A Wild Ride story

by Lorelei James

  Usually Jillian’s constant yakking was impossible to ignore, but today, Libby easily tuned her out. She had more important things to tune into. Like the steamy kiss that’d knocked her sideways last night.

  Man. She’d forgotten Quinn could kiss like that. She’d forgotten she could kiss like that. She’d definitely forgotten how arousing a simple kiss could be, as evidenced by the soaking wet condition of her panties when she’d stumbled back into the house on wobbly knees.

  And Libby couldn’t help but notice Quinn’s erection. Kissing her had the same effect on him—a good sign—since the man hadn’t touched her for three months prior to their separation.

  Six long months without physical intimacy. Half a year without her husband paying attention to her at all.

  To cope with his apathy, she’d tried a few changes around the house, dropped some weight, updated her hairstyle, makeup and wardrobe. A confidence-boosting bonus she’d hoped would increase her physical attraction to her mate. But when she’d marshaled the courage to ask Quinn how he liked the “new” her, he’d responded he’d liked the old her just fine.

  Quinn probably hadn’t meant his remark in an unflattering way, but it’d stung nevertheless. In response, she’d lashed back at him like she’d never done, said hurtful things and then kicked him out.

  And speak of the devil; the man was kicking up a cloud of dust as he zipped up the gravel driveway.

  “Can I offer you some advice—”

  She cut Jillian off mid-sentence. “Quinn is here.”

  “Libby, will you listen to me before you hang up?”

  No. But Jillian would blather on anyway. “What?”

  “Avoid talking about the baby issue. If you really want your relationship with Quinn to have a fair shot, it needs to only be about your relationship as man and wife.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Don’t bring up his refusal to take fertility tests or the years you’ve spent trying to get pregnant to the exclusion of everything else.”

  “That’s unfair, Jilly. You make it sound like that’s all I’ve cared about.”

  “It’s certainly been all you’ve talked about for the last several years,” Jilly gently chided. “I know I’m the only person you’ve trusted with your frustration about your inability to conceive, so my view might be skewed.”

  Libby opened her mouth to argue, but a teeny germ of guilt sprouted. Only in the last twelve months she hadn’t been obsessing about babies because she’d been obsessing about what’d gone wrong between her and her husband. She’d figured by letting the big issue drop, they’d be able to focus on the smaller ones.

  That hadn’t happened either.

  She let her disquiet build as she watched Quinn hurry into the horse trailer.

  “Libs? You there?”

  “Yeah. Sorry. I’m still here.” Pause. “Was I really that bad?”

  “It’ll be hard for you to hear, but yeah, you were. Sometimes I understand why Quinn didn’t protest too much about the separation. It’s been a rough couple years on both of you.”

  Her stomach lurched. If she’d been so blatantly single-minded why hadn’t Quinn said anything to her?

  Because his unwillingness to talk about anything was the reason you asked for the separation.

  But Quinn hadn’t always been like that.

  Maybe he’s grown tired of discussing the same old things and silence was his only defense.

  “I didn’t say that to hurt you, Libs.”

  “I don’t understand why you didn’t mention it before now.”

  “Because it wasn’t my place, honey. It was Quinn’s. And we both know he wouldn’t say shit if he had a mouthful.”

  Libby fought the urge to curl into a ball and weep. “Lord. How did everything get so screwed up?”

  “I don’t know. Good luck.” Jillian hung up.

  Quinn exited the horse trailer and Libby caught her first glimpse of his clothes. Gray sweatpants. A faded brown and gold University of Wyoming Go Pokes! T-shirt, tennis shoes and a “gimme” ball cap from the local Yamaha dealership.

  Whoa. Quinn never dressed casually, especially if he planned on being seen in public. Some kind of proper public cowboy attire had been hardwired into the man’s DNA. Did that mean he’d planned a private outing?

  He bounded up the steps like an eager pup and barged right in. “Heya, Libby. You look great. Ready?”

  A compliment right off the bat? The man really was trying. “Yeah. Just let me grab my purse.”

  Familiar warmth spread inside and outside her body from his hand caressing the small of her back as he followed her down the porch steps.

  “Where are we going?”

  Quinn smiled and opened the truck door. “You’ll find out soon enough.”

  Inside the pickup, he patted the bench seat. “Scoot over. I wanna relive those times when we were first dating and you practically sat on my lap.”

  Touched by his request, she slid next to him until they were matched thigh-to-thigh. “Is this a date?”

  “As much as a man can be on a date with his wife of nine years.”

  Libby turned. His face was mere inches away.

  “Bein’s you are my wife, I’m entitled to steal a kiss.” Quinn angled his head and gently brushed his lips over hers one time. Then he straightened up and started the truck.

  “That’s it?” burst out before she could stop it.

  “You were expectin’ something else?”

  “I was hoping for a kiss like the one from last night.”

  “Libby, darlin’, you can kiss me like that anytime you want. Any. Damn. Time. At all. And it don’t gotta stop at kissin’.”

  Just like that, Quinn had gotten his point across in his usual low-key manner. She bumped him with her shoulder. “Maybe I will.”

  “I’ll look forward to it.” He kept his hand on her thigh during the drive to Sundance.

  Quinn parked in front of the Sandstone Building. It housed three separate businesses, all run by women who’d married into the McKay family. Macie McKay ran Dewey’s Delish Dish, Skylar McKay owned Sky Blue, and her sister, India, owned the tattoo shop, India’s Ink, which were housed together in the same space, while AJ McKay operated Healing Touch Massage. It was too late to eat lunch so Libby couldn’t fathom why they were here. A panicked thought struck her. “Are we getting a tattoo?”

  He laughed. “You oughta see your look of horror.”

  She noticed he hadn’t answered her question. “Are we?”

  “No.” Quinn offered a wicked smile. “Unless you’ve got a hankerin’ to tattoo my initials on your sweet little ass?”

  “Quinn!”

  “What? It is a sweet little ass.”

  Married nine years and the man could still make her blush. “That’s not what I meant.”

  He stroked the back of his knuckles down her heated cheek. “That’s been part of the problem in recent years, ain’t it? Neither one of us is sayin’ what we really mean, or meanin’ what we say.”

  Libby closed her eyes and basked in his tender touch.

  “I wanna fix this between us, Libby.”

  Me too.

  Two solid raps startled them both. Quinn rolled down his window. “Hey, Cord, what’s up?”

  “Just makin’ sure you didn’t get cold feet.”

  “Nope.”

  Cord grinned. “Good. Took a bit of finagling, but we made room. See you two in there.”

  “In where?” Libby asked.

  “Healing Touch.” Quinn rolled up the window. “AJ is offerin’ a class on sensual massage.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yep.”

  “You signed us up for a class so I could learn to give you a…sexy massage?”

  “There you go jumpin’ to conclusions again. I signed up so I could learn to give you a sexy massage.”

  Talk about being completely pole-axed. “When did you do this?”

  “Yesterday. There was, ah, a last minute ca
ncellation so I lucked out and they squeezed us in.”

  Last minute cancellation. Right. She’d bet a hundred bucks he’d strong-armed his way into getting a spot in that class—an example of McKay nepotism at its finest. But she couldn’t help being impressed. “Why are you doing this?”

  Quinn stayed quiet so long she was afraid he wouldn’t answer. “In the last year or so you were pretty hell bent on us takin’ some ‘couples’ classes together. I’ll admit I was kinda a jerk about it, so I thought I’d make it up to you and learn a new skill to boot.” He focused his gaze out the windshield. “Plus, I like touchin’ you. Thought this’d be a good reminder for me. For both of us.”

  How had she forgotten the thoughtful side of this sweet, sweet man? Libby curled her fingers around Quinn’s jaw, turning his face toward her. She smashed her lips to his, kissing him crazily, kissing him like he’d asked her to. Thrown off balance, she eased back and whispered, “Thank you.”

  Inside the massage studio, chairs were lined up in front of a projection screen. All the seats but two were occupied.

  Good Lord. They knew everyone in the room.

  The owner of the hardware store and his wife held court in the front row. Dixie, proprietor of the Golden Boot, and her hubby of fifty years, sat next to Darnell Broken Nose, a board member of the Crow Agency and his wife, Leela. Libby expected Quinn to pull his ball cap down over his eyes out of embarrassment, but he nodded to the men and directed her to the two empty chairs.

  Gorgeous, blonde and enormously pregnant AJ McKay stepped front and center. “Good to see everyone this afternoon. First we’ll watch a twenty-minute film on basics of massage and then we’ll get to the hands-on portion of the class.” She smiled. “If anyone has questions at any point, don’t hesitate to ask. And if you tend to be a little shy—” she looked directly at Quinn, “—I’ll be happy to answer questions in private.”

  The lights dimmed. The movie rolled. Libby expected soft-core porn or worse, a thinly disguised instruction manual, but the video struck a good balance between sensuality and the how-to aspects of massage.

  After the video ended, Cord unfolded four padded tables and four six-foot high privacy screens, positioning one in each corner of the narrow room.

  AJ walked through the maze, stacking towels, and draping sheets over each screen. “Next, I’ll demonstrate tricks and techniques on my guinea pig—I mean my helpful husband—before I turn you loose to experiment on your own.” She directed them to a massage room at the back of the building.

  A shirtless Cord was stretched out on a padded table. AJ affectionately swept her hand up his spine. “You ready?”

  Cord grinned over his shoulder and focused on the swell of her belly. “It’s obvious I’m always ready for you, baby doll.”

  AJ dribbled oil on Cord’s naked back, but the look she leveled on him said she’d make him pay for that suggestive remark later, guaranteed.

  Libby bit back a grin. The dynamics in the huge McKay family still fascinated her, even after being part of it for more than a decade. She got a huge kick out of how easily AJ led gruff Cord around by the nose.

  The aroma of sandalwood and lemon filled the room. “First and foremost, there is a pronounced difference between giving your partner a sensual massage and a deep tissue massage.” She dug her thumbs into the base of Cord’s spine and followed the line up to his neck. “You don’t want to cause your partner any discomfort. The amount of pressure used isn’t as important as a strong and steady touch.”

  In order to see AJ, Quinn leaned over Libby’s shoulder. Libby had a devil of a time focusing on AJ’s instructions when Quinn plastered his male hardness against her backside. Her blood raced. Her face heated. Her palms sweat. She’d be a horny basket case by the time Quinn actually put his hands on her.

  “The other aspect of sensual massage is setting the mood. If you have children, you’ll want to plan this for when you have an hour of uninterrupted time. In most houses, the bed in the bedroom is the easiest place to set up. Music isn’t necessary, but I’ve found it can be both relaxing and arousing. Candles are good. They provide light, scent and ambience. Plain white cotton sheets are a smart choice. They can be warm or cool to the skin. And if you get carried away with the oil they’re easy to clean. But the single most important thing to bring is a positive attitude. Making your partner feel good shouldn’t be a chore. It should be a sensual enjoyment for both of you.”

  When Quinn whispered, “Amen,” in Libby’s ear, a tremor of desire rippled through her.

  AJ demonstrated a few more techniques and then dismissed everyone back to their areas.

  “What do you suppose we’re gonna do now?” Libby asked when they were alone behind the partition.

  Quinn held up a sheet with a cat-who-ate-the-mouse grin. “You’re supposed to strip.”

  “Down to nothing?”

  “What else does strip mean?”

  “But all those people are out there—”

  He eliminated the distance until they were a breath apart. “It’s just you and me. No one else matters.”

  “You wouldn’t have a problem getting buck-ass nekkid with the family banker in the next cubicle?”

  “Not if I knew it was gonna lead to you puttin’ your hands all over me. Damn, do I love havin’ your hands on me.”

  When had closed-mouthed Quinn McKay become such a silver-tongued devil? “You don’t play fair.”

  “Because I’m playin’ for keeps.” Quinn smooched her nose. “You want my help gettin’ undressed?”

  “No!”

  “If we were home I wouldn’t allow you a choice. But I’ll do the gentlemanly thing, just this one time, and step outside. Whistle when you’re ready for me.”

  Whistle. Right. And what the heck did he mean by doing the gentlemanly thing just this one time? Did Quinn plan on showing her a more verbal, more commanding side?

  Libby shivered and it had nothing to do with being naked.

  ***

  Quinn fought the urge to pace. He wasn’t nervous so much as antsy, because after two steamy kisses, he was raring to crank up the sexual heat with his delectable wife.

  AJ moved to the center of the room. “Once your partners are set, I’ll come around with a bottle of oil. This’ll be your last chance to ask questions before I shut off the lights, turn on the music and leave you to your own devices.

  “Once everyone is settled, I’ll be in the backroom for the duration of your massage experimentation time, so you’ll have no interruptions from me—or anyone else—within your private areas. Remember, there is no right or wrong way. Sensual massage is highly personal and having a good technique isn’t nearly as important as having fun and an open mind.”

  The table creaked and Libby swore.

  Quinn spoke through the curtained panel. “You ready?”

  “If you mean am I naked,” she said in a hushed tone, “then yes. Throw me that extra sheet.”

  “Sure.” He tossed it over the partition.

  Loud instrumental music started and the lights clicked off. AJ sauntered up with her usual sunny smile. She popped her head around the partition and her smile slipped. “Oh. Umm. That’s great, Libby. You’re all set.” AJ whirled on Quinn and hissed in his ear, “Didn’t you tell her she only had to take off her shirt?”

  “Nope.”

  AJ whapped him on the arm, but her eyes twinkled. “Typical McKay man. Here’s your oil. Put it to good use.”

  “I intend to.”

  Quinn skirted the privacy panel and sucked in a harsh breath. Lordy, look at that. Libby’s bare, toned arms were stretched above her head. Save for the sheet covering her lower half, her sexy, freckled back was completely exposed and his for the taking.

  She lifted her head. Her eyes darted past the partition. “Quinn, I’m—”

  “Just us, remember?” He uncapped the oil and drizzled a thin line across her shoulders and spine in a T-shape. “I’ll start at the top and work my way down, is that all r
ight with you?”

  “This is your show.”

  “That it is. Keep that in mind later.” When his hands touched her skin, his cock went hard as a brick. God, she was so feminine. So warm. So perfectly supple.

  So his.

  At first, Quinn feared he’d freeze up. But faced with Libby’s naked body spread out in a sumptuous feast, when he’d been starving for her for months, something instinctual kicked in.

  Lust.

  He swept his fingertips through the oil, hoping it’d lessen the abrasiveness of his callused hands. He played connect the dots with her moles and freckles, promising himself he’d use his tongue next time. Once the oil glistened across her torso, he began to rub it in.

  If her sighs and moans were any indication, he must’ve been doing something right.

  Quinn worked his thumbs into the tensed muscles stretching across her back, rounding to the bottom of her shoulder blades. Then he gradually moved down her spine, a vertebra at a time. When he reached the sexy dimples above her ass, an area he remembered as highly sensitive, he decreased the pressure. His touches became playful. As Quinn drew ever-widening circles, she arched into his teasing caresses.

  “Quinn—”

  Instantly, his mouth was by her ear. “Something you need?”

  “Yes. No. I…I wanted to tell you I love the way you’re touching me.”

  “Good.” He smiled against her damp neck and rained kisses along her nape, pleased as punch when gooseflesh broke out beneath his questing lips.

  Quinn continued his sensual assault. His hands mapped her every tempting curve, his fingers soothed every quivering muscle. When he finished tormenting one area, he’d scatter openmouthed kisses over each inch of bared flesh before focusing his attention on the next trembling section.

  When he completed his final pass to those alluring dimples, he caught a whiff of Libby’s arousal. A primal male need slammed into him. His chance of tamping it down vanished, especially when he noticed her hips bumping up to meet his every touch.

  Libby faced the screen, almost as if she was hiding her reaction from him.

  Oh hell no. That wouldn’t do at all.

  As Quinn put his lips to her ear, he traced the crack of her ass down to where her body was warm and sticky. He groaned in her hair. “Lemme touch you here.”