by Box Set
Oh shit. “You’re a top.”
“Fraid so, hot shot.”
She gave him a more friendly smile than before and turned again.
Something achy and tender twisted inside Quinn’s belly. Wait.
“Tell me more,” he heard himself call out.
She just shook her head and kept walking.
Leah stayed away from Quinn for twenty-one hours, and felt good about that decision for twenty of them. But after breakfast the next day, doubt started to twist in her gut.
She’d been really flippant. Bordering on rude, really, especially because while yeah, she’d heard some things, it wasn’t strictly speaking true that what she knew of his preferences didn’t necessarily jive with her own.
Sex was sex. She didn’t have hard and fast rules about it.
One couldn’t be that choosy when one only got lucky a few times a year.
And they were on this island together for at least five days. Until the weekend, he’d said. So why not have a little fun, however it worked out between them?
Besides, she was getting out of the army in another three months, so her previously rigid rules about not mixing work and kink didn’t need to apply any longer.
She still couldn’t wrap her head around that change in her career path. But the options presented to her had been…stifling. She’d had a fantastic run, but after twelve years, she’d hit a glass ceiling. And she hated herself for not seeing it coming, for buying into the myth that she could go the distance.
And maybe she could have if she was willing to take a brutal posting instead of the…ten other choices she’d have preferred.
Oh well.
Lemons into lemonade. She was heading to college. A freshman at thirty. She snorted. Well, it would be interesting at least.
Interesting.
That’s what she needed this week to be, too.
Running away from Quinn just to hide on the beach at her resort, that was the safe, easy way out. And not interesting in the least.
She stuffed a bottle of water and a book into a tote bag, put on her favorite oversized sunglasses, wrapped a purple sarong loosely around her hips, and headed off down the beach.
There were three resorts loosely connected together. She was staying at the eastern most hotel, and Quinn had accosted her at the western most one. Her wristband allowed her to use the beaches for all three, so she headed all the way to the other end and found a lounge chair close to the beach bar.
It took Quinn thirty minutes to darken her with his shadow.
She slowly lifted her head from her book and lifted an eyebrow up at him. “Hello.”
He was wearing a black tank top and black shorts. He looked almost menacing as he towered over her, all tanned skin and black-ink tattoos. Those had been well-hidden beneath his uniform, and yesterday she’d been too busy being frosty to properly appreciate them.
The man was beautiful.
And cocky. “You came back to my beach.”
“I suppose I did.”
He laughed and settled on the chair next to hers. “Having a good holiday?”
She shrugged. “It’s quiet. But there’s a gorgeous beach and unlimited rum punch, so…”
“Surely we can have higher standards than that.”
“I actually won this trip, so I’m not complaining.”
“Ah.”
And suddenly she found herself telling him in loose terms about the conference in Seattle, and how she was expecting more people here from that event. “I think it really was just something someone donated, you know?”
“Yeah.”
“So anyway, it’s fine, but since I saw you here yesterday, I thought maybe I’d come back. See what you were up to.”
“Which is why you parked yourself on the beach instead of coming to ask for me at the front desk.”
“Well, a girl can’t try too hard.”
He grinned at her. “And a boy can never try hard enough.”
“I like the sounds of that.” She was teasing, mostly. If they were going to do something this week, even if it was just a single night together, she’d make it good for him. That was important to her, even if she refused to do any chasing.
“Me too. And I like your honesty.” He rolled onto his side, and she didn’t hide her appreciation for the flex of his six-pack or the hard, wide planes of his chest as he preened for her.
Men. They were all the same, from peacocks to gorillas to Navy SEALs. She wanted to rub him behind his ears and call him a good boy.
Maybe if they continued to get along like this, she’d get an opportunity to do exactly that later.
“Like right now, for example.” His gaze was hard and challenging. “I want you to tell me what you’re thinking.”
“So bossy,” she murmured, glad she was wearing her sunglasses still. “And that’s usually my job.”
“So you told me yesterday.”
“And you said you wanted to know more.”
“I do.”
She stood abruptly. “I’m hungry. Would you like to have lunch?”
When he stood up—and up, and up, towering over and around her in the most delicious way—he took his time answering. But when he did, it was exactly the right response. “I’d love to. Where are you taking me?”
She pointed down the beach, back towards her resort. They took their time walking there. He swung around her, taking the surf side of the hard-packed sand along the water’s edge. The slope evened out their height difference a bit, and as they zigged and zagged around swimmers and children playing in the sand, their arms brushed repeatedly.
If she were any other woman, she was quite sure Quinn would have tried to hold her hand. If she was any other woman, she’d totally have let him, and maybe even angled for that herself.
But even more delicious than holding his hand was the tension that zinged between them because she didn’t. Anticipation and promise were the stuff that really amped her up, and Quinn gave her both in spades.
She just hoped he liked it as much as she did.
As they neared her resort, she moved away from the water. He followed. Not a fan of distance between them, she noted. So she’d reward him with nearness and punish him by pulling away.
She frowned to herself. She didn’t like the idea of punishing Quinn. This wasn’t going to be like that. He hadn’t said anything about impact play, but that wasn’t her core desire, anyway. Making him wait, yes. That turned her on in a big way. Making him suffer held no appeal.
“They do an awesome fire-roasted pizza here,” she said, pointing to the cafe that jutted out over the rocks.
“Sounds fantastic,” he said with an easy grin.
Her heart turned into a puddle of goo. It was good he wasn’t a submissive, because she’d have to twist herself into a pretzel to see a way to punish Quinn Parry. He was far too agreeable.
All of that—his personality, her reaction to it, and the general confusion he stirred inside her—all pushed her out of her normal flirting routine and into more ordinary chatter as they ate. TV shows, travel, food preferences and the latest YouTube video they’d both busted a gut over.
“Did you see the follow-up, with the dog?” she asked Quinn as he reached across to snag her last piece of pizza.
He gave her a shameless wink as he sat back in her chair. “Nope. Must have missed it. Maybe you can show me later.”
“Sure.”
“Maybe you can show me other things you like on the internet, too.”
She laughed. “Is that your way of suggesting we watch porn together?”
“Hell yes. I bet you’ve got some very creative tastes.”
“Maybe they don’t make porn for how creative my tastes get,” she said, teasing a little.
He shook his head. “Not possible. Rule thirty-four.”
She groaned and nodded her head. “If it exists, there is porn of it – no exceptions.” She recited it like she was reading the Urban Dictionary definition. “So you
are a geek, after all.”
“Sure am. A kink geek. Collector of freaky porn and totally open to anything.”
“Good to know.” She licked her lips. “Watch any sci-fi?”
He held her gaze for a second, then let her change the subject to a less filthy topic again. “I’m as big a Star Wars fan as most guys my generation, I think.”
“Who shot first?”
“Come on, that’s an easy one. Han, of course.” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Luke Skywalker’s original name?”
“Starkiller?”
“Good one.” He gave her a long, unblinking examination from across the table. “This is all very ordinary, I gotta say.”
“I was thinking the same thing myself.” Porn discussion aside.
“I don’t normally do ordinary.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Oh?”
“And I don’t think you do, either.”
“No. But then I don’t normally have a week off in paradise, and a handsome man intent on convincing me we should…hang out.”
“Hang out?” His eyelids drooped as his gaze heated up. “Is that what we’re going to do?”
Zing. Okay. They were doing this. She crossed her arms. “I haven’t decided yet.”
“For real? Because I’m pretty sure you’ve imagined something. How do you want me?”
Leah rolled her eyes at his cockiness. “Tied to my bed. Can you handle that?”
“Get your rope.”
“Stop it, Quinn.” Don’t rush me. Don’t rush this, because I think this might be something crazy and different than anything else I’ve done and I’m not sure how to handle that and oh my God when did I turn into such a special snowflake? “I was mostly kidding.”
“I wasn’t.” He edged around the table and flipped the chair next to her around so he could straddle it. And sit next to her—she didn’t miss that part. But with a barrier between them. Or a weapon…she wasn’t sure which.
Why did the thought of sparring with Quinn Parry turn her on so much?
Annoying man. “Of course you’re kidding,” she said blandly. “You like to be in charge.”
“Who said that?”
A friend of a friend, to a friend. So okay, her intel was shaky. But the man radiated sex and power. There was no way he was kneeling for her. “Tell me what you like, then.”
He leaned in and lowered his voice. “The idea of you tying me to your bed. I like that a lot. In fact, I’m hard as a rock right now.”
She wouldn’t let him see how much she liked that admission. “And you think I’m going to do something about that…problem?”
“Who said it’s a problem?” He rolled his bottom lip between his teeth. “I like the delayed gratification of being made to wait.”
Oh, dear Lord, that tugged at her womb. She wanted to make him wait. Wanted him on his knees, legs spread, cock drooling for her—while she sat in the corner and read a novel. Something filthy that would make her squirm.
“The truth is, Leah, I’m game for anything. If it’s you and me and dirty, I’m a fan. I’m sure you can find a way to work with that.”
“Do you know how to sail?”
His eyebrows hit the roof. “Yeah.”
“Good. I’m going to reserve a boat to take out this evening. I’d like to see the sunset on the water. You can come with me.” She stood up, and his gaze followed her eagerly. Maybe he had potential after all. She grazed her fingertips across his cheek. “And if you’re very good, then maybe you can…come.”
His eyes flared, but he didn’t move. Didn’t speak, either. He just nodded slowly, his eyes still locked on hers.
She gave him a smile as a reward, then turned and walked away.
Chapter Four
Quinn couldn’t remember the last time he’d been this amped for a date.
And it was definitely a date. Their second one, by his counting.
Lunch had been glorious. Fun and easy to start, and then heated and dirty at the end. Just a tease. Leah knew how to play all the good games and wasn’t interested in any of the awful ones.
He put a couple of strips of condoms in a backpack, along with a bottle of wine, a corkscrew, two plastic cups, and a spare t-shirt. Just in case his got wet…or something else.
After he left his room, he swung past the dining room. His brother Will was in the bar, hitting on Mick’s fiancée’s friend who was trying to pour drinks. Quinn cut him a wide berth and aimed for Brayden, the third member of their posse.
Unlike his brother, Quinn had no interest in leaving the SEAL teams for private industry. Not even a security training firm headquartered in a Caribbean paradise, although it sure looked good on the other guys.
Well, Mick and Brayden.
Will was looking a little rough.
“He’s not gonna quit with her, is he?” Quinn asked Brayden.
The other man just shrugged. “Keeps him occupied.”
“Speaking of which, I’ve got a date.”
“Fast work.”
“That’s how I roll. So I’m not going to be around for dinner.” Or much of anything else this week, he silently hoped.
“Gotcha. I’ll pass on the intel.”
“Thanks, man. Might see you tomorrow.”
“Makes no difference to me. And Will’s got a one-track, Daphne-track, mind right now. Mick and Cara only have eyes for each other. You’re all good, bud. I’ll see you around. Just make sure you’re here for the wedding on Saturday.”
They bumped fists, then Quinn took off down the beach without a second glance.
Leah was waiting at the small marina they’d passed the day before. He’d liked her in the pink bikini yesterday, and the black one-piece covered in a purple sarong earlier today. But tonight, in a white crepe dress that just hinted at her gorgeous body beneath, she was breathtaking. Her hair was long and loose, her waves shiny and carefree in the late day sun, and those sunglasses were still firmly in place.
The lady liked her armor.
And Quinn was going to enjoy the challenge of easing her out of it.
He stopped in front of her. She didn’t hide her up and down glance, and he didn’t miss the little smile that turned up the corners of her lush mouth at his snug white tank top and black board shorts.
“You look good,” he murmured.
“That’s my line.” She pushed to a stand and handed him a basket that had been hiding behind her. “A dinner packed for us by the resort.”
He took it with his right hand, then pointed to his backpack. “I brought us wine.” And condoms, he added silently. Maybe she read his mind, or maybe she just had a dirty imagination—he hoped maybe it was both—because her eyes sparkled.
“All the essentials.”
“Exactly.”
She brushed her fingertips against his upper arm, just above his elbow, and guided him down the dock to a modern sailboat in the end slip. “This is us.”
He gave a low whistle as he took in the details of the watercraft. “This is pretty sweet.”
“I took a refresher lesson the day I arrived. Impressed my instructor enough he agreed to let me rent it as much as I wanted this week, provided he didn’t have any other lessons.”
A stab of unfamiliar jealousy hit him square in the gut. He swallowed his questions about this instructor and nodded instead. Safer that way.
“Do you know your way around the lines?” she asked as she stepped on board with ease.
“I know enough to be of service.”
She glanced back at him over her shoulder, a bright smile spilling across her face. “Oh, those are my favorite words.”
He followed her onto the deck. He wanted to haul her into his arms, but he settled for taking both the basket and his backpack down below. But she would be in his arms tonight, there was no doubt about that. Her not-so-casual touches increased after she started the motor and instructed him to untie the dock lines. When he stepped back onto the boat with the last dock line, she slid her hand down the l
ength of his forearm before steering them deftly into the open water. As they raised the sails together, she brushed against him here and there, until he was a breath away from tugging her onto the deck with him and demanding to know what he needed to do to get even more.
Maybe with his mouth. Or his teeth. His cock. She could have every last inch of his eager, hungry body.
Leah had totally given in to her desire to touch Quinn. Only their shared task of getting the sailboat out to sea kept her from doing more. From the second he’d stopped in front of her and said she looked good, something had started smoldering inside her.
And she was pretty sure it would burst into flames as soon as they were well and truly alone, surrounded by nothing but the ocean and the warm rays of the sun.
Following the maps she’d carefully perused that afternoon, they curled around the coral reef, heading for an uninhabited island a short sail away. Once they were in a good position to anchor, she turned them head-to-wind, and Quinn pushed the mainsail out, slowing them down, and once they were stopped, they brought the mainsail down and dropped anchor.
Quinn knew more than the basics. His rope work was deft, his moves sure as they tested the anchor’s hold.
“Are you hungry?” she asked when he climbed around the side of the boat, the sails secured.
He nodded slowly. “Whatcha got?”
“I really don’t know.” She licked her lips. Damn, that was true on more than one level. “The hotel packed the basket and I was in a rush to meet you, so…”
He moved closer, joining her behind the wheel. Warmth radiated off his body, and she breathed in the scent of him, masculine and fresh. “I was wondering if my eagerness was one-sided.”
She tipped her head up toward his. “It’s not. Although I’m not sure exactly what we’re doing here.”
“Having fun, I hope.”
“Definitely that.”
“No strings or expectations, if that’s your worry.”
“I wouldn’t say worry. But I usually have more rules about…well, everything.”
“I’m not a big rule guy.”
She laughed. “I got that loud and clear. And that’s okay.”
