When they finally reached the street, Quinn walked next to her, hands in his pockets, eyes straight ahead. When she glanced down, she realized he was still hard. The zipper of his jeans strained over his erection.
The breeze didn't do anything to cool her heated skin.
Trying to take her mind off her body's reaction to him, she said, "Where are we going?"
"There's a little neighborhood bar a couple of blocks away. Usually quiet this time of night. We can have a beer and a sandwich and stay there as long as you like." He glanced at her then. "You'll let me know when you're okay to go, won't you? And where you want to go?"
"I will."
Her pussy throbbed in time with her heartbeat as they walked. When they reached Oscar's, Quinn opened the door and followed her in. He led her to a booth in a quiet, dark corner. A few of the booths were filled, some with couples, one with a group of four. No one looked at them as they slid onto the vinyl seats.
After they'd ordered beer and sandwiches, Quinn said, "Tell me about your job. What kind of nursing do you do? Where do you work?"
Yes. Normal questions. Typical questions. Anything to get her mind off Quinn's legs, spread wide beneath the table, positioned on either side of hers to give her room for her feet.
"I work at St. Christopher Hospital," she said. "On a post-surgical floor." As she told him about her job, the people she worked with, what she did, her arousal faded. It didn't disappear completely, though. When she shifted on the seat, the friction made her swallow. When she leaned forward and her nipples pressed against the front of her bra, they sent a jolt of pleasure directly to her clit.
His legs weren't touching hers, but she could feel their heat. She thought about spreading her legs a little, just enough to brush the inside of his. But the waitress arrived with their sandwiches, saving her from embarrassing herself.
Frustrating her.
***
Tessa smelled amazing.
The scent of oranges and honey washed over Quinn as he took another drink of beer and he watched her talk about her job. Her hands moved as she talked, making graceful gestures, drawing him in.
He'd been hard since they left her apartment, and he hadn't been able to convince his cock to stand down. Every time a whiff of her scent drifted over him, it twitched. Every time one of her slender hands stirred the air in front of him, the damn thing surged against his jeans. He wanted to reach down and undo the button, to make things more comfortable, but he wouldn't do it.
How embarrassing would it be if he forgot he'd done it? What if he stood up and she saw his unbuttoned jeans. She'd think he was some kind of pervert.
So he asked her where she'd grown up, gone to school, anything to convince his cock it wasn't getting any tonight.
"How about you?" she finally said, polishing off the last of her sandwich. "Where did you grow up?"
"The south side." He smiled a little. "Is that going to be a problem? You're a north sider. Cubs fan, I'm assuming."
"And you're a Sox fan." She frowned, although her eyes twinkled. "This relationship is doomed from the beginning."
"I can probably get past the Cubbie factor. Just don't ever tell my siblings I said that."
"How many siblings do you have?"
"Four of them. Three brothers and a sister. Two brothers are cops, one's an FBI agent. My sister's a cop, too."
"Wow. Your poor mother. Five police officers to worry about."
Quinn grinned. "So she's said. Many times." His grin faded. "My dad was a police officer, too. He died when I was a teen-ager. Driver of the other car was bending down to retrieve her lipstick from the floor and ran a red light."
"I'm sorry." A shadow of grief moved through her eyes.
"It's been tough for all of us. My sister was just a kid at the time."
"And she's already a cop?"
"A patrol officer. She plans on making detective, though. Claims she can still kick her older brothers' asses.
"Can she?" Tessa asked with a grin.
"Always could. She's got us wrapped around her little finger." Talking about his family helped settle his cock down. Then Tessa moved her legs and brushed against one of his, and that got it started again.
Tessa's face was red again, although the bar was pleasantly cool. "So where are you in the family line-up?" Her gaze didn't quite meet his eyes.
"I'm second. I have a twin brother, but he's fifteen minutes younger than me."
"And your sister is the youngest?"
"Yeah." He grinned. "My mom wanted a girl so she could buy dresses and frilly girl stuff. Instead, she got a tomboy who wanted to hang with her brothers."
Some of the blush faded from her face and neck. "It must be nice to have a lot of siblings," she said wistfully.
"How about you?" he asked, leaning closer. He wanted to take the sadness out of her eyes.
"I had a sister, but she died.” For a moment, her expression was dark with pain. “When I was ten. My dad died when I was in college. My mom lives in Glen Ellyn."
"Sorry," he said, touching her hand. Her skin was incredibly smooth. "Losing your sister, then your dad? That sucks."
"Yeah.”
He couldn't take his gaze off her face, and she didn't look away, either. Her eyes darkened as he watched, and she swallowed. Once. Again. Her hand brushed his, then she snatched it back.
If they sat in this quiet, secluded booth any longer, he'd be leaning across the table, kissing her.
And that would be completely unprofessional. "You ready to go?" he managed to ask.
"Yes. Of course." She blushed. "You were just getting off work when you answered my 911 call. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have kept you so long."
"Tessa." She'd reached for her purse, and he trapped her hand beneath his on the table. He couldn't stop himself from stroking a finger over her silky skin, and she trembled in response. "This has nothing to do with my job. I'm here because I wanted to be here. I wanted to get to know you. All right?"
She stared at him, her amber eyes darkening even further, then nodded. "Okay."
She slid her hand from beneath his. Slowly. As if she was enjoying the touch of his skin on hers, too.
As she fumbled in her purse, he threw a couple of bills on the table and stood. "I've got it," he said.
She lifted her head and smiled at him. "Then I'll get it next time."
His cock twitched. "Will there be a next time?"
She slid out of the booth. "I hope so, Quinn. I enjoyed getting to know you." Then she frowned. "Unless you're involved with someone. God! I never even asked you."
"Nope. If there was, I wouldn't have asked if there'd be a next time."
Her shoulders relaxed. "That's good. I'm glad."
"Yeah," he said, putting his hand on the small of her back to guide her to the door. "Me, too."
***
Tessa slowed as she walked up the stairs to her apartment. She didn't want to stay there, but it was too late to go to a friend's house. By the time they reached her floor, she was moving like molasses in the winter.
Her hand shook as she inserted the key in her lock. When she pushed the door open, she hesitated before she stepped inside.
"You going to be okay?" Quinn asked.
"Of course," she said brightly. She wasn't about to tell her hot neighbor that she was too scared to stay in her house by herself.
"Would you like some company for a while?" His voice was soft. Understanding. "Until you feel comfortable alone?"
The tightness in her chest dissipated like air leaving a balloon. "I would love that," she said, relieved. "Thank you."
She swept her gaze around the tiny living room. Reasonably neat. She grabbed her hoodie off the couch and hung it on the closet door. "Have a seat. Would you like a beer?"
"Sounds good."
When she returned to the living room, he'd settled on one end of the couch. Tessa sat beside him. Not close enough to be touching, but the heat of his body warmed her. She set the open bottles
on the coffee table. "Do you want to watch TV?"
"Sure." He grabbed the remote from the table and aimed it at the television on the bookshelf.
"Typical male," she said, amused in spite of the bizarre situation. "Claiming the remote."
He swiveled to face her. "Sorry. Automatic reaction. Here you go."
She shoved her hair behind her ear and shook her head. "Go ahead. It'll be interesting to see what you pick."
"Great. A test." He began to scroll through the channels. "Tell me when to stop."
He flashed on a re-run of Castle, and she said, "This. It's one of my favorite shows."
"Okay." He set the remote down, picked up his beer, and stretched his arm across the top of the cushion. His left hand was inches away from her shoulder. She liked its warmth, liked the weight of his arm close to her neck.
He shifted on the couch, and his hand brushed her shoulder. She froze, wondering if it was an accident. She leaned back until she felt his arm brush her nape. She wanted to move closer to him, and closed her eyes to maintain control.
Her clit wasn't interested in control. Neither was her pussy. Both were throbbing. Swollen. Ready for Quinn.
He touched her shoulder again, and she shivered. She couldn't stop herself from moving closer.
"Tessa?" His mouth was close to her ear, and his breath tickled her skin.
"Yes?"
"What's going on here?"
She turned to face him, and found her mouth inches from his. She wanted him. She never felt this way about a man so soon after meeting him. "I have no idea. I guess I'm a little off tonight."
"A shock will do that." He held her gaze but didn't move. "Do you want me to move away? Give you more room?"
She swallowed. "No," she whispered. "I don't. And I don't know why. You're here in a professional capacity. I get that. And I don't date cops." She edged a little closer. "I guess I'm still a little wobbly after...after the break-in."
"You probably are, but this is my job, and I don't know what the hell is going on, either. For the record, I don't date women I meet on the job. I don't take advantage when a woman is vulnerable, don't step over the line. So I'm trying to keep my distance. Hell, I probably shouldn't have taken you to Oscar's, but I couldn't leave you alone, not when you were so upset."
"You're trying to be professional. I know that, and it's really sweet, Quinn," she whispered. If she didn't want him to be professional, she had to make that clear. "I...I thought maybe we went to the pub because you wanted to. Not because it was part of your job."
"I did want to, and the job had nothing to do with it. The job stopped when we walked in the door at Oscar's. I have never done that before. I've stayed with victims while they've called family or a friend, I've held their hands, let them talk or cry, but I haven't taken any of them out for a beer and a burger. You're different, Tessa. You shouldn't be, but you are."
She swallowed again, her heart slamming against her chest, her skin itchy and too tight, her stomach fluttering. "I like being different."
His eyes darkened, and he shifted on the couch. Shifted again. "I'm not here as the cop who answered your call. Are you clear on that?"
"I am," she whispered.
"I want to touch you, Tessa." His fingers brushed her shoulder, barely a touch, and everything inside her clenched. His voice was a low rasp, velvet on sandpaper, and his pupils were so large that she couldn't see the blue. "I want to touch you so bad, my hands are shaking."
"I want that, too." Her breasts had swollen until they felt too big for her bra. Her nipples rasped against the fabric every time she moved.
"I feel a connection to you, Tessa. But you've had a bad night. I'm not going to start something."
She shifted to the side, so that his hand was on her shoulder again. It was hot. Heavy. His fingers curled into her. "I feel a connection to you, too."
He let her go. "Hey, maybe it's because you saw my cock." He tried to smile, and she realized he was trying to lighten things up. To give her a chance to back away.
So many other guys would be pressing to take advantage of her need for comfort. Quinn was giving her a chance to call a halt before things got out of hand.
It made her want him even more.
"I don't think so." She shifted closer to him. "I haven't seen your cock tonight, and I still feel a connection. To you. The guy, not the cock."
He lifted his other hand, and she saw it tremble as he brushed her hair away from her face. "If I promise not to let my cock come out and play, may I kiss you?"
"Yes," she breathed.
His arm circled her shoulder and he curled his fingers around her arm. His hands were hot and his fingers were calloused against her bare skin.
He put his other palm on her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "You're so soft," he murmured. He brushed his lips over hers. "Are you this soft everywhere?"
Chapter 4
Quinn froze. He couldn't believe he said that to her. She was a victim. He was the police officer who was supposed to be helping her. And he was talking dirty to her as if they'd known each other forever and been lovers just as long.
Tessa froze, too. Stared at him, eyes wide and shocked. He braced himself for being shoved away. For being told to get out. For hearing her say she was reporting him.
But instead of shoving him away, Tessa's eyes darkened. Her lips parted and her chest rose and fell. She swallowed, and he wanted to press his mouth to her throat. Instead, he shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to keep himself from touching her.
"This is crazy," she whispered. "I want to kiss you, too."
He wanted to do a hell of a lot more than kiss her, but maybe a kiss would be okay. It would be comfort. Reassurance that she wasn't alone. Any more than that? Moving into dickhead territory.
"One kiss?" he asked, his hands clenched into fists in his pocket to keep from grabbing her and pulling her against him. His eyes closed as he imagined feeling her curves against his chest. Feeling their heat and weight against his skin.
"One kiss," she breathed, leaning closer. Close enough to feel the heat of her body, the clean scent of oranges that seemed to cling to her. Close enough to see her honey brown eyes, their pupils dilated.
His hands itched to burrow beneath the scrub shirt and skim over her skin. It would be soft. Smooth. She'd quiver when he touched her. Gasp when he slid his hands along her ribs, letting his fingers linger on each of them.
He kept them in his pockets. If he touched her, he wasn't sure he'd be able to stop with one kiss.
She leaned toward him, watching him, her breath hitching in her throat. Her lips trembled over his, every tiny touch arrowing straight to his groin. It took a superhuman effort to keep from pulling her against him. To keep his hands where they belonged.
Then she moved closer. Pressed her mouth against his, and the sweetness of her lips, the hunger he tasted in her kiss, made him groan. Without conscious thought, he shifted closer to her. Deepened the kiss. And when she gasped, he slid his tongue along the seam of her mouth.
She wound her hands around his neck, and he felt her tremble. Hell, he was shaking, too. He'd barely kissed her, and he was ready to explode. Then she pressed her chest against his.
Lightning crackled over his skin where her hard nipples brushed his chest through the thin material of her scrub shirt. God! If she was wearing a bra, it was really thin. His hands shook with the need to burrow beneath her shirt and explore. To cup her breasts in his hands, test their weight. Suckle her nipples and feel her response. Tease them with his tongue and see if she would cry out.
"Tessa," he gasped against her mouth. "One kiss. That was all. Remember? We have to stop."
She moved her shoulders, making her breasts caress his chest. The hard tips dragged fire across his skin, even through his shirt. One of them moaned. It might have been him. Before he knew what had happened, his hands were out of his pockets and wrapped around her, holding her tightly against him. Tight enough that her breasts
flattened against him. Tight enough that she opened her mouth to him, her tongue tangling with his, her hands burrowing into his hair, gripping the back of his head, holding him in place.
"Tessa," he pleaded. His self-control was almost gone. Visions of her breasts, her fingers playing with a nipple, danced through his head. He'd seen her from far away that time. He wanted to see her up close, to drag his tongue over her, watching her nipples harden. He wanted to taste her, to make her shiver, to drive her wild. "We need to stop."
Letting her go would be like tearing off a limb. But it was the right thing to do. He'd said one kiss. They'd already gone far beyond a simple kiss.
His body was on fire for her. He wanted to lay her on the couch, strip off her clothes, and sink into her. Stay there forever. Make her come over and over, until she was sobbing his name.
Until he was sobbing hers.
"Not sure I want to stop," she murmured against his mouth.
"Got to." His guttural voice was barely recognizable. "Said one kiss. Can't take advantage."
She dragged her hands around to brush her fingers over his face. His lips. His nose. She nipped at his ear, suckled the spot below it on his neck. "One more. One more kiss."
He shuddered as he eased away from her. "Tessa. I can't do this. I can't do what I want to do with you. Touch you the way I want to touch you. Not tonight. Not after what happened."
He felt her mouth curve against his skin. "You going to leave me high and dry?"
"God, Tessa! If you knew what I wanted to do to you, with you. But if I did, I'd be a total jerk. And you wouldn't want to look at me in the morning." He slid his hands down her arms and took her hands. He refused to look at her breasts, pressing against her thin shirt. Tried not to look at her mouth, her swollen lips slick and red. He tried to focus on her eyes. Only her eyes. But they were glittering with desire.
"I'll stay with you tonight, as long as you need me here. I'll sleep on the couch. Or you can stay in my apartment. You can sleep in my bed and I'll take the couch. And maybe tomorrow, after we both...settle down, we can talk about this. Figure out what's happening here and what we want to do about it."
Watch Me (The Donovan Family Book 2) Page 3
