Watch Me (The Donovan Family Book 2)
Page 21
"It is now," she answered wearily. "The guy who broke in before came back. But Quinn stopped him before he could hurt me. The police will be in my apartment for awhile, though. I hope they don't keep you awake."
"Don't worry about that." The older woman opened her door wider. "You want to come in? You need a place to stay?"
Tessa wasn't sure. But before she could answer, Quinn said, "She's staying with me, Mrs. K. But thanks for the offer." He curled his arm around Tessa's shoulder and she leaned into him gratefully. "Tessa will tell you everything tomorrow, okay? Right now, I think she wants to get out of the building."
"Of course." She studied Tessa with worried eyes. "I'm so sorry this happened." She glanced at Quinn. "Take care of her, okay?"
"I will," he promised.
As soon as her neighbor's door closed, Quinn took her hand and led her toward the stairs. Her legs were leaden and stiff, and she clung to Quinn as she descended the three flights.
When they reached the sidewalk, humid air from the lake blew over her, ruffling her hair and chilling the bare skin of her legs. Which was stupid, really. It was a warm night. She should be too hot in the sweatshirt. But she was shivering.
Quinn must have felt her shaking, because he let go of her hand and wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they headed toward his building.
"That's the adrenaline burn," he said. "I always shake like that after an incident, when the adrenaline has drained away. I need to wrap you up in a blanket."
They'd reached the door of his building, but instead of opening it, he turned to her. "I told your neighbor you were staying with me, but that was because I knew you wanted to get away. I'd like you to stay, but if you want to go to a motel, or to a friend's place, I can take you there, instead."
The only place she wanted to be was with him. "You," she said. "I want to stay with you."
His arm tightened around her shoulders, and it felt as if he dropped a kiss on her head. "Good."
A few minutes later they were in his apartment. He settled her on the couch, then went into his bedroom and emerged holding the quilt from his bed. He tucked it around her, then stood staring down at her for a moment.
"You want some tea? Or some coffee? Anything?"
"No," she murmured, holding out a hand to him. "Just stay with me, okay?"
"Of course." He took her hand and sat next to her, pulling her against him. The heat from his body seeped through the quilt, warming her. Comforting her. She lay her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arm around his chest.
They sat huddled together in silence for a few moments, and she waited for him to resume the conversation they'd started in her hallway, before Officer Weldon interrupted them.
But he didn't say anything.
Finally she raised her head. "Quinn? Do you want to talk about...about what I said?"
Why was it so hard to say I love you again? Was she still a coward, even after he'd saved her life?
Was she afraid that running away from his words and his love had made him fall out of love with her?
He pressed her head down against his shoulder again. "People say lots of things in the heat of the moment," he said quietly. "Things they wouldn't have said if the circumstances weren't dire. So no, we don't have to talk about it. I get it, Tessa. You were terrified. You thought Dietrich was going to rape you, or worse. I showed up in time, and it felt like I'd saved you. You don't have to explain."
She eased away from him. "But I want to explain."
Quinn clenched his teeth, as if bracing for a blow. "Really, Tess. It's okay."
"No, it's not okay," she said. She turned to face him. "When you told me you loved me, I was terrified. Even though I felt the same way. Even though I knew I loved you, too." She threaded her hand out of the folds of his quilt and twined it with his. "I was scared. And so guilty."
He'd been staring at the floor, but at her last words, he frowned up at her. "Guilty? Why?"
"Because of Brian." She closed her eyes and swallowed once, then forced herself to look at him. He deserved to see it all. Needed to hear the worst. "I didn't love him the way I should have. And I knew it. Knew it, but kept holding onto him. He was...comfortable. Safe. When he died, I realized that he'd never have the chance to fall in love with someone who'd love him the way he deserved. The way everyone deserves. So I told myself I'd never get involved with a cop again. Cops die. But other men – accountants, bankers, lawyers – they didn't die. So if I got involved with a guy who didn't die, and it didn't work out, I wouldn't have to feel so guilty if the guy didn't get another chance."
"Tessa, that's crazy. People die all the time. And not all cops die."
"I know that. But I guess I didn't really let myself think about it. Until tonight.
"I could have died tonight, Quinn. James could have killed me. And then I would have died without telling you how I feel. Without telling you how much I love you."
She threw back the quilt to curl into his chest, then buried her face in his neck, breathing him in. She needed to hold onto him. To feel him against her, to feel his arms holding her tight.
She needed to make him understand how much she loved him.
"I never loved Brian the way I love you," she murmured against his skin. His hands tightened on her, but otherwise he didn't move. "And when I realized that, I felt so guilty. So ashamed of myself. Why did I get to be so happy when Brian was dead? When he'd never had the chance to feel the way I did, because I selfishly held onto him.
"So I tried to ignore the way I felt. Bury it deep so I didn't have to face it, and my guilt. When you told me you loved me, I couldn't do that anymore. So I ran."
His breath tickled her hair and his hands rubbed her back. Comforting her. Steadying her. "You don't have to do this, Tessa. Not tonight." His words, his voice washed over her, and she burrowed deeper into his embrace. "Give yourself a break. Baring your soul can wait until later. I'm not going anywhere."
"I know that, Quinn," she said into his neck. "You're the bravest man I know. You'd never hide from the way you feel. You'd never run when things got uncomfortable."
"I'm not perfect, Tessa. Far from it."
But you're perfect for me.
"I went to see my mother today," she said.
Quinn leaned back and smiled. "I did that, too. Yesterday. She told me to give you time to figure out that you loved me, too."
"I didn't go to Mother for advice." She smoothed her hand down Quinn's shirt. "My family was so different than yours. No one ever said 'I love you'. My parents warned me about taking chances. About getting involved. It all started after my sister died, and I finally realized it all stemmed from that.
"So I confronted my mother. She finally told me that my sister ran away with the guy who got hurt when she died. They didn't approve of him, but she was crazy about him. When she was killed, my parents saw that as the consequences of taking risks. Of losing control. I think I was always afraid of taking risks and losing control. That's why I was with Brian – he was safe. But I cheated both him and myself.
"Can you forgive me?" she asked. "I hurt you. And you did nothing to deserve it. God, Quinn! You told me you loved me and I ran."
"Stop beating yourself up." He eased away from her and brushed her hair away from her face. His hand lingered on her cheek, his fingers brushing her lips. "I shouldn't have blurted it out like that."
"No," she said. She struggled to unwrap her arms from around him and cupped his face in her hands. "Don't ever apologize for telling me how you feel. Even though I was scared, even though I ran, it was the most wonderful thing anyone ever said to me. I love you, too, Quinn. So much."
She kissed him, her lips trying to give him everything her words had failed to say. To promise him everything in her heart. To make sure he knew that she was never running again.
He held back at first, and she tore her mouth away from his. "Stop it, Quinn! Stop being careful with me. Love me."
"God, Tessa, I do. I love you. And I wa
nt you." He brushed one finger down her cheek. "I'll always want you. But you had a horrible experience tonight. Maybe you don't need this right now."
"You don't think so?" She sat up in his arms and pushed away from him, delighted when his face fell. He was trying to be a gentleman. Trying to think about her first. "Why don't I show you what I need?"
She swung her leg over his thighs and settled in his lap. The hard ridge of his cock burned into her, and when she shifted, he groaned. "This is what I need, Quinn."
Holding his gaze, she drew the sweatshirt over her head and tossed it to the floor. She was bare beneath it, and his gaze dropped to her breasts. His eyes darkened and his hands clenched into fists, but he didn't touch her.
"Touch me, Quinn," she whispered, and he brought his hands up to cover her breasts. When his thumbs brushed over her nipples once, twice, she groaned and arched her back, trying to get closer. Finally he put his hands on her waist and bent to take her in his mouth.
She moved over him, desperate for the pressure against her clit. He shifted his hips, then abruptly stopped. Still trying to hold back.
"Silly man," she murmured, nipping at his neck below his ear.
When he groaned, she lifted her hips and tugged her shorts off, then settled back on his lap, completely naked.
"Tessa." His voice was strangled. "I'm trying to be a gentleman here. You're making it really hard."
"Yeah, I can feel how hard it is." She ground against him, then fumbled at his belt. In moments, she'd unzipped his pants and freed him.
"Mmmm," she hummed, tracing her finger over his tip, feeling him twitch in her hand.
His hands tightened almost painfully at her waist, then he surged to his feet. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he gripped her ass in his hands as he staggered toward the bedroom.
"Don't move," he said as he laid her gently on the bed. He pulled down the privacy shade on his window, then yanked the drapes closed. Turning back to her, he stripped his clothes in record time and slid in beside her.
"Make love to me, Quinn," she said, holding her gaze, her hands splayed on his chest. "Please."
"Tessa." He devoured her mouth with his, tongues sliding together, his hands touching every inch of her. When she was writhing with need, he finally slid into her. "I love you," he said, kissing her deeply. "I love you."
He began moving, and she wrapped her legs around him. As everything inside her swelled and tightened, she began to tremble. "God, Quinn. Oh, God!"
As her climax crashed over her, she clung to him, rocking against him until he tensed and came with a hoarse cry. She wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly, even when he tried to ease his weight off her.
"I love you," she said when her breathing slowed and she could speak again. "I do. I tried to stop myself, but I was a goner the first time I saw you."
He brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her one more time. "Me, too, Tessa. Me, too. The first time I saw you, I knew you were the one."
"I think that was your little head talking," she teased.
"Maybe so, but he was right. We'll take this as slow as you want. But you can watch me love you for as long as you want."
Forever, she wanted to say. But it was too soon. So she kissed him instead, then curled into his side with her arms around him. She was home. And she'd always find her home in his arms.
*****
Thank You
Thank you for reading Watch Me. I'm honored you chose one of my books, and I hope you enjoyed it!
Here are links to the Donovan Family books: Love Me, Watch Me, Find Me, Trust Me .
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My Books
(by series)
The Donovan Family
Love Me
Watch Me
Find Me
Trust Me
The Devereux Family
A Safe Place
The Woman He Knows
Bending the Rules
Welcome to Otter Tail
An Unlikely Setup
Can't Stand the Heat?
Life Rewritten
For Baby and Me
The McInnes Triplets
A Place Called Home
No Place Like Home
Home at Last
Door County
Small-Town Secrets
Small-Town Family
Stranger in a Small Town
Partners in Crime
In Her Defense
Family First
Cameron, Utah
Rodeo Man
For the Children
Cowboy With a Badge
The Fugitive Bride
The Marriage Protection Program
Stand-alone titles
Hometown Girl
Two on the Run
Family on the Run
To Love and Protect Her
A Thanksgiving to Remember
Someone to Watch Over Her
To Save His Child
The Dark Side of the Moon
An Honorable Man
An Innocent Man
Personal Best
About the Author
Two-time Rita finalist Margaret Watson published her first book in June, 1991. Since then, she has written thirty books for Silhouette Intimate Moments and Harlequin Superromance, as well as four titles in the Donovan Family series.
Margaret’s books have won or been finalists in many contests, including the Colorado Award of Excellence, Desert Rose Golden Quill, Holt Medallion, and National Reader’s Choice. Her most recent book, TRUST ME, was released in November, 2014.
When she's not writing, Margaret practices veterinary medicine. She lives in the Chicago area with her husband, three daughters and a menagerie of pets.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Thank You
My Books
About the Author