“A mountain lion,” Quinten said, then added, “I saw you; it was amazing.”
Penny stared at him in shock. “I thought it would freak you out, I mean, after your parents and all.”
Quinten shrugged. “This was different, I mean it was you, and I’m not scared of you,” he said, then grinned at her.
Penny grinned back, feeling better. “Well, that’s good to hear. I’d hate it if you were afraid of me,” she answered honestly, then regretted her words.
“I don’t think I could ever be afraid of you,” Quinten said, the temptation to grab her and kiss her propelling him across the cave toward where she still stood.
Penny could see the desire in his eyes and began to panic; this was precisely what she’d been trying to avoid, and suddenly it was happening. Frantically searching for a way to stop it, she blurted out, “I went back.”
Quinten stopped moving toward her, then turned without a word and began serving their dinner. “I’m surprised, you were so upset when we left there,” he said, then turned and looked at her, two steaming bowls of stew in his hands. “No, that’s not true, I’m not surprised, I bet you’ve never run from anything in your life.”
Penny stared at him for a second, letting the compliment soak in. “I just couldn’t stay away,” she finally said, stepping over and taking the bowl from him. “I might have forgotten the firewood too.”
Quinten pointed to the stack of wood against one wall of the cave. “We’ve got plenty here.” Then took his bowl and sat down by the fire.
When she sat down next to him, he asked, “Are you ready to talk about what happened to the cabin and who did it?”
She looked up at him, fighting the need to tell him the truth. “I guess.”
***Quinten***
They ate in silence for a few minutes before he decided that Penny was going to need some prompting. “Do you think it was the same shifters who were in the clearing looking for the amulet?” he asked.
Penny nodded her head, but didn’t say anything for a minute, then said, “I think it was them; I could smell them in the cabin,” she said, wrinkling her nose at the memory of the smell.
“That bad, huh?” Quinten asked, trying not to laugh at the look on her face.
“You have no idea; sometimes it’s a curse to be able to smell that well,” she said, hoping he’d get distracted.
But then he got serious again, “Those were clear threats written all over the wall,” he said, then added, “Someone still wants to hurt your family.”
Penny sighed, “I know, and I wish I knew who it was,” she answered honestly.
“You have no idea who it might be? An old enemy maybe?”
Quinten looked so concerned, it broke her heart to lie to him, but she had no choice. “We never figured it out; I guess we all assumed that once their leader was gone, they’d just go away.”
“It just seems so personal,” Quinten said. “Not like something a stranger would do.”
“I don’t know anyone who hates us that much. I didn’t recognize any of the shifters or their leader,” Penny said, knowing that she was skirting around the truth.
“And he never said who he was or why he wanted your family gone?” Quinten asked, making her heart sink.
“No, he never said,” she lied, hating herself the entire time.
“I’ll help you figure this out as soon as we get back,” Quinten said, making her heart sink again.
“You don’t have to do that,” she said. “We’ll take care of it ourselves.”
“It’s the least I can do since I brought you all the way up here in the snow for nothing,” he said, surprising her.
“What do you mean?”
“I can see now that Deacon blew this whole situation out of proportion. Annabelle did what any witch in her position would do and used a spell that saved someone she loved; I wouldn’t consider it black magic,” Quinten said.
He could see the relief on her face. “Good, then we can go home tomorrow,” she said, smiling up at him.
“And figure out who’s been bothering your family.”
Penny shook her head. “Quinten, my dad’s not going to like you sticking your nose into our business. I’m sorry if that sounds harsh, but it’s the truth.”
He thought about that, considered walking away from Penny and her problems, then knew that he’d never be able to do that. “I can’t just walk away; I have to stay and help you.”
“But it’s not your problem, Quinten; it’s ours,” she said, almost feeling like she was pleading with him.
Quinten sighed. “I promised myself after my parents died that I’d never let someone I care about get hurt again. I’m worried about you; you said yourself that without Annabelle and Joslin’s help you wouldn’t have beaten them. I can help you if you’ll let me.”
“But they had the amulet; they don’t have it now; it’s gone,” Penny protested.
“What if they got another one? You don’t know who they are, what they’re capable of, and I do. I’ve seen shifters like this, I know what they can do, and I don’t want to see you dead like my parents. I don’t want your death on my conscious as well.” The minute the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them; he never talked about his parent’s death.
“You can’t blame yourself for their death, Quinten; I heard the story, it wasn’t your fault,” she said, putting her hand on his arm.
Quinten shook his head, ignoring the warmth of her hand on his arm. “No what you heard is the official version; what you haven’t heard was that the only reason we were out there in the woods that night was because of me,” he said, that night rushing back to him.
Penny opened her mouth, but he held up his hand. “I was fifteen that summer we went to Scotland; it was my father’s idea, and I hated it. I’d just finished my freshman year of high school, and I’d used a lot of magic to get good grades; when my father found out, he had fit. He thought taking me back to our ancestral home would help me see that what I’d done was wrong, but all it did was make me more determined to do things my way.”
Quinten paused and took a deep breath, knowing that it was only going to get harder before he was done, but then Penny reached over and took his hand in hers, and the pain eased. “When I found out that people avoided the woods because of the strange things that happened there, I became determined to explore them. For weeks I snuck off and explored, never finding anything more than spooky trees and strange rock formations, but then one night my father and I had a fight and without thinking, I ran into those woods, my feet carrying me where I’d been going for so long.”
Penny sucked in a deep breath, feeling his pain deep inside her. “I’m sorry, Quinten, you don’t have to finish if you don’t want to. I understand what happened.”
Quinten seemed not to hear her. “By the time my dad and mom caught up to me, the shifters were already there, and before I knew it, my parents had sacrificed themselves to save me. My father told me to run, but I shouldn’t have; I should have stayed and fought with them. If I had, they might still be alive,” he said, a sob nearly escaping his throat.
Penny wiggled her way into his arms, hugged him, and held on, then said, “Then you would have died too, and their sacrifice would have been for nothing. It wasn’t your fault, Quinten, and no matter how many shifters you find and kill, it won’t bring them back.”
For just a second, he was able to believe her, to believe that he hadn’t been the cause of his parent’s death, but then the old feelings came rushing back in. “I wish I could believe that, and until I do, I’ll keep doing what I have been; it’s the only way I can make their deaths count for something.”
“Oh, Quinten, you’re still here. Doesn’t that count for something?” Penny asked.
Chapter Fifteen
***Penny***
Penny could feel Quinten’s pain, invading her body and spreading through her and it hurt so much she could barely stand it. So, she reached up and took his face in her hands an
d kissed him, the only thing she could think of to stop it. Almost instantly the pain faded, replaced by the pleasure of the kiss, and she knew that she’d made a mistake but couldn’t stop what she’d started.
The passion between them flared to life, a fire out of control that was sure to burn them both, but she didn’t care; she’d been thinking about this for so long that her body refused to listen to her head. This kiss was just as wonderful as the ones before, but this time she felt the connection between them, an invisible chain that tied them together, growing stronger as the kiss continued.
Quinten’s tongue explored her mouth, teasing and tasting until she began to moan deep in her throat, pleasure rushing through her. When his hands began to explore, grazing her breast and sensitive nipple, a deep knot of pleasure so intense it was painful began to form deep inside her. The feeling was so intense, she panicked and jumped to her feet and nearly fell into the fire.
Quinten was on his feet almost immediately, grabbing her just in time. Forced to cling to him, she felt the connection between them flare to life again, this time even more intense than before. Looking into his eyes, she saw not only desire, but something more, and her heart began to pound in her chest. Sex was one thing, but what she saw in his eyes meant that what was bound to happen between them was so much more and she wasn’t sure that she was ready for that.
But then his mouth came down on hers again, and all she could feel was the pleasure of being in his arms, his hard body pressed against hers. The panic faded, replaced by the feeling that what was about to happen between them was meant to be, that fighting it any longer was an exercise in futility.
She wanted him, and he wanted her, and it was clear that the universe wanted them together, so she shut her mind to all the reasons why this was a bad idea and kissed him back. Quinten groaned when he felt her surrender, lifted her into his arms and carried her to the back of the cave where he’d set up their sleeping bags on a pile of pine boughs.
When he set her on her feet, he looked down at her, his eyes locked on hers, a question in them. Knowing that speech wasn’t possible for her at that moment, her body reeling with the desire and pleasure Quinten inspired, she reached for his shirt and pulled it off over his head. His question answered, he pulled her sweater off and ran his hands over her bare skin.
Goosebumps appeared all over her body, and she shivered with anticipation. Quinten pulled her back into his arms and lowered his mouth to hers, but this time the kiss was accompanied by his hands exploring first her back then her breasts. His large hands cupping her swollen globes, his thumbs flicking across her stiff nipples until her legs began buckle and she moaned with pleasure.
She could feel the moisture forming between her legs, the throbbing deep inside her only growing stronger. But now there was also a driving need for a deeper connection, and any reservations she’d had about Quinten were lost in the pleasure he was giving her. Right or wrong, she was powerless to stop what was happening between them; her body was in control, and for the first time in her life, she was willing to be reckless.
Quinten’s hands left her breasts and she whimpered in disappointment, but that was quickly followed by a gasp of pleasure when his hand slid between her legs. When he rubbed her through her jeans, she dug her nails into his back, her head thrown back as wave after wave of pleasure washed over her. But he pulled his hand away too soon, and she was left panting with need.
Their eyes met, his so full of desire and pleasure that it took her breath away. She reached for the button of his pants, and with a sultry smile, she unhooked it and slid down his zipper. When he sprang free, she took him in her hands and began to stroke him until she grabbed her hands to still them.
“You drive me crazy,” he said through clenched teeth. “I want you, Penny, but only if you want this as much as I do.”
“I want you too, Quinten; I have since that night when you kissed me at the bonfire. It doesn’t make sense, but I think this was meant to happen,” she said.
The moment the words were out of her mouth, he covered it with his in a kiss that made his feelings quite clear to her. Then he reached for her pants, slid them down her hips, and helped her step out of them. When he laid her back on the bed of pine boughs, she looked up at him, her heart soaring when she saw the look in his eyes.
His body was warm when he laid down next to her, but she only had a second to register the feeling before his hand slid down her body between her legs and she stopped thinking. He gently spread her legs, then slid his finger between her folds and found her swollen nub and the moisture pouring out of her body. Groaning he began to stroke her making her lift her hips and spread her legs farther.
When his finger slid into her, the world exploded in a rush of pleasure as he drove her over the edge, her body trembling in his arms. As the throbbing inside her began to fade, it was replaced by an intense need to feel him inside her, to have them joined in the most elemental way, so she reached for him and pulled between her spread legs.
He slid inside her burying himself deeply as he could, then paused, letting the feeling of becoming one wash over them. Then with a growl, he drove himself into her over and over, filling her deeply and making her cry out his name. When she felt him stiffen inside her, the pleasure was so intense that it washed over her in huge waves, stealing her breath and sweeping her into oblivion with him.
Quinten collapsed on top of her, his face buried in her neck, his breathing ragged. When he was finally able to move, he rolled off her and pulled her into his arms and held her there. The only sound in the cave was their breathing and the crackle of the fire, and Penny felt sleep beginning to take her.
She knew that there were things they needed to talk about, that what they’d just experienced had been special, but she didn’t want to spoil what she was feeling just then with words. Quinten had taken her someplace she’d never been before, and she knew that she’d never be the same again, but right now all she wanted to think about was how it felt to be in his arms.
For just one night, she wanted to pretend that nothing stood between them, that nothing was waiting outside the cave to destroy the fragile thing they’d just created. Snuggling down deeper into his arms, she pushed those thoughts away and let herself enjoy the feeling of Quinten’s bare skin on hers. Morning would come soon enough, and then she’d figure out what this meant, if anything at all.
***Quinten***
Quinten woke in the middle of the night, Penny still cradled in his arms, but couldn’t go back to sleep; his mind was too full of everything that had happened over the last few days. Looking at her in the light of the fire, his heart clenched with what he could only describe as affection; love was too scary a word to use just yet.
But that was quickly followed by a feeling of impending doom, one that had begun when he’d seen the words scrawled across the walls of the cabin. At the time he hadn’t realized that’s what he’d been feeling, had only known that the sight of the cabin had disturbed him more than it should have.
But now that the tension between them had been satisfied, he realized that the feeling had only been growing, that something out there was looking for Penny and her family. Increasingly, he was beginning to think that he was the only thing that could prevent something terrible from happening; he couldn’t explain why, but knew to trust his instincts.
She’d made it clear that they didn’t want him messing around in their business, but he wasn’t about to just walk away, not when he was feeling the way he was. It wasn’t just the sense of doom that would keep him here; it was the woman sleeping in his arms, a woman who had shown him what real passion was, a woman who was a tough as she was beautiful.
He knew that it wouldn’t be easy for them, but there was something between them that couldn’t be ignored; they’d tried and failed that much was clear. Now they’d have to find a way to come together despite their differences, and he’d have to learn to trust a shifter: no not just one, but an entire group of them, he thought, u
nable to suppress the smile that appeared on his face.
He would have never imagined that the woman he would finally fall in love with would be the one thing he’d dedicated his life to destroying. But he now realized that he’d been wrong to lump all shifters into the same group, that there were many of them out there living their lives and not hurting anyone.
Maybe there were even more of that kind than the ones he’d spent his life chasing and eliminating, which meant that he was going to have to reevaluate his life and his goals. Penny had opened his eyes up to an entirely new world, one where kindness and compassion were far more effective than violence would ever be.
Knowing that he’d never be able to get back to sleep, he slid out of the sleeping bag they’d been sharing and put some more wood on the fire. But staring into the flames did nothing to calm his thoughts so he got up, put on his boots and coat, and stepped out into the freezing night, sure that a walk would calm his racing thoughts.
Although it was the middle of the night, the moon shone brightly, illuminating the frozen forest and making it easy for him to see. He found a path and began to follow it with no clear destination in mind, but soon found himself standing in front of the cabin, its door still hanging from the hinges. Climbing the steps, he walked inside, just as shocked by what he found as he’d been that afternoon.
It soon became clear to him that the first thing he had to do was search for anything that might be a clue and then fix the cabin. Penny had been here twice, had seen everything she needed to, there was no need for her to see it all again. In the morning when she came back, the mess and threats would be gone, the cabin returned to normal. Hoping that if he could at least make the cabin right, he’d be able to rest, he stepped inside and began to walk slowly around the room.
Quinten (Fairplay Shifters Series Book 3) Page 9
