by Bliss Brant
He wanted to howl in opposition to her staying here. “Not if you don’t want to.”
The taxi driver sat on the front fender of the vehicle, waiting on them, as promised. He opened the back door and got into the front. “To the airport now, sir?’
“Give us a minute.” Quinn caught Priss’s hand. “I wish you and Luka would come to Texas as planned. The boy’s got his heart set on learning to be a cowboy.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know. I need to think about what’s best for him.”
“Priss, granted I wasn’t around for the first twelve years of Luka’s life, and I may not be the kind of father you wanted for him. Still, I’d like to have some time to get to know him.” Quinn rubbed the back of his neck, wishing the tightness in his chest would ease. “My old man was no shining example of fatherhood. I’m not saying I am. Still, I don’t see how I could do worse.”
Priss squeezed his fingers. “I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about things now that the urgency of disappearing is no longer there. I don’t want to cut you out of Luka’s life. He needs you, especially now. I want you to play as much a role in his life as you want.”
“Then you’ll go to Texas?” The pounding in his skull beat off the seconds until she answered.
“Yes, we’ll go…for a couple of weeks.”
“Take us to the airport. We’re catching a flight to Texas.” Quinn leaned back against the seat of the taxi as it pulled away from the curb. His mind whirled with all the things he wanted to show them. He couldn’t wait to see Luka on a horse. Maybe he’d let him pick one as his. He smiled just thinking about it. He couldn’t remember when he’d last looked forward to what tomorrow would bring.
****
Priscilla tossed and turned in the guest room of Quinn’s ranch house in Texas. Finally giving up on getting any sleep, she climbed from bed and got dressed. She tiptoed down the hall and out the front door, thinking to watch the sun come up in another hour or so. She had just sat down in a chair when Quinn stepped out onto the porch naked.
“Good morning.” She chuckled. “I think you forgot something.”
“Nah, I go for a run almost every morning before the day gets started.”
“Is it safe?”
He shrugged. “For the most part. Why don’t you go with me?”
“I couldn’t.” She would love to run with him, throw caution to the wind and be a little wild, like she did thirteen years ago. “What if someone sees me?”
He cocked a hip on the porch rail. “They’ll think you’re a wolf out for a run.”
“And that won’t cause a panic among humans?”
“Nah. The only time they get worried is if they see you on their property, then they start fretting about their cattle. Come on. Go with me. You know you want to.”
She did want to go, forget about what was proper or what others would think, feel the wind in her fur, and run free. Be free. “I need to leave my clothes where I can dress before returning to the house, because of Luka and Buck.”
He chuckled. “I generally waltz into the house naked. It drives Buck crazy. We can leave your clothes in the barn so you’ll have some privacy to dress.”
Priscilla grinned. “Then let’s go.”
Leading the way to the barn in the dark, Quinn caught her hand. When they reached the building, she stepped inside the doors and undressed. When she turned to face Quinn, he had already transformed and watched her with yellow eyes. It shouldn’t have aroused her, but it did. Everything about Quinn, whether as human or wolf, made her want him.
He turned and took off running away from the barn. Priscilla thought about her true form. Her nose and jaw became longer, her arms and legs transformed, and she dropped to the ground on all fours. She threw back her head and howled as fur covered her entire body, then raced after him. They leapt over cactus, scrambled across large sandstone rocks, ducked under fences, and raced under the setting moon. This was the freedom she sought. Whenever thoughts of Amadeus intruded and she slowed her pace, Quinn would circle back to whine and nip at her. He brushed against her often as they sped across the ground. She would leap aside to give him more room, but the more he did it, she realized the contact was intentional. Was it just the lust of the wolf or something else?
After they’d run for quite a while, she stopped to watch the kaleidoscope of the Texas sky as it changed from black to orange to yellow with Quinn at her side as the sun started peeking over the horizon. This time, she accepted his nearness and questioned what it meant as they made their way back to the barn. Could he possibly still have feelings for her?
Priscilla leapt into a pile of hay and transformed into her human form. Falling beside her as he shifted, Quinn spooned behind her and pulled her close. His nose tickled her ear as he pressed wet kisses along the back of her neck. “Watching you twitch your tail has me hot. I want you.”
She laughed and rubbed her ass against his erection. “I’ve never felt so uninhibited. It’s exhilarating. No wonder you want to run every morning. I love it here. I’m free to be myself.”
He arched his hips against her backside, and his cock slipped inside her wet pussy.
The exquisite stretch of her inner walls to accommodate his dick made her want to howl again.
He stroked his hand over her stomach and captured a breast, rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger until it stood out hard and proud.
Priscilla bit her lip to stop a moan. She squirmed against him and ground herself against his groin.
He kissed her shoulders and neck and wound an arm around her waist to hold her in place while he increased his pace.
There was no time for pleasantries or foreplay. This was about animal lust.
Stroking her stomach then lower, Quinn’s fingers found her clit and applied pressure.
She met his thrusts. Icy hot need streaked down her thighs, waves of tingling heat centered at her core, and her mind stopped thinking. There was only Quinn. She whimpered as she climaxed.
Quinn hammered into her and pulled out before he came, spilling his semen on her lower back. He caught her in his arms and held her tight.
Priscilla’s head rested on his shoulder. The warmth of his body cocooning her made her want to stay like this forever. She closed her eyes and may have dozed for a bit until the sounds of cattle stirring woke her. The stickiness on her back gave her pause. She had been so caught up in need that she hadn’t noticed the lack of a protection. “You didn’t have a condom?”
He shook his head. “As much as I wanted to come inside you, I won’t disrespect you by doing that without a condom.”
“Oh.” The last thing she needed with her life in chaos was to get pregnant again. Thank goodness Quinn had taken care of her. And somehow it made her sad that he could think straight when his touches had turned her brain to mush. Glancing out the doors, she noticed the sun starting a slow climb off the horizon. “We need to hurry. It’s almost breakfast time.”
She tried to slip out of his arms, but he pulled her back down and kissed her. “I want you again.”
“I do, too, but not without a condom.” She’d had a taste of the freedom he loved so much and wouldn’t do anything to take it away from him. And a baby would do that.
****
Priscilla put the last dish from dinner in the dishwasher. Her time here was at an end, and she needed to return to New Orleans with nothing but memories of the past two weeks and make a life for herself without her son. Despite Almod Gold’s assurance that Amadeus would no longer be a threat to her or Luka, she wasn’t willing to risk her child’s future on it. It would be difficult, but his safety meant everything to her. Quinn had built a good life here, one her son could share and possibly inherit one day. Returning to the sink, she saw Luka riding a horse in the corral, Quinn standing by, in case he was needed.
“That’s a good boy you’ve got there, ma’am,” Buck said. “He’s a lot like his dad.”
She smiled. “Yes, he is. He loves everyth
ing about being here.”
“I wish you’d reconsider leaving tomorrow,” he said, drying the last dish and putting it away. “I know there’s some history between you and Quinn, but I’ve never seen him happier.”
“He hasn’t asked me to stay, probably because of our past.” Other than that first night, he hadn’t tried to touch her. She would have been willing, more than willing if he had. Apparently, he’d gotten what he wanted from her and was done. She poured dishwashing soap into the washer and started it.
“From what I gather, everything Quinn’s ever wanted in this life has been jerked away from him. I reckon he’s afraid to take another chance.” Moving to the back door, Buck paused, his hand on the knob. “Whatever you decide, I hope you and that boy of yours will come back often. Night, ma’am.”
“Good night, Buck.” Priscilla went into the living room and out the front door. She’d started a nightly habit of sitting outside. In the two weeks they’d been here, the weather had cooled considerably and the evenings were almost chilly. Without large buildings to block the wind, there was almost always a cool breeze to be found on the ranch. She leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. No teenagers playing loud music, no traffic noise, no crowds. Just peace and quiet. And the cicadas buzzing.
She sensed Quinn more than heard him. “Is Luka finished riding? I figured you’d be out there all night.”
“Buck is with him.” He leaned against the porch railing and watched her, then climbed the three steps and sat in the chair beside her.
“Is there any chance you might stay?” he asked, his thumb stroking the arm of the chair.
“Do you ask because it would give you access to Luka?” Her heart beat double time.
“Somewhat.”
“What’s the other part?”
He leaned back in his chair so it sat on two legs against the house. “Thirteen years ago when you turned your back on me, I wanted to get even, to hurt you. It kept a fire burning in my gut. It’s what kept me going some days when I had no reason to roll out of bed.”
Priscilla’s throat tightened. “You had every right to feel that way. I should have told you about my fath—Amadeus’s threat in the beginning, but I was afraid of what he would do.”
“Being with you in New Orleans and here, it’s like those years between then and now never happened.”
“But they did happen, and we’ve both changed.” Everything had changed except how she felt about him. Tears of regret rolled from Priscilla’s eyes and down her cheeks. She wiped them away. “It’s been wonderful being here with you on the ranch. I wasn’t sure if you held a grudge after all that’s happened. I haven’t gotten much sleep. I kept hoping…”
“What?” he asked.
“That you’d sneak down the hall into my room.” Heat climbed her neck at the admission. If she was leaving him tomorrow, she wanted one last moment in his arms, with his body alongside hers, his cock inside her, their hearts beating as one.
“Now you tell me. Thirteen years ago, I didn’t treat you the way I should have. I regret that, and I’m really sorry.”
Priscilla leaned toward him and brushed a light kiss across his cheek. “I liked the way you treated me. And the way your body loved mine.”
He stood and bent to lift her into his arms as though she weighed nothing. He opened the front screen door and crossed the living and dining room, then he turned down the hallway to his bedroom at the end. Kicking the door shut behind him, he lowered her to her feet and let go of her long enough to lock the door.
He toed off his boots and unbuckled his belt, then unzipped and unsnapped his jeans, letting the item of clothing fall down around his ankles. Stepping out of them, he pulled the T-shirt over his head and stood before her in his briefs.
Priscilla moved closer and ran her palms up his chest. She licked one nipple and sucked it.
“Priss?”
“Don’t rush me, Quinn. I’ve waited a long time for this, and I won’t be hurried.” This night with him would have to last her a lifetime.
He chuckled and pulled her against him, tilting her chin to capture her mouth. His tongue pierced the seam of her lips and stroked. He unbuttoned her blouse and unclasped her bra one-handed.
Strong calloused hands caressed her breasts, cupping them in his palms, then rolling her nipples between his fingers.
Priscilla’s legs trembled with anticipation. The thick seam of her jeans rubbed against her sensitive clit, making her want to climb Quinn. She crossed her legs and squeezed her thighs tight. The combination of his mouth and the stimulation on her clit had her ready to come.
Warmth raced from the rigid tips of her nipples to her belly. She broke the kiss and gasped against his chest. “Touch me before I go up in flames.”
****
Quinn lifted Priss and carried her to his bed. Dropping her in the center, he tugged her jeans and underwear off and threw them across the room. Ridding himself of his briefs, he climbed between her legs, pulling them up over his shoulders. He thumbed her folds apart and licked her clit.
She arched beneath him. He ran his tongue along her bud then sucked it.
Priss yanked on his hair. “Quinn, stop fooling around.”
He chuckled and crawled up her body, pausing to tease her breasts and lick his way across her satiny skin. His dick ached to slide deep into her wet pussy, and he had to remind himself to go slow. He wanted her to have no doubts after tonight how much he loved her. Maybe then she’d stay. He kissed the hollow of her throat. She moaned and arched against him. He tracked the curve of her jaw with hungry lips.
Her eyes were half closed, and she released a long, staggering sigh.
She was a walking distraction, totally unsuitable for rough ranch life, but everything within him screamed, Mine. Mate. He should let her return to life in New Orleans where she’d meet someone with money who could put her on a pedestal. If she stayed here with him, the best he could offer was long hours working cattle with more of the same the following day. But he’d let her go once without a fight. He couldn’t make that mistake again.
He ran his tongue slowly along the seam of her lips and whispered her name. Her fingers slid up his sides, and he groaned. He kissed her, trying to slow down before he lost it while his body compelled him to hurry. He angled his head and kissed her deeper. He groaned at the pleasure of having her in his arms. He dropped one hand to cup her breast again. It was firm, full, perfect. Her nipple tightened under each stroke of his thumb. His erection nestled in the cradle of her thighs. He rubbed it against her.
She moaned. “Quinn, I need you inside me.” She caught his cock in her hand.
He closed his eyes and groaned, almost losing it right there. He reached out to snag his jeans and pulled a condom from his wallet. When he ripped open the foil packet, she took it away from him, reminding him of the first time she’d tried to roll one on him. It had taken her several times to get it right.
Then she guided his dick to her opening, and that was all it took. He slid into her, withdrew, and seated himself completely in her heat. He tried to be still a moment to calm down, but she wouldn’t have it. Her nails scored his back and drew blood on his ass. He began to move, stroking in and out, faster and deeper.
She wrapped her legs around his hips and dug her heels into his butt as she arched against him. “Now, Quinn.”
Quinn complied, sliding almost all the way out, then powered back in. He held her gaze as they came together, locked in a tight embrace. “I love you, Priss. I always have.”
They stayed that way for a few minutes, her eyes closed, keeping him from reading her thoughts. Did she still love him, too, or was she struggling for words of how to let him down easily?
Finally, Priss said, “I never stopped loving you.”
His heart expanded in his chest. He blinked at the moisture threatening to fill his eyes. He had a tough time grasping that she could still love him after all these years. “Then you’ll stay here with me? You and Luka?”
He waited for her answer, counting off the seconds.
“We need to get dressed before Luka and Buck come inside.”
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I guess I’m afraid to hope things might be the same as before.”
“I don’t want it to be the same,” he said, folding his hands behind his head. “I want you to trust me. If you’d told me in the first place about Amadeus’s threat, none of this would have happened.”
She stiffened beside him. Her eyes went from soft to flashing. She climbed off the bed and rammed her legs into her jeans. “That’s rich. You want me to trust you when you’re the one who ran off. Even after you left, I believed that you loved me and would come back. Only you didn’t. Then there’s Amadeus, who is a poster child for taking advantage of everyone he meets. So, excuse me if I don’t trust easily. Besides, I’m not the only one with trust issues. You have them, too.”
“You’re right.” He smiled inside, happy to see her get all fired up, and finally stand up for herself.
“Trust is a two-way street,” she said.
“I agree.”
She turned to look at him as she pulled on her blouse. “What?”
“You’re right. I’ll do better.”
Priss planted her hands on her hips. “And another thing, I’m done with men controlling my life.”
Quinn groaned. “I want to protect you. There’s a difference.”
He sat on the side of the bed and caught her hips. Brushing a quick kiss across her lips, he went into the bathroom to clean up. He returned and tugged on his jeans. As he drew the T-shirt over his head, a knock sounded on the door.
He cracked the door open and saw Buck on the other side.
“Do you know where Priscilla is? The boy’s hunting for her.”
“She’ll be out in a minute.” He closed the door and turned to find Priss, her hands covering her face. He frowned and wondered if she was ashamed or embarrassed? “You’re not sorry that we—”
“No, not at all. It was wonderful. I’m just a bit embarrassed at getting caught.” She stepped into his arms and brushed a kiss across his lips. “I wish we could have had this talk thirteen years ago.”
