She closed her mouth, leaned against the counter, and crossed her arms. “Fine.” She shrugged. “You do whatever you need to. But let me know how much it costs. I’m paying for it.”
I shrugged as well. “Fair enough.” I went back to the living room, shoved my feet in my boots, and headed for the door.
“I have to head out, but I’ll see you at work later,” she called after me.
Christ.
I needed a drink. Fucking shame it was barely morning.
* * *
It was hot and stuffy in here, and there were too many people.
Yeah, I was happy Cal’s exhibition at Cassy’s Springhaven Gallery was going well—shit, sold tags were already going up and things only got started half an hour ago—but this wasn’t my kind of deal. Hell, it wasn’t Cal’s. I still couldn’t believe Cassy had convinced him to show his paintings.
Putting down my beer, I undid the cuffs on my black button-down and rolled them up. I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I was on edge, restless.
Quinn’s not here yet.
Jesus, was that it, really?
Fuck me. My head was still all over the place where she was concerned.
“You look nice,” Cassy said, coming to stand beside me and handing me another beer.
I felt my face heat.
I grunted and inwardly winced.
Why the fuck had I gone and bought new jeans as well as the shirt? It was obvious that’s exactly what they were: new. I didn’t do shit like that. Everyone knew I didn’t do shit like that. God, what were they thinking? Probably that I was trying to impress someone, that I was trying to get someone’s attention.
The door opened and I glanced over, about to take a deep pull of my beer, wishing it was something stronger…and my hand stalled in midair.
Quinn.
My skin prickled instantly, and my back started sweating.
She was wearing a dress. Short and black. Quinn never wore dresses.
And heels. High sexy stilettos. Spiked ones that made her legs look even longer. The dress plunged at the front, showing off the soft swells of her breasts, and had a split over her right thigh. Too much skin. Way too much fucking skin. I searched the room, noting how many male eyes were on her. Too many.
“She looks good, doesn’t she?” Cassy said beside me.
Quinn had looked good before. She didn’t need to change anything as far as I was concerned.
I glanced down at Cassy, at the pride on her face. “You did this?” I said, more grit in my voice than before.
She smiled up at me. “I helped. Quinn wanted a change, to shake things up a bit.” She patted my arm. “I’m going to go grab her before someone else does.”
The muscles in my lower back felt tight, and sweat slid down between my shoulder blades. Going by the eyes still on Quinn, a lot of someones wanted to grab her before Cassy could.
I gripped my beer tighter, unable to look away from Quinn as she moved farther into the gallery, greeted Cassy, the way they talked animatedly to each other, and as she made her way around the room, smiling and laughing and chatting with a whole lot of other people.
What she didn’t do was look at me, not once.
Ever since Quinn came home, one thing was a given: whenever she walked into a room I was in, she sought me out. Her gray eyes would search the room until they found me, and as soon as they did, the tension in her shoulders would ease, like she needed me somehow.
She hadn’t done it when she came into work after I’d slept at her place, or the next night, and she wasn’t doing it now. It wasn’t like she’d been purposely ignoring me—she still greeted me and said good night—she’d just stopped looking at me like she needed me.
I never realized how much I liked it until she stopped doing it.
Honestly, I hated it.
I knew deep down what it was about. I made her feel safe, secure, and after what had happened with her prick of an ex-fiancé, she’d needed someone to give her that. For some reason, she’d chosen me.
And yeah, I knew that’s why she tried to kiss me. Quinn was all mixed up after what she went through. She didn’t actually want me. She’d just been momentarily confused.
Looking at her now, she sure as fuck wasn’t confused about her feelings for me anymore.
A weird feeling started up behind my ribs, somewhere in the center of my chest. I rubbed at it and took another deep pull of my beer, scowling as she moved out of view.
I finished my beer and grabbed another one, then before I knew what I was doing, I was heading in her direction.
Chapter Seven
Quinn
It had taken two glasses of wine and a serious talk with myself to walk into this gallery, but once I was here I felt good. I felt kind of…well, beautiful.
I took a sip of the champagne Cassy had put in my hand when I walked in and stared up at the painting in front of me. Cal was extremely talented. Like I had no idea how much. Mainly he did landscapes from around the area, but that didn’t do them justice. They were moody and bold and so emotive they hit you right in the chest.
I never knew art could reach a person like that, but Cal had that gift, and if I’d had the money, I would have loved one of his paintings in my home.
Not all were landscapes, though. There were two of Cassy, and they were breathtaking. One of her on a white horse, bent over the animal, hair flying out behind her. You could see the movement, feel the adrenaline, it was that good. The other was Cassy with her back to the canvas from the waist up, bare except for the beautiful tattoos down one side of her body. Her head was turned so you could see her profile, and she was looking at something or someone, a secret smile on her face.
Cal. She was obviously looking at Cal, who I’d noted had put sold tags on both paintings. Going by Cassy’s little headshake and the way she’d bitten her lip trying to contain her smile as she watched him do it, they weren’t sold at all; more likely he’d changed his mind and didn’t want anyone else to have them.
My heart squeezed a little. What would it be like to be loved like that?
The pride I saw on Cassy’s face, in her voice when she spoke about his work to anyone who asked, and the way Cal watched her as she moved around the room, it was obvious he loved watching her in her element. Whenever they were together, it was plain to see.
That’s not for you. It was never meant for you.
I moved to the next painting, on my own now since Cassy and Ted, her friend and store manager, were busy looking after everything, but I didn’t mind.
Someone bumped into me.
“Sorry.” I stepped to the side as a guy in a navy suit and eyes to match turned to me.
“No, forgive me. I wasn’t looking where I was going.” His eyes were kind as he smiled and held out his hand.
I took it.
“Robert.”
“Quinn.”
“I don’t think I know any other Quinns.”
“I don’t think I know any other Roberts,” I said, smiling, because he was handsome and seemed nice. “So do you know Cal and Cassy?”
His brows went up in question.
“The artist, Joel Calero.”
“Ah no, I was actually just desperate to get out of my hotel room. I travel a lot for work and spend a couple of nights a week here. It can get lonely, so I thought I’d come check it out.”
“What do you do?” I asked, making small talk because, yeah, there was something about him that was…interesting.
“I’m an area manager for a mid-level finance company. I cover Springhaven and the surrounding towns all the way to Black Stone.”
“That must be tough, traveling all the time,” I said.
He turned more, body angling toward me. “Definitely lonely.”
There was a glint in his eyes that I hadn’t noticed before. It was sexy and definitely wicked. The guy was charming—I’d give him that—and I’d bet he had a woman in every town he stayed at.
“So what happen
ed to Miss Springhaven?” I asked, going with my gut.
He frowned, and even that was charming. “Excuse me?”
“A woman in every port? There’s a Miss Black Stone, right?”
He smiled again, looking stupidly handsome but with a big dose of you got me that was plain to see. He shrugged. “Like I said, I get lonely. I’m young, not looking for anything serious just yet.” He turned that wicked grin on me. “You’re a beautiful woman, Quinn. If you’re ever at a loose end, looking for someone to have dinner with, some fun…” He pulled a card from his pocket and slid it into my hand, and for some insane reason I took it from him. “Give me a call. I think we could have a good time.”
I stared up at him. He wasn’t sleazy, just straightforward, honest about what he wanted, and also extremely good-looking.
I wasn’t seriously looking for someone.
But I wasn’t not looking either.
The whole moving-on thing had been in the forefront of my mind lately, and I planned to take every opportunity to do just that. He was exactly what I was looking for. A good time, nothing serious. No messy feelings involved. Something easy, uncomplicated. Just another human I could connect with when I got lonely. I smiled back. Dinner wouldn’t hurt, to see if there was something there, if we had chemistry. “I might just do that.”
A hand landed on the back of my neck and I jumped, startled by the contact.
I didn’t need to turn around to see who those rough-skinned fingers holding me belonged to, though. They were big and hot, the hold possessive. Goddammit.
Robert was looking behind me, eyes wide.
“Robert, this is Bull,” I said without looking back. “He’s like a brother to me,” I added, and yeah, there was probably some bitterness thrown in. An emotion I thought I was over where Bull was concerned. Obviously not.
Bull stiffened, and when I glanced back, I saw his brown eyes were locked on Robert and did not waver.
Robert held out his hand to shake. “Nice to meet you—”
“You can go now,” Bull said.
“Bull,” I snapped, spinning to face him.
Robert held up his hands. “Sorry, man. Didn’t know she was taken.”
“I’m not.”
“Well, now you know,” Bull said, a rough growl to his voice, ignoring me completely.
I stared at him in shock as Robert strode away. “What the hell was that?” I hissed.
“What the fuck are you doing talking to an asshole like that?” he bit out, ignoring my question and throwing out one of his own.
My anger shot straight to boiling point. “Who the hell I talk to is none of your business.”
His expression turned thunderous. “Like hell it isn’t. That asshole wants to fuck you, Quinn, that’s all.”
“Well, yes, he implied as much. And your point is?” I fired back.
Bull went rock solid. “What?” he said, quiet fury in his voice.
“You heard me. Did you ever stop to think that’s all I want?” I pointed at his chest, on a roll now. “Christ, you’re just a giant cockblock, Logan, and I’m so goddamn over it. What? You don’t want me but no one else can have me either?”
The veins and tendons in his forearms bulged, an expression on his face one I’d never seen before. “Mase would’ve—”
“I don’t give a rat’s ass what Mase would’ve done or thought in this situation. I stay out of his love life and unless I go to him for help or ask for his opinion, he does the same for me.”
“Quinn—”
“No, Bull. Jesus. Enough already. Yes, Mase asked you to look out for me, but that doesn’t mean you get an opinion on who I choose to date…or sleep with. For God’s sake, he meant making sure I wasn’t alone all the time or dwelling on what happened with Bevan. Being a friend if I needed one, not…this, whatever the hell it is you think you’re doing. I’m a grown woman, and I sure as hell don’t need another big brother.”
He made a rough sound, looking pissed off, eyes bright, chest rising and falling rapidly.
“You’ve been amazing, and I appreciate everything you’ve done for me since I came home—I do—but what I really need from you now”—My stomach tightened. I knew what I had to say, but I didn’t want to. What I really wanted was the opposite, but that wasn’t going to happen—“is for you to back off. You need to give me some space.”
He stood looking down at me, his body so still he looked carved from stone. The muscle in his cheek jumped and something flashed through his eyes that hit me in the center of the chest.
Finally, he dipped his chin.
“Bull…”
He turned and strode away. Right out of the gallery.
Shit.
I instantly wanted to snatch my words back, despite knowing it had been the right thing for me to do and how unhealthy it was for me to let him carry on playing the role he’d appointed himself in my life.
Because the truth was I wanted it—too much.
Chapter Eight
Quinn
I felt antsy as hell. Thank God my shift was finally over. It’d been busy all night and there’d been no time to take Bull aside to talk.
I’d barely slept last night, not after what I’d said to him. I’d tossed and turned, an image of his expression when I told him to back off beaming in high definition behind my eyelids.
Yes, he’d overstepped. He’d gotten carried away last night and needed to cool it with the overprotective-big-brother impersonation, but he deserved better from me after all he’d done to take care of me since I got home.
I headed down the hall to Bull’s office, nerves sparking and zapping through my belly. But I couldn’t let another moment pass without saying something, without trying to make things right between us.
We just needed to discuss this like rational adults.
Taking a steadying breath, I knocked on his door.
“Yeah,” he called.
I turned the handle and let the heavy wood swing open. Bull looked up from whatever he was working on, and, yeah, he looked surprised to see me at his door. He hadn’t expected me to seek him out today, definitely wasn’t expecting me to apologize or try and make things right between us. And didn’t that just make me feel like the biggest jerk in existence.
I stepped over the threshold. “You got a minute?”
“Kinda busy,” he muttered.
Yep, he was pissed with me. “This won’t take long.”
He sighed, dropped his pen, and sat back in his seat, all big and gorgeous—and surly. I wanted to climb in his lap and wrap myself around him.
Stop it!
“Look, Bull…what I said last night…” What? How could I make it right? I hadn’t really planned this out, I just knew I hated the way we’d left things. Yes, I needed distance from him, but I never wanted to hurt his feelings. Or make him feel shitty for being protective of me, no matter how misguided at times. It was the last thing I wanted. God, I’d felt sick about it since he walked out of the gallery. “I shouldn’t have said what I did, not like that.”
“All good, Quinn. Message received,” he said, expression going utterly blank.
I hated that look on his face. Hated it. I closed the door behind me and stepped farther into the room. I had to be honest with him, to make him understand. I couldn’t bring myself to leave things as they were, and I couldn’t bear to have him think badly of me.
I took a steadying breath. “Look, it’s no secret that I’ve had some…well, shitty luck where men and relationships are concerned. Like really shitty.” Luck had nothing to do with it, but I didn’t want to dig up all my dark, painful truths right then, not with Bull, not with anyone. I crossed my arms. “I’m done with relationships, with finding that perfect someone crap. Like, so done.” I made myself meet his gaze. “But I’m the kind of girl who likes affection, being close with another person.” I shrugged. “I like sex.”
Bull shifted in his seat, his frown deepening.
“Yes, I’m extremely…attr
acted to you, obviously.” I lifted my hands, stopping him before he could say anything, before he could reject me all over again. “It’s fine. I know you don’t feel that way about me. But you need to know that eventually, I will find someone to meet my…needs.” I motioned to him. “I’m sure you have women lined up when you need…that.” Yep, this was awkward as hell. “Well, I’m a one-man kind of woman, even if it’s just a sexual thing, you know? Even if it’s just some fun. The reason I’m telling you this is I respect you, as a friend, but I will meet someone, and I need you to be okay with it because you’re important to me.”
His graze had grown insanely intense, but I pushed on.
“So I guess I’m asking you to trust me to take care of myself, and to trust that if I’m in over my head, or need help, I will come to you. Are you cool with that?”
Bull made a weird sound and stood suddenly, his chair scraping on the wooden floor. That’s when I noticed how heavily his chest was rising and falling.
His nostrils flared, and he shook his head just once.
I blinked at him. What now? “No?”
“No,” he repeated on a near snarl. “I’m not fucking cool with that.”
“What do you mean no?” I said, shock clear in my voice.
“Come here,” he said instead of answering my question. “Now.”
Bull
I shouldn’t be doing this. I knew it, but there was no way I could stop, not after what she’d just said.
She was attracted to me. To me.
Those words were a red flag in front of my face.
I thought she just felt safe with me. I never imagined she actually wanted me, not even when she’d made her fumbled pass at me. Never let myself believe it. I’d convinced myself that the kiss we’d shared came down to confused feelings and high emotions.
SIN FOR YOU: ROCKTOWN INK, BOOK TWO Page 7
