Sworn to Protect (14 page)

Athena could feel Quinn buzzing with energy. She was beyond annoyed with him, but if there was a security issue she wanted to know about it. Now she felt just a twinge of guilt at ignoring his call and text.

She would have worried about Raegan, but Travis would be with her. Still, she couldn’t imagine what kind of security situation warranted Quinn dragging her upstairs. Especially when he’d been off having drinks with another woman.

“So what’s the deal?” she asked as they stepped onto their floor. They had to wait until everyone else got off on their floors before the elevator took them to this exclusive one. She had to admit it was nice to be staying in an executive area. It was so quiet compared to the rest of the hotel and casino.

Quinn placed his hand on the small of her back again, as if he had every right to touch her. As if he hadn’t been out with someone else. And yeah, she knew that it might have been work related, but then why not just tell her? His behavior had been too weird and now she figured she knew exactly why. She was just glad she hadn’t slept with him.

She stiffened at the touch and the man just slid his hand farther around her waist, pulling her close. When she looked up at him, he had an odd look in his eyes. Challenging almost. “Well?” she asked, since he still hadn’t answered her.

“Why did you meet Raegan downstairs?”

She blinked, surprised by his question. “Why wouldn’t I meet her? She got here early and is so excited to be in Vegas. She’s like a freaking kid on Christmas.” Despite Athena’s annoyance with Quinn, she couldn’t help but smile thinking about Raegan.

Even Quinn’s expression softened. “Yeah, she is. Who was the man you were talking to?”

“Who was the woman you were off having drinks with?” Athena smoothly slid out of his hold as they reached the suite door. She turned her back to him, opened the door. “And why don’t you tell me what this emergency is so I can get back downstairs?” She heard him let out what sounded like a growl. An actual
growl
. It shouldn’t have heated her up from the inside out, but it did.

“I wasn’t having drinks with Margot.”

Athena nearly snorted. “So Travis is a liar?” Her voice dripped with just a bit of saccharine sweet sarcasm. As the door shut behind them, she turned to find Quinn with a dark expression on his face. She resisted the urge to take a step back.

Growling in that annoyingly sexy way, he raked a hand over his dark, cropped hair. “No, yes, I mean, no, he’s not a liar but he didn’t tell you the truth.”

Not stepping any farther into their suite, she faced him, hands on her hips. “And why is that?”

“He didn’t know you and I were—are—together.”

Were they together?
Her temper flared, a bright blaze inside her. “Because if he had, he wouldn’t have told me you were having drinks with another woman?”

“Yes…damn it, Athena. I didn’t tell Travis we were together, because I wasn’t sure what you wanted. I should have brought it up to you last night or this morning, but hell, I didn’t want to screw things up between us. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in a relationship and I know this job is important to you. It’s not like I’m your boss or there’s a conflict, but I wasn’t sure what you wanted people to know.”

Some of the steam that had been building inside her faded, but… “Okay. I appreciate that. And I don’t want to keep us—if there is an us—a secret.”

At that, his eyes seemed to darken even more. “If?”

There was something in that one word that sent a thrill down her spine and had her nipples pebbling against her bra cups. She didn’t respond because she couldn’t find her voice.

He advanced on her with two strides until she found herself pressed up against the wall of the entryway. The light was dim, casting shadows over the hard, handsome lines of his face. He didn’t touch her though, but laid his hands on either side of his head as he looked down at her. His breathing was slightly erratic and there was no mistaking the gleam of lust in his gaze. It was tempered with something else she couldn’t quite define though.

Her heart rate kicked up about a thousand notches so that all she could hear was the blood rushing in her ears. “Where were you earlier?” Athena hated that her question came out as a whisper.

“Meeting on the security floor with Iris and Margot—she’s part of their web security team. White’s unaccounted for in Miami and I’m concerned he might be in Vegas. I needed all the facts before I came to you because I didn’t want to worry you unnecessarily.”

Athena felt a rush of relief that he hadn’t been out having drinks with another woman. She knew she should be more concerned about what Quinn said regarding White, but her initial response was one of such pure relief. She’d go back to the White situation later. “Oh.”

“Oh?” Still not actually touching her with his hands, he leaned down, nipped her earlobe between his teeth. “You were mad at me,” he murmured.

Feeling the freedom to touch him now, she slid her hands up his chest. “Maybe a little annoyed.”

He pressed down a little harder on her earlobe before oh-so-gently raking his teeth against her neck. God, the sensation of him teasing her like that made her instantly wet. She dug her fingers into his shoulders, shuddered when he started kissing along her jaw.

“I should have told you about the potential threat,” he murmured, his mouth just above hers now, his breath warm as it feathered over her. “I should have told you that I’m not going to be seeing anyone else, that I don’t want you to either. This thing between us is rare. I want to give us a shot.”

She melted at his words and arched a little, instinctively. She wanted to jump the man, wrap her arms and legs around him and feel him push into her right against the wall. She wanted his mouth and hands on her, everywhere. “I want to be exclusive too. I felt so…” Athena almost said annoyed again, but decided to go with the truth. “Mad at you. And really hurt.” Because Quinn hadn’t seemed like a liar, thankfully wasn’t.

For a moment, Quinn looked as if he’d say something more but then his eyes got that heavy-lidded lustful look and she knew they’d be talking much later.

“I’m on the Pill,” she blurted the instant before his mouth would have descended on hers.

His big body went impossibly still, his nostrils flaring ever so slightly as he looked at her. They were so close now she could swear she heard his heartbeat—though she knew that was just the thump of hers pounding erratically. “Have you been on it long enough to go without a condom?”

“Couple months.” She’d gone on it the first week they’d gone on a date because deep down she’d known that she planned to sleep with him. Because the thought of not doing so felt almost criminal.

“I’m clean.” The two words were said so matter-of-factly she knew he’d been tested.

If it had been anyone else she wouldn’t have taken him at face value but this was Quinn. She trusted him. She simply nodded.

He crushed his mouth to hers. Which was just as well because there was nothing left to say. His kisses were hard, demanding. She savored the commanding way he dominated her mouth, leaving her breathless and wanting more.

Clutching onto his shoulders, she arched into him. She wanted to wrap her legs around him but her knee-length dress was too fitted. As if he read her mind he tugged the zipper down the back. Instead of letting it pool around her waist, he shoved it all the way off.

Cool air rushed over her as she stepped out of her dress wearing a black matching bra and panty set and heels. She knew that was supposed to be a man’s fantasy. If the hungry look on Quinn’s face was any indication then yep, it definitely was.

Taking her by surprise, he fell to his knees, his intent clear. She’d thought—well, she’d thought since she’d made it obvious she wanted to have sex that he’d have gone straight for that. She didn’t mind skipping a little foreplay, she desperately wanted to experience all of him and she was already wet. So wet she trembled for him.

“Gotta taste you.” The words seemed to be torn from him as he tugged her underwear off.

Those words made her melt just a little more. The need and hunger that emanated from him mirrored what she was feeling. When she stepped out of the panties, he grasped her ankle, kissed her inner calf as he lifted her foot over his shoulder. Familiar with this position by now, her inner walls tightened in anticipation of what was to come. Even the feel of his lips feathering over her leg made her shudder.

“You make me fucking crazy,” he murmured, glancing up at her.

The look in his eyes was electric, scorching. She was thankful for the wall holding her up.

With his gaze on hers, he slid a hand up her leg, stopping only when he reached her inner thigh. Gently, he trailed a finger along the crease of her skin where her thigh and pussy met. He was barely touching her, but it was as if she could feel his hands on her everywhere.

She wanted to tell him to hurry up, to ease the ache between her legs, but couldn’t make her throat work.

When he finally teased a finger along her slick opening, he closed his eyes for a long moment. He didn’t stop what he was doing though, but pushed his finger fully inside her.

She tightened around him, automatically rolling her hips, wanting way more than just this. She couldn’t ever remember being so turned on, wanting something so much.

He groaned, the sound so tortured and sensual before he leaned forward and placed his mouth on her clit. There had been moments last night when she’d felt a little insecure, especially when he’d joined her under the bright lights of the shower and could see all her flaws, but right now all of that fell away.

Quinn liked and wanted all of her. When he slid another finger inside her, she sucked in a breath and tightened her grip on his shoulders.

He groaned against her clit as he teased her, flicking and massaging her mercilessly with his tongue. When he started moving his fingers in and out of her, curving them at just the right angle, she let go completely, her orgasm punching through her fast and sharp.

It should have been a shock how fast she climaxed, but she’d been aching for him since…well, when wasn’t she aching for him? It seemed that when they were in the same room, her body just flared to life.

Even when she’d been angry at him, when he’d placed his hand on her back down in Cloud 9, then again when they’d stepped out of the elevator, she’d felt that light touch all the way to her toes. And had wanted more of it.

Now she felt his touch deep inside her, craved more than just his fingers as she came apart against his mouth. She’d fallen hard for him all those months ago and when he’d pretty much run from her, it had sliced her deep. But now she knew she hadn’t made a mistake wanting, needing this man so much. “Quinn,” she rasped out, unable to say anything else. It was difficult to think much less speak.

He made a satisfied rumbling sound against her clit. The vibration against her sensitive bundle of nerves nearly made her collapse. When he withdrew his fingers, another shudder of pleasure spooled through her, the after effects of her orgasm lingering.

Moving with the speed of a lethal predator, he was on his feet in seconds, his mouth over hers once again.

Not for the first time had she thought it was a sensual experience to taste herself on his lips. She held onto him, hooked her legs around his waist. She knew exactly what she wanted, knew he did too. She wondered if maybe she should be more nervous about her first time but all she felt was excitement.

In seconds he had her bra off, tossed somewhere behind them. His big palms smoothed down her ass, clutched her hard as he started walking them somewhere. Her room or his, she didn’t care. Hell, she didn’t care if they went right down to the floor as long as he was inside her soon.

Moments later she was aware they’d entered her room as she found herself flat on her back, the glittering lights of Vegas in the background. The bed was soft, cool under her skin. The heat surging through her now was a direct contrast.

When he paused over her, his gorgeous body covering hers—and covered by too many clothes, she practically ripped his shirt off. Luckily he seemed to be more in control than her, just barely, and managed to get it off in seconds. After he did, he pushed off her, removing all that warmth and strength.

She must have made a protesting sound because he let out a low chuckle as he slid off the edge of the bed.

“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart.” There was a dark promise in those words as he started stripping off the rest of his clothes with economic movements.

When he was naked at the foot of the bed, he looked like a perfectly sculpted statue, all defined lines and striations. And he was hers. That thought sent another one of those waves of heat through her.

She started to push up so that she was on her knees, but he moved atop her with a speed that continued to surprise her given his size. She spread her thighs for him, loved the feel of him settling between her legs with no barrier. His cock pressed against her abdomen. Just the feel of it on her skin made her smile.

She slid one hand to the back of his neck, held onto him as he looked down at her. The man was absolute perfection. She was so glad he was going to be her first, was glad now that she’d waited. No matter how things played out between them, she trusted Quinn with her body and her heart.

Lazily he cupped one of her breasts and slowly, torturously rubbed his thumb over her aching nipple in little circles. This was different from the frantic energy she’d been feeling out in the hall. She still wanted him with a wildness that terrified her a little, but she was pretty certain he’d slowed things down just a bit. For her benefit or his, she wasn’t certain. But she knew that he’d given her an orgasm to get her ready for him.