Midnight Lies: The Wildefire Series (33 page)

“Younger by two years.”

“That’s just awful,” Gibby said. “Did you read in the paper where …”

Quinn stopped listening. He had just shared more with the Wilde family than he had
ever told anyone other than Sam herself. For some reason, it wasn’t painful … not
like he had feared.

Sam caught his eye and mouthed the words “Hurry up.”

Breath caught in his throat and his heart flipped over. He had to find a way to make
this work. He couldn’t lose her again.

Hurriedly swallowing the last of her pecan pie, Samantha stood and started gathering
empty plates. She needed to get Quinn out of here soon. He had that closed-down expression
on his face that he got when things went beyond his comfort zone. That look had occurred
often at the few parties they had attended in Atlanta. Quinn was such a private person.
She wished so much that she had realized sooner that his need for privacy coincided
with a deep hurt in his past.

“Here, Sammie, let me help you.”

Blaine tried to take the plates from her. Having him here for dinner hadn’t been as
awkward as she’d feared. He had been polite and friendly but not overly so. However,
she didn’t want him to misunderstand again where she stood. And his calling her Sammie
was downright irritating.

“That’s okay, Blaine.” She pulled the plates from his grasp. “Go visit with everyone
else. My sisters and I have this down to a science.”

“Nonsense. A beautiful woman shouldn’t have to work on a holiday.”

She laughed. “If women didn’t work on holidays, there sure would be a lot of hungry
people.”

Backing away from him, she caught Brody’s eye and he gave her a slight nod.

“Blaine, you up for a game of poker?”

Whether it was his need to feel like one of the guys or because Brody put a hand on
his shoulder to steer him toward the family room, Samantha didn’t know. Whatever the
reason, she shot a grateful look at her friend, who winked back at her.

As she watched the two men walk away, she chewed her lip in indecision. She needed
to return the gift Blaine had given her the other night. The longer she had it in
her possession, the more it would look as if she had accepted it. Problem was, if
she tried to do that now, it would most likely cause a scene, spoiling everyone’s
Thanksgiving. Making a mental note to take care of that deed tomorrow, she turned
toward the kitchen and bumped into Zach.

“Here, let me take those.”

She eyed him suspiciously. Though Zach was always helpful in the kitchen, he seemed
a little too eager today. “What’s going on?”

His expression one of exaggerated innocence, Zach shrugged. “It’s Thanksgiving.” He
leaned closer and whispered, “Besides, Savannah told me if I didn’t help you sneak
away with Quinn, she wouldn’t let me have dessert.”

Since she had watched him devour almost half of a pumpkin pie less than ten minutes
ago, Samantha had a feeling “dessert” meant something else.

“How does Savvy know I want to sneak away with Quinn?”

“I think she and Bri had a talk.”

Samantha cut her eyes over at Bri, who was chatting with one of Gibby’s best friends,
Hester Shook. As if she knew she was the subject of conversation, her sister lifted
her head and grinned. “Go for it, Sammie.”

Shooting her a brilliant smile of thanks, she turned back to Zach and handed him the
empty plates. “Thanks, Zach, I owe you.”

“I figure you’ll pay back plenty in babysitting.”

“With pleasure.”

Heading to the other side of the room, where Quinn seemed to be in a deep discussion
with Aunt Gibby, Samantha was filled with both exhilaration and anticipation. She
couldn’t wait any longer.

“Aunt Gibby, did you get enough to eat?”

“Oh heavens, honey, I won’t need to eat for another week.” She patted Samantha’s cheek.
“You’re looking rosy and happy today. It’s good to see you like that again.”

She then turned to the man responsible for Samantha’s rosy cheeks. “Young man, I hope
you know how lucky you are.”

“Yes, ma’am, I most certainly do.”

“Excellent. Now you two run on. I’m going to settle back with another cup of coffee
and catch up with Sabrina.”

Grateful that her aunt realized how much she wanted to be with Quinn, Samantha leaned
down and kissed the wrinkled, weathered cheek. “Happy Thanksgiving, Aunt Gibby.”

“You too, honey.” She winked. “Now y’all go and have fun.”

Swallowing a startled laugh, she grabbed Quinn’s hand. Making a brief stop in the
hallway for her jacket and purse hanging from the coatrack, she pulled him toward
the kitchen.

“Wait. I thought we were leaving,” he said.

“We are, through the back door. I want to get away without anyone stopping us.”

Samantha burst through the kitchen door and then stopped abruptly. Savvy and Zach
were in the midst of a kiss. She winced and was about to back out again when Savvy
pulled slightly out of Zach’s arms and peeked around his broad shoulder. “Go, you
two, before anyone sees you. We’ve got this covered.”

Blowing her a kiss, she ran to the door with Quinn striding behind her. “Thanks, sis.”

The instant they were on the patio, Quinn pulled her into his arms and held her tight.
She melted against him and savored being this close to him again. Her voice was muffled
against his chest. “We’d better leave before we get caught.”

“Stay the night with me?”

She leaned back so she could look up at him. “Can I borrow your toothbrush?”

He grinned and dropped a kiss on her nose. “You bet.”

“Then let’s go.”

Taking her hand, he pulled her around to the front of the house, toward his car. Samantha
settled into the passenger seat and breathed in a quiet, steady breath. She had made
her decision and nothing would change her mind.

As they drove away, she caught a glimpse of Blaine’s glum, wistful face at the window
of the family room. Knowing she had nothing to feel guilty about didn’t take away
the sadness. Hopefully he would soon find someone to mend his broken heart. As for
her, she had everything she needed.

Quinn turned in to his driveway. Though every particle of his body wanted to rush
Sam into the house and into his bed, he refused to give in to temptation. This was
a new beginning for them. She had said she wanted to be more to him than a bed partner.
That meant sharing more than just their bodies. And Sam meant a hell of a lot more
to him than just a warm body to lose himself in for an hour or so. If he had to deny
himself to show her that, then he’d damn well do it.

He glanced over at her. She’d been quiet on the drive over. He hoped to hell she wasn’t
having second thoughts. “Ever sat on the pier and watched the sunset?”

“I thought the sunset was in the west. The lake faces the east.” She frowned as if
she wasn’t quite sure.

“Yeah, but the sun still turns the water a brilliant gold before it sets.” He took
her hand and pressed a kiss to it. “Want to watch?”

“I’d like that.”

They got out of the car and walked toward the pier. Halfway there he stopped. “You’re
not exactly dressed for this, are you?”

She looked down at her dress and four-inch heels and grimaced. “I should have taken
the time to change.” Raising her head, naked longing blazing in her eyes, she said,
“I couldn’t wait any longer.”

No way could Quinn prevent himself from kissing her. Lowering his head, he touched
her lips with his, moving softly, slowly, tasting, teasing. When she leaned in for
a deeper connection, he gave her what she wanted and what he was dying for. Sealing
his mouth to hers, his tongue plunged deep, tangling with hers. Her fingernails dug
into his shoulders as she leaned more into him, needing, like he did, more contact.
A growl began deep in his chest. He cupped her beautiful ass in his hands and brought
her flush up against him. Still wasn’t enough. Anchoring his feet to keep his legs
steady, he lifted her and fit himself into the soft, giving V of her mound. The instant
he did, she pressed into him and began a slow, sensuous ride.

The growl that had been building let loose. Sliding his hands beneath her dress, he
cupped her almost naked ass and squeezed gently. What had begun as a soft, gentle
taste test had turned into an erotic, mind-blowing experience. As his mouth continued
devouring her sweetness, he pressed himself as deeply into her as their clothes would
allow. He knew exactly the moment she was coming. Her body went stiff, and even through
clothing, he could feel her sex pulse and throb against him. He held her tight, loving
the mewling sounds she made as she reached the top and then plunged into her release.

When her body went slack, it took every bit of willpower to let her slide down his
body until her feet were firmly on the ground. Loosening his arms, he pulled away
enough to look down at her flushed, beautiful face. Despite his throbbing erection
straining for release, Quinn knew he wouldn’t take it further than this.

His chest tightened at the look in her eyes. Soft, dewy, and full of love. Giving
pleasure without taking his own wasn’t something he had a lot of experience with.
He had always made sure his partner was satisfied, but had also ensured he got his,
too. But with Sam, seeing her
gratification and knowing he had given her what she needed … Quinn mentally shrugged.
It was enough.

Her face softly glowing, she whispered, “Let’s go inside.”

Shaking his head, he backed away. “It’s almost sunset.” He scooped her into his arms,
laughing at her small squeal of surprise.

“What are you doing?”

“Carrying you so you won’t stumble on the ground.”

Moving swiftly, he covered the distance in a matter of seconds. An old bench that
needed refinishing and painting was the only place to sit. Quinn lowered himself to
the bench but kept her on his lap. “You’ll snag your dress if you sit on the wood.”
And then he said softly, “Just wait … and watch.”

Samantha’s heart was so full it was almost to the bursting point. Never had Quinn
been so tender and gentle. And never had he given her such delicious pleasure without
taking it further.

She pressed a soft kiss to his neck, inhaling the delicious all-male scent of him.
Then, because she could tell it meant something to him to share this with her, she
turned her head and waited. What followed was a gentle flush of crimson on the water.
Samantha gasped in delight as slowly, surely, the sun sank lower behind them, turning
the entire lake a yellow gold.

“In the mornings, seconds after sunrise, the lake turns an even lighter shade.” He
lifted several strands of her hair. “Almost this color.”

“I’d like to see that, too.”

“We’ll make a point of it.”

Darkness washed slowly over the entire area, leaving them in a soft, dusky light.

Quinn stood. “We’d better get inside before it gets too dark.”

Wrapping her arms around his neck, she laid her head
on his chest and whispered, “Thank you for sharing that with me.”

He tightened his arms around her and headed toward the house. Anticipation sang through
her bloodstream. This was only the beginning of many nights to come. Quinn’s actions
today showed her how much he cared for her. Whatever the future held for them, Samantha
knew she would never regret the decision she had made today. She was where she belonged.

“Want some more wine?”

Sam shook her head. “You know me—a ‘one glass is plenty’ drinker.”

Quinn refilled his glass and then pulled her back into his arms. They’d done nothing
more since they’d come inside the house but sit in front of the fire he’d built and
talk softly about everything and nothing. Strange how even the nothing parts had been
interesting.

“How is your security business doing?”

Huffing out a breath, she said, “Still only the one case so far. And Bri’s doing most
of the work on it. Logan, Brody’s partner, is staying with our client, protecting
her. My only part has been to investigate Blaine Marshall and listen to the gossip
for news of visitors or newcomers.”

“Marshall seems to be very interested in you, too.”

“That’s my fault. I shouldn’t have gone out with him again. He said friendship was
all he was looking for, but things got pretty uncomfortable on our last date. I’ll
definitely not be seeing him again socially.”

“You decided whether or not he’s got anything to do with your case?”

“I still don’t know. He’s said some things that made me suspicious. But then, the
other night, he acted like a lonely guy looking for a girlfriend.” Sam lifted her
shoulders
in a shrug. “Either way, I’m not going out with him again. If he is associated with
Cruz, he’s not going to get any information from me, and if he’s not, then it’s unfair
to lead him on.”

“You ever figure out who tried to run you down?”

“No. I think it was probably someone trying to scare the hell out of a jogger—and
that person just happened to be me. I haven’t felt the slightest danger since then.
To be on the safe side, though, I take my gun everywhere now.”

“You didn’t before?”

Her silky head rolled side to side on his shoulder in a lazy no. “Never thought I’d
need it in my hometown. Which is crazy since there are evil people in this town, just
like any other.”

Quinn gave her a one-armed hug. “Nice to know you can protect me.”

She snickered. “Yeah … right.”

They went silent, peaceful again. Quinn stared into the fire, fighting the need to
take her to bed. He’d vowed to treat her as something more than a bed partner, but
with every passing minute, the need to lose himself inside her was growing stronger.

“Quinn?”

“Yeah?”

Instead of answering, she pulled from his arms and then went to the floor on her knees,
facing him. Her hands parted his legs and then she scooted up, placing herself between
them.

Quinn had stopped breathing, hoping and waiting to see what she would do. Her next
move did not disappoint. Soft, slender hands slid up his thighs and then met in the
middle, on top of his growing erection.