Quinn I (Undaunted Men #1) (24 page)

Granted, I’m applying a few double standards of my own by having secrets, but I feel somewhat justified. I'm not the one who had a dubious background, and I know I’m one of the good guys. She’ll just have to see that when it comes time for me to explain things to her. When that will be, though, I have no idea. I’m not ready to disclose everything to her just yet. She's had enough things to deal with and digest, and the last thing I want to do is scare her away.

I came to a few serious decisions late last night while she slept. Being out here in the wilderness, far away from the distractions of everyday life and technology, I’ve had plenty of time for reflection. I’ve thought about where I’ve been in life, and where I want to go next. There is no doubt in my mind Lexi and I are destined to be together. God knows it had to take me being trapped, deep in these trails with the right woman, for me to come to terms with myself about the matter. If I had met Lexi in any other setting, I most likely would have treated her the same as all the other women in my past, despite the initial sparks of chemistry. Yes, I’m that much of a hardheaded son of a bitch, to the point I surprised even myself by owning up to my feelings and putting my heart on the line.
 

While she slept, I had come to the decision that if she’s truly pregnant, I’d be there for her. I’m not willing to let her go, and I don’t want to lose her just because she’s pregnant with another man’s child. I’d find a way to make us work.

“Good morning, Sunshine,” I whisper with a smile, loving the look of her sleepy gaze and her hair all mussed up.

“Mornin',” she replies, then covers her mouth as she yawns. I kiss her cheek as I run my hand over the top of her crazy hair, taming it down. She stretches, arching her back, and in turn pushes her perky breasts into me. I clench my teeth, stifling a growl. I want her. I want to sink my hard cock deep inside her slick heat. I remember how wet she was when I had my fingers inside her tight walls. My dick pulsates, and I groan.

“Are you okay,” she asks, all innocent. She has no idea what she does to me.
 

“Yeah,” I gruffly reply.
 

“I have to visit the ladies’ room,” she tells me. Even though my dick is throbbing, I almost sigh in relief. I let her go, and she shivers as the warmth of my body leaves her.

“I'll start breakfast and heat some water for coffee.” She makes a face because I know she doesn't like black coffee. “Yeah, I know; you like your coffee to taste like a damn candy bar. If I'd known all this ahead of time, I would've packed enough flavors to be your personal barista.”

“You'd do that for me?” she coyly teases.

“Of course I would.” I'm serious, too. “Go on to the ladies’ room, Sweetheart.” She unzips our sleeping bags and scoots out to put on her boots, but not without throwing on a sweatshirt first. I order Kimber to stay with me to give her privacy, and then I watch her trail off into the woods before I get up. I don't need her seeing my morning wood, because if she were to look at it with any interest, it'd be all over.

I get up and start my morning duties, retrieving the food sack and then feeding Kimber. I have the water heating up as Lexi catches my attention. She emerges from between two large bushes, and by the disgusted look upon on her face, I know what she had to do. She’s slathering her hands with sanitizer, and I can’t hide the grin from spreading wide across my face. It’s just too damn funny seeing this well refined woman having to rough it, but to her credit, she’s been living this entire week without complaint.

I stand up and walk her way. She sees me grinning at her, so she pauses in her tracks and then looks over her shoulder, wondering if I’m seeing something funny behind her. When she sees I’m finding the humor in her, she asks, “What’s so funny?”

“If I was a betting man, I think I would be very rich right about now.”

Her eyes narrow on mine as she skeptically asks, “And why do you say that?”

“I bet you never thought in a million years you would ever see yourself using the privy in the great outdoors. Were you able to dig a decent sized hole with your silver spoon?” I ask, taking a playful jab.

A look of mortification mixed with annoyance crosses her face. She slowly saunters toward me with a determined look on her face. “Nope, I did not see myself living day after day in the mountains, and yes, I made do with my silver spoon today, but I’ll have you know,” she pauses as she bends down to scoop up a clump of fresh mud in her hands and holds it out to her side, “I don’t need my silver spoon for this.” She slings the mud at me, and it hits the side of my face with a
kr-plop
.

I stand here stunned as I calmly arch a brow and look at her in disbelief. “You did not just throw mud in my face.” I speak the words slowly as a threat. The reality of what she just did is sinking in, and she knows there are ramifications that are about to take place. She wets her lips out of nervousness, and backs up a step. I take a giant step forward, and she holds up her hands, palms facing outward to ward me off.

“You want to play dirty, Baby?” I challenge with a smirk. She shakes her head frantically, maybe realizing a tad too late she shouldn’t tango with someone three times her size and expect to win. “Oh, I think you do.”

“No, Quinn,” she pleads as she takes another step backward. She then turns around and starts to run, but she doesn’t make it two steps before I have my arms wrapped around her waist. I tackle her to the wet, muddy ground.

She lets out an ungodly scream, and it makes me laugh. Kimber runs to my side, barking, trying to decide if I’m playing or not. I flip Lexi over onto her back while straddling her hips, and then I start to tickle her sides. Her shrieks turn into squeals of laughter. Kimber decides we’re playing, but doesn’t want to get muddy, so she prances around us, playfully barking.

The more Lexi squirms, the deeper she embeds herself into the mud puddle. Her sweatshirt rises in our struggle, so I slather mud across her bare stomach as I tickle her sides relentlessly. Using one hand, I trap both her wrists above her head with ease as I scoop up a handful of thick mud and raise it high.

“Quinn, no,” her eyes are big, round, and full of worry.

I smooth the cool mud over her bare stomach as she kicks, squirms, and laughs, all at the same time. “It’s so cold!” she shrieks. Kimber runs from one side of the mud pit to the other, wagging her tail and half barking, but she still isn't willing to join the party.

“Stop…Quinn…Uncle…” she squeals, gasping for air.

My hand slips through the slick mud on her stomach, and I accidentally rove forward. My palm skirts over her full breast, filling my hand, and I can't help it; I have to squeeze her flesh. Her struggling slowly dissipates, and her breathing changes, turning shallow. Knowing I'm turning her on, my playfulness then turns into dirty caresses.
Why can’t I keep my fucking hands off her?
 

Her lustful eyes lock with mine as I slowly spread the mud over both swells of her breasts, fixated with the feel of her body underneath mine. Her breath hitches when I pluck at her hard nipples, and I know she’s hot for me. I roll the hard nubs of her nipple between my fingertips, and my dick pulses, swelling with need.

I lean down and hover over her lips, whispering, “There’s no charge for this mud wrap, Angel.”

“It’s the best one I’ve ever had,” she breathlessly replies. I grin at her; she’s good at being playful.

“I seriously can’t believe people pay money for this shit.”

She laughs out loud, and I smile at her, loving the rich, melodic sound emanating from the depths of her soul. I scoop up another handful of mud, and then slather it along her upper thigh. I slip my hand underneath her jean shorts, and her laugh dies in her throat. I squeeze the globes of her ass, and then coerce her legs open with my knee. “If I haven't told you before, I'm telling you now. You've got the sexiest ass I've ever laid eyes on.” I lay the weight of my body on top of hers, positioning my erection right between her legs, nestling my cock in the center of her opening.

She wraps her legs around my waist, holding me against her, and then begs, “Kiss me, Quinn.” Those three sultry words coming from her lips are the beginning of trouble, but she doesn't need to ask me twice. I cannot deny the fact I want to kiss her again and again.
 

Her fingers thread through the back of my hair as she pulls me closer. “I swear, you better not have a significant other,” I huskily warn, biting her lower lip.

“I promise I don’t. You’re the most significant other that’s ever happened to me,” she confesses. Her eyes are half-lidded as she lifts her head to flick her tongue over the seam of my lips in a seductive dance. I let out a deep, rumbled growl, taking over the kiss. My lips crash against hers with such force her head falls back against the ground as I spear my tongue deep into her warmth, imbibing her mouth with ravenous hunger.
 

My hips thrust forward, as she tugs at the roots of my hair, consumed with blazing need. She wants me; I can feel the heat radiating off her pussy through her jeans. With the pressure of my pelvis rocking against her clit, she whimpers. I undulate my hips into her as my rigid hardness presses firmly into her sex. I release an animalistic growl, frustrated over the fact we have clothes on. I can tell she's so close to coming, because her legs start to shake and go lax.
 

“Oh, God,” she moans. Both of us are slathered in mud and slick with lust. We're both breathing heavily, trying to steal a breath of air every now and then between kisses, because neither one of us is willing to stop and come up for air.

This couldn’t get any sexier. My cock pulsates and swells to an unreasonable size. I add more friction against her clit so I can get her off. I swallow her whimpers as I continue to grind my stiff cock against her. She thrusts her hips upward, seeking release. She’s beautiful…what we’re doing is beautiful. There are no words, it's long overdue.

“I know you’re soaking wet for me, Lexi. Take it, baby. Come for me,” I encourage. Her legs loosen themselves from around my hips as they fall to the sides, opening herself up to me even more. I grip the back of her neck and give her all I’ve got, thrusting my hips forward hard and fast as if I'm pumping into her. Her grip on my hair loosens and her entire body begins to shake as she cries out my name. I don’t stop the magic. I keep grinding my hips into her, and break the kiss so I can watch her come undone underneath me. Knowing I put her there while still fully clothed is a powerful and heady feeling.

My pent-up passion comes to a head. The rush of erotic excitement, and the fact I’ve held off fucking her for an entire week, has me ready to explode. My balls tighten, and my spine tingles. I throw my head back and give in to the sensations. There’s a first time for everything, and this is the first time I’m gonna fucking come in my pants, and I can’t stop it. Hell, I don’t want to stop it. I let myself go as my entire body succumbs to the feeling of ecstasy as she writhes her sexy body underneath mine.
 

As I come down from my climax high, I look into the most ethereal eyes, which speak of deep affection and tenderness. He looks so contented and complete after his orgasm. There is something in the way he’s looking at me and caressing me in the aftermath of our shared passion that gives me goose bumps. He makes me feel so special and adored.

I look upon his filthy face and grin, and then I realize what I must look like slathered in mud too. “What’s so funny?” he asks, amused.
 

“I’ve never mud wrestled before. I think I’ve found a new sport to like.”

“Is that right?” He arches his brow. “You’re only allowed to mud wrestle with me, though.”

“Mmm, I could get used to that.”
 

He smiles fondly at me and adds, “You’re beautiful, you know.”
 

“You’re delusional. I feel like a pig, wallowing around in the mud.”

“As long you’re under me, I’m okay with that.”

Kimber lets out a frustrated whine, and we both turn our heads to see what the deal is. Once she has our attention, she barks at us, wags her tail, and then lies down, placing her snout on top of her paws. Quinn lets out a laugh and shakes his head at her.

“Are you feeling left out, baby?” Kimber’s eyebrows, even though you can barely see them, pinch together as her eyes look upward, making her look so innocent and dejected. I giggle at her antics.

“C’mon, let’s go take a bath.” Quinn lifts his heavy frame off my body and holds out his hand, helping me to my feet. He emits a low growl and then pulls me against his muddy chest. “Damn, you look too good in mud.” I roll my eyes at him and break free from his hold. I turn and start heading toward the river.
 

After all the rain last night, the water level has risen and the currents are a little stronger. I’m beginning to get used to Quinn seeing me naked, and the crazy thing is we haven’t even had sex yet.
 

Quinn steps up beside me and strips his clothes off without hesitation, and I catch my breath. I watch silently as he takes everything off except his underwear, and then wades into the water like an Adonis. I strip down to my underwear while staring after him, appreciating his muscled physique from head to toe. Seeing him this way never gets old. He’s so handsome, and built like a prized fighter. I could see him playing in one of those gladiator movies, especially after the way I saw him handle those two men yesterday. His ability to protect me brings on a whole new level of hotness. He never hesitated or second guessed his actions when it came to safeguarding me. I've never seen anyone more self-assured and unafraid of coming face to face with armed men. I was a wreck before, during, and after that infiltration on our camp, but he seemed to know what to do and how to handle the situation every step of the way.