Page 21 of Dangerous Affair (The Phoenix Three #2)

L ike Cher, Quinn wished she could turn back time. But would she do anything differently, knowing whatever was being dumped in that lake was making children sick? What if children started dying? No, she’d do the same thing all over again.

If she hadn’t accidentally taken the thumb drive and hadn’t heard Jasper’s phone conversation, there would be no one to stop the illegal dumping. Because both those things had happened, she’d ended up with three formidable men at her back, one of whom had probably saved her life.

Whoever was hurting those children had to be stopped, even if it was a powerful senator. “So, what do we do now?” She didn’t miss the glance exchanged between Liam and Grayson, and if they thought they were going to keep her out of this, they could think again.

“I understand your father’s in Asheville, where he has a vacation home?” Grayson said.

“Maggie Valley, actually, but close enough.” She knew where he was going with this, but she’d let him say it before she told him what he could do with his suggestion.

Grayson tapped a finger against his lips, then said, “I don’t suppose you’d consider staying with him for a while?”

When Liam snorted, she almost smiled. That he got her gave her the warm fuzzies. “I don’t suppose I will. So, again I ask, what do we do now?”

“Now we take your car to Grayson’s dealership, where they’ll keep it until this is over, pick up another car, and then go get some dinner,” Liam said.

Grayson scowled. “You need to stop losing my cars, brother.”

“He loves me,” Liam whispered loudly enough for Grayson to hear.

“So you say.” Grayson removed the thumb drive from his laptop. “I’ll put this in the safe.” He stood. “Cooper’s coming back tonight. Let’s plan to meet at my house for breakfast in the morning. Nine o’clock good?”

Liam glanced at her, his brows raised.

“Sounds good.” She eased out of her chair. “Thanks for hiding my car. She’s my baby.”

Grayson walked to the window and peered down at the parking lot. “Is it that Porsche?”

“Yes, a present from my dad.”

“Nice. I’ll call the dealership and tell them to have a car ready for you.” He lifted a hand as he walked out. “See you kids in the morning.”

“He’s really nice,” she said when they were alone.

“Yep.” Liam stepped in front of her. “But I’m even nicer.”

“And sexier.” She trailed her finger down the front of his shirt. “Maybe.”

“Maybe?”

“Well, that’s my impression, but I could be wrong.” She shrugged as if she wasn’t sure, then walked out of the war room.

“Where’re you going?” he said from close behind her.

“To hide my car so you can get busy proving I’m not wrong.” She inwardly smiled when he grabbed her hand and urged her to walk faster.

* * *

They traded her car for a used white Mercedes SUV that would blend in with other cars on the road. The sales manager assured them that the Porsche would be hidden in a warehouse they had on the property.

Since they didn’t feel like eating out, they stopped at a small, hole-in-the-wall Italian place that Liam promised had the best pizzas in town and ordered a large one to go. When she asked for a meat lover’s with extra cheese, Liam declared her the best date in the world.

After quick showers—him in his bathroom and her in the guest bath—because they both felt grimy, they were now sitting on his balcony.

Each with a craft beer and the large pizza on the table in front of them, they were eating as if they hadn’t had a meal in a week.

In all the excitement of getting shot at, they had missed lunch and were starving.

“You’re right. This pizza is soooo good. I can’t believe I ate four pieces.” She licked her fingers.

“I’m done, too.” He closed the lid on the pizza box. “Another beer?”

“No, thanks.” She held up her bottle. “Mine’s still half-full.”

“Hold on to your beer.”

“Eeep,” she squeaked when he scooped her up from the balcony table where they’d sat to eat their dinner.

He carried her over to a chaise longue with no more effort than it took her to carry a sack of groceries.

Who knew a man carrying her would be such a turn-on?

“You Tarzan, me Jane,” she said with a giggle when he let her feet fall to the floor.

His eyes gleamed with amusement as he stared down at her. “Should I be wearing a loincloth?”

“Yes, please.”

He laughed as he settled onto the chaise, then he pulled her down so that she was sitting in front of him, her back to his chest. “I’d wear one for you.” He kissed the side of her neck.

Shivers traveled across her skin at the touch of his lips, and she arched her neck, giving him access.

She’d wanted him from the day they’d sat by the stream and he’d gently doctored her feet.

With all that had happened since then, it felt like that was ages ago.

But finally, he was going to be hers for as long as this thing between them lasted.

He sat back, taking his mouth away. She wanted to protest, to beg him to go on with what he was doing. “Don’t stop,” she said.

“Watch the sunset.” He slid his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her head.

She’d rather have his mouth back on her, but she lifted her gaze to the sky. “Oh, wow.”

“Hmm,” he hummed next to her ear. “Beautiful.”

Without even looking at him, she knew that his eyes were on her and he didn’t mean the sunset.

She smiled, loving this moment with his arms around her, the gentle sound of the waves lapping onshore, and the soft breeze caressing her face.

It struck her that Liam was romancing her, and it was a new experience.

She’d never been romanced before, not even by Aiden.

He’d been too busy with his medical career to think about romancing her.

As they watched the sun set to the west, the sky a brilliant painting of pinks, blues, and yellows, she changed her mind about living in the woods with Liam and growing potatoes.

Instead, they’d live on a deserted island.

He’d build them a hut house and fish for their dinner while she gathered coconuts and made coconut pies.

After watching the sunset, they’d make love each night under a sky filled with glittering stars that looked like diamonds on black velvet.

Liam slipped his hands under her T-shirt, and as the sky grew dark and the scent of salt was heavy in the air, he danced his fingers over her stomach and up to the curve of her breasts. She softly sighed as she closed her eyes.

“You like that?” His mouth was next to her ear, his breath a warm tickle that gave her goose bumps.

“Yes.” A thousand yeses.

“Give me your mouth.”

She lifted her face.

“Such an obedient Little Marine,” he said.

“Only for you.”

“Good answer.”

He kissed her then, softly, his lips brushing over hers, teasing, a little playful.

Then the kiss grew demanding, possessive, and when his tongue sought entrance, she welcomed him in.

He tasted delicious, and she lost herself in the desire for him building inside her.

His hands covered her breasts, toying with them, igniting a fire that burned hotter with each touch of his fingers on her skin.

Suddenly, without Quinn quite knowing how he did it, he lifted her and turned her to face him. “Much better,” he said as he positioned her legs so that she was straddling him. He took the bottle from her hand and set it on the table next to them. “Now kiss me.”

“You’re a bossy one. I like it.” He’d told her to kiss him, so she did. He kept his hands on her hips but made no other move to try and control her. When she sucked his lower lip into her mouth, he groaned, and the sound of that low groan rippled through her.

His fingers tightened on her hips, and something about that possessive hold thrilled her. Heat coursed through her veins, fueled by the raw passion radiating from him.

“You’re driving me crazy,” he whispered, his voice low and husky, before capturing her mouth in another searing kiss.

“Good.”

He chuckled, then surged up, bringing her with him. “Need a bed.”

“A bed sounds lovely.” She wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her to his bedroom. When he began to lower her, she said, “Throw me.”

He stilled, his eyes locking on hers. “Throw you?”

She nodded. “Like you’re a barbarian about to take his spoils of battle…

that would be me. The barbarian, that would be you, finds me hiding in a corner of my thatched-roof house, and your eyes light up at seeing such a pretty girl that is yours for the taking.

So, take me you do. You bring me back to your home, throw me on the bed, and ravage me. ”

His mouth slowly curved up in a grin. “Your mind is…”

“Weird?” Sure, her imagination often ran wild, but she didn’t like him thinking she was strange. Even if she was.

“I was going to say fascinating .”

Okay. Fascinating was so much better than weird .

She’d take it. She really hadn’t meant to give voice to the movie playing in her mind.

She’d never before given a man even a hint that she created these little scenarios in her head.

They just appeared through no effort on her part. She did think she was a little weird.

His grin grew sly, and… He threw her!

She bounced on the bed, laughing and ridiculously happy. He came down on top of her, catching his weight on his elbows. “Hi,” she whispered as she stared up into his beautiful blue eyes.

“Hi,” he whispered back. “Did I pass the barbarian test?”

“You get a five-star review on Yelp.”

“So, what does a barbarian do next?”

“Well, ravish me, of course.”

“I can so do that.”

And he did. Magnificently, in fact.