Quinn's Lady Read Online Free Page A

anything.
    “You want me.”
    The words hung in the air between them. She imagined she could see them there, in bold black letters, floating just out of reach.
    “You don’t have to admit it,” Quinn said. “I can smell it on you.”
    Her eyes widened. “No, you can’t.”
    He winked at her. “Yes, I can. Just so you know, I want you, too. That’s one of the reasons I came back. To finish what we started this afternoon.”
    Seleena pressed her hand to her heart to keep it from jumping out of her chest. He wanted her. Unbidden came an image of Quinn and Serepta locked in each other’s arms.
    Seleena shook her head. There was just no way she could let Quinn make love to her, no way on earth that she could look into his eyes and wonder if he was comparing her to her daughter.
    “What’s the other reason?”
    “I want to get to know you better.” He leaned forward, his gaze holding hers. “You can try to fight the attraction between us. You can deny it until you’re blue in the face. You can throw me out of your house. But it’s gonna happen, Red,” he said smugly. “Sooner or later, it’s gonna happen.”
    #
    Lying alone in bed, listening to the clock chime the hour, Seleena couldn’t remember anything else she or Quinn had said. All she could hear was his smug voice echoing in her mind -- You can fight the attraction. You can deny it until you’re blue in the face. You can throw me out of your house. But it’s gonna happen, Red. Sooner or later, it’s gonna happen.
    She tuned onto her stomach and punched her fist into the pillow. Turned onto her side. Onto her back. It’s gonna happen….it’s gonna happen.
    She closed her eyes and his image flashed before her -- thick dark hair, dark-blue eyes, shoulders as wide as her doorway, tawny skin, a flat belly ridged with muscle. And that tattoo. Her fingers itched to touch it, to follow the tail where it wrapped around his bicep…
    “Stop it!” She jackknifed into a sitting position and turned on the light, banishing his image from her mind.
    Freyja meowed in protest when Seleena slid out of bed. Pulling on her robe, she went to the window and drew back the curtain. All was quiet outside. The twin moons hung low in the sky, bathing the land in a faint yellow glow.
    Too keyed up to sleep, she eased her bedroom door open. She listened a moment before tiptoeing through the dark house into the kitchen. A wave of her hand warmed a cup of water. She dropped a tea bag inside, stood at the counter, arms folded over her chest, while she waited for the tea to steep.
    Her thoughts drifted toward Quinn again. She tried to rein them back, but it was no use. Was he asleep? She knew little of vampires except that they slept during the day, had exceptional powers, and drank blood to survive. But she had altered part of that. Would he now sleep nights, like everyone else? Where would he go when he left here? Would he go back to bounty hunting for that despicable man, Jagg?
    She turned her thoughts to Marri and Gryff. She had never known a couple more in love. What was it like, to feel that way? She had never been in love, not even with Nardik. When the year of mourning for the king was over, Nardik would wed Marri’s mother, Amerris. Another happy-ever-after, she mused, and wondered if she would ever find one of her own.
    Aware that she was no longer alone, she whirled around and came face-to-face with Quinn.
    “What’s the matter?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Can’t sleep?”
    The darkness suddenly seemed far too intimate. Reaching behind her, she flipped on the light. “I just wanted a cup of tea.”
    “Uh huh.”
    She glared at him. “Are you calling me a liar?”
    He took a step forward. His nearness seemed to suck all the air out of the room. “I know something that works better than tea.” His voice was raw, husky with desire. It moved over her senses like rough velvet.
    He wasn’t wearing a shirt. Her gaze was drawn to the dragon