Quinn I (Undaunted Men #1) (25 page)

When he turns around to face me, I’m busted for admiring him, and he gives me a knowing grin. Every muscle in his chest and arms are defined, and they're rock hard as he stands in the water waist deep. He tilts his head to the side, studying me. “Are you ogling me?”

I give him a sultry grin, admitting, “Totally ogling you.”

Both his eyebrows lift and fall as he gives me a full-on smile. “At least you can own it now.”

“Yep, I sure can. I have to say one thing though; you’re not bad for an old man,” I taunt, trying to hide my grin.

His tongue touches the corner of his lips as he tries to figure out what to do with my comment. “Is that right?” His voice promising another wrestling match.

Before I can reply, he’s bolted out of the water and has me scooped up in his arms. I let out a loud squeal and then laugh as I wrap my arms around his neck. He plunges us both back into the cool water.
 

I let out a half laugh, half scream as he launches me up into the air. I squawk as I come back down only to find myself submerged under water. I come back up spurting and gasping for air, and Quinn is right there, grabbing me by the waist. He pulls me into his body, and then his smile fades, turning to desire. I wrap my legs around his torso as he crashes his lips against mine. I'll never get sick of his kisses; they're magical.

He pulls my bra down over my breasts, and then rolls my nipples between his fingertips. “How’s that for an old man?” he murmurs between kisses. I arch into him, wanting more of his touch. God, he's all sexy, alpha male. I run my hands down over his slick back, feeling his muscles flex as he positions me over his stiffness. “I'm so hard for you all the damn time. I can't seem to get enough of your sexy body,” he huskily confesses. My nipples tingle,
 
and my sex clenches. There is nothing more exciting than having an aroused Quinn ravish my body.

All too soon, he breaks the kiss, his nostrils flaring. He lets go of me and runs his hands through his wet hair in what looks to be frustration. “What's wrong?” I let go of him, slipping my legs from around his waist, suddenly growing self-conscious.
 

He pulls me back into him, shaking his head. “It's not you. I want you. I want to slip my cock so deep inside you, and I will,” he declares. “I will have you. I just don't want our first time to be in the mud or a quick fuck in the river. I want it to be memorable.”

“Oh, I think it'd be pretty memorable right now,” I whisper through a laugh. His lips twitch, and he leans in for a chaste kiss.
 

“I have something more special in mind.” My stomach flutters at the thought. He wants me, and his heated promise of making love to me warms my heart. His verbal confession rids me of any last doubts I had.

He lets me go and swims away, leaving me bereft of his touch. I let out a sigh and start the task of washing myself off. I'll de-mud my clothes in the river later. When I've finished cleaning up, I apparently find my modesty again, because as I get to the shallow water, it dawns on me I'm damn near naked. I can sense his eyes boring into my backside, and I turn around to confirm it.

“Quinn…some privacy, please?” His lips form a smirk, and his eyes are telling me no.

“Aww, c’mon. You can't go shy on me now. What you’ve got on is the equivalent of a bikini,” he argues. “The only difference is you’ve got on different material.”

“Quinn,” I warn, not willing to budge.

I watch him as the wheels turn in his brain before he argues his case. “I've seen you naked, Lexi. Really?”

“That was under dire circumstances,” I counter. “There were ticks all over me.”

“What if I'm under dire circumstances to see your body? I bet your underwear covers more of your body than a bikini would,” he argues. He’s right, though. I don’t know why I have it in my head there is such a distinct difference between the two. What he says makes perfect sense, but I’m still not comfortable with him seeing me this way. My cotton underwear is basically see through right now.

“I don’t wear bikinis.” This bit of news puts a look of surprise on his face.
 

“What? Why not?”

“I’m too self-conscious, Quinn. I always have been,” I easily admit.
 

“Lexi,” he chastises. “Don't you know how sexy your body is?” I give him a stern look, one that says he's not going to win no matter what he says. “Okay, all right.” He holds his hands out in front of him, his palms facing me, surrendering. “I’ll turn around while you get out. How’s that?”

“How do I know you won’t peek?”

He grins at me, a sexy and smoldering grin that makes my nipples go hard and my knees weak.
 

“Even though I’m tempted to steal a peek, I’m a man of my word, Angel. You should’ve already had that figured out by now.” He turns around and lifts his arms out above the water in a show of surrender, his voice mimicking that of a Renaissance man, “Your wish is my command, Milady.”

I quickly get out of the water, and as the cool morning mountain air hits my bare skin, I shiver. I work quickly to dry off and banish the millions of goose bumps riddling my body. When I turn around, I see he has stayed true to his word. He’s still facing the other way like a perfect gentleman. I peel off my wet undergarments and then wrap myself up in my microfiber towel.

I turn away from him and call out over my shoulder, “You can turn around now.”
 

I hear him move through the water behind me, and as curiosity gets the better of me, I steal a glance, pretending I’m not looking. I know, I know, I’m applying the old double standards here, but in all honesty, he didn’t say one way or the other as to whether or not I couldn’t peek.

As he slowly emerges from the water, I whimper at his dripping wet body. Oh, sweet baby Jesus, his entire body is sin incarnate. Every muscle in his chest, stomach, and arms are on display as they flex with strength and power. With his every movement, water droplets roll off each one of his defined muscles, and my mouth goes dry. He’s a walking, living, breathing wet dream.
 

As he gets closer, my gaze travels south, and I freeze. He’s naked, all but for his white underwear. There is nothing left to the imagination as his long, hard, erect cock damn near bursts out of the sheer cotton material. My sex clenches with a strange sensation. Fixated, I can’t avert my eyes from the sight. The very tip of his shaft is shades darker, showing me exactly where he ends, which is halfway across his thigh.

I knew all men were not created equal, but this?
Holy hell. That was pressed up against me?
The size of his penis is not normal. His erection must damn near equal the length of an entire ruler, and the girth…I squint my eyes for a close-up, trying to decide.

“Would you like to measure it?”
 

My gaping mouth snaps shut, and I flick my eyes to his in mortification. I’ve been more than busted ogling; I was flat out fantasizing. I feel the heat as it creeps up from my chest and then spreads to the roots of the hair on top of my head.

I turn around and hurriedly begin rifling through my backpack for clean, dry clothes. He lets out a deep, rich laugh, the sound embracing me like a warm blanket. He finds my embarrassment amusing, and it's worth it to hear him laugh, but nevertheless, my blushing continues to erupt like a volcano. My body temperature increases by at least twenty degrees, but I say nothing. I have no witty retort.
 

I fish for my last pair of clean panties, and the second I place my hands on them, his arms wrap around me from behind. My heart stills, and I go rigid, losing my breath. He pulls me in against his chest as he leans forward, slowly brushing his lips over my ear, seductively whispering, “Fair is fair.” His breath tickles my skin, sending shivers down my spine. “I get to see you without the towel now.”

I clutch my towel tighter, trying to preserve what little bit of modesty that remains. My heart beats wildly as he swirls his tongue along the sensitive path of my neck, and when he presses his erection against my lower back, my eyes flutter closed.
 

 
His fingers are in stealth mode as they deftly undo the death grip I have on my thin towel. My breath catches in my throat when he slips his free hand underneath the towel, touching my sex. I swallow down the lust in order to speak, my voice coming out all breathy and wanton. “You like to play dirty, don’t you?”
 

Grazing his fingertips along the opening of my already wet folds, he huskily replies, “All the time, Baby, all the time.” I give him silent permission to explore my body by loosening my grip on the towel, and he realizes it the instant I do. In a split second, the only barrier left between us is gone. He drapes the towel over top of my backpack to keep it from getting dirty, and then offers me his hand.
 

My heart beats wildly in my chest, I lift my gaze only to be met with the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen.
 

“What’s the matter?” he asks, wetting his lips.

I swallow nervously, telling him the truth, “It’s your eyes…”

“It's my eyes again, huh?”

I squint, really wanting to try and tell him how I see them. “It’s almost as if they’re paranormal.”

A slow, sexy smirk spreads across his lips as he runs his thumb along the edge of my nipple. My eyes flutter closed. He really does play dirty. “Well, maybe I am…paranormal,” he says in a low, husky voice. I can say without a doubt his cock is supernatural, but I’m not telling him that.

His feather light strokes against my nipple are sending signals straight to my core. I can feel the wetness pool at my opening. The look in his eyes tells me the special moment he was just talking about in the river is about to happen. I'm nervous, yet excited at the same time. The air around us crackles with fiery passion. He wraps his other hand around my waist and pulls me into his rock-hard chest and then slowly guides me backward with the unmistakable intent of wanting to claim me.
 

He gently lays me down against the soft flannel fabric of our sleeping bags. Without a word, he stands back up while raking his gaze slowly over my body. I grow self-conscious, and I subconsciously lift my knee, my thigh covering my sex.
 

He lets out a low growl, and shakes his head. “Uh-uh, sweetheart, we need to talk about letting your insecurities go, especially around me, because your body is the sexiest damn thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.” The tips of his tousled hair drip little droplets of water, which then roll down over his chest, and I want to lick them off him.

I shake my head, silently disagreeing with him.
 

“You telling me no? You saying I have no taste in women?” he taunts as he slowly removes his underwear. My mouth goes dry when his cock springs free. He’s hard, thick, and beautiful.
 

“You just don’t understand how sexy you really are, do you?” His raspy voice has me flicking my gaze from his cock back to his eyes. “Is my steel dick not evidence enough?” He strokes himself a couple times, unabashedly showing me what I do to him. Butterflies swirl low in my belly at the sight. He then bends down to straddle me with his naked body, and then runs his skillful hands up and down the length of my torso as if he were worshiping me.
 

A jolt of sizzling awareness prickles at my skin, forcing my breaths to come out ragged and rough. This is the first time we're both naked together with the intent of doing something more. His eyes burn into mine as he leans down, taking my lips in a tender kiss.
 

“I bet you're constantly told how gorgeous you are, but no matter how many times you receive the compliment, you still won’t allow yourself to believe it.”

I gently lay my hands on his broad shoulders and trace along the outline of his thick muscles and onto his biceps.
 

I want this man, even if it’s just for one day. I have felt more cherished and adored this past week with Quinn than ever before.
I have bared my naked body to him, and he has expressed to me in a genuinely heartfelt way that I am indeed worthy.
By me exposing my vulnerabilities to him, he unknowingly
has allowed me to discover an
immeasurable power within myself.
He’s given me the gift of strength and courage to feel beautiful in my nakedness. All these emotions are ones I’ve never really felt before.
 

I’m highly cognizant of the fact I’ve never experienced this level of connection with another woman before. It's undeniable what has grown between us. These feelings I have are seriously out of my territory, but I'm not intimidated by them. Once I found out all her secrets, something within me snapped and I quit fighting myself. I want her. I want every last piece of her soul to connect with mine.

I take my time as I lovingly caress over each breast with my hands, gently squeezing their fullness before I skim my lips over her taught nipples.
 

“Will you make love to me?” she whispers, her voice lined with apprehension.

“Are you sure you know what you're asking for? I will ruin you.” I have every intention of ruining her for anybody else.