All It Takes Read online

  “This is a beautiful room,” I murmur, then turn to find that his eyes have turned from lazy and happy to fierce and full of lust. “What?”

  “When you bite your lip like that, it makes me want to bite it.”

  I feel my brows climb, and I tilt my head to the side, watching him. His hands are in his pockets, as usual. I love how the muscles in his forearms flex, as if he’s fisting and unfisting his hands with agitation.

  “You say what’s on your mind, don’t you?”

  “I’m not one for bullshit.”

  And that’s why I’m so attracted to him. Aside from the fact that the man has a body that should come with a warning label, I like that he speaks his mind, and that I don’t have to guess what he’s thinking.

  And by the way he’s looking at me right now, I’d say he wants me naked.

  Usually being the one to let the man take the lead, I don’t know that I’ve ever been this bold in my life, but Quinn gives me confidence. He makes me feel beautiful. Powerful.

  It’s as intoxicating as the liquor he served me when we first arrived.

  With my eyes pinned to his, I reach behind me and lower the zipper of my simple black dress. Thank God it’s easy to get in and out of. As soon as the zipper is lowered, it falls in a billowy heap around my feet, and I’m standing before him in a strapless black bra, tiny black lacy panties, and a smile.

  He swallows hard. Twice.

  Then he pushes away from the doorway and reaches out for my hand, which I take and step out of the dress.

  “You’re going to keep those shoes on,” he murmurs as he leans in and presses his lips to mine. “Everything else goes.”

  Before I can reply, he sweeps me up in his arms and walks into the bedroom, where the light beside the bed is low, and we can see the city glow through another wall of windows.

  “More privacy glass,” he assures me before kissing me tenderly just above my collarbone. He’s still holding me as he pulls the covers back, then lays me down in the middle of the bed, leaving me in my underwear and shoes so he can shuck out of his own clothes.

  The light flickers over his body, and I lean up on my elbows to take in the show. Holy shit. He’s all smooth, bronze skin and lean muscle. He has a light spattering of hair on his chest, and a happy trail that leads down to, well, a treasure.

  I immediately reach out for his cock, but he intercepts my hand, kisses it, and climbs over me, kissing his way up my torso.

  “If you touch me now,” he says between peppering kisses over my stomach, “I’ll lose my control, and that would be embarrassing.”

  “So, you get to touch me, but I don’t get to touch you?” My breath catches when he tugs my bra down and he traces the edge of my nipple with the tip of his tongue.

  “Correct.”

  “I object.”

  He smiles up at me and hooks my panties in his thumbs, pulling them down my legs.

  “Overruled,” he replies. He buries his nose in my panties, takes a deep breath, then tosses them over his shoulder and spreads me wide.

  Holy fuck.

  “Jesus, you’re beautiful,” he whispers as his thumbs glide up through my already wet folds. He circles my clit, then his fingers move down and plunge inside me as he nibbles on the inside of my thigh.

  “Oh, God,” I moan, my hips circling. He hitches my leg over his shoulder, and I have to admit, it looks damn sexy with that shoe. “The shoes were a good call.”

  “I know.”

  And with that, his mouth descends on my core, and he takes me for the ride of my life. The world explodes around me, and before it falls back together again, Quinn climbs over me, kissing his way up my body, and his cock is resting against me.

  “Condom,” I say.

  “It’s on,” he assures me with a grin. “You were too busy coming to notice.”

  All I can do is grin as he slips inside me, and then I sigh as he moves, in and out, over again, chasing both of our orgasms.

  I bear down, my spine tingling, and am surprised with a second orgasm so quickly. Quinn buries his face in my neck and cries out as he comes, his body slick with sweat and hard everywhere.

  “I’ve changed my mind,” I mutter and swallow around my dry mouth.

  “Too late,” he replies, panting.

  “Not about that.” I laugh as he rolls to the side and kisses the ball of my shoulder. “I think I’ve decided that I’m a thrill seeker after all, if this is what it gets me.”

  “Damn right it does.”

  Chapter Eight

  ~Quinn~

  “I should go.”

  Sienna sits up, my sheet wrapped around her delectable little body, and makes a move to walk into the bathroom, but I snag her around the waist and haul her back onto the bed, making her giggle.

  I love the sound of her laugh.

  “Why?” I ask, brushing her strawberry-blond hair off her cheek, then press a kiss there. “I think you should stay.”

  And those are five words I’ve never said to another woman a day in my life. I’m usually ready for them to leave. Not because I’m an asshole, but because I’d rather not actually sleep with anyone.

  But Sienna’s different, and the thought of her leaving now, well, it’s not an option.

  She wrinkles her nose. “I have literally nothing here, Quinn. No clothes.”

  “Don’t need them.”

  “No toothbrush.”

  “I have a brand-new one you can have.”

  “And I probably shouldn’t take the walk of shame out of your condo in the morning.”

  Okay, that one pisses me off.

  “Number one,” I begin, tugging the sheet loose around her so I can let my hand roam over her soft skin. “There’s no shame in what we did, or what we will do. We’re consenting adults, and what we do is our business.”

  “It’s a figure of speech—”

  “Two,” I interrupt, “you can have my things.”

  “What things?”

  I jump off the bed and disappear into the closet, then return with my boxers and a T-shirt. “See? Now you have things.”

  She bites her lip, her blue eyes lit with humor and lust.

  “So you’re saying I should stay.”

  I laugh, toss my clothes on a nearby chair, and return to the bed and Sienna. I can’t seem to stop kissing her. My hand travels down her stomach, headed to home base, when she clutches my wrist, stopping my progression.

  “If you’re expecting round two, you’re going to have to feed me. Orgasms make me hungry.”

  I kiss her soundly, then climb from the bed, motivated to give her sustenance. Once we’ve both pulled on some clothes, we walk out to my kitchen. I turn the lights on low and take stock of the fridge.

  “So it’s looking like a ham-and-cheese sandwich,” I mutter before looking over my shoulder at her, where she’s sitting at the breakfast bar. “Or takeout.”

  “The sandwich sounds great,” she says happily, swiveling back and forth on the stool.

  “It’s not fancy.”

  “After-sex snacks aren’t supposed to be fancy,” she replies with a laugh. “I’ll happily eat the sandwich.”

  “Oh, I have Doritos too.” I walk into the pantry and return with a big red bag of chips, pass them to her, then get to work building our sandwiches.

  “Perfect.” She munches away, watching me slice tomato for the sandwich. “And you lied. That’s a fancy sandwich.”

  “I’m not just going to slap a slice of ham between two pieces of bread and hand it to you,” I reply dryly. “I want you to actually come back here.”

  “Well, good sex and Doritos is a good way to lure me in.” She chuckles and takes another bite of a chip. “So is this normal for you?”

  “Nothing with you is normal,” I say, making her tilt her head to the side the way she does when she’s trying to figure something out. “And I mean that in a good way.”

  “Proceed,” she says, as if she’s drilling a witness, and my dick twit
ches. Jesus, I love the way her voice sounds in the courtroom.

  “Well, I don’t make a habit of bringing women home.”

  “Yeah, I could see why you’re embarrassed by this place,” she says with a nod, trying to look serious, but her lips are twitching.

  “You’re sassy tonight.”

  “Every night.”

  I close her sandwich, cut it in half, and pass it to her. She takes a big bite and sighs in happiness, which only makes my dick harder.

  “Okay, this is a really good sandwich. Now, you were saying?”

  “If I bring a woman here, she doesn’t stay the night.”

  “I told you I’m happy to go home.”

  “Until you.”

  This makes her stop chewing and stare at me with a frown, then she swallows her bite and reaches for a Dorito.

  “Why?”

  “Why you?”

  She nods.

  “I enjoy you,” I begin as I close my own sandwich and take a bite, thinking about it as I chew. “But it’s more than that. I’ve started to crave my time with you, and when it’s interrupted, I’m pissed.”

  “Well, that’s not a horrible thing to hear.”

  “It puts me in a vulnerable position, and that’s not something I’m used to, Sienna.”

  “Me either.”

  I take a bite, watching her.

  “I like your confidence. Your honesty. And your legs are fucking gold.”

  She grins, walks her empty plate around the island to place in the sink, then looks at her fingers.

  Without missing a beat, she drags her fingers, covered in Dorito cheese, down my cheek.

  “Did you just do that?”

  “They were dirty.”

  I finish my sandwich, then haul her over my shoulder, stomping to the bathroom.

  “Hey! Where are we going?”

  “We need a shower.”

  “I just need to wash my hands.” She giggles, slapping my ass.

  “I need to fuck you in my shower,” I reply, and she stills.

  “Carry on, then.”

  “I’m so disgusted,” Sienna says the next day as we’re sitting in her grandfather’s dining room, sifting through more boxes.

  “What’s up?”

  “I’m just so disappointed in my family’s filing skills, or the lack thereof,” she says with a sigh and leans back in her chair, stretching her arms over her head. We swung by her place on our way over today so she could change into her own clothes. She chose a tight black T-shirt and cutoff denim shorts.

  And now that I know what she looks like naked, well, that’s pretty much all I see when I look at her.

  “I mean, I’m meticulous in how I file at the office and at home,” she continues as she stands and walks into the kitchen for a bottle of water. “It’s like my grandfather just randomly chucked papers into boxes as he was moving out of his office.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t him,” I suggest. “He might have hired movers to do it. They don’t care about order.”

  “True.” She returns to the table and sits, pulling another stack of papers over to look through. “But it makes the OCD in me twitchy.”

  “I get it.” I chuckle and my phone rings. “It’s Finn. Hey, what’s up?”

  “She said yes,” he says, his voice full of excitement.

  “Of course she did,” I reply with a laugh. “The Cavanaugh men are quite a catch.”

  Sienna rolls her eyes, and I raise a brow, making her giggle.

  “I just wanted to call and give you the official news. And you and Carter were right. Proposing here was absolutely the right thing. It was meaningful and intimate.”

  “Did you cry?” I demand.

  “No, but she did.” I can hear the satisfaction in his voice, and it makes me happy for him. “She’s already talking about dates and venues.”

  “Well, congratulations, big brother. I’m happy for you.”

  “Congratulations from me too,” Sienna calls out.

  “Tell her thanks. I really like her, Quinn.”

  “Me too. Have fun, and I’ll see you in a few days.”

  I hang up and set my phone aside.

  “She said yes.”

  “I hope so, since I congratulated him,” she says with a laugh. “That’s exciting. How long have they been together?”

  “About a year,” I reply. “But we knew not long after they started dating that London was the one for Finn. She had him tied in knots. It was fun to watch.”

  “I wish Louise would find a nice guy,” she says. “She always chooses guys who don’t have their shit together, you know? I don’t know how many times she’s started dating someone, and the next thing I know she’s loaning them money, or they’re staying at her place.”

  “And what do you attract?” I ask her.

  “No one.”

  “That’s bullshit, Sienna.”

  “No, it’s not. I work, I paint, and I spend a lot of time with my family. I haven’t had much time to date.”

  I want to keep asking her questions about her past, yet at the same time, I don’t. I’m not a jealous man, but the thought of her fucking someone else fills me with rage, so it’s probably best to drop the subject.

  Just as I’m about to ask her what she’d like for lunch, she jumps out of her chair and thrusts her fist in the air.

  “Yes! I knew it!”

  “What did you find?”

  “Another receipt for five thousand dollars. See? He paid it back, Quinn.”

  I take the letter from her and read it, nodding.

  “At least half of it, anyway.”

  “Oh, come on. We both know he paid it all back, we just have to find the other receipts.” She pushes her glasses on her face and reaches for another stack of papers with renewed energy.

  I don’t mention that we don’t have proof that the rest of the money was paid back, but we’re off to a good start. It’s not good news for my client, who’s anxious to get his hands on that property.

  At the end of the day, I get paid the same, whether my client is the rightful owner or not.

  “Ew.” She makes a face and holds a piece of paper up between her finger and thumb. “I think there’s a dead roach on this.”

  “What is it?”

  “A memo that has nothing to do with our case.”

  “Just throw it away then.”

  She stares at me like I just suggested she burn the house down.

  “I can’t throw anything away.”

  “It has a dead roach on it, Sienna. Throw it away.”

  She frowns and takes the paper into the kitchen to toss it, just as my phone rings again.

  “Hey, Gabs.”

  “Uncle Quinn.” She’s crying, and my whole body is instantly on high alert. “I think you should come to Grandma’s house.”

  “What’s going on, baby?”

  “I tried to call Daddy, but he didn’t answer.”

  “It’s okay, what’s wrong? Is Grandma okay?”

  Sienna’s already grabbing her purse and keys, watching me with wide blue eyes.

  “She’s not hurt,” Gabby says, sniffling. “But she’s acting weird. She keeps calling me Darcy. Why does she think I’m Mom?”

  I rub my hand down my face. “I don’t know, baby. It’s just a mistake. You do look a lot like your mama.”

  “No, she’s confused when I tell her she said the wrong name. It’s scaring me.”

  “Okay, I’m on my way over right now. It’ll take about a half hour for me to get there. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, she’s watching TV now and I went to my room.”

  “I’ll be there very soon, Gabs. Don’t worry.”

  I hang up and Sienna’s ready to leave with me, which makes me pause.

  “You don’t have to come with me.”

  “Uh, yeah I do. I’m not going to let you go alone. You’re worried, and if you need something, I’ll be with you.”

  I frown, but before I can say anything, sh
e takes my hand in hers.

  “Hey, let’s go. It’s going to be okay.”

  I nod and lead her out to my car and hurry toward my mom’s place.

  “She’s been acting weird lately,” I say as I shift gears and change lanes. “Last week, she called me Finn. She said my father had called, and he’s been dead for five years.”

  Sienna lays her hand on my thigh. “Take a deep breath, Quinn. Seriously, you can’t do anyone any good if we don’t get there in one piece.”

  I look down at the speedometer and cringe, easing off the gas.

  “Sorry, it’s a habit.”

  “It’s okay. There has to be an explanation for your mom’s confusion.”

  “Alzheimer’s,” I reply grimly.

  “You don’t know that. It could be a lot of things.”

  “One thing I do know is, she shouldn’t be taking Gabby to Hawaii on her own. No way.”

  “Let’s deal with what’s happening today before you take on the next month of activities. I’m not saying this isn’t serious, because it certainly is, but there could be several explanations.”

  I nod and take a deep breath. I feel better having Sienna with me. I would normally have already called an ambulance to come get her, and my anxiety would be through the roof. I am worried, but I’m not freaking out.

  “Thanks for coming with me.”

  “Of course.”

  We make it to Mom’s house in twenty-five minutes. We walk inside without knocking, and I find Mom watching TV in the living room, with Gabby sitting at the kitchen table, looking at her phone.

  “What are you doing here?” Mom asks.

  “Well, we thought we’d come by because Gabby called and said you were a little confused today,” I reply as I sit next to Mom. She frowns and glances over at Gabby.

  “I’m not confused, Darcy.”

  Sienna and I exchange looks, and Gabby immediately breaks down in tears.

  “Gabby, why don’t you and I go into the kitchen and let Quinn and your grandmother talk?”

  Gabby leads Sienna out of the room, and I turn the TV off, getting Mom’s attention.

  “What in the world is everyone fretting over?”

  “You called her Darcy,” I reply and take Mom’s hand in mine. “It upset her, Mom.”

  “I’m sure I didn’t do that, Finn.”

  “Quinn.”