26. Quinn
26
QUINN
E uphoria blasts through my body like a tidal wave, sending tingles out to my fingers and toes. And as I shudder beneath Lance, I feel him pulsing inside my depths, finding his release at exactly the same time.
Something about the sex tonight was different. It was hot, steamy, and sinfully pleasurable. But it also feels incredibly more intimate. I know I’m in love with Lance. I have been for a long time. But this newfound connection with him makes it overwhelmingly apparent that he’s the only man I’ll ever love. And that terrifies me. Because I don’t know that he feels the same about me.
Still, despite the hint of fear that trickles into my veins, nothing is going to dampen the bliss of this moment. The utter feeling of contentment that seeps deep into my bones. Lance stills on top of me, buried deep between my thighs. And we breathe together, our panting gasps as synchronized as our pleasure tonight.
Slowly, Lance lifts his head, his Mediterranean-blue eyes finding mine, and in their depths, I find a sincerity that melts my heart. He brings one hand up to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing across my skin with a tenderness that makes me ache.
And suddenly, I feel like all the oxygen has been sucked out of the room.
How can one man affect me so completely?
I swear, he could move the sun and the stars in the sky with the power he holds over me. And tingling waves of anticipation wash through my core as I wait for him to say something. Because I can see it in his eyes.
“I love you, Quinn,” he murmurs. “I’m in love with you. Madly. Desperately.”
My heart comes to a dead stop in my chest, and my lips part in shock. Whatever I expected Lance to say, that was not it. But the flood of emotion that wells up inside me is so overpowering, I can barely swallow past it.
“I love you too,” I whisper.
And it feels like I must be in some kind of dream because the man I’ve had a crush on my whole life just told me he’s in love with me. Not just that, he said it first—the man who hardly ever says anything. I feel like my brain might explode with that fact. Honestly, it means more to me than I ever knew it could.
How is Lance so incredibly perfect?
How does he know just how to make the world right?
I don’t know. But I do know I’m the luckiest woman in the world. Because I’m his, and he’s mine.
“We need to tell Killian. It’s time.”
A fist of anxiety tightens around my throat, but he’s right. I know he is. And I swallow hard as I nod. “First thing in the morning?” I offer.
The tension in Lance’s brow softens, his shoulders relaxing when I didn’t even realize they were tight. And I realize this has been weighing on him a lot. Constantly maybe. And still, he let me make the call.
“Thank you.” Lance brushes a kiss across the tip of my nose. Then he rolls gently off of me and sits up.
“You have to go?” I ask, my heart sinking as he shows signs of getting dressed.
Lance pauses, his expression softening as he meets my gaze. And I know he must see the disappointment in my face.
“Sun’s almost up.” He tips his chin toward the window.
I glance behind me, surprised that it could already be sunrise. But he’s right. The first golden rays are starting to creep across the sky. Killian could be here anytime. Pulling his pants up around his hips, Lance closes them. Then he returns to my bedside and leans in to kiss my lips once more.
“Try to get a bit of sleep. I’ll see you soon,” he promises.
Then, gathering the rest of his clothes, he slips silently out the door.
I sigh, falling back against my headboard as I take a moment to wrap my head around everything that’s happened in one night. We were attacked. Lance was hurt. I stitched him up—which led to some steamy and impromptu sex. Killian almost walked in on us. Then Lance went back out to spy on the man who probably wants us all dead. And to cap it all off, I had the best sex of my life that culminated in Lance telling me he loves me for the first time. I honestly can’t believe that all happened in one night.
My head’s spinning just thinking about it.
And suddenly, I feel so exhausted, I think I might actually be able to get some good sleep, even without Lance’s arms around me.
The sun is well into the sky by the time my eyes open. And to my horror, I find my mouth gaping open as I drool across my pillow. I don’t think I’ve ever slept so hard in my life. But I also slept gloriously nightmare-free for the first time since being taken. And that alone is worth the embarrassment of having made a mess of my sheets.
Groaning, I sit up and wipe the drool from my face as I look blearily around my room. It takes a moment to get my bearings. And when I finally do, a jolt of anxiety blasts through me. I told Lance we would talk to Killian first thing this morning. And based on the clock, it’s nearly ten.
Maybe Lance slept in as well?
I cringe. Doubtful. He’s always been an early riser—even when he was working late nights for my father. Hopefully, he won’t be too upset.
Sighing, I roll out of bed and head to the bathroom for a quick shower. Then I pull my wet hair up into a messy bun and get dressed. Lance isn’t in the room where he’s been staying. I checked, so I head downstairs in search of him, wondering if he’s being a bad patient again and using Killian’s home gym despite his new set of stitches.
“Morning!” Natasha says brightly, her hint of a Russian accent making her sound all the more welcoming.
“Morning,” I respond, offering her a smile.
“You heading to breakfast?” she asks. “I just finished my workout and shower, and I’m starved.”
That would be another likely place Lance might be, so I might as well check it out. “Yeah, sure,” I agree, traipsing down the last few stairs to join her. “Hey, thank you again for the self-defense lessons,” I say as we walk. “They came in really handy when Lucian’s men attacked us last night.”
Natasha smiles, her full red lips stretching across her beautiful face. “I’m glad to hear it. And that you’re okay. Anytime you want another lesson, I’m happy to give you one.”
“There’s more to learn?” I ask, shocked. How does she know so much about hand-to-hand combat?
“There’s always more,” she assures me. “And it never hurts to practice.”
“Maybe I can join you in the gym sometimes, then?” I suggest, my cheeks warming as I invite myself into her workout session. But it would be nice to feel more confident about defending myself. If this conflict has taught me anything, it’s that I’m not safe from my brother’s world just because I don’t take part in it. And I don’t want to be a burden—just some damsel in distress.
“Absolutely,” Natasha agrees, her responding smile warm and encouraging.
Turning down the hall leading to the kitchen, we both pause as Tatiana’s familiar voice issues from behind Killian’s office door. The thick pane of glass muffles her words, but as we share a glance, I can see a partner in crime in Natasha.
And wordlessly, we step toward the office to listen in.
“Once you get past the front gate, it’s pretty simple.”
That’s Lance’s voice, and my heart skips a beat as I realize he’s relaying what he learned in last night’s mission. Natasha and I share another look and huddle a little closer to the threshold without giving away our position by stepping in front of the glass and casting a shadow.
“They don’t have a perimeter guard,” he continues. “Just a few snipers on the roof. But at least last night, the men on duty were as good as napping. I got in and out without them taking a single shot. I get the sense that his men are all overconfident. They don’t think anyone’s going to come for him.”
“So, that’s how you get onto the property. But how did you get inside? Didn’t you say he has guards posted at the doors?” That’s Killian, and my brother’s voice sounds serious for once, dark with intensity as he focuses on the strategy of what Lance has learned.
“Only on the first floor,” Lance says. “And he’s got terraces all around. A massive one looking out over the sound.”
“So you climbed up to the balcony?” Killian clarifies.
Natasha’s lips twitch into a smirk, and from the humor in my brother’s voice, I get the sense that I’m missing something—an inside joke between them. I quirk an eyebrow at my sister-in-law, and she just shakes her head, then presses a finger to her lips, reminding me to be silent.
“The door was wide open,” Lance says. “I don’t know if it is every night, but the terrace along the back of the house is out of sight from the guards. Except the ones on the roof. The thing to watch out for is the cameras. They’re all live. I don’t know if anyone’s monitoring them. But I hugged the railing and wall to slip under the one by the door.”
“And the cameras inside didn’t catch you?” Tatiana presses, doubt tinging her tone.
The room goes silent.
“I didn’t see any cameras inside,” Lance says finally. “They look like they’re watching the outer doors and stairs, the gates, any common entry points to the property…”
Tatiana tsks.
“We should be utilizing this information,” Killian says. “Deal with Lucian with a few good men. People who can slip in and out undetected.”
“Not men. Man. I’ll do it,” Lance says.
And my heart sinks.