outfit. Hell, that red leather skirt barely covers the essentials.”
“Aw, hell. Here we go. Cassie in a snit is not a pretty sight.” Jace’s remark drifted in from the kitchen.
“I don’t dress to please my brother. Nor will I ever dress to please the likes of a man who can’t live up to his promises.” She slid the black sweater off her shoulder and down her arm the way she’d worn it earlier. Then she presented Quinn with a defiant glare. “Now that we have that clear, you, Mr. Romeo, can go to hell. I hope the woman who was more important to you than my birthday party gave you a good dose of the clap.”
Several fireman hooted and hollered at her snide remark. As usual, the place was wall-to-wall with male ears.
She snatched her purse from the table and took two steps before Quinn’s hand vised around her wrist and jerked her against his chest. She was nearly lipstick to pierced brown nipple with his very fine pecs. God, I’d like to bite one out of sheer spite.
“Watch your mouth, peanut—”
“Stop calling me ‘peanut’. I’m an adult now.” She heaved a sigh. Which would negate my biting his nipple, wouldn’t it?
Quinn’s gaze swept over her face for a second, his jaw clenched in annoyance. “All right, since you’re an adult, you ought to be able to handle this. I’m tired of you panting after me. I’m not interested. I mean, I love you like a sister and I’d do anything for you. Hell, we jog together often. Scuba-dive. Catch a movie now and then. But we do it all as friends. Nothing more.” He exhaled a long sigh and shook his head once. “Dating is out of the question. I want you to stop drooling over me as if I’m husband material.”
Oh, dear God. Are my desires that apparent?
He couldn’t have said such a hurtful thing. Not her Quinn. Her chest constricted, forcing her stomach to do a free fall to her stilettos. The block walls of the building warped inward for a few seconds and the tile floor tilted. A buzzing filled her ears and her breathing all but ceased in lungs clutched by pain.
Dear God, no.
Since the news of her parents’ death no one’s words had wounded her so deeply. Evidently she hadn’t hid her fascination with him as well as she’d hoped. Not only was Quinn well aware of her yearnings, but he resented them. So much so he felt the need to announce in front of everyone that he held zero desire for her.
He feels no attraction for me.
Happiness limped from her soul on a ragged sigh. Through her veil of tears, Wolf stood, hands on hips, like a storm cloud ready to erupt. Beside him were Jace and several firemen. She’d embarrassed her brothers, too. Had her behavior been so obvious, so humorous to everyone? What an idiot I am.
“I…I’m sorry.” She fought to keep her voice steady. God, please don’t let me cry in front of these men.
“Cassie, baby.” Wolf advanced, concern evident in his features. He’d resigned his commission in the SEALs to come home to care for her and her older sisters after their parents died. He’d pulled her through many rough days and nights. No one could pull her through this, though. It was time for her to face the cold hard bitchin’ truth: Quinn wanted her to leave him alone.
She stepped back and extended a hand in a stop gesture. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a pain in everyone’s ass.” Reaching into the outer pocket of her purse, she grasped Wolf’s key card. “Here.” She extended it to him. “I won’t need this anymore.”
Wolf shook his head. “Keep it. I’ve known you had it all along. The Captain knows too. I want you to go to Becca’s tonight.”
Yes, her oldest brother would send her to the safety of his fiancée’s care. Everyone wanted to tell her where to go, who to be with, who to love…or not love. Would they ever accept the fact she was able to take care of herself? Perhaps she needed to prove she could. Hell, she was no weakling. All she needed was some time to adjust to a life without dreaming about Quinn and then move on. Eight or nine years ought to do it.
She tossed the entry card onto the table and strode out of the fire station for the last time. I’m a grown woman. I can do this. The hell with Quinn Gallagher.
Quinn’s eyes adjusted to the contrasting interior of Iguana Ike’s. Lights embedded in the edge of the teak bar, along with those strung around the shelves stocked with liquor bottles, twinkled in an annoying rhythm, while dimness hugged the tables and booths. Strobe lights, programmed to flash in time with the music, caused his headache to pound along with the song’s bass beat thumping in his chest. His gaze drifted beyond the wall of glass to the large deck with soft lighting and palms shifting in the evening breeze. Why couldn’t Cassie and her friends have chosen a table out there where it was quieter?
Getting last minute personal time off from the station had proven difficult but, hell, not as tough as prying Wolf’s hands from around his throat. Quinn rotated his neck and swallowed, the discomfort a reminder of performing the unpardonable sin—hurting Wolf’s baby sister.
Truth be told, Quinn wasn’t so fucking proud of his behavior either. Seeing the pain in Cassie’s almond-shaped eyes and watching the light go out of those green orbs had nearly done him in. But what choice did he have? She cared for him, that much was obvious and had been since shortly after she’d turned eighteen. He couldn’t allow her starry-eyed dreams to continue, not where he was concerned. Not when he had cast iron running through his veins. Loving was not in his emotional repertoire. Not anymore. Not since Renata.
If he were a different man, Cassie, the pretty brunette with the heart-shaped face and bright green cat eyes, would be his singular focus. But he wasn’t a different man. He was tainted goods with a damaged heart, a thorny background and a cold outlook on life and love.
Even so, here he sat, trying to work up the courage to approach Cassie and apologize. No doubt she’d refuse his request. Not that he could blame the entertaining blend of kitten and tiger. He’d been damn harsh. He twisted the lime over his bottle of Corona, popped the wedge of fruit into his mouth and chewed.
A blonde, with more cleavage showing than she had covered, shifted onto the empty bar stool next to him. Her overdose of perfume nearly closed his sinuses. “Hi, Quinn. I haven’t seen you in ages.”
He looked at her face, so artificially tanned it was almost leathery in appearance. Damn, he hadn’t been drunk enough to get close to that, had he? “Sorry, but I don’t recall the name. Have we met?”
Some of the brightness went out of her smile. “Brittany Cook. We dated a couple times last fall.”
“Right. Brittany. I’m sorry. Part of my memory’s gone. I don’t recall women’s names like I used to.” He pointed to his head. “Had a timber fall on me during a fire. Hell, I can’t even recall how to make love to a woman anymore. I’ve had to go on the ‘no sex’ wagon for a while. You know, until I get my game back.”
She gave him a scathing once-over, huffed an irritated you’re-an-asshole breath and sauntered off. No loss there.
Quinn spun the stool around and propped his elbows and back against the bar, his Corona in hand. One sip and his stomach returned a hell-no message. Last night he’d consumed an entire bottle of tequila—alone. There’d been no woman, just his worry about giving Cassie the obligatory birthday kiss and the concern that one touch of those plump pink lips wouldn’t be enough. Not that he led a celibate life, far from it. Lately, though, few women captured his attention the way vivacious Cassie did. He groaned and slapped the bottle onto the bar, his gaze zeroing in on the pretty brunette, with that go-to-hell streak of dyed red hair bisecting her dark tresses. By far, she outshone any other female on the dance floor.
When