Chapter Eleven

Quinn couldn’t care less about some game with alien shooters, but Aubry was into it, so he paid attention. It didn’t seem that different from the other first-person shooters out there with the exception that someone in the marketing department had taken the time to fully customize each of the playable characters to the people here. Aubry’s character was a dead ringer for herself, minus the tattoos.

Once they started playing, all he could do was watch her. She stared at the screen with a laser focus that was seriously sexy, her entire body still with the exception of her hands on the controls. He glanced at the screen in time to watch her take out two of the other players—guys directly behind them if the curses that rose were any indication. Over and over again, she evaded attacks, turning them around on the other team and racking up a truly impressive kill count. When the final screen popped up, she sat back and cracked her neck with a grin that hit him like a sucker punch. “And that’s how it’s done.”

This was her element—where she let go of her anxiety and prickly walls designed to keep people at a distance and just let herself be happy. More than happy. She looked downright joyful.

It was staggering to witness.

The guy next to her looked like he hadn’t seen direct sunlight anytime in the last decade. His shoulders were hunched and he was thin enough that Quinn would worry about breaking something if he slapped him on the back. He turned to Aubry, with hero worship in his eyes. “You’re MistressRed13.”

“The very one.” Her smile didn’t so much as dim at the human interaction.

“I don’t know if you remember, but I played backup for you against that evil overlord centipede, Claws. What you can do with an assault rifle is just poetic.”

As he watched, she relaxed and chatted with the guy. Apparently they’d played together more than once, and the way they talked about the game was completely foreign to Quinn. He liked things he could get his hands on and really dig into. There was nothing about virtual reality that made him feel more alive. He’d never been able to get into any of the games he’d played, let alone on the level Aubry and this guy—Kurt, his name was—were talking about right now. He’d never be able to share that with her.

What the hell are you even talking about? The only thing he wanted to share with her was orgasms. Who cared if she liked a game he wasn’t the least bit interested in, or that she’d probably eventually settle down with a guy like Kurt—a guy who got her?

He made himself stop and really consider that. There was nothing overtly wrong with Kurt. Nothing except the fact that he’d never be able to give it to Aubry the way she liked it. And he was so busy kissing her ass, would he really be able to challenge her or help her get more comfortable in a social situation or, fuck, act as a wall between her and her fears?

Quinn didn’t like the thought of her with someone else. He didn’t like that shit at all. And knowing that it wasn’t what either of them signed on for didn’t change a damn thing. He’d actually enjoyed most of the last few days with Aubry. He wasn’t ready to let her go, and he sure as fuck wasn’t about to do it before his sister’s wedding. A few more days. We’ll figure this shit out after that.

That didn’t change the fact he wanted nothing more than to throw her over his shoulder and haul her ass back to the hotel room to fuck her seven ways to Sunday until he was all she could think about.

The lights came up, signaling the end of the demo. Aubry turned to him with a happy grin, and it struck him that this was the first non-sexual situation where he’d seen her truly let go of a lot of the walls she kept around herself. He might not understand the whole gaming community thing, but these truly were her people. So he tried to smile. “That was pretty cool.”

“Pretty cool? Are you kidding me? That was… There are no words for what that was. They’re using a new processor and so the graphics are next-level shit. There isn’t another game out there on the market that can match this.” She actually wiggled with joy. “Oh my God, Quinn, thank you for this. Seriously, being able to see this game on the ground level of production is something I’m going to remember even when I’m ancient and have Alzheimer’s and have forgotten all my cats’ names.”

He stared, not sure if he wanted to kiss her or just sit back and watch her be happy and free for a little while longer. “You want to hang out here for a while?”

“Yeah, you totally should.” Kurt sidled up to her, and Quinn was not a fan of how the guy blatantly checked her out.

She hesitated and then took a careful step closer to Quinn. “Thanks, but I’ll probably just see you on the interwebs.” It was almost comical how the other guy’s face fell when she stepped up against Quinn’s side and beneath his arm. “See you later, Kurt.”

They walked out of the room, and her casual embrace turned into something more along the lines of a clinging spider monkey. Quinn kept them moving because he had a feeling if they stopped he might have to carry her out of here. To distract her, he said, “I think you broke poor Kurt’s heart.”

“I doubt it. He was blinded by my Deathmatch prowess and it understandably made him fall a little in love with me.”

He barked out a laugh. “That’s some pretty magical skills that game has if it can make a man fall in love with you.” It was easier to laugh about it and make a joke than face the fact that Aubry no doubt would end up with a guy who’d fall in love with her at some point. His stomach twisted at the thought. “I think it was more the fit of your jeans.”

“Hardly.” She snorted, keeping her head down, so she was almost half turned to him and away from the crowd around them. It made walking somewhat of a challenge, but Quinn was willing to do what it took to keep her from panicking. If this was helping, he’d walk like a damn crab.

Aubry’s hand’s fisted around the fabric of his shirt, but her voice was mostly light. “When you play as much as we do, sometimes you forget what it’s like to interact with the opposite sex. I’m female and I like at least one of the things he’s super into, so he understandably glommed onto me.”

“Understandable, my ass.” He knew his jealousy was completely irrational. Hell, she’d walked away from poor Kurt, but it wasn’t just that guy Quinn was jealous of. It was the future ones that maybe she hadn’t met yet. “He wanted to fuck you, peaches. He wanted to take you back to his mom’s basement, yank off those jeans of yours, and sink between your sweet thighs.”

She shot him a look. “He owns his own cyber security firm. I highly doubt he lives in his mom’s basement.”

“The rest stands.”

“You know, I think you’re just so obsessed with what’s between my thighs you’re projecting it onto everyone around you. One-track mind much?”

He’d show her a one-track mind. Quinn looked around, caught sight of a hallway leading away from the main room, and practically carried her into it. They turned one corner and then another and stopped at the stairs leading up to the rooms. It was faintly lit, the hotel having decided the environment was more important than being able to see clearly, and he backed her up to the wall beneath the stairs. “My mind is only on one track when it comes to you.” He lifted her arms over her head and pinned them with one hand. “I saw the way he looked at you.”

“So? In case you missed the memo, I’m single. He can look at me however he damn well pleases.” She lifted her chin. “In fact, I can look right back. Maybe I’ll ask him out.”

She was trying to provoke a response. He knew that and he could still feel control slipping through his fingers. He inched closer, until their chests touched with every inhale. “You would.”

“Yeah, I would.”

“He’d take you somewhere fancy, but not too fancy.” He unbuttoned the top button of her jeans, and slid the zipper down. “One of those trendy fucking hipster places with Asian fusion food.”

She gasped when he slipped his hand into her panties. “I’m surprised you even know what Asian fusion is.”

“I’m a cowboy. That doesn’t mean I don’t pay attention.” He groaned when he found her soaked. “He’d make polite conversation—nothing too titillating—and order you some fancy-ass wine selection.” He pushed a finger into her, stroking her as much as he could with her jeans restricting his movement.

“I happen to like wine.”

He knew that. Quinn palmed her, pushing a second finger into her. He worked her, watching her lips part and her breathing pick up. She was so fucking responsive it didn’t take much to get her to the edge. “And at the end of the night…” He stroked her clit the way he’d learned she liked it, circling and then thrusting into her and then circling, again and again. “At the end of the night he’d drive you home and kiss you politely before leaving you on your doorstep. Every single fucking thing about that night would be polite.”

Aubry’s back arched, and he knew he had her. Quinn picked up his pace, just slightly, lowering his head to rasp in her ear. “You don’t want polite. You want a hot fuck in the shower, on the bed, in the cab of my truck. You want me to finger you like this, and you want to get off on the fact that there isn’t a damn thing between us and anyone who walks down that hall. Hell, I bet if I slid down your jeans, you’d turn around and let me fuck you right here.” She clenched around him and she buried her face in his shoulder as she came, her moans barely muffled. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“Holy shit.”

He turned in time to see none other than Kurt standing in the hallway, his gaze fastened onto the spot where Quinn’s hand was buried in Aubry’s jeans. He stepped forward, putting himself between them. “Get lost, kid.”

“No, wait.” She disentangled herself from him and buttoned up her pants, shooting him a look that would send a weaker man to his knees.

It just pissed Quinn the fuck off. He put a hand on the wall, blocking her from Kurt with his arm. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Free country.”

“No, it’s not.”

“Actually—” Kurt broke off at his glare.

He focused back on Aubry. “We’re not finished.”

“I’m pretty sure we already had this conversation.” She ducked under his arm but then seemed to think better of it. “Sorry this is so awkward, Kurt. But I’m, ah, I’m taking the stairs.” She turned around, dodged around Quinn, and disappeared up the stairs, leaving him staring at Kurt like an asshole.

There was nothing to say. He couldn’t warn the other guy off because Aubry was right—she wasn’t his. They weren’t even technically hooking up right now because she’d called the whole damn thing off. He made an effort to unclench his fists and reclaim some of the happy-go-lucky attitude he was usually so good at, but he failed miserably at both. “She’s not interested. Get lost.”

“Yeah. No problem.” Kurt backed away as if facing off with a grizzly. He nearly tripped over his feet as he hurried around the corner and, if the sound of his footsteps pounding on the ground were any indication, he started sprinting the second he was out of sight.

Quinn headed up the stairs, determined to talk some sense into Aubry. The fire between them wasn’t anywhere near burned out and she damn well knew that shit. Maybe she couldn’t do sex without emotional attachments, but they could be friends who had sex.

He was reaching and he knew it, but he didn’t give a fuck.

It turned out, he didn’t have to go far to find his fiery redhead. Aubry sat on the top stair, three floors up, her head between her knees. As soon as he caught sight of her, he rushed up the remaining stairs to crouch before her. “What’s wrong?”

“So. Many. Stairs.”

He bit back a laugh. “We’re on the fourth floor.”

“I know.” She raised her head. “I overestimated my cardio skills. Turns out, I have no cardio skills. DDR did not prepare me for eleventy billion stairs.”

“I see.” He adopted as serious an expression as he could manage. “Would you like me to carry you?”

For a second, it looked like she was actually considering it, but she ultimately shook her head. “How am I going to escape the zombies if I don’t have sweet cardio skills? This is something I’m going to have to work on. I can’t rely on a trusty steed to be in my vicinity at every hour of every day.”

He wasn’t sure if he should be insulted she’d just called him a trusty steed, but he couldn’t resist such a perfect opening. “I have something in particular that you should be riding.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake. I’m sitting here worrying about the inevitable zombie apocalypse and you’re thinking with your dick.”

He was pleased to note she looked less winded now. Apparently verbally sparring with him was exactly the distraction she needed. “We already talked about this. I’ll cover your ass while we’re in San Diego. So, yes, you will have your trusty steed next to you at all times.” He was probably an ass for using her insane fears to further his agenda with her, but so be it. “You hungry?”

“Not for brains.” She made a face. “And not for company, either.”

He figured. Being around people wasn’t her natural inclination, so she’d need some time to recharge before they did anything else. Still, he couldn’t help asking, “Is there any other panel or whatever that you want to see while we’re here?” From what he understood, these convention things were hotbeds for new information for the gaming community. Surely there was something else she was interested in besides that demo?

And if she had to cling to him while he got her there, well, he was okay with that, too.

But she was already shaking her head. “There’s nothing they’re showing that I won’t be able to find on the Internet in a few hours anyways—without having to deal with the crowds.”

He would have been lying if he said there wasn’t a little disappointment that rose at that, but he brightened almost immediately when he considered that meant he’d have her all to himself. “Well, then, let’s get back to the room and order some grub.”

And if he played his cards right, there’d be more than just food on the menu.