Beyond Me by Jennifer Probst Page A

had gone too far to turn back now.
    I kissed them goodbye, reminded them to stay safe, and left to meet James.

 
    I WATCHED her walk toward me. She wore her dark hair loose, the straight shiny strands swishing across her shoulders, and those inky almond eyes peeking at me from behind her bangs. Today, she sported a pair of denim shorts, a simple white T-shirt, and brown leather sandals. No jewelry. Little makeup. And she blew me away more than a Victoria’s Secret model shaking her ass on the runway.
    Quinn ducked her head as she got closer. I recognized the shyness of the gesture, but in seconds she’d pulled herself to full height and marched the last couple of steps. I loved the dual aspects of her personality, especially her strength, and my body lit up when my arms finally closed around her.
    “Hi,” she said softly.
    I didn’t respond. Just bent my head and kissed her slow and deep, reminding her of last night and our connection. I never exhibited such primitive behavior before, but I didn’t care. I only knew I needed to mark her and make sure no other guy even sniffed around Quinn this week. She softened beneath my kiss and practically sighed in surrender. I wanted to drag her back on the boat and stay in the cabin, fucking her every way possible until sunset. If we hid away from the world, nothing would ruin this. Nothing would ruin us.
    But I promised to show her some actual tourists traps in Key West, and she deserved that.
    Slowly, I broke the kiss. Her lips were wet and ripe and inviting. Her tongue slid over her bottom lip as if to catch my taste, and I groaned in agony. A wicked glint lit up her dark eyes.
    “Do that again and I’ll show you some different types of sightseeing.”
    A low chuckle vibrated from her throat. “Promise?”
    My body locked down to full attention. I playfully grabbed at her but she sprang away, her cheeks red, laughing. “No, no! I want to see Hemingway’s house.”
    “How about I show you his drinking stool and we retire for the day?” I suggested with a leer.
    “No. It’s beautiful out, and we can’t waste it.”
    “Okay, you win.” I grabbed her hand and snugly interlaced her fingers with mine. My spirits lightened and suddenly the day spread out before me in rich promise. “Let’s get all the visitor stuff done today so we can relax tomorrow on the boat. What do you want to see?”
    She frowned, obviously thinking hard. “Hemingway’s house. The southernmost point. Sloppy Joe’s Bar. Jimmy Buffett’s house. Glass-bottom boating. Sunset sailing. Drink a margarita at Margaritaville. Oh, and the sunset festival on the pier.”
    My mouth dropped open. “Please tell me you’re not serious.”
    She gave an adorable little pout. “I am. How can I go back home to Chicago and say I’ve seen nothing?”
    “I’m insulted.”
    She laughed. “Well, it’s quite impressive and not nothing, but I can’t tell people about that!”
    “Hmm, good point. Better get started. We have a torturous day of being tourists ahead of us.” I tried to tick down the agenda and figure out the best place to start, but she stopped in her tracks and dug her heels into concrete. “What’s the matter?”
    The playfulness disappeared. Her brown eyes turned serious. “You don’t have to babysit me today. I mean, we could always hook up tonight.”
    Temper reared, but I pushed it back. The idea she thought I looked at her as just a sex toy bothered me. Funny, if she were another woman, I’d dread dragging myself around town when my only purpose was to get her in bed. With Quinn, it was different. I’d go anywhere with her, because her presence made me feel good. But I couldn’t dump all that on either of us, so I grabbed her again and kissed her hard enough to make her forget. “I want to be with you.” The doubt on her face made me lower my voice and smile. “Besides, I refuse to let you lock me up so you can use me as your sexual slave. I deserve a meal, fresh air, and to be