AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No.” His answer had the snap of el duque in it.
“Okay. I think you should talk about it. It clearly bothered you.”
His head snapped up. “Stop asking about my fucking feelings. My uncle coddled me after the kidnapping, and all that did was slow down Mikel’s investigation. I want it finished. I want those bastards found and punished so I can put it all behind me.”
“I agree with everything you just said. That doesn’t mean you can’t also address how those masks made you feel. It’s healthy to confront it.”
“It just drags me through the same rut over and over again. There’s no purpose.”
“The purpose is to help you deal with it from a new perspective. Because you have changed and grown.”
“You sound like the fucking therapist,” he snarled. “I don’t have time for this right now. I need to focus on my music.”
“Can you make your best music when you’re upset?” She knew she was treading on thin ice.
“I am not upset.” He sounded as though he spoke through a clenched jaw. “I am angry. A cold, violent anger.”
“Anger is corrosive,” Quinn said with a conviction born from the experience of dealing with her father. “You need to get rid of it before it ruins you.”
“I will channel it into my music. Do not push me for more.”
He had retreated into his duke persona, proud and controlled.
“Should I take you back to the palace?” She realized she had headed for her home without thinking.
“If you would prefer that.” All the anger was gone from his voice, and exhaustion had taken its place.
She pulled into an empty parking space a block away from her house but kept the engine running. “I want to do whatever will help you the most.”
“I want not to think about it. Can you do that for me?”
“Yes,” Quinn said, turning off the engine. “I know exactly how to make that happen.”
Chapter 19
As they walked down the street to her house, she interlaced her fingers with Gabriel’s. He looked down as though surprised before he lifted her hand to brush a kiss over it. “Gracias, cariño mío.”
His stride lengthened so that she almost had to jog to keep up. He hustled her up the steps to her front door and loomed impatiently while she palmed open the door and deactivated the alarm.
She had barely tossed the Spano’s keys on her hall table before he spun her around and backed her up to the wall, his lips on hers. His body leaned hard into hers while he devoured her mouth like a man who was starving. Or maybe drowning.
She met him with equal passion, their tongues touching and parting, tracing and dancing. He threaded his fingers into her hair to angle her head so he could lick and nibble the sensitive skin behind her ear. Hot tingles spread across her skin to tighten her nipples where they pushed against his chest. When he slid his hands down to cup her bottom to pull her up against his erection, she nearly came.
“The kitchen counter,” she gasped. “I need you inside me.”
His gaze skimmed over her face like a touch. “This won’t be slow and sensual.”
“We can do that later.” Bracing her hands on his broad shoulders, she gave a little hop, and he caught her as she wrapped her legs around his hips. His erection hit her clit like a bolt of lightning, and she arched backward on a gasp. “Hurry.”
The friction of his movements as he strode to the kitchen island made her whimper as she fought down her orgasm.
He slid her carefully onto the polished basalt countertop. She ripped open the button at her waistband and yanked the zipper down before shoving her jeans and panties to her ankles and kicking her feet free of her clothes and shoes. She wiggled a little as the chill of the stone hit her bare skin. The contrast with the heat flaring low in her body sent a delicious shiver through her. “Take your shirt off.”
“Madre de Dios,” he said before he did that guy thing where he reached halfway down his back and pulled the shirt off in one motion, flinging it onto the island.
“God, I love your chest,” she said, running her palms over the warm skin and springy hair above the lily in the tattooed dragon’s claw.
“And I love your breasts.” He yanked her bra straps down to bare her before curving his fingers around to rub his thumbs over the points of her nipples. Another jolt of electricity zinged down to spark between her legs.
