“Quinn. You’re in public. Stop acting like a Neanderthal.”
He rolled his eyes at her scandalized tone and whispered, “Think if I fuck you right here on the table, it would prove I really was a Neanderthal? We both know you’d like the audience.”
Aubry shivered at the image his words brought. She tried to keep her voice light. “True, but I think it would make future family dinners really awkward.”
“Damn, you’re right.” Quinn sighed theatrically. “I guess I’ll have to wait until we’re alone to release all my pent-up frustration on you, huh?”
“Guess so.” She nodded solemnly, her entire body sparking in anticipation. She couldn’t wait for this damn rehearsal to be over with.Chapter FifteenQuinn barely waited the requisite hour after the meal to grab Aubry’s hand and drag her out of the room. He didn’t give a fuck that everyone present knew exactly what was on his mind or that inside of ten minutes he was going to sink between her thighs. The only two whose opinions he cared about were Jenny and Brad, and they were so lost in each other that he could have done exactly what he threatened Aubry with earlier and he doubted they would have noticed.
“Hey, big guy.”
He stopped so fast, he had to catch Aubry before she ran into him. Even then, he wasn’t sure if he was actually seeing what he thought he was seeing. It was the blonde from the hellish dinner a few months ago, and she was looking at him just like she had the last time they met—like she’d swallow him whole and then come back for seconds. He cleared his throat. “Ah, Aubry, this is…” Fuck, what was her name?
“Rochelle.”
“Right. Rochelle.”
The woman ignored Aubry and sidled up to him, going so far as to run her hand up his chest. “Richard said you’d be here, and I’m so glad we had this chance to run into each other. You were called away from dinner last month, so we didn’t get to…know each other.” She sank so much innuendo into the last few words that there was no mistaking she meant “know” in a Biblical sense.
He grabbed her hand, part of him astounded that she was being so bold, but then again, he had no idea what his old man had told her. Obviously he led her to believe Quinn was a sure thing, which wasn’t surprising, exactly, but it still caught him off guard. He let go of her, putting a little push behind it so that her hand dropped away from him. “Yeah, well, duty called.”
“I just bet it did.” If anything, she looked more interested, reaching for him.
Aubry was there before she made contact, inserting herself between them. She looked over her shoulder at him, raised her eyebrows, and jerked her thumb at the blonde. “Is this one of those hussies you warned me about? Her tits are certainly large enough to fit the profile.” She turned back to Rochelle and spoke in a stage whisper. “Sweetie, have you seen the crowd in there? That dress is more Vegas hooker than West Coast socialite.”
Rochelle turned a mottled red color that didn’t do much for her platinum blond hair. “Who’s your friend, Quinn?”
“This is my girlfriend, Aubry.” He got a little thrill every time he introduced her like that.
He’d expected the title to make Rochelle back off, but she just laughed. “Oh, damn, that’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all night.” She smoothed back her hair. “I’ll tell you a little secret, Audrey.”
“Aubry.”
“Whatever.” She pointed at Quinn. “He might play on the wild side with a little Goth chick like you, but when he settles down—which will be sooner rather than later—it’s going to be with someone like me.”
Aubry laughed. “What? A social ladder-climbing gold digger?”
“Please. A woman his family approves of—one who fits.” She raked a look over Aubry. “Which I can tell you right now, you don’t.” She straightened, a polished smile firmly in place. “Well, Quinn, when you’re done playing in the gutter, you give me a call.” She moved around them and into the restaurant, leaving him with a furious redhead.
He cautiously put his hands on Aubry’s shoulders, well aware she might try to take him out at the knees. “I’m sorry.”
She turned around and he was surprised to see that the fury on her face wasn’t directed at him. “That is one of the women your dad threw at you? What the hell is wrong with him? Does he seriously not know a thing about you?”
“To be fair, I like blondes.” Or at least he used to. These days, nothing could hold a candle to redheads.
She poked him in the chest. “I’m being serious. Don’t throw a joke in there like that. What kind of woman is willing to try to jump you when I’m standing right here?” She shook her head. “You know what, don’t answer that. I see why you wanted me here now.”