Locked & Loaded (Ricochet 1)

Smiling, he made his way down the now crowded bar, stopping in front of Quinn. He leaned forward on his elbows, his face only a few inches away from Quinn’s.

“Need another?” he asked with a playful smirk, wiping the bar without tearing his gaze away from hers.

“Yep. And maybe a date?”

Out of the corner of her eye, Quinn could see Mara’s jaw drop. Hell, Quinn couldn’t even believe she just did that. Forward was not part of Quinn’s repertoire. Quinn didn’t even have a repertoire.

Who the heck is this brave girl and what has she done with timid little Quinn?

The bartender threw his towel over his shoulder and grinned, his green eyes sparkling. “I’m sorry to say I can’t go on a date with you.”

Quinn felt her heart sputter to a stop. She shouldn’t have put herself out there like that, out of her comfort zone. Now she felt like an idiot.

“I don’t go out with anyone whose name I don’t know.” He held out his hand. “Chase Gallagher.”

Quinn smiled, relieved, and shook the outstretched hand. It was warm, a little too warm maybe, but she shook it nonetheless.

“Quinn Wallace.”

“Well Quinn Wallace, now that I know you, I’d love to take you out sometime.” Chase met her eyes, neither of them looking away as their hands stayed clasped over the bar between them.

“Lord have mercy,” Mara said loudly, fanning herself with her hand. “I need another drink if I’m expected to watch you two melt all of my ice with the steamy looks you’re giving each other.”

Embarrassed, Quinn pulled her hand back as Chase laughed.

“Another rum and Coke coming up.”

Quinn sat there stunned, while Mara stared at her, amused.

What the heck did I just do?

BY MONDAY, QUINN was already regretting her upcoming date with Chase. She deserved to have a life, wanted to have a life. One date couldn’t hurt. She just didn’t want to feel so exposed and vulnerable. Being alone with a strange man was not a good way to feel safe.

Quinn did her work quickly and efficiently even as distracted as she was about both her date and the fact that Rick was still gone. Halfway through the day, however, she made a decision. Quinn left her desk to go into the main area of the gym. Her eyes glanced around the room until she found who she was looking for.

“Xavier!” Quinn waved him over.

The man stopped mid-punch, steadied the bag he was hitting, and walked towards Quinn, smiling.

“Quinn. I’m surprised to see you back here.” His smile was white and straight, his dark eyes shining as he approached.

Quinn shifted uncomfortably on her feet, her eyes dropped to the floor, before finally meeting Xavier’s gaze head on. “I need a favor.”

RICK PARKED OUTSIDE Sanctum MMA on Wednesday, glad to be back from his latest covert op. He got out of the car and rolled his neck, wincing at the stiffness that remained after flying eighteen hours in a Globemaster cargo jump seat. He had to hitch a ride with a military flight since passenger airlines don’t land anywhere within hundreds of miles of the op site.

He had been incredibly restless on this last mission, more so than usual, his mind constantly wandering back to Quinn. Rick spent countless hours wondering how Quinn’s long, dark hair would look spread out on his white sheets, what noises she would make if he kissed her, how soft her skin would feel under his rough hands. He wanted to find out, needed to find out. Couldn’t fucking think until he experienced it in real life and not just his overactive imagination.

It nearly drove him crazy during the flight out and back. Rick used his training to block everything out while he was on the ground or during the mission, including Quinn. With others counting on him to give his A-game he was always completely focused. But travel time? He literally tortured himself with fantasies of what they would do together— naked.

Now, just seconds from seeing her again, Rick was suddenly nervous. He could face down a mob of angry insurgents without breaking a sweat, parachute into enemy territory in the pitch black without hesitation, go dark for days with nothing to rely on for survival except his own training, but Quinn? What he felt for her scared the shit out of him.

Get yourself together, Brennan.

He strode into the lobby projecting a confidence he didn’t feel. One glance at the front desk and his heart felt as if it stuttered to a stop.

“Tucker? What the fuck are you doing up here? Where’s Quinn? Is she sick?”

The wiry man pushed his glasses up on his nose, glancing at Rick from behind his computer screen. “In back.” He stabbed his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the main gym. “I’m just watching the door for her while she trains.”