Chapter Sixteen

Quinn half opened one eye hoping she was alone in the bed. The fact that she felt like the sun was touching her on a spring day told her differently.

“You’re still here.”

“Did you want me to leave?”

“No.” She turned her head to look at him. His face was soft, and his eyes were glowing. That look made her heart speed up. She got a little closer so she could lay her head on his chest. His arms wrapped around her, and she sighed. If only this could last.

“I’m glad you’re still here. That was amazing.”

“I thought so too.”

Her lips lifted against his chest hiding her smile.

“Do you still want me to design your backyard oasis?”

“Why do you do that?” His voice was sharp, but she knew he wasn’t upset with her.

“Do what?”

“Think I don’t value your skills or talent?”

Well, that was easy. She spent the last two years fighting for the right to be acknowledged as a professional. It still felt like an uphill battle.

“I’ve been working in a man’s only world so long it feels almost like second nature to fight for my right to be respected.

“The job belongs to you and your crew. When it’s done, we will get into the hot tub and watch the waterfall. I was thinking, can you put a screen outside? That way, we can have some of our movie nights in the back.”

“That’s a great plan. I don’t know why I didn’t think of it before. I know where it can go.” She slid out the bed forgetting she was naked. The plans were sitting on his desk in the den.

She padded across the floor only to realize that it was heated. Her toes curled up against it.

“When we fought there were times it was hotter than the sand in your desert and other times when it was colder than what the north pole is reported to be. We heated the floors, so we never have to experience those extreme conditions in our house.”

“The ones who created you abused you.”

“How do you abuse a thing? We were their weapons. What did it matter if we lived and breathed or felt pain? They planned to decommission us when there was no longer a need for weapons.”

They were standing in the living room. She changed directions and walked over to him wrapping her arms around him.

“I don’t know about the people who created you. It’s hard for me to believe there is another species out there capable of making someone as intelligent and caring as you are. It boggles my mind that they couldn’t see your worth or the worth of your brothers.”

“All they cared about was their people. There was one she saw more than a created being. She saw the worth in who we are.”

“Where is she?”

“Time caught up with her. We are a little less for her passing.”

Quinn pressed her head against him and held him tight. He picked her up and finished walking into the den.

“You know I think I need to put clothes on.” It would have been unthinkable to walk around naked with any of her previous male friends. She had never felt that comfortable with them. “You might need clothes too.”

He was holding her, and his cock was telling the story of just how interested he was.

She bounced as he let her go on the sofa. Shocked laughter came from her as his eyes flashed bright for a moment. She left and came back wearing a pair of panties with his robe in her hand. She handed him a pair of joggers she found.

“I know you’re not ready for me again.” She put his robe on staring at the obvious bulge in his pants. “When you are, I’ll be ready too.”

Good Lord, she was ready to sink into his bathtub but only if it was filled with cold water. He was making her feel like she had curves for days, and she loved it.

She pasted a smile on her face and hoped it didn’t look needy or greedy for his cock.

“Let’s look at the plans.” She spread them out. “Right here is empty space. We can move the hot tub here and place the screen where it used to be. Which is perfect because we can place the waterfall here. The background of the trees will highlight it.” He nodded his head as she spoke.

“We’ll show everyone else. I’m sure they won’t have a problem with it. We want to get started in a week. Will that work with your schedule?”

“It will. We need to get the yard cleared out it will take about that much time to do it. I can have my crew start Monday if all of you agree.”

“We do.” They could clear the yard themselves in a day. They would have if it were anyone else besides Quinn and her crew.

Her stomach rumbled.

“You need to eat.”

“So do you, but I want a quick shower first.” There was no way she was walking through the house looking like she had sex.

“Where’s Tee?” She felt ashamed that it took her this long to realize she was missing.

“She’s outside playing with Jabari.”

“Oh.”

“She didn’t pick him or us over you. You were still sleeping, and she wanted to play. Her second form is too big for you, so she’s tussling with him.”

“Come on.” She ran to the bathroom. “I want to see this.”

She took the quickest shower possible and dressed before running through the hallway holding onto Mekhi’s hand, so he was behind her. They burst out the kitchen door to see Tee launch herself in the air hitting Jabari in the back taking him down.

Quinn gasped and covered her mouth. Jabari was laughing like it was the first time he had fun. He flipped Tee over and sat on her. They continued to fight neither of them trying to hurt the other. Tee roared before throwing him and running over to Quinn. She jumped at her changing forms at the last minute and landing in her arms.

Quinn lit up.

“She looks happy.”

“I know. I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as her.” His hands clenched as he worked to keep his claws from coming out.

“We’ll protect her. We won’t fail this time.”

He silently agreed with Jabari. There would not be another failure.

“So where can a girl get some food?”

He turned to the kitchen, and she followed. He reached for the remote and turned on the television.

“What are you doing?”

“None of us cook; we fight. Sometimes when we have to fix food for ourselves, we turn on the cooking channel.”

“You’re serious?” She kept her face bland while her heart was skipping a mile a minute.

“Yes.” The television came on with the happy face of the host explaining how to make croissants for breakfast.

He went to the fridge to see what they had in there. “We don’t have all the ingredients. I can send someone to the store.”

“I have a better idea. Why don’t we go to breakfast, and then we can go shopping after that? I need to call Carrie first so she can get in touch with the crew.”

“I like the sound of that.” Jabari walked into the kitchen. “I’ll tell the others. We’ll be ready when you are.” He walked out calling their names.

“We’re all going to breakfast?”

Mekhi nodded. “Are you okay with that?”

“Yeah, I think I am.”

She pulled her cell phone out of her back pocket and took a seat at the table while it rang.

“Quinn.” Carrie sang out.

“You sound happy.”

“I am, it’s a chaotic mess over here, but I love it. How are you?”

“Strangely enough the same. Do you mind getting in touch with the crew? We will start the outdoor kitchen job I told you about. It's expanded; I'll show you the plans when I see you. We need to clear out the area and do a bit of demolition.”

“They will be excited to know we have another job.”

“See you on Monday. Go back to having fun with your family.”

“Quinn, thanks.”

“For what?”

“Keeping me out of an office or being the grunt on some other crew.” She hung up the phone with a stunned Quinn on the other line.

“Everything okay.”

“Yeah, I just got a reminder of one of the reasons I buck the system. I’m ready, are we ready to go.”

“We are.” A chorus of voices went up from the other room, and she grinned like an idiot. “Tee we’ll bring you back something good.”

“She wants a steak,” Mekhi told her before they exited the kitchen.