Redemption - A Darla Gray Novel Read online

  Not wishing to bore him with details of her parentage she answered simply. “I love it!”

  As soon as a voice answered on the other end of the line, Quinn effortlessly reeled off a number of dishes in fluent Korean. His knowledge of her father’s native tongue was exceptional, equally as flawless as her own. Her stomach sounded loudly and her mouth began to water as he reeled off several of her favourite dishes.

  “It’s gonna take about forty minutes to arrive,” he informed her as soon as he hung up the phone.

  “Okay. Thank you.” She smiled uncomfortably turning to resume her scan of the book titles, making sure not to touch this time. “I’m afraid I don’t have any money to contribute.” She added feeling slightly embarrassed. “Do they even accept money here?”

  Quinn nodded at the questioning glance she threw over her shoulder. “No worries.”

  As she leaned closer towards the books Quinn was confronted with more than he could comfortably handle as the table lamp lit up her silhouette revealing much more than she was aware of; her lack of underwear contributing mercilessly towards the explicit view.

  Boy this was gonna be a long night! He thought despairingly.

  Spending the next fourteen hours locked in a small apartment with the tempting siren was going to be the hardest test of control he had ever known. Just having her here felt strangely natural to him. The idea of sweeping her up of her feet and carrying her into his room- just a few short steps from where she stood- seemed not just a gratifying fantasy, but something much deeper, more compelling. Tasting her, touching her, hearing her small moans of pleasure as her body responded to all that he did and her echoing screams as he finally -after much sweet torment- gave her the release she desired, and then to be able to fall asleep still wrapped in her embrace all of which couldn’t be more alien to his usual routine with women.

  Normal practice for him was to encourage any women who entered his personal space to leave as soon as possible once the purpose of their visit was concluded.

  Quinn inhaled deeply. His fingers tightly gripping the edge of the breakfast bar. If he could just find some measure of breathing space perhaps he could get a grip on whatever it was that was making him feel this way.

  A solution presented itself. “Would you like a shower before the food arrives?”

  “Mmmmm. Sounds like heaven to me.” Darla could feel the dirt from the day’s events coating every inch of her body. “Although, I hate to impose but I have nothing clean to wear. Do you have a large enough towel or perhaps a bath robe that I could use so that I could rinse some of the dirt from my clothes? I imagine that if I hang them to dry overnight they would be fine for the morning.”

  Quinn’s pulse threatened to erupt. Dumb fucking idea! He now had the image stuck in his mind of her roaming around his apartment wearing nothing but a towel for the duration of the evening. Figuring it would be less painful to stick forks in his eyes than endure the erotic sight of that, he wondered why he couldn’t have just kept his mouth shut. Clearly not one of his better ideas!

  Growing more despondent he sighed wearily. “I’ll go see if I can find you something a little better to wear.”

  Disappearing into an adjoining room Quinn returned with a handful of garments. “Here.” Passing the pile to Darla he took special care in avoiding all contact. “Towels and anything else you’ll need you should find in the bathroom cabinets.” He opened another door revealing the bathroom. “Help yourself.”

  Entering the room Darla pivoted around to catch his hand before he could move it away. “Thank you Quinn. I mean it, thanks for everything. I know you would much rather I wasn’t here but I can’t say the same. With everything that’s happened today yours is the only familiar face I know. I’m glad I’m still with you.”

  Quinn couldn’t stop staring, wanting nothing more than to crush her in his arms and lay claim to her lips. But before he could respond she gave a little embarrassed smile and quickly closed the door.

  Frozen in place and unable to move he heard as the water began to run. Envisioning her naked with the water cascading over her honey kissed skin was pure hell and knowing that she was just the other side of the door only added to the torment.

  Resting his forehead against the one offending obstacle that separated him from her naked body, Quinn inhaled deeply, drawing on every ounce of energy he could muster in a useless bid to lessen the ache caused by his throbbing erection. If he could just hold her, glide his hands across the silken softness of her flesh, then maybe…just maybe he could put paid to this…whatever the hell this was!

  A buzz on the downstairs intercom signalled the arrival of the food and forced Quinn from his musings. Jeez’ how long had he been stood there? Grateful for the distraction he released the locking system and waited for the delivery guy, using the short time it took him to climb the stairs to collect his senses and regain control of his body.

  Paying for the food he began setting it all out on the breakfast bar. Hearing the rushing water come to an abrupt stop dragged his focus directly back towards Darla. A picture of formed in his mind; Droplets of water running down her moistened skin, leaving behind an intricately woven pattern. Damp midnight black hair clinging to the contours of her throat and shoulders framing her exquisite features…..

  Goddamn it enough was enough! After all what was the worse she could do? Say no?

  Slamming the food down on the counter Quinn stormed towards the bathroom hell-bent on a release from his torment. But before he could reach his intended target and lay claim to his prize Darla opened the door and entered the room in an accompanying cloud of steam.

  “Oh my god, I cannot begin to describe just how wonderful that was.” Still rubbing the ends of hair with a towel Darla glanced past his shoulder towards the breakfast bar. “Is that the food? I am famished.”

  As she sauntered across the room Quinn could do little but stare helplessly at the boxers he had provided for her to wear. Resting halfway down her supple thighs they did little to nothing in disguising the perfectly toned contours. The accompanying black t-shirt would have been ordinary enough had it not been for the erotic movement her body created in the simple act of towel drying her hair. Another reminder of her complete lack of underwear.

  No-one should look that hot strolling barefoot across his floor wearing nothing but men’s gear he thought. It’s just not natural!

  Unaware of Quinn’s inner turmoil Darla passed him by her arm gently brushing against his, oblivious to the reaction it caused. As she immediately proceeded to dish out the food onto two plates, Quinn continued to fight the raging battle that demanded he sweep her up in his arms, remove what little clothing she had on and lay claim to the drug his body craved.

  Grateful for the counter that lay between them, not only providing an adequate barrier to remind him that this female was most definitely off limits but also affording him a little modesty in hiding what could only be described as a hard-on-from-hell. Gaining some semblance of control Quinn dragged himself forward taking a seat, conscious of how much closer the few innocent steps had taken him to the object of his torment.

  With sheer determination he channelled all of his energy into concentrating on the meal before him whilst Darla cooed lovingly over the irresistible aromas of the steaming hot food, her face aglow with pleasure.

  Lifting a loaded fork towards his mouth he froze in a grip of sexual horror as she rolled a ball of rice in amongst a little sauce and then scooped it effortlessly into her mouth with her fingers before slowly and indulgently sucking each one clean, savouring the juices that coated them.

  Realising that Quinn had stopped what he was doing to stare she blushed prettily, an impish grin spread upon her lips giving her the appearance of a mischievous child caught in a forbidden act. “Sorry. It’s a bad habit I picked up from my dad.” She hastily explained. “See, you roll the rice into the accompanying food then you just… pop it in.” Repeating the act once again Darla slowly and innocently dragging eac
h coated finger through her lips one by one, unaware of the agonising torment it was causing her host.

  Quinn coughed in an effort to disguise a rising groan, convinced he was about to orgasm right there at the counter. Fuck this!

  “You know, I’m really not that hungry right now. I think I’ll take a shower and eat this later.” Awarding himself full marks for keeping his voice level, Quinn ignored her surprised look.

  Aware of her watching as he walked away he challenged himself not to hurry into the bathroom. Locking the door he shed his clothes as quick as possible and turned on the shower. With the steady humming of the running water muffling his actions he swiftly and eagerly relieved himself of the aching burden that had plagued him since first setting eyes on Darla Gray. Spurred on by visions of honey gold skin and curvaceous hips he suppressed his climatic groan of release between the restriction in his throat and his mouth pressed tightly against his forearm.

  On unsteady legs he took the time to scrub away the dirt and grime of the day, feeling more relaxed and in control than he had for the past few hours. The warmth of the water cleared his mind, finally freeing him to slowly and methodically process the day’s events in a bid to find some inkling or reason behind his abnormal reaction towards his unwanted houseguest.

  Undoubtedly Darla was a beautiful woman, but then he’d never had a shortage of beautiful women before now. What astonished him most was his inexplicable attraction even whilst knowing she was a breather. He despised humans with every fibre of his being and his reasons for doing so were just and true. So why was it so different with this particular human? She wasn’t his usual type; the type of woman that would happily be used just for sex…even though he just knew with her it would be great sex…mind blowing sex…hot, sweaty, gratifying, sex!

  Jeez’ the sooner the agent arrives to take her the better! “Quinn? Quinn are you ok?” Darla’s concerned voice broke through his train of thought.

  Shivering he realised the shower had run cold from the amount of time he’d spent fantasizing about the many things he would love to do to her. Shutting off the faucet he grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his hips shaking the water from his hair. “I’m fine. Just coming.”

  Darla jumped as the door swung wide releasing a blast of cold air into the room. “I’m sorry. Did I use all the hot water?” She said, almost stuttering at the wide expanse of perfectly sculptured chest that confronted her. Her mouth suddenly felt dry and her legs felt weak. WOW!

  “No I like it cold,” he lied, none too keen on trying to explain the reason for taking so long.

  Unable to draw her eyes away, Darla watched as he walked across to his room, drinking in the sight of him. Powerful shoulders, strong muscular chest and a lean waist that rippled with finely honed muscles, perfection was the first word that sprung to her mind. Her stomach quivered and her throat tightened making it difficult for her to swallow, a sensation that was as foreign and alien as the world she now found herself in.

  Two years had passed since she had last seen a man undressed and even then Alistair had never looked this good, then again not many men would. But with so much of his glorious body exposed Darla could easily see with haunting clarity just how dangerous life could be in Redemption. An array of scars marred his perfect skin varying in shapes and size.

  Desperately in need of something to distract her, Darla returned to the kitchen and began to clear away the remnants of the meal, but with such a mundane task it was inevitable that her thoughts quickly returned to Quinn. How it would feel to be touched by a man such as him? Would he be an aggressive, passionate lover or kind and gentle?

  Dear Lord what was she thinking? Clearly her body was just responding to such a long period of sexual neglect. After all, she would never ordinarily be attracted to a man such as Quinn. He was arrogant, intimidating and dangerous with none of the virtues she would look for in a man and all of the downfalls that her beloved parents had constantly warned her to avoid. Today had just thrown her completely out of sorts, after all it’s not every day you try to kill yourself she thought.

  Quinn re-entered the room dressed in a fresh pair of black leathers and a loose black shirt which remained unbuttoned, unceremoniously exposing his perfectly sculpture six pack. The button on his leathers also lay open, riding low on his hips revealing the dark line of hair that trailed further down than her hungry eyes could see.

  Perching on the edge of the sofa he fastened his heavy black boots, his hair hanging damp and loose falling forward, obscuring his face and just for a split second Darla was seized by an impulsive urge to run her fingers through the messy disarray.

  “I’ve plated you up a meal. Can I reheat it for you?” She asked. Just keep busy. Just keep busy she chanted over and over.

  “Thanks.” Disappearing into the bathroom Quinn collected his dirty clothes and returned them to his bedroom. Re-entering the living room he made his way to the breakfast bar buttoning his shirt as he went.

  Darla inhaled his strong heady scent allowing it to engulf her. God he smelt good. With the loose shirt instead of his jacket he appeared softer and more approachable than he had earlier in the day and with her head still swimming with unanswered questions Darla decided that now was as good a time as any to broach the subject.

  “Quinn I know this wasn’t what you had planned for this evening and I’m really sorry that I’ve been such a burden but there’s something more I need from you.”

  Placing the last forkful of food into his mouth Quinn returned the utensil with a clink to the plate which Darla hastily swiped away and cleaned in the soapy water. “What would that be?” he asked

  “I want answers.”

  Quinn was surprised that she had held out this long and although he didn’t relish the thought of educating a newbie, he could fully understand her need. “Okay, so what do you want to know?”

  Turning to face him with steely determination in her eyes, Darla responded with just one word. “Everything!”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Quinn sighed wearily. “So do you want the ‘in the beginning’ version or do you want me to start with the big bang.” He scoffed allowing his annoyance to spill over into his voice. He was a Goddamn retriever, not a babysitter and definitely not a lecturer; this bullshit should never have been left for him to deal with.

  “You don’t need to be so patronising, you know! Try putting yourself in my shoes. Wouldn’t you want to know?” Darla snapped angry at his sarcasm. “Earlier today ...last night...whenever the hell it was….. I jumped off a bridge with the soul intention of ending my life-”

  Quinn watched as she began to pace, now in full rant.

  “Instead of ending up in heaven and finding the peace that I had dreamed of for so long, I land in a desert, get chased by flesh-eating monsters, traverse the longest zip wire ever invented, upset a giant…” Darla flashed back to the creature she had bumped into earlier.

  “Technically he wasn’t a giant, he was a…” Quinn interjected.

  The scathing look she flashed him was enough to silence any further attempts at interrupting on his part.

  Holding a tight rein on her anger Darla gritted her teeth. “Look, I just need to know what the hell is going on here. Is this all real or am I in some kind of coma. Because if I am, I sure as hell hope to God that someone either wakes me up pretty fast or pulls the plug and puts me out of my misery.”

  Seeing how upset she really was Quinn reached beneath the counter and pulled out a large bottle of whiskey. “I wasn’t trying to be patronising, I only meant for you to be more specific about what you wanna know.” Pouring two generous glasses he slid one across the counter to Darla.

  Blushing slightly she realised her error. “Oh I see. Sorry.”

  Quinn raised his glass in acknowledgement of her apology before taking a long swig of the amber coloured liquid.

  Taking that as her cue to continue Darla reeled off the numerous questions that had plagued her throughout the day. “What is Redemption
? How did I come to be here? Tell me more about the creatures that chased us. What is the agency that Maisey runs and what does it have to do with me?”

  “Whoa there! Slow down.” Taking another large swig from his glass he savoured the moment with the liquid gliding down his throat, slowly warming him from the inside out. Undoubtedly this was going to be a long night but with any luck the drink would help ease it. “Okay. Now you need to understand that I’m not trained in briefing new arrivals so you’re gonna have to allow me some leeway on this. First of all you’re not dead, you’re not dreaming and this sure as hell ain’t no friggin’ coma induced reality where you’re all wired up to machines in a hospital after some half-assed suicide attempt.”

  Darla blushed readily with a mixture of guilt and embarrassment.

  “Ah gotcha!” Swallowing another warming mouthful of the dark liquid he winked across at her. “You thought that was what had happened to you? Sorry darlin’ but you couldn’t be more wrong if you tried. I hate to be the one to burst you bubble but this is as real as it gets. Everything that happens to you down here genuinely happens. And just in case you’ve have any second thoughts in regard to your reasons for the suicide attempt you need to be sure of one thing, if you die down here, you stay dead. No second chances.”

  Quinn gave her a moment to reflect on that, watching avidly as she raised the glass of whiskey to her lips, grimacing as the warm liquid slipped down her throat. Not a drinker then, he noted.

  “Ready for more?” he asked warming to the idea of finding more out about her from her unmindful reactions.

  Hesitant but determined all the same Darla nodded.

  “Okay. This place, Redemption…..Boy this is gonna be a hard one.” He whispered beneath his breath. “You believe in heaven and hell, right?”

  “Of course I do.” Darla waited for the customary laugh. Most men of his calibre found the idea of faith highly amusing.