Free Untouched by Maisey Yates Page A

the counter.
    What, were you raised in a barn?
    He lifted his head. Lark. Of course. There was a reason she was here. There had been a reason from the moment he’d first realized he could get her in his employ without her realizing it. He hadn’t connected all the dots until just that moment.
    But it was obvious.
    An image flashed through his mind of the way she’d looked when he’d offered to kiss her. Her dark eyes wide, lush lips looking much more tempting than he’d counted on. The entire proposition, which had been meant to goad her, much more tempting than he’d counted on.
    Oh, yes, he knew what he was going to do.
    He was going to seduce Lark Mitchell. He was going to make her his. And when she was his, she wouldn’t belong to Cade anymore. Oh, he might not sleep with her, but he was going to seduce her
    Because Lark had pointed out something very interesting. They were all each other had. They were family.
    Well, he didn’t have much of a family. He’d had the rodeo. And Cade had taken that from him as though he had every right to do it. So Quinn would take something of his. Take the most important thing—just like he’d done to him.
    It wouldn’t be easy, seeing as she hated him. He’d never tried to seduce a woman who hated him before. Frankly, he wasn’t sure he’d ever had to seduce a woman before. Back in high school, women had been attracted to his money and the fact that he was a “bad boy.” In the circuit, it had basically been the same thing. The status of hooking up with the winner of an event, or a chance to slum it with a rough, dirty cowboy. Either way, women pursued him.
    But Lark wouldn’t be making a move on him anytime soon. No question. She would need pursuing.
    The thought ignited something in his veins. A predator’s instinct, maybe. Something old, buried in his DNA. A biological imperative. He’d never given much thought to things like that, but now, with heat, excitement, anticipation, coursing through his veins, he wondered.
    Sam could keep an eye out at Elk Haven. Quinn could manage everything just fine here. He hadn’t thought he would enjoy revenge quite this much.
    ***
    Lark made it home for dinner that night, and she tried her very best not to look shell-shocked by her earlier encounter with Quinn. It would only get Cole’s hackles up, and then he would start sniffing around, and she did not need that.
    But Quinn’s offer of a kiss seemed to be on repeat in her mind, and it was making her feel all shaky and melty. She did not like it.
    She didn’t like that he seemed to have burrowed under her skin, under defenses she hadn’t realized were breachable.
    What was wrong with her? Maybe she needed to track down Aaron_234 again and they could get their dirty chat on. But then, now that she had the memory of what Quinn was like, in the flesh and very much real, the idea of some illicit lines of text just didn’t seem that thrilling.
    She sat down at the table next to Kelsey. “Hi,” she said.
    “Hi. How’s the job?”
    She hoped her cheeks didn’t look as hot as they felt. “Great.”
    Kelsey arched a brow. “Is there a guy?” she whispered.
    “What?” Lark hissed.
    “You turned all pink.”
    “I did not.”
    “You did.”
    Luckily, Cole wasn’t paying attention to the exchange, because he was feeing Maddy, who was sitting on his lap with one hand in his dinner plate.
    “Fine. There is a guy, a little. But it’s just that he’s cute. It’s not a thing.”
    “Right,” Kelsey said. “I so totally believe you. Except I don’t.”
    “Having a sister is overrated.”
    “You don’t mean that. You love me. I’ve brought estrogen into this house. It’s tripled, thanks to me.”
    “Fine, but please, don’t say anything.”
    “Cole and I have a cone of trust. I don’t keep secrets from him.”
    “You are the worst. You guess everything and you blab it.”
    “We won’t tell Cade.”
    Kelsey grunted. “That’s a relief.” In way more ways than