Filed to story: Quinn Lane and Julian Sterling Book PDF Free
“You made it.”
Maddox was handsome enough, but the dark circles under his eyes gave him the tell-tale signs of overindulgence.
“Where’s Seven?” he asked.
Zeke smiled, “Upstairs. You want to see him? I can take you.”
“Forget it. I had rather avoid him. He’s young, but he’s as stuffy and boring as my old man.”
Maddox wrapped an arm around the waist of the model-thin woman beside him.
“If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have even come.”
He said that, but he wouldn’t have dared to skip an event hosted by Julian.
“There’s plenty of good stuff inside,” Zeke said. “Have fun. I have to greet other guests, so make yourself at home.”
Maddox was about to lead his date upstairs when a flash of blue caught his eye. An hourglass figure, curves in all the right places, and a waist so slender it looked like it would snap. She was far more enticing than the woman on his arm.
His eyes lit up. Forgetting his date completely, he strode in that direction.
Who knew there would be a woman of this caliber on Julian’s yacht? This trip was already worth it.
Chase was dragging Quinn around, making introductions. For him, a party like this was a golden opportunity to expand his network. While it was good to have a powerful family at his back, who would ever say no to more money?
Maddox came over, and when he saw Quinn’s face up close, his jaw practically hit the floor.
They say the genetic lottery is real. Some people are the result of a lazy, mass-produced effort. Others are masterpieces, sculpted with painstaking care and precision.
Maddox stared at her, mesmerized. She was perfect from every angle with a smooth forehead, exquisite features, and a calm, distant look in her eyes that gave her a classic, old-world beauty. But unlike the soft roundness of traditional beauties, the sharp line of her profile hinted at a fiery spirit. She was breathtakingly, vividly beautiful. When she wasn’t smiling, she was cool and aloof. When she smiled, it was like the melting of ice and snow. Her eyes, in particular, sparkled with a light that seemed to hold the promise of an entire spring.
“Mr. Dixon!”
Chase turned and saw Maddox, and he immediately rushed over to greet him.
Maddox gave him a dismissive glance, snapping, “Who are you? And who is this lovely lady?”
Chase didn’t expect the young master to know him. He bowed slightly, explaining, “Mr. Dixon, I’m a member of the Sterling family, Chase Sterling. This is my wife, Quinn Lane. Quinn, quickly, this is Mr. Dixon.”
Quinn felt like her face was going to freeze in a permanent smile. She wasn’t good at these kinds of events and rarely spoke, relying on a polite smile to get by. And yet, whenever they were alone, Chase would berate her for being wooden and dull, not worth a single strand of Rosalie’s hair.
The thought made her want to laugh for real.
The sight of her smile was, to Maddox, a vision of otherworldly beauty.
“Quinn? A beautiful name,” he purred, his eyes full of undisguised interest. “I wonder if I might have the honor of buying you a drink?”
His stare made her skin crawl. Her voice was cold.
“Mr. Dixon. Please.”
She lowered the glass in her hand and lightly touched it to his. She just wanted to get this over with so she wouldn’t have to listen to another lecture from Chase. She loved the ocean and was thrilled to be on a yacht like this for the first time, but she was in no mood to enjoy the scenery.
Maddox couldn’t take his eyes off her for a second.
“Is Quinn still in school?” he asked, his gaze devouring her face. He had been with enough women to know at a glance that Quinn wasn’t just a pretty face; her body was flawless. Her skin was so fair and delicate it looked like a single touch would leave a mark.
The thought sent a jolt of heat through him. His stare grew more intense.
Quinn met his gaze for a split second before looking away. Maybe she was being paranoid, but his eyes felt sticky and invasive, like she was being watched by a venomous snake, its tongue flicking in the air.
Even Chase could sense something was off. He knew Maddox’s reputation.
“She’s already graduated,” he said quickly. “Mr. Dixon, we’ll let you get back to your business.
We won’t disturb you.”
He put a hand on Quinn’s back to guide her away.
Quinn had just breathed a sigh of relief when an arm shot out, blocking their path.
“Hold on,” Maddox said. “My girlfriend is feeling a little unwell. Could Quinn come with me and help me take care of her?”
Chase didn’t dare offend him, but he was also uneasy about leaving Quinn alone. He looked at her, passing the decision to her.
“Quinn, would you be willing to go?”
Quinn shook her head.
Seeing she wasn’t going to speak, Chase said, “Mr. Dixon, I’m sorry…”
“Was I talking to you?” Maddox snapped impatiently. He shot Chase a vicious glare. “Are you the only one with a mouth?”
He turned back to Quinn, his expression shifting back to a charming smile.
“Quinn, just for a little while? Don’t worry. I’ll make it worth your while.”
Quinn looked at Chase.
He avoided her gaze, his expression weak and indecisive. Quinn knew everyone on this yacht was powerful and wealthy, people she couldn’t afford to cross. But Chase was, in name, her husband. At this moment, he showed not an ounce of masculine courage.
She was fumed. I was so blind. How could I ever have believed this man was someone I could spend my life with?
Her voice was cool and steady when she spoke, “I’m very sorry, Mr. Dixon, but I’m not a doctor, and I’m not very good at taking care of people. I don’t think I can help you. A party of this size must have medical staff on hand. Would you like me to find them for you?”
Chase jumped in, echoing, “Yes, I can find them for you!”
Maddox shot him another withering look, yelling, “This has nothing to do with you. Get lost!”
Chase knew this was getting ugly.
“Mr. Dixon, my wife is a bit slow, and she doesn’t know how to handle things. If she said something to offend you, please don’t…”
“I said get lost. Are you deaf?”
Chase weighed his options and decided he didn’t have the guts to stand up to Maddox. He turned to Quinn, saying, “It’s an honor that Mr. Dixon is asking for your help. You should go with him and see what he needs.”
Then he turned and walked away.
Quinn stared at his retreating back, too stunned to react. Did he really just leave? Did he really just abandon me to this man?
“Quinn, shall we?”
Maddox’s smile returned, but to Quinn, it was more repulsive than ever. The feeling of being targeted by a snake intensified.
“I said I don’t want to go. Surely Mr. Dixon wouldn’t force someone against their will?”
Quinn would not go anywhere with a strange man.
Maddox was used to getting his way. He was the pampered son of a powerful family, rich, handsome, and almost always successful with women. Even when women refused him, he saw it as a game of cat and mouse, a prelude to giving in.
“Quinn, surely you understand what I’m asking?” Maddox smirked. “We’re all adults here. Some things are better left unsaid, don’t you think?”
Quinn could feel his ill intent, but she couldn’t guess what he was really after. She asked him directly, “If you have something to say, Mr. Dixon, please say it.”
Maddox looked at her, unsure if she was playing hard to get or was genuinely naive. His patience was thin.
“Adults, Quinn. It’s always about one thing. Do you understand me now?”
It took Quinn a few seconds to process his meaning. The look of pure shock on her face was not lost on him.
He chuckled, “What, surprised?”
Quinn suppressed the panic rising in her chest, declaring, “I’m married…”
“Married?” Maddox roared with laughter. “What’s that got to do with anything? People have wife-swapping parties all the time! Besides, as long as it’s consensual, there’s no need to feel guilty. Your husband didn’t seem to have a problem with it, did he?”
Even though Quinn knew Chase had just failed to protect her, she refused to believe he had left her for this.
“What? You don’t believe me?” Maddox said. “I can call him back right now and have him tell you himself.”
Quinn’s mind went blank. She shook her head fiercely, arguing, “No. That’s impossible. He would never do something like that!”
No matter how vile Chase was, he wouldn’t sink so low as to pimp out his own wife.
“Don’t be naive.”
Maddox grabbed her wrist. The feel of her smooth, delicate skin made his blood run hotter.
“Come with me,” he whispered, leaning closer. “I’m from the Dixon family. Do you know what that means? You stick with me, and I’ll take good care of you.”
Quinn ripped her arm away.
“Don’t touch me!”
In such a public place, she believed, Maddox wouldn’t dare do anything too outrageous.
She had underestimated the power of a man’s lust.
Maddox rubbed his fingertips together, as if still savoring the feel of her skin. He smirked, “A little firecracker. I like that even more. But I never force anyone. Quinn Lane, was it? I’ll see you later.”
He turned and walked away. Quinn let out a shaky breath of relief.
Chase hadn’t gone far. Maddox spotted him quickly.
“Mr. Dixon,” Chase said, scurrying over, his face a mask of flattery. “My wife doesn’t know the rules. If she offended you in any way, I sincerely apologize. If you could, for my sake…”
“Your sake? Who the hell do you think you are to have ‘sake’ with me?” Maddox sneered. “Your wife has no manners, and neither do you, apparently.”
“You’re absolutely right!”
