Quinn's Woman. Susan Mallery

assuming you got lost first.”

      He hung his head. “Yes, ma’am. I apologize for not finding you again.”

      The men at the table had stopped talking to listen to her conversation. She eyed the eighteen-year-old. He already felt bad about what had happened. There was no point in chewing him out publicly. She’d never been into that sort of thing for sport.

      “Mistakes happen,” she said. “Go grab some food and coffee.”

      Ronnie stared at her with wide, uncomprehending eyes. “Ma’am?”

      She allowed herself a slight smile. “I’m not cutting off your ears, Private. Go get some breakfast.”

      He beamed at her. “Yes, ma’am. Right away.”

      When he was gone, she looked at Travis who sat across from her, then at his brother Kyle. They were both grinning.

      “Don’t start with me,” she warned.

      “It’s not like you to be a soft touch,” Travis said.

      “I’m not. The kid tried hard and he screwed up. It happens.”

      Kyle leaned toward her. “He thinks you’re hot.”

      D.J. rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. I’m sure I’m going to star in all his dreams for the next fifteen or twenty minutes.”

      Kyle chuckled.

      D.J. ignored him. She scooped up some eggs. After a few seconds, conversation resumed and she was once again listening rather than participating.

      Quinn sat at the end of the table. She never directly looked at him, but she was aware of him. Of how he and all the other men seated here were physically so similar.

      Craig and Jordan Haynes had arrived and pulled up chairs. Craig was the oldest of the Haynes brothers, Jordan the second youngest. Two fraternal twins, Kevin and Nash Harmon were also a part of their group. D.J. hadn’t quite figured out their relationship to the other men. Apparently, when Earl had been in Dallas getting Quinn’s mother pregnant, he’d also had his way with the twins’ mother. Quinn and Gage had grown up with them as close friends, only recently learning they were in fact half brothers. Everyone at the table but her was part of the Haynes extended family.

      She supposed there were some people who would have felt left out, under the circumstances. Not her. She’d been part of a family once, and now lived her life blissfully free of familial obligations.

      Keeping her head turned toward Travis as he spoke, D.J. casually glanced to her left. Quinn had finished his breakfast. Now he sat listening, nodding occasionally and not saying much. While he’d been two parts annoying, one part charming and very talkative the previous evening and when she’d first arrived this morning, he’d gotten more quiet as the group had expanded. Didn’t he do crowds?

      She was about to turn away when Quinn moved slightly and met her gaze. His dark eyes didn’t give away what he was thinking, nor did the neutral expression on his face. He could have been trying to decide if he wanted more coffee. Yet she felt something crackle between them. A tension. Awareness tightened her skin and made her shiver.

      Unfamiliar and too powerful for comfort, the sensations unnerved her. Distraction came in the form of Ronnie returning with his breakfast.

      By the time she’d introduced him to everyone and had slid her chair over to make more room, she had convinced herself that she’d only imagined the weird reaction to Quinn.

      Travis waited until Ronnie had his mouth full, then grinned at D.J. “So, you didn’t win this year.”

      The kid started to choke.

      D.J. scowled at Travis, then pounded Ronnie on the back. When he’d swallowed, he gulped down half his glass of milk and shrank in his seat.

      “About me not getting back,” he began.

      D.J. cut him off with a stern look. “Let it go, kid,” she told him. “My streak was bound to run out sooner or later.”

      “Too bad she wasn’t able to capture a prisoner all on her own,” Quinn drawled. “No, wait. You did have someone, didn’t you?”

      D.J. ignored him.

      Ronnie’s eyes widened. “You lost a prisoner?”

      Travis chuckled. “Don’t go there, son. D.J.’ll take your head off.”

      Ronnie returned his attention to his breakfast.

      D.J. couldn’t help glancing at Quinn, who had the nerve to smile at her. Just smile. As if he was happy or something.

      Nash Harmon, a six-foot, one-inch testament to Haynes family genes, rose. “I hate to break this up, but I have things to see to this morning.”

      Kevin, his twin, hooted. “Things? Don’t you mean Stephanie?”

      Nash smiled. “That’s exactly what I mean.” He looked over at Quinn. “You probably haven’t heard. I recently got engaged. Of course, I’m not the only one. Kevin’s planning a wedding for early October, and you already know about Gage.”

      D.J. noticed that Quinn’s gaze settled on his brother. Gage shrugged. “We haven’t had time to go into that. I’m getting married, too.”

      “Congratulations,” Quinn said.

      “All three of you just recently got engaged?” she asked before she could stop herself. “Is it something in the water?”

      Travis rose. “Could be. That’ll make you switch to bottled, huh?”

      “In a heartbeat.” D.J. shook her head. “Married.”

      She held back saying “yuck” even though it was what she was thinking. In her experience, marriage was all bad for the woman and all good for the man. Okay, the Haynes brothers seemed to have decent relationships. And her friend Rebecca had married a pretty okay guy, but they were exceptions.

      It seemed that everyone had a place to be. In a matter of a couple of minutes, the table had cleared, except for D.J. and Quinn. She expected him to stand up, as well, but he didn’t. Instead he sipped his coffee and looked at her.

      She told herself this was great. Now she could get her questions answered. The only problem was his steady gaze made her want to shift in her seat. She wouldn’t, of course. She would never let him know he could make her feel uncomfortable. Nor would she admit to wanting to know what he was thinking as he watched her.

      She resisted the incredibly stupid impulse to touch her hair to make sure it was in place, as if that mattered, then turned toward him and decided to just go for it.

      “How did you get away?” she asked. “The ropes were cut, but I’d checked you for knives. I’d put yours in the pack, which was out of reach. I checked it this morning and you hadn’t opened it. So you had a knife on you somewhere. One that I missed.”

      She had the sudden thought that someone could have crept into camp and released him, but she dismissed the idea. She knew in her gut Quinn had gotten away all by himself. He’d managed to outsmart her and to do it all while she was sleeping.

      Even more annoying, he’d left his jacket draped over her, as if she needed protection from the elements.

      “How could you have missed a knife?” he asked, his eyes bright with humor. “You gave me a very thorough and very enjoyable search. If you’d like to check me again…” His voice trailed off.

      She ignored the suggestion and the teasing tone of his voice. “Where’s the knife?”

      She half expected him to insist she come find it. Instead he flipped up the collar of his heavy military-issue shirt, and pulled out a short blade. Not a knife…just the blade.

      Of course, she thought, impressed by the ingenuity. No one paid attention to stiff collars. The points were supposed to