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“I didn’t intend to do anything like that, Delaney.” He didn’t look up, just focused on my body, his hands squeezing and releasing, causing a frisson of pleasure to shoot straight through me like a lightning bolt.
I sighed. “I know. That’s why I’m not holding it against you.” My hands stroked his strong neck, encouraging him to continue.
“Awfully magnanimous of you,” he said, moving his hands out from under my blouse towork the buttons, slowly and methodically. I silently urged him to hurry, but he appeared to be in no rush.
“I think so,” I said, rubbing his broad, muscular shoulders. I was getting impatient. I wanted to see him naked, hovering over me, his muscles flexed and rigid.
His fingers found the final button of my shirt and he peeled it away from my body, dropping it on the counter.
“Beautiful,” he said, his pupils wide and dark, taking me all in.
“Let’s go to bed,” I murmured, reaching behind him and cutting the lights.
“Don’t mind if we do,” said Quinn. “Apparently I have a lot to make up for and I intend to deliver.”
* * *
Later that night (much, much later), Quinn and I laid together in my exquisitely rumpled sheets in the shadowy moonlight. I rested my cheek on his smooth chest, listening to the pounding of his heart returning to a normal, quiet rhythm.
“Quinn?” My voice echoed slightly in the dark room.
“Yeah?” He stroked my hair, down my back and over my shoulder, tracing light circles on my sensitive skin.
“I hate myself for even asking this question, but I’m just gonna do it and get it over with right now, before I get in any deeper than I already am.” My heart pounded hard in my chest, anxiety gripping me tighter than I’d like.
His hand paused for a moment, then continued with the slow, soft circles. “Go ahead, ask.” His voice had a touch of an edge to it that hadn’t been there a moment before.
“Are you at all interested in Kacie?”
Quinn chuckled, vibrations rumbling deep in his chest. “No. Not at all.”
“Not even a tiny bit?” I asked, gnawing my lip as I waited for his answer.
“Nope. Not even a little.”
I breathed out a small sigh of relief and hoped he didn’t hear it.
“Why would you even think that?” he asked, his thumb tracing the silhouette of my face, smoothing out the furrow in my brow.
“I don’t know.”
“Yes, you do. Why?”
“Fine.” I sat up, pulling the sheets tight around me. “I may have heard a few things about your reputation.”
“My reputation?” One brow was raised in amusement.
“That you’re a player.” Quinn kept staring at me, unblinking, so I forged ahead.
“And Kacie seems like the kind of a girl a good-looking guy would like.” I picked at a stray thread on the sheet, hating the insecurity swirling in my stomach. “And not that I’m expecting a proposal by Tuesday or anything, but I don’t want to be the flavor of the week either.” I took a breath, held it.
“Lanie, you’re definitely not the flavor of the week. Month, maybe...” he said, teasing me.
Grabbing my shoulders, he pulled me down onto his chest. His gaze met mine, those stormy grey eyes serious. “I’m not dating anyone else, I don’t want to date anyone else. As a matter of fact, I was going to ask you if you’d like to go on a second first date, seeing as how our first first date was interrupted.”
I smiled, the gnawing worries of tonight dissipating like the foam on a brown butter sauce. “Yes, Quinn, I would very much like a second first date.”
“Great. It’s a date then.” He reached up and caressed my neck, pulling me in for a long, slow, and very hot kiss.
