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I took a tiny step back and gazed up at his face, the moonlight highlighting his cheekbones, his long eyelashes. I wanted to be honest with Quinn; I didn’t want to be like Julia.This is it, Lanie. This is the moment when you should mention Holden and the bakery offer.
I opened my mouth, but the words wouldn’t come out. Instead, I said, “I found the ring.” My voice was small, barely above a whisper.
His brow furrowed in confusion. “What? How?”
“I wasn’t snooping or anything. When you told me to grab a T-shirt it fell out of the drawer. It was a total accident.”
Quinn blew out another breath, his lips a tight line. “It’s fine, I believe you. Don’t worry about it.”
“I didn’t want to keep it a secret from you. That’s why I’m telling you.”
“I appreciate it.” He glanced away, swallowing hard.
This was obviously a tough subject for him, and I regretted bringing it up at all. We were having a great night and then I had to go and ruin it.
“Okay, one last thing about Julia and then I’ll let it go. Are you sad she’s gone?” I tilted my chin, staring straight into his eyes. He didn’t hesitate.
“Nope. Now that time has passed, I can see it was for the best. Yeah, it hurt like hell when she broke it off, but I’m over it. She made the right decision for herself, and to be honest, for me. Then I ran into you.”
“Actually, I think I ran into you,” I said, smiling.
“True. And we wouldn’t have connected if I’d been with Julia. So, no, I’m not sad. At all.”
Quinn took my face in his hands, his thumbs soft on my jawline, and kissed me, soft and deep. My breath evaporated with his kiss, every functional thought flying out of my mind. All I knew in that perfect moment was Quinn. His hands on my skin, his body pressed against mine, my heart hammering hard in my chest. Everything about this, about us, was right.
Now was definitely not the time to bring up Holden.
We stood there, kissing in the front yard of Quinn’s childhood home, for I don’t know how long because time literally stood still. I didn’t want this perfect moment—the only perfect moment I’d had in forever—to end.
“C’mon, let me take you home,” Quinn said, rubbing my arms to keep my warm.
“As long as you’ll stay.”
“Deal.” He dropped another soft kiss on my lips and we headed home.
17
Delaney
Ididn’t even bother turning on any lights in my apartment, leading Quinn straight to my bedroom and kicking the door closed behind me. Quinn wasted no time, taking me by the hips and pulling me to him, our bodies smashed together, the thudding of his heartbeat reverberating through my bones.
His hands found my neck, the rough skin of his fingers caressing me lightly, tenderly, before he rained kisses up and down the delicate skin. I shivered under his touch, let out a soft moan, my body heating up for him, pulsing for him.
His mouth dropped lower, grazing the sharp angle of my clavicle, his tongue licking the groove in my shoulder. I inhaled, my breath catching in my throat, as he lowered the straps of my dress, easing it down my body until it pooled at my feet.
“I’ve been waiting for this all night,” he said, stepping back to take me all in, his pupils large and dark with desire. “So beautiful.” He traced the outline of my bra, thumbing the lace edges, then dropping lower, tickling my nipples.
I wanted his body on mine. Reaching out, I unbuttoned his shirt, working methodically until his muscular chest broke free from the cotton constraints. He tossed it on the ground next to my dress, then unzipped his jeans, kicking those off as well.
Scooping me up in his strong arms, he carried me to the bed, laying me back gently on the pillows. My hair spilled over the satin pillowcases, the fabric a cool contrast to my flushed and heated skin. Quinn climbed into bed next to me, pulling me close to his taut body. His chest was a solid plane of muscle against my back, his abs tight. He was ready, hard against my thigh. I wiggled against him, and he groaned a little, his breath warm in my ear. He wound his arms around me, his hands cupping my breasts, squeezing them and thumbing me until I was so hot I could barely breathe. He moved against me, a soft, slow grind, and I responded, my muscles tensing, my body aching for him. One hand slid down over my stomach, leaving a trail of electricity in its wake as his hand eased my panties down over my hips.
As Quinn flung them to the floor, I flipped onto my back and he worked his way up my body with his mouth, kissing my shins, my knees, my quads, then my inner thighs. He spread my legs open further with his hand and found my core, tickling and caressing me there, then his lips followed, kissing, licking, and sucking. A breathy moan escaped my lips as I arched towards his mouth. He licked and sucked some more, then slid a finger inside me as I clenched around him. Without breaking rhythm, he moved up the bed towards me so we were face to face, his body propped up on one elbow, his eyes locked on mine as he moved inside me. My hands found his shoulders and gripped them as I gazed back at him.
“Quinn.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m on the pill you know. And I get tested every year, so I’m good.”
