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“Well, I suppose that’s that, then.”
“We’re very sorry,” Tate tells her. “We know no one likes to get this information.”
Kayla shakes her head, seemingly shaking off her anger at the same time. “Please don’t apologize. This is what I hired you guys for.” She reaches across the table and lays her hand on mine. “And I appreciate all your hard work.”
“You’re welcome,” I answer, pulling my hand away.
“There’s just the small matter of payment,” Tate cuts in with a grin on her face.
Kayla nods. “Oh, yes, of course.”
As she pulls out some cash and counts out enough bills for our fee, her gaze keeps drifting up to me and when she sees me looking at her, she smiles before tilting her head to the side slightly to expose her neck. I know exactly what she’s doing but it’s never going to fucking happen - not with a client and especially not with Quinn waiting at home for me.
* * * *
“Lucas,” she whispers as she opens the front door, a bright smile lighting up her gorgeous face and everything inside me urges me forward until I wrap my arms around her and pull her close.
“Hey, gorgeous. Miss me?”
She nods, pressing her hands flat against my chest as she looks up at me. Fuck, the adoration in her ice blue eyes is a punch to the gut and I don’t know how I will ever walk away from her. How the hell do I ever get anything done during the day when I know this is what is waiting for me?
“Terribly.”
“Will you forgive me if I brought food?” I ask, holding up the dinner that I picked up on my way over here and she nods.
“I suppose I can let it slide this time.”
I grin and dig my fingers into her side as she squeals. “How gracious of you.”
“Lucas!” she screams, trying to wiggle out of my arms and I finally release her as a shriek comes from the living room.
“Brooklyn,” I call out and laugh when another shriek echoes through the house.
“She’s going to freak if you don’t go in there to see her.” Quinn laughs and I pull her tighter, molding her sexy body around mine as I lean down and claim her lips. She sighs and grips my t-shirt. When I pull away, her cheeks are pink and she is quietly gasping for air. All I can imagine as she licks her lips is finally getting her underneath me and I barely hold back a groan.
“Dada!” Brooklyn calls from the living room and Quinn shakes her head, reaching for the bag of food.
“Give me that and go see your girl.”
Grinning, I hand her the bag of food and watch as she walks into the kitchen, her hips swaying back and forth with each step.
“Dada!”
Brooklyn’s shriek snaps me out of my daze and I can’t help but smile as I walk into the living room and Brooklyn grins. I have no idea if her calling me “Dada” means anything or if she’s just babbling but I can’t lie - I love the way it sounds.
“Hey, baby girl,” I say as I reach her playpen and she holds her hands up to me. I lift her into my arms and she immediately cuddles into my neck, shoving her tiny little thumb in her mouth. I rub her back as I carry her into the kitchen and Quinn’s smile is soft when she turns and sees us.
“The two of you…” she mutters as she shakes her head. “Dinner’s on the table.”
I carry Brooklyn over to the table and buckle her into her high chair before sitting across from Quinn and pulling food out of the bag. Once everything is passed out, Quinn starts feeding Brooklyn her mashed potatoes and I study her, frowning at the dark circles under her eyes.
“Rough day?” I know she’s been stressed with this gala coming up but I wish there was something I could do to help.
She nods. “Yeah. I didn’t have very long to plan this thing so I’m being run a little ragged this week. I just need some sleep though.”
“You sure?”
“Yes,” she answers, offering me a reassuring smile. “I’m sure.”
“Here, let me help with that,” I say, taking the spoon from her hand and start feeding Brooklyn as Quinn digs into her food. She asks about my day as we eat and I tell her about Kayla’s case, specifically leaving out the part where she hit on me and afterward when Tate told me I was already in deep and “totally screwed”. Not like she’s one to talk. She was all about avoiding relationships when she met Kodiak and that changed pretty quickly. Besides, I still don’t know what is so bad about what they all have now.
I used to think that there wasn’t room in my life for a relationship but meeting Quinn showed me differently and when she asked me about what I wanted in my life and I couldn’t think of anything, I was floored. Somewhere along the way I had stopped being my own person and just became my brother’s keeper - a title neither one of us wants me to have. Hell, I’m almost thirty and before she pushed me to search for answers, I had no idea what I wanted out of my life and no hope of ever discovering those answers.
“You want to watch a movie?” Quinn asks as we clean up dinner and I nod. I’ll do just about anything to spend more time with her.
“Yeah, that sounds good. Should we put her down first?” I ask, motioning to a very sleepy Brooklyn and Quinn shakes her head.
“Naw, let her cuddle up with us on the couch. Besides, she can pass out anywhere.”
Once we get dinner cleaned up, I unbuckle Brooklyn from her high chair and join Quinn in the living room as she picks out a movie. The opening credits roll and Quinn cuddles into my side as Brooklyn lays her head down on my chest and plops her thumb into her mouth as I hold her steady with my free hand. Within minutes, she’s snoring quietly on me and I nudge Quinn to show her. She doesn’t answer and when I glance down and find her sleeping against my side, a feeling of contentment and peace washes over me. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt before and I realize that this right here is exactly what I want out of my life. When I’m ninety years old on my death bed, if all I ever accomplished was loving these two with all my heart, I’ll be able to smile and say I lived a damn good life.
