Page 39 of Finding Haven (Haven #2)
Zack
A tremendous weight was lifted from my shoulders after telling Quinn about Tiffany, and it’s allowed me to fully open myself up to the possibility of a future without the scars of my past hanging over my head.
I don’t think I’ll ever be free of the nightmares that sometimes plague my sleep, but they never seem to make an appearance when Quinn is in my bed.
Falling asleep with her sweet scent and luscious curves pressed against my body, while her head rests on my chest, feels like I’ve ascended to a new height.
My old life has become a distant memory, and if it weren’t for my family and the few friends I left behind in Hartridge, I would never look back.
As it is, Tessa’s invitation to come home for Jacob’s birthday is hanging over my head.
I don’t have a valid reason for not wanting to go other than it’s been a long time since I’ve been home.
Having been married to Ryan, Tessa knows all about my relationship with Tiffany, the good and the bad.
It’s the guys from Hartridge PD who were kept in the dark.
And then we lost Ryan, and I left without ever looking back.
They’ll all likely be at Jacob’s birthday in support of Tessa.
I’m not sure how I’ll face them. I tried to keep in touch with a couple of them the first six months I was here in Haven Beach, but it was too hard.
I needed to move on, and to do that, I had to cut ties with the life I was desperately attempting to leave in the past.
Now that I’ve built a new life for myself and found a woman who makes me feel loved in a way I’ve never known, am I ready to open the door to my past and go home? The only thing I know for sure is I can’t do it alone. I need her to come with me.
Knowing that she’s been in the hotel all day has been driving me fucking crazy. She’s so close and yet still out of reach. And as luck would have it, because of course I can’t get a break on the day when my girl is working in the same building as me, today has been insane.
We’ve got two new families moving into the Elysian within the next few days.
While I don’t typically get involved with the families, one of them is coming from a situation that involves the need for security.
Shadow and his team were able to remove the immediate threat and get the wife and her two teenage sons out, but the target’s connections run deeper than anticipated.
The Phoenix Legion will be providing around-the-clock surveillance until the other threats have been neutralized, part of which includes moving the family into the hotel where we know they’ll be safe.
On top of that, I’ve been stuck on the phone with my mother for the last forty-five minutes.
I should have known better than to think I could call for a quick conversation.
She’s been rambling for the better part of the last thirty minutes, giving me the latest updates on family members as well as telling me about all of the Hartridge gossip.
I’m only vaguely paying attention until she says Jacob’s name.
“You should see him, honey. He looks just like Ryan.” Her voice is laced with a deep love and compassion.
Reaching up, I pinch the bridge of my nose and squeeze my eyes shut, attempting to fight back the swell of tears.
I’ve been so focused on my own grief over the last few years that I didn’t allow myself to see how others would be grieving as well.
I lost my best friend, but my mom lost someone she considered a bonus son.
We spent so much time together between high school, the academy, and joining the police force that he had become an integral part of my life.
“Tessa sends me pictures,” I mutter. “And I’ve seen him on video chats.”
She scoffs. “That’s not the same, and you know it. Tell me you’re coming for his birthday, honey. You should be here. We’d all love to see you.”
“If I do come, I wouldn’t be coming alone.
” A smile pulls at the corner of my lips as I imagine taking Quinn home to meet my family.
I don’t know how any of them would feel about our age difference, but I don’t see why it would matter.
She’s closer in age to my younger brother, Aaron, but I’ll just have to make sure the idiot knows that she’s off limits.
Whatever any of them have to say about it, I’ll make sure they know our relationship isn’t some phase that will pass with time.
My attraction to Quinn has nothing to do with her being seven years younger than me, and it’s not just some fling I need to get out of my system.
My mom’s breath catches on the other end of the line, her audible gasp reaching me. “You’re seeing someone?” Her voice radiates with excitement. “You’re finally dating? Is it serious?”
As if on cue, there’s a knock at my office door. Holding my phone to one ear, I raise my other hand to check my watch.
Finally. ? ?
“Yes, it’s serious,” I tell her, standing as I push back from the desk. “Listen, Ma, I’ve got an appointment I can’t miss. I’ll talk to you again soon.”
“Okay, honey. But if you don’t call me, I will call you excessively until you answer. I want to hear all about the woman who has finally captured your attention.”
I smile. “I promise. Love you, Ma.”
“I love you, too.”
Disconnecting the call, I toss my phone onto my desk and take a moment to smooth my hands down the front of my white long-sleeved button-up.
Anticipation ignites in my veins as I walk towards the door.
I would love for her to be able to walk in and find me at my desk, ready and waiting for her, but the door requires a security card to open.
Up until that obnoxiously long phone call, visions of Quinn on her knees for me, sucking my cock into her throat before I fuck her over my desk were playing on an endless loop of salacious torture in my mind.
Knowing she’s on the other side, I swing the door open and brace an arm against the door frame, leaning against it as I pointedly trail my gaze down her body.
Even though I just saw her this morning, my need for her feels damn near insatiable.
Black leggings are clinging to her thick thighs and hips, putting her delicious curves on display.
Her full breasts are concealed behind the fabric of a light blue shirt, a hint of cleavage on display thanks to the lower neckline.
Her honey-blonde hair, which had been hanging in loose curls this morning, is now pulled into a messy knot on top of her head.
A few strands have fallen loose throughout the day and now frame her face.
Her cheeks are tinted with a soft pink blush, her top teeth indenting her plump lower lip as heat burns behind her stormy blue eyes.
“Hey there, Sugar,” I rasp, reaching out with my free hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear before placing my fingers beneath her chin, tilting her head back gently until her gaze meets mine.
“Hi, babe.” The smile that crosses her face sears right down to my soul, chasing away the darkness before it even has a chance to form.
Grasping her waist, I pull her body against mine and step back into my office, closing the door behind us.
Once it’s closed, I press her against the solid surface of the door, caging her in with one hand placed above her head while the other slips beneath the fabric of her shirt.
“You’ve been driving me crazy all fucking day,” I growl against the shell of her ear.
Her breath hitches as my words caress her skin, her breasts pushing towards me as her head falls back against the door. “I haven’t seen you in hours. How could I possibly have been driving you crazy?” she quips.
I drop my hand from where it rests above her head and wrap it around the nape of her neck, holding her gaze. “All I’ve been able to think about is what you said this morning. I need to fulfill those fantasies of yours, baby. Now.”
She hums softly. “And what fantasies would those be?”
She can’t be fucking serious. She’s teasing me. She has to be. There’s no way she doesn’t remember what she said this morning.
“Don’t tease me, Sugar. You know exactly what I’m talking about,” I growl .
“I don’t think I do. Guess you’ll have to remind me.” Her tongue darts out to wet her lips before she drags her teeth over her bottom lip, stormy blue eyes dropping to my mouth.
My control is hanging on by a thread, tension coiling deep in my stomach as my fingers graze over the bare skin beneath her shirt, moving slowly along the waistband of her leggings.
Dropping my mouth to her neck, I brush my lips along the sensitive area.
The warmth of my breath causes goosebumps to pepper her skin.
A deep chuckle emanates from my chest. “I think you know exactly what I’m talking about.
You’re just aching for me to take control, aren’t you, baby? ”
I press my leg between her thighs, drawing a soft whimper from her as she nods.
“I need your words, Quinn.” I have every intention of reminding her about the salacious desires she confessed to this morning as soon as she consents.
“Please, Z. Take control.” The words are breathy as they fall from her lips. She rolls her hips forward, attempting to grind against my thigh where it’s pressed between her legs.
My blood heats as it roars through my veins. She fights hard to control so many different aspects of her life, to grant me her submission in this way is a gift. One I’ll never take for granted.
I lower my mouth to hers and soak in her sweet taste before taking her bottom lip between my teeth. She gasps as I release it and swipe my tongue over where my teeth had just been, calming the sting. Her hands slowly glide along my torso, her fingernails dragging over the buttons of my shirt .
“Undo them,” I command, taking a step back. The air surrounding us grows heavy with lust and something more as her eyes find mine, molten lava burning behind the storm.