Page 19

Rae's last drink of the night turned out to be a highly potent sparkling rosé from her family's vineyard that left her a giggling, flirty, beautiful mess that Quinn had to usher out of the bar in his arms. Amira's fiance, Brody had found her and after she'd introduced them, he was helping her walk back to her car so they could get home.

Once they made it to Quinn's Bronco, he realized he was going to have to awkwardly lift Rae into the passenger seat with his left arm, avoiding the use of his splinted arm as best as he could.

Rae was able to do some of the work, but it didn't stop him from having to fully grasp her ass to push her up into the seat.

Tipsy as she was, she simply giggled at this and made a comment about how he'd clearly been waiting to do that all night. She wasn't wrong.

Following Rae's slurred and giggled directions to her house was easier than he'd anticipated. While the city had grown since he'd last lived here, the roads still had a familiarity that he had never felt during his time in Arizona, Georgia, or California.

He pulled into a driveway and parked in front of an attached garage.

Rae's house was a dark blue ranch-style home with a walkout basement, and a wrap-around porch that turned into a balcony overlooking the lake.

It was a beautifully built home, but Quinn couldn't help noticing how different it was from the massive French manor-style home she'd grown up in.

After helping her out of the lifted vehicle, ensuring she didn't sprain an ankle, she keyed in the garage passcode and he partially followed, partially carried her inside .

Rae pushed the door open and Quinn followed her into what appeared to be a mudroom and laundry room. They were greeted by a wagging mass of long hair, and Rae sat down on a small bench to avoid being knocked over by the large dog.

"'Ello, Harry," Quinn squatted down to pet the dog.

Noting the British accent, Rae giggled, “That’s how I talk to him, too.”

Quinn stood up and looped his good arm under Rae's and across her back, pulling her to her feet. She leaned into him and he was reminded of the first time he fully realized how much he loved the feel of her in his arms.

"Where to?" He asked, gesturing ahead, through an archway that looked like it led into a spacious kitchen.

Rae directed him through the kitchen and living room, down the short hallway to her bedroom.

The wall where her king-sized bed was situated was painted a deep stormy blue, while the rest of the walls were a much lighter shade.

Apart from the crystal chandelier in the middle of the room, it was a very simplistic space.

Artistic photographs and small shelves with different knick-knacks adorned the walls.

Quinn didn't miss the Ron Weasley Funko Pop figure or the House Stark plaque, acknowledging them with a fond grin.

There were two sets of white French doors on opposite walls, and a set of glass doors on another leading to the balcony.

Quinn led her to her bed and sat her down gently, taking a seat next to her as he lay her back on the pillows. He pulled her legs up into his lap and began slipping off her shoes, then found himself slowly tracing up and down her legs with his fingertips.

With a long sigh, attention fixed on the twinkling chandelier overhead, Rae said, "This. This is why I don't drink tequila. I just have to lay here and wait for the room to stop spinning."

"Are you going to be sick?" Quinn asked, hoping he sounded more concerned than alarmed.

"No, no, I don't get sick," she shook, or rather lulled, her head from side to side .

"Never?"

"Nope," she made a cute face with pursed lips. "Except for that one time."

"The time with the two guys?" Quinn let it slip out unable to help himself. Though he’d reminded himself that he, of all people, had absolutely no right to be upset about anyone else's sex life, he hadn't liked the video that played in his head upon discovering that dirty secret from her past.

A drunken giggle bubbled out of her lips as she looked up at him through narrowed eyes, "That bothers you, doesn't it?"

"No," he lied quickly. "It's just a lot to take in."

" Yeah it was," Rae said, bursting into a fit of laughter.

Quinn pushed his tongue to the inside of his cheek and gave a nod, "Okay, I asked for that one.

" He wiped his hand down his face. "I just never would've thought, you know, you would have let.

..I mean, you just seem like you like to be in charge.

I can't imagine you being...tag teamed by some college guys. "

"How do you know I wasn't dressed in a sexy leather catsuit with a whip and they were on leashes being my obedient man-servants?"

Raising an eyebrow he looked down at her, "Were they?"

Another giggle, "No." Rae sighed. "Let's just say I had a bit of a...sexual liberation my junior year of undergrad….and then again in grad school."

"You go girl," Quinn rolled his eyes with a sigh. Looking up at the ceiling he wondered where the hell he was while she was going through this sexual liberation .

He was still brushing his fingers up and down Rae's bare legs. "Where are your pajamas? I can get you some and let you change.” He let his fingers stop just short of the hem of her skirt before sliding them back down toward her ankles.

Rae pointed to the white doors closest to her bed, "The dresser is in there."

Reluctant to move, Quinn forced himself up and opened the doors, discovering a large walk-in closet with a dresser on the right-hand side.

He pulled out the top drawer which was clearly her underwear drawer.

He noticed a purple box and, though knowing he shouldn't look inside, made a quick glance to confirm that Rae could not see him before he lifted the lid.

Yep, vibrators. All different shapes and styles.

He always found it interesting that they came in bright pinks, blues, and purples, rather than flesh tones.

He grinned, then caught an image in his mind's eye of one of the larger pink toys sliding into Rae's wetness, making her shake and rock with an orgasm.

He felt blood rush to his groin and quickly slipped the lid back on the box, moving on to the next drawer before he forgot what he was supposed to be looking for.

He found a pair of shorts and a matching black shirt and took them back over to the bed and set them next to her.

"I'll turn around so you can get dressed," Quinn faced the door that led to the hallway. He felt her hand catch his and pull him back around.

"There's no way I'm getting out of the skirt by myself unless I stand up, and I think we both know that's not happening."

Quinn swallowed and watched as Rae slowly pulled the zipper down the side of her skirt. Maybe she wasn't really moving that slowly, but everything in Quinn's mind was suddenly going in slow motion, the rest of the room had gone fuzzy, and all he could see was Rae undressing in front of him.

She slid her fingers under the waistband of the skirt and tried pushing it down over her ass. She let out a small laugh, "Yeah, you're going to have to pull from the bottom...I think it's become one with my skin."

Quinn slid his trembling hands up the bottom of her skirt, feeling where it had stuck itself to her skin.

He smiled and shook his head, "The things you women wear to make a man's jaw drop.

" Once he'd successfully un-stuck the material from her legs, taking his time to feel her thighs and making his blood that had already rushed itself downward throb even harder, he gently tugged the skirt down.

First revealing her navel set into a flat and toned stomach, then the sweet and surprising curves of her hips and ass, and her lacy lavender colored thong.

He slipped the skirt down until it fell onto the floor at his feet.

His heart was pounding as he took in the sight of this woman laying here next to him and a rush of breath escaped him.

As many times as he'd fantasized about her over the years, never was she this striking.

His fantasies didn't account for her constellation of freckles across the bridge of her nose, nor did they remember the small birthmark on her left hip, just above the band of her thong.

Quinn wanted to devour her like an exquisite and essential course he'd been starving for after a long day on the diamond.

One he knew he should savor, but goddamn, he wanted her all at once.

She was too tipsy to make a move on, that was for sure, but his cock didn't seem aware.

He felt his erection press hard against the zipper of his jeans, begging to be let out.

He couldn't stop staring at her. And then she pulled her shirt over her head, revealing a sheer and lace bra, and he heard the growl escape his throat.

"Nothing you haven't seen before, right?" Rae's voice came out low and sultry as she watched him drink her in. She laced her fingers with his and pulled him on top of her.

Quinn looked down at this goddess beneath him, swallowing hard, "Your body's changed a little since we were seventeen. Good changes, though," his eyes swept over her body under his. " Really good."

He hesitated for a moment with his lips hovering over hers. Their eyes met, and with another look down at her full, wanting lips, he let his brush hers briefly, pulled back to meet her eyes once more, before crushing his mouth to hers.