Page 21

Oh God, my head. My poor, stupid little head.

Raelyn winced as she opened her eyes into her bright, sunlit bedroom. None of the curtains were drawn, and the glass door to the balcony hadn't had the shades pulled before she got in bed.

How had she gotten into bed? She remembered Amira dressing her in a tight leather skirt and heels to go to Trojan Horse. She remembered meeting up with Quinn and getting a booth. Chris and Jett joining them an hour or so into the night. The booth littered with empty glasses.

The buzz of a blender came from the kitchen and Raelyn's eyes shot open wide.

Quinn.

She'd let Quinn take her home. And he'd...stayed the night?

Raelyn quickly felt her body over for the absence of clothes. Looking down she saw the scarlet and gold Gryffindor lion on her black shirt with the matching red shorts. With a sigh of relief and then a groan she closed her eyes trying to remember what had happened once they'd arrived at her house.

Quinn had practically carried her through her house and to her bedroom and then…

Oh mama.

She'd thrown herself at him. Or...she'd thrown him on herself?

Flashes of Quinn's hard, corded muscles rocking over her invaded her mind.

She could still hear his primal groans emanating from deep inside him as he kissed her so fiercely, and his long, full erection pressing into her until she climaxed.

Raelyn let her heartbeat slow before quietly sliding her feet onto the floor, bracing herself for stars as she rolled up out of bed and silently padded across the room to her bathroom, closing the doors behind her.

She started at the sight of herself in the mirror.

Mascara and eyeliner had smeared under her eyes and her hair was a tangled mess.

She sent up a silent prayer that when Quinn had woken up her face had been in the pillow and he'd missed this ungodly sight.

Needing to press refresh on her morning appearance as soon as possible, Raelyn reached into the shower and turned it on, brushing her hair while she waited for the water to heat up.

She stripped down and stepped into the shower, standing under the consistent spray of the shower head while trying to remember each and every detail of what had gone on in her bed with the man now apparently making breakfast smoothies in her kitchen.

They'd both been naked. No, he had been naked. The memory of Quinn's perfectly sculpted, muscular naked body was something she was sure no amount of tequila could make her forget. The sensitive throb between her legs from his hard length grinding into her clit certainly wouldn’t let her forget. She hadn’t had an orgasm like that in months . But why hadn't they had sex?

Not able to come up with an explanation after simply standing under the hot water, she proceeded to wash her face, hair, and body, until she felt somewhat alive, though the pounding behind her eyes was still present.

Having dressed and brushed her teeth thoroughly, with her hair still wet but at least combed, she headed out to the kitchen where Quinn had made himself at home.

He was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking what looked like a protein shake and reading one of her physical therapy journals.

Harry had made himself comfortable at Quinn's feet and it struck Raelyn as funny how perfectly domestic this picture was.

Raelyn took a deep breath before saying, "So...I might need some reminders on what happened last night. "

Quinn snapped his attention up to her, a flash of alarm crossing his face, "You don't remember?"

"Oh, I remember some of it...I'm just a little fuzzy on the details," Raelyn said, trying not to feel too embarrassed. "I don't typically drink that much and I’m quickly remembering why that is."

Quinn looked as if he were trying to read her before responding, "Well, you got super horny and insisted on doing anal. It's not usually my thing, but when the princess makes a request, I must oblige." He gave an indifferent shrug.

Raelyn let out a dry laugh and returned his tease, "Um, well, that's a lie, because every time I do anal my breasts swell the next day. It's the weirdest thing." She grabbed her breasts and looked down at them. "They feel normal today, so that can't be true."

Quinn looked as though he were going to say something, but it got lost and instead he just stared with his mouth open.

"I know we didn't have sex, ya dummy," she chortled, walking over to the fridge and opening it to look for some hangover food.

"So...your boobs don't swell when…?" Quinn began, then laughed when Raelyn shot him an incredulous look. "Right, well, I can't put anything past you now, Miss Sexual Liberation- getting liberated two dicks at a time."

Raelyn paused, staring into the fridge as she remembered that topic of conversation. She felt her cheeks color and a slightly embarrassed grin crept across her face, "Right. That."

"I made you a smoothie," said Quinn, getting up from the table and grabbing it off the top shelf of the refrigerator. "It's a miracle cure for hangovers. I didn't know how long you were going to sleep, otherwise I would've made you French toast with sliced strawberries."

"Thank you," Raelyn smiled appreciatively as she took the glass out of his hands. "You remember my favorite breakfast, huh?"

"French toast with butter and a little bit of powdered sugar, topped with sliced strawberries," said Quinn, a slight rose color blossoming in his cheeks. "Your dad made it all the time when I had to...stay over. "

Quinn's brown eyes were almost too intense this close, Raelyn found herself having to drop her gaze as she felt the warmth of his words spread through her chest. Those nights he stayed over when they were kids were some of the most fun nights she could remember of her childhood.

The blanket forts, movies, and conversations about anything and everything into the early hours.

Raelyn's dad loved having Quinn over for family dinners to talk baseball and other "guy stuff" that he didn't typically talk about with his two daughters.

Unfortunately the reasons Quinn had to stay at their house some nights were less than fond pieces of Raelyn's memory.

"Is that why you're back?" Raelyn asked, feeling her brows pull together in concern. "Is it your mom?"

Quinn nodded, looking down at his feet, "Kidney failure."

"She got sober, you know." Raelyn felt like she blurted this out.

"I…How did you know?"

Raelyn bit her lip, not knowing if he'd think she had overstepped, "When you left I stopped and checked on her a few times.

I knew you'd be worried she'd overdose or starve or…

pass out and drown in her own vomit without you around to take care of her.

So I did for a little bit. And continued to every now and then until I met that nurse you'd hired. "

He didn't say anything for a while and she could feel him looking at her. "You didn't have to do that. You shouldn't have. It was dangerous. Anyone could've been there."

"I know, Quinn, I remember," she said, losing the hesitant tone. "Believe me, I remember. But...despite everything, you still always looked out for her."

Quinn sighed and then said, "I need to go back there. I went Monday, before I saw you again and I haven't been back. It's just...so different. I thought I'd be angry to see her still using, but it's like I was even more mad that she'd waited until I left to get sober."

"What happened? "

"I screamed at her," Quinn let out a huff of humorless laughter. "I stood in the middle of the living room and yelled at this frail dying woman about all the ways she'd failed me. And then I left."

Raelyn considered for a beat, nodding her head from side to side, "Did it feel good?"

Quinn winced, "Am I horrible if I say yes?"

"Of course not," Raelyn placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"She was never a real mom to you. She didn't take care of you or take any sort of interest in your life.

She put you in danger on countless occasions, and honestly she just never deserved you.

" It was the first time Raelyn had spoken openly about her opinion of Molly Casey, but she felt like it was overdue.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad she had you and that you still managed to be like, pretty okay. "

Quinn smiled half-heartedly, "Gee, thanks, Rae."

"But seriously," Raelyn continued, "she had no right to have a son who cared so much when she gave you nothing."

There were a few beats of silence before Quinn brought Raelyn into him, embracing her in his long, muscled arms, and held her there for several moments. When he pulled out of the hug, he dropped his arms to her hips, his forehead pressed to hers.

"Come with me," he said, his voice sounding tight as though a lump were caught in his throat, "Come with me when I see her again."

"Okay," said Raelyn, and it came out almost a whisper. She tilted her head up and searched his intense brown eyes before touching her lips to his.

Quinn kissed her back with force, sweeping his tongue into her mouth.

He let out a low groan filled with longing and her body responded instantly.

Warmth crept up her thighs and pulsed between her legs and she pressed herself against him, finding that his body had also responded.

Raelyn could feel Quinn's hardness through his jeans and she rubbed herself needily against it.

Wrapping one arm around her bottom, he lifted her up onto the kitchen counter and pulled her legs around his waist. His hand cupped the side of her face as he took control of the kiss. Who knew a kiss could be so demanding? But damn , if he didn't command the attention of her mouth and tongue.