Page 25

"Oh my gosh," Britney said in a sweetly innocent voice. "Quinn, I think I left my clutch in the limo. Will you come help me look for it? It has my retainer case and I need it before our food comes. "

Quinn cleared his throat and gave a quick nod. Well, there was no hiding it now. He'd just have to make a quick exit through the restaurant so no one saw his hard-on. Letting Britney lead the way out to the limo, Quinn was completely oblivious to what he was in for. It's cute how naive he once was.

Britney climbed into the limo and Quinn followed and began to look for a clutch, whatever that was. Some sort of purse?

Too late, Quinn realized the search for the bag was a ruse.

Britney pushed him onto the long bench seat of the limo and kissed him full in the mouth, slipping her tongue between his lips and into his mouth.

He couldn't help the groan that escaped, even though he was sure he really had no idea what was happening.

The moans coming from Britney were having a surprising effect, intensifying his arousal, which he'd thought had already reached its limit.

Her hands were unbuckling his belt, unbuttoning his pants, pulling the zipper down.

He wasn't entirely sure how to handle this situation unfolding before him.

He didn't think he wanted this. Well, he didn't want her to do this.

They hardly spoke on the way to the restaurant, and apparently her way of making dinner conversation was to start rubbing one off under the table.

She began kissing down his neck and slid down his body until she was on her knees on the floor of the limo and his erection had been freed from its navy blue prison.

"Oh fuck," Quinn groaned as she put her mouth on him.

The times he'd pictured this happening, he thought he'd be able to lean his head back and relax, but he found himself straining to not burst too soon.

He wrapped a hand in her hair, the sensations he was feeling completely blocking out all other thoughts.

She worked her mouth up and down, tongue licking, hands pumping, and before long he was letting out a low, guttural moan.

His hips jerked and thrusted, emptying himself inside her mouth.

" Goddamn.” Quinn threw his head back on the leather head rest of the seat, chest heaving, trying to come back to reality after this celestial experience .

"Oh, look," Britney's bright voice cut through the fog filling his brain.

"There's my clutch." She picked up a small white purse off the far end of the seat that couldn't possibly contain more than a few cards and, likely, a retainer case.

Britney gave him a wink and slid toward the door.

“Come on, you'll need to eat if you want to keep up later. "

Britney dipped out of the limousine and Quinn simply stared after her in shock.

What...the fuck just happened?

He had no real recollection of deciding that it was something he wanted Britney to do. She'd just sort of...started, and his body responded. Not that he'd had absolutely no say in what had just happened, but he did feel a little like he'd been attacked. By a mouth.

Once he'd pulled his boxers and pants back on, and had successfully tucked his shirt back in, Quinn slipped out of the limo and followed Britney back into the restaurant.

He hoped he didn't look too disheveled, although he was sure Jett at least had an idea of what had just happened out there.

Quinn was sure he'd be forced to give him a play-by-play once they got to the dance but wasn't entirely sure he wanted too many people knowing about it.

If everyone except him had known about Britney's reputation, how long would it take for this to get back to Rae?

They made it through dinner and arrived at the dance without any more spontaneous attacks.

The weight of what happened didn't hit him until he saw Rae enter the gymnasium on Liam's arm, looking like an elegant and alluring goddess in her light blue and lace dress.

Quinn couldn't take his eyes off of her and he was suddenly hit with the same feeling of regret, or more likely self pity, that he'd felt a couple weeks ago when he'd witnessed Liam asking her out only moments before he'd planned to ask her himself.

He wondered what their night would have been like if he was with her instead.

He was almost certain he wouldn't have gotten a blow job in the back of a limousine, but he was sure he would've found a way to survive.

He saw Liam step away from her to greet some of his buddies and Quinn decided to take this chance to talk to her.

It had only been two weeks since he'd struck out with Rae and in that time, things had seemed a little strained.

He wanted to make sure that once this night was over, things would go back to normal.

"Hey," Quinn said as he approached Rae. "You look...amazing."

Rae turned and looked up at him, smiling her familiar, bright smile. "Hey! Thanks." She looked down at her dress before looking him over. "You look handsome. You got a haircut...and you tamed it somehow."

"Don't try to run your hands through it," said Quinn. "They'll get stuck. I think I'm ninety percent gel right now."

Rae looked curiously amused, then touched the top of his hair. "Oh, yeah, that's crusty." She giggled and looked at him, biting her lip. "Who'd you come with?"

"Uh, Britney Garrett," Quinn replied hesitantly.

Eyebrows shooting up in surprise and her face twisting into a suggestive smirk, Rae said, "Trying to lose the V-card, are we?"

Quinn groaned and put his face in his hands. He looked up with a wince, "I had to be the only person who didn't know that about her."

Nodding, unconvinced, Rae said, "Sure, just make sure you wear protection. And I'm not just talking about a condom. I mean, full body armor. She will attack you like a grizzly bear in heat."

"Are you trying to scare me so I don't do it?" Quinn asked, one eyebrow raised.

"Maybe.” Rae shrugged. "I'd hate for you to catch the herp at the fragile young age of seventeen."

"Is that all?" Quinn's head was down, voice lowered so that only Rae could hear him.

Rae looked at him, her eyes searching briefly before falling on his mouth.

He wondered if she was going to kiss him and wasn't sure how he'd feel having his first kiss with Rae on the same night he'd already been mauled by a sexually ravenous cheerleader.

That suggestive smirk returned and she raised a thumb to wipe under his bottom lip.

"Lipstick," she said, showing Quinn the dark red color that was now on Rae's thumb.

Heat flushed Quinn's cheeks. "It was a narrow escape. "

Rae's gaze was piercing and Quinn counted the seconds before she spoke again. Thankfully when she did there was a smile and a bit of a laugh in her tone. “Well, I can't say I blame her. You clean up pretty good, Quinn Casey."

"Thanks.” Quinn grinned down at his feet.

While he was here talking easily again with Rae he thought maybe he didn't even have to wait until tomorrow to tell her the truth.

Part of him wanted to wash off what had happened earlier in the limousine before getting sincere with her, but he wasn't sure he could wait.

"Listen, I'm sorry...for being such a dick the other week. "

"Don't say dick," said Rae. "I thought we talked about that."

"You told me not to say dick head ," Quinn said pointedly. "You say 'dick' all the time. Why can't I say it but you can?"

"Because 'dick' sounds better coming out of my mouth than yours."

Quinn looked up at the ceiling trying to stifle a laugh, but failed. "Yeah, I would imagine dick sounds way better in your mouth, that's a good point."

Rae straightened and Quinn saw her blush when she caught his clever quip. "Quinn. Casey. Casey."

Laughing, Quinn pointed a finger at her. "Don't use my middle name out loud. People will know my mom was on drugs when she named me."

Rae clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to cover up her laugh.

"Are you laughing? You're laughing because my mom is a drug addict? That's really insensitive, Rae, wow," Quinn pressed, amused. She was really the only person he could joke like this with, and it felt good after the strain that had been put on their friendship over the last couple of weeks.

They continued joking around and talking like they always did.

It was as if nothing had changed, and they really had come to the dance together.

Quinn asked Rae to dance during a slow song and they stayed on the dance floor for a few more upbeat songs after that.

He wasn't sure at what point he remembered that he actually had come with a date, thinking she must be around here somewhere.

Although, he wasn't particularly interested in another savage attack.

Unfortunately, Liam had not forgotten that he'd come with a date.

The DJ put on another slow song and Liam cut in, glowering at Quinn before he and Rae could couple up again.

At first, Quinn felt slighted, but the friendly, even flirty, banter between him and Rae was still making him buzz.

Plus, he couldn't really blame Liam for wanting to dance with his own date, especially when she looked like that.

Quinn wandered over to the beverage table, where he was sure someone had spiked the punch, as was some sort of tradition at these things. Jett was holding a plastic cup in each hand, sipping from one of them when Quinn approached.

“Britney was looking for you,” Jett said with a sly grin. “Looking for a little more back seat limo action probably.”

Quinn groaned and rolled his eyes. “I can’t fucking believe that happened.”

“And what happened exactly?” Jett asked, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

“I was viciously attacked,” Quinn replied, searching the room for his date. He wasn’t interested in another round, but he’d need to keep tabs on her location so he could successfully dodge her.

“You looked pretty relaxed for being attacked,” Jett said. “ Sounded pretty relaxed, too.”

“Shut up,” Quinn grumbled. “I should’ve stopped her. Jesus, I got a fucking blow job in the back seat of a limo and all I can think about is what Rae’s gonna think if she finds out.”

“What if she does?” Jett shrugged. “She doesn’t own you, dude.”

More than I’d like to admit.

Sighing, Jett handed one of the cups of punch to Quinn. “Like you said, she didn’t have to say yes to Liam. But she did and she’s here with him and you’re going to have to deal with it.”

Quinn winced, but still didn’t speak.

“Got it that bad, huh?” Jett said, studying his friend. “Well, for what it’s worth, I think the guy’s an asshole. Rae’s smart...she’ll figure it out. ”

Quinn gave an indistinct nod, unsure if he should feel better or worse that Rae was out with a guy who everyone seemed to think was a complete ass.

Thinking he wouldn't mind some fresh air, he downed the small drink in his hand and headed toward the door to the gymnasium that led outside to the courtyard.

He stopped at the door, turning and scanning the crowd of coupled bodies, some dancing an awkward distance from their partners, others practically squeezed together in a close and intimate embrace.

Quinn hoped to catch a glimpse of Rae again before stepping outside, just needing to see her face again, and silently sending up a prayer that she was looking around for him, or at least looking miserable and annoyed to be stuck with Liam Hamilton.

He had to do a double take when he saw her.

He'd seen the light blue and lace of her dress, the sparkling headband in her glossy blonde hair that was cascading down the bare back that her dress showed off so elegantly.

She was not looking for him or looking annoyed at being stuck with not Quinn as her date.

Rae's arms were wrapped around the back of Liam's neck, pressing their mouths together in a fervent kiss.

Quinn's breath rushed out of him so suddenly, as if he'd been punched in the stomach.

A squeezing pain in his chest made his legs lock and a rolling sensation in his stomach had him feeling sick.

He looked away and swallowed, then looked back, focusing his sights on Liam rather than Rae.

Anger was easier to deal with than whatever this other feeling was.

Jaw clenched, hands balled into fists at his sides, Quinn shoved the door open and walked out, past the courtyard, away from the school, and into the chilling night air.