Page 45

Rae would have my ass if she knew I laughed at something like that.

Blame it on the alcohol, the sea of testosterone residing in the shed, or the fact that he hadn’t had a guy’s night in ages, but Quinn was enjoying himself. This new company, and the spreading warmth the whiskey was filling him with were easily pushing aside the earlier anxiety he’d been feeling.

Thor the Bartender grabbed a towel and tossed it to Quinn to clean his own damn mess up before ducking beneath the bar.

“You’re right, All-Star. No more shots for you.

” He placed a rocks glass filled with ice on the bar and poured in a small shot of Maker’s Mark and topped it heavily with Diet Coke.

“Enjoy your scrapbooking party, you goddamn sorority girl.” He plopped a small straw into the glass, adding, “Don’t forget- I’d hate to see a sorority chick without something to suck on. ”

Quinn half-suppressed his laugh and snatched the straw out of his glass, flicking it back to the bartender. “Anyone ever tell you you’re kind of an asshole?”

“All the time,” he shrugged. He reached into the beer cooler and pulled out a Heineken. Leaning back again, he asked, “You’re from around here originally, right?”

“Yeah,” Quinn said. “Not quite this neighborhood, but in Traverse.”

Fake-Thor eyed him curiously. “Some kind of ‘rags to riches’ inspirational story?”

With a sigh, Quinn shrugged. “Something like that, I guess. Not too inspirational. Just a kid who learned to hit a ball pretty well.”

“Don’t tell me Quinn Casey’s humble in real life. Are all those rumors just for show?”

Quinn glanced out toward the bonfire where all the women were sitting, their drunken laughter echoing through the open window. He didn’t have a clear enough view to see where Rae was, but he could distinguish her clear, vibrant laugh from the rest when he heard it.

He smiled half-heartedly. “No, those rumors are true. Or some of them. Maybe most of them. Just somethin’ about being home again, I guess.”

“Harsh reminder of where you came from?”

“It’s not as bad as I thought it would be,” Quinn replied. “How about you? Just around for the night or do you live up here?”

“I’m from Romeo, down state,” he said, now snapping the top off his bottle. “The land of wealthy, entitled, trust-fund assholes. Like me.”

“Must be a rough life.”

“Yeah,” Fake-Thor tipped the green bottle to his mouth and sighed after a long swig.

“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” When Quinn gave him a skeptical glance, he added, “I’m not saying it was worse or anything like whatever you might have dealt with.

At least I never had to worry about food or money, but everything was still chaos.

Carefully kept under the guise of being perfect and normal. ”

“Ah, yes, gotta keep up those appearances.” Quinn nodded. “Not that I know anything about that exactly. I was just trying to keep CPS from putting me in foster care.”

Whoa, where had that come from? Why am I sharing that with this guy?

“Okay, you win,” Fake-Thor chuckled. “I just never saw my parents, and the turnover rate for my nannies all depended on how long it took for my mom to catch my dad in bed with them. Or in the car, or the office...the laundry room. Wherever.”

Quinn considered for a few moments. “So, you had hot nannies? And I’m supposed to feel bad for you?”

With a hearty, low laugh, Fake-Thor nodded.

“Fair point. I guess that’s why I’m terrible at relationships.

I had a mom who put up with my dad’s shit because she didn’t want to give up her lifestyle, and I was raised by a whole slew of my dad’s side pieces.

” He took another pull of beer, then tilted the bottle to gesture toward Quinn, “What’s your excuse? ”

Before he could talk himself out of it, he replied, “I only ever wanted one girl, and I never thought she wanted me. I never thought I was good enough.”

“Bet she’d think differently now. Come back successful, a shit ton of money in the bank, and every other woman in the world wants you apparently. I bet she’d think you’re good enough now.”

Quinn paused suddenly. He looked across the bar at this guy who for some reason was unnaturally easy to talk to.

Had he considered this yet? All the guys Rae had dated in the past were wealthy, they were from the same life, they had the same experiences.

Rae wasn’t suddenly interested in him because he had money now, too?

No. Of course not. Rae was my friend back then because she wanted to be, and now we’re together because we both want to be.

“We have reconnected, actually,” Quinn said.

“I took her out on this date and kind of made up for all my mistakes in the past. All the things I wished I could’ve done differently for the past, shit, hundred years, it feels like.

” He told the guy across the bar all about the date, about reliving the moment he’d known he was falling for her.

Okay, and a little about how she’d reacted and how they’d spent the later part of the evening.

“Sounds like you got it all, All-Star,” Fake-Thor took another long pull of his beer. “The dream job, the money, and now the girl who- if you don’t mind me saying- sounds like she’s got a pretty insatiable sexual appetite.”

Quinn snorted with laughter. “Yeah, we’re having a good time in the bedroom. Or the living room, or kitchen, or laundry room.”

“Wherever.” Fake-Thor rolled his eyes. “Yeah, the last girl I was with- in a relationship with, I mean- was like that. Shit, she just wanted to fuck all the time.” He smirked and Quinn could tell he was remembering the good times.

“I work late sometimes, and I’d get back to my place and she’d be there in sexy lingerie, or just naked on the couch, wet and waiting for me.

There were nights I’d walk in and she’d just drop to her knees like she’d been hungry for me all day. Or I would...”

“Sounds like a fuckin’ dream girl,” Quinn remarked. “What happened?”

“Just my usual shit,” he said with a shrug. “Like father, like son.”

Quinn paused with the rocks glass to his lips. His brow furrowed as his blurred brain seemed to be making connections.

Like father, like son?

He cheated on her?

Fuck. Me.

Before he could even figure out how to respond, the door to the shed opened and Amira walked in followed by Rae.

He smiled instantly at the sight of her in her black tank top and distressed denim skirt, cheeks still flushed from a long day of drinking.

Then he cautiously drew his attention back to this guy who’d intentionally kept his name a secret.

Emerson. Of course. He was eyeing Rae as though imagining her...on the couch waiting for him after a long day? On her knees?

Fuck that.

Quinn glared, nostrils flared as he bit the inside of his cheek. He wondered if Emerson knew Quinn was with his ex or if he’d unintentionally mentioned their hot and heavy sexual connection.

That was until the previously friendly bartender’s eyes met Quinn’s again. Like flipping a switch, he’d gone from a potential new buddy to this smug, self-satisfied asshole. Emerson’s mouth twitched as he suppressed a grin, but the challenge in his expression was undeniable.

Challenge accepted, motherfucker.

Raelyn stood in the center of the garden-shed-converted-Irish-pub and felt momentarily paralyzed as she spotted Quinn sitting at a bar stool in front of Emerson.

She held her breath as she assessed the situation.

There were no fists flying, no noses bleeding, no fat lips.

That had to be a good sign. Maybe they were more mature than she’d been giving them credit for.

Maybe Emerson was just as over it as she was and his earlier comments about their sex life were just part of his inability to avoid conflict or stir the pot even just a little.

" There she is." Quinn smiled at her and closed the space between them with two of his long strides.

With one hand on her hip and the other gently on the side of her face, he pulled her into him and pressed his mouth to hers, sweeping his tongue through her mouth, breathing her in.

When they pulled apart, a growl emitted from deep in his chest, "Damn, I've missed you. "

The sensual kiss left Raelyn momentarily breathless.

She blinked a few times and smiled, eyes focused on his chest as she regrouped.

Quinn's finger tilted her chin up so that she was looking at him and she suddenly felt hot everywhere as he gazed down into her eyes.

This wasn't a look he usually gave her when they were out in public.

This was his possessive bedroom stare that he used to make her melt right before he plunged himself inside her.

"I missed you, too," Raelyn was finally able to get out before he kissed her again.

His tongue played with hers in her mouth and she felt his groan rumble through her, and this time she thought she tasted whiskey on his tongue.

Raelyn placed a hand to his very firm chest and pushed herself away gently.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Quinn breathed, his lips brushing hers as he spoke.

“You taste like whiskey,” Raelyn replied. “I thought you were going to be my ride home.”

“Change of plans,” Quinn said, before dipping low and whispering in her ear. “We may be finding another ride home, but I still fully intend on being your ride for the night.” He kissed her neck just below her ear. “All night.”

Feeling heat spread up her skin and the increase of her pulse, she curled her fingers into his shirt, nearly forgetting they were in a room filled with people. She was ready to call a Lyft or an Uber right then. Hell, she’d crawl home if it meant she could have him when she got there.

“Sounds like a damn good plan to me,” Raelyn sighed, just before Quinn caught her mouth in another fervent kiss.

Suddenly aware of all the eyes on them, Raelyn pulled away again.

She didn't necessarily have anything against public displays of affection but couldn’t help sensing the prickling tension in the room.

Over Quinn’s shoulder she spotted Emerson whose jaw was clenched, eyes piercing into the back of Quinn’s head.

His steely gaze flicked to Raelyn and he drained his bottle of Heineken before dropping it into a bottle bin.

Emerson walked out from behind the bar, past where she and Quinn were still in a close embrace and shoved out the door.

When she looked back to Quinn, his triumphant smirk was undeniable.

Oh...that was just some show to get the upper hand then?

“Quinn,” Raelyn pulled his attention away from the door that had just closed. “Quinn, can we talk for a second? ”

“Sure.” Raelyn was immediately annoyed at how quickly the heat that she’d thought was so genuine had evaporated from his demeanor. He placed a hand on the small of her back and led her outside and away from the makeshift pub. Turning to her, he asked, “What’s up?”

“What the hell was that?” Raelyn snapped, gesturing over her shoulder toward the converted shed. “This isn’t some kind of competition, and I don’t exactly appreciate you using me like some object to prove a point.”

“What? No. Baby, you wouldn’t believe the kind of shit that guy was saying,” Quinn said, looking past her, no doubt trying to see where Emerson had stalked off to.

“He didn’t even tell me who he was and then starts bragging about his ex who was all over him all the time.

He knew I was with you and did that just to make me look like an idiot.

Like we’re just two buddies exchanging stories about our girls. ”

“Exchanging stories?” Raelyn questioned, rearing back. “You were talking about me- about us - to some guy whose name you didn’t even know?”

“No, not like that. I told him about our first date. How I finally got the girl I always wanted.” Quinn smiled at this and tucked her hair behind her ear, leaving his hand there to lightly brush his thumb across her cheekbone.

His expression darkened just slightly. “I guess he knew it was you somehow and decided to make up some shit about this ex of his who just always wanted him, just waiting for him to come home so they could fuck. Must’ve known I’d put it together eventually. ”

Raelyn truly hoped the lighting was poor enough that Quinn didn’t see her cheeks redden.

Though she didn’t know specifically what Emerson had told him, she doubted very much that he’d made it up.

Their relationship had been very physical.

There were emotions, too, but they tended to express their feelings for each other in a physical way.

Almost aggressively so. She was that way with Quinn now, too, only the emotions and feelings were incomparable to what she’d felt with Emerson .

Being with Emerson versus being with Quinn was want versus need , heat versus fiery explosions all over her skin, being together versus being completely consumed by each other. It wasn’t the same. Not by a long shot.

She must have been silent for several moments, because it took her a moment to register that he’d asked her a question.

“Hm?” Raelyn blinked up at Quinn.

His brow furrowed. “Was it true?”

Oh. That.

Raelyn hesitated. “Quinn, it really doesn’t matter now what things were or weren’t like. I’m with you now and we’re happy, right?”

The humorless laugh Quinn let out was accompanied by an equally humorless smile. “So it was.”

“I don’t know what he said,” Raelyn said defensively, “but it doesn’t matter now. I don’t want to be with him anymore. I want you , Quinn.”

Quinn took his baseball hat off to swipe a hand through his hair, then scrubbed his hands down his face. He let out a sigh and gave a small nod, “Okay.”

“Okay?” Raelyn raised an eyebrow. Replacing his ball cap, he turned away from her, but she caught his hand, pulling him back.

“Hey,” she wrapped her arms behind his neck and went up on her toes.

“I mean it. I don’t care what he said, and neither should you.

You’re the one I want. Nothing that happened in the past can change that.

” She snatched the baseball hat off his head and put it on her own. “I’m your girl, Quinn.”

A reserved smile curved his lips up. She’d consider that a win.

“Let’s give it another half hour and then set up that Uber,” Raelyn suggested. “I’m sort of looking forward to getting you home.”

Quinn grinned mischievously. “I like how you think. Let’s make it fifteen minutes.”