Page 26 of Stolen Hearts (WaterColor Romance #7)

Quinn had never cleaned the bar up more quickly.

Everything inside of her desperately wanted to be with Autumn.

A flame had developed through the day and now Quinn had a full-blown forest fire raging inside.

Quinn longed to be in Autumn’s arms. She’d gotten the I’m home text from Autumn about thirty minutes ago.

Quinn had managed to shower and throw on some clothes before heading over.

To say there was only one thing on her mind would be an understatement.

Quinn’s entire body hummed with anticipation as she knocked on the door.

She heard Autumn call out for her to come in.

Quinn’s smile was wide as she opened the door but one look at Autumn froze her thoughts in her head.

Autumn sat cross legged on the couch wearing teddy bear pajamas.

Upon closer inspection she could see that Autumn had been crying.

Autumn’s eyes were bleary and the under her eyes was puffy. Quinn’s mood instantly shifted. She sat beside Autumn on the couch. Autumn leaned her head onto Quinn’s shoulder and sighed deeply.

“How did things with your parents go?” Quinn asked tenatively.

“Not great. We had such a great dinner. Which is honestly thanks to you.”

Quinn was touched by Autumn’s words. She’d never put more effort into an event than she had tonight.

“So what happened on the drive home?” Quinn asked, her curiosity sparking.

“I felt compelled to ruin it by bringing up my childhood.”

Quinn softened further, she wrapped her arms around Autumn. She drew Autumn in closer. Quinn was surprised when instead of stiffening, Autumn releaxed into her touch.

“It sounds to me like you brought something up that was important to you.”

“It is important to me,” Autumn answered.

“How did your parents respond?” Quinn asked.

“They didn’t,” Autumn stated blandly.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean we sat in silence until we got to the hotel. Then they each hugged me and that was it.”

Quinn had to admit that was a bit harsh considering that Autumn never shared her emotions.

She wondered if Autumn’s parents had even taken note of that.

For Autumn to bring something like that up to her parents it would have had to be important.

Surely they must realize that as well. James and Moira had seemed like good people at dinner.

Quinn refused to believe they’d simply blow their daughter off.

“Maybe they just wanted time to process what you told them. That way they aren’t reacting from a place of emotion,” Quinn offered.

“Maybe you’re right. I think it just hurt more because it took me so long to say anything at all,” Autumn admitted.

Quinn pulled her in even tighter. Autumn gave her a kiss on the cheek.

“You really are incredible. I’m not sure how I would have done this without you.”

“You would have made it work,” Quinn chuckled.

“You get everything you set your mind to done,” Quinn added.

There was more that Quinn wanted to say, but she was halted by a knock on the door. She gave Autumn a questioning look. Autumn seemed equally surprised and offered only a shrug of her shoulder. Autumn stood from the couch and went to check the door.

“It’s my mom,” Autumn whispered the words after she checked the peephole.

“Let her in,” Quinn mouthed the words.

Autumn opened the door and Moira practically rushed past her. Moira caught sight of Quinn and there was a clear internal struggle behind her clear blue eyes. Moira’s eyes were so much like Autumn’s, the color and shape almost identical.

“Hi, Mom,” Autumn offered, her tone softer than Quinn had ever heard her voice.

“Hi, sweetie,” Moira answered. She turned, clearly appraising Autumn.

“You want something to drink?” Autumn asked. She was operating on autopilot.

Quinn had to fight off her own desire to rescue Autumn. Her girlfriend was the most capable person she knew. Autumn could do this, Quinn knew she could.

“A drink would be lovely. Then let’s talk,” Moira suggested.

Autumn poured herself and her mom a glass of wine, and she brought Quinn a beer. They all sat in silence for a few minutes. Autumn sat beside Quinn on the couch, while Moira had snagged a chair adjacent to them.

“I wanted to talk to you about what you said earlier tonight in the car,” Moira began.

Autumn didn’t immediately respond, offering only the slow nod of her head.

Quinn watched silently, she knew it wasn’t her place to interject.

She would be here to offer Autumn as much support as she needed.

Almost instinctively Quinn reached out her hand and found Autumn’s waiting for her.

Quinn laced their fingers together to the knuckles and gave Autumn’s hand a squeeze.

Moira sighed from her spot in the chair, she leaned forward setting her wine glass down on the coffee table.

Now that she was examining the two of them side by side Quinn couldn’t ignore the similarities between mother and daughter.

Their eyes were by far the most uncanny similarity, but they also shared the same face and nose shape.

It softened Quinn even more towards Moira.

Moira was clearly trying to gather her thoughts. Quinn could see that dealing with emotional issues was no more comfortable for her than it was for her daughter.

“Let me start by saying that what you said earlier caught your father and I off-guard. That isn’t to say that your feelings and experiences aren’t valid.

Only that it’s clear we’ve been experiencing things a bit differently.

You’ve always been exceptional. Smart and articulate from an early age.

Everyone told us so,” Moira smiled fondly at the memories of a small Autumn.

“We wanted to make sure that we did our best to raise you to live up to that potential. And you never failed to exceed our expectations. We’ve been so proud to watch all of your successes.

But I don’t think it occurred to us that you might be viewing that through the lens of never being good enough.

I never knew that, to you, it seemed like our love was conditional on your accomplishments. ”

Moira sighed again. Quinn watched as all of Autumn’s walls seemed to crumble around her heart. Tears streamed down Autumn’s cheeks. It was clear that she’d been needing to hear these things from her mother for some time.

“We have always been so proud of you. And when we pushed you it wasn’t coming from a place of needing you to be perfect.

We just wanted so much for you to always have the best. But I’m sorry if our pushing you seemed like you wouldn’t be accepted unless you were the best at everything. That was never our intention.”

Quinn rose from her seat and gestured for Moira to sit beside Autumn on the couch.

The move felt right. She knew that the two of them needed this moment.

Autumn had been waiting years to hear her mom say these things to her.

Quinn took Moira’s spot in the chair and watched as the scene unfolded in front of her.

“I’m sorry it took me so long to tell you how I was feeling,” Autumn started, but Moira held up a hand shushing her.

“Your father and I have never been incredible when it comes to talking through our feelings. We didn’t exactly make bringing these things up accessible for you to talk about,” Moira offered. Autumn and Moira each had tears streaming down their faces.

“I think tonight has been a pretty good start for us,” Autumn said her tone was heavy with the weight of her emotions. Hearing it made Quinn’s heart clench in her chest.

“I would like that. A fresh start for all of us. Your Father agrees. He’s just…” Moira let the words hang.

“Not as good with talking about emotions?” Autumn offered.

Moira nodded her head.

“He was afraid if he came he might accidentally say something to make things worse,” Moira chuckled.

“It’s enough to know that he heard what I needed to say.”

Autumn and Moira exchanged smiles. The moments between Moira and Autumn were so intimate that Quinn almost felt like an interloper, though she was beyond grateful that she was able to witness it.

Quinn and Autumn stayed wrapped up in each other’s arms long after Moira left. Moira had promised to bring James by Autumn’s place the following day for breakfast. Quinn could feel the ease of tension within Autumn’s body. Autumn was no longer stiff, instead she practically melted into Quinn.

“Thank you,” Autumn whispered into the silence between them. Quinn twirled a wayward strand of Autumn’s blonde hair between her fingers.

“For what?” Quinn asked.

“For being here with me tonight. All night. You stepped in and helped with dinner. You supported me when I was sad. And you were here with me when I had the most profound moment I’ve probably ever had with my Mother. So thank you.”

“I’ll always show up for you when you need me,” Quinn promised and she meant every word.

When Autumn met her eyes there was a storm brewing behind them.

Quinn could feel the crackle of electricity between them.

Quinn’s body leaned closer to Autumn, desperate for contact.

Autumn must have felt it too because her mouth crashed against Quinn’s.

There was no mistaking the hunger behind Autumn’s kiss.

Quinn met her kiss with an intensity of her own.

Autumn’s hand pressed against Quinn’s chest breaking the kiss.

Quinn stared, still hungry and wanting more of the woman in front of her.

Autumn smiled and rose from the couch. She lifted her shirt off over her head allowing it to drop to the floor.

Next she slid out of her pajama pants. Autumn began walking down the hallway towards the bedroom.

For a minute, Quinn sat in silence. She quietly watched as Autumn walked away.

Autumn paused at the bedroom door and called back to Quinn.

“Are you coming? Or are you going to make me wait?”

Quinn needed no further encouragement. She jumped to her feet and stripped herself bare.

She practically ran down the hall towards the bedroom, and Autumn.

When she entered the bedroom, Autumn lay waiting for her on the bed.

Quinn’s heart jumped from her chest and into her throat so fast she almost choked.

Quinn climbed onto the bed her body sliding up until it was flush with Autumn’s.

She allowed her core to rub against Autumn’s, Quinn enjoyed the friction.

Autumn moaned at the contact reaching around to grab Quinn’s ass, pulling her in closer.

Now it was Quinn who moaned in between every kiss she laid on Autumn’s soft skin.

She made her way down Autumn’s body, stopping between her legs.

Quinn glanced up at Autumn from between her legs and smiled.

Her hands gently unfolded Autumn as her tongue found her clit.

Autumn’s head fell back against the pillows with a gutteral moan.

Quinn maintained the contact her tongue making a slow sweeping motion against her clit.

She watched as Autumn’s hands grasped at the pillows and her back arched.

Autumn was close and Quinn knew it. Autumn gasped then moaned outloud, her orgasm sending tiny shivers through her body.

Quinn kept her tongue pressed against Autumn’s clit, helping her ride out the aftershocks.

Autumn slid her hands up Quinn’s arms wrapping them around her shoulders.

Quinn loved how soft Autumn’s hands were against her skin.

Autumn pulled Quinn forward, her hands made their way to Quinn’s hips.

Quinn followed the urgency of Autumn’s hands until her core hovered over Autumn’s face.

When Autumn’s lips covered her clit Quinn’s mind almost faded to black.

Her hips rocked agaisnt the pressure of Autumn’s mouth.

The feel of Autumn’s lips and tongue sent tiny jolts of pleasure through her.

Quinn’s hips rocked faster as the pressure built inside of her.

Quinn’s body released in satisfying waves of pleasure.

When one wave broke another was right behind it.

Autumn drew Quinn’s clit inside her lips giving it a suck.

Quinn groaned as another orgasm threatened to send her sprawling backwards.

Quinn lay beside Autumn on the bed. Their bodies were perfectly entangled. Quinn held Autumn so close she could feel her heartbeat in her own chest. This was the kind of love she’d waited for her whole life. She knew without a doubt that Autumn would be her forever.