Running was not the best idea. Any time running would have saved I spent picking myself up off the ground. After my fourth stumble I gave up and walked quickly. It was normally a ten to fifteen minute walk, and it seemed to be taking twice as long. I rounded the corner onto the street that would lead me home. I was still several blocks away, but at least I was getting closer. I heard the sirens. I froze, peering down the street trying to make out what it was and where it was coming from. My gut told me that it was indeed coming from my apartment building, but my brain was trying to keep the rest of my body calm. The wail of the siren steadily built to a crescendo as the ambulance approached. I remained stuck to the sidewalk as I watched it for a few heartbeats. My fear for Quinn was crippling, yet all I felt was hollow as the ambulance passed by and continued towards the hospital.
I envisioned the guy from the bar, all bloody and laying on the floor. His face transformed into Quinn’s. The sick feeling I had in my stomach was creeping up. I swallowed hard, wincing at the thought of losing it here where anyone could see me. I was so lost in my fears that I jumped when my phone sang out to me. It was Reed’s tone. I was nervous as I answered it and my hand shook, causing me to fumble it for a couple seconds before I could push the answer button.
“Sylvia, are you home? What’s going on? Sloane won’t answer.” Reed was clearly distressed. His normally loud voice was turned up a notch as he yelled into the phone. I could hear Kerri trying to quiet him in the background.
I took a big breath as fear coursed through me. Sloane won’t answer ran through my mind, sending shivers up my spine. My voice trembled as I answered him back. “I don’t know. I’m not there yet, but an ambulance just passed me coming from that way.”
“A what?” Reed hollered, making me flinch and hold the phone away. “What’s going on there?”
“I don’t know. I can’t see.” I couldn’t hold back anymore and started to cry, the frustration overwhelming me.
I heard a little scuffle and Kerri came on the line. “We’re on our way, Sylvia. Don’t go to the apartment alone. Call Jason and wait for him somewhere else. If you can’t get a hold of him, call us and we’ll pick you up. You need to keep yourself safe right now, and I don’t think home is safe for you. We’ll see you soon.” Then she hung up.
I knew her advice was probably the best, but I couldn’t take it. I had to know what was going on. I needed to know if that ambulance held Quinn. I started back down the street, clutching my phone tightly. I would at least have it ready if I needed it. Every step I took brought me closer to the chaos that awaited me in the parking lot. The first thing I noticed were the flashing lights still there. I was finally able to determine them to be police cars. That reassured me of my own safety, but struck the terror back into me full force.
I picked up my pace but stopped dead once I reached the edge of the parking lot. I breathed a sigh of relief as I watched Quinn walk out of the apartment. He was safe and he appeared to be unharmed. I couldn’t tear my eyes from him. He was like an apparition of a god, walking out all shirtless with his muscles tense and hard. He was like Zeus coming down from Olympus. Once he stepped out of the shadow the sun hit his hair, reflecting the deep bronze highlights and casting a halo-like effect. In that moment he transformed from a god into an avenging angel. His face was a barely-contained mask of rage and aggravation. His jaw was tight and his hands were clenched into fists. As he continued to move, I watched the way he stalked forward. He seemed to be so self-assured and in control of himself, even though his face told me different. The jeans rode low on his hips, revealing the deep v of muscles that I considered mine alone to look at. I moved my gaze lower to reassure myself that he was indeed unharmed. I couldn’t understand why he was walking outside without his shoes on. For that matter, why wasn’t he wearing a shirt?
It was then I noticed the officer next to him opening the door to the cruiser. He turned and said something to the officer as Kai ran up and handed him a bundle. He pulled a shirt on and I realized he was about to get into the car.
“Quinn!” His name tore from my throat.
He turned and looked at me. His eyes locked to mine as he slid into the backseat. He said something again but he didn’t tear his eyes from mine. I was aware of the officer getting in the front, and I began to panic as the car started to pull away. No, they have the wrong guy. Quinn is the good guy. They are supposed to be taking Beau, not Quinn. I turned my eyes, following the car as it left the lot and made its way down the street. Quinn turned and watched me the whole way. I reached out as if I could stop him from being taken away. When the car was out of sight, I felt arms around me and heard Kai reassuring me that all was going to be fine.
I whirled on her. “How is it going to be alright? Quinn was just taken by the police. Wait, why was Quinn taken? What is going on here?” My words were tumbling together as my hysteria rose. I was looking around wildly, as if something somewhere held all my answers. I noticed the residents of the complex all standing around watching the spectacle that had been taking place in the parking lot.
Kai calmly reached for my thrashing hands, effectively stilling them. “Sylvia, look at me.” Her voice was authoritative, and I turned my attention to her. “Quinn will be fine. They just need to ask him about what happened.”
“What did happen?” I was worried, yet relieved.
“Beau showed up and kicked in your door.” Her words hit me like cold water. I flinched.
“But Quinn...”
“Quinn took care of it. He is fine.” She was talking to me as if I were a child in the midst of throwing a fit. I guess, in a way, I was.
“The ambulance?” I knew the answer but I needed to ask anyway.
Kai nodded, confirming my thoughts. “It was Beau. We don’t know how bad it is, but he was unconscious when they left with him.”
“Unconscious, but breathing right?” The ice water seeped into my veins, causing me to tremble. I wasn’t concerned with Beau. I was worried about Quinn. If he killed Beau, would the police let him go?
“Yes, he was breathing. We need to go get Sloane and I need to call Quinn’s dad. Then we’ll go to the station to wait for him.”
Kai let go of one hand and pulled me along with her by the other. She continued telling me about the voicemail from Reed and the commotion they heard coming from my apartment. Kai insisted it all happened so fast that by the time they got there it was over. We started up the steps, but she stopped in front of me on the second landing.
“Sylvia, don’t freak out when you see your apartment. I promise, Quinn was not hurt.” Kai was all serious, and it made me wonder what I was walking into. Visions of war zones danced before my eyes. I imagined broken furniture, holes in the wall and the door hanging by the hinges.
The reality was nothing. Just a few broken trinkets and picture frames. I looked over everything as Kai went to retrieve Quinn’s phone. I was so relieved. Of course there was a hole in the wall where the doorknob hit it and a boot print on the door from Beau. I was about to laugh at Kai and her worry over my reaction until I spotted the bloody cloth lying on the floor. I felt immediately sick.
“Sylvia, are you alright?” Sloane came out of the kitchen with the broom and dust pan.
I just pointed to the cloth. Please let that not be from Quinn.
Sloane’s gaze followed my finger and he strode over and picked it up. “Don’t worry. It’s Beau’s blood. Quinn just needed to wipe it off him.”
I nodded, not really knowing what to say. Quinn had told me not to worry, that he could handle himself. But I had never really believed that he could. I had been wrong. I was trying to process that as Kai came from the bedroom, hurriedly speaking on Quinn’s phone.
“...I assume that’s where he will be. He told me to call you.” Her eyes fluttered to mine. “No, she’s fine, just a little shook up.” She smiled at me. “Yes. We’re on our way.”
Kai took the phone from her ear and stuffed it in her pocket.
“Okay, let’s head to the station.” Sloane reached for her and hugged her for a brief second. I was momentarily envious. I wanted Quinn’s arms wrapped around me like that. I wanted to feel his comforting embrace, letting me know that everything was indeed just fine.
“Sylvia, do you need to get anything before we go?” Sloane turned and asked me before pulling me in for a hug too. It was slightly reassuring but it wasn’t Quinn.
“No. Wait, we need to call Reed and Kerri. They are on their way here.” I didn’t want them to come and find all of us gone and not know where we’d gone.
“I’ll do it from the car. Kai, you drive.” Sloane ushered us both out the door and shut it tightly behind him.
We made our way to Kai’s little blue car and got in. They both talked all the way there, but I didn’t listen to them. The guilt was worming its way in. I should have broken up with Beau before all this started. I should have never let him back into my life after that first weekend I stayed with Quinn. I should have gone to the police, I should have told my dad. All of the should haves kept piling up. By the time we reached the station, I felt the weight of the world on my shoulders.
We walked into the brightly lit room through a set of metal detectors. There weren’t many in the front waiting area. Kai motioned for Sloane and I to go sit down as she walked over to a high front desk encased in what I assumed was bullet proof glass. Sloane and I sat on the hard blue plastic chairs and waited. I glanced around and noticed that Alex and Marie weren’t there yet. Not that I expected they would be. They lived on the other side of town and Alex had more than likely been at work. Kai approached us and took a seat on my other side.
“They aren’t telling me anything. Something about privacy laws. Don’t worry; Alex is coming with an attorney. We’ll get answers then.” She patted my back reassuringly.
A young blond haired man in a gray suit, carrying a briefcase walked in and headed straight for the desk. He spoke quietly and confidently. I heard Quinn’s name and snapped my head in his direction. I studied him as he reached into his pocket and showed the person behind the desk what I thought was probably identification. I was hoping he was the attorney we were waiting for. I continued to watch him as he waited patiently for someone to come and lead him back behind the closed doors where Quinn must be held.
After he was led back, I hopped back on the guilt train. What had I dragged Quinn and his family into? What if he was charged with something? Would it hurt his career? Oh my God, did I destroy all he’s worked for? I was so not worth all that. My foot began to bounce frantically as more and more worries and scenarios played out in my head. Sloane reached over and put his hand on my leg to still it.
“Sylvia, you need to calm down. Look at me.” I looked into his tranquil green eyes. They implored me to calm down. He spoke quietly to me and only me. “Worrying isn’t going to help anything right now. Quinn knew exactly what he was doing. Beau deserved it, all of it. You know that, right?” I swallowed and nodded. I felt my eyes fill with tears and tried to blink them away. He rubbed comfortingly along my knee as he continued his voice still low and soothing. “You’re worrying about all the wrong things, Sylvia. Trust me on this -- no one is in jeopardy. You are under too much strain as it is. Don’t add to it with totally unnecessary worries.” He pulled me to him, his strong arms wrapping themselves around me, sharing his strength and optimism with me. He whispered in my ear, “You are worth it.”
I smiled at him the best I could. His words had the intended effect. I leaned against Kai as I waited. I tried to block out all unnecessary thoughts and worries. I just focused on tiles on the floor and counted them. I was on sixty-four when Reed burst into the room, followed by Kerri.
“Have you heard anything? How’s Quinn? Did someone make him their bitch yet?” All our eyes flew to Reed. As Kerri flicked his ear. “Jesus, baby. That hurts.” He whined as he rubbed his ear.
“We don’t know anything yet. Have a seat and wait with us.” Sloane motioned to the chairs across from us.
Kai stood. “I need to use the restroom. Sylvia, would you like to come with?”
I didn’t know what else to do so I followed her. I didn’t have to go but I did splash cool water on my face and wipe it off with the rough paper towel. I looked horrible. My eyes were bloodshot and puffy from crying. I had a crease across my brow that I knew wouldn’t disappear until I saw Quinn again. I turned from the mirror and my self-examination as I heard Kai flush. She stepped out and washed her hands before enveloping me into a hug. Her tiny little arms could hug something fierce.
“Thanks, Sylvia. I needed that.” It was more like she knew I needed that. “Marie and Alex should be here by now. Let’s go see if they can find out anything.”
We walked back out and I overheard Sloane saying, “He messed him up real bad. I don’t think it’s going to be good.”
Kerri hissed and jerked her head in my direction. They all stared at me and I remained frozen. Before I could do anything, the door to the back opened and a young, blond officer stepped out.
“Sylvia O’Mara?” he called out loud and clear.
All eyes were on me. I swallowed and stepped forward. “That’s me,” I whispered.
He smiled at me warmly. “Miss O’Mara, I need to talk to you. Will you please come with me?”
I nodded and followed him beyond the doors, which closed behind me. I wondered what he needed to talk to me about. I looked around as I tagged along behind him. I was looking for Quinn. I knew he had to be here somewhere. I didn’t see him before the officer stopped and motioned to an open door. I entered the little room, which I knew from having grown up a cop’s daughter was an interrogation room. I never feared the police, and I wasn’t afraid of them now. I was just worried about Quinn and wanted to know what was going on with him.
I sat down on the chair he motioned towards. I waited patiently for him to take his seat and get started.
“Miss O’Mara, I’m Officer Francis.” He reached over and held out his hand. I tentatively shook it.
“Sylvia, please,” I corrected him. He nodded.
He was young. He couldn’t have been much older than I was. He was blond, with sharp angular features. Yet he was pretty. Almost feminine in his features. His eyes were pale blue and kind, yet cautious.
I settled back in my chair, crossing my arms in front of me as I waited for him to begin.
“Miss...Sylvia, I need to record this.” I nodded as he pressed the button on the recorder. “Do you know Beau Dalton?”
“Yes.”
“How do you know Mr. Dalton?”
I bit my lip, not wanting to admit it. “I dated him briefly.”
“What can you tell me about your relationship with him?”
I told him how I’d met Beau, and how he became increasingly possessive towards me. I told him of how he’d grabbed me that Monday after I had stayed with Quinn and threatened to end Quinn. I relived Halloween and all that he had said to me.
He asked me some questions about Beau’s activities and if I ever saw him do anything illegal. I told him about the beating he gave the man at the bar, but that I hadn’t witnessed any illegal activity. He asked about the few friends of Beau’s that I had met, and if I knew where any of them could be found. I wasn’t much help with that, since I didn’t even know where Beau lived.
After I told him about Thanksgiving, Officer Francis asked me some questions about that and if I knew my dad had run a background check on him. I told him I did. He asked why I didn’t contact the police when I knew that he was wanted. I became concerned that I was in trouble for not having done that. I explained about my father’s death and he seemed to understand. He asked me if I’d had any contact with Beau since then. I pulled out my phone and showed him the texts he sent. Lastly, I told him about Beau showing up at work that day, and how he’d hurt my arm and what we’d talked about.
He had me show him the bruises and then went out the door. He came back in with a female officer, who was holding a camera.
“Sylvia, we need to take some pictures of the bruises.” I held out my arm and let them get what they needed.
When the pictures were done, the other officer left and Officer Francis sat down across from me again.
“How do you know Quinn Lobato?”
“I’ve known Quinn for years. We dated in high school and this fall he moved across the hall from me. We recently started dating again.”
He asked me more questions about Quinn. How Beau and Quinn acted towards each other and if Quinn had ever acted violently before.
By the end, I was frustrated with the questions. Quinn wasn’t the bad guy in all of this.
“I don’t understand why you need to know all of this. Beau is the one who has been harassing me. He’s the one who kicked in the door and started all of this. Why are you questioning me about Quinn? Quinn was only protecting himself.” I snapped my jaw shut and waited for an answer as I tried not to grind my teeth.
Officer Francis just nodded his head and smiled sympathetically. “I know, Sylvia. We just need to make sure we cross all our t’s here. We want to put that scum Dalton away for a very long time, and we want nothing coming back to potentially hurt Mr. Lobato.” I was relieved that at least they seemed to see that. “One last question, Sylvia. Do you recognize this?” He held out a little evidence bag with what appeared to be my pendant in it.
I picked it up and looked it over carefully. “This is my pendant. I’ve been looking for it.” I looked back at him in confusion. “Where did you get it?”
“It was found on the floor in the hall of the apartment complex. It’s believed that Mr. Dalton had it in his possession. Did you ever at any point give this to him?”
“No,” I gasped. “I never gave this to him. I noticed just a couple days ago that it was missing. I’ve been looking all over the apartment for it. It belonged to my mother. Can I have it back?”
“Yes, but not right away. Right now it’s evidence. We think that Mr. Dalton may have broken into your apartment and taken it. Has there been anything else missing?”
“Oh my God. He was in my apartment?” A shiver of fear passed through me, leaving me cold all over. “How many times?”
“We don’t know. We were hoping you could help us with that.”
I had nothing to add. It could have been at any time. I spent a great deal of time at Quinn’s recently, and at his parents’ house. I thought back to the day we’d picked Kai and Sloane up from the airport, and how I had the strangest feeling when we came back from the grocery store. He must have been in my apartment that day.
He held out his hand to me again and I shook it. “I think that is all we need here, Sylvia. Either the police or an Assistant District Attorney will be in touch with you regarding this case. Here is my card. If you think of anything else or notice anything else missing, call me. I’m sorry for the circumstances of our meeting, but it was nice to meet you.” He got up and walked to the door. I followed, but stopped just outside of it.
“What about Quinn? Is he done? Will he be coming home with me?” I was still afraid that they were going to keep him.
“I don’t know, but I’m sure someone will be able to tell you something soon. I wouldn’t worry too much, though. It looks like he did all of us a favor taking Beau Dalton off the street.”
He led me back to the waiting room. Everyone was there, joined by Alex and Marie. Marie rushed up to me and pulled me into her arms as she rocked us sideways. When she pulled away, she reached down and captured my hand, pulling me over to the chair next to her.
I looked around at all of them. “Anything yet?” I didn’t know why I even bothered asking. The bleak looks I was given in return were all the answer I needed.
“We were hoping you would be able to tell us something,” Alex said. “What did they talk to you about?”
I filled them in on the questions that Officer Francis had asked. I also told them that he didn’t seem like they were going to keep Quinn. We waited a little longer. Finally, the door opened and I heard one of the sweetest sounds in the world to me - Quinn laughing.
I jumped up and headed towards the door, and there he was. His head was thrown back and he was laughing a real laugh -- not a fake, just-to-be-polite laugh. It made me simultaneously happy and relieved, yet it pissed me off, too. We were all out here worried sick over him, and he was standing there laughing with the officers. I cleared my throat and he turned to me. Whatever anger I held evaporated instantly from the heat of his gaze. Those eyes penetrated me and I melted. I threw myself at him. He caught me and staggered back just a bit.
The officer next to him made some comment and everyone laughed. I didn’t hear what it was, and I didn’t care. I had Quinn safe in my arms. His hard chest was pressed against mine, and his arms tightened around me. It was heaven. I didn’t want to let go. But when he relaxed his hold on me, I let my arms loosen as well. I couldn’t bear to release him completely, though. I looked up at him and he smiled down at me.
That’s when I noticed the bruises along his neck. My eyes went wide in shock. Kai and Sloane had both said he wasn’t hurt, yet he had marks on him. I reached up and gently touched them.
“What...” I whispered, but Quinn cut me off.
“Don’t worry about it. I will tell you later. Let’s just get out of here.” He looked around at everyone then. “Dad, thank you for sending Randy in.” He let go of me and reached over to Alex and Marie, hugging them both.
“Son,” Alex returned the hug. “What is going on?” His concern prominent in his voice.
“I’ll tell you all about it at home. Let’s just get out of here.”
“Reed and I will pick something up for supper and meet you all at your place.” Kerri suggested.
“That sounds great. Thank you, Kerri.” Quinn gave her an appreciative grin. “Dad, can we ride with you?” I was happy that he included me in that. There was no way I was letting him out of my sight anywhere in the near future.
The ride home was much shorter than the ride there. I stayed in Quinn’s arms the entire car ride back. We each shared our stories of what had happened with Beau. I felt Quinn tense up as I told them about Beau showing up at work and what he had said. Quinn muttered something under his breath that I didn’t quite catch, but it was something about breaking his neck when he had the chance. I felt the same when Quinn told about Beau kicking in the door and taking a swing at Quinn. I asked about the bruises on his throat and he explained that Beau had choked him. Both Marie and I gasped, realizing that we could have lost him.
We went to Quinn’s place instead of mine. I didn’t want to go there yet, and Quinn was just fine with that. Kai and Sloane followed after us. I retold my time with Officer Francis to Quinn. The others listened patiently. Soon Reed and Kerri showed up with pizza. Marie and Kai got out plates and drinks from the fridge and everyone grabbed a slice and settled in, waiting for Quinn to begin.
I couldn’t eat. I still felt uneasy and slightly sick over all of it. I sat next to Quinn and sipped at my beer, anxiously waiting to hear about his time at the police station. Quinn, on the other hand, didn’t have a problem with eating. He was relaxed and joked with Reed and Sloane while he ate. His easy manner should have helped put me at ease, but I just couldn’t calm down until I knew for sure that everything was alright.
Finally, Alex asked. Quinn’s eyes flashed something as he looked at me, but the look was gone as quickly as it had appeared. He put his plate on the floor and kicked his legs out in front of him, crossing them at the ankles. He already had his arm draped over me, but he pulled me closer to his side as he sighed. I got the feeling that he just wanted to put it all behind him.
“First, let me reassure you all that it should be just fine. The police or the Assistant District Attorney may contact some of you just to find out how Beau acted around Sylvia and me.” Everyone nodded. They had expected as much. “They basically asked me what happened today and I told them. He kicked the door in and took a couple swings at me, which I avoided. I tried to sweep his legs out from under him. It didn’t work, and he choked me and got a punch in that I deflected. I’m not sure what all else happened. It just went so quickly. I got a couple kicks to his knee, the punch to his nose and then one to the sternum and that’s when he went down.”
Quinn calmly relayed it all like he was talking about something he had watched on TV more than something he had been involved in. He shrugged and took a drink of his beer, and then continued.
“I told them about Beau harassing Sylvia, and how we were looking at getting some form of protection order. They took pictures of my bruises and the ADA came in and I had to retell it all again. While I was talking to the ADA, there was word from the hospital that Beau was conscious and was going to recover. He has some broken ribs and his nose was broken. There was some severe damage to the ligaments in his knee. Aside from that, there was the nasty concussion he got when his head hit the door frame. All in all he will recover. So no worries that I killed him, Reed.”
Reed had a guilty look on his face, and I wondered what that was about.
“What about charges? What are they going to charge him with?” Kerri got to the matter we were waiting for.
“Well, he was already wanted for a whole slew of things. He will probably be extradited back to Texas, where he’s wanted for smuggling drugs across the border. There was some other stuff that they were looking for him for, too. He probably won’t be charged with anything in connection with today unless I decide to press charges, which I’m not going to do because he can counter them. They are looking into the possible break-in into Sylvia’s apartment.” He squeezed me tighter and looked at me to see if I knew about that.
“They showed me the pendant. I don’t know how else he would have gotten it other than breaking in for it,” I answered Quinn.
“Well, he’ll be charged for that then. They were also going to take another look into Kelly’s accident. They had the reports faxed in and Officer John said that it looked like an accident, but that they would follow up on it. Other than that there really isn’t anything to tell.”
“Can they charge you with anything? I know it was self-defense, but I don’t know how it works.” I was still worried about him. We’d just gotten him back. I didn’t want to lose him again.
“No. Because he choked me I had reason to believe that my life was in danger. I didn’t use deadly force on him, either. I just did what I needed to defend myself. You have nothing to worry about, Sylvia. Believe me, it’s over. Beau could go after me in civil court, but the ADA and my attorney, Randy said I would have nothing to worry about. It would likely get thrown out but they didn’t think Beau would even try for it. He has enough legal stuff going on.”
I was finally able to breathe easily. Quinn wasn’t going anywhere and Beau wouldn’t be coming back. I looked around at everyone in the room and was thankful for each of them. There was some more questions and Reed and Sloane teased Quinn some more about his ass-kicking skills. Finally, everyone was ready to leave. I made Marie leave the dishes, telling her that I would do them in the morning. I just wanted to get Quinn alone.
I hugged each of them as they left. I made tentative plans with Marie and Kai to go to lunch with them soon. Once they were all gone, I turned to Quinn. Neither of us moved. We just looked at each other, all our love and desire for each other shining in our eyes, flowing freely between us. We both started towards each other at the same time. Each of us realized it and chuckled lightly. We reached for the other and pulled in close. It was just what I’d needed. My arms were filled with him, as was my heart. I sighed against him and just absorbed the feel of him in my arms.
“Sylvia, love, I was so worried about you. You were all I could think of. I didn’t know if he had hurt you or if he would go back to find you if he managed to get away. All I could think about was you.” Quinn’s voice was thick with emotion. “I just couldn’t live without you again.” He kissed the top of my head and continued down to my check and onto my lips.
I met his kiss eagerly. Our kiss shared everything our words couldn’t. At some point during the kiss, my thoughts shifted from relief to desire. The picture of him as he walked out of the apartment appeared in my mind. The image turned me on and caused me to groan against his lips. I visualized him all tense and cat-like as he strode out into the sunlight, the pure maleness of him as his muscles moved with each step. Then I remembered that I never asked why he was shirtless. I pulled away and looked up at him.
“Why didn’t you have a shirt on or shoes before you left? You looked like you should have been on an episode of Cops.”
Quinn stepped back as he laughed at that. He walked over and locked the door and turned back to me.
“I had just gotten out of the shower when he knocked on the door. I thought it was Sloane, so I just pulled my jeans on before I went to answer it.” He walked over to me and took my hand, leading me to the bedroom, turning the lights off as we went.
“That’s why you didn’t answer when I called.” I said it more to myself than to him. I knew there had to be a good reason he didn’t have his phone on him.
“Yeah, I left it lying on the dresser. I was just going to shower quick and come to pick you up.”
We reached the bedroom and he pulled his shirt off and tossed it in the laundry basket. I got another look at his muscles rippling as he moved in the moonlight. He wrapped an arm around me and pulled me with him towards the bed.
I ran my hand up his back and over his shoulder and back down again. As soon as I reached for the zipper on his jeans, it hit me. He said he just pulled his jeans on and went to answer the door.
“So you don’t have anything on under these?” I raised my eyebrow.
“Nope,” he answered as he began to nibble along my neck.
“Mmmmm,” I liked the visual that popped into my head. I tugged the zipper down and pushed the jeans off his hips before pushing him down onto the bed.
He pulled me with him and rolled us so I was on my back. His kiss was long and deep. I was truly alone with Quinn in my happy place, and it was all so very real.