“We were going to wait until the second trimester to say anything, but I guess the cat is out of the bag now.”
“I’m so happy for you guys,” Devyn says. “Maddox must be over the moon. I know he wants a lot of kids.”
“He is. I will be too, as soon as this morning sickness is over.” She nods to the stairs. “Come on, Amber. Let’s go get you those clothes.”
Twenty minutes later, I’m on a Zoom call. I’m trying to convince a cybersecurity director from a Silicon Valley tech company to come to New York to interview for an executive VP position that will earn me a commission well into five figures. I should be more into the call, but as he’s talking, I can’t help but look out the window. Quinn is outside, up on the roof of one of the stables. Does the man do anything that’s not dangerous? His shirt is off, he’s wearing a tool belt, and someone is handing him some shingles. I raise the blinds to give me a better view, then I get lost in a fantasy.
“Ms. Black?” my prospective client says. “Amber?”
Oh, no. I forgot he could see me. I focus my eyes back on my laptop. “Sorry. There’s some construction going on outside my apartment.”
“I know how distracting that can be when you’re on a call. Want to reschedule?”
Distracting. Right. If by distracting, he means my nipples are hard and my panties are soaked just by watching Quinn up on the roof and thinking of him riding the bronc earlier.
“No. I think I’ve got all I need. You’d be perfect for the job, Michael. What do I need to do to convince you to come out for an interview?”
“I need to sleep on it. Talk to the wife.”
“Don’t take too long. They want to fill this position yesterday. I know they’ll pay top dollar.”
“California to New York is a big move. It will be a culture shock for sure.”
I gaze out the window again. He has no idea what culture shock really is. “I suppose it will be. But what’s the fun in living in one place and doing the same things over and over again because it’s safe and comfortable? You’re almost forty. Why not avert the mid-life crisis by shaking things up a bit. It might be just what you need.”
He laughs. “Thanks for reminding me I’m getting old.”
“We all are, Michael. That’s why we need to take the bull by the horns and see where life takes us.”
“I’ll be in touch.”
I end the call and stare back out the window. Quinn looks over and winks. Does he know I’ve been ogling him this whole time?
I lower the blinds and walk away. I think about releasing the tension but then decide against it. I don’t want to give him the satisfaction. Even if it’s only in my fantasies.
Chapter Eleven
Quinn
She’s late. Did one of her appointments run over, or is she deliberately making me wait? Knowing Amber, it’s the latter. She doesn’t want me to know she’s into me as much as I’m into her. It’s a strange feeling, this knot in my gut; this itch in my pants that has me craving her so much.
Finally, I see her crutching toward the barn. She’s changed into jeans, as I suggested, and they fit her like a glove. Between those and the way she looks wearing the cowboy hat, my dick starts stirring. She stops momentarily to pet Maddox’s dog, Beau. When he licks her hand, I’m jealous. I’m jealous of a damn dog. I turn and go inside.
She enters the barn behind me. “Take your pick,” I say.
She chooses the red ATV and holds out her crutches. “What about these?”
I take them and lean them against the hay. “You won’t need them.” She throws her bad leg over the seat and climbs on. It’s hard for me not to think about the last time we rode one of these. In fact, I haven’t been able to ride one all week without imagining her hands on me.
“Do I turn the key to start it?”
“Turn it and push the starter button. Driving these is easy. They have automatic transmissions, so you just need to put it in gear by moving this lever forward, then slowly press the throttle by twisting the right-hand grip.” I motion outside. “Take her out in the yard and practice.”
She puts it into gear and twists the throttle. It bursts forward and she yelps in surprise.
“Ease up a bit,” I say. “You’ll get used to it in a minute.”
I hop on mine and follow her out, then watch as she rides in a circle and then does a few figure eights. She pulls up next to me. “It’s easy.”
“Follow my lead. Relax your shoulders and keep your elbows bent. Locking your elbows gives you less control. Keep your toes pointed straight ahead. Just remember not to drive so fast that you outpace your line of sight or your brakes.”
“Where are we going?”
“I thought we’d drive out to the ridges. You’ve seen them from the air, now you’ll see them on the ground.”
“Sounds good.”
I pull in front of her and take it slow. The last thing we need is another accident. We approach the main house. Andie is sitting out front with Vivian. “Kin!” Viv squeals.
I slow. “Hey, squirt. Hi, Andie.”
“Going for a tour?” Andie asks.
“Thought we’d head out to the ridges.”
She smiles. “The ridges, huh? They’re amazing at sunset.”
I’ve heard about their sunsets at the ridge. When she and Maddox got together, they were always going out there. They still do sometimes. I’m sure she thinks we’re going out there for the same thing. She’s wrong. “Won’t be there that long.”
“Shame. Well, have fun.”
I drive to the head of the trail and stop. “It will take about ten minutes to get there. If you need to stop for anything, use the horn to get my attention.”
“Lead the way, cowboy.”
I’ve been called cowboy a thousand times in my life, but somehow, when she says it, it’s like this new sexy word she’s invented just for me. Or maybe that’s my dick talking.
We pass people riding horses along the way. It’s Saturday. A lot of owners of boarded horses come and spend the day on the trails. They all recognize me. Most say hello, but some of them turn up their noses. I get it. I’m a Thompson, and the Thompson’s have a bad rep around here. I wish they would understand that it’s not like I chose to be born into the family.
When we reach the top of the ridge, I stop. She pulls alongside me and admires the view. “I’ll bet Andie is right. This must make for an amazing sunset.” She glances at me. “You know, if you’re into that sort of thing.”
“They are amazing. I’ve seen a hundred of them.”
She nods back toward the trail. “Why did some of those people completely ignore you?”
“You met my mom earlier. Well, she’s nothing compared to my grandfather and uncle. Let’s just say my family isn’t well-liked around here.”
“Where are your grandfather and uncle?”
“My grandfather died several years ago, and my uncle, well, he won’t be coming around for a while. But their legacy looms large. And some people don’t ever seem to forget.”