“Fuck you.”
I’d seen the gossip headlines. They were impossible to miss when they were splashed across tabloid covers in the grocery store checkout line.
Hush Note Love Triangle
Who Will Quinn Choose?
Team Jonas vs. Team Nixon
There hadn’t been much of that lately, not since Jonas had confirmed he was in a serious relationship. Still, the idea of her with them made my stomach turn. Was that why Nixon called to leave her stupid jingles as messages? Was he in love with her?
Was she in love with him?
The thought of her with another man sent my head into a jealous spin. Did she gasp when he kissed her? Did he know that she was ticklish behind her knees and she loved to have her nipples sucked?
I’d been the one to teach her those things. Me.
Quinn’s chest heaved and her eyes, lethal and cutting, didn’t waver from mine. She’d hardened herself. For what? To keep people out? Did she think a scowl and a snarky attitude was going to work on me? Because I knew her too damn well.
“Why don’t you sing?”
“Why do you want to know?”
I closed the gap between us, towering over her and forcing her to tilt her head back to keep my gaze. “You owe me some answers.”
“I don’t owe you anything,” she hissed.
“You do. Tell me why.”
“No.”
“Tell me.” The rise and fall of her chest brushed against mine, but she didn’t back away. Her sweet scent surrounded me, and if I didn’t step away, there was a good chance I’d lose my head. But my feet wouldn’t budge. “Why don’t you sing, Quinn?”
She held my stare, her eyes searching mine, but she stayed quiet.
I ran a hand down her arm, my fingers barely skimming the soft skin from shoulder to elbow. A flash of lust crossed her face, and the fury melted away with the sparks zinging up my fingertips.
“Because,” she whispered.
“Because why?” Tell me.
Her breath rushed out between us and her chin dropped. “Because it reminds me of you. Because it hurts too much.”
Maybe deep down I’d suspected that answer, so that’s why I’d pushed for it. Maybe I’d known all along Quinn was as attached to me as I was to her. She crossed my mind daily, either in anger or curiosity or longing. Nine years, and damn it, she’d never truly left.
Fuck it. I took her face in my hands and slammed my mouth on hers, swallowing her gasp. My tongue swept inside her mouth and I devoured, pouring my frustration into the kiss.
Quinn’s hands slid up my chest and fisted my T-shirt, pulling me closer as her tongue tangled in mine.
She tasted exactly like I remembered, sweet and potent and Quinn. Ambrosia. Her teeth nipped at my bottom lip, something that had always driven me crazy. I sucked on the corner of her top lip because it made her moan.
I lost myself in the memory of a girl and the reality of a woman, both gorgeous and addicting. Quinn was unchanged yet so different, and it was screwing with my head. So I blocked it out and kissed the hell out of her. My arms banded around her, pulling her into my chest as every nerve ending in my body ignited.
We were moving. My feet were shuffling us toward the door, stopping only when we pressed against the glass. The truck was right outside and the backseat—
What the fuck was I doing? I was off Quinn in a flash, stepping away until she was out of reach.
Quinn blinked herself out of the haze, then her eyes widened and a hand flew to her mouth.
“Shit.” I wiped my lips dry. “I’m sorry.”
She kept her fingers pressed to her lips like they’d protect her from me. “That was a mistake.”
“Yeah.” A huge, fucking mistake. We couldn’t be kissing in the church or anywhere else. Nothing good would come from wanting Quinn. Or . . . surrendering to the want.
She had the power to ruin me all over again, and it wasn’t just my heart on the line here. I had to think about Colin.
“I, um . . .” Don’t know what to say.
Didn’t matter. Quinn spun for the door and was gone. The tendrils of her silky hair blew in the breeze as she raced outside and left me standing in the lobby.
“Son of a bitch,” I muttered, hanging my head.
It was a lapse in judgment I wouldn’t let happen again. I only had to make it three more days and she’d be gone, taking the temptation with her.
We’d sing together on Saturday. There was no reason for me to see her tomorrow—we had the song down. So I only had to see her for the funeral, and I damn sure wouldn’t be kissing her then.
I reined in the physical excitement, breathing deep until the blood wasn’t pulsing in my ears and my cock wasn’t twitching behind my zipper. It had been a long time since I’d had a woman, single dad and all. That, and I hadn’t had much of an appetite to date. The last time I’d kissed a woman had been two years ago.
Until today.
Until Quinn.
Maybe I needed to take Walker’s advice and get out more. It couldn’t be healthy for a man to go this long without a release. But that was something I’d consider next week. Or next year.
Things were good with Colin and me. A woman would only complicate my life.
The air was warm and fresh when I walked outside, scanning the sidewalks for Quinn. They were empty. She was long gone, probably halfway home, which was great since my house was in the opposite— “Damn it.”
I had to go get Colin.
From Quinn’s house.
“Mother,” I growled.
“Hi!” She smiled as she bustled around the Montgomery kitchen. She was as familiar with this one as she was her own. The same was true for Ruby and ours.
“What are you doing?”
“Ruby and I thought it would be nice to have a mandatory family dinner since we’re all in town.”
“Sure, you did,” I muttered.
This family dinner was nothing more than another excuse to force Quinn upon her family—Ruby’s motivation—and to play matchmaker—thanks, Mom.
Mom riffled through the fridge and frowned. “Do me a favor and go over to our house and get some ketchup. I have a spare bottle in the pantry. We’re doing burgers, but we’re running low here.”
“Okay.” There was no point fighting this dinner, so I’d go retrieve her ketchup. The sooner we ate, the sooner I could leave. I walked through the kitchen and opened the sliding door, scanning the backyard for my son. He was running behind the playhouse carrying a Nerf gun. “Hey, bud.”
“Hi, Dad!” he yelled, then lost interest in me as Evan joined him. The two raced for the fence, firing darts at an invisible bad guy.
I closed the door and retreated through the Montgomery house to trudge over to my parents’. I had just stepped onto the concrete pad in front of the front door when it flew open.
Quinn nearly collided into my chest. There was a bottle of ketchup in her grip. “Oh. Hi.”
“Hi.” From now until Monday morning, I wasn’t trusting a single word from my mother’s mouth.
“Your mom sent me over for ketchup.”
“Yeah. Me too.” I shook my head and let out a long sigh. After our kiss, I’d driven around for thirty minutes before coming over, hoping it would give Quinn some time to walk home and hide in her room as she’d been doing in the mornings.