by Nikki Ash
“Come on, baby,” I murmur. She’s so close, but she’s not quite there yet. Wanting her to get off before I do, I push my thumb against her clit. She’s soaking wet, which makes it that much easier to take her over the edge. With only a few swipes of my thumb, Quinn is coming all over my cock, taking me along with her.
When she finally stills, her head lulls forward onto my shoulder. I can feel her body shaking with laughter. “That’s the exact opposite of what was supposed to happen,” she says through her laughter.
“Really? Because it was exactly what I was hoping would happen.”
Mine. All fucking mine.
* * *
There’s a knock on the door, and my eyes pop open, trying to remember where I am. I’m at the B & B, but when I glance over, I spot Quinn lying next to me. Shit! We fell asleep in her room, and I never went back to mine. As I’m scrambling out of bed, throwing my jeans on, the door opens and Kinsley steps into the room.
“Is Mommy asleep? I’m hungry.” Her hair is up in a loose messy bun just like her mother wears, and she’s half asleep. She also doesn’t appear to be at all concerned I’m in her mom’s room.
“She is,” I whisper, grabbing my shirt off the floor and throwing it on since Quinn never put it back on last night. “How about we let her sleep in, and I’ll take you downstairs to get breakfast?”
“Okay.” A smile tugs at her lips. “Can we bring her back food?”
“Of course. Go get dressed.”
Once Kinsley is dressed, and I leave Quinn a note letting her know where we are, we head downstairs to eat. My cousin Kiara and her husband, Kevin, are walking around and talking to the guests. When they spot us, they come over to say hi.
“And who is this little girl?” Kevin asks to Kinsley, who I notice is hiding slightly behind me.
“This is Kinsley; Kinsley, this is my cousin’s husband, Kevin.”
“Nice to meet you,” he says. Kinsley smiles shyly, but remains quiet. “The food is along that back wall. Take as much as you’d like and grab any open table.”
“Sounds good, man. Thanks.” I clasp him on the shoulder then head over to the buffet with Kinsley. “Can you make your own plate or do you want me to make one for you?”
“I can do it.” She rolls her eyes. I hand her a plate, and she goes to town piling an assortment of foods onto her plate. Once there’s no sign of a plate left, we find a table and start to eat.
“What are you looking forward to doing the most?” I ask her to make conversation.
She shoves a bite-size waffle into her mouth, and once she’s swallowed, says, “Finding a pumpkin and decorating it. I hope there’s a hay maze too! I saw one on a show and it looks fun. I also want to get my face painted.”
I take a bite of my fruit-filled pastry and groan at how delicious it tastes. The peaches are fresh and sweet, and the pastry is flaky and baked to perfection. Kiara has always been an exceptional baker. When she lived in Ireland, she owned a small bakery that did very well. As I’m taking another bite, I look over at Kinsley, who is about to take a bite of the same pastry I’m eating. I don’t even know how I remember, but the next thing I know I’m screaming for her to put the food down. She drops the pastry onto her plate, but she’s already taken a bite.
“Shit!” I yell, not caring that I’m causing a scene. “Spit it out.” I’m out of my chair and over to her with a napkin, trying to wipe the food out of her mouth. Kinsley is now in tears, and I’m terrified she’s having an allergic reaction.
“Someone call nine-one-one,” I yell.
“Lachlan!” I look over and see Quinn running over to us. “What’s wrong?” she asks me. Then to Kinsley, she says, “Why are you crying?”
“She ate a pastry. It has peaches in it. I’m trying to get it out of her mouth.” My heart is pounding so hard, it feels like it’s about to thump right out of my chest. Am I having a heart attack?
“What’s wrong?” Kiara comes over and asks.
“Kinsley is allergic to fruit,” I tell her, “and she took a bite of the pastry. It has fruit in it. Call nine-one-one. She can die.”
I glance around, confused as to why everyone is remaining so calm when there’s a little girl whose throat could be closing right now.
“Lachlan, it’s okay,” Quinn says. “She’s okay.”
When I look back over to Kinsley, she still has tears in her eyes, but she’s not hyperventilating or having trouble breathing. “She was crying,” I point out.
“Because you scared me,” Kinsley says with her brows knitted together. “I didn’t know it had fruit in it,” she tells her mom.
“It’s baked,” Quinn says, picking up the fruit I removed from Kinsley’s mouth. “She’s only allergic to raw fruits.”
“Oh,” I breathe, suddenly feeling really damn stupid because I knew that. “I-I’m sorry. I…” I look over to Kinsley. “I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you, Mini-Q.” The ache in my chest is still there in full force. If something would’ve happened to Kinsley, I don’t think I would survive it. I’ve already grown to love that little girl as if she’s my own.
Quinn takes my hands in hers and leans on her tiptoes to give me a soft kiss. “You have nothing to be sorry about,” she murmurs against my lips. “Thank you.”
“For what?” I just caused her daughter to cry and demanded people call for help for no reason.
“For caring about my daughter enough to remember about her allergy. When I walked in and saw how scared you were…” A single tear slides down her face. “I was terrified something happened to my daughter. But there you were, taking charge, doing exactly what I would’ve been doing. Thank you.”
She steps back and sits down at the table next to Kinsley. “Lachlan didn’t mean to scare you, sweetie. He was worried the fruit would make you sick.”
Kinsley nods in understanding. “It’s okay. But can I eat it? It’s really good.”
Everyone laughs, and Quinn nods back. “Yes, you can eat it.” She glances up at Kiara and Kevin, who are standing next to the table. “Sorry about all that. Kinsley is allergic to raw fruits.”
“We’re just glad she’s okay,” Kiara says. “One of the guests did call nine-one-one, but she’s called them back to let them know it was a misunderstanding. All the pastries that have fruit inside have been baked with the fruit in them.” She turns her attention to Kinsley. “Are you ready for a fun day at the festival?”
“Yep!” Kinsley exclaims, already over what happened. I sit back down, but I can’t eat or speak or think. I’m still freaking the fuck out. I have no clue how Quinn manages to let Kinsley out of her sight for even a second.
As if she can hear the chaos in my head, Quinn looks over to me and smiles softly. “Are you okay?”
“I don’t know how you do it.”
“Do what?”
“Parent.”
Quinn chuckles. “One minute, one hour, one day at a time.”
“I would put her in a bubble and never let her out,” I admit half-jokingly, which has Quinn throwing her head back in laughter.
“You’ll make a wonderful father one day,” she says, patting my arm.
Thankfully, the rest of the day goes more smoothly than breakfast. We pick out a couple of pumpkins and decorate them, get lost in the hay maze, where I’m able to sneak a few kisses with Quinn. Kinsley gets her face painted like a princess, and fills her belly with every kind of junk food imaginable. All too soon, it’s time to head home. Kinsley sleeps the entire drive to my place, where Quinn gets out and kisses me goodbye before getting behind the wheel to head home. I text Jax to give him a heads up, and he lets me know everything of theirs is out and the house is ready for the girls.
Quinn calls me a little while later to let me know Jax and Willow moved out. She cries over how generous and kind they are and curses me—jokingly—for knowing about their plan the entire time. When Kinsley calls for her to tuck her into bed, we say goodnight.
Later tha
t night, as I’m lying in bed, I wish I were with Quinn and Kinsley. Declan is over at his girlfriend’s place, so my house is quiet. I want to be on the couch with Quinn cuddling into my side, in bed with her, stealing all the blankets. I want to wake up and have breakfast with the two of them. The more time I spend with them, the more I miss them when I’m not with them. I fall asleep trying to think of a way to make Quinn—and Kinsley—mine, sooner rather than later.
Eighteen
Quinn
“I can’t believe after all these years we still can’t keep a receptionist around longer than a couple months.” I laugh as Jase complains of another temp not working out at Forbidden Ink.
“The only one who stuck around was Evan.” Celeste cackles. “And that’s only because I hired him.”
“Yeah, because he’s a tattooist!” Jase laughs, wrapping his arm around his wife.
We’re sitting in the backyard of my townhouse under a tent that’s been erected for Kinsley’s birthday party. There are several kids from her class, as well as all of her cousins, running around and playing. There’s a bounce house and a blowup slide, along with a new swing set. Earlier, they hit the piñata shaped as a Troll that Jax tied to a tree, and fought over the candy like they were participating in the Hunger Games. Now it’s time for cake, but I can’t seem to locate Kinsley—or Lachlan—anywhere. A little while ago, she asked to show him her new swing set, but I don’t see them over in that area anymore.
“Any chance you can work at the shop in the afternoons this week?” Jase begs. “Skyla and Celeste both switched on and off last week. We have a few people coming in to interview this week.”
“Of course,” I tell him. “The only thing I have this week are the shoots Monday and Tuesday for Leblanc, and a wedding shoot Friday.”
“You’re a lifesaver,” Jase says, leaning over and giving me a kiss on my cheek.
“You know I love the shop.”
“Plus, it now has Lachlan there.” Willow waggles her eyebrows playfully.
“You and Lachlan?” Olivia gasps. “Isn’t he a bit…young?” At her words, my face feels like it’s being set on fire. While my family knows about Lachlan and me, and have seemed to accept it, Celeste’s friends, Olivia and Giselle, didn’t know. I know it’s stupid to keep us a secret, but I’m still getting used to the age difference myself, and when you look at us, you can clearly tell there is one.
“So, what?” Giselle says, defending me. “Let the woman get her groove back.”
“I’m not judging!” Olivia frowns and throws a chip at Giselle, then turns to me. “I was just shocked, that’s all. I think the last guy I saw you with was Rick and he was older and…well, a lot different looking.” Nobody besides my family knows anything about what Rick put me through, but hearing his name and having him be compared to Lachlan makes me want to throw up. Although, she is right. Rick was a good five years older than me, and obviously without a single piercing or tattoo.
“Lachlan is nothing like Rick.” Jase grunts. “Thank fucking God.”
Celeste puts her hand on his arm to calm him and says, “How are things going with you and Lachlan? When I was at the shop last week, he couldn’t stop talking about you.” She smiles softly. “He seems very taken with you.”
“They must be doing good because Lachlan hasn’t been home in weeks,” Declan pipes up with a chuckle. Everyone’s eyes swing to me, and I stand, suddenly feeling the need to flee. This entire conversation is just too much.
“He’s gone before Kinsley wakes up,” I say by way of explanation, not wanting to be judged.
“Hey, you don’t have to explain yourself,” Giselle says. “You do you, girl. Lachlan is definitely a looker.” She waggles her eyebrows and her husband, Killian, growls. Everyone laughs.
“Yeah, and I bet he’s stellar in bed!” Skyla cackles. “I read in Cosmo, a man is in his prime from twenty-six to thirty-four.”
“Hey!” Jase and Jax both yell in unison. “Don’t be talking about men and when they’re in their prime!” Jase adds. “You’re too young for that crap.”
“Dad, I’m almost twenty-three.” Skyla laughs. “But sure, we can pretend I’m not having sex.” She rolls her eyes, and Celeste and I both cover our laugh with a cough. That girl will be giving Jase a run for his money as long as he’s alive—and probably even once he’s dead.
“I’m going to go find the birthday girl so we can do cake,” I tell everyone, heading over to find Lachlan and Kinsley. When I spot them both in the bounce house, Lachlan is sitting against the side of the knitted wall, and Kinsley is bouncing up and down in the middle. I’m about to yell for them when Kinsley drops to her knees, her usual happy face, frowning.
“Do you have a mom and a dad?” she asks Lachlan. Curious as to where this is going, I step to the side, so I can hear them but they can’t see me. Kinsley has been told her dad died before she was born, but she never brings it up.
“I do,” he tells her.
“Where are they?”
“They live here, but they’re in Ireland right now, visiting family. It’s where I’m from.”
“What’s Ireland?” She tilts her curious head to the side.
“It’s a country in another part of the world.”
“My dad is dead,” she says matter-of-factly. “When someone dies, they never come back. Ever.” Her eyes are wide and her head is nodding slowly.
“That sucks,” Lachlan says, even though I know he doesn’t give a shit that Rick is dead. He’s stated on several occasions that if he wasn’t, he would gladly kill him.
“My friend Fiona’s dad died too.”
“I’m sorry. Death sucks.”
“Yeah, he had…” She puts her tiny finger to her chin and taps it a few times. “He had cancer. I don’t know what that is, but Fiona said it made him die.”
“Cancer sucks for sure,” Lachlan says.
“Yeah, but Fiona’s mommy married another guy and now he’s her new daddy.” Oh shit! I step into view, but I’m too late when Kinsley adds, “Can you marry my mommy and be my new daddy?”
“Hey guys!” I squeak out. “It’s time for cake!” Lachlan and Kinsley both turn toward me, and I wince at how awkward I sound. Lachlan gives me a curious look, telling me he knows I heard what she asked.
“Okay!” Kinsley cheers, jumping out of the bounce house and running toward the picnic table with her cake on it.
“You heard.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.”
Lachlan climbs out of the bounce house and walks over to me. “You have a very observant and smart daughter. You have nothing to be sorry for. It would be my honor if one day you made me your husband and Kinsley viewed me as her father.”
“Lach… We’ve only been…” My breathing picks up slightly. His admission has me at a loss for words. I don’t know what to think or feel.
“I’m not saying now. I’m just saying that if one day it happened, I would be the luckiest fucking man in the world.” He slants his mouth over mine, kissing me with such passion, I feel it all the way down to my toes. “I wasn’t lying when I said I was falling in love with you.”
* * *
“I’d like to get my belly button pierced,” the bubbly, bleach-blond bimbo asks, twirling her hair around her finger.
“And I’d like to get my clit pierced,” her equally bleach-blond bimbo friend adds with a giggle.
I’ve only been helping out at Forbidden Ink for a few hours and I’m already the hell over it. One thing I’ve learned is that because Lachlan is the newest hire, he handles the majority of the walk-ins, which includes the piercing—which are usually women. I already knew this rule, but I didn’t think about the fact that at the moment he’s the new guy.
So far today, he’s pierced a woman’s nipples and the hood of her pussy, tattooed a chick’s hip bone, where she insisted on taking her pants off, leaving her in her barely there panties. Two of the women have left me their number to give to Lachlan, and one asked for his num
ber right in front of me. He didn’t give it to her, mentioning he had a girlfriend, but it still had me bristling. This is a freaking workplace for crying out loud!
I glance down at the schedule for today and see Jax has an opening at the same time Lachlan does. “Sure, just have a seat and someone will be with you shortly.”
Stomping back to Jax’s room, I knock once, and he announces to come in. “How’s it going?”
“Why must you guys pierce private parts?”
“Because we’re a tattoo and piercing shop,” he says with a confused look. A few seconds later, though, his lips tip up into a knowing smirk.
But before he can call me out, I say, “Well, you have two women who need to get pierced.”
Jax laughs. “I don’t pierce.”
“You can.”
“But I don’t,” he volleys back, his smirk never faltering.
“Just because you’re a part owner doesn’t make you exempt from doing the gritty work once in a while,” I snap. “Everyone else is busy.”
“Everything okay in here?” Lachlan asks, and my back straightens. Oh, jeez, Jax, please don’t embarrass me…
“Yeah, everything is good.” Jax’s smirk turns into a full blown grin. “My sister was just asking me to do a couple of walk-in piercings.”
“I can do them, man,” Lachlan offers. “I’m wide open.”
“Really?” Jax laughs. “Quinn, here, said everyone else was busy.” Damn him! What happened to the brother who treated me like a princess?!
“Quinn,” Lachlan says, giving me a perplexed look. “I am open, right?”
“Yeah.” I clear my throat. “Sorry, I forgot,” I say dumbly. After glaring at my brother, who just cackles louder, I stomp out of the room past Lachlan.
“Hey, wait!” Lachlan grabs ahold of my arm. “What’s going on?” He guides me into his room and closes the door, sitting down on his stool and pulling me into his arms. My body immediately relaxes, and I’m able to finally think clearly.
“I’m jealous,” I admit.