* * *
Quinn lay beside Austin. He inhaled and exhaled, trying to catch his breath while she did the same. His fingers tangled in the strands of her hair, as if he couldn’t not touch her. Or maybe that’s what she wanted to think. After feeling him inside her body, she knew he was different from anyone she’d been with in the past. It hurt, knowing she wasn’t the right woman for him.
“I have a proposition for you,” he said, still twirling her hair around his finger, the tug on her scalp innocently arousing.
“You want me to think after that orgasm scrambled my brains?” she murmured, still foggy. “What is it?” She rolled to the side, giving herself a view of his incredibly sculpted naked body.
Football might be behind him, but he still worked out, kept himself in shape. Reaching out, she drew circles on his skin as she touched his chest, noticing that his cock started to get hard again. She blinked at his obvious stamina and realized by the tiny pulsing between her thighs she was ready to go again, too.
“Stay in my bed. Be with me until it’s time for you to go,” he said in a gruff voice.
Her hand stilled as his words took her off guard. She opened then closed her mouth. “I—”
“There’s really no reason to say no. We’re living under the same roof. We want each other. And when you go home, we can go back to our regular lives. We’ve already crossed that line, Quinn. Why not enjoy each other?”
Because this one time had already spoiled her for all other men? Because it was already going to be hard enough to get over him? Because the more often they were together like this, the harder it would be to go to work and see him every day?
From her room across the hall, she heard her cell phone ring, giving her an out she desperately needed. She wasn’t ready to answer him now. “That’s my phone.”
She started to roll to the other side of the mattress, but he wrapped his arm around her waist. “Wait. Let it go to voicemail.”
It didn’t matter because the ringing stopped. “Austin, if we keep this up, someone is going to get hurt.” Namely her.
He buried his face in the crook of her neck and licked the tendon there, then bit down with his teeth. Her entire body spasmed in reaction. Even her thighs squeezed together, causing a near mini orgasm to take hold.
“Yeah? Says who? I won’t hurt you, Quinn. Giving in to what we want makes sense.”
His deep voice rumbled in her ear. Do it, the part of her that wanted both orgasms and as much time as she could get with him urged. They had a short window together. Why not make the most of it?
But this was so not smart, she argued against it with much less force.
He slid his hand around her waist and dipped his fingers between her thighs. “Tell me again why this is a bad idea?” he asked, toying with her clit and arousing her easily.
She moaned and parted her legs to make room for his hand. “Fine,” she said, rolling onto her side. “While I’m here, I’ll stay in your room and we can … do this.”
And as he grabbed another condom from the nightstand, sheathed himself, and raised her leg, entering her slowly and deliberately from behind, she knew she was in so much trouble.
After another round of incredible sex, a shared pepperoni pizza, and a phone call to her cousin, Amy, who was thrilled to have a babysitting job, Quinn felt like maybe things were falling into place in a way she could handle.
If she kept her emotions tightly locked away and allowed herself to be with Austin, allowed herself to enjoy the short times she would have with Jenny once Amy arrived tomorrow, and didn’t obsess or worry about the future or messy things like emotions, then this would be the perfect situation. And in a few days, her life would go back to normal.
Right.
* * *
Early the next morning, Austin answered the door to a girl who reminded him very much of a younger version of Quinn. From her dark hair to her green eyes, the family genes were strong.
“You must be Amy,” he said to the girl in jeans, a Miami Thunder tee shirt, and a bright smile on her face. Apparently Quinn hadn’t been kidding when she said her family loved sports.
“Hi, Mr. Prescott.”
He smiled. “Call me Austin and come on in. Quinn is with Jenny. That’s my…” He choked and said, “Daughter.” Dammit, he wished he knew for sure.
Amy followed him in and he led her to Quinn. Jenny was swinging, the equipment set up between the family room and the kitchen so they could keep an eye on her whichever room they were in.
“Oh my gosh, look at her! She’s so cute!” Amy knelt down by the swing, stopped the motion, and immediately began to make cooing noises at the baby. Jenny gurgled back, doing her best little smile.
Quinn shot him a look as if to say see?
“Thank you,” he said, walking up to her. Out of respect for her family, he didn’t wrap his arm around her the way he wanted to. “This is going to be amazing. I can feel it.”
She grinned. “This is what the Stone girls are trained for,” she said wryly.
“What’s her schedule like?” Amy had walked up behind him and joined them.
Quinn hugged her cousin before she pointed to a notepad. “Okay, so she had her bottle at six this morning. She should be good until between eleven and twelve and then again between five and six, depending on timing. We’ll be home by six thirty.”
Amy nodded. “No problem.”
“Bottles are premade in the fridge. You’re good for the day. Diapers are upstairs in her room. Right now she’s in a pack and play,” Quinn said, opening the refrigerator to show Amy the bottles lined up in the door. She didn’t explain the reasons Jenny didn’t have a real crib, for which Austin was grateful.
“Easy enough. Can I use the instant hot to heat the bottle?” Amy pointed to the faucet on the side of the sink.
“There’s actually a bottle warmer. Whichever is easier for you. You know the drill. Make sure it’s not too hot. Clothing changes are in the drawers in Jenny’s room. If there’s a real mess, I’ll show you where the laundry room is. Don’t forget to use the Dreft,” Quinn said, to which Amy rolled her eyes.
Glancing at Austin, the young girl laughed. “She forgets that I’m already babysitting my older sister’s kid when she and her husband go out on date night. I know the drill. We all know the drill.” She looked at Quinn. “Show me the rooms. I can handle everything else.”
“Okay, but also, for changing her diaper, Jenny gets fussy if the wipes are cold. We use a warmer, so make sure they’re a comfortable temperature.”
Amy nodded. “No problem.”
“Oh! And since you can drive, in an emergency and only in an emergency, the truck with the car seat is in the garage.” She’d asked Austin about that earlier this morning. “Emergencies are sudden spikes in raging high fever and meeting us at the doctor. That’s all.”
“I know, Quinn. You can trust me,” Amy said solemnly.
Quinn nodded. “She’s just so tiny and precious.”
Quinn walked over to the swing and stopped it long enough to give Jenny a smacking kiss on her cheek that had the baby giggling, causing Austin’s heart to squeeze inside his chest.
His brain already spun from the list of things Quinn had given her cousin, most of which he’d have forgotten if he’d done the explaining himself. He was sure he’d have only remembered to tell Amy to make sure she fed Jenny. Once again, he looked at Quinn with utter admiration and something more.
Something he couldn’t afford to think about or name.
He might be sleeping with her and unable to be in the same room with her without wanting her, but the fact that she was so smart, so innately caring about the baby chipped away at his heart.
After Quinn gave Amy a tour of the house, showed her everything she might need for the baby, and reminded her of the instructions she’d already given, they were able to leave for the office.
He took the Porsche, and enclosed in the small space of the car, he inhaled her musky, arousin
g scent and hoped it remained there for a long time.
“Your cousin reminds me of you,” he said as they pulled off the highway near the office.
“In what way?” Quinn shifted in her seat, her skirt lifting and revealing a nice expanse of knee and upper leg.
“Well, other than looks, she’s as competent, serious, and devoted to her job as you are.”
“You could tell all that in one meeting?” Quinn asked, sounding amused.
“She didn’t appreciate you reminding her of everything you’d already told her, she didn’t appear fazed by the possibility of dirty baby laundry, which we both know means vomit or…” He shook his head, not wanting to think about that. “And she didn’t flinch when you said the word emergency.”
Basically, though, because Quinn trusted Amy, so did Austin. “I figure you know what you’re doing when it comes to Jenny, and you wouldn’t have suggested Amy if she wasn’t the right choice.”
“I appreciate your faith in me. But Amy is smart and capable. And you know I’ll check in on her. Often.”
“Careful, I might think you have a soft spot for Jenny,” he said, chuckling.
“You know I do.” Her voice turned low and serious.
And a part of him wished that meant more than it actually did.
* * *
With a great babysitter in Amy, the next few days passed in a blur of Quinn catching up on work and things getting back to normal at the office. If she missed the baby’s sweet smell and adorable face, she refused to admit it to anyone, especially herself. And her nights were spent, as agreed, in Austin’s bed, which wasn’t a hardship.
He was seductive and completely attentive to her needs. The man knew his way around her body, and she’d had more orgasms than she’d had in a lifetime combined. She’d spent the last week living a life she’d sworn she didn’t want, taking care of an infant, and the last three nights in bed with a man she couldn’t resist.
As if she’d conjured him with her thoughts, Austin stepped out of his office. Although she’d just seen him this morning, she was struck anew at how handsome he was. In his normal slacks and dress shirt, sleeves rolled up, exposing his forearms, and with the sexy light beard on his face, she was reminded of what that scruff felt like against her skin. Rubbing her face, scratching her thighs. When she breathed in, the scent of him overwhelmed her in the best possible way.
“Quinn?”
“Yes?” She blinked, realizing she’d been staring and then daydreaming, and in that time, he’d sat down on the edge of her desk.
A knowing smile lifted his lips, showing her a small dimple in his cheek she only noticed up close. “I asked you if Amy can babysit tomorrow night. Paul was supposed to attend the sports journalist banquet, but he asked if I’d handle this one, and I’d like you to go with me.”
As his date or as his assistant, she wondered, unable to judge by the hot look in his eyes as he met her gaze. She had no intention of asking. “Of course I will. Amy already works for you during the weekend days. I’m sure she won’t mind staying, but I’ll call her now. Dress code?” she asked.
“Black tie.”
She nodded. “Got it. I’ll have to go home and pick up an outfit.” She had a handful of dresses she’d bought in the time she’d been working for Austin for occasions such as these. And then it dawned on her. “Actually, your mom is coming home today, isn’t she? I’ll be back in my own home by tomorrow.”
His hand froze midway to his face. This was a discussion they hadn’t had. A topic they’d deftly avoided. Her because she really did like the time she’d spent with Austin, and him probably because it meant he’d have to handle the baby more by himself, unless his mother moved in.
He actually looked hurt by the notion, yet that was the agreement.
“In that case, I’ll pick you up on the way,” he said abruptly and rose from his seat. “I’ll let you get back to work.” He walked back into his office and shut the door without looking back.
She told herself she was relieved her time as a pseudo-nanny was coming to an end, and a part of her even believed it. Just not all of her and that truth really concerned her. Worst of all, she couldn’t help feeling like she’d disappointed him somehow.
She swallowed hard and put the thought out of her head, getting back to work.
The rest of the day passed quietly. Austin took calls in his office, and she handled the phone and clients from her desk.
Then, knowing she had to make a good impression on Saturday, she decided to treat herself but she didn’t want to go alone. Picking up her cell, she pulled up her best friend’s number. A friend whose calls she’d been avoiding since Friday night, because how did she explain her current situation and have it make sense?
Evie Wolfe was a private investigator, and like Quinn, she came from a large family. Unlike Quinn, Evie was the only girl with four brothers who drove her insane and vice versa. Because how could her macho brothers keep up their overprotective behavior with a sister who was a PI, had self-defense skills, and could take care of herself?
At the thought, Quinn grinned. She missed seeing her best friend. She pressed Evie’s name.
After one ring, her friend’s voice sounded loud and clear. “Where the hell have you been?”
Quinn sighed. “You wouldn’t believe it if I told you.”
“Well, you’re going to. It isn’t like you not to call me back. Why have you been avoiding me?” Evie asked.
She was going to have to explain to her friend eventually. “Can you spend the day with me tomorrow and I’ll tell you everything? Hair, mani-pedi, and for me, makeup because I have an event that night.”
“Ooh, sounds like fun! I’ll pick you up. Let me know what time.”
Quinn smiled. “I’m looking forward to it, too. I’ll make the appointments and get back to you.”
“Sounds good.”
After hanging up, Quinn called the salon and booked a full day of appointments for herself and Evie. Luckily, there was a makeup artist on-site so she didn’t have to go anywhere afterwards for a makeover.
She blew out a breath and sighed. There, she thought. She was getting back to taking care of herself.
Tapping a pen against the desk, she picked up her phone again and this time dialed her cousin. “Amy? How’s Jenny?” she asked, unable not to worry about the little girl who wasn’t hers.
* * *
Quinn had left for her spa day to get ready for tonight, and Jenny had fallen asleep again after her bottle. Austin lay down on his bed and groaned just as his cell rang and his mother’s name flashed on the screen.
As much as he was glad his mom was home, he couldn’t ignore the disappointment that flowed through him, knowing it meant the end of his time with Quinn.
He tapped on his mom’s name and took the call. “Hi, Mom! How was your trip?”
“Oh, honey, it was wonderful. Seeing all those old friends was truly so much fun.”
“As if you’re old,” he said with a laugh. But at her nasal tone of voice, he narrowed his gaze. “Are you sick?”
“That’s why I’m calling. I have the worst cold known to mankind. You know those ships with the close quarters. Bugs and viruses travel fast. I woke up with it this morning and I have no idea how long it’s going to last.” At that, she coughed and he knew for sure she wasn’t coming around Jenny.
“Feel better, Mom. Rest. I’ll check on you tomorrow.”
“Thanks, honey. Give that baby a kiss for me. I heard from your sister and she said that you and Quinn are managing well. That takes a load off my mind. Love you.” She disconnected the call, and though he hated that his mother was sick, a slow smile took hold because Quinn wouldn’t be going anywhere after all.
At least not yet.
Chapter Seven
Quinn soaked her toes in the warm, soapy water as the massage chair behind her pressed into her tight muscles. Beside her, Evie did the same. She’d already had her hair trimmed and blow-dried, her nails were do
ne in a French manicure, and after her pedicure, she’d have her makeup done.
Though she had a book opened on her Kindle, Evie was not going to let Quinn read. Or ignore the conversation she wanted to have. She’d been peppering Quinn with questions since she’d explained the situation with Austin.
“So you’ve been living with your boss?” Evie asked, not moderating her tone.
Quinn’s friend had long dark hair, olive skin, a beautiful complexion, and a very loud voice. The women doing their toes glanced up at Quinn, but neither said a word and they went back to work.
Quinn leaned closer to Evie’s seat. “Shh. Yes, I am staying with Austin. Just to help with the baby.” And sleep in his bed, don’t forget that, she thought, keeping the personal information to herself. Evie would have a field day lecturing her if she let it slip.
Evie narrowed her chocolate-brown gaze. “So let me get this straight. The boss whose kiss you liked now has a baby, and you’re helping to take care of her while living in his house.” Thank God she’d decided to whisper. “You, Quinnlyn Stone, who swore off children and any jobs dealing with kids and babies? Have I got my facts straight?”
Quinn gripped the armrests harder in her hands. “You know you do. So why are you repeating everything I already told you?”
“Because it’s insane, that’s why. I don’t understand. Why can’t the rich man just hire a nanny?” Evie glanced at her toes and wriggled them before looking up at the nail tech. “Excuse me. I hate to do this but can we switch to a brighter coral?”
The woman nodded. “I’ll go get a few colors for you to choose from.”
“Thanks.” Evie smiled in gratitude.
“You’re a pain in the ass.” Quinn had chosen a pale pink. She didn’t need her toes standing out at the event tonight.
Evie shrugged. “I like bright colors. So sue me. When does this part of your job come to an end?”
“Later today,” she said, ignoring the pang in her chest. “His mother is back from her cruise.” She and Austin hadn’t done any talking last night, and she’d rushed out this morning so she didn’t know Christine’s plans.
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