by Amy Brent
“Shit man. I’m sorry. How did it happen?”
"Don't be sorry," Jonah said after a long minute of silence and staring into the foam of his beer. "They weren't really parents, you know? More like shitty roommates that would pass out with lit cigarettes and make a mess that you'd have to clean up afterward."
I sat in silence. There was nothing to say to that. I knew how it felt to have a rough childhood but there was something different in Jonah’s voice. He meant every word he said. There was no over-exaggeration here. Just the plain, stark truth.
“When they left it was hard on Quinn, even though she pretended it wasn’t but for me it was almost a relief,” Jonah shot me a guilty look but I was the last person to pass judgment, “I know that probably sounds terrible but by that time, I was basically raising Quinn on my own anyway. This way I didn’t have to worry so much about making sure she didn’t accidentally get into their drugs or see them passed out and pissing themselves.”
He went silent again and I motioned Stella for another round. I had a feeling this wasn’t exactly the way Jonah had thought the night would go, but I could tell he needed to get it off his chest. It was eating him alive.
“It was a car accident. My mom was driving and she od’d on some cocktail of drugs. She ran off the road and killed them both.”
“Jonah, I–.”
“Jesus, don’t say you’re sorry again.” Jonah cut him off but there was no anger in his voice. Just resignation, “Honestly, it’s a miracle that they survived that long but in the end, they had each other. They always had each other.”
I grabbed the beers with a grateful nod to Stella, handing one over to Jonah before raising my own for a toast, “Cheers, to fucked up parents.”
Jonah shot me a sideways glance but finally raised his own glass as well, “To fucked up parents.”
We both drank deep but like an itch I couldn’t scratch my mind turned back to Quinn.
“So, how did your sister take the news?” I wracked my mind but I couldn’t remember her mentioning her parent’s deaths to me before. I was pretty sure I would remember something like that. I didn’t know why, but it bothered me. It bothered me that she hadn’t told me. That she hadn’t confided in me. Oh, like you’ve confided in her?
“She’s taking it alright. It’s hard to tell, you know? She keeps things close to the vest as they say.” Jonah was starting to slur his words just slightly but his eyes, so much like Quinn’s were still clear and sharp, “She was only ten when they split so for her, I think they died a long time ago. But like I said, it’s fucking hard to tell. Women are convoluted creatures.”
“I’ll drink to that.” I followed suit, taking a sip of my beer. I was about to open my mouth to ask more questions about Quinn now that Jonah was talking more loosely about his past, and his sister, two topics he was usually closed lipped about but the hair on the back of my neck suddenly stood on end.
I glanced behind me and didn’t see anything at first. It wasn’t until I scanned the crowd, reaching the space in front of the door that I found her. Quinn. I stared at her as something washed over me, trying to make sense of it all.
Quinn. Quinn was at the bar. Quinn was at the bar while I was hanging out with her older brother who would definitely kill me if he even suspected what was going on between us. It wasn’t until she stepped out from behind someone else that I realized she was wearing one of the shortest dresses I’d ever seen. It was a soft pink and blue with flowers on it but the sweetness only doubled down on the sinful way it hugged her curves.
I was so distracted by Quinn’s sudden appearance that it took me several moments to realize Lily was trailing nervously behind her as she headed towards the bar. It took several more moments after that to realize that Quinn was shooting me a deadly glare that should fry me on the spot and what was even worse, she was headed straight in my direction. Great. That’s just fucking great.
With as much resolve as I could muster, I drained the last of my beer and prepared myself to deal with whatever storm was headed my way. It sure as hell wasn’t going to be pretty, I just hoped I would come out the other end with my skin still intact.
I saw Jonah finally notice his sister on the warpath, and then a moment later her attire and the way his eyes narrowed. Well, so much for that.
***
Quinn
By the time Lily and I got to Lucky’s, the anger that had been raging inside me at a simmer since earlier at the property was back up to a full boil. I had spent the entire drive there telling myself that Leo was a no-good woman chaser, and I was just another one in a long line of prey that he’d play with as long as he liked before moving on to the next one.
I didn’t admit to myself that I was focusing all my energy on that anger so I wouldn’t have to deal with the cracks in my walls, the same ones that Leo had snuck through before I even realized they were there. Didn’t, or couldn’t. I’d never been good at dealing with emotional fallout. Probably a leftover from my parents. It was easier just to shove the feelings to the farthest, darkest corner of my mind and hope they went away.
I had a hunch that wasn’t going to work this time. My feelings for Leo were nearly impossible to ignore. But the anger helped. It sure did. And I clung to it with a desperation that fueled me forward like a rocket as I stepped into the crowded bar.
I spotted him immediately. Leo, sitting at the bar with a glass of beer in his hand and a smirk hanging on his too easy to kiss lips and before I even knew what I was doing, my feet were moving. I stomped towards him, vaguely aware of Lily trailing nervously behind me but all my focus was on Leo. And all the anger that was pent up inside me was about to burst.
My mouth was already open, ready to vent all the words building up inside me but as I jerked to a stop just a foot from where Leo sat another voice was suddenly talking. Furious and fast as if to stop whatever diatribe was about to fly past my lips.
"Quinn! So…surprising to see you here," Leo was saying. His dark gaze was hard and questioning on mine, shooting back and forth between me and my brother. Oh no. That wasn't going to stop me. Not this time. I was going to give Leo a piece of my mind right this minute. But he had other plans. He kept talking, rambling on before I could even get a word in.
“How’s the, uh, the renovations going? Good, right? Better than we hoped for. That’s um, that’s good. And the plumber stopped by today? I saw him walking around, inspecting the pipes and everything. Good news? I bet it was good news.”
“Yeah, it was good news,” I finally grumbled, and then opened my mouth to tell him what I really came there for but he was talking again, so fast that Jonah and I both eyed him askance.
“Great! What about the flooring? We’ll have to redo the flooring in the kitchen before we can get that drywall up and then paint. Have you decided on paint for everything? I’ve heard that it can really make a difference. The right color at the right time,” Leo shot me a pointed look and then a sideways one towards my brother, “The wrong color and the wrong time could be really dangerous."
“Dangerous?” Jonah said, speaking for the first time since Leo had started. I could tell by the slight slur to his words that he’d already knocked back a few of those beers as well, “I didn’t know paint could be dangerous.”
Leo's dark brown gaze never left mine, "It can be very dangerous. Life-threatening even."
I met his stare for a long moment but finally out an irritated breath on a huff of air. I knew what he was doing. He was just trying to keep me quiet. Well, I wasn’t about to be deterred. I would just have to bide my time.
I motioned to Stella and she sent me a wave and a friendly smile before sliding a beer in my direction. I offered it to Lily as I pointedly took a seat in the barstool next to Leo but she just shook her head, giving me an odd look before leaning close.
“What exactly are you doing here, Quinn?” She asked in a hushed voice, pitched so low that only I could hear.
“I am finding out the truth before things
get any more…complicated,” I said with a firm nod of my head. As soon as I got the chance. Lily gave me another look before finally shrugging and looking around the packed bar uncomfortably. It wasn’t until I followed her gaze that I noticed it. There were several other women there that kept shooting Leo come hither glances, and one that even tossed a glare in my direction. It all just served to keep my temper at a boil and I could barely wait until Jonah excused himself to go to the bathroom. Then I pounced.
My brother was barely out of the room before I turned to Leo, my arms crossed in front of me as I confronted him.
“Well?” The word shot out testily and I waited impatiently for Leo to answer. He shrugged, giving me an abashed look.
“Listen Quinn. I didn’t have time to explain earlier at the property. But your brother just came out of nowhere and I couldn’t turn him down. It would be too suspicious.”
“You could have said no, Leo. You could have told him you were busy or sick or…or anything! Instead, you told him you’d just love to go to the bar and scope out, what did you call it? Oh yeah, prime female catch.”
“Hey, Jonah said that. Not me.” Leo growled the words, taking an angry sip of his beer, “I don’t even know why we’re arguing about this. I did it save your ass.”
“No, you did it to save yours,” I shot back, meeting him glare for glare, “I don’t care what–.”
I cut off abruptly as Jonah walked back into view and turned away sharply, downing the rest of my beer before rising to my feet.
“Uh, Quinn, what are you doing?” Lily asked hesitantly and I shot her a fierce grin.
“I’m going to show someone exactly what he’s going to miss out on.” I didn’t let myself stop and think as I made my way out to the crowded dance floor. I shot one long look at Leo over my shoulder before starting to sway my hips. Damned if I wouldn’t make him as uncomfortable as he made me. Time for a little payback.
Chapter 15
Leo
I couldn’t breathe. Hell, I couldn’t even tear my attention away long enough to hear what Jonah was rambling about beside me. I knew it was dangerous. It was worse than that. It was fucking foolhardy, but no matter how many times I told myself to look away, I couldn’t.
Quinn, out there on the dancefloor, swaying slow and sexy to the songs that played over the jukebox. Luckily, she was hidden by enough people that her brother couldn’t see. He would have pummeled every single male in the bar if he could see the way they were watching her, drooling over her. Myself included.
It was all I could do not to rush over there, push her against the nearest wall and teach her the lesson she was begging for. As if I actually meant what I’d said to Jonah earlier. I’d told her, it had just been to keep him off our tail. How could she know that? You're not exactly known for sticking with one woman. Hell, not even two or three.
I shook my head but couldn’t dislodge the thought. A part of me could sense the truth in it. If Quinn had heard any of the rumors about me, which she most certainly had by then, well, she’d have every reason in the world to doubt me. Why would I care? Why do I care?
But I couldn't answer those questions either. I took another sip of beer, chasing away the doubts and glanced over at Jonah. He was staring bleary-eyed into the distance, his chatter finally drawing to a silence as he lost himself in his drunken thoughts. Good. Less opportunity for me to say something I shouldn't and end up in a world of pain.
My gaze was drawn back to Quinn like a magnet. I traced up and down her curves as she shimmied to some sultry melody, my body instantly rising to attention at the show she was putting on. I could tell by the way her bright green eyes would flick toward my direction that the show was for me, and damned if it wasn’t working.
It felt like hours, sitting there, a glass of beer growing warm in my grasp as I watched her, unable to tear my eyes away.
"I gotta go take a piss," I mumbled to Jonah and he nodded back, not bothering to look in my direction as I got to my feet. But I didn't make my way to the bathroom in the back. Instead, my feet were moving, almost as if they had a mind of their own. My body knew what it wanted. And what it wanted was the golden-haired, green-eyed temptress swaying on the dance floor.
I stopped just behind her, my hands brushing across her hips and I could feel the shudder that ran through her whole body at the touch. She was just as ready as I was. I leaned forward until my mouth was at her ear.
"Meet me in the back room in ten minutes," I whispered the words, my voice rougher than I wanted but I couldn't help it. Quinn drove me mad. Pushed every single button I had, and a few more that I didn't even know about. I was about to explode, and it was the hardest thing I'd ever done, letting my hands drop. Taking a step away from her, and then another. Every atom inside me protested as the distance grew but I didn't stop as I turned and walked towards the back.
Stella had her hands full with the packed bar and I couldn’t risk sneaking Quinn up to my apartment, not with her brother there. But she could get to the back room without him seeing her. But would she? Would she come? That was the question that kept echoing in my head as I walked to the back-storage room, forcing myself not to look behind me as the door swung shut, cutting me off from the rest of the bar.
***
Quinn
Meet me in the back room in ten minutes. Leo's hoarsely whispered words kept repeating themselves in my mind as I surreptitiously followed his path with my eyes as he made his way through the crowd. Damn him. Just a single touch. A whispered invitation and my whole body was wet and trembling for his touch.
I wanted him. I wanted him more than I’d ever wanted anyone or anything in my entire life. And it scared me. That’s why you were so angry. Because you were terrified that he would move on without a second glance.
I couldn’t deny the truth of the thought, as much as I hated it. I knew I shouldn’t. I knew what he was now, and that certainly wasn’t the type to stick around. Does it matter? Have your fun. Don’t let your heart get involved.
I wished it was that simple. I was even more afraid that it was too late to keep that particular organ from getting hurt. He’s worth it.
It was that last thought that had my feet moving. I followed his path, as careful as I could to avoid letting Jonah see me. Honestly, he looked like he was about to fall into the empty beer glass that sat on the bar in front of him. He wouldn’t have noticed me if I’d walked up and hit him on the back of the head.
Less than thirty seconds later the door was swinging shut behind me. I barely had time to open my mouth to speak in the dark storage room before Leo was cutting me off with a vicious kiss. It tore through me, that kiss, it cut through all the anger, all the fear, all the doubt and worry until all that was left was the red-hot pulsing desire that demanded I kiss him back just as hard. So I did.
With everything inside me, I kissed him. Our mouths fused together as his tongue warred with mine. Leo bit my lower lip, nipping at the sensitive flesh and I moaned as an electric shock of pleasure lit up my entire body. He took instant advantage, pulling me closer as he moved us deeper into the shadows until his back hit the edge of the storage shelf.
His strong hands felt like they were everywhere, constantly moving, constantly touching. My neck, down my arms, across my hips, sweeping up my rib cage. They didn’t stop until both hands rested against my chest, strained in Lily’s borrowed dress.
Leo teased one of my nipples into a tight peak between two fingers, making my breath rush out in a choked gasp. The sensation was sharp and sweet all at the same time and it had another rush of moisture flooding my center.
My whole body clenched in anticipation as his fingers continued to tease first one nipple and then the other through the fabric of the dress. His other hand slowly made its way south, inch by torturous inch as his mouth pillaged mine.
He angled his head to draw the kiss even deeper, drawing my every gasp and moan into his lungs and then back out again until we were breathing each other in with each in
hale. Leo’s hand was still searching lower, exploring the dip of my waist and the peak of my hip, not stopping until it swept down my thigh and back up again.
“This dress of yours should be illegal,” Leo whispered against my mouth as he pulled the hem up inch by inch, “I damn near had a heart attack, watching you out on the dancefloor in this thing.” He tugged at the tight fabric, drawing me impossibly closer.
“Blame Lily. It’s hers.” I panted the words, my movements jerky and frantic as I tried to pull at his clothes but Leo didn’t let me. He just kept up his slow, steady rhythm as his hands continued to tease and his mouth did wicked things to mine.
It made the ache inside me grow sharper, harder, more desperate but all I could was take everything he could give me. He pulled us to the back of the room, deeper into the shadows, all the while his hands moving, his mouth taking and giving.
“Leo, please. I need you to touch me. I need you to make me come.”
“Where?” He growled the word, “Where do you need me to touch you?”
I trailed one hand down my needy body until I reached his, moving his hand deeper between my thighs until we could both feel the moisture that dripped from me.
“Here.”
With a feather-light tough, he swept the pad of one finger across my pussy, barely making contact but it was enough to have me shaking in his arms. But it wasn't what I needed. What my body needed.
“No,” I panted, grabbing his hand once more and guiding two of his fingers deep inside me. “Here.”
We both let out a sharp breath at the contact and Leo bit off a whispered curse as his hand started to move in and out, stroking my most sensitive nerve endings with every touch.