by Sara Summers
Cody
“Are you sure you’re okay talking about her?” Logan checked. “I don’t want you to lose control and try to take my head off because I know more about her than you do.” He leaned back against the couch.
“There’s only one way to find out.” I shrugged.
Logan grimaced.
“Quinn isn’t an easy girl to get to know. It takes a long time to get her to open up. We knew each other when we were kids, so I understand her better than most people. Quinn’s mom put her in gymnastics when she was three years old, and it was her whole life by the time she was five. She spent all of her time at the gym, barely taking enough time off to sleep and eat and get A’s in the classes she hurried through.
“She graduated high school at sixteen and went to some kind of an Olympic tryout a few months later. Everyone knew she was going to make it; she was the best of the best, and she knew it too. At the tryout, she was doing some kind of floor routine and she fell. There was something wrong with the mat, and when she landed, she twisted wrong and broke her back.
“You can watch the video on the internet, it has millions of views. It was bad.” Logan ran a hand through his hair. “Her parents sued the gym and the company that made the mat, and she got millions of dollars from them. The doctors swore her back would heal perfectly, so when she never got back to full-function, her parents sued them too.
“She tried to recover from that, but her parents were always hard on her. They make mine look like saints. No matter what she did, she was never good enough for them. It was why she was so incredible at gymnastics, and it’s why she fell apart when she realized that she would never compete again.
“I dated her after she had dropped out of college. She had decided to go to law school, because her parents told her that was the next best thing, but she didn’t give herself long enough to heal before she started. The meds she was on for her back made her mind foggy, and she failed. It crushed her. I was trying to help her through it, but I had almost as many family issues as her so it just didn’t work out.”
Logan finished, and my head was spinning with information. My soulmate had almost been in the Olympics?
She was out of my league, way out of my league. I understood then why she’d looked so uncertain when she found out I was a construction worker. Quinn had probably never even had a conversation with a lowly construction worker before she met me.
“So if you were me, how would you approach the situation of her being determined to get rid of me?”
There were a million thoughts running through my mind, and none of them were clear.
“I’d do what her parents never did.” Logan shrugged. “Love her for who she is, and make sure she knows that you do.”
“So next time she tries to make out with someone close to me to piss me off, I should take her into the other room and tell her I love her?”
He grinned.
“Yep.”
I grimaced and stood up. Quinn was headed back to my apartment, I could feel her moving. I could leave her there for a few minutes on her own but chances were good that she’d try to jump Sebastian again.
“You’d better be on the defensive, because my gut tells me you’re the first one she’s going to go after. If she kisses you, there’s a good chance Tanner will have to lock me up to stop me from ripping your head off.”
His grin widened.
“If she kisses me, you’re going to be too busy fighting to keep Emma off of your soulmate to come after me.”
“You know, that’s probably true.”
Logan started to say something, but my attention flew out the window when Quinn turned away from my apartment.
“You okay?” Logan checked.
Was I okay? That depended on where exactly my soulmate was going.
“I think I need a ride.” I grimaced.
“Do you want to borrow my car?”
My mind went back to the first night I’d met her, and I was suddenly confident that I knew where she was heading.
“Nope. Do you have time to take me to the bar on Walsh?”
“Sure.” Logan caught on and grabbed his keys, and we left immediately.
My hands clenched into fists at my sides as Logan made his way across town. His and Emma’s place was at the edge of the forest, which was about as far as you could get from the bar Quinn was headed toward.
“How much time will she beat us by?” Logan asked, maneuvering around a car in front of us who was barely moving.
“Ten, maybe fifteen minutes.”
“The place will be full of shifters, they won’t touch her.”
Logan tried to assure me, but his words weren’t comforting. Not all shifters had high standards, and even if they did, my soulmate could be very convincing.
Quinn
“Vodka, please.” I showed the bartender my ID, knowing he would ask because I had always looked younger than I was. I’d figured Cody wouldn’t leave me alone in the bar for long, so I needed to get going on my plan. To do that without turning into a sobbing mess, I was going to need a lot of alcohol.
I downed five shots in a matter of three minutes, and then I handed the bartender Cody’s keys and pulled my hair up into a ponytail and waited for the buzz to come on. I’d put on the black pencil skirt Cody liked so much before I’d left the apartment, and after checking on the renovators that would be going 24/7 for the next two days, I’d bee-lined it to the nearest bar.
It was only six, so there weren’t many people. All of the ones I’d seen were shifters, which was problematic because shifters didn’t do casual sex. As far as I knew they didn’t even do casual flirting. That was going to make things a little more difficult, but the tipsier I got, the more confident I was that I’d figure something out.
The music was turned down low and the place clearly wasn’t a singing-and-dancing sort of bar, but that didn’t faze drunk-me at all. I stepped out into the largest open space and began swaying to the music, ignoring the stares I got from the other early bar-goers.
It wasn’t long before someone joined me on my makeshift dance floor. The man was blonde and skinny, the complete opposite of Cody, which was perfect. He grabbed my hips, clearly willing to be whatever I wanted him to be. I couldn’t see a cotie on him, but I’d be shocked if he was human in Mount Edge.
Taking his t-shirt in my fists, I grabbed his face and pulled it to mine for a long kiss. Before I’d met Cody, I would’ve called it intense. After kissing my wolf, the man may as well have been a stone statue for all the feelings I had for him.
Luckily the alcohol dulled my disappointment, and I went back to dancing. Two other guys joined us when someone turned up the music, and I shamelessly grinded my body up against theirs. We sang along to the music, and the alcohol really started to take hold on me.
One man’s hands was on my butt and another’s were making their way toward my chest when the door to the bar slammed open.
The music didn’t stop and neither did I, but everyone else in the bar turned to see who had stormed inside.
I didn’t have to turn.
Cody tore across the room to where I was. He would’ve attacked the men touching me if Logan hadn’t been there, holding him back.
“Hello, James.” I smiled seductively and used the first name that I had realized he hated.
He stared at me for a long few seconds before turning up the heat in his glare and looking the men with me square in the eyes.
“I suggest you get your hands off of my soulmate before I remove them myself.” He snarled.
The man with his hands on my backside didn’t budge, though the others were quick to step away.
“She doesn’t have a cotie, there’s no way she’s your soulmate.” The groper protested.
“Look again, Kurt.” Cody’s voice was hard and his body was even harder.
The man looked to the right side of my neck and his eyes widened in horror as he put together that I’d covered my cotie with a tattoo.
He took a clumsy step backward, which made me giggle.
Cody stepped toward the man, ready to break his arm or rip his head off or something, and I threw myself toward Logan. Logan caught me by my wrists and held my body away from his.
“We had really great chemistry.” I drawled at him, looking up at him with the best bedroom eyes I could muster. I was drunk enough that I’m sure I managed to do it fairly well despite the fact that I had zero desire to be with Logan that way again. “Dance with me.”
Cody grabbed me around the waist and pulled me away from Logan. His strong body against mine only made me more light-headed than I already felt.
“The only person you’re dancing with is me.” Cody’s voice was harsh and growly in my ear, and I loved every bit of it.
“I only dance with people who drink with me. Are you drinking with me?” I looked up at him with the same gaze I’d given Logan, the sexy one. One thing I hadn’t counted on happening was the alcohol making me more into my mountain man. Why hadn’t I thought about that?
“No, I’m not drinking with you.”
His gaze met mine, and I was suddenly feeling breathless.
“Then you don’t get to dance with me.” I stepped out of his arms, and he let me.
When I looked around the room, I noticed that everyone was staring at us.
“The next round is on me.” I announced.
The bartender looked to Cody and Logan, and I guess he probably knew the two of them. It pissed me off that he looked to them for permission for me.
“What do you have up your—“
“Drinks on her.” Cody interrupted me, grabbing me around the waist again.
I pushed his hands off me and sauntered over to the bar, where I pulled a slick black card out of the wallet I’d left on the counter.
“Do you see this?” I waved it in the air and watched his eyes widen when he saw the engraving on it. “I’m the boss here, not my growly construction worker or ex-boyfriend.”
He nodded once.
“Then I’d better get pouring.”
If I hadn’t been so drunk, I would’ve noticed the apologetic grimace he shot to said construction worker and ex.
Cody
By the time midnight rolled around, Quinn could hardly stand up straight. She was leaning on me heavily, grinding her body against mine. She’d tried to both dance with and kiss some other guys toward the beginning of the night, but after a few more shots she’d given up and focused on dancing with me.
I tried to convince her to let me take her home a dozen times, but she’d punched me weakly and insisted she stay. Maybe I would’ve tossed her over my shoulder and walked out if I wasn’t enjoying the feel of her body against mine so much.
Logan went home just after she lectured the bartender, but none of the other guys in the room tried to make a move while Quinn was with me. They all knew me, and they wouldn’t have dared no matter how much money they offered her.
“I need to sleep.” She finally stopped dancing and sagged against me, her eyes shut. I scooped her into my arms. After grabbing her shiny wallet and purse off the counter, I nodded at Jimmy, the bartender, and carried her out to the car.
She slept against me half the way home, and then sat up quickly.
“We need food.” Quinn turned to me, her eyes wide and alert.
“It’s midnight, the only thing open is Walmart.” I gestured to the windows, showing her the darkness outside.
“Walmart has Cheetos. I need Cheetos.” She decided.
I barely held back a laugh.
“Then let’s go get you some Cheetos.”
Pulling into the right lane, I turned at the next stoplight and drove straight to Walmart. The parking lot was empty except two of the employees’ cars, as I expected.
When I opened my door, Quinn scooted out after me instead of going out her side. She tried to jump out of the truck, which I knew wasn’t going to go well, so I was ready. Her knees buckled as her feet hit the road, and I caught her.
She looked me up and down.
“You are one sexy mountain.” She shook her head at me. “I’m not supposed to think you’re sexy.”
I couldn’t help it; a broad grin stretched across my face.
“Why not?” I pulled one of her arms over my shoulder and wrapped mine around her waist, holding her up as we walked toward the store.
“It’s a secret.” She said, her face straight and serious for a few seconds before she busted up laughing. “Just kidding. I’m marrying Travis so my dad can be a senator.”
She kept laughing, like it was the funniest thing in the world.
With my soulmate drunk and laughing at the crappy situation, I had to admit that it was kind of funny. Or at least she was kind of funny.
“Why do you want him to be a senator?” I prodded. Logan had told me about her life, but he hadn’t told me what she thought or felt about it. That was something only she could tell me.
“So he’ll love me.” She sighed happily and stopped in her tracks, leaning her head against my shoulder.
Her words hit me hard, to the very core. Did she really think she had to marry someone she didn’t love to make her own father love her?
“I can’t walk anymore. Can you carry me?”
She looked up at me with big blue doe-eyes, and I would’ve carried a mountain for her.
“I’d love to.” I swept her off her feet, and she laughed.
“You’re a gentleman.” She cooed, cuddling into my chest as I carried her into Walmart. She fell asleep in my arms for a few minutes as I walked through the store, and didn’t wake up as I got back in the car with a bag of Cheetos and a bag of salt and vinegar chips.
When we got back to my apartment, I carried her and the snacks into my room with just a quick wave at Sebastian, who was on the couch reading again.
When I set her down on the mattress, she woke up. Her gaze went straight to the bag of Cheetos on the floor next to the bed.
“Oh thank heavens.” She sighed and grabbed the Cheetos, opening the bag and popping one in her mouth in one swift movement. That was impressive, since she’d barely been able to walk. She met my gaze as she chewed. “I’ve been craving Cheetos.” She explained, obviously having forgotten asking me to get them for her.
I smiled, and she raised her eyebrows.
“You never smile at me.”
I frowned.
“See.” She pointed at my face. “I always make you sad.”
Sighing, she collapsed on the mattress on her back. Did she really think that she always made me sad?
“I don’t want to make you sad.” She stuck another Cheeto in her mouth and stared up at the ceiling with sad eyes.
“Hey, you don’t always make me sad.” I sat down next to her and took the hand that wasn’t covered in Cheeto powder. “You make me feel incredible, Quinn. When I’m around you, I feel attractive and important. You make me feel like I have a place in the world.” I lifted her hand to my heart and held it tight to my chest.
She met my gaze for a moment, and I felt like we might actually be having a moment. Then she yanked her hand away and ran out of the room, heading straight for the bathroom.
Quinn puked into the toilet, and I went in to put my hand on her shoulder so she knew she wasn’t alone. Her hair was already up and away from her face, but I wanted her to know that I was there.
When she was done I carried her back to bed and held her close, cradling her against my chest. She fell asleep immediately, snoring softly. I’d never imagined snoring could be cute, but when Quinn snored, she was downright adorable.
With the way she was asleep, the right side of her neck was exposed just in front of my eyes. I got a closer look at the tattoo that she’d used to cover my marking, and lifted my fingers to trace over it. It was an elegant and detailed, swirling thing that covered a good portion of her skin.
While I hated that she’d covered her cotie with it, I could appreciate the way it looked. When my fi
ngers left the tattoo and touched her cotie, I felt her skin warm underneath me. I moved my fingers and felt my lips part as I saw what had happened. The tattoo ink over the cotie faded and then disappeared, absorbed by the magical marking on her neck.
The tattoo was still perfect everywhere else, but the shimmering blue of our cotie was unmistakable again.
I brushed my fingers against the marking and felt a rush of pride. My soulmate was struggling to come to terms with everything that had happened, she was trying to get rid of me, but anyone could see the way she felt about me. She wasn’t trying to convince me to leave because she wanted to.
She was doing it so her dad would love her.
My eyes wandered over her face, and I noticed how soft and vulnerable she looked cuddled against me. She was a strong and sexy, but there was still a piece of her that was just a little girl who was begging her dad to love her.
I swore to myself then that from that moment on, I would love her exactly the way she should’ve been loved by her parents all those years ago. I would make sure she knew that she was good enough even though she was a college dropout and a failed almost-Olympic athlete.
Those things didn’t matter to me. Quinn would know that I loved her no matter what she did or who she wanted to be, and I would spend the rest of my life making her feel like she was the best thing in my life.
That wouldn’t be hard, because it was true. She was my soulmate and she was all I had ever wanted, and I would make sure she knew that without a sliver of doubt.
Quinn was mine, and I was hers.
And I was going to prove that starting with the tattoo on her neck.
Quinn
I woke up with a nasty taste in my mouth, cuddled up with the very man I’d been trying to convince to hate me. It was Saturday, so he had nowhere to be but in bed with me.
When I sat up, so did he.
“Ugh.” I clutched my forehead, closing my eyes and grimacing at the pounding headache.
“I’ll grab you some water.” He murmured.