Welcome to Pembrooke: the complete Pembrooke series

by Prince, Jessica

  “That’s amazing, Angel. You’re doing so good.”

  Sophia’s entire face brightened at her father’s praise, causing my heart to jump. Quinn was attractive all on his own, but watching him interact with his daughter only made him that much hotter. And judging by the looks on some of the other moms’ faces, I wasn’t the only one who thought so.

  “Go get your stuff, baby girl. I’m going to have a word with Ms. Lilly then we’ll go home and I’ll get dinner started.”

  She rushed off to go grab her backpack and Quinn turned back to me, whispering, “How are you?”

  My face got hot all over again, and I knew he saw it because his green eyes began to shoot sparks. “Why do I suddenly feel like a fourteen-year-old with a crush when you’re around?” It was meant to be a rhetorical question, but that didn’t stop him from answering… and making my face flush even worse.

  His voice dropped so low only I could hear it as he said, “Maybe because I’ve been up close and personal with every inch of your body and now know exactly what you look like when you come. Or maybe it’s because you know I plan on seeing that look on your face again… very soon.”

  Sophia came running back just as my mouth dropped open and my eyes bugged out. “Daddy! Can we have tacos for dinner? Pleeeease?”

  I was still stunned speechless, a tremor building between my thighs from Quinn’s statement as he turned to look at his daughter.

  “Yes, we can have tacos.”

  “Yes!” She pumped her little fist then asked, “Oh! Can Ms. Lilly come?” She gave me her attention and stated enthusiastically, “Daddy’s like the best cook ever. His tacos are awesome!”

  “Oh, I—uh… I don’t think—”

  “Great idea,” Quinn interrupted, stunning me for the second time in as many minutes. “You should definitely come. We eat around seven. That work for you?”

  “Um…” I wasn’t quite sure how to react. I knew he said he wanted to try… whatever that entailed, but I couldn’t help but compare dating Quinn with trying to successfully navigate a minefield. I never knew when I’d take one wrong step. And even though it had only been two days, I still felt that everything could turn on a dime, that I was just waiting for something to happen to make him push me away again. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surprised he was so cool with the idea of a cozy dinner at his house with his daughter. I was sure that would cross one of the million invisible lines he had laid out between us. So knowing he not only liked the idea, but insisted upon it, made that floaty feeling in my belly that much stronger. “Sure. Seven works great.”

  “Yay!” Sophia screamed.

  “Perfect.” He did that little wink thing that sent a quiver of pleasure through my core. “See you then.”

  * * *

  Sophia hadn’t been lying. Quinn’s tacos were delicious. And the entire evening had been surprisingly comfortable, even with the potent sexual tension that filtered between the two of us.

  “So, what did you think?” Quinn asked after I polished off the last of my fourth taco. If he hadn’t been sitting right in front of me, I might have gone so far as to lick my plate clean.

  “So good,” I groaned through a full mouth, giving two thumbs up.

  “Told ya!” Sophia giggled. “My daddy’s the best cook in the world. You should try his pancakes.”

  “She’s exaggerating,” Quinn added. “Pancakes and tacos are about the extent of my culinary prowess.”

  I swallowed and smiled brightly. “Then I guess we’re all lucky Sinful Sweets expanded, huh?”

  He lifted his bottle of beer and tipped it in my direction. “I thank God every day.” Then he took a pull, and I was mesmerized by the way his Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. Damn, even his throat was sexy.

  “It’s almost bedtime, Angel,” he spoke, pulling me from my lusty haze. “Go brush your teeth, and I’ll pick a book to read to you.”

  “Can Ms. Lilly read me a story tonight?”

  I glanced sideways at Quinn. After his blowup the one and only time I babysat Sophia, I didn’t want to risk pushing my luck by overstepping my boundaries, so I said, “Why doesn’t your dad read you a story while I clean up.”

  I stood and began gathering the dishes when I felt Quinn’s hand land softly on my forearm. “You don’t have to do that.”

  That simple touch sent a spark of electricity through my bloodstream. “I don’t mind. Besides, you cooked, it’s only fair, right?”

  His eyes held mine for several seconds, and I swear, I could feel something intense coming from the pale green depths, but before I could place it, he stood and broke the connection. “Okay.” He looked to his daughter and gently commanded, “Get a move on, sweetheart.”

  Sophia pushed from her chair and came at me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “’Night, Ms. Lilly. I’m glad you had dinner with us.”

  “Me too, honey.” I returned her hug as best as I could with my hands full of dirty plates.

  She bolted from the room and Quinn started to follow, but stopped before passing me, leaning in close to whisper in my ear, “Don’t leave yet. I’ll be back in a few.”

  Another tremor worked through my core. “Okay,” I whispered back.

  He disappeared down the hall and I headed for the kitchen and dove into scrubbing dishes like my life depended on it in an effort to temper my raging hormones.

  I was so busy scouring the skillet Quinn had used for chicken that I hadn’t heard him enter the kitchen. My body gave a startled jolt as he reached up and brushed my hair over one shoulder before placing his lips on the sensitive skin. This time I jolted for an entirely different reason.

  “You scrub that any harder and you’re going to take the Teflon right off.”

  I dropped the scrubber and moved the skillet under the water, giving it a good rinse. I’d just picked up a plate to wash when Quinn’s tongue darted out and ran along the cord in my neck. It felt so good, no… it felt amazing. I didn’t want him to stop, but in the back of my mind, I knew it probably wasn’t a good idea. “Should you be doing that right now with Sophia only a few rooms away?”

  “She’s dead asleep. Won’t hear a thing.”

  I cocked my head to the side to give him better access as my eyes fluttered closed. “Jeez. That was fast.”

  He stood and placed his hands on my hips, spinning me around to face him. “Babe. I’ve been with her for twenty minutes.” My eyes got big, making Quinn smirk. “Just how long were you scrubbing at skillet?” he asked, humor laced through his words.

  “Uh…”

  He chuckled and bent close. “Fuck, you’re cute.”

  I grinned widely, watching as his gaze trailed down my face to my mouth. “That dimple kills me,” he muttered, closing the rest of the distance and placing a kiss on my cheek, right where it depressed every time I smiled. I melted into his big, strong body as he moved from my dimple to my lips and began kissing me. It started soft and slow, feather-light pressure of his mouth against mine. Then his tongue ran along the seam of my lips. I opened for him and the tone of the kiss changed completely.

  He kissed me so thoroughly, with such deliberateness, that I got completely lost in the feel of him. My hands snaked around his back and yanked up his sweater in order to get to the warm skin of his back. My nails dug in and I moaned into his mouth as pleasure coursed through me.

  Something about that noise spurred him on. A deep, low growl worked its way up his chest and down my throat. His fingers on my hips clenched then moved. Before I could process what was about to happen, he grabbed my ass in both hands and hauled me up his body. My legs wrapped around his waist, locking at the ankles, and I twined my arms around his neck as he set me down on the counter beside the sink.

  His cock was hard, the pressure of it pressing again me oh-so perfectly that another — more wanton — groan escaped. “Quinn,” I breathed as his head lowered and he kissed a scorching trail down my jaw and neck.

  “Christ,” he grunted, pushing hims
elf harder against me. “Want you so fucking bad.” Tiny bombs detonated between my thighs. I was so wet. So ready.

  I’d just started contemplating ways to get us both naked and in his bed when a tiny voice called out, “Daddy? Can I have a glass of water?”

  Everything stopped. The heat instantly disappeared like a tub full of ice water had just been dumped on us. “Shit,” he hissed, dropping his forehead to my shoulder. “Shit, shit, fucking shit.”

  I gave his shoulders a little push and tried not to giggle at the murderous look on his face as he called out, “Yeah, Angel. Be right there.”

  At that, I lost hold of my giggle. Quinn’s eyes lowered once more to my dimple and his eyes grew hooded. “I’m really sorry about that,” he said quietly.

  I reached up and did what I’d been wanting to do since the first time he walked into my dance school, I ran my fingers through that mass of sandy blond hair, letting them trail down over the stubble on his square jaw. “Don’t be sorry. It’s hot watching you be a good dad.”

  One of his brows quirked up as he mumbled, “I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

  “You do that,” I grinned, unlocking my ankles so he could step back and I could hop down. “I should probably go.”

  “Yeah,” he nodded, then leaned in and gave me a soft kiss. “But we’re picking this up again as soon as possible.”

  “Oh, I’m counting on that. Go get Little Miss her glass of water. I’ll talk to you later?”

  “I’ll call you.” I stood on my tip-toes and landed one last kiss on his lush lips. Then I turned and headed for the door, smiling the whole way.

  Sure, it had only been two days, but this whole dating thing was going pretty damn good so far.

  22

  Quinn

  Lilly and I had been seeing each other for close to a month. We kept it casual, no expectations; we just enjoyed spending time together. We didn’t flaunt the fact we were sleeping together in public. As far as our families, the townspeople, and my daughter were concerned, we were good friends.

  It worked for us. Or at least that’s what I was constantly telling myself. Lilly hadn’t given me any reason to think she wasn’t happy with our arrangement, and I didn’t want to consider that she might want more.

  I was giving her all I had, all that was left of me. I hoped it was enough.

  It had to be.

  For the first time in years, I woke up without the suffocating weight of knowing it was just another emotionless, bleak day where I simply walked through life instead of leaving it resting on my chest. I could breathe knowing what was waiting for me. I could smile and almost feel it to my soul. Almost.

  So yeah, it had to be enough. Because with Lilly in my life now, I felt better. I was content; which was more than I could have hoped for. Happiness for a guy like me — a guy who was the blame for tearing his family apart — wasn’t in the cards. I could settle for contentment. That was the most I deserved, after all.

  I should have known that something would dredge up from the dreary, bottomless pits of my despair to try and cast darkness on the goodness that was settling over me. But somehow, a month with that constant acute ache suddenly dulled, I’d let my guard down, so when the call came, I hadn’t been properly prepared. Stupidly, I’d let my guard down.

  I’d just dropped Sophia off at a sleepover with some of her friends from dance class. It seemed the older she got, the more she spent nights at other people’s houses instead of ours. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for my baby girl to grow up yet, but she was intent on doing it whether I liked it or not.

  Taking advantage of the free time, I’d called Lilly and made plans to meet at The Moose, Pembrooke’s local watering hole, for dinner and a few drinks before going back to her place for the night.

  My cellphone rang from the cup holder in the center console and, not taking my eyes off the road, I picked it up, engaged the call, and brought it to my ear.

  “Yeah.”

  “Quinn?”

  The sound of Garrett Benson’s voice coming through my phone set my entire body on edge. We never talked. If Addy’s parents needed to talk to me about something specific, or even when it was just one of their regularly scheduled calls to Sophia, it had always been Janice. In the past three and a half years, we probably hadn’t said more than five sentences to each other. And most of those weren’t all that pleasant since they consisted of a pissed-off Garrett cussing me out when he found out I was taking Sophia and moving back to Pembrooke.

  To say that my late wife’s parents weren’t my biggest fans was putting it mildly. We’d been so close when Addy was alive. They were as much a family to me as my own folks were. But then I took their daughter from them. I couldn’t fault them for hating me. Luckily they were good people and, over the years, they’d learned to deal with me for their granddaughter’s sake. Janice was pleasant enough, but Garrett was tolerant at best.

  “Garrett. What can I do for you?”

  He breathed through the line, and I got the sense that I was the last person he wanted to be talking to. “Look, I know it’s difficult with your work schedule, but Jan and I would really love to see Sophia for Thanksgiving.” Then he lowered the boom the rest of the way by adding, “In Seattle.”

  I sighed heavily through the line as I turned into the parking lot of The Moose. “Listen, Garrett. I know you want to see your granddaughter, but—”

  I found a spot, pulled in, and put my truck in park just as he barked, “It’s not an unreasonable request. We get to see her once, maybe twice a year since you took her away.”

  “I didn’t take her away,” I snarled, feeling my temper start to boil. “The move was the best thing for the both of us.” But even as I said it, I began to question if that was really the truth. I blamed the department in Seattle for giving me the runaround when it came to going back to work. I used the excuse of needing my parents’ help with Soph. But the truth was, I ran. Shit got too hard, and I tucked tail and fucking ran.

  And I knew he knew it, too, when he muttered, “If that’s what you need to tell yourself to sleep better at night.”

  My grip on the steering wheel tightened until the leather creaked and the skin of my palm began to burn. But I refused to engage. I knew he wanted to argue, to possibly hurl insults my way, but Garrett sucked in several breaths before speaking again.

  “If you can’t get time off work, then Jan and I are more than happy to fly there to pick her up. But we want to spend the holiday with Sophia in our home. The home we raised her mother in.”

  I closed my eyes and reached up to rub one of them with the ball of my free hand. I didn’t want to give up a holiday with my daughter, but he wasn’t all wrong, it wasn’t an unreasonable request. However, the way he went about making that request was bullshit. Still, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. Whether or not he and I ever got along again, he was a terrific grandfather, and Sophia loved him and Janice like crazy. It wouldn’t be fair to her to say no.

  “I’ll check my schedule with the department, all right?” I finally relented, guilt tearing at my insides. “I’ll call you back to let you know whether or not you need to come get her.”

  By his silence, I knew I’d surprised him with the ease in which I’d agreed. He’d been expecting a fight on his hands. I just didn’t have the strength — or the right — to give him one.

  “Thank you,” he finally said, gruffly.

  “I’ll be in touch.” Before I even finished the sentence, the line went dead. I stared out the windshield of my truck at the entrance to The Moose, wishing I could just throw the gearshift in reverse and get the hell out of there. The thought of having to make pleasant conversation in a crowded bar while I was pissed off sat like a lead ball in my stomach. But just as I considered shooting her a text, cancelling our dinner, a flash of blonde hair caught my attention.

  Through the large windows that made up the front of the bar, I saw Lilly. The hostess had placed her at a booth right up front, so I had t
he perfect view of her as she looked up and offered the woman a full-fledged smile. One that brought forth that dimple that drove me crazy. Just the sight of her calmed the turmoil inside of me.

  It was then that I realized I was sinking deeper and deeper every day when it came to Lilly Mathewson. That scared the absolute shit out of me, but I was helpless to stop it. Every day my feelings for her grew stronger. Every goddamned day. If I was smart, I’d end things right then and there, hurt her now in order to prevent even worse pain down the line, because I saw the way she looked at me. What she felt was written in those amber eyes of hers, clear as day. She was falling just as fast — maybe faster.

  I knew it, but I was too selfish to stop it. I needed her to quiet the voices, to lessen the burden of guilt. I needed her light.

  I’d have given anything to be strong enough, to be the man she truly deserved for the long haul. I wanted nothing more than to lower my walls and allow her to heal my broken soul.

  But I didn’t deserve that.

  I didn’t deserve her.

  However, as long as she was willing to take me as I was, there was no way in hell I was letting her go.

  * * *

  “Quinn.”

  Oh yeah. Fuck yeah. The breathy way she moaned my name as I fucked her drove me wild. The way her silky, wet heat squeezed my cock as I pumped in and out of her nearly killed me.

  Nothing existed when we were like this. The world outside of the two of us disappeared every time I was buried deep inside her. It was yet another thing she gave me, another piece of goodness I’d never be able to return.

  “So goddamn beautiful,” I grunted, as I watched her beautiful face twist with pleasure I was giving her. Her eyes opened and those amber depths flashed darker as she lifted her hips in time with my thrusts, reaching for her release.

  My greedy girl.

  I fucking loved it.

  She gave so much of herself to everyone she cared about. The fact that she took when we were together gave me a high unlike anything I’d ever felt. If this was all I had to give her, then I was determined to make it count.