Round two unfolded at a slower pace. There was no urgency this time. Tender, loving, but still so satisfying. I couldn’t get enough of Quinn Andrews. Which made the thought of leaving Florida so soon all the more painful.
I didn’t want to get attached to him. What if this is what all we had? Just sex. Toe curling, mind blowing sex. He had a life in Destin. I had my life in Atlanta. I wasn’t sure if it would work. Even if I wanted it to. As an independent woman, I didn’t relish the thought of a man holding all the cards.
When I thought Quinn had fallen asleep, I slipped out of bed. Unfortunately, all my clothing was still wet. I tried to find a t-shirt and shorts that I could borrow until I could get back to the hotel and take a shower.
I paused when I heard Quinn stirring. “Where are you going?” he asked, sleepily.
“Back to the hotel.”
He patted the bed. “Come back to bed. Sleep in. I’ll make us breakfast. Then I’ll drive you back to the hotel.”
It was so tempting to snuggle up to his warm body, sleep with his arms around me. “Okay,” I agreed. “But I need to get an early start tomorrow. Henri will be checking to see if we wrapped things up. I can’t let my personal life interfere with my job. Neither can you.”
I flashed him a smile as I crawled back in bed. He pulled the covers over our bodies and wrapped me tightly in his arms. Within minutes we were both asleep.
***
The next morning I awoke to an empty bed. My heart fluttered when I patted the spot next to me.
Cold. Empty.
My heart galloped a frantic rhythm in my chest. Quinn had left me again.
I wrapped a sheet around me, panting heaving breaths and walked through the small cottage. He wasn’t in the bathroom, living room, or kitchen. I peered outside on the pool deck. Nothing.
Then I remembered his grandmother. He had probably gone to check on her. My heart rate came back down to acceptable levels when I noticed Quinn had made coffee. And there was a note.
Gone to get bagels. Wasn’t much edible in the fridge. Help yourself to coffee. Be right back.
I poured a cup of strong black coffee and added a splash of hazelnut cream that I found when I foraged through his fridge. He wasn’t kidding. Such a manly assortment of beer, cheese and butter. Not even an egg to fry.
I wasn’t sure how long Quinn would be. My clothes were still damp so I rooted around his drawers and found an Ironman t-shirt and a pair of gym shorts, which were loose on me but I double rolled the waist. I took my cup of coffee and went outside. It was a sunny day, a little on the cool side, but I could smell the briny air of the gulf and hear the seagulls flocking around.
I inhaled a cleansing breath and just sat in gratitude for the beauty of the setting. The night. And the man. As I sat down at one of the patio tables, I heard the gate creak open. My heart surged when I realized Quinn was back for breakfast.
But I was surprised to see a woman walking toward me instead. She was a pretty brunette wearing a colorful maxi dress and beaded sandals. She carried a white bakery bag and two cups. She looked as surprised to see me.
“Oh hey.” She looked around as if she went to the wrong house. “Is Quinn home?”
I crossed my arms in defense as the unexpected guest took in my ruffled hair, old t-shirt with barely contained nipples sans bra, and day old makeup. “Um, not at the moment.”
Who was she? A stab of inappropriate jealousy rifled through my chest cavity. Did he have a girlfriend he hadn’t mentioned? Some kind of entanglement? I glanced around just wanting to get the hell off his property and out of this uncomfortable situation.
She dropped the bakery bag on the patio table and stuck out a hand. “I’m Cassie.”
I reluctantly shook her hand, not wanting to be rude when I had no idea who she was at this point. “Ashton Jansen.”
“I was just dropping off breakfast for him. He’s been working so much lately…and with everything going on with Nanna. I know he’s not eating like he should be…” Cassie rattled on. “He rarely has anything nutritious in his fridge or pantry.”
And how in the hell would you know that?
My mind raced out of control and the nausea bubbling up the back of my throat indicated that I’d made another horrible mistake. She knew intimate details about Quinn. I wavered between incredulousness and annoyance. How could he not tell me that he had a girlfriend? That little tidbit would’ve been nice to know before I dropped my panties for him again like some kind of redneck slut.
She sat down at the table and started to pull out muffins and croissants. “I would’ve brought more if I knew he had company,” she said with a twisted smile.
I stood up, suddenly feeling faint and unwelcome. “It’s okay. I was just leaving.”
Before Cassie could respond, I ran inside to get my bag. I realized I had no shoes and nothing to put my wet clothes in. Screw it. I’d have the hotel dry clean Quinn’s things and leave them for him at the front desk. It was the least he could do after he fucked me over for the second, devastating time in my life.
I heard the murmur of voices outside and when I emerged from the house, Cassie was talking to another woman. This one had on brightly colored scrubs adorned with Scottish Terriers. They both took in my disheveled appearance, barefoot, holding my evening bag. Without further conversation, I quickly exited the backyard and made my walk of shame to the street. Quinn’s Mercedes was gone. How long does it take to get breakfast? Or was that just an excuse to humiliate me without having to witness the fallout.
I wasn’t sure where the hell I was or how to get back to my hotel. I remembered Quinn telling me last night that we were only a few blocks from the restaurant. The restaurant was only a couple miles from the hotel. I saw a rusty beach cruiser bike leaning up against the garage. Without a second thought, I hopped on the bike and entered the hotel address in the GPS on my cell phone. Luckily, I was close.
I couldn’t even enjoy the sun kissing my face or the light ocean breeze ruffling my long hair. Nothing registered except the emotional turmoil that only he seemed to cause. No one gave me a second look as I pedaled my way back to the Flamingo Resorts.
Damn you, Quinn Andrews. You man-whore, two-timing piece of shit. How did the saying go? First time, shame on you. Second time, shame on me. I would not cry. I squeezed my eyes shut and stiffened my resolve.
There wouldn’t be a third.
Chapter Ten
Quinn
I returned to an empty house, waving the white paper bag of freshly baked bagels and cream cheese like a pathetic carbohydrate flag. Ashton was gone. No note or anything. The day nurse, Constance, told me she saw a girl leaving on my bike.
What was so important that Ashton couldn’t wait until I returned? She had to be desperate to ride that old wobbly bike. I tried calling her cell phone several times but it went to voice mail.
I went inside to take a shower and refortify with a cup of strong, black coffee when my cell phone buzzed. Hoping it was Ashton returning my call I quickly answered.
“Quinn!” Mr. Albertson bellowed. “How did the dinner go last night?”
“We missed you,” I answered. “But everything went well. Thank you for treating us to such a lovely meal. The grouper was spectacular, as usual. You would have loved the special preparation in Cajun cream sauce. Just the right amount of kick.”
Ashton and I had done a little less business and more catching up, I thought with a tad of guilt. Especially since my boss had foot the bill for our dinner. One more reason why I cared so deeply for and respected Albertson. What a standup guy. Unlike me, who women seemed to flee from like their long, silken blonde hair was on fire.
“I’m sure you two had a lot to talk about.” He paused for a second. “I would like to see those plans today. Can we met at the office around two o’clock?”
“Sure, I’ll see you then,” I said disconnecting the call. That would be if I could get Ashton to respond to my calls and texts.
We coul
dn’t finalize the deal if I had nothing to show him. And how the hell would I explain that? Jeez, Mr. Albertson, I fucked her brains out and she ran away the next morning? My boss was so perceptive he’d probably know within the first few seconds we’d consummated our budding relationship. Ashton and I never did get around to business last night. Too much Cabernet. I remembered the things we did do last night and it brought a smile to my face. Having Ashton back in my bed was nothing but pure bliss. What had I done to screw that up again? What could have happened in the last twenty minutes to cause her to leave me?
I thought about our conversation. I had told her what really happened the night we had sex and her brother had caught us. Well, I didn’t tell her everything, but enough for her to know why I had to leave without saying goodbye. I thought we were good after having that talk. I replayed our conversation over in my mind trying to figure out anything that may have hurt her. It couldn’t be because I’d found out I was the only man she’d ever slept with? Maybe Ashton decided not to completely forgive me after all? But that would be the worst possibility of all.
I called and left her a final voice mail telling her that we had a meeting with Albertson at my office this afternoon to go over the plans. If she didn’t answer my calls within the next couple of hours, I was going to come to her hotel room. She couldn’t get away with avoiding me. I knew it was a quasi-threat but I didn’t care. After our night together, she owed me more face time. I knew this deal was important to Ashton and she wouldn’t just let it fall to the wayside.
“Quinn!” I was jolted out of my ruminations by the frail voice of my Nanna calling from her house.
“Nanna, what are you doing out of bed?” I took in her appearance. She was dressed in her best nightgown and her hair was brushed. She’d played up her trademark blue eyes with shadow and mascara and red lipstick completed her look. If he didn’t know any better, I’d swear she was meeting her best girlfriend for a leisurely lunch on the pier. But I did know better. Nanna held up a brown lunch bag.
“I need you to run to your father’s office for me, my dear,” she called as she gave the bag a gentle shake. “Whatever will I do with that man? He forgot his lunch again. And I made his favorite tuna salad sandwich.”
Nanna had been diagnosed with early onset dementia going on ten years now. But she’d really started to go downhill in the last few months. Because of her backward slide, I’d hired the best in-home, twenty-four-seven nurse money could buy to help her. I couldn’t be around as much as I wanted with the demands of the job. This way, I could rest easy during my long hours that she was cared for. Trudy, her caretaker, truly seemed to care about her as a woman in addition to a patient. But Nanna’s kind heart and sparkling wit hadn’t faded with her memory.
Now, even though she used my name, she confused me with her son, my father. She still thought her beloved husband was alive.
I gently took her hand and led her to the couch. “Nanna, I’ll take care of father’s lunch. I can drop it off on the way to school.”
When the dementia was early on, we would try and correct her. Bring her back to the reality.
But as the dementia escalated, she became more and more agitated when anyone corrected her. Sometimes, it was best to just allow her to remain tightly locked in her alternate world where the past had stood still. The doctor recommended we just play along so as not to upset her. She eventually would find her way back to brief glimmers of lucidity.
These days it was taking longer and longer for her to get there. It brought tears to my eyes to see my grandmother start to wither away. I didn’t think it would be much longer before her brain was completely destroyed by dementia. And I’d lose her, too, just like I’d lost Papa.
I kept hold of her hand, trying to rub some warmth into it. Her thin skin remained littered with blue veins. “I’m sure Dad will be happy to have your delicious tuna salad. It always was his most favorite.” The compliment seemed to placate her.
She gave me a frail hug. “You’ve always been the best son, Chip. I know I’ll never have to worry about you. You’ve made me and your father so proud. He told me so just this morning.”
Tears pricking my eyes, I glanced at my watch. I would have to spend a little more time with Nanna before I could track Ashton down. But I would find her and get her to open up about the disappearing act. The last thing I needed was for Ashton to slip through my fingers again.
Chapter Eleven
Ashton
When I arrived back to the hotel from Quinn’s house, I crawled in bed and pulled the covers over my head. Effectively blocking out sight and sound. But not emotions. Those roiled around in my stomach like psychotic tapeworms, squiggling to find a food source. I couldn’t believe that I let Quinn Andrews take advantage of me again. What a pathetic loser I’d become. Pining away for one man for ten years and then falling through his trapdoor of charm at the first sliver of an opening.
I turned my cell phone back on and saw that I had several missed calls and text messages from Quinn. Of course, probably wondering when he could make his next booty call. Pervert. How many women did he need to sleep with at the same time? The last message he’d sent said that he wanted me to meet him at the office by two to go over the plans with Mr. Albertson.
It was hard to get out of bed, but I finally managed it, dragging my leaden feet underneath my emotionally battered body. I took a hot shower, allowed the hot water and steam to chase some of the tension from my muscles. I dressed in a fresh suit – a dark navy one from BCBG that I’d purchased after saving discretionary funds for months. It made me feel professional. Competent. The kind of woman who didn’t get hoodwinked into a cheap lay. Underneath I wore a white silky blouse that was not-quite opaque. I pulled my hair into a messy bun, and did my makeup.
Since it was already one-thirty, I needed to leave soon if I didn’t want to be late. I actually really liked Mr. Albertson and needed to close this deal so I could get back to Atlanta ASAP. To Henri. And my orderly, uncomplicated life that didn’t include charming lawyers with lush lips and indented abs. I would be professional and polite. After the meeting, I would pull Quinn aside in private and let him know that our relationship would go no farther. That he made me want to throw up my non-existent, freshly baked bagel from his bullshit bakery. From now, our exchanges would be strictly business.
***
The reception area was empty but I knew Quinn was already somewhere in the building. After all, he worked here. I had parked right next to his Mercedes, barely avoiding putting my cheesy rental car keys to it. But that would be vindictive and the new and improved Ashton Jansen had just dragged herself from her lonely bed. No retribution today.
Voices came from down the hall and I followed them to the familiar conference room where we’d had our first meeting. I strode into the room with as much confidence as I could muster, playing up my power suit and haughty ‘don’t fuck with me’ air.
I saw Quinn’s face first when I rounded the corner. A pain of regret knifed through my heart because gazing upon his handsome visage still gave me that same shot of dopamine, even though I wanted to slap his smug face. My conflicting emotions battled back and forth. Anger won. Seething, white-hot rage.
I realized how good he could make me feel. And that sucked because the body was a weak master, easily reduced to a quivering mass of mistakes. On one hand, I still remembered the pleasure coursing through the traitorous, fleshy missile – like I was the sexiest woman alive. And for God’s sake, the man knew how to play me like a weeping violin. On the other hand, I wanted to smack that smile off his face until his face turned bright read with my palm print.
Thankfully, Mr. Albertson already sat beside Quinn, shuffling papers around as he awaited my presence and the plans that I held in my hands. So Quinn was granted a momentary stay of emotional execution.
I put on my game face, smiled at both of them, and then took my seat at the head of the table.
“Nice to see you again, Ashton” Mr. Alberts
on commented as I sat down and snapped my leather briefcase open. “I apologize for missing our dinner last night. Quinn said you had a lovely time.”
I took the plans out of my briefcase and spread them across the vast mahogany table. “The dinner was a very nice gesture. Thank you so much for your generosity. The food was not only delicious but the view spectacular.”
“I’ve got fresh coffee if anyone needs it,” a voice interrupted our meeting.
I spun in my chair to see the same perky blonde that had shown up at Quinn’s house earlier this morning. Dumbfounded, I watched as she placed a tray of coffee and snacks on the credenza situated in the corner of the room. His assistant? Banging his personal employee? I narrowed my eyes in disgust.
Quinn jumped up to help her and I couldn’t help to notice how he rushed to her aid like some kind of discombobulated white knight. “Um, Ashton, this is Cassie. She works as a closing assistant with us.”
Cassie smiled brightly at Quinn, and then me. “Oh, we’ve already met,” she chirped merrily.
I slowly nodded my head, trying to get force words…any words…to come out of my mouth. “We’ve met.”
Quinn’s mouth gaped open as he looked back and forth between us. The pregnant pause caused Albertson to glance up from his papers.
“Ashton was at the house this morning when I dropped off the breakfast for your grandmother,” she added, albeit oblivious of the tense awkwardness mounting in the room
A quick look at Mr. Albertson, wearing a thinly veiled grin, confirmed his blatant amusement as the events unfolded. Cassie had just outed me as a whore with her ‘innocent’ comments about our meeting. He was probably wondering what I was doing at Quinn’s house so early in the morning. No. He wasn’t that old.
Quinn’s eyes widened as if an electrician had clicked on the light bulb over his thick head. “Cassie lives down the street from us. She occasionally drops by to check on my grandmother,” he quickly explained. Really? That’s the line of bullshit he was going to lay down?
Sinker: Alpha Billionaire Romance Page 29