by Jewel E. Ann
The tone of his vice immediately lightened. “Ah, very observant of you. It was taken about ten years ago, I did some part-time modeling in college.”
Of course he did.
“And what precisely were you modeling in that picture?”
“Cologne.”
“Cologne? Are you joking? Where exactly was the bottle?”
He chuckled. “The picture I sent you was from the photo shoot, not the actual ad.”
“The message being what? If your man wears this brand of cologne he will turn into a Latin sex god with a perfect ass.”
“Worked for you.”
“How do you know? You’ve never seen my man.”
“Watch it or I’m going to violate your smart mouth in more ways than one.” His voice carried an edge to it.
What the …? Hello, dominant Quinn.
“Well, I’d love to chat all night but I have a pulsating shower head and a new romance novel calling my name.”
He sucked in a sharp breath. “If that’s how we’re playing it, then you’d better be ready for a four poster bed and handcuffs in two weeks.”
“We’ll just see about that. Goodnight, sex god.”
“Goodnight, beautiful.”
I filled my soaker tub with hot water; it was one of my not so eco-friendly indulgences. I lit several candles and shut off the lights. While adding some lavender soap creating bubbles, an idea came to me. Throwing my robe on, I went and grabbed my camera. After several minutes of adjusting its placement on my vanity and testing the timer, I pulled my hair up into a loose pile on my head leaving some wispy strands hanging down giving me a sexy look. Then I dug out my make-up, that hardly ever got used, and smoked out my eyes, adding a little mascara and lip gloss. Setting the camera remote on the table by the tub, I eased into the bubbly water. I bent one leg so part of it was exposed and draped the other over the side of the tub. I arched my back which brought just the top swell of my breasts out of the water, the small bubbles exposing a hint of my nipples below the surface. Fifteen or more shots later, I prayed there was at least one good shot with a sexy look on my face instead of the giddy little grin I had trouble hiding. After forty-five minutes of soaking and reading, I removed my make up and climbed out of the tub. I slipped on my lace boyshorts and pulled an old T-shirt over my head. Sitting down at my desk, I looked through the pictures and found the perfect one. As soon as I downloaded it to my phone I sent it off to Quinn in a text.
Wishing you were here to scrub my back. Ax
I expected an instant response but it was a good ten or so minutes before my phoned chimed.
Fuck. Me.
You like?
No words, baby … no words.
What took you so long to respond?
Too difficult to text one handed.
Huh? … Ooo, you didn’t?
Sure as hell did, twice, hence the ten minutes.
Now I have no words. Goodnight. Ax
Very, very good! Qx
*
The rest of my week fell into the comfortable routine category. The café was slower on the colder days when snow was in the air. We took advantage of our down time and messed around in the kitchen creating new menu items. We had an informal staff meeting to discuss work scheduling during the time I was to be in New York between Christmas and New Year’s. It was bitter sweet to realize my café ran just fine without me. Mac was still involved with the business part, but I suspected that would change whenever she and Evan decided to start a family. Jake, on the other hand, made the bulk of his living underground fighting but his passion was my café. He had become my apprentice of sorts, but whether or not he chose to believe it, my guidance was no longer necessary. Mac and Evan talked about moving back to Chicago someday if a spot at Richard’s firm ever became available to Evan. They wanted me to move back too when or if that day ever came. Closing the café wasn’t an option for me. First, we had too many loyal customers, and second, the café stood for a change in the way we needed to think about our health and the environment. However, over the past year, Jake’s interest in everything about the business had given me hope that if I moved, the café would survive in very capable hands.
Quinn had texted me every day, mostly in the evenings when we both were done with work. It usually started out with small talk that evolved into some very inappropriate sexting. I was desperate to see him. It was one week away, but when Quinn left for Spain the week before Christmas I missed him even more. It was silly. It shouldn’t have mattered if I was not seeing him in New York or not seeing him in Spain, but for some reason it did.
At the café we spent the week before Christmas filling special holiday orders, pies, pastries, and appetizers. I had planned on spending Christmas with Mac, Evan, Richard, and Gwen, but in a sudden last minute change of plans Mac and Evan went to see his parents on Christmas instead. They insisted I go with them while Richard and Gwen insisted I keep my plans with them. It wasn’t going to be an easy decision, so I decided to decline both offers. Quinn had given me a key to his condo and the security information to get in, in case I arrived before him on the 26th, so I decided to leave a day early for New York and spend Christmas at his place. I knew I would be alone, but a quiet uninterrupted day to myself was a good thing. Mac and her parents weren’t too pleased about me skipping out on Christmas in Chicago, but they didn’t have a choice. I had already purchased my plane tickets before I told them so it was presented as a done deal.
It was frigid when I arrived in New York City on Christmas and there was still a thick layer of glistening snow on the ground. The sun shined making sunglasses mandatory to see anything with the piercing reflection off of the snow. Traffic was light so it didn’t take much time at all to get to Quinn’s. I didn’t mention my early arrival since he wasn’t going to be home anyway, and I knew it would make for a better surprise when he did show up the next day. My plan was to have his whole condo filled with the smell of sweet holiday treats that I would bake early in the morning.
Luckily when I arrived I didn’t have any trouble with the code to the elevator but I had to dig through my bag to find the key he gave me. As I started to push the door open I expected to hear the beeping sound of his security alarm, but I didn’t. Everything from that moment on played out in horrific slow motion.
*
Numerous pairs of shoes on the floor lined the entry and the coat tree was covered in coats. And I heard voices.
Leaving my suitcase in the hall, I stepped in and the door shut behind me. The room became silent. A group of people were seated at Quinn’s dining room table having Christmas dinner. I recognized Quinn’s sister and her two kids from the yacht. There was a man who shared Quinn’s features that I assumed was his brother, and another man with medium length blond hair that hung close to his blue eyes, maybe his brother-in-law. Quinn sat at the end of the table opposite his brother. An older woman with chin-length black hair sat to his right and Olivia sat in the chair to his left.
“Addy,” Quinn spoke, quickly standing from his chair. I could never have imagined Quinn looking pale with his dark complexion, but the face that was looking at me was drained of all color.
Olivia’s face morphed into an ugly bitch smirk, but the rest of his family, with the exception of the two young children, pinballed their eyes back and forth between me and Quinn in complete confusion.
Quinn wasted no time making his way to me. He tried to grab my arm, but I jerked away.
“Don’t. You. Dare. Touch. Me!” My jaw was rigid and my heart was ready to burst out of my chest.
He took a step back as if trying to avoid a scene. “What are you doing here?” His voice was low, just above a whisper.
“I could ask you the same thing.” My fists were clenched, nails digging into my hands.
“It’s not what—”
“Stop! So help me, if you use some stupid, ‘it’s not what it looks like,’ bullshit cliché I will unhinge on your intimate little dinner crowd with such fury y
ou’ll pray for the earth to open up and swallow your pathetic lying ass! Do. I. Make. Myself. Clear?”
Quinn mirrored my tense frustrated stance. With his hands fisted, attempting to hold it together, he nodded carefully, watching me like I was an uncaged wild animal. I contemplated my next move. Turn and run? Make a scene? Test the waters? Yes, test the waters, because I have nothing to lose at this point, and it’s time to make Quinn squirm.
Taking my sweet time, I removed my shoes and hung up my coat.
“What are you doing?” he whispered.
Deep breath … I am peaceful, I am strong … hmm, might need to work on the peaceful.
I leaned up to Quinn’s ear, putting my hands on his chest to steady myself. “I’m going to ruin your Christmas like you have mine, and then I’m going to walk out that door and you will never see me again.” I stepped back giving him a tight smile before brushing past him and making my way to the table.
“Merry Christmas, everyone. I’ve so been looking forward to meeting all of you.”
Quinn caught up with me, clearly in uncharted territory for such a control freak. There was a moment of silence before the woman with chin-length black hair spoke.
“Quinten, are you going to introduce us to your guest?” Her voice was soft, friendly, genuine. I liked her already.
“Yes, Quinny, don’t be rude,” I remarked with my voice a pitch higher than usual.
His family exchanged amused glances at each other, his brother mouthing “Quinny?” with a grin.
Quinn cleared his throat. “Uh, yes, forgive me. This is Addy … or um, Adler Brecken. We met in Milwaukee last spring when I was visiting one of my new hotels. Addy—Adler, this is my brother Chase, my sister Alexis, her husband Mitch, their two kids Ethan and Ellen, my mother Elena, and … you’ve met Olivia.”
All eyes landed on Olivia, she played her part, although I didn’t know what that was, and smiled politely. “Pleasure to see you again.” Lying bitch.
Everyone, including myself, waited in eager anticipation for Quinn to explain who I was, other than Adler from Milwaukee, and what I was doing there on Christmas, unannounced with a key to his condo.
“I forgot I had told Adler I would be out of town over the holidays and I offered to let her stay here while I was gone. Then when we had a last minute change of plans I completely forgot to call her.”
I nodded my head but it wasn’t in agreement, it was in acknowledgment. We were all waiting for more of the story.
“What brings you to New York City on Christmas?” Elena asked, a little confused by the whole unlikely scenario.
I looked to Quinn since he was clearly the one directing the show.
“Uh, she’s looking to move here so she has to find a place to rent.”
“Over Christmas? Don’t you have family that you should be with?” Chase jumped into the conversation.
“They’re dead,” Quinn immediately responded.
Everyone except Olivia and his sister gave him a look of shock and horror. I had always been blunt too when I told people my parents were dead, but Quinn managed to make it sound even more cold and insensitive than I ever had.
“Quinten Lucas Cohen!” his mother snapped.
“It’s fine, my parents are dead, and I’m an only child.” He was right about that but dead wrong about me moving to New York.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound so cold.” Quinn looked at me and I knew he was genuinely sorry but it didn’t matter.
“Well, you’re here and it’s Christmas so you might as well stay. Quinn grab another chair and I’ll get another place setting,” Elena suggested graciously.
Touched by her kindness, a small lump formed in my throat. I couldn’t speak so I just smiled and nodded. Quinn brought in a chair as his mom arranged another place setting between her seat and Quinn’s. Olivia was seething. The day could not have been any more awkward.
“Turkey?” Elena offered after I was seated.
“No thank you, I’m a vegan,” I politely replied.
“Oh.” She looked surprised at first. “Well good for you. It’s such a healthy lifestyle and you look radiant, maybe I should give it a try.”
She wasn’t the first person to say something like that to me, but she was the first to say it with such sincerity.
“Thank you, Elena.”
Olivia was boiling over but she hid it well by moving her hand to Quinn’s leg in a casual but intimate gesture. His body stiffened, but he didn’t push her away. He caught me staring at her hand and when I looked at him his eyes were pleading. I wanted to shove her hand away and claim him as my own, but he wasn’t and never would be mine.
His family took turns passing me the dishes on the table that were vegan. I had a colorful mix of veggies on my plate but no appetite. I picked around and forced a few bites.
“So, Adler, what has you looking to move to New York?” Chase asked.
“I’m not sure, maybe a change in profession.”
“What do you do now?” Chase continued to probe.
“I’m a chef but since I met Quinn he’s helped me recognize some hidden talents I didn’t even know I had.”
Everyone looked at Quinn to elaborate while he looked at me with uncertainty. I smiled and continued to rearrange my food around my plate.
“Hidden talents, huh? Sounds interesting,” Mitch added.
I stuck a green bean in my mouth and nodded while slowly chewing. “ Yes, turns out I have … what did you call it, Quinny? Oh, yes, a naughty school girl charm, so I was thinking of taking Quinny up on his offer to be part of his new business venture.”
The room fell silent and there wasn’t a closed mouth at the table including Quinn’s.
Chase cleared his throat. “And what business might that be?”
“Well, an escort service, of course.” I smiled and batted my eyelashes at everyone.
Elena gasped while all three men choked on their food. And Olivia and Alexis glared at Quinn in contempt.
I stayed with my ditzy blonde talk because it was getting the desired reaction. “Oh, it’s not what you think. Quinny assured me it would be entirely upscale, ya know, high society type service, nothing under fifteen hundred an hour. It’s not like he would be my pimp or anything.” Another round of gasping and choking ensued.
“Dude, you’re starting an escort service?” Chase asked flabbergasted yet a little intrigued.
“Enough,” Elena insisted. “I think whatever business your brother and his friend have together is none of our business.”
I looked at Quinn and he was fuming. Every muscle in his neck twitched and his veins looked like they were going to rupture. My work was done.
“I’m expecting a delivery tomorrow so I think I’d better go inform the front desk that I’m staying here. I’d hate for them to turn away my package.” My façade was wearing away, and I needed to get out of there before the shit hit the fan.
Quinn grabbed my arm. “Where are you going?” he whispered between clenched teeth.
“I told you, I’m going down to let the front desk know I’m expecting a package tomorrow,” I whispered back with a plastered on smile since all eyes were on me.
I was lying and he knew it. He wasn’t going to call me on it and I knew it. We were at an impasse. He kept hold of my arm. I saw the desperation in his eyes, but that was all I saw and it wasn’t enough to make me stay.
I tugged my arm away and walked to the door. After pushing my feet down into my boots, I grabbed my jacket hoping no one would question why I needed it. As soon as my hand grabbed the door knob, Quinn’s voice stopped me.
“Addy … her friends call her Addy.”
Stopped in my tracks, I felt paralyzed. Unable to turn around, I closed my eyes and just listened.
“She’s an amazing vegan chef. She has her own café, Sage Leaf Café. She’s caring and nurturing. She’s smarter than everyone in this room combined. I love that some days she smells like rosemary and basil and other da
ys she’s a sweet mix of mango and coconut. The purr of pleasure that escapes her when she’s eating chocolate brings me to my knees. When she smiles it stretches to her eyes and lights up the room. Her delicate eyes are the most enchanting ocean blue and I could spend eternity lost in them. She’s beautiful, delightful, elegant, exquisite, charming, divine, captivating, gorgeous, stunning, bewitching, admirable, and a million other inadequate words. Her heart is pure and honest and I know lying to everyone today is killing her. She’s in New York to see me, to be with me, and I don’t know why because I don’t deserve her. I sense an injured soul resides in her beautiful body, and it rips my fucking heart out to see that I have caused her further pain. And if she walks out that door … I won’t be able to breath.”
The silence was deafening, even Ethan and Ellen were captivated by Quinn. Tears flooded my eyes and I fought the urge to blink. It was painfully overwhelming. My body’s awareness of him had become my sixth sense. I knew he was close even without warning or confirmation from any of my other senses. His hand ghosted along my waist until he was standing in front of me. I stared at his feet, keeping my eyes wide while rapidly trying to blink back the tears. Then his forehead found mine and I was his.
“I hate you,” I sobbed.
“I know, baby, I hate me right now too,” he whispered.
It was as though everyone else in the room disappeared. Quinn swept me up in his arms, and I hugged him and cried into his chest. He carried me upstairs and into his room. It was the first time I had been in his room. He set me down on the end of his bed, kneeling on the floor at my feet.
“I epically fucked up. Just don’t leave, please. I have to go see my family out. Then I’ll be back up and I’ll do whatever it takes for as long as it takes to make this … to make us right.”
He kissed away my fallen tears before leaving.
*
I was surprised when Quinn came back upstairs only about fifteen minutes later. He was carrying my suitcase and handbag that I had left outside of the door. I hadn’t moved from the end of his bed, but he chose to give us space sitting in a chair near the windows.
“Is your family gone already?” I asked in a gentle voice.