She sighs loudly, letting her hands fall down to her sides, the covers sliding with them, exposing her chest to the morning air.
I feel my brow, and other parts of me start to go up instantly, and grin wide when she doesn’t move to cover herself.
Showing Quinn what he likes… I love that, Chelle. Thanks…
I’m only in my boxers, but it’s pretty clear the effect she has on me within a few seconds and before long we both forget what we were just talking about.
“Hungry?” I ask her, peeling down the front of my boxers, letting my stiffness sprig out again.
“Starving,” she tells me, licking her lips and pulling the covers back, signaling me to join her, which I do in a heartbeat.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Chelle
Lying back with Quinn breathing heavy next to me after giving me the perfect climax not once, but two more times in a row, I can’t help but feel a little spoiled.
And hungry.
I skipped dinner and my usual before bed snacks, and feel light headed from hunger as well as from all the romance I’ve had since last night.
I sit up, noticing how much I’m still trembling and set myself on the edge of the bed.
I jump a little when I feel Quinn’s warm hand on my back, but relax back into it, savoring every second of his touch. I don’t mind him seeing me naked now, not as much anyway.
“You hungry?” I ask, turning to see him smiling dreamily, and I have to make sure I specify what for.
“For soggy cereal and cold coffee, I mean.” I say, and we both stifle a laugh.
“I’ll make a fresh pot,” he says, groaning as he lifts himself out of bed and I marvel again at how muscular he is, for any man. Not just a man who's as old as my dad, which isn’t very old anyway.
“Well, I feel it this morning,” he says, touching my head with his lips as he passes by me, reading my mind again like I’m saying my thoughts.
“There’s long life juice too, d’ya want some?” he calls out over his shoulder, but the sound of the intercom buzzing distracts us both.
Ducking his head back in the room, then his whole body, Quinn slips on his boxers again before grabbing a light robe from the closet, tossing me over one too.
“That’ll be Brad. I’ll just be a minute… you can wait here if you want,” he tells me casually. But I can’t help giving him a look.
“Are you ashamed of me or something?” I ask, half-smiling but he can tell it’s a serious question.
The buzzer sounds again, and Quinn takes the time to sit on the bed beside me to explain.
“I don’t want anyone seeing you half dressed, because if they felt even a fraction of how you make me feel, there’s no telling what I’d have to do to them.”
I feel the corner of my mouth lifting a little, “Alright, but can I come out in my robe?” I say and he growls with disapproval.
I just sigh than shrug, slipping my robe on and start to explore the remote to the huge TV at the opposite end of the room, which is almost as big as the whole wall.
Quinn closes the door, but leaves a tiny gap and buzzes Brad up. Brad notices his state of half undress, asking if everything’s okay.
“I’m fine,” he tells him proudly, “Never better.”
I watch Brad through the gap in the door. He’s a younger guy, smaller than Quinn, but who isn’t?
Quinn catches me looking out the gap as I sit on the bed, his eyes narrow, going from Brad back to me and he strides over, fully closing the door gently, making me wonder if he really doesn’t want Brad to see me at all, robe or not.
I could think a thousand things, but I could also take a hot shower, which is what I’m feeling more like doing.
My bag’s on the floor by the window and I’m glad I have a fresh change of everything on hand.
Standing at the huge window, looking out over the sandy bay next to the marina, I think how lucky the owner is. I wonder what it would be like to live in a place like this full-time.
It’s a little far from everything, but look at that view… Plus, would I really want a beach full of people looking at me through my windows in the summer?
I sigh to myself again, I’m always picking the worst option for everything when it comes to me and my life. I remind myself I’ve got Quinn now and things are looking so much better after just one night. Aren’t they?
Hell yes I’d live here! I love the view and could get up earlier to drive to work… if I ever lived in a place like this.
I check my phone, remembering where I do live right now, with my dad and I feel a little jolt in my stomach when I see there’s no messages from him today.
No calls. No messages, yet Quinn said he had quite a few from dad already.
I don’t need to think too hard to know what my dad’s thinking, or that there’s still that icky feeling to be dealt with, and soon.
I’ll have to get my car at some point, should really do that today and will definitely call dad once I have a shower.
After lunch at the latest.
I’ll see how I feel after a shower.
My god, the time! It’s after ten on a weekday. I know I have some days off but I try not to waste too much of the time I have off. Quinn’s instantly my new exception and once again, I find my brain wanting to go for the ‘what if?’ pile in the chain of events calendar, spinning like a pinwheel in my mind.
What if he just wants me to go home now and that’s it?
He said you were his forever now, dummy. Just relax and go have a shower.
But what if…
What if you smell so bad nobody will love ya, now get in the shower.
The shower, like the whole place, is brand new and huge. Immaculate. And like the TV, it takes some figuring out, although I gave up on the TV after a few tries.
The water’s just right with some adjustment, and in no time I feel so at home I even hum a few bars of my favorite shower tunes, but stop short of giving a concert into the loofah, which is at my place anyway.
I stop for a second, hearing what sounds like raised voices. But it could be anything, I tell myself. Maybe the TV went on after all, or Quinn might’ve put some music on. I forget about it and carry on enjoying my shower, half-wishing I brought my loofah after all.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Q uinn
As soon as I see Chelle through the door, my eyes go to Brad. He’s about her age, I guess and although he hasn’t seen her, something in me feels like snapping his neck just for being alive. For breathing the same air as my woman.
Do I feel threatened by Brad?
No.
But I don’t want him even getting a hint of the treasure I’ve got, my treasure in the next room.
He can do what he’s paid for, his job and then he can leave.
“I’ve got some files down in the truck, I’ll get those for you before you leave,” I tell him.
“I just got here, boss… you sure you’re okay? You seem a little… wound up.” He says, and I notice how calm Brad is compared to my own state which does feel somewhat tense all of a sudden.
“Just too much coffee,” I pretend, telling myself Brad’s a good guy, and he has to be. He’s the one who’ll be doing all the work from now on so I can stay home with my new Queen.
Home… Hmmm. Maybe not my apartment, I won’t take her there, just yet…
“So,” I continue, “there’s some quotes for security service installations, plus a prospect for the office space downtown I wanted you to follow up on today.”
We both hear the shower from the bathroom and I notice Brad’s attentive look migrate towards me with a wry smile. He nods knowingly, narrowing his eyes and starts to wag a finger at me.
“Ooohh… Sorry Mr. Quinn. I get it now… I’ll just get those files and get going, I know you probably have some other things planned today,” he says with a wink.
My face is a question. Whatever he thinks I’m doing today is none of his business.
“Long as it�
��s not that porker I saw you give a lift to last night, eh? What was all that about. I know you could do much better, Mr. Q. Oh! Reminds me, her dad came by the office first thing, looked like he hadn’t slept in a week. I know you said he’s a friend and all, but jeez! He’s a wacko.”
I notice him stop once I hear myself growling, feeling like my whole body’s a wound up spring.
“What’d you just say?” I ask him, taking a menacing step towards him, watching him gulp as he realizes that ‘porker’ is indeed the one I shared my bed with last night.
Our bed.
“I… I didn’t mean anything by that Mr. Quinn, just mucking around, honest…you can sleep with whoever you want.”
He’s backing away but he’s backed himself into more than just the corner of the kitchen. I feel my hands, fists now and only one thing needs doing, but I take a second, wondering if I really need to beat the dog who’s going to do all my barking from now on.
“Chelle, if you must know,” I growl just loud enough for him to hear, “Is my woman, Brad. Mine! And I won’t have you or anyone saying anything other than hello and goodbye to her, understood? If you can’t get that through your thick head, I can help it some, with one of these,” I snarl, showing him a gnarled fist near his face, watching him recoil and stammer more apologies.
“Now, I’ll get those files for you and you can go about your day. You do want the job, don’t you Brad?” I ask him, glancing at the bedroom door again, making double sure he doesn’t catch any sight of Chelle, his eyes aren’t even worthy enough.
He pumps his head in a submissive nod. “I do, Mr. Quinn and again. I’m real sorry… it won’t happen again, I promise. I’m sorry!”
I thought he was deeper than that, but I guess I was wrong. He can run a few errands, see some clients over the next few days, but Brad’s not the man I thought he was, calling my woman a porker. I should break his arm.
It takes me a minute to simmer down. Brad tells me he’s never seen me so mad and I remind him I’m not even mad… yet, and it’s best if he never makes it that way, especially when it comes to my woman.
We make our way down to my truck, and making sure the door to the building’s secured behind us, I get him his client files and some promo gear for the security systems we sell, price and order sheets and what not, everything in my bag, short of the bag itself basically.
He keeps his head pumping, nodding in agreement to anything and everything I tell him now, and I figure I have to at least give him a chance to prove himself with the job and to put what just happened behind us, for now at least.
But if he looks at her, even says one word more than hello or goodbye…
“I won’t let you down, Mr. Quinn. And I am sorry about before, I shouldn’t have said anything like that, I learned a lot just now, about a lot of things, so thanks…”
I feel myself scowling, but I shake his hand and see him off, eager to return inside to my Chelle, to the day ahead and every day together after that. That’s my plan anyway.
I make my way up, shaking off what Brad said, thanking his lucky stars for him that I didn’t clobber him. Chelle’s hanging out the front door in her robe when I step out of the elevator, and I smile as she comes trotting over to me, arms out and I only feel she’s safe once I hold her close to me again.
“I saw Brad leave from the window,” she tells me. “Am I allowed out in my robe now?” She teases, and I adjust it for her, keeping it done right up.
“Let’s take a walk,” I suggest, “just down to the next floor.” She looks puzzled, but I assure her we’re the only people in the building, we can leave the door open.
“It’ll just take a minute,” I tell her.
“Sure,” she says, reminding me that anywhere I take her is fine, as long as I’m with her.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Chelle
We go down in the elevator. Only to the next floor, which is just as fancy once the elevator doors open, but the front door to the condos look different. Smaller.
Quinn uses his passkey to open the door, and we step inside.
“This is the standard. Still nice…” he muses and following his lead, I step inside. It’s similar to the penthouse, but as he said, smaller.
“It’s nice,” I tell him, looking around, noticing the view is just as good and that it only feels smaller because of the stadium upstairs I saw already.
Quinn starts to mention all the features, the square footage, how many rooms and even what the fittings are made of.
“You sound like the estate agent,” I tell him.
“I am!” he exclaims, “And I can’t help being a little… attached to this one, out of all of them in the building.”
I must look as confused as I feel I look. I’m standing in a condo in a bathrobe which isn’t even mine after spending the night with my ex-grade school teacher who I’m pretty sure I want to spend the rest of my life with… and I still have two days off after this one.
“It’s close to the freeway, which can take you to the store, even to the hospital in under an hour… there’s two rooms apart from the main, one even blue already…”
I snuggle up to Quinn, putting one hand on his chest and the other I use to put my finger over his lips.
“Just what are you saying, Quinn? I can’t afford a place like this, not in a million years. It’s really nice, but I’m afraid I can’t just…”
He kisses me in reply. I feel more confused than ever. I thought for a second he was using our night together to maybe try and sell me a condo, but the intensity of his kiss has me stumped. Pretty soon, I’m not interested in condos or the taps anymore and I feel myself guiding Quinn’s hands into my robe, wondering if we can mess up two of these beds in one day.
But Quinn takes my hand and puts the passkey into it, pressing his hand tighter over mine.
“Welcome home, honey,” he says, beaming.
“I could have a word with the owner about the top floor, maybe do a deal to switch, but I dunno, it all depends on what you want, Chelle. As long as you’re happy.”
“Quinn. What are you talking about? Is this your condo? I thought you were just the agent.”
“I am,” he says, taking me by the hand, guiding me over to the window.
“I bought this when I saw the plans after selling the lot to the owners. It’s the only bay for hundreds of miles with a view like this and it’s zoned so that it won’t get much more crowded than this… ever. It’s perfect!”
I turn to look at him, noticing he’s not even looking at the view, he’s looking at me. He has every time he uses the word perfect, it makes me blush.
Remembering what I told myself only a few minutes earlier, about the view, about living in a place like this, I’m speechless. I do prefer this one too, it’s not as big but that’s fine by me. I don’t need an echo in my house. I like home to be homely.
“But Quinn-” I start to protest, and only out of habit. Straight away my mind wants to run to a list of reasons why I should say no, why something so amazing shouldn’t happen to me.
“If you like it, if you want to stay, we can move your stuff in whenever you’re ready. The rest of the building’s empty for about three months, plenty of time to settle in,” he says, still beaming but I don’t understand, I’m still in shock.
“But you, Quinn. You’ll be…?”
He pulls me close, hugging me and giving me another kiss.
“I’ll be right here, Chelle, I can’t live without you. I know that much, even after just one night. Don’t tell me all the reasons we shouldn’t, that’s your dad talking. Just tell me you’ll move in. Tell me we’ll both move in, that we can live together, say yes and I’ll shut up, I promise.”
I don’t have to think about it, and I nod until my neck aches. Quinn picks me up and whirls me around, carrying me through the whole place, then out onto the balcony.
“You sure this one’s alright? We can get the penthouse, more room for later on,” he says, a look comi
ng into his eyes, but then he seems to decide something else all over again and I wonder if he’s being serious or not.
“Quinn,” I start, seriously this time. “It’s a lot of money, I don’t even know how much but I can-”
He frowns, putting his finger over my lips now.
“Don’t make me change your name to Randy,” he says and we both feel it and look out the window. Out towards the view.
“I am gonna need somewhere to stay, after we tell him, aren’t I?” I observe, and I feel Quinn’s huge hand in mine, squeezing in agreement.
“Besides all that,” he says, “I want you and me together someplace, and this is as good a place as any right now.” He grins, “I was gonna surprise you with this, after… but…”
“Don’t you have a place?” I ask, registering his look, then, “After what?”
“What’s the matter?” I ask, probing his silence.
“Let’s just say that before you, before I knew where my life was heading, I lived to work, eat and sleep. My place is a cupboard compared to this, and full of real estate brochures and security equipment.”
He teases the opening of my robe and lets one of his hands slide inside, feeling me up and making me shiver, smiling with an excitement I know only he can deliver.
“And never you mind, after what…” he says slyly, giving me no hints but if he’s thinking what I’m thinking, I might need a lay down after today, just to get over the sweet shock of it all.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Q uinn
It’s not a moment too soon, I tell myself. I would’ve asked Chelle if she’d move in with me the first minute we spent together at the reunion, if it wouldn’t have looked and sounded too weird.
I just know we’re perfect together and it’s not just because I’m crazy about her. It’s just something I know inside.
She’s like her dad, and we’re all connected by one thing. I know what it feels like to be alone, her dad adopted her because he knows what it’s like too.
But me and Chelle, we can start a family of our own. We can become the mom and dad we never had.
Claiming His Reunion Obsession: An Instalove Possessive Alpha Romance (A Man Who Knows What He Wants Book 162) Page 6
