“Shit. You better not let Dad in on that little nugget. So far he seems to like him. Or at least that’s what Mom said when I called her. She likes him, too.”
I’d talked briefly to my mom about Brice and she’d said the same thing, that she liked him but wanted to get to know him better.
“It’s good Mom and Dad are giving him a chance, unlike Jackson,” I told Hadley.
“You need to cut Jack some slack.”
“Why the hell does everyone keep telling me that?”
My sister’s face changed in a way I didn’t like, one I’d seen before. This was not her drama face—those were easy to read—this look told me she was going to tell me something I wasn’t going to like.
“Because we all know Jackson.”
“But—”
“Let me finish,” Hadley cut me off. “He’s a guy. He’s protective. He’s chased away all of our boyfriends. Delaney, Adalynn, Liberty, and I know what we mean to him. He’s always been a big-brother type. But you’re different. You and him were inseparable. You used to play fire trucks with him. He confided in you about everything. You are more than a little sister or cousin, you are his best, best friend. He’s hurt you kept a secret from him.”
“He kept Tuesday a secret, too,” I lamely retorted.
“Quinn. That’s different. Brice is also his friend. And I hate to remind you of this, but Jackson did tell Brice you were off-limits. And think about why that was.”
“You know,” I blurted out and stood, “I’m really fucking sick and tired of everyone judging Brice because he slept around. Who in the actual fuck cares how many women he’s had? I wasn’t a virgin the first time he took me to bed. If I don’t care then I don’t see why the hell anyone else should. I mean, serious as fuck, we’re not living in the eighteen-eighties anymore.”
“Girl, I can see you’re all fired up to take your man’s back but I was not talking about the notches in his belt. I was talking about if shit goes bad. Think about where that puts Jackson. His beloved Quinn or his closest bud Brice. Jackson would be smack in the middle faced with the impossible choice of choosing one knowing he was going to lose the other.”
I froze and suddenly I understood. I hadn’t thought about that. Well, I guess I kind of had, when Brice and I were keeping our relationship a secret. But I’d only thought about it in a way that meant when Brice was done with me, Jackson would never know, therefore he’d never have anything to be mad at his friend about.
Shit.
“Damn,” I muttered.
“So give Jackson time. He’s a big boy, and when he sees how happy you are, he’ll come around.”
“I hope you’re right, Hadley. Jackson shutting me out is killing me.”
“I know, big sis, but he is not Delaney, he doesn’t possess the skills necessary to execute a months’ long silent treatment.” She chuckled.
I hoped she was right but feared she was wrong.
“Enough about me,” I told her, still reeling from what my baby sister had explained. “What’s new with you?”
“Same old shit,” she complained.
“And, um, does Brady have to do with any of this shit?” I asked and watched the color drain from my sister’s face. “Seems I’m not the only one who’s been holding on to top-secret information.”
“It’s not like that,” she lied.
“Liar.”
“No, really. We’re just friends. He’s teaching me how to shoot.”
“Shoot? Girl, try that shit with someone who doesn’t know you’ve been shooting since you were five.”
“Not handguns. He’s been taking me to the rifle range. He’s teaching me long range shooting.”
“Right…because that is a skill a librarian needs to know. Unless you’ve decided on a new career path as a sniper.”
“We’re just friends,” she protested.
“Okay.” I shrugged my shoulders, not believing her in the tiniest bit.
“Please do not tell Dad. Or the uncles. Or Delaney. Or Adalynn. Or anyone.”
“Tell them what? That two buds are paling around shooting guns? Wouldn’t dream of it.”
Hadley looked visibly relieved. “Thanks.”
“He’s a good guy, I like him,” I told her.
“He’s twenty-nine.”
“So?”
“So, he says he’s too old and too damaged.”
“Show him he’s not.”
“I’m trying.” Hadley smiled.
“I think this calls for a bottle of wine and a pizza. I’ll call it in. You pop the cork.”
And I spent the rest of my night shooting the shit with my little sister while simultaneously worrying about Brice.
It was after nine when Hadley left.
It was nearing eleven when Brice called to tell me they’d just rolled into the station and all was well. It took him thirty minutes to tell me about the multi-alarm apartment building fire. Luckily everyone got out safely and no firefighters were injured. What didn’t get to happen, because he was wiped and called me as soon as he’d got back to the station before he’d even taken a shower, was him taking the time to tell me about what he did while in said shower.
Then I drifted off to sleep in my bed alone, wishing Brice was next to me.
22
This shit had gone on long enough. It had been a month and Jackson was still shutting Quinn out. I had no issue with him acting like a dick to me, but it was hurting Quinn and that was going to end. My shift was over ten minutes ago and I was itching to get home to my woman but determined to set Jackson’s ass straight so I was standing in the parking lot next to my truck waiting for him to pull in.
Five minutes later, Jackson was parking and I was stalking to him. I knew the asshole saw me waiting, so it wasn’t a surprise when he slammed his door harder than necessary and had his arms crossed against his chest when I arrived.
“I got nothing to say to you.”
“Well, that’s good, ‘cause I got shit to say to you and you keeping quiet will save time. Stop fucking with Quinn and call her.”
“Got nothing to say to her, either.”
I jerked at the venom in his tone.
“The fuck? Seriously, think about what you just said. You got nothing to say to the woman who you claim to care about? Nothing to say to the woman who’s had your back since she was old enough to form a coherent sentence? Nothing to say to your friend who’s been to the DA’s office twice and has been deposed by a dick that’s defending the fucktard who murdered someone right in front of her? That’s fucked and you know it.”
“No, what’s fucked is the two of you going behind my back. What’s even more jacked is you fucking my cousin after I told you to stay the hell away from her.”
“You’re gonna have to find a way over that shit. What’s done is done. There’s no going back and even if there was a way, I wouldn’t change a damn thing.”
“Why would you? You got a hot piece of ass warming your bed. A sure thing anytime you feel like nailing her.”
I stepped back and counted to ten. I should’ve tried harder, maybe recited the alphabet, or maybe if I was smarter I would’ve walked away. But I didn’t do any of those things which meant I didn’t check my temper.
In two strides I was nose-to-nose with Jackson.
“I fucking warned you about talking this shit about Quinn, motherfucker. Warned you. The woman you’re calling a piece of ass is Quinn. Something I never thought I’d have to say to you, but twice now I’ve had to. My woman is not tail I’m nailing. And if you’d get your motherfucking head out of your ass, you’d see it. But you’re all fired up to see this to the bitter end and you have no idea what you’re doing to your friend, to your family.
“They’re all watching and while they’re doing that they’re coming to the same conclusion. Quinn’s happy, she’s being cared for, she’s loved, and she’s protected. The only person who is clueless is you. You wanna fuck up the friendship you have with me, whatever, at this
point I’m realizing you’re not the man I thought you were. But you’re fucking with my woman’s head and that’s unacceptable.
“And one last thing, the only reason I’m not gonna beat your ass right now, is because I know one day, the guilt you’re gonna feel over what you’ve said is gonna weigh so heavy in your gut it’s gonna eat you alive. And that’s something you’re gonna have to live with. So you can fuck off with your bullshit about the two of us lying to you. If you can’t see what Quinn means to me and trust I’d never do anything to hurt her, then fuck you.”
I stepped back and started walking away, but was no more than five strides when Jackson spoke.
“But you are hurting her,” he sneered. “You drove the wedge. It’s because of you, she’s lost me.”
I stopped and looked over my shoulder. “Grow the hell up, Jackson. I’m not the one giving her an ultimatum.”
“You’re gonna rip her apart when you get bored. I know you. I know as soon as you’re done you’re heartless. You’ll walk away and find the next one and she’ll be left broken.”
“If you think that then you’ve been paying less attention than I thought. I’m gonna marry her, Jackson. But if you’re so worried about me leaving her broken then why haven’t you glued yourself to her side? Why haven’t you stood by her so she knows you have her back? All you’ve done is let her swing. And that’s fucked.”
“Marry her?” Jackson’s body locked and even from the distance where I stood I could see the vein in his neck throbbing.
“And it’s gonna be soon, so I suggest you fix this shit now, or you’ll be sitting in the nose bleed seats when I slip my ring on her finger.”
I didn’t wait for him to say more. I was done. My patience was gone and it’d been two days since I’d seen Quinn. Jackson would sort his shit or he wouldn’t. At least I could say I tried.
* * *
“Enough,” I groaned.
Quinn was leaning over my lap with her mouth latched around my cock, one hand rolling my balls, the other one on my hip steading herself.
Heaven.
Sweet Christ, the woman could give a blowjob. Perfect amount of licking and suction. She knew when to tease the head and when to take me deep. She’d been at it less than five minutes and I was going to explode.
“Quinn,” I warned. “I finish inside of you.”
“Just another minute.” Her hand came off my hip but not my sac and she started to stroke.
“No, baby, in another minute I’m gonna come in your mouth.”
Goddamn if it wasn’t the sexiest fucking thing I’d ever seen. Her working my shaft while her lips still on the tip of my cock tipped up into a smile.
“I don’t mind.” With her mouth so close I felt the vibration shoot down my dick and forced myself still. “I get to come on your tongue.”
“You do. But I still get to fuck you after. I come in your mouth, we’re done for at least ten minutes. And, baby, I do not want to wait ten more seconds.”
She was obviously done with the conversation when her tongue came out and licked around my head before she swallowed my cock whole.
I waited for her to slide back up, then reached down and plucked her off my dick, flipped her over and drove home.
Christ.
“Brice,” she moaned and wrapped her legs around my waist. “No fair.”
I shoved my face into her neck and smiled. “If you’d quit bitchin’ I could get down to business and I promise you, baby, you’ll forget all about what’s not fair.”
“Fine,” she grumbled.
Five seconds later, Quinn was no longer complaining, she was panting. And five minutes after that, her pussy clenched my cock as her first orgasm hit—she didn’t say, though I’d reckoned she’d forgot all about what was fair.
* * *
“We don’t have to go,” Quinn told me even though we’d already talked about it and both of us were dressed and ready.
“Babe, I’ve been around your family plenty. I’m not worried.”
“I know. But you go back to work tonight.”
Something warm hit my chest and started spreading until I felt like I was going to burst at the seams.
I tagged Quinn’s hand and pulled her to my chest. “You don’t wanna share our time,” I mumbled, loving that she felt that way.
“I only get you three days at a time.”
That was true, which meant I only got her three days at a time. But it also meant I only worked twelve to fourteen days a month.
“Do you want me to see if I can go on twenty-fours? It will mean more shifts a month but I’ll only be gone one day instead of two.”
Quinn stared up at me and smiled. “No. I’m just being a cry baby because I’m getting ready to lose you for forty-eight hours. But thank you.”
I nodded then remembered I had something to tell her. “My parents’ anniversary is coming up. Every year they do this huge thing down in Savannah. My mom asked if you were coming. I thought if you wanted, we could make a weekend out of it.”
“Meet your family?”
She looked so hopeful I wanted to kick my own ass for not thinking about introducing her earlier.
“Should’ve already taken you to meet them. But at least this way, no one will bitch about who got to meet you first.”
“I’d love to go.”
“It’s in two weeks. We’ll head down on Friday, the party’s Saturday, then we’ll come home late Sunday.”
“’Kay.”
Quinn gazed up at me like I’d hung the moon, and that warm feeling I’d had turned into a blaze. No one had ever looked at me that way, no one had ever come close to making me feel what I felt. No other woman had ever captured my attention, my mind, my heart, or my soul.
Just Quinn.
Only her.
My throat clogged and there was so much I wanted to tell her, things that would have to wait a few more weeks.
* * *
Quinn stood on the other side of her parents’ living room blowing raspberries on Emma’s cheek, making the baby squeal in delight. A picture-perfect sight. Images of her doing the same thing to our baby filled my head and I couldn’t stop the smile.
“Fuck,” someone growled next to me, and I knew Jasper had joined the huddle of men I’d been talking to.
Jason chuckled and Clark outright roared with laughter.
Jasper wasn’t stupid, he knew it was coming but he didn’t know just how soon.
I tore my gaze from the beauty standing across the room and faced Jasper.
“I think it’s about time for that conversation,” I told him.
“Figured as much,” he grumbled, not looking happy.
Jason and Clark stopped their snickering and it didn’t escape my notice Levi had moved in.
“That gonna be an issue?”
“And if it was? Don’t suppose that would change much.”
“Not a goddamned thing, though it would suck if I didn’t have your blessing.”
“Any chance I can postpone this for, say, another thirty years?”
I wasn’t a father so I couldn’t say I knew what he felt—though by the sound of it, it was painful.
“You got until the Friday after next.”
Jasper stood straight and every muscle tensed.
“Maybe you should slow this down,” he suggested.
“Respect, Jasper, but do I strike you as a man who would fuck around when he’s found what he wants?”
“Not sure—”
“Never loved another woman, Jasper. Never not once have I felt anything close to what I feel for Quinn. Never thought about taking a wife. Never thought about having kids. But when I look at her, I know she’s it for me. Every time I see her smile, I know with absolute certainty I’m waking up to that smile every morning for the rest of my life. And when she turns those eyes my way, and she stares at me like she’s seeing me for the first time, it hits me so hard I have to fight to keep standing because I want to fall to my knees and beg
her to never stop loving me.”
“Fuck,” Jasper whispered and looked at his feet. It took a moment for him to gather himself before he raised his head and offered me his hand. “Welcome to the family.”
I exhaled the breath I didn’t realize I was holding and took his hand in a firm shake.
“You have my word I’ll make her happy.”
Jasper gave me a jaw lift and a bone-jarring smack on the back before he strode away.
“Brass balls,” Levi muttered before he and Clark followed Jasper, leaving me with Quinn’s brother.
He didn’t make me wait before he started, “Waited a long time to see my sister settled. That girl flitted through life jumping from one thing to the next. Drove our dad up the wall. Mercy told me Quinn was just trying to find herself. At the time I had no clue what Mercy was talking about. But it seems she was right.” I was a little lost and I wasn’t sure the point Jason was trying to make, but luckily he continued. “I’m happy to see Quinn’s found herself, and in doing that, she’s found herself a good man.”
“’Preciate that.”
Jason nodded and looked over my shoulder. “Jack’s here.”
Shit. Not good timing. I had to leave for work which meant leaving Quinn unprotected.
“Do me a favor when I leave and watch that situation?”
“Will do.”
Jason clapped his hand on my shoulder, thankfully not as hard as Jasper had, though he wasn’t a father trying to make a point.
I started to make my way to Quinn when Jackson called out. Fucking hell, I did not want to do this in front of the family. It was bad enough we’d already had words in front of Jasper.
“Let me say goodbye to Quinn and we’ll talk out front.”
Jackson wordlessly headed to the door and I went to Quinn. She still had Emma in her arms when I got to her.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, I’m just coming over to say goodbye, I gotta head out.”
Her smile fell into an adorable pout and I loved the look so much I didn’t even try to stop myself. I leaned forward, careful not to jostle the baby in her arms, and kissed her.
Keeping Quinn: The Next Generation Page 17
