Spring Into Love

by Chantel Rhondeau

  “What makes you think Mom said anything to me?” he asked after they had walked for a while. He needed to get everything out into the open so he could make things right with her.

  “She and I spoke tonight,” Larissa answered. “I told her my worries about being with you.”

  “And you told her I’d been a complete jerk who was only concerned with himself?”

  “Not exactly. It hasn’t been quite that bad.”

  Well, that was good. He hadn’t stepped over the point of no return, at least.

  “However,” Larissa continued, “I did tell her I wanted a partner, not someone who cares more about work than he does about me.”

  That didn’t surprise him. He’d known from the beginning Larissa wouldn’t settle for anything less. “I’m trying to be better about that.”

  “Really?” Her wide eyes looked black in the moonlight, but the skepticism was clear in her gaze. “If this is you trying, then we’ll never work.”

  She may as well have stabbed him, as much as her words hurt. “Am I not worth waiting for, while I figure things out?”

  “Am I not worth figuring them out quickly for?” she countered.

  What did she expect from him? It wasn’t as though he didn’t realize he’d been a jerk, but he had responsibilities.

  They had made it to the secluded inlet Quinn liked to sit at during odd moments when he had free time. Stone formed a half circle about eight feet in diameter, soft sand filling the middle of the space. Even when other people walked the beach, he felt secluded and private inside this spot. It was his second favorite place on the entire island, and one of the reasons he kept living at the same hotel.

  He led Larissa inside the sheltering rocks and swept away sand that had coated the best rock to sit on. He sat down and leaned against the stone wall, patting his good leg for her to sit on.

  She folded her arms and stared at him, not making any moves to sit. “Well?”

  She wasn’t going to let it slide. He had to answer. “It’s complicated,” he said. “Yes, you’re worth it, but I have more to think about than just what I want. My whole family depends on me to do right by them and keep this resort functional. My time is not always my own. Can’t you understand that?”

  She nodded once. “Thanks for an honest answer.” She uncrossed her arms, sitting carefully in his lap and turning to snuggle her face into his neck. “I do understand that, Quinn, but you aren’t the only man who works on this island. Your dad managed to run things and raise a family. Did he spend all his time away from you guys?”

  Her hot breath caressing his skin made it hard to think about her questions. What was it about Larissa that always made him horny? It was time to be serious, but all he could think about was unzipping his pants, slipping up her dress, and making love to her right here next to the ocean.

  “Dad was around on weekends,” he managed to answer. “But during the week we hardly saw him.”

  “Fine. I’m willing to start with a compromise. Take weekends off to spend them with me and during the week, I’ll be patient.”

  “It’s not that simple, and you know it.” His voice came out harsher than he intended, but he drove forward with his point. “You have massage clients on weekends so you can’t always be with me, and I have too much going on right now to take any time off. I missed a few days when we first got back from the waterfall, and I’m playing catch up. Once this deal is done, I’ll try to take one day off a week. Fair?”

  “You’ll try?” She pulled away from the hollow of his neck, and Quinn was surprised to see tears on her cheeks. “One day a week is not nearly enough time with the man I love, and you can’t even promise me that one day!”

  The man she loved? Time stopped for a fraction of a second, and Quinn forgot how to breathe. He knew he was falling for her, but he had no idea she felt the same way. As traditional as she seemed to be about love, and as much as her ex hurt her, he figured it would take months of courtship to win her heart. Besides that, he’d done a piss poor job of courtship so far.

  “If you love me, Larissa, give me more time.” He hated the pleading tone in his voice, but she needed to know how important this was to him. “I truly want to be with you, but I have to finish this Project Green deal first. I don’t have an option.”

  Her lower lip quivered, but she didn’t say what he longed to hear. She didn’t tell him to take the time he needed.

  He ran his thumb down her cheek, wiping away the tear streak. “Please, Larissa. Wait for me to get this done. I need you in my life. I love you, too.”

  Her chin trembled even harder. “You do?”

  “Yes. I know it’s fast. I know you want assurances that everything will always be perfect, and I wish I could give you that, but that’s something no one can promise. There will be problems in our life, but we can make it through them together. I know Jacob made you scared as hell to trust again, but I know how I feel with no hesitations.” He kissed her tenderly, putting as much of his feelings into the kiss as he possibly could. “I’m in love with you, Larissa Benner.”

  She let out a sob, but her arms circled him and she went crazy, kissing him and crying at the same time.

  After a few minutes, she pulled away, wiping her nose with a low laugh. “This is a sexy look, huh?”

  “Very sexy.”

  She snorted. “Yeah, I hear a crying girl is sure to turn on any guy within a five-mile radius.”

  Quinn nodded. “When the girl is you, that’s true. It’s just too bad for the rest of those sorry saps. They’ll have to find someone else. I get to keep you.”

  “Ha. Lucky, lucky you. A sobbing mess of a woman all to yourself.”

  “Lucky me is right,” he insisted, refusing to let her talk down to herself.

  He rubbed his hand across Larissa’s knee, trailing it up to the hem of her skirt and gripping her thigh. He dared go a bit further when she didn’t protest, caressing her smooth skin all the way up until he could feel the heat between her legs.

  Nipping her earlobe into his mouth, he rubbed at her cotton panties as his rapidly enlarging erection pressed against his jeans. Everything would be okay. It would work out. They loved each other.

  “Let me show you how much I love you,” he whispered.

  Larissa moaned and dropped her head against his shoulder, spreading her legs wider to allow Quinn to stroke her easier.

  Encouraged, he made small circles against the light fabric separating him from her most sensitive place. He loved the change in her breathing when he hit the right spot. She was already damp, ready for his touch. She’d apparently forgiven him and was now ready for something other than talking.

  “I’ve always wanted to make love on the beach,” he said. “No one’s out tonight. Let’s celebrate our commitment right here.”

  “Oh, yes.” Her breath came in short, panting spurts as she shifted herself against his hand. “I want you, Quinn. So much. Now.”

  “Good.” He grinned. “It will be my pleasure.”

  She sucked in another breath when he tucked his finger beneath the band of her panties. “Oh, no. The pleasure will be mine.”

  Chapter 20

  Larissa woke to sunlight streaming into the window. For a few seconds, the king-sized bed beneath her caused some confusion.

  “Good morning, beautiful.”

  Ah... that was right. Quinn asked her to spend the night. Finally.

  She stretched and smiled up at Quinn where he stood near the window. “Good morning, yourself.”

  With a sexy grin, he launched himself across the room, landing on the bed with a hard bounce. He plunged his fingers into her hair, drawing her mouth toward his.

  Panicked, Larissa fought against him, trying to get her mouth away while covering her lips with her hand. “Stop, I have morning breath!”

  Laughing, Quinn kissed the back of her hand. “After everything we did last night, do you think a little morning breath scares me?”

  Memories of all the plac
es their mouths ended up through the course of the night flashed through her mind. She shook her head slowly, but didn’t remove her hand. It didn’t matter what they did during the height of passion. There was no way she’d kiss him before having a little mouthwash.

  Quinn kissed the tip of her nose and then backed away, amusement clear in his expressive grey eyes. “I had a feeling you’d be that way, so I went to the concierge desk and swiped some amenities for you.” He nodded in the direction of the bathroom. “There’s a toothbrush and stuff laid out on the counter, and I snagged some girly shampoo too, in case you want to shower.”

  She had to give him points for starting to know her personality better. Before their walk on the beach last night and declaration of love, she was starting to become convinced he didn’t care. It seemed Quinn was making an effort, though, and she appreciated that.

  “That was thoughtful,” she replied. “Thank you. The bad part is, I have to go home in the same dress. Talk about a walk of shame.”

  “You could wear one of my t-shirts and tighten up the string on a pair of my gym shorts. Then it would be a walk of victory.”

  “You think so, huh?”

  He smirked. “Can you deny that we reached the finish line last night?”

  Larissa licked her lips, savoring thoughts of what they did on the beach and then again in his shower and again in his bed. “Oh, we certainly reached it. Many, many times.” She hopped out of the bed, tugging on the sheet to get it from beneath Quinn to wrap around her torso.

  “Now you’re feeling modest?”

  She pretended affront, raising her nose toward the ceiling. “Just because you had your dirty way with me last night doesn’t mean I’m not a lady.”

  “Don’t forget, you’re my lady.” He made a shooing motion with his hands. “As much as I wish I didn’t have to break this conversation up, you better brush your teeth so we can make out before I leave for work.”

  With a sigh, she walked into the bathroom, closing the door and letting the sheet fall away. The fluffy robe she’d used after showering last night hung on the back of the door and she wrapped herself inside it before hurrying to brush her teeth. She might be disappointed that she and Quinn couldn’t spend the entire day snuggled together in bed, but she wasn’t going to miss her good morning/good-bye kiss.

  Quinn was as good as his word, obtaining everything she needed for her personal hygiene. He’d even procured a soft-bristled brush for her hair. Doing her best to look tidy without taking a lot of time, she flashed a smile at her reflection and decided it would have to do.

  “I’m ready for you,” she called, flinging open the bathroom door.

  Only to find an empty bed.

  “Quinn?”

  “I’m out here,” he called from the front room.

  Drat. Maybe she should have stayed naked to keep his attention longer.

  She walked out of the bedroom to find him sitting at the table, a spread of food placed in front of him.

  “I hope you like waffles and strawberries,” he said, gesturing toward the food. “I took the liberty of ordering your breakfast. Wanna come sit on my lap and eat before I head to the office?”

  Larissa shook her head. “If I sit on your lap, I’d have to convince you not to go to work.”

  His eyes traveled up and down the robe and a shrewdness passed into his gaze. “It could definitely work if you lost the robe.”

  As tempted as she was, Larissa stayed off his lap, opting instead to indulge in the kiss he’d been so eager to give her before.

  He grabbed the back of her head, pulling her close to kiss her deeply. He groaned slightly and then pulled away. “I wish I really could stay with you today.”

  “So do I.” Larissa sat next to him, pulling a plate of waffles toward her. “These look delicious.”

  Quinn grunted agreement, eating his food but also periodically checking something on his cell phone.

  “Looking at football scores?” Larissa asked once she became sick of only hearing the sound of them chewing.

  “E-mail,” he said shortly, not even bothering to look at her.

  Baby steps, she reminded herself. Quinn couldn’t change overnight. It didn’t matter if they loved each other, he still had a job to do and felt like he had to do it all on his own. Besides, she had two massage appointments later in the afternoon, and then Janie needed more work done on her back. It wasn’t like Larissa could forget about her job either, even if she would rather be with Quinn.

  Quinn finished eating long before Larissa made a dent in her breakfast. He stood from the table, gathering his wallet and keys off the half wall that lead to the sitting area.

  “You’re already leaving?” Larissa asked, not really surprised.

  He nodded and bent down to kiss her, the taste of strawberries lingering on his mouth. “I want you to take my car today.” He handed her the keys and pressed a room key card into her other hand. “Drive back to your place. I’ll take the four-wheeler.”

  She shook her head. “It’s only a half mile. I’ll walk.”

  “You could walk, but it won’t be as easy to grab clothes and bring them back without a car to pack them in.”

  “What?” She tipped her head to the side, wondering if she heard him correctly. “My clothes?”

  “I cleaned out a drawer,” he said. “No reason to do the walk of shame each morning, since I want you here with me every night. Bring some stuff over.” He kissed her forehead and went toward the door. “I’ll be working late tonight, but see you when I get home.”

  Not waiting to see if she agreed to his plan, Quinn left, pulling the door closed behind him.

  Larissa stared at the keys. He hadn’t asked her to move in with him, not really. He said to bring some stuff over... that wasn’t the same thing. Sighing, she set the keys aside to finish her breakfast.

  At least it was a start.

  ***

  Quinn sat at his desk, looking over the numbers for Project Green’s projected costs. The company had a good sales pitch. Over the long run, it would save McCallister’s Paradise money to be operating on efficient energy. The question Quinn had to answer before they could come to install solar panels and new appliances in two weeks was how long it would take for the changes to pay off.

  John wanted a detailed list of what they wanted to do, costs, and time it would take, including the costs to the resort to shut down certain facilities while they worked. Quinn had received most of the things he needed from Project Green’s manager, now it was time to crunch numbers. He hoped he could finish everything in time.

  Unfortunately, memories of what Larissa did to him the night before kept distracting him from the numbers and figures. One thing was certain, his lady’s tongue was as talented as her hands.

  He sighed, looking at the picture of her on his computer. Maybe he didn’t have to work as late tonight as he planned. Or he could take the work home with him. Who needed sleep?

  Chuckling, he forced himself to get back to work. After all, Larissa wasn’t going anywhere. If she was asleep when he got home, he had a great way to wake her up.

  ***

  Larissa rubbed the hot stones across Janie’s back. “I think you’re even tighter now than you were when I worked on you yesterday. What did you do today?”

  Janie laughed. “It’s not what I did today that bothered it. Brad came to my place last night.”

  Larissa shook her head. Janie’s sexual appetite never ceased to amaze her. “I know you like your extracurricular activities, but maybe wait a week or so. This could turn into something serious if you don’t let it heal.”

  “You’re one to lecture about extracurricular activities,” Janie said with a short laugh. “Karen from housekeeping said you showed up this morning wearing a little black dress that looked too fancy for eight in the morning. Since I know you specifically bought a little black dress for dinner last night, it made me wonder. What’s the deal?”

  Larissa struggled to keep her blush
es to a minimum. It just figured someone would tell Janie on her. “The beach I jog on has a strict dress code.”

  Janie laughed hard until it changed to a whimper and she grabbed at her lower back.

  “That’s what you get,” Larissa said, moving aside the rocks to loosen the spasming muscle with her fingertips.

  “Your hands are like magic.” Janie relaxed, going limp. “Thanks for fitting me in again today.”

  “Sure.”

  Larissa concentrated on Janie’s back. Part of her wanted to talk about Quinn saying he loved her, but she was also afraid to jinx anything. All day long, she’d debated whether she should follow her marching orders and move some clothes to his place. He expected to see her when he got off work, but Larissa wasn’t sure that was a good idea.

  While she agreed to compromise on how much time they spent together, at least until he finished the current project, Larissa wasn’t sure it was a good idea for him to get into the habit of expecting her to wait around for him all the time.

  “Janie, can I ask a question?”

  “Hmmmm?”

  “How do you get men hanging on your every word? They jump through hoops to be with you. I can’t see you ever sitting alone waiting for someone who may or may not show up.”

  “Because I wouldn’t wait, and all my dates know that.” Janie sighed and shrugged Larissa’s hands away as she sat up. “What’s up, hon? I had the impression you and Quinn were on the outs last night during dinner. When I heard about your dress this morning, I figured it was all worked out.”

  Larissa met Janie’s dark eyes and gave a sigh of her own. “He says he loves me.”

  “For someone like you, I’d say that’s a good thing, but you don’t sound happy.”

  She shrugged. “I thought when you were in love you did anything to be with the other person. I’d drop everything to be with Quinn, but he doesn’t seem as willing to do the same for me.”

  “Do you want a partner, or a lapdog?” Janie asked.

  “Hey!”