On Paper

by Shae Scott

  Dad chattered all the way back to the car, giddy as I'd ever seen him. If I'd been worried about his approval of Keaton it would have been a waste. I'm pretty sure he'd offer up his blessing for marriage after a day like today.

  "I'll call your mom and let her know we are on our way," Dad said. He walked ahead of us a few steps and I looped my arm through Keaton's as we walked.

  "You sure you want to do family dinner after this?" I asked. I was a little worried that he'd thrown himself into the deep end without thinking.

  "Well, yeah, I gotta win your mom over. Plus, she's making lasagna so I'm not missing that," he teased.

  "Remember this conversation when she has you cornered," I warned. He laughed, confident as ever and completely relaxed. There was a time when his swagger would have annoyed me, but that had been before I got to know the man behind it. Now, I found it incredibly appealing. It was the take charge attitude that now made me feel safe and taken care of.

  Mom was ecstatic to have us over. She'd not only made lasagna, but had a whole spread of food including two kinds of salad, bread and two desserts. I don't know how many people she was planning on feeding, but she'd be living on leftovers for days.

  Over dinner my parents asked Keaton all kinds of questions about his job and his family. It was funny watching him on the other side of the question game. But he was charming and funny and I found myself falling for him even more.

  Once dinner was over and Keaton and I had helped clean the kitchen I told them we needed to get going. We'd had enough parent time for one day and I was ready to get him alone.

  "You want to come back to the hotel with me?" he asked quietly as I pulled onto the highway. I glanced over at him, his eyes locking on mine with lusty promise.

  I nodded once and smiled, "Okay."

  TODAY HAD BEEN different. I'm not sure what I had expected when I’d shown up at Quinn's apartment, I hadn't really given it much thought at all. I just knew that I had to see her, had to hear her voice, had to feel her skin. She was like a drug that I'd been craving for weeks and my only thought had been to get to her.

  But then something surprising started happening. It wasn't just that I needed to have her in my space again or that I needed to feel her pressed against my body or sighing my name on those perfect lips, it was so much more.

  Seeing Quinn with her family and the way she interacted with them and learning the stories about how she'd become the woman that she is, to see where she came from was more than I'd expected. This was the part where I got to start peeling back the layers and seeing inside this girl who had remained such a mystery to me. It's crazy to feel like you really know someone and then to suddenly realize that you only knew a tiny part, that there are so many other nooks and crannies that you've yet to explore. Every person has the big things, the big picture things that everyone gets to see. They are the easy pieces; the top layers that shield you away from the delicate parts. I wanted to dig deeper, peel away each piece until I found the center, the core of what made her Quinn. That was my new craving. I wanted to know her from the inside out, every tiny facet, every flaw that she tried to hide, every memory that shaped her present.

  I took her back to the hotel. I didn't want to take the chance that people would be at her apartment. I didn't want to share her with Lily. I'd had to share her all day and while I'd loved every second of it, now I wanted her all to myself.

  She took in the room, simple and dim. "You aren't sharing a room with Miles?" she asked.

  I shook my head as I crossed the room towards her. "We wanted our own space," I said. Her mouth fell in a silent, “Oh.” I pulled her to me and kissed her nose. "Today was good," I said.

  She grinned, "It was."

  "I like your parents," I smiled, running a finger across her cheek.

  "You won them over. I think they might like you more than they like me at this point," she laughed.

  "It happens," I teased. It made her laugh and she shook her head at me. "What about you? Do you still like me?" I asked. She stared up at me with the sweetest eyes, genuine and focused.

  "More than ever," she admitted.

  I couldn't stop the smile that overtook me. I could try and play it cool with her, but I would fail. And that was okay, because I wanted her to see the real me, the unprotected version. In a way, she'd seen that side all along. She'd never wasted time with the facade. She was only interested in the me that lived beneath.

  The room was dark and quiet and something about it charged the air. I watched as Quinn glanced around, her eyes lingering on the king bed. I walked up behind her, slipping my arms around her waist and pulling her back against me.

  "It feels really good to hold you," I said, my mouth against her ear. She sighed contented.

  "It feels good to be held. I'm glad you don't play by the rules," she said.

  I chuckled, "Me too. I was crazy to think I could leave you behind."

  She turned to face me, her eyes drifting across my face as if she were trying to memorize it. Her hand reached out and traced fingers across the stubble on my jaw.

  "You're here. In my real life." Her voice was soft, almost like she was talking to herself.

  "Real life?" I asked.

  She smiled and nodded. "I never thought I'd get to have you in real life," she admitted.

  "So California was?" I asked, amused.

  "Unexpected," she said. "I never thought I'd get to keep you."

  "And now?"

  "You leave tomorrow," she said quietly.

  "Doesn't mean goodbye.”

  She smiled, "Do we even know what we are getting ourselves into?"

  "Not a clue. But it's going to be one hell of a ride," I said.

  Her face lit up, in that way that made my heart feel like it was too big for my chest, "I'm looking forward to it."

  I WAS PACING, watching the numbers on the arrival board click through, watching the escalator for new arrivals.

  Waiting.

  My stomach was a mess of nerves and excitement. It was silly really. It was just Quinn. It had been three weeks since I’d left her in Kansas City. I'd talked to her every day since then. But shit, I'd missed her. I couldn't wait to grab her up and take her home.

  Home. I was taking her home. She was staying in my space, in my world and I got to keep her there for three whole days. Our love affair was measured in moments of time. I looked forward to the day she found a job here and we could take it all for granted. Until then, all I wanted to do was soak up the time I did have and make it count.

  Finally, her flight registered as landed and I went from pacing to staring. I knew logically it would still take a long time for her to get off of the plane and down here to baggage claim, but I was anxious. I wanted to wish her into life. It was agony, the waiting.

  It seemed to take forever. After countless faces among strangers she finally came into view. That whole thing about your heart skipping? Turns out it's true. Mine missed a full three beats before it remembered to start pumping again. She stood at the top of the escalator searching me out and when our eyes locked she gave me a small wave. The smile broke across my face as I pushed against the traffic to get to her faster. Once she'd cleared the bottom I pulled her to me and wrapped her up in a bear hug.

  "You're here," I said as I squeezed. She laughed against my chest.

  "Hi," she managed; it came out muffled, probably because I was smothering her. I stepped back to give her some air and so I could take her in. She was beautiful. I'd forgotten how beautiful. It was something memory and photo couldn't capture. There was a glow that could only be fully appreciated in person.

  "You're so fucking beautiful, Quinn," I breathed her in, the faint smell of her shampoo waking up my memories. I pulled her close, dipped her back and kissed her. I meant to keep it sweet, but once my lips found hers it ignited the passion and I kissed her deeply. She clung to my neck, holding on as I leaned her back further still, just like in an old Hollywood movie.

  When I finally
put her back on her feet she stared up at me breathless. I smirked at her, her dreamy expression doing wonders for my ego. "I should let you miss me all the time," she laughed. I pulled her in for another hug, unable to handle any of the distance between us.

  "Let's get your stuff," I smiled. I slapped her ass and pushed her towards baggage claim, "I'll take you home and show you exactly how much I missed you. I hope you slept on the plane," I teased.

  I PAID THE delivery guy for dinner and laid it all out on the table. I knew she had to be hungry. I was working hard at being a gentleman by not attacking her the moment we'd entered the apartment. I was showing even more restraint by not following her sexy ass into the shower when she decided she wanted to wash off the travel grime. I'd offered to do it for her, but she'd smiled and told me to wait and order her dinner.

  It was fine. I needed her to have enough energy for what I had planned anyway. I wasn't planning on letting her sleep much tonight. I'd waited too damn long to get her back in my arms to waste any part of it.

  I heard the bathroom door open and called out that dinner was waiting. When I didn't hear her respond I took a step towards the hallway, stopping short when I saw her.

  "Fuck, Quinn, are you trying to kill me?" I growled. She gave me a soft, sexy smile as she posed with one hand on her hip. She was wearing a tiny, black lace cami nightgown that fell just past her hips. I could see straight through it, from the pink bow on her panties to her pebbled pink nipples. My dick was rock hard.

  "You like it? I got it just for you," she teased, running one finger across the swell of her cleavage.

  "Best fucking present I've ever gotten," I said moving towards her.

  "But you haven't even unwrapped it yet," she cooed. She fucking cooed. Like some sex kitten. Who was this girl and how the fuck did I get so lucky?

  "Well, shit, baby, I guess we better fix that." I pulled her to me, running my hand along her thigh, her skin was as smooth as silk, and when I brushed her lacy black panties I could already feel how wet she was.

  I kissed her slow and deep, slowly moving her backwards until I had her pinned against the wall behind her. Her hands wrapped around the back of my neck, tangling in my hair. But, I was in control, she couldn't go anywhere, she was mine to devour. I traced my tongue across her jaw; I sucked her bottom lip, nipping as I savored each taste.

  "I got you dinner. I hope you like cold Thai food because right now I'm taking you to bed."

  "That’s my favorite kind," she said. I lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around me, rubbing her hot core against the painful bulge in my jeans. As I carried her into the bedroom she tugged the t-shirt over my head, making me laugh at her awkward struggle.

  I set her on the floor and took a step back taking a moment to watch her watching me as I slowly unhooked my belt and slid my jeans over my hips; her gaze never wavering, promising me so many things. When I stood before her in just my boxer briefs she moved to me her hand reaching out stroke my erection. Just that small touch had me aching as I pushed into her hands. Fuck, I needed to be slow with her, savor her, but all I could think about was sliding into her, taking her fast and rough.

  "I got you something too," I said, my breath already a little shallow. She quirked up an eyebrow as she continued to stroke me.

  "I see that," she teased.

  "I'm serious, hold on." I moved away from her, painfully. She protested and it made me smile. "Trust me, baby."

  I pulled out the envelope from the bedside table. I had planned on doing this differently, but now I knew I couldn't wait. The need had grown unbearable and it had to be now. I handed her the envelope and she gave me a curious look, confused as to why I was stopping our seduction for this.

  "Open it," I said. I kissed her neck and then bent to kiss her stomach as she opened it up. Her eyes scanned the paper and then locked on mine, still not understanding completely. I stood up and leveled my gaze to hers.

  "These are my test results. I know I have a past, but I want you to know that you are safe with me. Completely safe. Above everything else I want you to know that.” I saw the smile play at her lips as she looked back down at the paper. I took a deep breath, “There’s more. I know it's presumptuous, but I want to be with you without anything else between us. You said you were on the pill, so, I thought . . ." Doubt filled my voice as I realized just how crazy I sounded. Test or no test she may not want to go bare with me. I'd never done it before. I'd never wanted to. But with her, it was all I could think about, to be inside her, to feel her skin to skin, to empty myself in her and claim her somehow. I knew I sounded like a caveman, but it was something I wanted her to say yes to.

  I waited, my heart banging against my chest.

  "You did this for me?" she asked softly.

  "Yeah. Well, for us, for me," I shrugged.

  She turned and put the paper on the nightstand and moved to me. She moved her hands down my chest and then rested them on my hips. Her eyes locked on mine as she began to push my boxer briefs down. Her fingers wrapped around my cock and she began to slide her hand up and down my shaft. It nearly brought me to my knees.

  "You know I trust you. I'm yours, completely," she said. I walked her backwards until her knees hit the bed.

  She was mine. Those words did a number on me. So simple, but spoken with such commitment that it took me over like a wave. I looked down at her face, my heart clenched tightly at the sight of her. I was falling under her spell more each day.

  "You are beautiful." I didn't even recognize my own voice. It was full of emotion and it surprised me, just like it always did. The things that this girl made me feel, the things that she did to my heart--they were consuming. I wanted every part of her. I wanted it and I feared it. It was a constant back and forth, a constant question. Could I do this? Could I fall completely? Go all in? Now that I’d pushed her, convinced her to do this there was a small part of me that worried I was making promises I couldn’t keep.

  She pulled me under with each kiss. She demanded more without ever asking for a thing. It was so simple, yet so complicated. I was my own worst torture, my heart's own enemy. She was my forbidden fruit, my greatest temptation.

  "You make me feel beautiful," she said softly. The tiny strap of her nightgown fell past her shoulder, leaving her skin begging to be touched, to be kissed. The shy, sultry smile on her lips was the perfect kind of contradiction. She was a puzzle and I wanted nothing more than to take my time figuring her out.

  I moved in closer to her, my cock throbbing at the way she ran her tongue across her plump, pink lips. The scraps of lace she wore were so fucking sexy that I wanted to rip them from her body and bury myself deep inside. I wanted to devour her selfishly. But she had taken the time to buy something pretty and I knew she deserved to be seduced slowly, to be worshiped and savored.

  I ran my hands up her arms slowly, my fingers a whisper across her skin. She was silk beneath me and the need to taste her overwhelmed me. I dipped my head to place soft kisses on each shoulder and then across her collarbone. Her breath stuttered beneath my lips, her head falling back to expose more flesh. I took advantage of her invitation kissing her throat, up to her jaw and finally taking her earlobe in between my teeth. The tiny moan that escaped her had me pushing her back, my hand behind her head as I moved her to the pillows and hovered over her.

  I soaked up the visual, burning the image to a memory because when nights got lonely I wanted to remember every curve of her, just like this, staring up at me with lust filled eyes and soft pants of want. My entire body ached, my muscles tense as I willed myself to take my time.

  Her hands moved across my chest, drawing small circles. Soft like a feather, then followed by the bite of nails as her own arousal ramped up with anticipation. I leaned back on my knees, my hands running up her inner thighs. The lace bunched in my palms as I ascended slowly. She moved beneath me, her body already twisting with need. My quiet, questioning girl completely undone and unapologetic in her desire. I loved seeing her
like this. I loved that it was me who brought her to this point. I teased her, slowly tracing her sensitive skin. As I reached the apex of her thighs I ran my fingers across the lace. I could feel the heat there, the dampness that told me how ready she was. She matched me in desire and each of us worked hard to hold back, a practice in patience I wasn't sure either of us would win.

  I hooked a finger at the side of her panties and slowly pulled them down. She lifted slightly to help me, her gaze locked on mine. We didn't have to speak, and the silence in the room only added to the sultry atmosphere that had overtaken us.

  With the lace gone I pushed the camisole up and followed it with kisses across her smooth skin. Higher. Higher until I reached the place I wanted. I craved her, I needed to taste her, hear her whimper, feel her shake beneath me. It was intoxicating to watch her fall over the edge and right now there was nothing I wanted more. I held her eyes, making promises, daring her to let go, warning her that no matter what I was taking her down. There was nothing I loved more than taking every thought away from that pretty little head. I wanted her mindless, open, and completely mine.

  I slid the nightgown up her body until it was gone and then kissed my way back down, taking time to take each of her breasts into my mouth, to work each nipple between my teeth so that they stood at rapt attention.

  I licked my way down her flat abdomen, drawing wet circles on my trek, leaving raised flesh in my wake. She moved against me, with me, searching for something that would relieve the ache I'd placed there. I understood her need, I needed just as much.

  The first flick of my tongue made her gasp, the second made her moan and writhe beneath me. I pressed my hands to her legs, opening her up to me, demanding full access, full control.