Dawson Family Boxset (Books 1-3)

by Emily Goodwin

  Marissa just left, and I’m doing laundry while talking to Mom on the phone. She’s checking in like she always does, and only mentions the gender reveal party fifty times. I fold the last of my towels and set the stack on top of my coffee table. Luna jumps up and sits on them, knocking the stack over. I purse my lips and look at her, shaking my head.

  “So,” I interject the moment there’s a lull in the conversation. “I met Archer’s brother.”

  “Robert? How’s he doing? I feel bad to say I haven’t asked about him in years.”

  “Not too well. I didn’t know how bad off he was. Why didn’t you ever tell me?”

  “I wouldn’t say we deliberately didn’t tell you, but it didn’t directly concern you and you were rather young when Archer first started staying with us.”

  I look at Neville and roll my eyes. My parents and my brothers have always been overprotective. Though I’m being biased right now because Archer is my boyfriend.

  “And Archer never wanted to talk about it. I never knew the full details, honey.”

  “Oh, I thought you did.”

  “He let us know what was going on the first time he stayed with us, and we could tell how uncomfortable it made him to talk about it. We told him he didn’t need to explain. He knew he was welcome whenever, and Dean would simply text me and tell me if he was bringing Archer back with him when he left home. We knew Robert struggled and didn’t want Archer to feel like he owed us an explanation.”

  And now I’m suddenly emotional by my mother welcoming Archer with no questions asked. I hope I’m at least half as good a mother as she is.

  “Boots!” Mom yells at one of her dogs. “Drop it. Drop it. I said drop it.” Dog tags jingle and one of the other dogs bark. “He’s been terrible with getting things out of the garbage lately.”

  That’s why I like cats. They’re much easier.

  “I’m going to have to call you back.” Mom sighs heavily. “I need to pick up this trash before your father gets in the house. Love you, honey.”

  “Love you too.”

  I hang up, thinking about what Mom said, and it hits me hard again just what Archer gave up for me. And I swear, I’ll do whatever I can to make things right between Dean and Archer again.

  10

  Archer

  I haven’t seen Quinn in over a week, and when we met a week ago, it was brief. She was finishing a project and I was doing back-to-back call shifts. We’ve talked and texted every day, and FaceTimed as often as we could. I miss her like crazy, and now I agree that absence makes the heart grow fonder.

  I just got done working a long shift, and I’m hot and sweaty from standing in the OR for the last surgery I performed. It took twice as long as we expected; once I opened the guy up, I realized the damage was much, much worse than anticipated. It was a tense process, and I’m so fucking grateful I had my preferred team working with me.

  “You ready to go get some pussy now?” Sam asks, pulling his scrub top over his head. We’re in the locker room, changing out of our surgery scrubs.

  “I’ve been ready since the last time we said goodbye.”

  Sam shakes his head. “I couldn’t do long-distance.”

  “You don’t do long-term.”

  “That is true. Maybe someday I’ll knock up a chick and be forced to settle down.”

  He’s joking, but his words hit a nerve. Sam has a special way of doing that to pretty much everyone. He knows I’ve liked Quinn for years. He encouraged me to ‘fuck her out of my system’ weeks ago. I’m not being forced, but the worry that Quinn is becomes salient in my mind again. “We’re not being forced.”

  “I’m just giving you shit,” he says, able to see the question in my eyes. “She’s crazy about you.”

  I toss my surgical scrubs in the laundry and tuck in my shirt. I have to do rounds with patients and meet with another for a consultation before I can leave. I’ve been here all night and I’m tired, my shoulders are sore, and I want off my fucking feet.

  “And she’s good for you, man,” Sam says, checking his hair in the mirror. I hang my stethoscope around my neck. “She’s hot, smart, and rich. All things I love about a woman.”

  “Glad you have your priorities in check.” Quinn is so much more than that, and I’m feeling even more anxious to see her now. She knows I worked a long-ass shift and thinks I’m going home to sleep for a decent six hours before heading out. We’re meeting in Eastwood and are staying at her parents’ house for the weekend. We haven’t seen her family since we told them about the baby, and Quinn has some sort of grand plan to get Dean to stop being an asshole.

  Sam and I stop in the breakroom for water, the whole surgical team makes it a point to stay hydrated between operations, and then I go out to the PACU to check on my patients.

  Doing patient rounds, reviewing nurses’ notes, and writing in new orders takes a long time, but hey, at least I’m sitting down at a desk for a while. Then I meet with another patient, a nineteen-year-old girl who needs her gallbladder removed and finally do one last check-in with the guy I sliced open hours ago. I’m a bit concerned about his vitals, and probably annoy the on-call surgeon by going over things twice.

  Finally, I go home, shower, pack my shit for the weekend, and take a power nap. Quinn was leaving for Eastwood this afternoon, only having to work a half day at the office. She thinks I’ll be sleeping the whole afternoon, but I have a different idea.

  I put my Jeep in park and get out, feeling the hot summer sun beat down on me already. Dogs run along the fence of the Dawsons’ yard, barking and wagging their tails. I go around and grab my bag from the passenger side. Quinn left Chicago not that long ago and should be here in an hour or less.

  I’ve never been this excited to see someone before.

  The gate creaks open, and I look up, seeing Mrs. Dawson trying to sneak out of the fenced-in yard without the dogs escaping. There’s four of them, and Carlos, the smallest, slips right past and runs full speed at me, jumping up with excitement. I set my bag down and pick him up, hoping he doesn’t get too excited and piss all over me.

  “Archer!” Mrs. Dawson exclaims, tying a sheer wrap around her waist. She’s wearing a big floppy hat and a swimsuit. Country music softly floats through the yard, and the smell of sunscreen and chlorine permeate the air. It instantly takes me back to the summers I spent here, stealing glances of Quinn in her bikini. I wouldn’t dare let anyone know I was thinking of spreading her legs and burying my head in between. I hated that I was so attracted to her, and tried to shake it. Really, I did. She’s four years younger than me, and while the age difference is nothing now, it was back then.

  “I didn’t think you’d be here yet.” Mrs. Dawson pulls me in for a hug and takes Carlos, tucking him under her arm. “Quinn said you wouldn’t make it until this evening.”

  “That was the plan, but I wanted to surprise her.”

  A big smile spreads over Mrs. Dawson’s face. “She’s going to love that. I happen to know she misses you quite a bit.”

  “I miss her too.”

  “Come in.” She turns and motions for me to follow her back through the gate. The Dawsons have the perfect set-up, looking like something straight from a movie about the all-American family. Their house is a century-old farm house that Quinn’s dad restored himself. Well, with the help of his construction crews that is. The in-ground pool and the covered patio are new additions of course. Dean and I spent a lot of time out here in the summer, and it didn’t take long to realize how easy it was to get the small-town girls to come back to the pool with us when I dropped the ‘I’m going to med school’ line on them.

  But with the fun aspect aside, something else always struck me. This house is the heart of the Dawson clan, the place where everyone still gathers as a family. If I hadn’t seen it firsthand, I don’t know if I’d think it’s possible. As loving and caring as my own parents are, things didn’t work out this well for us.

  How the fuck did the Dawsons raise five kids who tu
rned out better than okay?

  “Are you hungry?” Mrs. Dawson asks, going to the radio on the patio table. She turns down the volume and grabs a towel, calling Chrissy over. The dog is in the pool again, splashing around as she plays with a floating rubber ball. She comes running, shaking off before she gets to us.

  “I’m always hungry,” I answer.

  “I’ll make you something. What do you want?”

  “You don’t have to make anything.”

  “Nonsense.” She towels Chrissy off only to have the dog take off running and jumping back in the pool. “You can stay out then,” she says to the dog and hangs the towel up in the sun to dry.

  “Did you come straight from work?”

  I’m wearing blue scrubs that have Archer Jones, M.D. embroidered above the right pocket. “Kind of. I went in to check on a patient before I left.” I technically didn’t need to wear the scrubs just to go in—and I’m glad I did. My patient’s vitals weren’t where I want them to be, so I had him moved to the ICU for closer monitoring. But scrubs are comfortable and wearing my ‘doctor clothes’ is a bit of an inside joke with Quinn.

  We move inside, and I put my bag down and join Mrs. Dawson in the kitchen. She pulls out leftovers, and she asks me about work as I eat. Then she calls Quinn to find out where she is, and she’s only twenty minutes away.

  “I actually need to run some errands,” Mrs. Dawson says, letting the dogs in again. Chrissy is more or less dry this time. “It’s up to you, but if I took your car, Quinn wouldn’t know you were here until she walked in the house. And then you two can have some time to catch up before the house fills with people.” She smiles, and I’m vaguely aware that she’s leaving us alone so we can have sex.

  “That’s a great idea.”

  “Quinn likes surprises. And I think it’s so sweet you came here early in the first place.”

  “I really care about her. I’d do anything to make her happy.”

  Mrs. Dawson smiles, eyes glistening. “I know you would.” She pats my shoulder and goes to change. I finish eating and put my dishes away. I’m wiping down the counter when the dogs all run to the sliding glass doors barking.

  “Knock it off,” Mrs. Dawson scolds, coming back into the kitchen. “It’s a bunny. Leave the poor thing alone.” She picks up Boots, who’s the leader of the barking, and puts him down on the couch. “They’ve been doing this all day. I swear that rabbit is teasing them on purpose.”

  I laugh and give Mrs. Dawson my keys. Once she leaves, I carry my stuff upstairs into Quinn’s old bedroom, and brush my teeth. It’s been fifteen minutes, and I’m literally watching the time tick by on my phone.

  The dogs are at the back door, barking again. I go downstairs and see a little brown rabbit on the patio. It’s staring in at the dogs, and I think it’s teasing the dogs too. Yawning, I go to the couch and lay down, closing my eyes until Quinn gets here.

  My heart speeds up when the garage door opens and closes. I stay on the couch, out of her direct line of sight.

  “Hello?” Quinn calls and the dogs go crazy with excitement. “Mom?” Slowly sitting up, I watch her greet the dogs, going for Rufus first. Her long, brunette hair is in a messy braid that falls over her shoulder, and she’s not wearing makeup. Little freckles dot her face, only visible in the summer from being out in the sun.

  God, she’s beautiful.

  I get up, and the dogs take off, coming back over to me and giving me away. Quinn’s eyes widen, and she gasps.

  “Arch!” Her hands fly to her mouth. She’s still wearing the brace on her left arm.

  “Surprise.”

  And now I can’t get to her fast enough. She throws her arms around me and I pick her up, spinning her in a circle.

  “What are you doing here? Wait. Kiss me now. Talk later.” She puts her mouth to mine, and once I start kissing her, I can’t stop. I pick her up and put her on the counter, hands running all over her body. “Archer,” she moans, and I suck at her neck. “Mmmm…Archer.”

  Her hands land on my shoulders. I bite the flesh on her neck. She squeezes her legs around me and arches her back, pressing her breasts against me.

  “Archer.”

  Blinking, I lean back. “Is something wrong?”

  “No. Not at all. But I really have to pee.”

  “Oh.” I step back and help her off the counter. “I got carried away.”

  She runs her eyes over me. “Me too. Especially in those doctor clothes.”

  I laugh. “That’s why I wore them. Though I have to say, you look much better in doctor clothes than I do.”

  “I think it was the lack of clothes.” She wiggles her eyebrows and hurries to the bathroom. Letting out a breath, I step back, petting Rufus. Boots is at the window again, growling, which gets the other dogs going.

  “What is going on?” Quinn asks once she comes out of the bathroom.

  “There’s a bunny outside.”

  Quinn rolls her eyes and laughs. “Such a threat.”

  “Your mom said they’ve been doing it all day.”

  Quinn comes back over to me and hooks her arms around my neck. “Speaking of, where is she? And where is your car?”

  I clasp my hands on her waist. “She went out to run errands and took my car so you wouldn’t know I was here.”

  “So you’re saying we have some time alone?”

  I bend my head down. “I’d fuck you even if we weren’t alone.”

  Quinn moans, tipping her head up and looking me in the eyes. Her tongue darts out, wetting her lips. Slowly. Deliberately. And I can’t wait anymore.

  I scoop Quinn up and carry her upstairs. She grips me tight and doesn’t let go. I fall onto the bed with her, my body moving over hers. I can’t stay away. There’s something magnetic about her, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t resist.

  Not that I want to.

  Quinn widens her legs, welcoming me between. She rakes her fingers up my back and smiles deviously.

  “I’ve dreamed about this, Dr. Jones.”

  “You dream about me?”

  “Pretty much every night.” She lets out a breath and bucks her hips. “And the whole Grey’s Anatomy sex fantasy is something I want. Don’t laugh.”

  “I definitely won’t laugh. And feel free to call me Dr. McDreamy.”

  I don’t laugh, but Quinn does, and I raise my eyebrows, trying to be serious. How is it possible to be so turned on, to have my cock begging to be balls deep inside of her at the same time as we’re joking and laughing?

  It’s because I’m in love with this woman.

  I brush loose strands of Quinn’s hair out of her face and move back down to kiss her. She bunches up my shirt and I sit up so she can pull it over my head. Her lips part as she looks me over and seeing her getting hot and bothered by looking at me gets me going even more than I was before.

  Dragging a hand over my chest, Quinn brings it down and cups my balls through my pants.

  “I missed this,” she whispers.

  “It missed you too.” I kiss her again, and feeling her body against mine is the best homecoming I could ever ask for. I knew I missed her but damn, having her here with me now makes me realize all over again how much it fucking sucks to be apart.

  I pull down the short athletic shorts she’s wearing and sweep my fingers over her clit. I can feel the heat through her panties, and she moans as soon as I touch her. My cock is so fucking hard, begging for a release. Normally, I like to tease Quinn. Draw things out. Make her quiver and beg for me to fuck her.

  But I don’t think I can hold out right now.

  She lifts her ass off the mattress, letting me strip her bare. Kissing her lips once more before moving down, I pull her close and roll over, bringing her on top so I can unhook her bra.

  “It clasps in the front,” she breathes, taking her shirt off, revealing her breasts, which are held back by a white bra. She undoes it and tosses it on the floor. I take her breasts in each hand, remembering that she mentioned being
overly sensitive thanks to pregnancy hormones.

  “I think your tits got bigger, babe.”

  “They did.” She looks down, putting her hands over mine. “All my bras are tight.” She flashes a smile. “I like it.”

  “I do too.”

  Quinn does a little shimmy, wiggling her eyebrows at me. “You do? You like this?”

  I flip her over and move down, flicking my tongue over her nipple as I make my way down to her sweet cunt. She settles back against the bed, preparing herself for what’s coming.

  Precum wets my boxers, and my balls are so tight it almost hurts. With more self-control than I knew was possible, I lick the inside of her thigh, moving my mouth closer and closer to her pussy. I flick my eyes to her face before diving in, eating her out. Quinn moans and moves her hips against my face, wanting it rougher than I usually give it to her.

  I slide my hands under her ass and lift her off the mattress, lashing my tongue against her clit. Her breathing quickens and her hand lands on top of my head, fingers tangling in my hair. She pulls it hard, and nearly at the same time I feel her pussy spasm. I lower her back onto the mattress just so I can slip a finger inside her, going to her g-spot.

  “Ohhh fuck,” she mumbles, pulling my hair again. She’s moments away from coming. I speed up my movements, feeling close to blowing a load even though she’s not touching me. Being with Quinn is like all my fantasies come to life—but better.

  “Ohhh, Archer,” she squeals, pussy contracting wildly. Wetness spills from her and I lick up every last drop, getting drunk on her. I set her back down and scramble on top of her. She’s still reeling, eyes closed and breaths coming out in huffs. Her pert nipples rub against my chest, and she tries and fails to pull my pants down. Impatient, I pull them off and her hands land on my ass, pressing me against her core.

  My cock rubs against her, and I swear I could come right here and now before I even push my big dick into her. Her eyes flutter open and she brings one hand up, running it through my hair.