“At the time, those words were what I thought I wanted you to say. Now, I’m so grateful you didn’t. Thank you for being strong when I couldn’t be.” I laid my hand on top of his, pressing my palm against his knuckles, thinking how easy it would be to coax those fingers just a little further . . .
“The next night, I got drunker than I had since Matt died. I had to do anything to forget, you know? To wipe away the memory of you crying.” He shuddered. “I know Nate was right. I know we needed time to figure out why things went wrong before and to be sure we really were ready to be together, but I never want to go through that again.”
“Me, neither.” I paused. “Although I don’t think we’ve worked through everything. I was thinking, when Ellie and I were waiting for you today, that even though I apologized for doing it, I never told you how wrong I was to leave you that summer in Carolina.”
“I thought we weren’t doing regrets.” We pulled up to the guard gate, and Leo stopped to roll down the window and show his ID to the attendant, who lifted the gate for us.
“This isn’t regret. This is an explanation and you understanding why I freaked out. We call that growth.” I winked at him.
“All right, then. Go ahead. You explain, I’ll understand, and we’ll both grow.” He turned into his driveway, but neither of us made a move to get out of the car yet.
“That summer . . . it was wonderful, beyond words. But when the media stuff started getting out of hand, I didn’t know how to handle it. Part of me wanted you to be with me all the time, to tell the world that I was your girlfriend, that you loved me and that everyone else had to back off. I know that’s unrealistic, but . . . I was insecure.” I fiddled with the handle of my purse. “Still, I might have stuck it out, but when the college wanted you to do that piece and pretend you didn’t have a girlfriend, to deny that we were together, that hurt. And even though the logical part of my brain understood why you had to go along with it, I wanted you to be more upset. I think that’s why I left. I wanted to see if you’d come after me and prove that you loved me.”
Leo laid his head back against the seat and closed his eyes. “And I wanted you to stay, to prove that you loved me. I told myself that I was giving you time and space, like you’d asked, but the truth was, I was devastated when you walked out. I felt like you’d abandoned me. I’d thought that nothing could tear us apart again, and then you did.”
Tears burned my eyes. “I know we promised no more apologies, but for what it’s worth, the Quinn from back then says she’s sorry to the Leo from back then. And she loves him, and she wishes that she’d never left. She wished every day that she had stayed. She knew she’d made the wrong choice the minute the door closed behind her.”
Leo unbuckled his seat belt, turned off the engine and swiveled in his seat so that his knee bent as he faced me. He cupped the back of my neck with one hand, drawing me close, and with the other, he traced the line of my cheekbone until my eyes slid shut.
“No regrets. Only now. Only forever.”
His lips brushed over mine, softly, and then less gently, he coaxed my mouth open, searing a line of heat from my head down to my core. I was on fire again, and this time, I was ready to burn.
“Take me inside, Leo. Forever starts now.”
Future Days by Pearl Jam
The last time Quinn had been in my house, I’d been in agony, wanting her and yet knowing the timing wasn’t right yet. So as I led her up the steps and to my front door, I was determined to erase all the bad memories and replace them with only good ones.
Before I turned the doorknob, I paused, gazing down at her. “The day I found this townhouse, I’d been looking at places all day. My mom was with me. Everyone had told me not to buy right away, in case I didn’t last the season in Richmond or if I got traded or whatever, but I had a hunch. I knew I wanted to buy a place to live and not be just renting. I was ready for something permanent.”
She nodded, expectant.
“I couldn’t put my finger on why none of the houses seemed quite right. Then I realized it was because I couldn’t see you in any of them. When I stood here for the first time, though, I turned around and looked at the neighborhood, the front lawn . . . the view.” I steered Quinn by the shoulders, pulling her back against me and pointing. “Look. We’re on a hill here, and you can see for a pretty fair distance.”
“Ohhh, yes,” she breathed out. “And wow, some of the trees are already beginning to change. I bet it’s beautiful at the height of leaf peeping season.”
“It is. Anyway, I thought, Quinn would love this view and this porch.” I motioned to the empty space. “I could just imagine us putting a porch swing right there and you having a place to curl up and read.”
“It would be perfect.” She smiled. “I’d bring my coffee out here and just read in the peace and quiet.”
Pushing open the door, I stood back so she could walk ahead of me. I dropped my duffel bag by the hallway arch and pulled Quinn into the great room with me.
“I loved the entry right away, and then I stepped in here. When I saw the fireplace, I imagined sitting with you here on winter evenings, talking about our days and making out in front of a roaring fire.”
She tilted her head up to smirk at me. “Ah. And in this fantasy, do we have a bear skin rug?”
I wrinkled my nose. “Um, no. That sounds like it would itch. I was thinking a big, thick quilt or something. And lots of pillows.”
Quinn laughed. “Duly noted. And this is a beautiful room. I remember thinking that the night I was here.”
I sighed. “The night you were here, I wanted to throw you down in front of the fireplace, quilt or no quilt. I showed a lot of restraint.” And I had to exercise just a little bit more of that now, too. “Come on. The tour isn’t over yet.”
Next we stopped in the dining room. “In here, I could see you sitting next to me when we had people over for dinner. A couple of teammates, maybe. And I pictured you sliding off your shoes under the table and rubbing my leg with your foot . . . you know, just a little tease. And then when our company left, I’d help you clear off the table, and we’d go into the kitchen . . .” I tugged her by the hand into the kitchen that had made my mom gasp when she’d seen it the first time.
Stainless steel appliances, marble countertops and a wide tile floor accented a room that was bigger by half than most of the other kitchens in this neighborhood. My mom had put a small table for two in the nook by the bay window that looked out over the deck and my massive backyard.
“See that, there? That’s where I saw us eating breakfast every morning.” I spun her to stand against the island countertop. “But back to what we’d be doing after a dinner party. We’d carry in the plates, see, put them in the sink, and then—” I took a step closer and slid my hands to her hips, plastering my body against hers. “And then I’d lift you up onto the counter.” I matched my actions to my words and positioned myself between her legs, rubbing her jeans-covered thighs. “And I’d take advantage of the perfect height here to kiss you hard and cop a feel of these luscious tits.”
Quinn’s cheeks flushed pink, and she shifted restlessly, a sure sign that she was insanely turned on. I remembered that.
“And then what would happen? Would you help me finish cleaning up?”
I slowly shook my head. “No. Well, not then. I’d pick you up, carry you to the bedroom and . . . let’s just say the dishes would wait until the next morning.”
“Oh.” She wound her arms around my neck and rested her forehead against mine. “Leo?”
“Yeah?” It was so easy to get lost in her eyes. I was nearly drowning.
“Is the tour finished?”
I moved my head side to side. “Not quite yet. I need to show you the room that sold me on this house. It’s a room you didn’t see when you were here before.”
“Okay.” She made as if to slide off the counter, but I caught her, scooping her easily into my arms.
“Allow me. This is part of
the tour, you know. All part of the service.” I strode to the hallway, pausing only to dip down and snag my duffel as we passed.
With a few more steps, we were just outside my bedroom. I paused to draw in a deep breath before I nudged open the door. This was it. These next few moments were for all the marbles. And I needed to seriously rock everything I said and did.
“Oh, Leo.” Quinn’s mouth dropped open a little as she took in the master bedroom. It was large, but more striking than that was its shape, which was almost pentagonal. One wall boasted another fireplace, this one smaller than that in the living room. The bed was pushed up against another, and the rest was all glass, floor-to-ceiling windows and a set of French doors that led to a small private terrace, surrounded by a high stone wall to keep it hidden from the rest of the world.
Opposite the wall of windows, the room opened to a smaller sitting area and a spacious bathroom. It included a dressing table and a lighted walk-in closet.
“I could see you in here most.” I made a slow spin to give her the whole effect. “I saw this as our oasis. The whole house is that, I guess, but for me, no matter what else is going on in our lives, this is the place where you and I can always be us. Not Leo Taylor, tight end for the Richmond Rebels. Not Quinn Russell, hotshot journalist. Not the Trio. Just . . . us. You and me.”
I let her body slide down mine until her feet hit the floor. Looping my arms around her waist, I held her to me. “Mia, I know we’ve still got things to work out. I want to keep at it. I don’t want to bury our shit under a rug or pretend we’re perfect. But I want to deal with all of it together. I want us to be together, and not just for now, not until we see if things are good. I want you to live with me here, in this house I picked out because I could see you all over it.”
Quinn rested her cheek against my chest. I felt her tears soaking into my shirt, and I could only hope and pray that they were the happy kind. Swallowing hard, I went on, laying everything on the line and going for broke. In the back of my mind, I heard the old Eatonboro High Eagles chant: Go big or go home.
“Mia Quinn.” I dropped to my knees and held both of her hands tightly in mine. “I love you beyond my ability to express it. I’ve loved you for so long that I can’t remember when my heart didn’t beat for you. You are all I need and all I want, and there isn’t anything I won’t do to prove it to you. You said once that I had everything I’d ever dreamed of having. I told you that you were wrong, because nothing I have, nothing I am means a damn thing if you’re not with me. I want you to live here with me, and I want you to be mine. Marry me, Mia. Let me be yours. Be mine for the rest of our lives.”
The next few seconds felt like an eternity. They were the longest of my life, and silence had never sounded so loud.
And then Quinn sank to her knees, freeing her hands from mine and wrapping her arms around my neck. “All I’ve ever wanted is you, Leo. You’ve been my wish since I knew how to dream. I’ll be yours, if you want me. Yes, Leo. My answer is yes.”
There was nothing else I could do in that moment except to kiss her, to kiss my girl so thoroughly that she could feel down to her toes every single bit of joy and exhilaration I was experiencing right now.
When I let her up for air, she leaned her cheek against mine and whispered in my ear. “Can we test out this amazing bed you have right here now, or do you have anything else we need to talk about first?”
I chuckled. “No, I think I’ve used up all the words I have for the rest of the day. I’m willing to express myself in another way.” I nibbled a line along her jaw and was about to go further when I remembered something. “Oh, shit, I almost forgot. Hold on. Stay here. Don’t move.”
“Okay . . .” Quinn frowned as I jumped to my feet and unzipped my duffel bag, still lying on the floor where I’d left it. I riffled through it quickly until I found what I needed.
“Here.” I thrust a handful of dark blue silky material at Quinn. “As promised. Now, of course, you need to keep your end of the bargain.”
She rose to her feet, too, shaking out the cloth, a huge smile spreading over her face as she realized what it was. She held it up against her, stroking her fingers over the number and name. Twenty-two. TAYLOR.
“It’s perfect. Exactly what I want to seal our engagement.”
“I’m glad you agree.” I closed my hand over hers where it clutched the jersey. “I didn’t get you a ring yet, Mia. I wanted us to go together and pick it out. You’re going to be wearing it for the rest of our lives, and I wanted you to have input. We’ll get it tomorrow.”
“I love that idea. But right now, I don’t want to think about tomorrow. I want to focus on right now.” She cocked her head. “Is it okay if I use your bathroom to put this on?”
“Babe, that’s our bathroom now, and sure. I’ll be waiting for you right there.” I pointed to the bed and began tugging at my tie.
Quinn shot me a come-hither glance over her shoulder as she walked toward our bathroom, and I felt my heart speed up. Anticipation was going to kill me . . . but what a way to go.
Within a few minutes, I’d shed my suit, hanging it carefully on the hanger in the nearly empty closet. Since I’d moved in here, I’d pictured Quinn’s clothes dominating this space, her shoes on the racks mixed in with mine, the two of us getting dressed together in the mornings, and even more important, getting undressed at night. There had been nights when I’d been convinced that vision would never happen for real. Yet I’d held on, and here we were. It almost felt too good to be true.
Climbing into bed, I folded my hands behind my head and waited. My usual post-game adrenaline had mixed with my nerves over asking Quinn to marry me, keeping me pumped and alert, but now, relaxing in my bed, floating on the blissful awareness that she’d said yes, I began to doze and drowse a little. The bedroom was awash in gray light as the sun set, and my eyes were heavy . . .
A sound from the bathroom jerked me to alertness, and I half-sat up, a little disoriented until I realized what I’d heard was the door opening. I blinked as my eyes adjusted and then sucked in a breath at the vision before me.
Quinn had taken down her hair so that the dark curls danced over her slim shoulders. My jersey hung on her body, and when she advanced toward me, I could just make out the subtle movement of her boobs beneath the silky nylon. The shirt ended slightly above mid-thigh, leaving her long tan legs bare.
The past and present jumbled for a moment in my mind. I had a sudden flash of memory, the feel of those legs wrapped around my back as I sank down into her, the weight of her breasts in my hands, the taste of her . . . it was all so vivid and so immediate that I gave myself a little pinch to make sure she was really here now, and that I wasn’t in the middle of some psychedelic mind trip.
Then she smiled at me and spoke, her voice low and teasing, and I knew this was real. “Are you going to say something, or are you going to just lay there gaping at me? You’re kind of freaking me out. I’m starting to worry that you’re second-guessing the whole forever thing.”
“Babe. Never.” I sat up and crooked my finger. “Come here. I’d go to you, but I seem to have lost the feeling in my legs.”
Quinn took a few steps closer to me, just beyond my reach. “You know, I realized something while I was getting changed.”
“Oh, yeah? What’s that?” My eyes were glued to her fingers playing with the hem of the jersey.
“I never showed you my piercing when you were in San Francisco. I mean, I know I sent you a picture, but you haven’t seen it . . . up close.” She climbed onto the bed alongside my outstretched legs, and as she did, I caught a flash of skin and tan lines. “Personal.” She crawled up until she was sitting next to my hip.
“So . . . you wanna see?”
Apparently, the power of speech was the next to go after losing my legs, because all I could do was nod.
Quinn rose up on her knees and lifted the edge of the jersey by inches—or maybe centimeters, I couldn’t be sure. By the time she’d bared h
erself to the navel, where a silver hoop glinted in the dim light, my mouth had gone dry and I was convinced my dick had never been so hard.
She dropped one hand to her middle, drawing tantalizing circles around the piercing with the tip of her index finger.
“Wanna . . . touch?”
As if her words had unlocked my temporary paralysis, I lunged toward her, rolling both of us until she lay beneath me, the jersey hiked to just below her breasts. I straddled her hips, my cock between us, straining under the material of my boxers. Quinn’s eyes were luminous as she stared up at me, and then to my surprise, they filled with tears.
“Baby, what’s the matter?” I swiped her cheekbones with my thumbs. “Did I hurt you just now?”
She shook her head, closing her eyes as a couple more salty drops spilled out. “Happy tears. Relieved tears. God, Leo, I thought . . . I was afraid I’d never be here with you like this again. I was terrified we’d never find our way back to each other. I just . . . I love you. I never want to lose you again.”
“I promise you never will.” I gathered her to me, sweeping her hair back so that I could bury my lips in her neck. “This is it, Mia. This is our time. These are our days, just you and me.”
She turned her head a little to gaze up at me. “Love me. Remind me how good we are together. Just—love me hard, Leo. I need you.”
I didn’t need a second invitation. I tipped her head back and touched my lips to hers, thinking I’d be slow and gentle. But the moment her mouth opened to me, it was all over. I could only take and consume, blindly intent on pleasure and connection for both of us.
My tongue thrust into her mouth, and with a muffled cry, Quinn met me, stroke for stroke. Her lips were as aggressive and needy as mine were, and when she sucked my tongue, teasing the underside with the tip of hers, I almost lost my mind.
My hands fumbled under the jersey until I had her tits in my palms. She inhaled sharply and threw back her head, guiding my mouth to the pink tips that wanted my attention. I closed my lips over one at the same time that I teased the other with the pads of my finger and thumb. When Quinn made a low purr of appreciation, I knew I was doing something right.
The Keeping Score Box Set Page 75
