Dad Next Door (Crimson Club Book 5)

16. Tristan

Gently,I closed the door to Leo’s room and padded down the hall toward the main part of the house.

“What smells so good?” I asked as I came into the kitchen.

“Dinner.” Quinn opened the oven door and pulled out a casserole dish. “Sit.” He motioned to the table, where a place was already set up for me.

I sat. It was strange to have someone take care of me after work. I was so used to being the one making sure everyone else had what they needed that I felt guilty watching Quinn serve up a healthy portion of what looked like mac and cheese.

“Do you want a beer? Or something else?” he asked, putting the oven mitts back in the drawer.

“Water, but I’ll get it.” I started to stand.

“Sit,” he insisted. “I’ve got it.”

He poured a tall glass of water from the spout on my fridge, then brought everything to the table.

“Thanks,” I said, that uncomfortable feeling back.

“Why do you look like I just put a plate of cat food in front of you?” He settled in the chair next to me. “I promise it’s good. This is my dad’s recipe.”

“It looks amazing.” I picked up my fork. “It’s not the food. I’m just not used to this.”

“You mean someone taking care of you?” he asked knowingly.

I nodded and took a bite. “Holy shit, this is incredible.” I shoveled more into my mouth.

He smirked. “Told ya. And get used to it. You’re not the only adult around anymore.”

“How was work last night?” I asked between bites.

“Pretty good. Had a bit of drama when two of the customers got into a shouting match and had to be escorted out, but otherwise it was a typical Friday night.”

“Did you talk to your coworker about the job?” I asked. “Jett?”

“I did, and he’s excited to come on board. I feel like such a dick for not hiring him sooner.” He leaned back in his chair. “I didn’t even know he was a carpenter until Gray told me a few months ago. I’ve been friends with the kid for a year, and he never said anything. Not even when we talked about how I was starting my business or that I was hiring some of the dancers at the club.”

“Do you know why he didn’t?”

“He said it’s because he didn’t want me to feel pressured, but I think it’s more that he doesn’t know how to advocate for himself. He doesn’t talk much about what life was like for him before he moved here, but he’s said enough that I know he hasn’t had it easy. And he might come off as cocky and combative, but he’s just a scared kid trying to figure out who he is.”

“You can’t blame yourself for not knowing about his training. And it sounds like he doesn’t blame you either.”

“I know. But I still feel bad. He’s been looking for full-time work for longer than I’ve known him. I wish I could have hired him sooner, but I only had so much I could spend on salaries when I started.”

“You can only do so much. I’m sure he understands.”

“I hope so. It’s so crazy how well things are going.” He fiddled with his watch, spinning the number dial absently. “I’ve got almost six months of contracts lined up, and I’m already in a place where I can expand my crew. I thought it would take months, if not years, to get to this point.” He spun the dial on his watch faster, his gaze fixed on a point in the distance.

I knew that look. He called it his dissociative stare.

“Quinn?”

“Sorry.” He shook his head and blinked, which was his way of snapping himself out of his dissociative state. “It’s just so surreal to go from being a guy who shows his junk on the internet to being responsible for the livelihoods of a crew of my friends. A part of me was convinced I’d fail.”

I scooped up more of the mac and cheese. I’d eaten so fast I was almost finished. “You were? Why?”

“Because I have impostor syndrome and a voice in my head that constantly tells me I’m a failure and anything good that happens to me is temporary.” He stopped playing with his watch. “I’m always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Most of the success in my life has nothing to do with me and everything to do with timing. I got into the adult industry when it was becoming normalized and models could become influencers. I started my online work just before the industry took off, so I already had a solid base when the platforms exploded with an influx of models. And now I’m starting my contracting business right as we’re in a housing crisis and a manufactured labor shortage. And my dad is a contractor, so I have connections through him. None of my success is because of me.”

“Quinn.”

He looked at me.

“I know your ADHD makes you worry about things, but you need to look at the full picture. You might have good timing and great connections, but so do most people who are successful. And it doesn’t matter how many connections you have if you don’t put in the work and utilize them. Those things are just the building blocks to success, not the whole recipe.”

He smiled. “Thanks, Tris. I really needed to hear that. Being an adult is weird.”

“It really is.” I stabbed the last few pieces of macaroni on my plate. “I miss the days when I could make a blanket fort and hide from the world.”

“Me too.” He motioned to my plate. “Do you want more?”

“I’m done.” I patted my stomach. “That was really good.”

“I’m glad you liked it.” He gathered my plate and cutlery.

“I can clean up.”

“Nope, you worked all day. I’ve got it.”

“Not gonna lie,” I said as Quinn moved around my kitchen. “Seeing a man clean up is one of my kinks.”

He laughed. “I follow a few creators on TikTok whose entire channels are just them cleaning. One guy does these deep-cleaning videos that are like crack to me. He puts on some earbuds and just cleans. No posing, no sexy outfit. Just a regular guy scrubbing and steam cleaning his apartment and ignoring the camera.”

“I could watch that for hours.”

“I usually do. Time blindness and executive dysfunction are super fun when you’ve got deadlines looming.”

I finished my water and joined him in the kitchen.

He looked toward where all the pets except Maple were waiting in the doorway to the kitchen. “I know they’re waiting for the okay to come in, but it’s a little freaky seeing them lined up like a little pet army while you’re cooking or eating. I’m going to have to get some training secrets from you. My parent’s dog is good about not begging, but she likes to test boundaries.”

Chuckling, I put my glass in the dishwasher. “How do you mean?” I waved the pets in.

“She’s not allowed in the kitchen when there’s food out, so she lays in the doorway and puts her nose right on the threshold. Every once in a while, she’ll sneak a paw over the line and creep forward, like she thinks we won’t see her if she moves slow enough.” He hung up the dish towel he’d been using, then stepped closer until our chests were brushing. “Hi.”

“Hi,” I said, my voice breathy.

He leaned in and pressed a soft kiss against my lips. I grabbed his waist to steady myself as he deepened the kiss, his hard body flush against mine.

“Do you need to go?” I asked dazedly as he pulled away.

“Nope.” His eyes blazed with heat.

“Do you want to go to my room?”

“Yeah.” He stepped back and licked his bottom lip, his eyes roving over me.

I held out my hand. He took it.

With a fortifying breath, I led him to my room.

We’d been so busy the last few weeks we hadn’t gotten to spend much time together. We mostly met up for an hour or so after work when I was on my off weeks, and spent our time chatting, having dinner together, and a few times we’d watched a movie at his place.

In that time, we’d kissed, cuddled on his couch, exchanged a few hurried hand jobs, and engaged in a lot of over-the-clothes touching and frotting.

I didn’t know if Quinn was taking things so slow for my sake or if this was his preferred pace too, but I was ready for more.

He followed me into my room and waited as I locked the door behind us. When I turned to face him, he was smiling softly.

“What?” I asked, feeling a little self-conscious.

“Nothing.” He ran his hand down my arm and gently took my hand. “I just like looking at you.”

My face heated to the point my ears actually hurt from how much they were burning. Awesome. Now I probably looked like an awkward tomato. Talk about sexy.

“Tris.” His soft voice broke through my thoughts.

“Sorry.” I flushed even hotter.

“Don’t be sorry.” He squeezed my hand. “This is a big deal.”

“It shouldn’t be. I’m thirty-eight years old. It’s not like I’m some shy virgin.”

“No, but you’re also healing from years of emotional and physical neglect. We can just talk or whatever. I don’t care what we do as long as we’re both comfortable and get to spend time together.”

Little flutters exploded in my chest. He was so intuitive, so caring. He understood me better than anyone ever had.

“We can talk after.” Hooking one hand around his neck, I dragged him down for a kiss.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and held me tight. His cock, like mine, was already hard.

We stood there, wrapped up together and kissing like our lives depended on it. Like we’d never get the chance to kiss again.

“What do you want?” he asked between kisses, his voice a husky rasp that made my insides tighten.

“You.”

“You’ve got me, Doc.” He gently rubbed my back. “What are you ready for?”

I loved it when he called me that. It felt intimate and special because of how he said it. Like it was a prayer or something to be cherished.

“I’m not sure,” I said honestly.

I wanted to tell him I was ready for all of him, but that was my lust talking. I’d get there at some point, but not yet.

“Do you want to lay down?”

My neck flushed hot. I nodded.

Feeling as nervous as I had the first time I’d gotten horizontal with a guy, I let him lead me to the bed and climbed onto it.

Trying not to think about how I looked, I sat on my butt and scooted so I was in the middle of the mattress.

Quinn climbed onto the bed with all the grace of an apex predator and crawled over to me. His lips found mine in a deep kiss, his tongue sweeping into my mouth.

I lay back, welcoming his solid weight as he blanketed me, pressing me into the mattress.

Still kissing me with those deep, drugging kisses that made my head spin, he threaded his arms under my body and held me tight.

I wrapped myself around him, hooking my ankles together under his ass to lock him in place.

He slowed our kisses, keeping them deep and sensual, and gently rocked his hips so his cock dragged over mine.

One thing I loved about kissing Quinn was how he never rushed. Every touch, every swipe of his tongue or press of his lips, felt deliberate. Like he was savoring each moment of being with me and wasn’t thinking about what would happen next. Like he wanted nothing more than to just exist with me in that moment.

With a low groan, he broke the kiss and trailed his lips across my jaw and down my neck. He nibbled at the skin just under my collarbone, then soothed the spot with his tongue.

Closing my eyes, I ran my hands through his thick hair and lay passively beneath him. He abandoned my collarbone and dragged his tongue up my throat, across my jaw, and to my ear.

“Oh!” I gasped, wiggling under him as he teased the sensitive shell of my ear.

Just when I thought I was going to go crazy from how good it felt, he pulled back to look down at me.

“Can I take off your shirt?” he asked, his voice that sexy rasp I loved so much.

“Yeah. Can I take off yours?”

He nodded, but before I could move to do it, he rolled us so I was on top and he lay under me.

His strong hands gripped the hem of my shirt and tugged it up. I lifted my arms and helped him pull it off.

This was the first time I’d taken my shirt off in front of him, and a niggle of unease passed through me.

I wasn’t ashamed of my looks, but I didn’t celebrate them either. I’d always found the body positivity movement to be a bit toxic. I was all for people loving themselves exactly the way they were, but I preferred body neutrality because it allowed me to be happy without needing to love everything about how I looked.

Quinn’s gaze roamed over my chest to the part of my stomach he could see in this position, then up to my face. The heat in his eyes pushed the lingering fear that he’d realize just how different we looked out of my head and allowed me to focus on him and what we were sharing.

“Now you. I want to see you too.”

He sat up, shifting me so I was straddling his thighs and we were chest to chest. Never taking his eyes off mine, he pulled off his shirt and sweater.

His body was perfection, but before I could get lost admiring it, he drew me in for another achingly sweet kiss.

His big, calloused hands ran up and down my back as his lips and tongue teased mine.

I couldn’t stop touching him. Didn’t want to stop, but my body was tight with need and my hindbrain was screaming for more.

“Can I blow you?” he asked against my lips.

My brain stuttered for a brief second. I’d assumed he’d want to stick to using his hand. I’d been dreaming about getting my mouth on him, but this was a big step for him.

“Tris?” He pulled away and looked into my eyes. “Is that too fast?”

“No.” I let out an involuntary chuckle. “I want to blow you too. I just don’t want you to think you have to reciprocate if you’re not ready.”

He cupped my cheeks, his expression as serious as I’d ever seen it. “Tris. I will never offer anything I don’t want to do. You’re free to say no, obviously, but if I say I want something, then I want it.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize.” He rubbed his thumbs against my cheeks. “You’re not doing anything wrong. I’m just telling you how I work. I’m not the type to do anything unless I want to. And I’ll never use sex to manipulate you. I can’t undo what happened to you in the past, but I can promise it’ll never be like that with me. Never.”

I let his words sink in. He was right. Quinn wasn’t just my boyfriend; he was my best friend. He cared about me and would never do anything to purposely hurt me.

“I don’t blame you for your scars.” He pressed a soft kiss against my lips. “And I know it’ll take time for those wounds to heal. All I ask is that you talk to me when you feel unsure or those old feelings come back. Can you do that?”

I nodded, my throat tight. What had I done to deserve him?

“Good.” He slid his hands from my cheeks to my shoulders and gently squeezed. “Now, can I please suck your dick?”

“Yeah,” I stammered, giddy anticipation replacing my earlier unease.

He smiled, his expression open and earnest and filled with joy.

I expected him to push me onto my back, but instead he leaned in and kissed me, slowly ramping things up until we were back where we were before the pause in the action.

Quinn ran his hand over my cock, gently squeezing the bulge in my pants until I was whimpering into his mouth.

With skilled hands, he opened my pants and slid one into my underwear. His big fist circled my shaft, the touch gentle enough to tease but firm enough to send a burst of pleasure through me.

Needing more, I bucked into his hand, sliding my cock through his fist.

He moaned against my mouth and stroked me.

I clung to him, my body already tight and my head spinning.

Quinn lay back down. I followed him, chasing his kisses. When we were settled, he rolled us over again so I was on the bottom.

The next few minutes were a blur of kisses and teasing strokes on my cock. Just when I thought I would explode from anticipation, he let go of my dick and kissed his way down my body.

He nuzzled right under my belly button, pressing his cheek against my skin. The scratch of his stubble felt good, but I couldn’t stop the little voice in my head from reminding me that I didn’t have washboard abs and that my body hair was less than camera-ready.

Quinn’s throaty moan calmed my thoughts, and the voice shut up when his chin bumped against my cockhead.

Using one hand to hold me in place, he slowly licked around my crown.

Knowing this was the first time he’d ever done this was satisfying on a level I wasn’t ready to acknowledge, let alone unpack. It shouldn’t matter, but it made me feel special. And it reinforced that he truly did find me attractive and he wanted this.

The sound I let out when he sucked my cockhead between his kiss-swollen lips was a weird mix of a gasp and the sound someone made when they swallowed water the wrong way.

His eyelids flipped up, and his heated stare met mine. Slowly, deliberately, he sucked more of me into his mouth.

Watching him do this, seeing the desire in his eyes and feeling the tight suction of his mouth as my length disappeared between his lips, was almost too much. I felt precious and wanted, two things I hadn’t felt in forever.

Quinn made a little choking sound, his throat spasming around my cock as he triggered his gag reflex. He pulled back the slightest bit and used his hand to stroke the part of me he couldn’t get in his mouth. The dual sensations were incredible, and I found myself hurtling toward my release far too soon.

Locking my thighs so I didn’t thrust up into his mouth, I fisted the sheets, unable to take my eyes off him as he moved faster over me and twisted his hand, using his tongue in ways I’d never experienced.

“Oh god.” I trembled under him from the effort of holding still. “I’m gonna come,” I warned him so he could pull off.

He didn’t. He just sucked harder and moved his hand faster.

I came hard, shooting into his waiting mouth as the pleasure exploded. Everything from the roots of my hair to the bottoms of my feet tingled and pulsed from the force of my orgasm.

Quinn sucked me through it, and by the time I could blink my eyes open again, he was smiling.

“Good?” he asked.

“Yeah,” I huffed out a strangled laugh. “If by good you mean mind-bendingly amazing.”

He grinned and shimmied up my body. “I’m glad you enjoyed that. I certainly did.” He kissed me. The lingering taste of me on his lips made my spent dick twitch, but it would be down for a while after that orgasm.

“You did?” I had to ask, some of my previous worries creeping back into my pleasure-addled brain.

“Yup.” He caged me with his arms and lay over me like a predator. “Every second of it.”

I gripped his hips hard. “My turn?”

With a goofy grin, he half threw himself off me and flopped onto the bed.

Laughing at his antics, I rolled onto my side and settled over him, my arms and legs still shaking from my orgasm.

I took my time kissing him, enjoying feeling him under me as the last of the afterglow dissipated.

When I was as eager as him, I kissed my way down his sculpted pecs and chiseled stomach. He waxed for his jobs, and his smooth skin felt amazing against my lips.

He moaned softly when I kissed right above the waistband of his pants and pressed my cheek against his cock. He was rock hard and smelled amazing, like a mix of clean skin and musk.

Greedily, I mouthed his length through his pants.

“Oh god,” he moaned and ran his hands through my hair. “Tris,” he whispered.

Emboldened by his reactions, I undid his pants and fished out his cock.

My mouth watered as I squeezed his thick shaft. I’d already touched him, but a few handies under his clothes couldn’t compare to being able to see and feel all of him up close.

His cock was perfect. Long and thick with a flared head and a prominent vein I wanted to run my tongue over.

“Tris,” he rasped, his huge thighs trembling.

As much as I wanted to keep admiring him, I needed to taste him more.

Giving in to my desire, I dragged my tongue over his vein. His shuddering exhale spurred me on, and I closed my mouth over his tip and gave it a sucking kiss.

He gasped, then gasped again when I sucked harder. Teasing pleasure sounds out of him was almost as fun as finally getting my mouth on him. He was quiet, but not reserved, as I feasted on him, memorizing every ridge and line of his cock as I mapped them with my mouth.

“Tris.” One of his hands fisted in my hair. “I’m close.”

Not wanting to miss a moment of his pleasure, I kept my eyes on his face and slowed my pace, making sure to keep my suction even and my movements steady.

The muscles in his neck went taut as he arched his back, his face screwed up in a mask of desperation.

His cock pulsed in my mouth and his balls drew up tight, hugging the base of his dick.

“Tris,” he moaned. “I’m gonna?—”

A moment later, he tipped over the edge and came with a strangled gasp.

I swallowed everything he gave me, never taking my eyes off his face as he emptied down my throat.

“Jesus,” he mumbled dazedly, his body a limp puddle on the bed.

“Good?” I asked, hating the little part of me that immediately started analyzing the encounter to make sure he really had enjoyed it and hadn’t just been trying to placate me.

“Remember what you said? The mind-bending thing? That, but times one thousand.” He lifted his shaking arms. “Come here.”

I crawled up his body and practically fell on him in my haste to feel his kiss.

He kept them slow and soft, the kind of kiss that comes from a place of intimacy and satiation. The kind of kiss you shared with someone you cared about, someone you never wanted to let go of.

I was the one to pull back, but not because I wanted to. I was just so overwhelmed with feelings and memories I couldn’t focus on kissing anymore.

He hugged me tight and ran his hand over the back of my head when I tucked my face against his neck. I had no idea how long he held me, but he didn’t let go until I pulled away.

“That was amazing.” He brushed some of my hair back from where it had fallen over my forehead, a soft smile on his lips.

“Yeah, it was.” I swallowed the lump in my throat as the urge to thank him hit hard.

That had been the most incredible sexual experience of my life. He’d been perfect, and it wasn’t because he was good at sex or because he’d made me come. It was because he cared about me, and he made my pleasure his priority. I couldn’t remember the last time someone had done that.

“Do you want to lay down for a bit?” he asked.

I nodded, still not trusting my voice.

Carefully, he slid out from under me. “Let’s get comfy.”

We crawled up the bed together, both of us more clumsy than usual. He lay down on my pillow, and I cuddled up against his side, my head on his chest as he wrapped his arms around me.

I wanted to say something, anything, to break the silence, but Quinn just kissed the top of my head and rubbed his cheek against my hair. The steady thump of his heart was like a metronome, calming the last of my racing thoughts.

We lay there for what felt like forever until my eyes grew heavy and the day caught up to me.

Another kiss to my hair startled me out of my daze. Shit. I’d almost fallen asleep on him.

“I should go.” Quinn kissed my hair again. “You need to get some sleep.”

“Yeah.” I sighed and nuzzled into his chest. “You’re so comfy.”

“You are too.” He waited until I pulled my face from his pec, then tipped my chin up to look at him. “But we both know this isn’t the night to have our first sleepover.”

I nodded, grateful he was thinking straight. We hadn’t talked about sharing a bed beyond agreeing it wouldn’t happen with Leo in the house until much later in our relationship. And even if Leo hadn’t been home, I wasn’t sure I was there yet.

With a soft smile, he gave me one last kiss and wiggled out from under me.

Sitting up, we did up our pants and then climbed out of the bed.

He scooped up his shirt. “Night, Doc.” He kissed me again.

“Night.” I looked around for my shirt. “Let me walk you out.”

We pulled our shirts on before slipping out of my room and heading to the front door.