12. John
12
JOHN
I paused, gathering my thoughts. She didn’t rush me or ask questions, simply waiting for me to be ready.
“I met Moira at an equipment auction. She was a sales rep, and we talked. I found her attractive, smart. When I was leaving, we bumped into each other, and she gave me her number. I called and asked her out. She lived in Wells, which is another little town close to here.”
“I looked there. Not as nice as Richton.”
I smiled at her words. I had to agree with her.
“She traveled a lot with her job. Always on the go. She was a no-nonsense person. A real go-getter.” I snorted, thinking about it. “A user.”
“What happened?”
“She supposedly lived with a friend. I only saw her place once—she liked to come here. She’d be here, then gone, come back, stay a bit, then off she’d go. I understood because I thought it was what she did. I didn’t particularly like it, but I knew what I was getting into. Or so I thought.”
I scrubbed my hand over my face. “Before I knew it, she was basically living here. Lots of her things were at the farmhouse. When she was around, we hung around Richton. She worked remotely, and I managed the farm. Things seemed great, and the truth was, I was falling hard for her.”
Quinn shifted a little, and I squeezed her leg. “I’m trying to be honest. Does it upset you?”
“No, I have a feeling where this is going, and I don’t like it.”
“Laura didn’t like her, which caused a few issues. Laura saw things I either didn’t see or refused to see. Things that didn’t make sense. A few times, her story didn’t line up. I noticed she had more than one phone. She insisted one was work and one was personal, and I accepted that. But she was lying about that and a whole lot more.”
“She was married?” Quinn guessed.
“Yep. And playing me well.” I had to get up and walk. I kissed Quinn’s hand and paced the room. “She had a husband and another life a few towns over. Wells was her base—her friend knew what she was doing and didn’t care. She lived two lives. I found out her goal with me was to get at my money, drain as much as she could, and disappear. Go back to her other life until she found another idiot. Rinse and repeat.”
“How awful.”
“She used people. Any way she could, the whole time acting like a good person and fooling everyone. She said all the right things. Acted the way she thought I wanted her to act.”
“Laura saw through her.”
“Yep.”
I sat down beside her. “I was stupidly thinking she was the one. I even started to think about marrying her one day.”
She grasped my hand. “Oh, John.” She worried her bottom lip. “How did you find out?”
“It was a fluke. I was helping Bob again. I went to Wells to pick up something for him. I was sitting in my truck, and I saw Moira with another man, getting into a car. She was supposed to be on a business trip, and instantly, I knew something was really wrong. I followed them to a house a few towns away, and I took down the address. I gave it to a friend I know who does some investigation work, and he found out a whole lot of information. She was married. There had been others like me. Findlay was her maiden name. She liked to pick her ‘boyfriends’ from her job.” I laughed without humor. “She had access to my personal profile. My banking. Anyone who was looking to be part of the auctions her company ran. She picked out the best prospects. Or at least, that was what she told me when I confronted her.”
“That must have been terrible.”
“I saw the real her. Luckily, it blew up before she took anything much from me. But it was ugly. She had a lot to say about me. None of it particularly flattering.”
“She broke your heart.”
“She shattered my trust.”
“Then you thought I was doing the same thing.”
I shook my head. “A huge mistake on my part. I know you’re different. You’re real. You didn’t contrive to meet me. You’re not after me for my bank account or to relieve the boredom of being married.”
“That’s what she said?” Quinn asked, horrified.
“Yeah, she liked to walk on the wild side and top up her bank account. Apparently, I was even more boring than her husband, but I was a decent fuck.” I shrugged at Quinn’s startled expression. “She’d thought I’d be rougher.”
Quinn’s eyes widened. “I see.”
I realized she was still confused, and I sighed. “When I was twenty-two, I won the lottery. Not a huge amount—just over a hundred thousand. But instead of spending it, I invested it. I had my finance guy take some risks that paid off, and we doubled it. Then I stashed it in various places—some high-risk, some not. I invested in real estate. I’m not rich, but I have a good solid nest egg. Cody’s education will be paid for. That was my gift to my sister.”
“You always put family first.”
I nodded in agreement.
“But she saw that large amount, plus the money from the houses, and thought she should have some of it. Most of it, if she had her way. Pretend to marry me and get access to the accounts. Drain them and walk.” I barked out another laugh. “She didn’t expect to be found out, and she had no idea how hard it would be to get at the money. She walked away with nothing but a few things I gave her and some cash I kept on hand. Her husband found out what she was doing, and he divorced her. Last I heard, she’d moved to Toronto. Changed careers since there aren’t a lot of farmers living in the big city. I feel sorry for whatever business she chooses and whoever she sinks her claws into next.”
“I’m sorry you went through that.”
“I think we both struck out with our exes.” I took her hands, kissing the inside of her wrist. “But that’s in the past, and we’re looking forward now, together. Right?”
“Yes.”
Then she crawled into my lap, looping her arms around my neck. “You’re not boring. I find you intelligent and interesting. Funny.” She winked. “Even when you’re being a grump.”
I laughed. “Good to know. I live a simple life, Quinn. It’s what I know. What I’m comfortable with.”
“That’s what I want too,” she replied. “A simple life. That doesn’t mean boring. It means being happy, surrounding myself with the people I care about, and enjoying the world around me. Money doesn’t buy happiness. If anything, my marriage taught me that. For all the money Preston has, I don’t think he’s ever been happy since he started accumulating it. Being rich was his goal, but somewhere along the way, he forgot to live.”
I pulled her closer. “So you wanna try not being boring with me for a while?”
She pressed her mouth to mine. “Yes.”
I kissed her, groaning as our tongues slid together in a slow, sensuous dance. She buried herself tighter, her grip on my neck tightening. I slipped my hand under her shirt, tracing her spine, smiling as she shivered. I dropped my hands to her ass, cupping the cheeks and grinding against her. I felt her heat through the material that separated us, and I knew she’d be wet for me.
I pulled back, my breathing fast. Our gazes locked, and she licked her lips.
“You don’t kiss as if you’re just a decent fuck,” she whispered. “I think you’ll make me forget my name.” She ground against me. “And I want you to show me.”
My cock was hard as marble, her dirty confession echoing in my mind.
I gazed down the hall. “Does Abby wake up a lot?”
“No.”
“You really want this? Want me?”
She buried her face into my neck, kissing and biting at my skin. “Yes.”
I stood. “Then hang on, baby. I’ll remind you of your name later. Not that it’ll matter. All you’ll have to remember is that you’re mine.”
I carried her to her bed, laying her down. I pushed the door closed behind me, then turned to look at her. Her dark hair was spread over the pillow, her lips swollen and her gaze warm. Sultry. Focused on me.
She sat up, then pulled her shirt over her head. She wasn’t wearing anything else, and her breasts were full and tempting, the nipples pink and hard, begging for my mouth. My teeth.
I yanked my shirt over my head, dropping it on the floor. In one swift motion, I undid my jeans, pushing them off my hips. My erection tented the front of my boxers as I kicked away my pants and stared at her. I crossed the room, pausing by the edge of the bed, then leaned on my hands, caging her between them as I kissed her. I balanced on one hand, pulling her close with my other. She arched her back, her chest pressing into mine. She was soft and warm against my rougher skin, the delicate bones of her back melding to my hand. I kissed her until she began to tremble, gripping my shoulders and pleading my name quietly. I laid her down and, in one move, stripped her shorts off, revealing her to my eyes. For a moment, she looked panicked until I shook my head. “You are so incredibly beautiful, Quinn. I can’t wait to taste every inch of you. Feel you wrapped around me.”
She looked worried, and I frowned. “What is it?”
“Um, aside from my ex, I don’t have a lot of experience. And he said?—”
I cut her off. “His opinion counts for nothing. I don’t want to know what he said because I don’t care since it was no doubt a lie,” I stated fiercely. “It’s you and me now. I think you’re beautiful. I know we’re going to be amazing together. Trust me?”
“Yes.”
I lifted her foot and kissed the ankle. “Then relax. It’s just us.”
“I like us.”
I fell to my knees, pulling her close. “So do I.”
QUINN
I didn’t plan on the night ending up with John in my bedroom, kneeling in front of me. I was nervous and shaking, but after a few moments, the nerves were replaced by something else entirely. John kissed his way up my legs, pausing behind my knees to tease and taste. He did the same by my thighs. Then he kissed my stomach, ghosting his lips over the stretch marks I’d gotten while pregnant. “Pumpkin kisses,” he whispered. “Adorable.”
Preston had informed me they were unsightly and urged me to try to have them removed. He’d even booked me an appointment and had been upset when he’d found out they could be lessened but not erased. It didn’t really matter since he hadn’t touched me once I was pregnant anyway.
John’s reaction to them made me smile. From now on, I would think of them as Pumpkin kisses.
I gasped as he lowered his head, using his thumbs to open me to his mouth. He teased me, trailing his tongue slowly, circling my clit but not touching it.
“So wet,” he praised. “All for me.”
I groaned when he closed his mouth around me, licking and sucking. The sensation was intense. He lapped and bit. Blew warm air across the top to tease, ran his finger over me in gentle passes until I begged for more, then slid his finger inside, rubbing me hard with his thumb. My body erupted with pleasure when he added a second finger then took me back into his mouth, his tongue doing things that should be illegal. I rolled my hips, trying to get closer. Needing more. Needing everything he would give me. I had never experienced sensations like that. It was as if small bombs were going off in my body, detonating at different times. I gasped and begged. Called his name. Gripped at his hair.
Then my orgasm hit me. I arched my back, a low moan escaping my throat. Everything locked down as wave after wave of pleasure hit me. The small bombs I had been feeling became a boatload of dynamite, exploding and sending me skyrocketing.
Then John was over me, his cock buried deep inside. He was big, thick, and hard. He moved in powerful thrusts, lifting my hips and hitting me in a place I never knew existed. I gripped his forearms, gasping his name. “John. Please. I can’t .”
“You can and you will. You’re going to come all over me.” He lifted me higher. “I won’t last long, baby. It’s been a while, and I want you too much. So you’re gonna come with me, and later, I’ll take my time. You hear me?” he growled out in a voice I’d never heard. It was sexy. Demanding. In charge.
“Oh God,” I whispered, covering my mouth as I felt my body beginning to take over. I wanted to scream, but if I did, I would wake Abby.
“That’s it, Quinn. Feel it. Feel me.” He grinned, his expression intense. “I’m going to fuck you into oblivion, and then we’ll start over.”
His words crashed over me, and I fell again. I was aware of his grip tightening, his low, guttural noises, and I felt the rush of his release deep inside me. I opened my eyes, watching him succumb. The cords on his neck were tight as he threw his head back. His eyes were shut as he grunted and moaned my name. He kept moving, drawing out his pleasure and mine.
And then he froze, still holding me tight, heaving out a long, satisfied sigh.
He opened his eyes, our gazes locking. Tenderly, he pulled out, and my body protested his absence. “You all right?” he asked. He looked down, frowned, and stepped back. “ Holy shit , I was so carried away, I didn’t… We didn’t…”
“I’m on birth control,” I assured him. “And I haven’t since before Abby was born.”
He looked startled, then cupped my cheek. “It’s been a long time for me as well. And I was checked.”
“Me too.”
“I’ll get some condoms tomorrow, though.”
I felt my blush. “Okay.”
We snuck to the bathroom, cleaning up, then back to my room. We snuggled for a while, talking quietly. We didn’t bring up our pasts or anything heavy. We shared a few stories, opening up a little more to each other. “Do you want more kids?” he asked.
“Yes.” I swallowed, worried about his answer. “Do you?”
“A houseful.”
“Oh.”
“Do you see yourself settling here, Quinn?” he asked. “For good?”
I peered up at him, seeing that vulnerability again on his face. “I like it here a lot. Especially now. I have no plans on leaving.”
“Especially now?” he teased. “Because you painted the house?”
I giggled. “No, because my landlord is walking sex on legs and likes my cooking.”
He nipped my neck. “That’s not the only thing he likes.” He kissed me again, pulling me tight to his chest. My heart began to race, and desire swept over me. I wanted him again.
He eased back, pressing his forehead to mine. His breathing was heavy.
“I guess I’d better not risk staying the night.”
I felt the flash of disappointment even though I knew he was right. “Probably.”
“If I don’t go soon, I won’t be able to tear myself away from you.”
I peered up at him. “Really?”
His kiss was soft and sweet this time. “Really.”
“How about I come to the farmhouse and make dinner tomorrow?”
“How about you come to the farmhouse, and I’ll grill. You cook all day.”
“You work too.”
“We’ll make it together.”
“Deal.”
He rolled from bed, pulling on his clothes. I wrapped a robe around me, following him to the door. He turned, drawing me into his arms and kissing me until I had trouble breathing. He stepped back, looking regretful. “Tomorrow,” he promised as he opened the door.
“John?” I murmured, waiting until he met my eyes. “That was more than decent. I’d give you an A.”
A wicked grin crossed his face, and he smirked, shutting the door behind him. Before I could stop him, he swung me into his arms, heading back down the hall. In my room, he tossed me onto the bed.
“A?” he said, sounding disgusted. “I’m not leaving until I get an A fucking plus. So, get ready, baby. It’s gonna be a long night.”
Then he was on me.
And I was good with that.