Chapter 29
Twenty-Eight
Wyatt
Quinn tasted like honey. And smelled like coconut.
I dropped the pool cue, hearing it hit with a smack on the bar’s concrete floors, and threaded my fingers through her hair, most likely pulling her braid looser than it already was.
She hummed, and I tried to take the moment deeper; the shock of Quinn kissing me was gone, and the urge to lift her over my shoulder and take her away was growing.
But I slowed and let her control the pace.
She broke the kiss and locked my gaze, letting out a soft gasp, and blinked. Then—I wasn’t sure if it was shock or regret that flashed through her eyes—but she quickly covered her face with her palms and buried her face in my chest.
Hawkins and Sam stared at me; the same stunned look splashed across their faces, with their eyes wide as their goofy smiles grew wider.
I wrapped my arms around Quinn’s shoulders, holding her gently as her breathing picked up.
I shook my head at Hawkins, dropping my jaw and raising my brow—hoping to convey that I had no idea this was in the cards for tonight—but also that he and Sam were no longer a part of my plans.
They both waved a hand in a ‘shoo shoo’ gesture, having my back as the best wingmen in the world.
I cleared my throat and trailed my hands down Quinn’s back. “Quinn,” I rasped, “Do you want to—”
“Dance?” Her head flew up. “Yes. Please.”
“I was gonna suggest we—”
Quinn grabbed my hand, grasping it tight, yanking—literally yanking—me to the small dance floor where, of course, the band stopped their fun country song and replaced it with a slow romantic ballad.
Without looking at me, Quinn spun, her arms flying over my head to rest on my shoulders.
I gently put my hands on her waist, but didn’t move. We didn’t dance.
“Hey, uh…” I whispered, my cheek resting against her temple. “I think we’re supposed to be moving. Swaying at least?”
She trembled. “I had thought of so many things that I wanted to tell you.” She swayed her body lightly. “But the moment I saw you, every thought was gone.”
“Do you want to tell me now?”
Her breath shook her entire body, and I pulled her closer, feeling her start to calm. “I don’t remember, but—I can try to.” Her hands ran down my chest, the pulse of her palms vibrating through me.
“Honestly?” I moved my legs, starting to turn the sway into a dance as the band sang a love song that I needed to get the title of. “The kiss kinda said everything.”
“Do you know how badly I wanted to kiss you after my ride?” She arched her back slightly, her eyebrows pinched.
“Probably as much as I wanted to kiss you,” I admitted, taking the moment to bend and give her a light, chaste kiss on her lips. “Kisses always say everything.”
She let out that sweet hum and then rolled her lips together. “Well, not everything. I just…thought it was the best thing to get my point across in the moment.”
I raised a brow. “What happened to not wanting to screw this up?” I lightly ran my knuckle up her neck until my fingers wove into her hair.
She bit her bottom lip, “I think…you’re worth the risk. But if we figure out that this isn’t going to work—”
“Who said it’s not?” I questioned, but she flew over my words.
“—we can agree to remain friends because, Wyatt…I’ve never had a friend like you, and you’re too important to lose, but…
” she paused her fingers tickling the back of my head as they worked through my hair.
She raised on her tiptoes and pulled me down to her for another kiss.
Her mouth met mine, and my body exploded.
Our tongues danced with one another, seemingly in rhythm to the song, better than our bodies were.
And her moans, her light hums of approval as I took it deeper, were only fueling the fire.
Pressing my body to hers in every way imaginable, her fingers continued to tickle and play with my hair, all while we kissed and kissed.
Both of us breaking for air, she took a deep breath.
“That…” she gasped, her eyes fluttering open, “is worth everything.”
“Whoo!” A cheer traveled across the dance floor, breaking my concentration on Quinn as I turned back to my friends at the pool table. They gave each other a fist bump and me a thumbs up.
Quinn let loose a small chuckle and proceeded to bury herself in my chest.
“We have options.” I kissed the top of her head.
“We can get out of here or…” I pulled away to take her in.
Her cheeks flushed, her lips puffy and perfectly kissable, her emerald eyes drowning me even though her hat was creating the perfect shadow.
My train of thought vanished. “Fuck, you’re gorgeous. ”
Leaning down for another kiss, Quinn pulled away. “We can get out of here or…?” she trailed.
I slumped my shoulder and nodded towards Hawkins and Sam. “We can go beat their asses at pool.”
Quinn chuckled. “I’m down for a game of pool, as long as you kiss me after each shot I make.”
I cocked a brow, the corner of my lips tilting up. “You said I couldn’t make any bets tonight.”
She lightly kissed me. “This is the exception.”
Later—well, after last call was shouted—we said goodnight to Hawkins and Sam, and we found ourselves up against Quinn’s hotel room door.
I just couldn’t get enough of her. In the past, I’d already have my hand up the woman’s shirt, and soon after, I’d have us in the bedroom with our clothes probably strewn on the floor.
Then, we’d be in the sheets, and I most likely had already forgotten her name.
Not here. Not with Quinn.
Never with Quinn.
I kissed her slowly, my hands tangling in her hair, her fists gripping my shirt, soft hums and moans coming from both of us.
I traced her jaw, lightly opening her more, allowing me to devour her, taste her.
Her hands loosened and slid up my chest, finding their way under my button-down and into my collar, her fingertips making my skin blaze with heat as they touched their way to my neck.
It took everything in me not to touch her in the ways I’ve dreamed about since the first time I saw her, the desire growing stronger with each swipe of my tongue against hers—but I had to savor this, savor her.
I could still feel the way her body ached and twitched under her thin tank top.
I could still feel her need with the way her leg lifted and wrapped around my own, keeping me in place.
Her hips moved as my hands ran down her sides to her ass, lifting her off the floor gently.
I pinned her there against the door with my hips, and she let out a moan, dropping her head back with a thump—giving me perfect access to her neck.
I kissed, I licked, I sucked…I did everything I thought about doing…except taking it one step further and opening that hotel room door.
“Wyatt,” she said breathlessly, her fingers pulling on my hair once again as she gripped me. “What do we do from here? What does Wyatt Hartwell do?”
I lifted my head and kissed her chin. “In general…or…” I trailed, pressing my lips to the spot under her ear that drove me—and apparently her with the sound she made—wild.
“Well, I’m pretty sure you’re supposed to be in my hotel room right now. Pretty sure we’re wearing too much clothing. Pretty sure you haven’t kissed me enough.” She inhaled and found my lips, that same damn moan filling me.
Fuck, I could listen to her sounds all night long. I’d be the reason for these moans. I’d discover exactly how to touch her, how to kiss her, how to tease her in order to get these moans. I’d take them and bottle them up, listen to them on repeat if I could.
“I could,” I muttered against her lips. “But—”
“But?” She groaned. “No buts.”
“So many buts here.” I grinned, squeezing her ass and loving the way she wriggled in my arms. “I promised you I wouldn’t screw this up.”
“That was before I did,” she murmured, her lips following my chin as I lowered her back to the ground.
“You didn’t screw anything up. If anything, you made it better. You’re too perfect to rush this,” I whispered, brushing her hair from her shoulder, lightly kissing her skin there.
“We can totally rush this.”
“Oh, hell no. I’m taking my time with you.
There’s no way I’m fucking this up. You, Quinn,”—I kissed her—“are the woman I’ve thought about for months.
I’m an absolute fool for you, and I’m treating you exactly how you need to be treated.
Adored, savored, cherished, appreciated, admired…
” I swallowed. “Loved.” I kissed that same spot again below her ear, and she let out a soft giggle.
“It’s like you opened a Google tab for words to say.”
“I can open another one if you’d like. Words to describe Quinn Compton. Sexy.” I kissed her neck. “Determined.” I kissed her chin. “Carefree.” I bit her bottom lip. “Stunning.” I kissed her lips. “Fucking perfect.”
“Sexy and stunning are the same thing.” She laughed.
“Two different things in my book, and you are most definitely both.”
“You already have me, Wyatt. You can stop it with the pickup lines.” Her smile told me otherwise. She liked the stupid little pickup lines, which made me wonder if she liked them from the start. I convinced myself, right then and there, she did.
“But you said you wanted me to chase you.” My eyes focused on her mouth, stopping myself from kissing her again.
“I do.” She leaned forward, her hands cupping my face. “In my hotel room, preferably naked.”
My eyebrows shot up, and I physically felt my heart begin to thump, thump, thump faster and faster in my chest. I took a long, slow breath through my mouth.
As amazing as that sounded…
“Not tonight,” I whispered, kissing her again. “It’s well past two in the morning, you have a ride tomorrow, and I know you—you want to get to sleep so you can be focused on that.”
“No, I want to focus on you,” she begged breathlessly.
“We have more than tonight, Quinn,” I whispered to her.
“Promise?”
I sealed the promise with another kiss, breathing her in before stepping back, already missing her coconut scent.
“I never break a promise, just FYI. I’ll see you in the morning. Get some rest.” I gave her a wink, and then did the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do. I walked away from her, only to give her one last glance before opening the door to my own cold, dark hotel room.