Chapter 27
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Jo knew she was being cowardly, but she couldn’t go back downstairs and watch Quinn leave.
Besides, no amount of makeup or eyedrops would be able to disguise that she’d been crying buckets.
She’d closed her door and muffled the sound with pillows so they wouldn’t be able to hear her downstairs, but with all those people in the house talking and laughing, they probably couldn’t hear her, anyway.
Through her sobs she listened to everyone filing out of the house. No doubt they’d all gone to wave goodbye as Quinn drove away. He’d been a popular guest. The sound of a car engine drifted up to her window, and a fresh wave of tears engulfed her. He was really gone.
When she heard her bedroom door open, she moaned. “Go away, Em. And don’t tell me I’m stupid to cry over him.” She sniffed. “I already know that.”
Footsteps approached the bed.
“Please, Emmy Lou. There are some things a girl has to get through alone. I should never have allowed myself to care about him, but I did, so now I get to pay the consequences.”
The bed sagged.
“Dammit, Emmy Lou. I don’t need mothering, l need—” She lifted her head and stared into Quinn’s blue, blue eyes.
“Loving?” he murmured, smoothing her tousled hair from her damp cheeks.
She buried her face in the pillow, mortified that he’d heard her babble about him and especially that he saw her like this, weeping like a dope because he’d left. “What are you doing here?” she mumbled into the pillow. “You’ll miss your flight.”
“Guess so.” He stroked her hair.
“Why are you wearing Benny’s hat?”
“He gave it to me. He likes me.”
“Well, I don’t. And don’t you dare stay here because you feel sorry for me! I’m not crying over you, anyway.”
“You’re not?” He kicked off his shoes, took off his hat and scooted down next to her on the bed. “Then what are you crying for?”
“None of your beeswax.”
He curved his arm around her waist. “I haven’t heard that since fourth grade.”
“Don’t touch me, either.”
“Why?” He nestled closer and pushed her hair back so he could nibble at her ear. “Because I have cooties?”
“Exactly.” She didn’t want to like his arm around her, or his warm breath on her ear. Maybe he wasn’t leaving tonight, but he would leave tomorrow. And she’d have to go through this all over again.
“But you like bugs.”
Apparently she’d cried so hard she’d sapped her strength.
That was the only explanation for why she allowed him to roll her onto her back.
And before she knew it, he’d plastered himself on top of her.
And her stupid body was getting all hot and bothered about it, too.
“Go away.” The words came out in a croak.
“No.” He began to kiss her eyes and her cheeks.
“Don’t kiss me. I probably look like hell.”
He grinned. “No, you don’t. Just a little red and puffy.”
“You missed your plane just so you could tell me that? What a guy.”
His grin faded. “No, I didn’t miss my plane so I could tell you that. I missed my plane so I could tell you this. I love you.”
The world stopped. She stared at him, her mouth open.
“Breathe, Jo.”
She gasped.
“That’s it. Now keep breathing. In, out, in, out. Good.”
She struggled to do as he asked, but it wasn’t easy. “Sorry,” she said in a strained voice. “But that’s not the sort of thing I hear every day.”
He gazed at her with loving concern. “I sure hope not.”
She looked into his eyes. She’d suspected he was falling in love with her, but she’d never in a million years expected him to say so. “Why are you telling me this?” she asked.
“In hopes I could get you to say the same thing back to me.”
“And then what?”
He nudged her gently with his arousal. “We have an hour before the group comes back from their moonlit limo ride.”
“No.”
The light in his eyes dulled. “No, you don’t love me?”
“Yes, I love you, but no, we won’t be frolicking in the sheets for the next hour.”
The gleam returned to his eyes. “Why not?”
“Because this love talk is bad enough, but if you throw in a session with your talented and very large equipment, I won’t be able to survive your leaving tomorrow, that’s why.”
He leaned down and brushed his lips across hers. “Which means I have to stay.”
Her breath caught at that sweet contact. “Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t stay. You’ll ruin your career.”
“My career will be fine.” He feathered a light kiss on her mouth. “I’m just afraid I’ll be in the way around here. I can handle your ledgers like no one you’ve ever seen, but as you know, I can’t ride and I can’t rope and I’m scared of snakes and big ugly bugs.”
“You think I care about that?”
He lifted his head to gaze at her. “I thought you did, yeah. I thought I wasn’t cowboy enough for you.”
“Oh, Quinn.” She pulled his head down and proceeded to kiss him until the press of his arousal became very prominent indeed.
Gasping, he levered himself away from her. “Is that a yes?”
“I don’t recall you asking a question.”
“I didn’t? Damn. Okay, let’s make it a two-parter. First part — will you marry me? And second part — can we get rid of these clothes and get to it before that limo pulls up in front of the house?”
She smiled at him, her heart brimming with happiness. “Here’s a one-part answer to your two-part question. Yes.”
“Hallelujah.” Quinn began unbuttoning her blouse at a furious pace.
“Oh, Quinn, we haven’t talked about children!”
“Do we have to right now?” He tugged off her jeans and panties in one motion. “We only have about forty-four minutes left.” He pulled his shirt over his head without unbuttoning it.
“We certainly do have to talk about children, unless you came prepared for this encounter, which I seriously doubt, because I happen to know Fred’s supply was nearly exhausted last night.”
Quinn paused, his pants half off. “He told you I swiped?”
“Yes, and he’s about out by now. So, are we having kids or not?’
“That’s up to you.” Quinn pulled a foil-wrapped square from his pocket before letting the slacks fall to the floor.
“Are you taking Fred’s last one?”
“Nope. He has a backup stash. And this time I didn’t have to swipe it. He offered.”
Jo’s cheeks heated. “So everybody knows what we’re doing up here?”
“Pretty much. So what’ll it be?” He leaned down and wiggled the packet in front of her face. “I happen to like kids, myself.”
Jo’s embarrassment lost out to a powerful surge of desire. “I like kids, too,” she said, her voice husky.
Quinn straightened, tossed the packet over his shoulder and took off his briefs.
Jo looked at him standing before her in all his glory. He was perfect, but one little detail would make him even more perfect. “Quinn, do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
She picked up the Stetson from where he’d laid it on the bedside table. “Humor me and put this on.”
Quinn chuckled as he took the hat. He set it on his head and pulled it low over his eyes. “Damned if Hastings wasn’t right.”
“About what?”
“Nothing, sweetheart. Nothing at all.” Then he smiled that heart-stopping smile, the one that made her knees weak and her pulse race.
Her heart brimming with happiness, Jo opened her arms. “Come here, you big, beautiful cowboy.”