Chapter 14 #2
“Did he do it just to piss you off?” she asks, trying to understand what I’m saying.
“No,” I state. “He did it…when…you know.”
“Oh. Oh! He called you Charlotte while you two were…”
“Yes.”
She takes a few more steps before reacting, “That’s kinda hot.”
I exhale and agree. “It was. Really hot. Something in the way he said it, like a plea and demand all at the same time.”
Sommer fans her face. “Damn.”
Just before we reach the bar, Oaklee stops. “Love you too. Bye.” She taps on the screen, disconnecting the call, and reaches for the door to pull it open.
“Everything okay?” I ask as we step inside, greeted by the soft sounds of Alan Jackson on the speakers.
“Yep. Cam called him and said he and Quinn want to go camping next weekend. I think we’re gonna go. It’s my Saturday to work, but I’m off a little after noon, so we’ll have plenty of time to get out there and enjoy the afternoon.”
Right then, my phone rings. Sommer and Oaklee walk up to the bar to have a seat, while I answer. “Hey, Cam.”
“Hello, sister.”
“Miss me already? You just saw me last night,” I say with a grin.
He snorts. “I miss you, but my aim is getting better,” he teases. “Whatcha doing?”
“Just got to the bar to hang with Lizzie for a bit. Sommer and Oaklee are with me,” I tell him.
“I just talked to Cade.”
“I heard.”
“If you wanna come with us, you’re welcome. We’ll probably go out about noon and set up tents. Q’s doing dinner, and I’ll make breakfast. Sommer’s welcome too.”
“She’ll have to work next weekend at the pharmacy, but I’ll say something to her.” She works every other weekend, so we’ll have to see what she says.
“Good deal. You can crash in my tent,” he offers like always, but this time, I can’t help but feel a little sadness. Not because I’m not appreciative of my brother letting me share his tent, but simply for the fact the idea of staying with his friend holds more weight.
And that has terrible idea written all over it.
“Thanks.”
“I’ll talk to you soon,” he says, and I’m certain I’ll get a text message confirming details when it’s closer.
“Sounds good, smelly.”
He sighs. “You’re a menace.”
My laughter is the last thing he hears when I hang up and walk over to the bar. I set my phone on the counter, along with my refresher drink, and take a seat. “Looks like I’m going camping next weekend.”
“Here.”
I look up and take the bottle of water being offered. Quinn drops into the chair beside me, off to the side and away from everyone being all coupley.
This isn’t the first time I’ve thought I should just leave.
Usually, I don’t have a problem being odd man out in this group, but tonight feels different.
I glance across the fire and see Oaklee sitting on Cade’s lap, practically making babies.
I mean, they’re not doing anything inappropriate, but the constant cuddling, kissing, and subtle touching tells me there’s going to be a lot more going on in their tent later than sleeping.
Yuck.
Then there’s Camden, who invited Laura Fischer.
She seems nice, but I heard all the bad stuff about her after they went on a date or two last year.
Apparently, she falls hard and fast and was planning their wedding within a week.
Why he invited her is beyond me, other than the fact he also wants his dick played with tonight.
Something else I’m trying not to think about.
Gross.
Wyatt came down to the fire for a bit, but he had a date. Sommer chose not to come, since she works, so that leaves Quinn and me, off to the side and away from the couples.
“You okay?” he asks, staring at the fire.
“Yeah, why?”
He lifts his shoulder and takes a drink from his own water. “You’ve just been quiet. Very un-Charli-like.”
I roll my eyes, even though he’s not looking at me. “Just tired. Been a busy week,” I tell him.
The truth is I still have problems sleeping. I toss and turn, despite being completely exhausted by the end of the day, and then when I finally find sleep, dreams of Quinn fill the time. I wake up frustrated, grumpy, and horny. It’s a terrible combination.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him roll his neck. “You good?” I ask. It’s been a few weeks since his massage that resulted in this minor obsession I suddenly developed for him. A crush, if you will, and I’m most definitely not happy about that either.
“Fine.”
I sigh as I catch him shift in his seat. “You should make another appointment,” I encourage, unable to keep the edge from my tone. It’s not that I don’t want to help him—I do—I’m just not sure I can trust myself to keep it professional while he’s on my table.
He clears his throat but doesn’t reply right away. I’m about to ask him what’s up when he finally says, “I had one today.”
My back goes straight and my irritation grows. “What?”
He exhales, and I can practically feel the tension ebbing from his body. “I went to see Selena today. That’s why I’m a little sore.”
My mouth drops open and a wave of hurt slams into me hard. “Why?”
He turns to face me, keeping his posture casual and his voice down. “I just figured, you know, with everything that happened between us, you wouldn’t want me to schedule with you.”
“I can be a professional,” I insist, feeling angry at the latest development.
He sighs and lifts his hand. I swear he’s going to touch me with it, and must realize what he’s about to do, because he quickly lowers it back down to the arm of his chair. “Well, maybe I’m the one who can’t be professional.”
My throat is suddenly thick and it’s hard to swallow. “Oh.”
“Yeah,” he replies, turning back to face the fire. “So I thought it’d be best if I just went to see Selena.”
I don’t say anything for several minutes, trying to wrap my head around what he said.
He doesn’t trust himself in that situation.
While it’s a professional one, our history suddenly turns it very intimate, especially with his lack of clothing and my hands all over his body.
It wouldn’t be easy to do, but I’d get through it, much like I did the first time.
“If you’re ever in a pinch, I can help,” I state.
He glances over at me, an ornery glint in his dark chocolate eyes. “You’ll give me a hand?”
I snicker at his dumb joke and shake my head. “Two hands.”
“That’s good,” he replies, leveling me with a heated gaze that makes my nipples pucker. “Because I like both of your hands.”
We chat about nothing and everything for the next forty-five minutes, and I can’t get over how natural it feels.
I’ve known Quinn since I was about ten years old, but I don’t really think I’ve sat and openly chatted with him like this.
I know things about him, but this feels…
different, and I do everything I can not to think too hard about why.
I really need to slip back into annoyed with Quinn mode. It has served me well for many years.
Yawning, I shiver as the cooler night starts to seep through my warm clothes.
The fire is still burning but seems to not be producing the heat it was earlier.
Or I’m just tired and ready to curl up in my sleeping bag.
I didn’t even drink tonight, and maybe that’s the issue.
I didn’t have any antifreeze in my system, as my youngest brother would say.
But my stomach’s been a little queasy, so I opted to just chill by the fire without having a drink.
Quinn stands up and extends his hand toward me. My heart starts to pound as I stare at it, wondering what in the hell he’s doing. “Let’s get you to bed.”
My wide eyes meet his humor-filled ones. “Excuse me?”
He nods his head toward Camden, who is slipping into his tent…with Laura.
Apparently, she’s staying, which means if I plan to get any sleep tonight, it won’t be in their tent. No way am I sleeping third wheel in his tent. Or Cade’s for that matter.
I sigh, realizing Cade and Oaklee are heading over toward his tent as well. Apparently, no one is concerned about where I’m crashing tonight, and that pisses me off a little.
I stand up, refusing to take his hand. “Fine, but no funny business.”
He smirks and leans in a bit closer. It’s not too close to catch anyone’s attention, but close enough only I can hear him. “Funny business is my middle name, Charli.” He winks and wraps his hand around mine, leading me to the tent off to the far left.
My lady bits start rejoicing.
I’m in big trouble.