Chapter 27 #2
“Sure do,” I say, loving the shock on her face.
Every time I think Quinn knows all there is to know about me, or vice versa, something else unravels.
“I keep it at my parents’ house, but we all have one.
I’ll have to take you out at some point.
I’m sure my mom will want to go with, too.
But she’s a speed demon so be prepared we will never keep up. ”
Quinn’s mouth drops open. “Debbie? No, no way.”
“Oh yes,” I say, cutting a slice of the chicken and dipping it into the sauce. “She takes no prisoners. And she’s competitive, too. She’ll absolutely tease us for driving like grandmas.”
“Debbie. Huh. Who knew?” Quinn takes a bite of potatoes, then rests her fork on the side of the plate.
“I’m bummed I can’t be there. But I will love you forever if you save a big fat plate of turkey for me.
With an obnoxious size of all the sides.
Don’t think I can’t eat it all. I can and will.
” She giggles and lifts the glass to her mouth.
I will love you forever. She said it lightheartedly, a joke really, in the context of the conversation. But I’m latching on to those words for dear life and dissecting every syllable. “You will love me…”
Quinn’s smile drops, and a seriousness flushes her face. She dips her eyes to the plate and her throat rolls with a hard swallow. “I do… love you.”
She may have lobbed the words softly, quietly, a hesitation and fear laced in the tone, but the words land with the weight of granite.
I can see the vulnerability in her eyes, the moss green highlighting against the light, the anticipation, the hope that someone loves her back.
Before she can take it back, say she was joking, pass it off as an aloof comment, I reach across the table, and intertwine my fingers in hers.
I rub my thumb across the satiny skin on top of her hand. “I love you, too.”
A long moment stretches between us. There is nothing that needs to be said right now.
We both know the gravity of the situation, the intensity of the moment.
My guess is she is feeling the same as me.
Trepidation, mixed with this luxurious, velvety warmth knowing that this is something special, beautiful, something to be grateful for.
Another moment passes when I finally let go of my grip, polish off my glass of wine, and eye her through the flickering light. Opening night is so close, and I know she’s stressed, but she has everything ready. Time to take her mind off of the shop. “Ready for dessert?” I ask.
“I’m always ready for your dessert.”
I push back my chair with a small squeak against the floor and hold out my hand. She lifts herself, interlaces her fingers in mine, and lets me lead her to the kitchen.
Inside, the space is dimly lit. Quinn’s gaze travels the white tablecloth draping the stainless-steel prep area, with a water bottle, several spoons, and a blindfold.
“A blindfold?” Her brow arches.
Oh, I can’t wait for this. I pat the top of the countertop. “Sit.”
Quinn immediately hops up on the counter and faces me with her legs dangling off the table.
I wrap the blindfold around her and tug the back into a bow. “Can you see anything?”
“Nope,” she says and plants her palms on the counter.
My mind is walking through all of the gloriously naughty things I could do with my girlfriend. But right now, that will have to wait. I grab the tray near the stove and cross back to her. I scoop up a small amount of dessert with a spoon. “Open your mouth.”
“Oh God, you’re dreamy when you’re domineering like this,” Quinn says, then parts her mouth.
I deposit a tiny bit, and she swallows. “Tell me what you taste.”
“Mmmm.” She licks her bottom lip. “Chocolate.”
I sweep her lips with mine, then give her another bite. “What else?”
Quinn savors the sweetness, rolls it in her tongue, then swallows. “Vanilla.”
“Good.” With my other hand I lift her skirt up to her knee. Her breath hitches and her knees fall open. It’s going to take all my willpower to go slow. I give her another small taste. “What else?
“Um… berries.”
I lift the skirt a little higher.
“Raspberries.”
And a little higher. I brush my thumb against the outside of Quinn’s soft, smooth thigh.
Her chest rises and falls with quick breaths.
She licks the outside of her lips and inches closer.
Oh… this is fun. Seeing the anticipation, watching her breaths increase, feeling her lean into me.
Warmth spreads inside me. I add a small amount of whipped cream on her mouth and kiss it off.
Her lips part, push into me, and I melt from the sugar on her tongue.
I don’t want to rip myself away, but I do.
I use the corner of the spoon to cut into the next dessert and place it in her mouth. “Now, what do you taste?”
A moment passes. Her head tilts to the side. I give her one more little taste. “Cinnamon.”
I unbutton the top button of her shirt.
“And… um… cream.”
Second button, removed.
“And… and… cardamom?”
I’m practically salivating watching her squirm against the table.
Her anticipation feeds into mine. “Very good. That one was a hard one.” I remove the final three buttons, tug her shirt past her shoulders, and skim my fingertips across her chest. My pulse kicks up, my need to be closer to her starts to consume me.
Quinn’s hands reach out, finds me, and she pulls me between her legs. When I tug on her bottom lip with my thumb, she leans forward, mouth parted, searching for me. I press my lips onto hers, move against her, inhale her taste and scent.
When she leans back, I want to take in everything. The way her cheeks flush, the way her freckles sprinkle her face, the way she squirms and shivers with every touch. She is so utterly perfect.
I take my time and indulge, spreading dessert on her mouth, letting her taste it, then licking it off.
I swipe a little on her neck, then kiss it off.
When I lower her bra strap and kiss the skin, goosebumps skitter across her arms. I tug the bra all the way down and her breasts spring free.
Quinn’s breath is heavy against my ear, and her fingers dig into my hips.
I dip my finger into the chocolate, spread it across her nipple and lick it off, slowly, lusciously, as her moans fill my ear.
“Zoey,” she whispers between heavy breaths. She lifts the blindfold a little, looking sheepish. “I don’t want to stop. But… unless you really want to sanitize this table, we better move this upstairs.”
I chuckle, step back, and pull her bra back up. “This is a very fair point. I don’t think I fully thought this through.”
Quinn pulls me in for another kiss, then releases. After she buttons up, she hops off the table. Once we throw on our jackets, I grab her hand and practically sprint to the end of the kitchen.
“Wait!” Quinn drops my hand, runs back to the table, and grabs the blindfold. She grips it with a devilish grin. “We are so not done with this.”