Chapter 6 – QUINN
QUINN
Two and a half months later
Rhett: Give up cheese forever or give up chocolate forever?
I roll onto my back and hold my phone over my face.
We’ve been texting for the last hour, and it’s been a lot of this-or-that questions.
The other day it was places we’d like to visit in the world and why.
He’s creative. I’ll give him that. It’s been nearly four months of texting practically every day, and yet he still finds new topics.
This one might be pushing a limit and hitting a trigger I didn’t know I had.
Me: I hate you. That’s brutal. I can’t answer it. If I could, I’d eat cheese dipped in chocolate.
Rhett: Please tell me you’re being overly dramatic because that’s gross.
Me: Overly dramatic, but you get my meaning here.
Rhett: I’d give up chocolate because I could never live in a world without pizza. It’s my favorite thing ever. Since you asked.
Me: I didn’t.
Rhett: Pepperoni—especially if it’s spicy—but I’d settle for a Margherita if that was all that was left on the planet of pizza.
Me: The planet of pizza?
Rhett: Yes. My happy place. Because you were curious. Admit it.
Me: Maybe a little.
Rhett: Finally. She admits she likes me.
Me: That’s not what I said! I said I was curious about your weird planet of pizza. A little. But how are we talking about this?
Rhett: Because that’s what we do. We tell each other things. Real things. Even if they’re weird.
Me: We do that.
Rhett: And you love that we do.
I’m smiling. How does he always get me to smile like this? I chew on my lip as I debate what to say.
Me: You’re pushing it.
Rhett: Tell me I’m wrong. Or are you freaking out because I used the L word? That’s not how I meant it.
Me: That might have freaked me out a little.
Rhett: Apologies. You LIKE that we do this.
Me: I do like it.
Rhett: A lot??
Me: You’re pushing it.
Rhett: With you? Definitely. You have no idea how serious I’m getting about you.
I read that and pause. Not knowing what to do with it. I’m serious about him too, liking him way more than I feel as though I should. How can I like him this much when it’s only been text since our first night?
I steer us back to safer waters.
Me: Since we’re talking cheese… Never eat a grilled cheese again or never eat mac and cheese again?
Rhett: I’m a Southern boy through and through. Never eating mac and cheese again would destroy my soul. My Nana used to make the best one ever. It had her homemade brisket and barbecue sauce in it. It was life-changing.
Me: Sounds yummy and same answer. Minus the family recipes and life-changing add-ons though, I’m jealous. I love BBQ.
Rhett: Then I’m your man. I’ll make you some of my family recipes.
Me: Next question. Your turn.
Rhett: Dining in or out?
Me: Is this your way of asking me out on a date?
My phone rings in my hand, but it’s not a regular call.
It’s a freaking FaceTime. I’m in bed, sans makeup—sans clothes!
—and the guy wants a face-to-face? I hit accept because I won’t be one of those women, but still, nerves hit me like a swarm of rabid bees.
I haven’t seen him since that night or that morning or however you want to categorize it.
His stupidly handsome face comes into view, and those blue eyes… yeah, I didn’t exaggerate them.
“Why are you FaceTiming me?”
“Because the answer to your question is yes, and a man can’t ask a woman out on a date via text.”
I snort. “Um, yeah, they can. They do it all the time.”
“Not how I was raised, baby girl.”
“That’s because you’re old.”
He chuckles, and that smile and those dimples and damn. Freaking butterflies. He’s wearing his glasses, and I seriously love how he looks with them on.
“I am old. But I’m officially moving to Boston in two weeks.”
My heart hammers in my chest. I don’t reply. I’m not sure what I want to say to that.
“I’m going to take your silence and lip biting as overwhelming joy and excitement.”
“Go for it. But really? Two weeks?”
He grows reserved. “I closed on a place yesterday. I wasn’t sure how to tell you or if I wanted to wait and simply surprise you by being there.”
“Oh.”
He shakes his head and wipes his mouth with his fingers. “Listen, I’ll be starting a new job. A very demanding job. A job I’m desperate to excel in. It will require a ton of hours, and I know that’s something that’s important for you as well. All I’m asking for is dinner.”
“That’s it?”
“Well.” A smile twists into a devilish smirk. “I think we both know what I’m hoping happens after, but I’ll happily take dinner and build up to the other stuff as we go.”
“What if we’ve stopped talking by then?”
I get a dubious look. “We’ve been talking for months, Quinn. I haven’t been shy about my interest in you. You’re the one still holding back.”
He’s right. I have been holding back. I’ve been cautious with myself for so long it’s almost reflexive. But I want to change that. Not every guy is Russel, and I know this. And I like Rhett. He’s smart and funny and interesting and different.
“I have no plans to stop talking to you,” he continues. “It’s become my favorite part of the day, and on the days when I force myself not to be such a pussy and text you, I’m still thinking about you.”
I blow out a breath.
“The proper response is I think about you all the time too, Rhett.”
My lips twitch. “That’s very narcissistic of you to always be thinking of yourself.”
“Har, har.” His gaze shifts about my screen. “Am I off base? Because it doesn’t feel that way.”
“No. You’re not off base. I think about you all the time too. It’s been really good between us, but it’s only been texting. I’m nervous. You’re the first guy I’ve talked to since my ex. You being here will be different.”
He pushes the bridge of his glasses up his nose. “It will be, but I’m okay with that. I think you will be too once you shut off that big brain of yours and go with the flow.”
Fair. That’s fair.
“I’d like to try with you, Quinn. You told me you like to know what’s coming so there are no surprises. I get that. So I’m telling you now what I want, and what I want is to date you.”
I smile. No stopping it. “I’m good with that.”
“Fantastic! Wait. Where are you?” He’s eyeing the white pillow behind my head as if he just realized what it is.
“In bed. It’s late here.”
“Shit. It is, isn’t it? Sorry.” His expression softens. “Or maybe not because wow, you are fucking beautiful right now. I’ve missed your face. All our texting, and I had to picture you in my head. I wish I had done this with you sooner.”
“Maybe it’s better that we didn’t. Maybe it’s better that we waited until closer to when you move here.”
“Maybe. But damn.” He runs a hand through his hair. “What are you wearing?”
I burst out laughing and cock an eyebrow. “Really?”
He laughs too. “Definitely. I need the full Quinn in bed before sleep visual.”
“I’m in panties. That’s it.”
He groans and sets the phone down for a minute.
“You okay there, old man? Didn’t have a heart attack or anything on me, did you?”
The screen moves, and his face reappears. “Show me, and we’ll see if these chest pains get worse.”
Oh hell.
I tear the blanket back and pan the phone to my underwear since they’re not that skimpy—more of a satin triangle covering my pussy, so he can’t see anything. I hear him inhale a rush of air.
“Fuck,” he hisses. “Go up. Show me all of you. Please.”
Please. Did he actually just please me after a demand? Ugh. He’s killing me with perfection.
With a shaky breath, I bring the phone up and give him an angle of my body that includes my breasts down to my panties.
“Christ, you are so goddamn beautiful. Just… incredible. You’re incredible. Take off your panties, baby girl. Show me all of you.”
I pull the phone back up to my face. “Uh-uh. I showed you mine, now you show me yours.”
He cocks an eyebrow, but that smirk is in full force. He appears to be on his sofa in what I suspect is his family room. There’s a wall of windows behind him that slightly reflects back into the room, and I can tell he was watching ESPN.
“Come on. Show me the goods.” I swirl a finger in the air. “Don’t be shy.”
He chuckles, but he’s winded. “My abs or cock?”
“Start with your abs.”
He reaches behind his back and yanks his shirt over his head before he tosses it somewhere I can’t see. “Damn do I wish I could touch you right now.”
I use my free hand to cup my breast and make sure he can see it. “Sucks to be you. Make me desperate for it.”
His eyes become hooded and dark. “Panties, Quinn. Now.”
I shiver, my pussy already wet as hell.
I slide my thong over my hips and legs before I bring it up to the camera so he can see it.
“Perfect. You’re naked for me. Show me.”
A bolt of nerves and excitement hits my blood, and I angle the camera down once again so he gets a full shot of me.
“You really are perfect. I’d give anything to be able to smell you right now. To taste you.”
My hand slides down my chest over my right breast to the top of my pussy. I spread my thighs and work a finger up and down my slit.
“Motherfucker. Jesus, hell, you’re killing me. Are you wet?”
“Mmhmm.”
“Show me.”
I slip my finger along my pussy and swirl it into my opening before I pull it back and show him.
“Christ. I’m done.”
“That was fast,” I tease.
“Nice try. Is all of that for me?”
“No one else I’m talking to right now.”
“Damn fucking right, no one else. Do you want to see how hard you’ve made me?”
I bring the camera back to my face. “Absolutely.”
He shifts around, his face flushed and his eyes wild before the view switches up and I’m looking at his giant cock, all hard and long and thick with delicious veins snaking through it. My empty core clenches, and my mouth waters.
I lick my lips. “Will you touch it for me?”
“Baby girl, no way I can’t. Will you touch your pussy for me? Make yourself come? Let me talk dirty to you so I can feel like I’m the one who got you there?”
“Go for it.”