Chapter 21
I frown at my phone and step off the elevator an hour after the game finished.
Quinn’s silence since her last text has me far more nervous than I should be.
It’s not like she’s texting me often any other day.
Usually, she’s ignoring my daily updates or replying with the most boring emojis ever.
After the day I’ve had, I’d take the plain-Jane smiling emoji and be more than grateful.
Not only was the game terrible, but the attitude in the clubhouse was nasty.
Even our team dad, Jett, was a moody bastard.
I think witnessing him lose his cool the way he did tonight was the turning point for the rest of the team.
Suddenly, the most level-headed guy on the team was kicking the wall of his locker and telling off Roman when he tried to calm him down, and nobody knew what to do with that.
For the first time in the five years Roman’s been our manager, today was the first time I’ve seen him rattled.
And in defense of my team, the umps were fucking blind today. When Wes has to challenge a call nearly every at-bat, there’s something wrong. Kamron wound up getting ejected late in the eighth inning after a heated argument about a check swing, and Roman was close to it in the ninth, too.
I might not have been playing, but I feel the loss all the same. This is my team—my family—and watching them struggle isn’t something I enjoy.
Pocketing my phone, I approach the door to my place and test the handle. I’m both relieved and cautious to find it locked. I input the code and step inside, giving the front a quick survey.
“Quinny?” I call, kicking off my shoes.
Her white Nikes are on the edge of the entry mat, and I let loose a breath of relief, tucking mine alongside them. I tug my hat off and run my fingers through my hair before slapping it back on and calling her name again.
This time, I’m greeted with a low warning bark from deep within the condo. I freeze for a beat, the sudden realization dawning on me that I hadn’t warned her about Bodi. Or Logan, who I have to assume was also here. Maybe still is.
Ah, fuck.
Bodi’s bark carries through the living room and grows louder when he appears.
The golden fluffball I rescued two years ago makes my mouth split in a grin as I drop to a crouch.
His attack mode gets disabled when he recognizes me and bounds into my body.
I rock back onto my heels and dig my fingers into his neck, scratching his favourite spot.
“Please say you got her to forgive me for my total lack of consideration, buddy,” I mutter quietly. “We’ve got our work cut out for us here, and this isn’t gonna help.”
He licks my palm and tries to chew on my wrist, wanting to play. I snort and humour him while I look for Quinn. She didn’t come with him. My stomach floods with worry as Bodi continues to use my wrist as a chew toy. On the plus side, I don’t hear Logan, nor do I see her.
“You didn’t bite her wrists like this, did you?” I ask him, giving him a weak glare.
“No, he didn’t.”
My head snaps toward the sound of her voice.
The sight of her crossed arms and flat expression shouldn’t turn me on, but fuck me, it does.
I swallow a groan as my cock twitches, excited by the thought of getting into a fight right now.
It’s not the healthiest turn-on. I won’t deny that, nor am I going to complain about it.
“You didn’t text me back,” I say, playing it cool.
Her finger taps on her bicep. “I didn’t want to distract you.”
“You wouldn’t have.”
“Oh, I disagree.” The bite in her voice has me battling a shiver.
“Why’s that, baby?”
She pauses, her mind working so quickly I almost interrupt her train of thought. I wisely keep my mouth shut, though. There’s a subtle twitch of her nose before she wets her lips and finally lets me have it.
“I know I’m only a guest here, but it would have been nice if you’d given me a heads-up. You’ve never once brought up having a dog, and then bam! What if I were allergic?”
“Are you allergic?”
Her eyes flare, so hot I can almost feel the burn of them scorching my face. “That’s not the point.”
“Did you meet Logan?”
There’s a moment where I actually consider running away after I let the question slip. I’m such a dumb, risky bastard, but like hell I’m not going to poke at every available side of those walls she’s got around herself just to see if there’s a sliver of a crack in one.
And from the way her shoulders snap back and her cheeks go as red as the can of Coke on the coffee table behind her, I know I’ve found one.
“The woman who was here watching Bodi? Yes,” she snips.
“Did she leave?”
“Hours ago. Bodi didn’t seem all that difficult to watch, and she apparently had other plans. You might want to look into that, actually. Who knows if she leaves him alone when she’s supposed to be watching him.”
“Good point. I’ll talk to her about it.”
My cheeks ache with the effort it’s taking not to grin. I made a misstep here with Logan and Bodi, and I’m smart enough not to push my luck any further. I’ve got a feeling that showing her how pleased I am with her blatant jealousy would have me sleeping on the rooftop terrace tonight.
“Yeah, you do that.”
“Have you eaten yet?” I extract my wrist from Bodi’s mouth and enter the kitchen, slipping behind the island. “We could order something, or I could cook.”
The thick stack of takeout menus in the junk drawer is pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. When I flip through them, I listen for any sign of movement. It’s dead silent besides the rustle of paper, so I risk a look in Quinn’s direction. There’s no stopping my grin now.
The grouchy look on her face is even worse now.
I know she could use her glare to light the menus on fire if I handed them over.
Her throat has gotten just as red as her cheeks now, and my fingers twitch, desperately wanting to feel the heat of her skin.
I bet her pulse is racing . . . I’d be able to feel it thumping.
Her leggings have to be one of my favourite things she wears.
The black fabric clings to her in a way that has me constantly battling a hard-on.
She has thighs I want to wear as earmuffs and grip in my hands until I’ve got the feel of them memorized.
Not to mention her ass, which, honest to God, is the most perfect ass I’ve ever seen.
It would look really fucking good with my teeth marks all over both cheeks and maybe a handprint or two.
I trail my eyes up to her waist and the arms she’s still got crossed beneath her chest. The position of them has her boobs lifted beneath the heavy material of her tee.
I swallow the excess spit in my mouth and try not to think about whether her nipples are hard, rubbing against the arms smooshing them down.
The centre of her throat moves with a swallow, and I force myself not to get fixated on the slow movement.
Her round jaw is as soft as the rest of her, and I inhale a strained breath when I find her lips parted, no longer pressed into a tight line.
The bottom one is just slightly bigger than the top, giving them a pouty look.
I bet they taste as good as they look—like my absolute ruin.
Kissing her would be what sends me flying off the cliff I’ve been straddling for months with this woman.
The blue-grey eyes I’ve grown enamoured with are darker than usual when I finally stare into them. The black circle in the centre of them has expanded, and her lashes are drooping, obscuring my full view.
“I’m not hungry,” she says, sounding winded.
I trap a growl in my chest when I finally recognize that glassy look in her eyes. “I am.”
The menus in my hands are crinkling, and I immediately release them before gripping the edge of the island. My heart is racing so fucking fast it might very well shoot out of my chest. I’d risk it if it meant she’d pick it up for me and hold it in those perfect hands.
“I’d appreciate it if, while I’m staying here, you give me notice when there will be other people around.”
“Does that stand for everyone who comes over or just women, Quinny?”
Her top lip twitches, as if it might very well curl in a snarl before it stiffens. “How many women are you planning on having around while I’m staying?”
“None.”
“Don’t placate me. I don’t expect you to stop seeing women just because I’m crashing.”
“Then neither of us has anything to worry about because I’m not seeing anyone.
Logan’s been my dog sitter for a few months now, and she’s only ever here when I’m gone.
I’m away for long stretches of time, and I used to have Bodi stay at a kennel, but he didn’t like it much.
This way, he can stay with someone while I’m not home. That’s all our relationship is.”
“You don’t have to explain that to me. It’s none of my business. I just didn’t enjoy being accosted by a stranger when I got here earlier.”
Concern floods me. “Is that what happened?”
“No,” she retreats with a sigh. “It was fine. Though she’s clearly got the hots for you. In case you missed that.”
“I’ve given her no reason to.”
“You’re such a guy, Beck,” she scolds, giving her head a shake. Her arms finally fall from their crossed position. “You don’t have to give her a reason. Look at yourself in the mirror. It isn’t hard to believe she’s got a crush on you.”
“Are you complimenting my looks?”
“Of course you latch onto that.”
“Hell fucking yeah, I am. For a while there, I was afraid you weren’t attracted to me.”
She rolls her eyes. “I doubt there’s a woman alive who isn’t.”
I tighten my grip on the island so that I don’t round it and reach for her instead. She has no idea how much her
words mean to me or how desperately I needed to hear them.
Other women’s attention means nothing to me now.
It hasn’t since the moment I saw her again after all those years.
Having her confirm that she’s attracted to me despite the glimpses of it I’ve seen as of late is a much-needed confidence boost.
The desire in my chest has gone from a spark to a raging inferno as I steady my breathing and watch her.
“I’ll figure it out with Logan. There won’t be any more surprises,” I promise.
For the first time since I got home, she relaxes. “Thank you.”
“And I meant what I said about dinner. I’m starving, and you’re going to eat, too.” I gather the crumpled menus again and resume looking through them. “Tell me about your day while we decide on what to order.”
“What happened to your offer to cook?”
“It expired, gorgeous.”
She snorts a laugh. “You didn’t warn me there was a time limit on it.”
I look up and wink, my chest growing tight when her mouth quirks in response. “Well, now you know for next time. So, do you like Thai?”