Chapter 17
Chapter Seventeen
QUENTIN
S ince I’d left Anora’s apartment two hours ago, I hadn’t been able to think about anything else. I was dying in anticipation of seeing her again.
The voice in my head reminded me that I still needed to keep my mind focused on my target, but fuck did Anora make it hard to think about much else.
When I had gone to her apartment, it felt like a figment of my imagination when I felt her lips press into mine. I wanted to hold tight and never let her go again, afraid that if I did, it would be the last time she would ever give me the time of day.
I’d sent Joey a text earlier to guarantee he didn’t come home with Rory tonight because I wanted our apartment to be just for me and Anora. I didn’t know what plans she had up her sleeve, but I had made dinner and picked up a bottle of her favorite wine. I’d showered, shaved, and dressed up in slacks and a dress shirt for the first time in a long time.
I was pulling out all the stops tonight. She was more than worth it to me, and I was tired of keeping my feelings about her locked inside for only me to see.
After tonight, I hoped that there would be no question in her mind about how I felt for her.
I knew she loved me, even if it took her a moment to let what she’d learned sink in. There was no way she could hear all my darkest secrets, that I could expose all my scars, and she would not even blink. I was a fool to think I could tell her the darkest bits of myself, and she’d not need a moment to collect herself.
I never could have imagined someone would love me, flaws and all. Meeting and having Anora in my life had been the best thing to happen to me since I lost Leila.
A knock brought me out of the buzzing of thoughts in my mind, and anticipation hit me straight in the gut. I just wanted this night to go smoothly. I wanted Anora’s complete and utter forgiveness, and I wanted every bit of shit that had happened to be in the rearview.
I made my way to the front door and stopped breathing when I got a glimpse of the woman on the other side.
Anora had curled her hair loosely and was wearing a little black dress with sleeves that hung off her shoulders, paired with strappy black heels, all of which sent a zing right down to my crotch.
I already couldn’t wait to see that dress on my bedroom floor.
But food first, because she was going to need all the strength, she could get for what I had in store for tonight.
“You look absolutely fucking stunning, little moon,” I practically growled in her face, all the blood in my body heading south to my cock. I felt my control slipping more by the second, and I could barely restrain myself from taking her right then and there.
“As do you, Quentin,” she replied, a blush creeping from her chest to her cheeks. Her nervousness delighted me—it was proof that she felt as affected by my presence as I did by hers.
“Come on in and stay awhile, love,” I teased, opening the door and letting her step slowly inside my apartment. An idea popped into my mind, a fantasy if you will, of Anora in nothing but those heels, ready and willing to be filled by my cock.
“Hungry?” I asked.
She hesitated as she entered the kitchen. I hated that I had put that worry in her mind, but after a moment, her face lit up as she took in the sight of the dinner I’d put on display before her. It pained me to my very soul that she would be surprised that I, or anyone else, would do something like this for her.
She deserved the absolute world, and I intended to show her every place her mind and body wanted to go.
“Starving,” she laughed. “I can’t believe you did all of this, Quentin.”
“You underestimate me, love.”
I walked slowly over to her, taking my hands out of my pockets and bringing them to her face, gently stroking her cheeks with my thumbs, searching her beautiful, bottomless green eyes.
I saw my entire future in those eyes.
“I’ll have to be sure I stop doing that, then,” she whispered, searching my eyes as I did hers.
I dropped my hands from her face and grabbed her hand to lead her toward the table, where I pulled her chair out and waited for her to sit.
“So, what’s for dinner?” she asked as I made my way into the kitchen and pulled the casserole I’d made from the oven where it was keeping warm. It was a recipe from Joey’s grandmother, one I practically had to pry from her old, wrinkled fingers. I loved that woman like she was my own grandmother, but if there was one thing she took seriously, it was her cooking.
I carried the dish over to the table, set it in front of Anora, and watched her eyes roll into the back of her head. A moan escaped her lips. There went the blood traveling down south again; I willed it to hold on just a little longer.
Patience is key, my friend.
I was a man who loved the chase, prolonging the game. I would never admit it, but waiting for the endgame was almost just as sweet.
“I’m going to have to make you cook for me more often,” Anora teased as I scooped a serving onto her plate. “It smells delicious.”
“You can give all of the props to Joey’s grandma,” I laughed, shoveling some onto my own plate. “That woman has taught me everything I know in the kitchen.”
“I didn’t know you’d known Joey that long,” she said, filling her fork with the potato casserole.
“I’ve known Joey since we were children, believe it or not. When you’re the new shy kid at a sketchy city middle school, it can be hard to make friends. He took to me quickly, and I’ve been grateful for him ever since. And his family and what they’ve done for me. His house was like a second home.”
“I don’t think I could picture a little Quentin sitting by himself in the school cafeteria, or anywhere really,” Anora laughed after taking a sip of her wine.
“Don’t worry, baby, one day you will. We have forever to get to know each other,” I quipped, loving the way her mouth fell open at the forwardness of my words.
She may not have known it yet, but I was never letting her go again. I didn’t think I would be able to survive the rest of my life without her.
“That’s a bold assumption of you,” she replied, raising an eyebrow daringly.
“It’s not an assumption, little moon. It’s a promise,” I declared, watching her cross one leg over the other under the table.
I’d been watching her for a while now—long enough to know that simple movement meant she was hot and bothered, already so eager for me. My dick strained against my jeans in agreement, growing more impatient as the minutes ticked by. I’d be surprised if we made it through dinner at this rate.
Images of having Anora as my feast on this very dining room table flashed before my eyes, making it increasingly harder to keep my hands to myself. If the fire in her eyes was anything to go by, I wasn’t the only one. But I could be a patient man when I needed to be, and the anticipation was half the fun.
“So, tell me about work,” I prodded, surprising her again with the sudden change of subject.
I was full of surprises, and although Anora had learned of the biggest ones, I still had some up my sleeve. I liked to keep things interesting.
“Well, business is steady right now at the boutique, especially with winter right around the corner. The owner has even taken some interest in my latest designs.”
Anora said it as if it was something to be embarrassed about, but I knew she cared deeply about her fashion career and the designs she came up with. I didn’t know a damn thing about design. Half of my closet consisted of black T-shirts and jeans.
“I’ll have to stop by sometime and have you help me pick out some new clothes,” I teased.
As the meal continued, I watched the anger she held for me and the hesitation toward my actions dissipate. She became more relaxed, and we were easily slipping back into that comfortable place with one another.
“How has work been for you?” she asked. “Well, your day job, that is.”
I barked out a laugh because it was nice to be able to be myself with someone other than Joey or Brendan. I didn’t have to watch what I said and worry I might slip, which had grown progressively harder around her. I was just glad the reward outweighed the risk. I could imagine Joey was happy to no longer have to cover for me when I needed to make a quick getaway at any point in time. He was also terrible at keeping secrets, so I knew he had to feel better about one more person being in the loop.
“Work is work. Inputting data is just a dream,” I said sarcastically with a shrug. There really was nothing interesting to tell. “I work for such a large tech company that I doubt they even know my name. Which comes in handy when I need to slip away.”
We sat in silence for a moment, each of us indulging in our food, and I pondered what else I wanted to say to her.
“Quentin?” Anora asked, and when I lifted my gaze to meet hers, her eyes were molten with lust. “I think we’ve waited long enough. I’d like you to take me to your bed and fuck me now.”
Now it was my turn to be shocked. This woman never ceased to surprise me.
“As you wish, little moon,” I replied, pushing back from the table, grabbing her hand, and leading her down the hall, where I planned to make her scream my name until her throat was hoarse.