I smiled. It was nice to see a young lady enjoying herself.
The sundress was fitted around the top, but flowed out at the bottom, and she wore it with white flip-flops, her long brownish-red hair flowing down her back in shiny waves. Her ass was definitely something I’d like to hold onto.
I imagined walking behind her, flattening my chest to her back, taking her ass in my hands, and kneading it.
Blinking, I shook my head. God, I was a horny bastard.
But then the woman turned. And I gawked.
“Maya?” I called out.
No response.
Smiling, I walked over to her until I was a foot away. “Maya.”
Her head snapped to me. Eyes wide, cheeks flushed, she choked out, “Quinn!” Swallowing hard, she stuttered, “W-w-what are you doing here?”
Oh, man. I was as surprised as she was. Chuckling, I pulled her into a hug, wrapping my arms around her and rocking her from side-to-side. “What are the chances?” I could’ve sworn I heard her whimper, but I must’ve imagined it. “I’m meeting a friend for lunch. What are you doing here?”
Breathing heavily, she muttered to herself, “M-meeting a friend?” She gasped, wide-eyed, and lifted her fingers to cover her mouth, whispering, “Oh, shit.” Not a stitch of makeup on her face, but still, she looked gorgeous. She pulled away from me, stepping back, looking around anxiously. “I have to go.”
My brows furrowed. “Maya, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”
Her mouth opened to respond, but she shut it when she spotted something behind me. Her cheeks flushed and she looked on the verge of fainting. “Quinn, I have to tell you something,” she whispered urgently. “I have to explain—”
I looked down at her nervous demeanor. It was clear she didn’t want to be seen with me. Talk about a kick in the gut. Then a thought occurred to me. Did she have a boyfriend?
A voice behind me startled her. Harry handed me my coffee and a brown paper bag. “Here’s your shit, man.” I scowled as he handed Maya an ice-cream cone. Fuck me. Was she dating my best friend? Harry went on, “No way we’re getting a table, so why don’t we just find a bench on the beach.” He jerked his chin toward Maya. “You remember Mia, right?”
Mia? Who the fuck was Mia?
She cleared her throat and tried to smile, uttering a weak, “Hi, Matt.”
Matt.
My gut sank. I stared at her in shock. She called me Matt. Confusion rolled through me. She knows me.
I turned to Harry. “I don’t—” I couldn’t even speak. I was starting to freak out. I shrugged, because no words would come.
Harry laughed. “Sorry. I thought ‘cause you were standing here that you reintroduced yourselves.”
Reintroduced? I’d met Maya before? My brain had officially gone offline. Something was going on here. Something bad. I could feel it in my bones.
He pointed to Maya. “Mia.” He turned to Maya. “Mia, I see you remember Quinn.” He rolled his eyes. “Most women do.” Harry tilted his head. “You probably wouldn’t remember her, Quinn. I told you she’d changed.”
I was beyond confused. “Who?”
Harry snorted. “My sister. Dude, seriously, keep up.”
“Sister? I—” Fuck. No. Fuck no!
It hit me like a ton of bricks to the chest. My heart started to palpitate and my palms became moist. I stared pointedly at Mia. “Mia’s your sister…but you call her Minnie.”
Harry smirked, slapping me on the back. “Now he’s got it.” He placed his fingers under my coffee cup, lifting it to my mouth. “You sure you’re awake yet? Get some coffee into you, stat. Come on, let’s find a bench.”
Harry walked toward the beach and all I could do was watch in horror as Mia winced, mouthing a pained, Sorry.
This was not a joke. There would be no hidden cameras or celebrity host to reveal that this was all a sick prank. I’d fucked my best friend’s baby sister. I’d taken her virginity. And she’d paid me to do it.
I walked by Mia’s side, accidentally brushing our hands together, and as if my hand were a Taser, Mia squeaked and jumped. Harry eyed his sister. His sister. Oh, shit. I’d eaten my best friend’s sister’s pussy. And I liked it. I was going to hell. “Relax, Mia. It’s not like Quinn’s trying to cop a feel.”
Of course, he said this as I was sipping my coffee. I proceeded to choke on said coffee, coughing till I was blue, spilling a mouthful down the front of my shirt.
Mia rushed over, napkins in hand. “Are you okay?” She started to blot the light brown stains on my pristine white tee. I uttered an annoyed, “I got it,” but she didn’t stop. I gripped her wrist tight, almost hard enough to hurt, and hissed, “I said I got it.”
As I held her wrist in a vise-like grip, she looked up at me, her pouty pink lips slightly parted, her big brown eyes shining. Goddamn her for looking the way she did. She whispered a quivering, “I’m sorry,” and I think we both knew she wasn’t apologizing for my shirt.
I dropped her hand. “No harm done.” I said it, but it was a blatant lie. The damage was abundant. I’d likely lose my best friend over this. And that pissed me off.
Harry was all the family I had. I didn’t want to be alone again. The thought of losing the one person who stood by my side all these years was enough to cause a stabbing pain in my chest. I absently rubbed at it. How was I supposed to fix this?
I thought about it, and the truth of the matter was devastating.
I couldn’t fix this.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Mia
If looks could kill, Quinn would’ve had me six-feet under ten times by now.
Damn it all to heck. I was supposed to tell him! I was meant to do it in my own time!
You know what? This is all Harry’s fault.
Yes! Let’s blame Harry. I like that. Let’s roll with that. Good.
I sat at the very end of the bench, looking out into the ocean while licking at my ice-cream cone. That was the only thing keeping me going—crap-loads of sugar and iced cream in a chocolate waffle cone.
The guys spoke while I tried to ignore them. Well, it was more Harry who spoke and Quinn grunted his responses. But then Harry asked, “How was your date last night?” I heard the emphasis he put on the word date and my stomach lurched, pausing mid-lick.
Quinn paused then grunted, “Fine.”
Harry dug deeper. “What do you mean fine? Was she okay-fine, or was she smoking-fine?”
Quinn’s lip curled at my brother. “She was fine. Just fine.”
My brother laughed. “Okay, so she was dead-fish-fine?”
And without meaning to, I yelled a defensive, “Hey!” at the same time Quinn growled, “Hey, watch it!”
Harry made a face and held up his hands, palms forward in a placating gesture. “Geez, you guys are too sensitive. I was kidding…sort of.”
I glanced at Quinn and caught his eye, quickly looking to my brother. “You don’t know her. Just because a girl doesn’t put out, doesn’t mean she’s a dead fish.”
Quinn smirked, responding a cruel and taunting, “Who said she didn’t put out?”
My heart raced. It might’ve been one of the only times I had heard of Quinn responding to something with anger in his voice, especially to hurt. Then it occurred to me…I really don’t know Matt Quinn.
I don’t know him at all.
Harry ignored Quinn’s comment and replied to me, “You’re right, Minnie. I don’t know women like that though, but I’m sure they’re out there. Unfortunately, all the women I know use their…” he coughed meaningfully, “…charms to get what they want.”