Ella confirmed from the front seat, amused, “Are your feet finally free?”
I laughed softly, “God, yes. Why are shoes so hurty?”
Ella chuckled. “Beauty is pain, chica.”
When we arrived outside my apartment building, Mike got out and walked me to my door. He made sure I got in safely and closed the security door behind me before making his way back to the car. I waved them off and made my way up to my floor.
The time was 1:49 a.m. I was officially drained, both physically and emotionally. I told myself not to think about Quinn, but it was easier in theory. I wondered where he was and what he was doing.
As I turned the corner of the hall that lead to my apartment, I walked slowly, shoes in hand, fishing into my bag in search of my keys. I shuffled down the hallway, hand in purse, looking for those pesky little critters. Once I had my hands on them, I pulled them out and straightened.
My body stilled in shock.
It seemed I didn’t need to think about where Quinn was or what he was doing. He sat with his back to my door, knees bent. His head was slumped to the side, mouth parted slightly, breathing deeply as he slept out in my hall.
Chapter Forty-One
Mia
Once my shock subsided, I carefully made my way over to the man who had become my world in such a short time. Kneeling by his side, I placed my bag on the ground and lifted my hand to his cheek. The moment the backs of my fingers brushed his stubbled cheek, he leaned into my touch, groaning softly.
“Quinn?” I spoke quietly, silently loving the way he reacted to my touch. “Wake up, honey.”
He came back to the land of the living, blinking away sleep, his hair adorably rumpled. He looked at me then blinked while looking around the hall before his eyes landed back on me. His voice sleep roughened, he muttered, “Hey, baby.”
I hated him right then. Or, I wanted to. I was upset with him. He could not win me over with a simple, ‘Hey, baby.’ No. I wouldn’t allow it.
But somehow, my anger faded into the background. I ignored the way his fingers ran down the length of my arm to reach my hand. I tried to ignore the way he took my hand, his thumb caressing my palm. I couldn’t ignore the way my body thrummed. “How long have you been out here?”
His eyes met mine and he uttered a faint, “I don’t know, but for you, I would’ve waited forever.”
Unconsciously, my fingers curled around the thumb that continued to caress my palm. I moved to link our fingers, but pulled away at the very last second. I tried my best to pull off mild indifference. “Where’s Michelle?”
Quinn moved to sit up straight, but winced. “If she’s where I left her, she’s home,” then he mumbled, “Goddamn, this floor is not comfortable.”
I stood from my position by his side then reached for his hands and helped him stand. Once he worked out the kinks from his neck, I took him in.
His suit jacket was lying in a crinkled mess on the floor. His tie was undone, hanging untied around his neck. The two top buttons of his pale blue shirt were undone, and he somehow managed to half untuck his shirt from his slacks.
He was a mess. And he looked beautiful.
“Why are you here, Quinn?” I asked on a near whisper.
His brows creased slightly. “Can I come in?”
I wanted to say no. I wanted to tell him there was nothing to talk about. I wanted to be the smart, sassy girl I always wished I could be, but never really was.
Instead, I took my keys and opened my apartment door, walking through and leaving it open in silent invitation. I switched on the light in the kitchen, set down my shoes and bag, and then turned in time to see Quinn close the door behind him.
He approached me cautiously, as one would a spooked animal. Once he was a foot away, he started talking. “I’m out.”
Out? My brow furrowed in confusion. What did he mean by out?
“It was my last night with DFT. Michelle was my last client.”
I forgot to breathe. What did this mean?
His soft hazel eyes met mine and he took a small step forward. “I haven’t slept with another woman for weeks, Mia, and I certainly didn’t sleep with Michelle tonight.”
My voice cracked, “Why?”
He smiled that smile I love so much, and I saw sunshine. His said quietly, “Because this.” His eyes never left mine as he lowered his face. One hand reached up to cup my cheek as the other drew around my waist.
I didn’t want to be kissed. I needed to be kissed, or I would die. Just die. As his lips made contact with mine, I fell into Matt Quinn. I fell hard. A low groan escaped me as my arms came around his neck, pulling him deeper into me until we were flush against each other. We kissed each other as if it would be our very last. It very well could be.
My hands seemed to have a mind of their own. They gripped, and pulled, and pushed, and I wasn’t sure of what I really wanted. Well, apart from seeing Quinn’s clothes on the floor.
Just as I managed to pull his shirt all the way out of his pants, he pulled back, chuckling lightly and scrubbing a hand down his face. A pained, “Mia,” warned me off, but there was humor in it. He palmed his hard length and groaned, “Ugh. You’re killing me.” I pouted, and when Quinn spotted it, he smiled. “I only planned on kissing those sweet lips tonight, baby.”
I whined, stepping closer to him, a needy hand extended, “But I want to see what make-up sex is all about.”
He chuckled again, but kept his distance. “And when we have it, it’ll be unbelievable, but it’s all different now, Mia.”
I frowned. “How?”
He blinked down at me, a smile curving his full lips. “What, you don’t know?” He took a single step forward, took my outreached hand, and lifted it, kissing my knuckles.
It was then that my world tilted.
It was then he stated, “You’re everything to me.” His lips at my knuckles, he kissed them again sweetly. His eyes trained on mine, he declared a rushed and nervous, “I’m in love with you.”
Chapter Forty-Two
Quinn
This reaction was not exactly the one I wanted.
She stared.
That was about it.
Well, her mouth had parted slightly and she looked a little shocked, but not in the way I’d hoped. She was dumbfounded.
I lost the cool demeanor that had stuck with me through my teen years. Shifting slightly, loosening my hold on her hand, I swallowed hard and forced a nervous laugh. “Say something, Mia.”
Her mouth opened. Then shut. She tried again, her brow creasing, but still, not a word escaped those pretty pink lips. And I had gone from nervously excited to crushed in a second flat. She didn’t love me.
My body heat rose, a flush starting from my neck, working its way up. How could I have gotten it so wrong?
All the signs were there. The way she looked at me. The way she joked and laughed with me. The emotional, as well as the physical, effect we seemed to have on each other…
I groaned, stepping back. My palms dug into the sockets of my eyes as I tried desperately to erase the last seven minutes of my life.
Holy shit. Had I mistaken simple friendship with Mia for love? I knew how I felt about her, but it was possible that I hadn’t been friends with a woman in…well…forever, so I misread the signs.
Oh, God.
Of all the people to misread signs with…
Oh, fuck.
…of course it had to be with my best friend’s sister.
I was never going to live this down. Not ever.
“Oh, God,” I grated. I lowered my palms only low enough to cover my mouth. “You’re not into me, are you?”