Fate (Choices #2) (12 page)

Chapter 22

I stayed with Quincy until she fell asleep. She was sleeping peacefully, but when it started getting dark, I knew I needed to cook dinner or we’d never leave the bed. I try to occupy myself with cooking to avoid thinking about her. When my mind wanders in that direction, I get this sick feeling.
What if she walks down those steps demanding me to take her home? What if she regrets it?
Alone with my thoughts, I come to the conclusion that I may never understand Quincy Priest. And that would be a shame.

I’m just pulling the chicken off the grill when I find Quincy leaning against the doorway, blushing and shy
. I skid to a stop, flashing my sweetest smile and not knowing what to expect. “Hey, I was going to wake you when I had everything ready.” She blinks before speaking.

“
I woke up hungry. So, what are you working on here?” I watch her struggle to compose herself. I’m just not sure what I’ve ever done to make her so guarded around me, but I know it’s not the sex. She was this way before today.

“I marinated some chicken earlier, so I grilled it with some veggies. I hope you like it. It’s one of my mom’s recipes.”
I don’t mention that I’ve never cooked for a girl before.

A
smile transforms her face. “I’m starving, and I love anything grilled. Is it ready?”

“It’s almost finished. Why don’t you go have a seat, and I’ll bring it to you?”
I feel bad because we haven’t eaten since breakfast, and I know she must be starving. I’m not a very good host. But hey,
she
is the one who sidetracked me.

She lowers her eyes and walks into the dining room. Ok, so
it’s a little awkward but not too bad.

I finish preparing our plates and carry them
to the table. I’ve already set places for two and lit a candle. When I enter the room, I consider skipping dinner and going straight for dessert. She looks amazing, her cheeks glowing, and the candlelight dancing across her face. She looks up at me from under her lashes, shy but seductive.

Leaning over her shoulder, I place her plate on the table in front of her. My arm grazes hers and the familiar twinge of electricity courses through me.
Her hair smells faintly of me, and the sleepy softness in her eyes kindles the blaze within me. Shaking my head, I take my seat and realize she hasn’t said a word since I came into the room.

“Quince, are you Ok? I mean, you know. Are you in pain?” That’s something I’ve never really had to think about before. Her eyes dart to mine before quickly looking away.

“I’m a little stiff and sore, but nothing major. I’ll feel much better after I eat and shower.”
I know I’ve embarrassed her, but I’m in uncharted waters here.

As we eat, she begins
to relax, even laughing when I make some stupid jokes. She’s just so damn adorable. I sort of feel like a girl because I suddenly feel a possessiveness, a need to protect her that I’ve never felt before. Maybe that’s why guys don’t like deflowering virgins. In some insane way, I feel as if I’ve marked her, hoping that other guys will know and stay away from what is mine. Maybe that’s what I wanted all along. She gets quiet, and I notice her chewing her lip. She’s so easy to read.

“You’re doing it again.
Don’t think too much.” It doesn’t take much for her to get all worked up. "This-" I sweep my arms around the room where we’ve been putting away the food and washing dishes. “This is something I’m not very good at. It’s new to me, too. I’m trying here.” She nods, but she’s watching my lips again. When her tongue glides over her bottom lip, I want to pull her to me and bite that same lip. Instead, I take her hand and pull her toward the stairs. “Let’s take a shower first. I think it will make you feel better.”

When we get to the bathroom door, she suddenly stops, backing away from me. The look on her face is priceless.
“Come on, Quince. I have already seen you, and I want to take care of you.”

“Will you turn the lights off?” I didn’t think she could get any
cuter, but she just did.

“We'
ll do whatever you’re comfortable with. Ok?” After I finish gathering towels and supplies, I turn around only to find her gaping at me. I’m not even sure she realizes she’s doing it, but it fascinates me that she can be so innocent yet so sexual at the same time.

“Ok,
but only in the dark.” I walk to her, looking down into those big brown eyes, and I know I’d promise anything if she’d always be just like this. Pulling her to me, I close the door and turn off the lights. It is so dark that I can’t even see my own hand in front of my face. This will either be fun or a disaster, but I say, “I think this could be fun.” I run my hands down her arms and feel her shiver as goosebumps emerge on her skin. She likes this.

I turn on the sh
ower, adjusting the temperature, and then reach for her, my hands finding her in the darkness. She's standing still, waiting for me, and only me. I think I like this, too.

I take my time u
ndressing her, making sure she's aware of every movement I make, brushing against her, my breath whispering over her skin. Slowly, I remove her shirt, pulling it over her shoulders. She holds her breath as I move down her body, unzipping her shorts and sliding them over hips and down her legs.

I quickly undress, and when I finally stand in front of her, completely bare, she releases the breath she has been holding. I can’t see her, but I se
nse everything she’s feeling. Gently, I guide her into the shower and follow her in. My body grazes hers, and I feel her stiffen against me again.

I reach for the body wash and squirt some on a cloth. I feel her trembling, and I can hear her breathing rapidly. Lathering the cloth between my hands, I begin to leisurely rub circles into her skin.
First, her back, and when I'm done there, I kneel on the floor, washing down her legs, lavishing attention on each one until I feel her relax. I turn her body around, until she’s facing   me, and I wash up her legs, to her stomach, and finally, her breasts. They are perfect, the kind every man dreams of. Not too big, not too small. Enough to fill my hand and so, so perfect.

When I feel Quincy’s breath on my cheek, it comes in short puffs. No longer nervous, just really turned on. Her body is pliant against me, and she leans into my hands when I touch her. Tossing the cloth aside, I reach for the body wash and
squeeze some into my hand. With my hand between her legs, I begin washing her gently. She jumps when I touch her, so I take my time, worshiping her body with mine, letting her set the pace.

My lips hover over her skin, and my breath becomes uneven. I promised myself this would be for her, but it’s so damn hard not to get turned on when she’s in my arms like this. I can’t resist when her shoulder brushes against me. One taste. It’s all I need. I open my mouth and
lick her shoulder, burning a trail up her neck. She trembles against me, but she begins to pull away. Pushing her against the wall, I press into her.

“Don’t think. Just feel.” She stiffens when I lift her up and step between her thighs. “Baby, this is all about you right now. I won’t hurt you.”

I want to make her feel better and ease some of the discomfort I know she’s experiencing, but that is hard to do when she wraps her legs around my waist, pulling me closer, near what I want. Her hips grind against me as I lower my mouth to her breast. Arching her back to give me better access, she moves frantically against me, the water raining down on us. She moans and says my name right before she comes apart. I rain down kisses on her moist skin, cherishing each taste.

Slowly, I allow her to glide down my body, her feet steady on the floor. Her legs are weak, and I feel her shaking against me. I turn to grab a towel, but she
stops me, whispering my name, “Brody.” I love the sound of my name on her lips right after she just exploded in my arms.

“Just remember that, baby. When you close your eyes, you remember this.
I
did this to you.” This moment is beautiful, something I want to do over and over again. But I’m not sure where we stand right now. Or where Declan stands.

All thoughts are pushed aside when she says,
“Can you hand me the cloth and soap? I want to wash you, too.”
Fuck me.
Her tiny hands move over my chest, down my stomach, and down my legs. When she's kneeling in front of me, all kinds of dirty thoughts race through my head. I keep thinking that there is so much I'd like to teach her.

Too soon
, she's moving back up my body, and my erection brushes against her as she stands. I suck in a breath, trying to take my mind anywhere but here. This was for her, and I don’t want to ruin it. “Quince, if you don’t stop, I’m going to lose control. This was for you. I can wait.”
What the hell? Did I just say that?

All rational thought leaves my head when she wraps her hand around me and begins kissing my chest. My nerve endings come alive, her touch lighting a fire
I’m not sure I’ll ever feel again. I brace my hands on the wall behind her, trapping her against me. With her hand encircling me, I begin moving against her. I'm shocked when my climax comes so soon. I take one last deep breath, holding in, until I explode in her hand. “Baby, this is crazy. You barely touched me, and I’m exploding already.”

Pulling her under the water, I rinse both of our bodies and turn off the
shower. I grab a towel and gently dry her first. No longer tense, she's putty in my hands, and I realize how tired she must be. After drying myself, we walk to my room in darkness. The moon shines in the windows, and I'm drawn to her silhouette as she pulls a t-shirt over her head and lets her hair fall down her back.

She offers n
o resistance when I guide her to the bed and pull her against me. While I lay there, at war with my own thoughts, she falls asleep with her head on my chest and her leg wrapped around mine. I know this was wrong, that we shouldn’t have done this, but I can’t even feel one ounce of remorse. I know I should, and I even try to summon some guilt as I picture Declan in my mind, but I just can’t.

This was the best day of my life, and I won’t apologize for it.

Chapter 23

The next morning, we get up early. I’m considering taking her for another hike, maybe even cooking for her again, but when she mentions that she needs to get back to school to study, I know she's making an excuse to pull away from me. I’ll let her have the space she needs, but now that I’ve had a taste of her, I won’t give up easily.

On the drive back, the conversation flows
effortlessly between us. I’m not surprised that we have a lot in common, but I am surprised that she's so relaxed. I get my first glimpse of what things could be if only…. things weren’t the way they are.

“I wasn’t a bad teenage
r like you’d probably expect.” Giggling, she can’t hide her disbelief. “I’m serious, babe. My sister was the hellion in my house. Let me tell you about the night I caught her sneaking back into the house, smelling like a brewery. She was laughing so loud, she woke up both of our parents. When they came to see what was going on, I pushed her into her room and took the blame. I’m a good brother, right?”

She laughs at all of the right times
and answers appropriately. What she doesn’t do is tell me anything about herself. She looks and acts normal, so I just can't imagine what her big secret is.

As we get closer to town, we both grow quiet. I’m not sure where she goes, but she’s no longer here with me. Her
mind is clearly somewhere else, and I begin to wonder where we go from here. Normally, I’d just drop her off and drive away, but that doesn’t feel right. And I don’t want to let her go.

Back at Players’, I load her bags into her trunk while she waits.
I can tell she’s getting more uncomfortable by the minute, but I don’t know what to do about it. I can only watch as she pulls further and further away from me. But I will leave her with something to think about. Turning to her, my hands on her hips, I push her backward and against her car. My lips hover over hers, and I see a flicker of desire in her eyes. She may not want to make a decision, but I can see the answer in her eyes. I just wish she could see it.

“Quince, I meant what I said. I don’t share. I don’t know what’s going on with you and Declan, but when he looks at you, I can see his feelings written all over his face. Seeing him looking at you like that is driving me insane. If I didn’t love him so damn much, I would kick his ass.”
She could fix this. With only a few words, she could fix it. “He’s my brother, Quince.” I take a deep breath and rake my fingers through my hair. In that moment, I only know one thing. I will fight for her.

“I know, Brody. I will talk to him.”
She looks away, unable to meet my eyes, and I know, right then and there, that things aren’t going to change. They may even get worse.

When I get back to the h
ouse, Declan is the only one home. I head straight to my room, closing the door against the world. I really don’t want to talk to him right now, but I know I can’t avoid him forever.

I decide to head over to Players’, maybe call Seth, and just get out of the house. Suddenly, I feel like I’m suffocating, like I can feel the walls closing in on
me here. When I open my door, I run into Declan in the hall. He has his back to me while he locks his door, and he’s dressed to go out. I stand there silently, until he turns around.

“Hey, man. I didn’t know you were back. I would hang out and watch the game with you, but I’m headed over to Quincy’s to watch a movie.”
Fury, hot and fierce, flares inside of me. I try to gain control of myself, to act like I don’t care. But it’s so fucking hard.

“Yeah? Well, I’m gonna try to hit up Seth and see if he wants to go to Players’
for a while. You have fun.” The words are heavy on my tongue, almost choking me as I push them past my lips. 

“I will. You guys have a good time. See you later.” He doesn’t have a clue.

“Later.” I manage to walk down the stairs and out the door before I lose it. Taking deep breaths, I try to gain some control over myself, but it feels as if the bottom just fell out of my world, like everything good is draining out of it. I feel like I’ve been betrayed. Funny how the mind can muddle things up, especially when you’re the one doing wrong. It makes you feel like the victim when you’re the one holding the knife.

I sit in the Jeep for a few minutes, talking myself down.
You told her to talk to him. Maybe that’s what she’s gonna do. Yeah, maybe tonight’s the night she tells him. That’s all it is.
That’s what I tell myself, but I don’t know if I believe it.

After I send Seth a text, I start the Jeep and leave a trail of dust behind me
, peeling out of the driveway. I roll my shoulders a few times, turn up the music, and decide I don’t give a shit what Quincy Priest does.

Seth is already seated at the bar when I walk in
. It’s Sunday afternoon, so there aren’t many people here. The place reeks of cigarette smoke and grease left over from last night, but I barely notice as I walk straight to the bar. Pulling out a bar stool, I plop down next to Seth. He has two shots lined up in front him, and it looks like he’s been drinking for a while.

“You drinking for both of us or what?” I gesture toward his empty shot
glasses. He doesn’t even look at me when he replies.

“
You don’t get to judge me, Bro.” His head hangs low, his chin almost touching his chest. Dude is drunk off his ass. Neither of us is legal, but Devin is working the bar. When he walks over, I order.

“Guin
ness.” He gets one out of the cooler, pops the top, and slides it across the counter.

Lifting his chin in Seth’s direction, he states the obvious, “You’re going to have to get him out of here soon.” Taking care of Seth is not what I had in mind, but it will keep my focus from wandering over to a certain dorm room. I drain my beer and pay Seth’s tab. Pulling him to his feet, I half drag, half carry his ass out to my Jeep.

“What the hell, Seth? It’s fuckin’ Sunday!”
I listen as he mumbles an apology.

S
lurred and barely coherent, he manages to say, “Yeah, well, it didn’t stop you. Did it, Bro?” He's drunk, but when he pins me with his eyes, they're surprisingly clear.

A
fter pushing him in, I slam the door, and walk around the Jeep. Once I’m seated next to him, I ask, “Just spit it out, Seth. What do you want to say?”

“I saw you
,” he sighs loudly. “I saw you drop her off earlier. What the fuck, man? Don’t you even care if you get caught?”

“Seth, you don’t even know what you’re talking about. So just shut the fuck up, Ok?” Of course, I care.
Don’t I?

“Yeah. I know, I know. You don’t want to talk about it. But you’re going to fuck everything up. We’ve got a good thing going, man
. Don’t screw it up.”

I want to deny it, but I know it’s the truth. This whole thing is on the verge of blowing up in our faces. Seth is just collateral damage.