Fate (Choices #2) (16 page)

"Are you crazy?" I yell, but I can't keep the smile off my face. She looks untroubled, so relaxed... this is what freedom looks like. I stand still, los
t in the moment, and then, she's standing still, facing me. She reaches to brush the hair from my eyes, and I give in. My mouth crashes into hers, kissing the rain away. Our hands join between us, her tiny fingers resting on my chest.

We part, and with our hands clasped, I run toward the cabin with her on my heels. Quincy giggles the whole way. I think she's crazy. I think she's wonderful. I don't know how I lived without her.

Once inside, I leave her standing in the doorway on a rug while I go in search of dry towels. When I skip down the stairs, she's cowering, with only her bathing suit on, right where I left her. Relief, quickly followed by desire, spreads across her face. I take my wet shirt off and wrap a towel around my waist. Reaching under my towel, I slide my shorts off and throw them in a wet pile. Quincy silently watches my hands move, clearly shocked that I'm naked underneath my towel.

"What? You want some help with yours?" I joke, catching the corner of her towel and giving it one sharp tug.

"Brody! Don't even think about it!" She turns to run from me, but I'm faster. I catch her, my arm around her small waist, and lift her off her feet. She pushes and shoves against me, but there's no way I'm letting her go. Ever.

I'
m suddenly enchanted by the soft skin of her neck, that little junction where her neck meets her shoulder. I lean down, licking that very spot. Her will to fight leaves her as she succumbs to the heat between us. Her fingertips explore the tattoo on my chest while my tongue explores the valley of her throat. I need this. I need
her
.

"Quince
," I whisper, my voice caught in my throat. "Believe me when I say I've never wanted anything like I want this."

I lift her, her legs wrapped around my waist, and carry her to the couch.
She tentatively lowers her head, placing small kisses along my collarbone and up my neck. When she nibbles the tender spot under my ear, I almost drop her.

Slowly, I lower her, her
still damp body sliding down mine. She steps back, putting distance between us and reaching for the string holding her bathing suit top on. My heart pounds in my chest, beating so loud I can hear it in my ears. I watch as the knot slowly unravels and finally gives way. Discarding the top, she reaches for the bottoms. I want to touch her, to undress her myself, but I can only watch as she pushes the bottoms down and kicks them to the side.

I can only stare, entranced, as she reaches for my towel, flicking it open. It swooshes to the ground, leaving us completely exposed. I step toward her, needing my hands on her body, and she meets me halfway. This time, when our lips meet, it is soft, even gentle. A whispered promise.

Pushing her down on the couch, I lower myself between her legs. I search her face for any sign that I'm moving too fast, and I'm shocked by the intensity burning there. She shyly looks away before her eyes meet mine again. Her breath catches in her throat as she whispers, "I belong to you, Brody." I can't hide the shock that echoes within me. Words I never thought I would hear. "I belong to you." For a fleeting moment, I feel as if this moment is too good to be true, like if I blink, it might disappear.

“I don’t want to hurt you, Quince. But I’m not strong enough to walk away.”
I'm beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, I need her more than she needs me.

My body begs for release, but I want to take
things slow. I need to show her how special she is to me. I reach for my shorts and locate the condom I got out of my room earlier. I smile sheepishly at Quince, hoping she's not offended.

“This is what took me so long upstairs.”
As soon as I roll the condom on, she uses her legs to pull my hips to hers. I pull away, resisting her. A look of disappointment shadows her face, and I rush to explain. “No, baby, I'm going to take my time with you. I want to remember every detail.”

And I do. I kiss her body from head to toe,
relishing every detail, no matter how small. Her soft moans drive me wild, pushing me closer to the edge. My erection is almost painful as I kiss my way down her leg and back up. Her body quivers against me, urging me to move faster, but I'm determined to draw out the passion, to make this experience more intense than all of the others we're had. She's different than all the rest, and she deserves to be worshipped.

When our bodies line up, I push into her slowly, drawing out the tension building in my gut. Rather than thrusting, I grind my hips into hers, driving her wild. I watch her face,
her brows furrowed with need. She thrashes her head side to side, and I can sense the momentum building. When she cries out, fisting my hair in her hands, I release violently inside of her. Amazing.

Collapsing in a pile of skin and limbs, our breathing returns to normal. My heart is still beating loudly in my chest when there is a loud clap of thunder. A bolt of lightning lights up the sky. "I'll never be afraid of thunder again." I'm pretty sure that I'll never hear it again without thinking of Quincy and this moment.

"See? I'm better than a therapist, and it didn't cost you anything." She giggles, running her fingers through my hair.

"Oh, I don't know about that." I lean up so she can see my face when I say it. "It may have cost me more than either of us know." Yes, my brotherhood is on the line, but so is my heart.

After I get rid of the condom, I grab a blanket and lie down beside her. Pulling her close, I take a deep breath, inhaling the sweet scent of vanilla and sex. I suddenly feel possessive, realizing that I can't let her go. I can't stand another minute of her hanging out with Declan. I'm lost in thought when she speaks.

“Brody, Alex says you don’t date. And you’re telling me you don’t do relationships. Why? I mean, why not?”
That wasn't the question I expected. And it's not one easily answered.

I start with the easy part.
“It’s not about a girl, but at the same time, it is. I had a girlfriend named Paige all through high school. We were together four years, and I caught her cheating on me. I wasn’t devastated or anything because I was already beginning to feel like we needed a break from each other.”I pause, my mind searching for the words I've only ever said to Declan. “Later, she told me she had an abortion without even discussing it with me. I knew, then, that she wasn’t who I thought she was. She wasn’t someone I could be with.” It sickens me that I gave someone else that much control over my happiness. “I just haven’t found anyone I wanted to be with since then.”  And then, I tell her the part that has come to define me. “You know, it’s not even about her. It’s not even about the cheating. It’s that she robbed me of my choice. I realize we weren’t ready to be parents. We would never have stayed together, but I deserved to know.” I relive the moment I found out about the abortion, the relief I felt until the guilt set in.

I wait for her to pull away in disgust or maybe even disappointment. Instead, she squeezes me tighter, offering support without saying a word.
She gives me the time I need, and unlike most girls, she doesn't offer advice or say anything cheesy.

Instead, she says, "I'm so, so sorry." No excuses, no accusations. It's exactly what I needed.

I want to ask her about herself. There's so much about Quincy Priest that I don't know. I guess I'm kind of thinking that, since I shared something with her, she'll share something with me. Instead, we lie in silence, comforting one another in a way I never knew we needed. As bad as I hate to leave, I know I need to get her back home.

“Come on, babe. We need to get back so you can study.
" Life awaits us.

On the drive back, we talk easily, avoiding heavy topics. I could listen to her soft country twa
ng all day long and never get tired of it. We stop to eat dinner, talking, but never revealing too much. And damn if leaving her at her dorm isn't one of the hardest things I've ever done.

Before today, I've always felt like the deck was s
tacked against me. Declan's the nice guy, everything a girl could hope for. He met her first, and she seems to like being with him. However, today changed things. The tide is finally turning in my favor. There is a connection between us that can no longer be ignored.

She's mine.

Chapter 31

My fingers itch to send Quince a text, but I'm just not that kind of guy. I've just always felt like if you had something to say, you should do it in person. I do make phone calls, but today... I feel like sending a text with one of those silly smiley faces tacked onto the end. I'm so whipped.

I can't wait to see her today. I know we'll have to be careful until the time is right, so secret touches and stolen moments are all we have at the moment. But no matter what I tell myself, I do feel bad. Declan has been the best friend a brother could have. He's done nothing wrong, and I'm a total shit. I didn't just go after his girl. I stole her.

I'm so happy, but I can't shake the feeling that something bad is going to happen. It's almost like I'm afraid to be happy because it might be snatched away from me. I tell myself it's irrational. Fate wouldn't bring her to me only to take her away.
Right?

The weather is so nice, so instead of driving, I decide to walk to class.
I love summer time when I can go camping and swimming in the river, but I always welcome the cooler weather of the fall. It's perfect for hiking, and the heat isn't so vicious. Autumn leads to winter, my other favorite season. Skiing, snowboarding, what more could a guy ask for?

When I get close to Starbucks, I see Quincy stepping out onto the sidewalk. I duck into an alleyway next to the store, waiting for her to walk by.
When she does, I wrap my arms around her waist, pulling her into the alley. She struggles against me, and when I realize I scared her, I turn her to face me. She's spittin' mad.

"Brody! You ass!" She punches me in the shoulder, and I'm shocked when it actually hurts. My girl has some fight in her.

"I couldn't let my girl walk by without a kiss, could I?" I give her my special smile, and allow it to work its magic. She literally melts in my arms, launching herself at me. When her lips touch mine, I realize I've been craving this all day. Her lips taste like that girly tea she drinks, and she smells wonderful. I wrap a fist in her hair, holding her face in place as my lips assault hers.

"Uh hem." Someone interrupts us. I pull back just enough to see who it is. I grin like a fool when I see ou
r psych professor, Dr. Grimes. He grins back before shaking his head and walking away. When I look at Quince, her face is three different shades of red, and she's freakin' adorable when she bursts out laughing. Her laughter is contagious, and I laugh with her. Giving her a reassuring hug, I tell her, "Baby, that was hot! You should have seen the look on your face."

"Ha, ha. You're so funny." She smiles, her face still on fire. Little Miss Perfect just got caught in a compromising position. Although I think it was funny, I'm not embarrassed at all. She's mine, and I'm proud of it.

Sliding her backpack from her shoulders, I throw it on my back. The large, heavy backpack nearly swallows her tiny frame; I don’t know how she carries this thing. When we get to class, I shrug it off and hand it back to her. Declan is already seated, watching us walk toward him. I try to keep it cool, collapsing into my seat beside Eric without another glance at Quincy. It's just too damn soon for that. It threatens my good mood, but I push it back. I deserve to be happy. So I do something totally out of character.

              Me: Some girl attacked me on the way to class 2day

She jumps
when her phone vibrates. I wait for a reaction, and I'm not disappointed.

LMP: Some guy attacked me. Coincidence?

I laugh. Attacked her?
She
jumped
me
.

Me: Want me to kick his ass?

She doesn't respond, but I catch her smiling. Declan suddenly looks up, his eyes meeting mine. There is a question there, but I look away. I can't look at him too long without the guilt creeping in. Quincy must have noticed because she begins fidgeting nervously with her book and laptop.

When class is over, my hopes to get Quincy alone are crushed. Declan walks with her, dipping his head to talk to her. She waves me off, and my blood boils. I know she can't be with me, but I'm not going to watch her with another guy either. I'm just not the kind of guy who can do that.

Eric and I walk back to the house together. The silence becomes uncomfortable, so I just ask him outright. "You got a problem?" No reason to beat around the bush. His eyes flash, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Yeah. And now, you've got a problem." He takes a calming breath before clarifying. "I know where you went yesterday, and I know who went with you. Dammit, Brody! That girl looks like a love
sick puppy following you around, and I know how you operate. This can only end badly." His words send a burst of anger straight through me.

"Fuck you, Eric. You think I'd do this to her and me, to Declan, if I didn't give a shit about her?" Give me a little credit here." He's my brother, but I won't hesitate to lay him out if he keeps talking shit.

"Then you really do have a problem. If you love that girl, you're both in trouble. This can only end one way. Bad." He releases and clenches his fists a few times before wiping his hands on his jeans. "What are you gonna do?"

"I'll give it some time before I do anything. But what I'm gonna do is love her. Respect her. Treat her right. That's what I'm gonna do." I shouldn't have to apologize for being happy.

"Whatever you say, man. But when the shit hits the fan, I'm not getting in the middle. You'll be on your own." When we hit the steps at the house, he goes his way, and I go mine.

I'm already in my room when I realize that I didn't use my smiley face at the end of my text. Dammit. Maybe next
time.