Just Say Yes (21 page)

The Kicker

Quinn had been waiting weeks for Tim to come to his senses, to deal with whatever shit he'd needed to work through. But all the times she'd imagined how Tim's apology would go, she'd never pictured it ending with a proposal.

She also hadn't expected the anger she'd felt when she saw him on the other side of her door. She'd tried to talk to him twice, tried to work things out, tried to understand where he was coming from. And then he decided he was ready to speak to her and she was supposed to drop everything to hear him out? Not to mention respond to a marriage proposal.
Screw that.

So she'd taken a few days to get her head back on straight. He'd taken his time; surely she was entitled to some as well. Tim hadn't contacted her since she'd walked away from him, and Quinn wasn't sure how that made her feel. On the one hand, she appreciated the time to think about what he had said, to think about where she stood. On the other, she didn't like the idea of Tim disappearing again either. It was all so . . . infuriatingly confusing.

Quinn knew she wasn't going to find any answers on her own. And she desperately needed some enlightenment. So she found herself at the only place she could get it: Tim's.

Not wanting to be as indecisive as he had clearly been, she stepped up to his door and knocked. Minutes passed, but he didn't open the door. She knocked again, but was again met with silence. For some reason, she hadn't considered that he might not be home. She'd talked herself up for this visit, infused confidence into every fiber of her being. It all began to seep out of her as she stood there, her shoulders slumping slightly.

“Quinn?” a voice,
his
voice, said from behind her.

She turned and there he was, looking at her as if she were an apparition. He was standing completely still in front of the elevator he had just exited, looking as though he was scared she'd disappear if he moved toward her.

She suddenly realized that it was her turn to speak. “Hi.” He began walking down the hall, and she let herself look him over. He looked casual, relaxed, and sexy as hell. His plaid button-up was rolled up at the sleeves and fit perfectly across his chest as he slid one hand into the pocket of his fitted khakis. “You look . . . Why do you look so . . . fancy?”

Tim laughed and cocked a brow at her. “This is fancy?”

Quinn shrugged. “No, I guess not. Just . . . good. You look good.”

Tim smiled slightly, and Quinn nearly passed out. It had been weeks since she'd seen that smile. And she'd missed the hell out of it. “You want to come in?” he asked as he slid his key in the lock and pushed open his door.

“Yeah.”

He looked over his shoulder at her before he stepped inside, moving against the door so she could enter and he could shut it behind her.

She walked into the apartment and stopped, unsure of where to go or what to do now that she was in there. Quinn had loved this space, loved spending time there. But that felt like a lifetime ago.

Tim put his keys down and began walking toward the kitchen. “You want something to drink? Eat?”

Quinn followed. “No, thanks.”

Tim opened the refrigerator and pulled out a bottle of water, twisting off the cap and taking a drink.

The action threatened to weaken her resolve as she watched his neck pulse with each swallow. She had to keep her mind on the task at hand. “You really hurt me.”

He looked momentarily stunned as he lowered the bottle. Then he just looked sad. “I know I did.”

“I didn't deserve it.”

“No, you didn't.”

“And that proposal was bullshit.”

Tim placed the water on the counter and braced his hands on the smooth granite. “With that, I have to disagree.”

Quinn hadn't known it when she'd arrived, but that was
exactly
the response she had been hoping for. “You do?” Her voice was quiet, unsure.

“I know I can be”—Tim waved his hand in a circular motion as he seemed to be trying to come up with the right word—“impulsive. But that doesn't mean I wasn't sincere. Maybe I just shouldn't have done it right then.”

Quinn shot him a “no shit” look.

“Okay, I
definitely
shouldn't have done it right then. But it is what it is. I can't take it back. And I don't want to.” He stood and walked to stand in front of her. “The way I treated you . . . I know I don't deserve you to say yes, or to get an answer at all, but—”

“Enough. You've already said your piece. I don't need to hear it again. I also don't need to hear about what you don't deserve anymore. We deserve what we get, Tim. Our lives are in
our
hands. There's no list that says this person gets to be happier than that person. Our stories are what we craft them to be, what we put into them. Nothing more and nothing less.”

Tim widened his stance and pushed his hands into his pockets. He looked at her like he was waiting for her to continue, waiting to give her the chance to say everything she needed to say. She damn sure planned to take advantage of the opportunity.

“The last few weeks”—she blew out a breath—“have really sucked. I thought I'd found the person I was going to spend forever with. And then you had one less-than-stellar interaction with my dad and you bolted. I thought I meant more than that. I didn't think I'd be so easy to walk away from.”

“Quinn—”

“It's not your turn yet,” she reprimanded. “I shouldn't have even come here. I shouldn't be talking to someone who didn't fight for me—for us—the way he should have.”

Tim looked briefly down at the floor, and she saw his neck swallow a lump that must have formed there.

“But what would that really prove?”

His head jerked up, his eyes boring into hers. The hope she saw in them. The love. The regret. It was enough.

“If I walk away now, then I'm doing the same thing you did. Repeating the same mistake. I know you have regrets, Tim. But I refuse to be one of them. And I won't let you be one of mine either.”

He sucked in a steadying breath. “Are you fucking with me?”

“Anyone ever tell you that you really know how to ruin a moment?” Quinn couldn't help the smile that spread over her face.

“No. I haven't had moments with anyone else.” He moved so quickly, she didn't even have time to brace herself for it. His hands wrapped around her, his lips pressed to hers, and the world fell away. She was back where she belonged. With this beautiful, brave—and sometimes incredibly stupid—man.

“I've missed you so much,” he murmured against her mouth. “I promise, I won't mess up again. This—you, me—I won't lose it a second time.”

Quinn returned his kiss with everything she had, allowing her body to say what she didn't have words for.

She hadn't realized how much she'd missed the feel of Tim's body enveloping hers, how safe she still felt in his strong arms, despite what he'd put her through. Immediately her body responded to his as she willingly let him guide her toward the counter, which he lifted her onto. Her legs opened immediately, hugging his waist as she relaxed into him.

They stayed that way for longer than she'd anticipated, Quinn rubbing against Tim's hard length as much as she could manage with the layers of fabric between them. Tim's hands slid inside her shirt, pulling her bra down to play with her nipples. She'd forgotten how good it felt to have the perfect amount of pressure—a feeling, no matter how hard she'd tried, she was never be able to give herself. “Mmm,” she moaned into Tim's neck. “I like that.”

Tim's mouth moved to her jawline, the scruff on his face tickling her skin as he breathed against her. “Yeah? What is it you like?”

Everything.
“This,” Quinn answered honestly. “Us. The way I feel when we're together.”

“And how is it you feel?” Tim's voice was brusque, raspy with desire.

“Whole.” She'd said it before she realized how it sounded. It wasn't that she hadn't felt complete before Tim. She'd never need a man to feel that way. It just felt like a piece of herself had disappeared when Tim had. “It's not like—”

“Shh,” he said as he brought two fingers up to her lips. “You don't have to explain it.”

So she didn't.

He lifted her off the counter and carried her to his bedroom, placing her down gently on his bed. “I'm going to spend hours loving this body. Loving you.”

Quinn sat up just enough to pull her shirt off. Her bra followed. “Better get started then.”

Tim pulled back slightly, leaving one leg on the bed, his knee between her thighs, while the other was planted on the ground as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt. He let it drift open, revealing a white tank top that was perfectly molded to his chest. He flexed his shoulders back, shrugging off his shirt and dropping it to the floor. Then his hands moved to his belt, working it open with ease before popping the button on his pants and dragging the zipper down. Tim left his khakis hanging open as he pushed his hand into his tight black briefs and gripped himself.

“You're being a real tease,” Quinn complained.

That sexy smirk she loved so much spread over his face. “I told you . . . hours.”

As Tim continued to stroke himself, Quinn realized that two could play that game. She quickly undid her shorts, pushing them harshly down her legs so that she was left only in her red lace thong. She made a show of toying with her nipples before sliding her hands slowly down her body, circling her belly button and then gliding over her thong and down to her clit.

Tim's eyes widened and his breathing became audible.

Quinn's moans filled the room as she worked her fingers over the sensitive bundle of nerves. “I hate to tell you this. But lying here, watching you touch yourself, I'm not going to last hours.”

Quinn's words had the desired effect. Tim pushed his pants and boxers off and crawled over Quinn, propping himself on his elbows placed on either side of her head. “You don't play fair.”

“I know. Now stop talking and take this off,” she said as she pushed his undershirt off. “I want to feel all of you against me.”

Tim complied, made a quick detour to his bedside table to withdraw a condom, and then lowered his body onto hers. He began to kiss her everywhere he could reach.

“You forgot to take my panties off.” Quinn sighed as Tim sucked on her earlobe and rocked his cock against her.

“No, I didn't.” Tim rolled slightly to the side so that he could tear open the condom and roll it down his length. Then he resettled himself above her, moved her panties to one side, and thrust into her. “Jesus Christ,” he ground out. “You looked so hot touching yourself in these that I didn't want to take them off of you.”

Quinn couldn't explain why, mostly because she was incapable of coherent thought in that moment, but Tim's words were insanely hot. They kissed like they were trying to consume each other. Tim's hand pinched her nipples, and Quinn threaded her fingers through his hair and held him close to her. Their breathing was harsh and frantic—a perfect harmony for the raw and needy way Tim was fucking her. She had never been so aroused, so desperate for release, so loved.

Tim ran his hand over her skin. “This is mine. All of this . . . it's mine.”

“Yes, God yes, it's yours.” Her thong was creating a delicious friction against her clit, rubbing her every time Tim thrust into her. She felt her orgasm building. “Close. So close.”

Tim lowered his lips to her and kissed her passionately before letting his lips graze over her cheek and to her ear. “Come for me, Quinn.”

Quinn had always thought coming on command was bullshit. It wasn't. There was something about the words themselves that seemed to push her over the edge. Her entire body seized at his words, her clit throbbing with spectacular sensation as Tim thrust one final time, and she felt his cock pulsing deep inside of her, releasing his own orgasm.

They didn't move for a few minutes. Or maybe it was a few hours. Quinn didn't know; nor did she care. Eventually Tim rolled to the side, removed the condom, tied it off, and tossed it in a nearby trash can. Then he leaned close and nuzzled into her. As they both drifted off, she relished the soft breaths coming from the contented man beside her.

It was a song she knew she'd never tire of hearing no matter how many times it was played.

•   •   •

“Get dressed,” Quinn said suddenly. “We're going out.”

“Um . . . okay?” Tim followed Quinn's lead, standing to put his pants back on. “I was kind of counting on staying naked for a while longer,” he said, walking around the bed toward her so he could run his hand up her bare arm. “Should I even ask where we're going?”

“Three months ago I asked you to start something with me that we didn't finish. It's time we saw it through.”

Tim had no idea what she was talking about, but it didn't matter. He'd follow her anywhere.

And in this case, “anywhere” meant around the corner to her car. “You sure you don't want me to drive?” Tim asked.

“Yes. You don't even know where we're going.”

Tim raised his eyebrows at her. “That's the point. Then you'd have to tell me.”

“Just shut up and get in.”

“You're cute when you're bossy,” he said before walking around the car and opening the passenger door so he could slide into the seat beside her. He glanced at Quinn, who had already turned the car on and was staring ahead as she clutched the wheel.

Tim could have thought about where they might be going during the car ride, but he was content to let his mind focus on the beautiful redhead next to him as he ran his fingers through her hair.

Once she pulled into a space and Tim took note of his surroundings, he knew exactly why she'd brought him here. The pieces of Quinn's puzzle suddenly fit together. She'd said they'd started something months ago that they'd never finished. And that “something” came in the form of a needle and ink. “Seriously?” Tim said, drawing out the word in disbelief. “You're really going to get a tattoo?”