More Than This (6 page)

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Authors: Shannyn Schroeder

BOOK: More Than This
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He opened the passenger door and helped her slide in. Trendy neighborhood. Not a far
trip at all. He’d be there within ten minutes. He’d hoped to have more time to get
to know her. Maybe he could get her to agree to a date while she was drunk. A little
underhanded, but he’d take it.
“Tell me about yourself,” he prompted.
“What do you wanna know?”
Her usual prim and proper voice had slipped into the realm of easygoing. It was a
side of her he’d like to see more. “Anything. Were you born here in the city? Have
you lived here your whole life? Do you have family other than the sister who blew
you off tonight?”
“Slow down on the darn questions, would ya? My brain can’t move fast with so much
liquor swirling around.” She inhaled deeply. “I was born in southern Illinois. I moved
here with Indy for college. She’s my only sister. My dad still lives down south, so
we don’t see each other often.”
They rode silently for the next few blocks. Ryan thought she dozed off, but then she
spoke again. “How long did you go out with Indy?”
Surprise made him swerve the car. “Indy? Indy and I didn’t date.”
“Oh.” She became quiet again until the wrinkles of confusion on her face smoothed.
“It’s your turn. Tell me about you.”
“I’ve been in Chicago my whole life. I come from a big family. Six kids including
me. My father died a few years ago.”
“Sorry. My mom died when I was seventeen. It sucks.”
She straightened in her seat as the car stopped. Quinn fumbled for the handle and
flung the door open. “Thanks for the ride.”
“Wait. Let me walk you up.”
“I’ll be fine.” She swung her legs out and pushed against the door frame to stand.
Ryan stood beside her before she stepped away to close the door. “I want to make sure
you get in safely. Then I promise I’ll leave you.”
“Trying to be chivalrous to trick me into dating you? Won’t work.”
She allowed him to take her keys from her hand and help her to the door.
“What will work? One date and if we’re not compatible, I’ll leave you alone.”
“I told you I don’t date guys I meet at a bar, especially the ones who work there.”
She pointed to the elevator that looked like the original from the building’s warehouse
days.
“What have you got to lose? You said the Internet dating thing wasn’t working.” A
rumble and thunk echoed in the empty hall as the elevator arrived.
“If I waste my time with you, I might miss the guy I’m supposed to meet. The one who
can kiss me and make me forget where I am.” She stepped in ahead of him.
Was she implying his kiss didn’t cut it? Not possible. Instead of being angry at the
accusation, he viewed it more as a dare. “I bet I can make you forget where you are.”
She pushed the button for the fifth floor and turned to face him. “You could, but
then you’d be too busy with whatever other woman is within a hundred yards. I think
I’ll keep looking.”
“Maybe I’m just casting a wide net like you are.” She didn’t respond and he paused
for a moment. Maybe she was implying he wasn’t what she was looking for. Thinking
back, every date he’d seen arrived in a suit. The last time he’d worn a suit was to
his father’s funeral. “How can you find anyone if you don’t date? You said you were
giving up. Taking yourself out of the game prevents a guy from kissing you, doesn’t
it?”
She smiled. “You have me there. I’ll think on it when I’m sober and get back to you.”
She leaned against the wall as the elevator climbed floors. He held back the urge
to pull her to lean into him. She still looked sad. Her pouty lips begged to be kissed.
At the fifth floor, the elevator gave a little shudder before the doors slid open.
Ryan continued to hold Quinn’s elbow as she led the way to her door. There were only
two lofts on the floor. He jabbed the key into the locks and swung the door open.
He waited, half hoping she would invite him in. She said nothing as she tossed the
keys on a side table beside the door and hung her jacket on a hook. Her phone rang
in her pocket. She fished it out and held up a finger to tell him to wait.
“Yeah, I’m fine. I made it home safe and sound. I even got an escort to my door.”
She barked out a laugh. “Not gonna happen. Talk to you tomorrow.”
She clicked the phone shut and turned her attention to him. “Thanks for bringing me
home. I appreciate it.”
“You could repay me by letting me take you out on a date.”
“Sorry. I have a list to work on. Getting involved with you would be too complicated.”
She pulled at the door to signal he should leave.
“But we could be friends, though, right?”
She nodded her head and smiled. “Sure.”
It was her version of a brush-off, but he’d take what he could. “We can get together
as friends for a cup of coffee.”
“Maybe. I’m going to bed now. Thanks again.” She began to close the door, but he stopped
it with his palm flat on the cool metal.
“Drink at least one more glass of water before bed. It will help counteract the dehydration
of the alcohol. The hangover might not be so bad.” His hand slid away from the door.
“Bye.”
“Bye. Thanks.”
He waited in the hall until he heard the snick and chunk of her locks being thrown.
Ryan walked back toward the elevator but spied a door leading to the stairwell. He
had no desire to ride in the rattling death trap again. As he bounded down the flights
of stairs, his mind raced. He wanted a date with Quinn Adams, and she would take careful
planning.
CHAPTER 4
Q
uinn woke the following morning, early as usual, but felt sluggish. A slight throb
ached over her eyes. She hadn’t slept much, but when she did, dreams plagued her.
Images of Ryan had taken over her night.
In the steam of the shower, she tried to convince herself it was the alcohol that
wreaked havoc on her subconscious. Or was it the id? Either way, the sexy dreams filled
her head. Her verbal diarrhea with Ryan hadn’t helped her anxiety level. She always
talked too much when she drank.
As she pulled on a tank top and shorts, she wondered at the thought of being an old
maid. At what point would she become a spinster? The depressing thoughts grabbed her
before she could push them away. Growing old alone frightened her.
She knew what she needed, a temporary fix. Comfort Cookies—deep, dark, double-chocolate-chip
cookies.
Quinn yanked her hair into a small, high ponytail and entered her kitchen. Here, she
could rid herself of the thoughts of men. She didn’t need them while she baked. Baking
was a hobby, a solitary art, and she could focus on the measuring, the mixing, not
Ryan.
She pulled the ingredients she kept at the ready in the pantry. For her, these cookies
were comfort food. She used to make them with her mom. And they made their way onto
everyone’s list of favorites too.
Quinn pulled out the different types of chocolate, bittersweet and unsweetened baker’s
chocolate, and chopped the blocks into smaller pieces before dumping them into the
double boiler. The radio played as soft background noise. Between the smell of melting
chocolate and the music, trying to push Ryan from her thoughts should have been easy.
But it wasn’t.
He’d been a total gentleman last night. Not that he hadn’t been in the past, but she’d
expected him to try something, even if it was just to get her to agree to a date.
But he didn’t push it. He was just being nice.
While the chocolate began to melt, she cracked eggs into a bowl and began the task
of mixing them with sugar. Sometimes she’d use her stand mixer, but today she wanted
to mix by hand. It would take longer, and it utilized every muscle in her hand and
arm. For her it was therapy. The rhythm of the whisk scraping the side of the bowl
combined with the beat of the music. Her mind relaxed and let the sounds take her
back to childhood.
The ringing door buzzer startled her. Who would come to her house on a Saturday morning?
She had few visitors regardless of time or day. She turned the flame lower on the
chocolate so it wouldn’t scorch and pressed the call box. “Yes?”
“Good morning, Quinn. It’s Ryan. Can I come up?”
She rubbed the back of her hand over her cheek. Why was he here? She never should’ve
let him drive her home. “Why?”
“You said we could have coffee. I brought the coffee to you.”
The end of the night blurred a bit, but she knew she hadn’t made a date. She sighed,
knowing he wouldn’t disappear if she ignored him. She buzzed him up.
Quinn waited nervously at her door for the elevator when the stairwell door flung
open. She jumped and turned to see Ryan holding two paper cups. She crossed her arms
over her chest to steady herself as the desire to bolt into her loft surged in her
chest. She masked her face as well as she knew how. “Hi. I don’t remember making a
date, most definitely not for today.”
“I didn’t say we made a date for today. You said maybe we could have coffee sometime.
I figured you might need coffee, so I stopped by before going to work. How are you
feeling?”
The tone of his voice always seemed like he had a joke he was dying to tell, and as
it coasted over her, she felt the tense muscles in her shoulders relax.
He stood two short feet away, deep blue eyes smiling down at her. He smelled good.
His aftershave mixed with the aroma of chocolate and caffeine. It was intoxicating.
Then it hit her. This man was like her Comfort Cookies, without the calories. Way
too good to be true.
“I’m fine.”
“Is now a bad time?”
“Uh, no. I just started baking cookies.” She was torn. Invite him in or ask him to
leave? She glanced over her shoulder, knowing she needed to mix the chocolate. “Come
on in.”
She kicked the door wider and walked back to the kitchen.
“No hangover?”
She couldn’t help but smirk. “No, someone suggested I drink lots of water before going
to bed. It helped tremendously. I woke up with only a slight headache.” His visit
doubly surprised her now because of the reason. He wanted to check on her?
She kept her back to him as she tried to sort out this new information. She was beginning
to see Ryan in a new light. He was a nice guy in addition to being charming. This
could be her downfall. She turned the flame back up on the chocolate and gave it a
stir.
“Here.” Ryan reached from behind her and pushed a cup at her. His voice was hesitant,
and if Quinn didn’t think it impossible, a little nervous. “I didn’t know how you
take coffee, or if you even drink it. I took a chance on a light, sweet mocha. It
smells like you like chocolate, so I think I did good.”
Quinn accepted the cup and inhaled deeply. She leaned the spoon on the edge of the
pan. “You can never go wrong with chocolate.” She took a small sip, allowing the caffeine
to hit her system. As the warm, chocolatey coffee slid across her tongue, thick and
rich, she closed her eyes and let a small moan of ecstasy escape her throat.
Ryan laughed quietly and her eyes popped open.
“Thank you. This is really good.”
“Sounds like it.” He looked around the mess on her counters. “Can I help?”
“Huh?”
“Making cookies. Can I help?”
Could he? The only person she’d ever baked with besides her mother was Indy. And Indy
usually just ate the raw dough. She’d always enjoyed the solitary nature of it, but
here was Ryan asking to be included in this personal process. Behind him, her list
glared at her.
Step out of your comfort zone.
“Sure.” She handed him a spoon. “Stir the chocolate until it’s a smooth pool of yumminess.”
“Sounds easy enough.”
“It’s not difficult, but if you don’t pay attention, the chocolate will burn.” Quinn
turned back and mixed flour, baking powder, and a pinch of salt in a separate bowl.
She tried to ignore his presence without being rude.
“Do you bake a lot?”
“I don’t know if I’d say a lot, but I like to bake. It’s relaxing, especially when
I have stuff to think about.”
“What else do you do for fun?”
She remained quiet for a minute. What did she do for fun? “I like to read.”
But even that wasn’t always for fun. More often than not, she read something related
to teaching. “I like to watch reality TV.”
“Like
Survivor
?”
“No, more like
The Bachelor.
”
He huffed out a sound of disgust. “That is not reality.”
“I know that. But for the most part, it’s regular people. They just spend an inordinate
amount of time doing stupid crap. It’s fun to watch and doesn’t require anything from
me.” She turned to check on the chocolate. “How’s the chocolate?”
“Looks melted to me.” He scooped the spoon through the lake of chocolate and lifted
it to show the smooth drizzle. “Now what?”
She turned off the flame. “Dump the chocolate into the egg mixture I already made.”
He grasped the handle of the top pot of the double boiler and poured the chocolate
over the batter.
After the chocolate was incorporated with the eggs and butter, she added the dry ingredients
slowly. When it was all mixed, she said, “Now we fold it together with the chocolate
chips so it stays kind of fluffy. We don’t want to beat it.”
One eyebrow shot high on his forehead and she knew she lost him. Dumping chocolate
he understood, folding it was a different matter. “Like this.”
She used her spatula and gently folded the chocolate in.
“I can handle that.” He reached for the spatula and his hand brushed hers.
The charge between them startled her. He stood so close she thought for sure he was
going to kiss her again. She stepped quickly to the side to let him access the bowl.
She stood on tiptoe and pulled down her stoneware cookie sheets. The stone was smooth
and shiny from years of use. They were heavy, but they gave her perfect cookies every
time.
“All mixed. Now what?”
Ryan looked like a kid baking for the first time. He displayed his excitement on his
face. Most guys would be bored or would only care about the finished product. Ryan
was enjoying the process.
Rather than take over, she handed him the cookie scoop. “Scoop the dough and plop
it on the pan. Leave space between the cookies. You should get a dozen per pan.”
He played with the scoop for a minute, squeezing the handle to get an understanding
of how it worked. “Like scooping ice cream.”
“Yep.” She eased onto a stool and watched him drop dough on the pans. It was weird
teaching Ryan to bake Comfort Cookies. She’d always imagined that the first person
she’d teach would be her own child.
“Have you decided what you’re doing on Monday?”
His question brought her back to the kitchen, away from her thoughts. “Monday?”
“You’re playing hooky, right?”
“Oh, that. I have no idea what I’m going to do.”
He finished filling the two pans and she slid them into the preheated oven. After
setting the timer, she returned to her stool. What was she supposed to talk about
now?
“I bet my sister Moira would love these cookies. She loves everything chocolate, and
there appears to be about a hundred kind in these.”
Within minutes, the inviting smell of chocolate filled her kitchen. “You’re more than
welcome to take some with you. You can tell her that you made them yourself.” She
dipped a finger into the remaining batter. “A good cookie always starts with good
dough. This is Indy’s favorite part.” She licked her finger. “Sometimes we don’t even
get a second batch in the oven. We just lick the bowl clean.” Dipping her finger in
again, she felt his eyes on her. “Try some. It won’t hurt you.”
His hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist. He guided her finger to his lips and licked
the batter off. Jolts of pleasure ran up her arm and her eyes widened.
He did
not
just do that.
She yanked her hand away. “Wh-What are you doing?”
He shrugged with one of his careless smiles. “Trying the cookie dough. I didn’t think
you’d want my grubby hands in the bowl.”
The innocent look on his face baffled her. Did he really not mean anything by that?
He made no other move. He’d been nothing more than friendly the entire time he’d been
there. Maybe she was reading more into his actions.
His phone chirped. He pulled it out and checked the screen. His brows furrowed and
his lips tightened.
“Problem?”
“A text from my sister. I’m being summoned to my mom’s house.”
“You don’t look too happy about it.” Other than mentioning his sister earlier, he
hadn’t done much talking about himself. She wondered if he was hiding something. He
said he had a big family, but that didn’t mean he liked them.
“It’s not that. They’re changing plans again, that’s all. I have to juggle some stuff.”
He tucked his phone back into his pocket. “Unfortunately, that means I have to head
out now.”
Disappointment hit her quickly before she swiped it away. “Can’t you wait for the
cookies? They’ll be ready any minute.”
“I better not. Save some for me.” He headed to the door and she followed.
“Thanks again for the coffee,” she said.
“I told you I knew how to be friends. Thanks for letting me hang out with you. Talk
to you soon.”
She stared after him as he moved through the stairwell door. He made a hasty departure.
She smiled at the kindness of his visit. There was definitely more to Ryan O’Leary
than she’d thought.
In the kitchen, the timer went off, and she removed the cookies from the oven and
set them out to cool.
Quinn sipped at the last of the decadent brew Ryan had brought. The essays in her
bag needed to be graded, but she ignored them. She thought long and hard about her
life. By now, she was supposed to have what Kate had: a house, a husband, and kids.
Her first marriage had been a joke, and she couldn’t even find an adequate date. But
she still wanted children.
Eyeing the list tacked to her refrigerator above the artwork created by Kate’s kids,
Quinn thought of the possibility of starting a family. As soon as school let out,
she’d seriously start making plans. Adoption, in vitro, artificial insemination .
. . There was a lot to consider, but if she could handle the list Indy made, she could
conquer anything.

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