“Damn,” he whispers, dropping a kiss onto my shoulder. “That was . . . That was . . .”
“Yeah, it was,” I finish for him, because there are no words to describe what just happened between us.
I should’ve known he would be magic in bed.
As if my decision wasn’t impossible enough already, I had to go and have the best sex of my entire life with him. I’m not one to think sex means love. Not at all. But maybe in this case, it does? Nobody has ever known what my body needs the way he did. And not just my body, but he’s always one step ahead of me emotionally too.
How did I let this happen and what the hell am I going to do now?
Thirty-three
If someone would’ve told me that after my dad passed away, I wouldn’t be completely dreading my first Thanksgiving without him, I would’ve laughed in their face and asked them to share whatever they’d been smoking. Yet here I am.
Of course, there is still a gray cloud hanging over my day. A looming sadness that I don’t even try to shake. A reminder that the most important person in my life will never share this day with me again. But instead of crumbling like I thought I would, I’m standing in front of my building, soaking in the sun on this surprisingly warm November day, watching as Quinton’s sparkling blue BMW that he still insists on taking to the carwash glides into the empty parking spot in front of me.
“Happy Thanksgiving.” I climb in and he meets me in the middle for a quick kiss.
“Happy Thanksgiving to you,” he returns and glances at the clock. “I hope you weren’t waiting long, I would’ve come sooner.”
“I know you would’ve.” I buckle my seat belt and settle in as he reverses out of the spot. “My place just felt too quiet and it’s beautiful out. I figured I’d enjoy it before the weather switches up on us again.”
He forces out a laugh. “This Colorado weather is giving me whiplash. It is a nice day outside, though.”
Weather small talk? I thought we were beyond this. But as I look at the rigid lines in his shoulder and his white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel, it’s obvious something is off. I wrack my brain, trying to think of anything that could’ve happened to make today so awkward, but I can’t think of anything. He dropped me off at my place on Sunday morning before driving to the facility to meet the team and didn’t get back into town until early Tuesday morning. We had dinner on Tuesday, but missed each other yesterday.
“Everything okay?” Maybe he’s regretting giving his entire day over to me? We did just start seeing each other. This does feel like something a more serious couple would do. I wonder if he’s afraid he’s giving me the wrong idea?
“Yeah, great.” He looks away from the road in front of him and offers me what I think is supposed to be a reassuring smile, but does the opposite. His mouth is so strained, it hurts me.
“I know we kinda just fell into this whole thing.” I rest my hands on my legs as an attempt to stop my knee from bouncing. “If you’re worried that I’m reading into this and going to become some crazy stalker, know that I won’t.”
Alright, so the no-stalking thing is a lie. We live in the time of the Internet and social media. I will for sure cyberstalk him. Torturing myself with thoughts of what could be and endless scrolling between the hours of twelve to three a.m. is my favorite pastime. But I won’t like “show up at his house” stalk him or anything.
“No.” He manages to pry one of his hands off the steering wheel and grab mine. “That’s not it at all. If you couldn’t tell, I’m really fucking into you. I want to see where this goes. I want you to read into this, I know I am.”
My knee stops bouncing as my heart explodes into tiny little hearts in my chest. I’m not sure anyone has used the word “fucking” in such a sweet way, but it might be my love language. Well, that and Diet Coke, both of which Quinton has mastered.
“I’d like that too.” Mr. Mahler crosses my mind, but I quickly shut it down. If I’m going to make a decision, I can’t not be present when I’m with Quinton or at work. There’s no way I can make up my mind if I’m checked out when I’m around them.
“Good.” His fingers wind around mine and his jaw flexes beneath his thick beard. “Where we’re going, I’ve never taken anyone. Ever. And I need you to know bringing you here isn’t something I take lightly.”
“Oookay,” I drag out the word as I look at the nondescript neighborhood he’s driving us through. The houses are nice, but cookie-cutter, typical for the suburbs. “Where are we going?”
He didn’t tell me and I never asked. His surprises haven’t let me down yet, so I didn’t feel the need to ask until now.
“I’ve been pretty vague about my family life, but I’m a lot closer to them than you think.” He flicks on his blinker, making the right-hand turn like it’s second nature. Like these are streets he frequents. “I just like to keep my family private. It’s not something I’ve ever wanted to advertise. And a few years ago, something happened and I grew even more private at my family’s request.”
“So I’m meeting your family?” The pieces of my heart slowly meld back together as it pounds against my chest and my palms begin to sweat. The way he is presenting this doesn’t bode well for me. I feel like meeting the family should not contain this much dread.
“Yeah.” He pulls to a stop in front of a ranch house with
