Happy Endings (19 page)

She had to give him points for starting to know her personality better. Before their walk on the beach last night and declaration of love, she was starting to become convinced he didn’t care. It seemed Quinn was making an effort, though, and she appreciated that.

“That was thoughtful,” she replied. “Thank you. The bad part is, I have to go home in the same dress. Talk about a walk of shame.”

“You could wear one of my t-shirts and tighten up the string on a pair of my gym shorts. Then it would be a walk of victory.”

“You think so, huh?”

He smirked. “Can you deny that we reached the finish line last night?”

Larissa licked her lips, savoring thoughts of what they did on the beach and then again in his shower and again in his bed. “Oh, we certainly reached it. Many, many times.” She hopped out of the bed, tugging on the sheet to get it from beneath Quinn to wrap around her torso.

“Now you’re feeling modest?”

She pretended affront, raising her nose toward the ceiling. “Just because you had your dirty way with me last night doesn’t mean I’m not a lady.”

“Don’t forget, you’re
my
lady.” He made a shooing motion with his hands. “As much as I wish I didn’t have to break this conversation up, you better brush your teeth so we can make out before I leave for work.”

With a sigh, she walked into the bathroom, closing the door and letting the sheet fall away. The fluffy robe she’d used after showering last night hung on the back of the door and she wrapped herself inside it before hurrying to brush her teeth. She might be disappointed that she and Quinn couldn’t spend the entire day snuggled together in bed, but she wasn’t going to miss her good morning/good-bye kiss.

Quinn was as good as his word, obtaining everything she needed for her personal hygiene. He’d even procured a soft-bristled brush for her hair. Doing her best to look tidy without taking a lot of time, she flashed a smile at her reflection and decided it would have to do.

“I’m ready for you,” she called, flinging open the bathroom door.

Only to find an empty bed.

“Quinn?”

“I’m out here,” he called from the front room.

Drat. Maybe she should have stayed naked to keep his attention longer.

She walked out of the bedroom to find him sitting at the table, a spread of food placed in front of him.

“I hope you like waffles and strawberries,” he said, gesturing toward the food. “I took the liberty of ordering your breakfast. Wanna come sit on my lap and eat before I head to the office?”

Larissa shook her head. “If I sit on your lap, I’d have to convince you not to go to work.”

His eyes traveled up and down the robe and a shrewdness passed into his gaze. “It could definitely work if you lost the robe.”

As tempted as she was, Larissa stayed off his lap, opting instead to indulge in the kiss he’d been so eager to give her before.

He grabbed the back of her head, pulling her close to kiss her deeply. He groaned slightly and then pulled away. “I wish I really could stay with you today.”

“So do I.” Larissa sat next to him, pulling a plate of waffles toward her. “These look delicious.”

Quinn grunted agreement, eating his food but also periodically checking something on his cell phone.

“Looking at football scores?” Larissa asked once she became sick of only hearing the sound of them chewing.

“E-mail,” he said shortly, not even bothering to look at her.

Baby steps, she reminded herself. Quinn couldn’t change overnight. It didn’t matter if they loved each other, he still had a job to do and felt like he had to do it all on his own. Besides, she had two massage appointments later in the afternoon, and then Janie needed more work done on her back. It wasn’t like Larissa could forget about her job either, even if she would rather be with Quinn.

Quinn finished eating long before Larissa made a dent in her breakfast. He stood from the table, gathering his wallet and keys off the half wall that lead to the sitting area.

“You’re already leaving?” Larissa asked, not really surprised.

He nodded and bent down to kiss her, the taste of strawberries lingering on his mouth. “I want you to take my car today.” He handed her the keys and pressed a room key card into her other hand. “Drive back to your place. I’ll take the four-wheeler.”

She shook her head. “It’s only a half mile. I’ll walk.”

“You could walk, but it won’t be as easy to grab clothes and bring them back without a car to pack them in.”

“What?” She tipped her head to the side, wondering if she heard him correctly. “My clothes?”

“I cleaned out a drawer,” he said. “No reason to do the walk of shame each morning, since I want you here with me every night. Bring some stuff over.” He kissed her forehead and went toward the door. “I’ll be working late tonight, but see you when I get home.”

Not waiting to see if she agreed to his plan, Quinn left, pulling the door closed behind him.

Larissa stared at the keys. He hadn’t asked her to move in with him, not really. He said to bring some stuff over... that wasn’t the same thing. Sighing, she set the keys aside to finish her breakfast.

At least it was a start.

***

Q
uinn sat at his desk, looking over the numbers for Project Green’s projected costs. The company had a good sales pitch. Over the long run, it would save McCallister’s Paradise money to be operating on efficient energy. The question Quinn had to answer before they could come to install solar panels and new appliances in two weeks was how long it would take for the changes to pay off.

John wanted a detailed list of what they wanted to do, costs, and time it would take, including the costs to the resort to shut down certain facilities while they worked. Quinn had received most of the things he needed from Project Green’s manager, now it was time to crunch numbers. He hoped he could finish everything in time.

Unfortunately, memories of what Larissa did to him the night before kept distracting him from the numbers and figures. One thing was certain, his lady’s tongue was as talented as her hands.

He sighed, looking at the picture of her on his computer. Maybe he didn’t have to work as late tonight as he planned. Or he could take the work home with him. Who needed sleep?

Chuckling, he forced himself to get back to work. After all, Larissa wasn’t going anywhere. If she was asleep when he got home, he had a great way to wake her up.

***

L
arissa rubbed the hot stones across Janie’s back. “I think you’re even tighter now than you were when I worked on you yesterday. What did you do today?”

Janie laughed. “It’s not what I did today that bothered it. Brad came to my place last night.”

Larissa shook her head. Janie’s sexual appetite never ceased to amaze her. “I know you like your extracurricular activities, but maybe wait a week or so. This could turn into something serious if you don’t let it heal.”

“You’re one to lecture about extracurricular activities,” Janie said with a short laugh. “Karen from housekeeping said you showed up this morning wearing a little black dress that looked too fancy for eight in the morning. Since I know you specifically bought a little black dress for dinner last night, it made me wonder. What’s the deal?”

Larissa struggled to keep her blushes to a minimum. It just figured someone would tell Janie on her. “The beach I jog on has a strict dress code.”

Janie laughed hard until it changed to a whimper and she grabbed at her lower back.

“That’s what you get,” Larissa said, moving aside the rocks to loosen the spasming muscle with her fingertips.

“Your hands are like magic.” Janie relaxed, going limp. “Thanks for fitting me in again today.”

“Sure.”

Larissa concentrated on Janie’s back. Part of her wanted to talk about Quinn saying he loved her, but she was also afraid to jinx anything. All day long, she’d debated whether she should follow her marching orders and move some clothes to his place. He expected to see her when he got off work, but Larissa wasn’t sure that was a good idea.

While she agreed to compromise on how much time they spent together, at least until he finished the current project, Larissa wasn’t sure it was a good idea for him to get into the habit of expecting her to wait around for him all the time.

“Janie, can I ask a question?”

“Hmmmm?”

“How do you get men hanging on your every word? They jump through hoops to be with you. I can’t see you ever sitting alone waiting for someone who may or may not show up.”

“Because I wouldn’t wait, and all my dates know that.” Janie sighed and shrugged Larissa’s hands away as she sat up. “What’s up, hon? I had the impression you and Quinn were on the outs last night during dinner. When I heard about your dress this morning, I figured it was all worked out.”

Larissa met Janie’s dark eyes and gave a sigh of her own. “He says he loves me.”

“For someone like you, I’d say that’s a good thing, but you don’t sound happy.”

She shrugged. “I thought when you were in love you did anything to be with the other person. I’d drop everything to be with Quinn, but he doesn’t seem as willing to do the same for me.”

“Do you want a partner, or a lapdog?” Janie asked.

“Hey!”

Janie held up her hands in a defensive gesture. “I’m just saying, I like a man who knows his own mind.”

“What about one who orders me to be at his house tonight, waiting for him to get home?”

“Ordered?”

Larissa looked at her hands to avoid Janie’s gaze. “Quinn told me to move some stuff to his house and that he’d see me tonight, whenever he got home. That it would be late. He didn’t ask if I wanted to be there, just told me to.”

“Oh, hell no!” Janie slapped her hand down on the massage table. “You don’t want a lapdog, but don’t you be one either. I don’t sit around and wait for my men because they know if they want me, they better work for it. You’re too nice Larissa, that’s your problem.”

Hopping onto the table to sit beside her friend, Larissa wondered if it was hopeless. Maybe she was meant to spend her life alone. Wouldn’t that suck? She wanted to be with Quinn, but she didn’t want to be his lapdog. “How do I figure out if he really loves me? How much time should I give him?”

“If it were me, he’d be out of time, but I know you have a softer heart than I do.” Janie met her eyes again and shrugged. “I’d say, see if he’s there for the important stuff. If he comes running when you really need him, he’s the guy for you. If not, throw him to the curb. You deserve better.”

Larissa nodded. “You’re right. I have to give him a chance. Staying with him is a good start. I’ll play by his rules for now and see what happens. After all, maybe he really will pick me over work. People can change, right?”

Janie shrugged. “I guess we’ll find out.”

***

Q
uinn walked into his room, smiling when he saw the bedroom light on. She waited up for him. Luckily, it was only a bit past ten, not nearly as late as he feared he’d get home.

While he’d felt exhausted through most of the day—considering he hardly slept last night—suddenly he felt energized. He liked coming home and having her waiting for him.

“Honey, I’m home,” he called in his best Spanish accent.

The sound of her laughter came from the bedroom. “Goofball. My name isn’t Lucy, you know. Your dinner’s in the oven.”

He’d thought something smelled good, but was too excited about Larissa being in his bedroom to pay attention to it. He walked into the small kitchen and turned the oven off its warm setting before grabbing a potholder and opening the door. A foil-covered pan sat on the bottom rack and Quinn removed it. Peeling back the tinfoil revealed baked chicken, potatoes, and broccoli with cheese sauce. His favorite meal.

As quickly as he could, he dished it onto a plate and walked into the bedroom. “How did you know what I liked? I didn’t even know you could cook.”

Larissa lay on the right side of the bed, propped up on several pillows with a book in her hand. Quinn practically salivated at how good she looked. Her pink tank top and grey underwear were hot. Maybe not a sexy lace teddy or her bare flesh, but in a way it was better. It was real, and what Quinn could look forward to every night from now on.

“I don’t cook,” she admitted, folding over the corner of the page in her book and setting it on the nightstand. “I called Shane and he made it. I ate without you, though. Sorry. I didn’t know when you’d get back.”

“That’s okay.” Quinn sat on the end of the bed and kicked his shoes off while simultaneously forking up some broccoli. “Smart move to call Shane. Thanks.”

Larissa crawled down the bed, coming to rest behind him. Her hands went to work at the tight muscles in his neck. “When you finish eating, I thought we could take a bath. Maybe move this massage to the next level.”

With a sigh of contentment, Quinn couldn’t be happier. Life with Larissa was going to be perfect. “That sounds like a great plan.”

L
arissa cleaned her breakfast dishes, blinking back tears. It had been over a week since she started staying overnight with Quinn. If anything, the situation had become worse. Janie continued cautioning her to give it time, and Larissa was trying, but after that first night on the beach, it was as though Quinn wrote it off as a done deal and figured he didn’t have to try anymore.

He left in the morning with barely a kiss against her cheek before she properly even woke up, and most nights he didn’t get home until after midnight—dead on his feet even when she did wait up for him. Though she’d tried to be understanding about Project Green and how much pressure Quinn was under, she didn’t think a simple phone call or text message once in a while to check in with her was too much to ask.

Her cell phone rang in the other room. Not having much hope it would be Quinn, she raced to answer it anyway. A quick glance at the caller ID confirmed her suspicion. Of course it wouldn’t be him.

“Hey, Mom,” she answered, forcing herself to sound cheerful.

“How’s my birthday girl?” her mom asked.

“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” came her dad’s voice from the background.