Scaredy Cat (14 page)

*******

“I had a great time. I haven’t been to dinner in a restaurant since I was a kid. I felt adult, empowered, free.” Blake sighed as she turned to Quinn. “You and your family were great company. You forgot to switch on your turn signal.”

Quinn laughed. “Are you backseat driving now that you’ve had a lesson?”

“I watch everything you do very closely.”

“I’ll continue to teach you, and one day if you so desire, you can test for your license.”

“That’s my goal,” Blake said with a nod.

“Will you buy a car, and if so, what would you get? I can see you in a sporty red convertible.”

Blake patted the console. “I like this, what is it?”

“A Ford F-150, a work truck. Not very exciting.”

“I disagree. It makes me feel big and tough.”

“You are tough. You beat up a bully chicken today, and I saw you go after that seagull. If I were a bird, I’d be quaking in my feathers right now.”

Blake laughed softly. “I need to learn to control my toughness. I was on a bold high when I asked Jacob to tell his friend that I wanted to ghost hunt on Halloween.”

“It’s okay if you want to back out. We can always do another one. You heard Jacob, they go all the time.”

“No, Jacob and Tonya would be disappointed. I’m going to do this,” Blake said resolutely.

Quinn came to a stop at an intersection and looked over at Blake. “They would understand.”

“I don’t want this night to be over,” Blake blurted out, then smiled as she ran a hand through her hair. “I feel liberated.”

“What would you like to do? We can go anywhere, do anything. Movies, dancing, a moonlit stroll, whatever you want.”

The thought of crowded places held no appeal to Blake, but the idea of walking alongside Quinn even in the dark was. “Where would we take this stroll?”

“On the outskirts of town, there’s a trail that follows along the bayou. The night might be cool enough to keep the mosquitoes at bay.”

Alligators, snakes, and a freaky voodoo woman with a bag of bones flashed through Blake’s mind, but the excuse to hold Quinn’s hand won out over fear. “I think I’d enjoy that.”

*******

Blake had expected a dirt path bordered by high grass and weeds, but what she found was a wooden boardwalk and every so often a low lamp that illuminated their feet as they strolled along. Quinn had taken her hand as she climbed from the truck and never let it go. Overhead, the stars were bright, and the moon bathed everything in a soft glow.

“This is nice. I’ve never done anything like this before. Isn’t that sad for a forty-three-year-old woman to admit?”

“No.” Quinn gently squeezed Blake’s hand. “The only way it would be sad is if you never did it. There are a lot of people who never take the time to do something like this. Not because they have phobias but because they’re just so swamped with life. This is a simple pleasure I haven’t even allowed myself. I’ve come out here during the day with Jack, but I’ve never done it at night. It’s peaceful, pretty, and I’m so glad you wanted to do it.”

“What else haven’t you done?”

Quinn thought for a moment. “I haven’t traveled much. I’ve been to Boston and the Mississippi coast, but that’s the extent of my wandering. One day, I think I’d like to see Mount Rushmore, maybe the West Coast. I’d like to visit the old castles in Scotland and Ireland. My list is long.”

“Have you ever been to New York?”

“No, cities have never impressed me much. It’s the countryside that appeals to me.”

“I hear that upstate New York is beautiful. I’ve never been. Maybe one day you could come home with me. I’d be willing to explore if you were by my side.” Blake looked up into a tree as they walked beneath the boughs that hung over the boardwalk. She shivered as Quinn brought them to a stop in the shadows. “Is this a hurdle?” she asked when Quinn turned and faced her. “You’re standing very still…is there…something behind me? Is it a—”

She inhaled as Quinn’s lips brushed softly against hers. Blake’s gaze scanned the depths of the dark for whatever horrors hid there and closed as Quinn’s arms encircled her waist. Senses that had been on high alert dulled as Blake gave fully into the kiss. She moaned softly as Quinn’s tongue met hers, their bodies pressed together. Quinn continued to hold her close when she broke the kiss and rested her forehead against Blake’s.

“That was my hurdle. I was afraid if I didn’t kiss you then, I might never have. I really like you, Blake, and I’ve been afraid to tell you that.”

“I like you, too. I’d hoped you liked me.” Blake ran her fingers down the side of Quinn’s face as she kissed her again, completely uncaring of what surrounded them. Warmth seemed to spread from the sweet contact through Blake’s body down to her toes. Blake basked in the moment until Quinn pulled away with a soft gasp.

Quinn’s hand trembled slightly as it took Blake’s. “We should walk.”

Instead of going back to the truck, Quinn continued to walk farther away. Blake figured that the encounter would not lead immediately to sex, though Quinn’s kisses whispered that it eventually would. She wasn’t disappointed. This time, she wanted more. She wanted to give more than just her body, and she wanted to take from Quinn whatever she had to offer. The warmth from the kisses didn’t fade as they strolled along; it seemed to settle in her chest and the pit of her stomach.

“What’re your plans for tomorrow?” Blake asked as she held firmly to Quinn’s hand.

Quinn sighed. “I have to catch up on a few things before I begin the workweek. I need to mow my grass because unfortunately it’s still growing and do laundry. I also have to take my mother’s things up to the home unless I can talk Dawn or Jacob into doing it. But tomorrow night is yours.”

“Would you like company when you go to the nursing home?”

Quinn stopped abruptly. “Yes, I would, but visiting with my mother isn’t pleasant, and I’d hate to expose you to that.”

Blake licked her lips, keeping them moist in case Quinn wanted to kiss her again. “You shouldn’t be alone when facing unpleasant things. Besides, I want to meet all your family.”

“My mom isn’t like Jacob and Tonya. She’s very brusque, often rude, and I can guarantee if you’re with me, she’ll be downright ugly.”

“I won’t go if you think it’ll make it harder on you, but if you want me to be there, then I will be.”

Quinn laughed softly. “You’ve just jumped right out of the box and set it on fire.”

Blake wrapped her arms around Quinn’s waist and laid her head on her shoulder. “I have very strong incentive. I want to know what makes you, you. I know you could never be like your mother, but being who she is has helped shape the woman you are.”

Quinn hugged Blake tightly to her. “Come with me then.”

Chapter 24

Quinn’s heart thudded happily in her chest as she drove along with Blake’s hand atop hers where it rested on the console between them. Her pulse had been pounding since the minute they began strolling the boardwalk. At first, the cause had been nervousness, then desire after the kisses they’d shared.

“Are you going to write tonight?”

Blake smiled as she stared out the windshield. “My mind is buzzing with ideas, but I find myself distracted.”

“I know I promised to stay with you at night, but since…” Quinn fell silent when the smile on Blake’s face faded.

“I want you to stay, but not because I’m afraid. I enjoy your company.”

Quinn pulled into Blake’s driveway and killed the engine. They sat silently for a moment as Quinn wondered what the next step should be. Finally, she turned to Blake. “What do you want?”

Unwaveringly, Blake met her stare and whispered, “You.”

*******

As soon as the front door closed, Quinn’s back met it. Blake’s hands were in her hair, kisses burned her lips. And she couldn’t remember if she’d shaved her legs when she showered earlier or if she’d taken the time to groom other parts of her body. Blake’s hands were already inside her clothes, and they ran across her ribs and her lower back.

Quinn’s heart pounded with anticipation and arousal. Her fingers fumbled as they tried to unbutton Blake’s shirt. Blake moved much faster as she undid Quinn’s belt and unzipped her pants. Quinn shuddered when she felt Blake’s hands on the bare skin of her hips.

Blake suddenly pulled away and took a few steps back. “I need to tell you something,” she said breathlessly.

Quinn’s mind immediately began to try to prepare her for what she might hear—physical deformities, disease, Blake was a man. Her gaze immediately dropped to the front of Blake’s jeans.

“When you kissed me earlier, it turned me on, and when you told me how you feel, I felt emotions well up inside of me that I’ve only dreamed about experiencing. You told me about what you had with Lilly, and I need to know if this is the same thing because as much as I want to be with you like this, I don’t think I can do that.”

“No, it’s not, and we don’t have to do this if you’re not ready,” Quinn said honestly.

“It’s not about being ready, it’s about what happens next. I’ve had sexual relationships, I want the rest. If that’s not something you think you want to work on, then we have to stop right here. Think on that. I know it’s hard with your pants around your knees, but just think on that.”

Quinn took the opportunity not because she wasn’t sure about how she felt, but if she were to be totally honest, she’d have to ask if what happened between them on that night would have bearing on Blake’s plans to leave in the spring. This was where Quinn’s inner chicken met the road—her hurdle. She feared that Blake’s answer would be for Quinn to join her, and as much as she wanted to be with Blake at that moment, Quinn wasn’t sure she was brave enough to leave her comfort zone after what happened last time. Only time would tell.

Quinn raised both hands as if she were being held at gunpoint. “I’m going to pull up my pants, not because I doubt my feelings for you, but hormones and sex may get in the way of something that could be good—possibly great.” She reached down and tugged her jeans over her hips. “So to answer your question, I adore you. I need to see where that’s going to lead without distraction.”

“Okay, switching gears,” Blake said with a sigh. “Something to drink. Something cold, very cold. How about a glass of ice water?”

Quinn nodded as she continued to lean against the door. She wiped her sweating palms on her jeans when Blake turned her back and went into the kitchen. She’d made a promise, but Quinn didn’t think staying there that night was a wise idea, even on the couch. She’d lost control once and knew it would be easy to do it again. Blake didn’t appear to be much stronger. She was rubbing ice cubes on her neck when Quinn passed the kitchen on her way to the sofa.

Blake retuned a few minutes later, handed Quinn the water, then sat at the other end of the couch. They both stared at the floor. “You’re going to have to give me a few minutes because I’m still very turned on. And you should know, I adore you, too. This isn’t the way it was with Beth. I’d go anywhere with you, and not just because you make me feel safe. I just want to be where you are.” Blake released a soft mournful moan. “You’ve got the softest skin, the firmest…oh…damn.” The last part came out in a whisper. Blake took a gulp of the water.

“The sexual attraction between us is good and strong, isn’t it?” Quinn said with a smile, unable to look at Blake.

“Yes, I do believe we have that covered. I’m sitting here right now trying to imagine you as a chicken. I think that’ll eventually cool me off.”

“I’ve got Glenda Percy’s head on your body right now in my mind. That’s not doing much for me.”

“You’re a chicken with a broccoli floweret in its mouth.”

Quinn wrinkled her nose. “I don’t care much for broccoli, either.” She laughed. “We’re a pair, aren’t we?”

“Yeah.”

Quinn raised her head slowly and looked at Blake. “Hey,” she said with a smile. Blake gazed back at her openly. There was no reticence, no subtle shifting of her eyes, no fear. Quinn set her glass on the floor and stood. She turned toward the hall and held out her hand behind her. A few seconds later, Blake took it. Quinn walked toward the bedroom, and Blake’s grip tightened as she kept up with her stride.

The lamp was on and so was the bathroom light. Quinn knew better than to try to turn them off. She sat on the bed, and Blake stood between her legs as she unbuttoned Blake’s shirt. Blake smiled as she held Quinn’s gaze. When her shirt was open, Blake stepped back and slid it off her shoulders as she kicked off her boots. Quinn did the same and kicked hers out of the way. She held her arms out, and Blake returned.

The pace had changed. It was unhurried, and Blake took her time as she unbuttoned Quinn’s shirt and slipped it from her shoulders. She traced Quinn’s lips with her fingertips and smiled as Quinn kissed each one. Quinn reached behind Blake and unclasped her bra, her gaze drifted lower as it fell away. She released a sigh and whispered, “So pretty,” as she kissed the skin of Blake’s chest. Blake held her there for a moment. Her breath fanned out over Blake’s skin, making her tremble.

Blake moaned as Quinn’s tongue grazed her nipple. Her hands fell and joined Quinn’s as she undid Blake’s belt. Both of them worked at getting her pants undone, and Blake stepped away as she slid them down her legs. She’d barely had a chance to straighten when Quinn pulled her into a kiss and down on top of her. The sound of their erratic breathing filled the room as they kissed.

Blake pulled away and sat up astride Quinn’s hips. The skin of her neck and chest were flushed, her hair in her face, lips parted, eyes wild as she breathed heavily and tugged on the front of Quinn’s bra until she sat up. Quinn felt the cool air of the room on her nipples that were already hardened with arousal, then the softness of the bed on her back when Blake pushed her down again.

She watched as Blake bit her lip while her gaze swept over her and her hands worked quickly to open her jeans. Quinn raised her hips slightly as Blake backed off the bed and took her pants and underwear with her. She reached for Blake, but she wasn’t coming back. Blake dropped to her knees and pressed her lips against the inside of Quinn’s thigh. Then she looked up, eyes unfocused, before they closed and her head dipped down.

Quinn inhaled sharply when Blake’s wet mouth met with her, unable to control the way her body jerked when Blake found her most sensitive spot. Her eyes slowly closed as she gave what little control she had over to Blake, and her fingers dug into the softness of the comforter. Blake took her places sweet and torturous as the tension built. Quinn’s thighs trembled as Blake pushed them wider.

Quinn’s murmurs were unintelligible. Her body responded so easily to the requests of Blake’s mouth. She shuddered with the pressure of Blake’s tongue, thrust when Blake backed off.

The feeling of Quinn against her lips, the control Blake knew she had made her burn. Quinn’s body stilled. Blake felt the tension beneath her hands on Quinn’s thighs. She gripped them when Quinn gasped deeply. Her own body throbbed in empathy, knowing what Quinn felt at that moment. Quinn’s strangled cry broke the silence of the room.

There was no rest, no break. Blake felt herself leave the floor, her body hit the bed. Quinn’s tongue filled her mouth, her hand slipped between Blake’s thighs. She moaned into the kiss as Quinn filled her. One leg was trapped beneath Quinn, the other was being pushed wider by Quinn’s knee. Blake opened fully as Quinn’s fingers slipped easily in and out of her. Blake’s hands gripped Quinn’s shoulders as Quinn worked her and pushed her to heights that robbed Blake of all thought.

Quinn was gentle, but she pushed Blake, testing all her limits. She filled her one second, then massaged her clit the next. Blake matched the rhythm. Her hips rose to meet each thrust. Blake hissed between clenched teeth, groans tore their way through her throat. Quinn pinned her down harder when Blake’s body lost the timing of the dance. The orgasm was explosive.

“You’re so beautiful,” Quinn whispered while she kissed the side of Blake’s face as she caught her breath. Blake’s lips were soft again as she kissed them. Blake whimpered as she wove her fingers into Quinn’s hair as their tongues met.

The hours went by as they made love. Spent, Blake lay atop Quinn. Flashes of what they’d done swept through her mind. Quinn’s face as she came, the feeling of her against Blake’s fingers, her mouth. Every moan, every cry echoed in her mind, and she slept deep in a place where there were no dreams.