Taylor jumped in to answer so that her friend wouldn’t say anything that might anger him. “We thought we’d go play some pool with my brother and his friends.” They hadn’t actually been invited to play pool, but she wanted to make it sound as though they had something definite.
“Fine. You two get out of here,” he said. “But don’t stay out late.”
“What’s late?” Sierra asked.
“Be home at ten.”
Assuming Sierra would resist such an early curfew on a Friday night, Taylor caught her breath.
Fortunately, Sierra didn’t say anything. She just finished wiping the counter and tossed the rag in the sink.
But before she could get past him, he grabbed her by the arm. “I guess I don’t have to warn you two to pick up some condoms. There’s one benefit to having a gay daughter, huh?” he said and slapped his leg as he laughed uproariously.
“Dad, quit being a jerk,” Sierra muttered, her voice low as she yanked away from him and started for the door.
The change in his pants pockets jingled he moved so fast to get in front of her. “You’re going to talk to me that way?”
“I’m not going to talk to you at all. I’m leaving. Just get out of the way.”
Taylor was beginning to sweat. She was sure this was about to explode—but then the doorbell rang.
Grateful for the interruption, she answered immediately—even though it wasn’t her house—and there stood Quinn. “W-what are you doing here?” she asked.
“Your mother’s been trying to reach you. We were hoping you’d like to watch a movie with us tonight, but you haven’t been answering your phone, so I said I’d swing by on my way over.”
Taylor pulled Sierra outside with her. “Sounds fun. Can my friend come, too?”
“Um, sure.”
She could tell he was a little surprised that she’d ask him that. It wasn’t really up to him. But she didn’t care. She surprised him again by looping her arm through his. She wasn’t about to let him leave without her. She felt if she hung on to him, he’d get her and Sierra out of there.
“You don’t mind, do you?” he said to Dennis.
Dennis glowered at his daughter as though he might refuse, but three sets of eyes staring back at him seemed to make him think twice. Ultimately, he shook his meaty head and closed the door.
“You all right?” Quinn asked, searching her face.
She couldn’t let go of him quite yet, not until they were safely away, but she managed what she hoped was a believable smile. “Yeah. Thanks for coming.”
“You bet.” He returned her smile as though he was grateful to be accepted, which made her glad her mother was at least dating someone who was cool.
* * *
“I’m telling you, she slipped her arm through mine,” Quinn said.
He’d returned to Autumn’s—this time to the garage instead of her mother’s house—only half an hour after the movie ended and he’d left, but they’d hardly spoken in that time. He’d kissed her as soon as she let him in, which led to the removal of her robe and the discovery that she was wearing some silky white and barely there lingerie.
As soon as he saw that, he wasn’t interested in talking; he was interested in doing other things. He had a hunger for her he’d never experienced before. Since he’d been with one person essentially since high school, other than a few random encounters with other women during the short windows of time that he and Sarah were broken up, he’d never realized what a relationship like this could be. If he and Sarah had ever loved and wanted each other equally, they’d gotten out of balance and lived that way for so long he couldn’t remember feeling the same rush of testosterone or that subtle possessiveness that made him want to commit to her—and have her commit to him.
Shoving her hair back, Autumn leaned up on one elbow. “You’re talking about Taylor?”
“Yeah, Taylor. So she must like me, right?”
“People don’t typically touch someone they hate,” she said, sounding slightly surprised by her daughter’s friendliness. “Taylor doesn’t, anyway. When did she slip her arm through yours?”
He pulled her back down next to him so he could continue to feel her soft, warm body. “When I picked her up. I was so shocked I almost asked if we could take a selfie so I could show you,” he joked.
She chuckled as she caressed his chest.
“She’s definitely been more remote with me than Caden. I was worried she wouldn’t