of bitter and rich, prompting me to let out a satisfied groan. “I think I’ve been wasting my money.” I examine the cup. “Holy shit, I can’t believe this was a dollar.”
She’s bouncing she’s so excited. “Right? I wish more people knew.”
I sigh dramatically. “I guess it’s only fair I take you to dinner with the money I’m saving.”
Her movements cease. “Oh, you don’t have to do that.”
“Jesus, Quinn. I want to,” I say, laughing.
“Really?” Her brow remains furrowed and I swear to Christ, I almost kiss her then and there, so she’ll realize taking her out will be the furthest thing from a chore for me. Truthfully, I’m kind of pissed off this woman has no idea she’s a ten. No, a twenty.
Who is responsible for this?
Unless…
She’s just playing dumb until I give up, because I’m not her type.
Thinking like that makes my stomach twist.
“Do you date a lot, sweetheart?”
She pauses halfway through a sip, lowering her cup. “No. I haven’t at all, actually.” Pink stains her cheeks and I watch a slow transformation take her over. One second she seems kind of embarrassed, the next she’s squaring her shoulders and lifting her chin. “No guts, no glory,” she mutters to herself. “Actually, Desmond, I was kind of wondering…”
“Yeah?”
“W-well, you’re just so charismatic and confident, you know? Look how you just approached me and suggested coffee. I could never do that. I’d be too worried about saying the wrong thing or getting rejected or being boring if the person said yes. And I just thought…actually, I was thinking earlier…” She closes her eyes and blurts the rest. “What if you could teach me to be more confident like that?”
Oh, sweetheart. How is she not in my arms yet? I’m aching over here. “Quinn, you should be confident. You’re amazing.”
“I…” She rears back a little, surprised. “Thank you, but being confident is easier said than done. Is there no way you’d consider…a lesson?”
“A lesson.”
“You think I’m crazy for suggesting it.”
“I didn’t say that.” A million questions vie for attention in my head, but one stands out more than the others. “You want a lesson from me so you can ask out other men?”
“M-men…” Quinn stutters, unable to meet my eyes. “Well, sure, I think that would be one advantage, don’t you? Being more assertive.” She rolls her lips inward. “Maybe if I feel confident and even”—her voice drops to a whisper—“sexy, that self-assurance will extend to other areas of my life. Making friends and taking risks. Things like that.”
“So the purpose of this lesson with me is to feel sexy?” All right, I’m not hating the sound of this. Although, getting confirmation that she wants to ask out other men is fucking with my head—and my heart—big time. I don’t want those beautiful hazel eyes to look at another man. Ever. But there might be a chance here to prove I can be her one. The only man she ever wants to ask out again. Period. “If I’m going to make you feel sexy, Quinn, that means we’ll be touching. A lot.”
Does her gaze rake over my chest? “It crossed my mind,” she whispers.
Hope swells in my middle—and lower—fattening my cock in my jeans. “You want that? My hands on you?” I drop my head toward hers. “My mouth on you. All over you.”
She swallows. “Yes. I-in the name of education, of course.”
My hope deflates a little. My dick does not. “Right.” I drain my coffee in a few gulps and toss the paper cup in the trash can. “No time to waste. We better start tonight.”
“Tonight?” she squeaks. “How? Where?”
I wink at her. “My place. Queens.”
“Queens?”
My laugh echoes in the bodega. “It’s over the bridge, sweetheart, not on the moon.”
“Yes, but…I don’t have clothes or a toothbrush or—”
“Let’s head to your place first, then.” I put a hand on the small of her back and ease her toward the exit. “Don’t pack a lot of clothes, though. You won’t be needing them.”
“Oh my,” Quinn murmurs, putting a wrist to her forehead. “You’re going to be the first man to…” She stops short. “To be in my apartment.”
“That’s one hell of a euphemism.”
“It wasn’t. My cat is going to have a heart attack.”
“A pussy joke now? You’re on fire.”
Her giggle makes me want to propose marriage, right there on the filthy sidewalk. I hail a cab and help her into the backseat, her hand so perfect in mine. So right. And I know I’ve got one night to make this