say.”
Her sudden silence and the loss of that brilliant smile made him pause.
Chapter Nine
Shit. She’d had sex with him. Again. What happened to laying it all out there for him, Quinn? Being open and honest about chemistry and nothing else? Seems like you skipped a step there.
After telling her subconscious to shut the hell up, she spoke. “Yeah. About that.” She quickly pulled on her panties then her shorts. Turning her back to him, she fastened her bra. “I was thinking. About us.”
The silence behind her was thick. Tense.
“I told you about my, well, situation. With Guy leaving. This, whatever it is between you and me, has been nice.” She faced him then, anxiety bubbling like acid in her guts. He was dressed, sitting on the end of the other bed, looking at her with a blank expression. She rushed to cover the quiet. “I just don’t want either of us to get hurt. You seem like a great guy.”
His brow furrowed—in confusion or distaste, she couldn’t tell.
“I can’t make any kind of commitment right now. Not that you’re not worth it—it’s not a great time for me. So what do you say we have fun this weekend? Whatever happens can happen with no strings attached?”
He didn’t say anything for a while. Her breath became shallow and she forced herself to draw in more oxygen. Why was she so fucking nervous? She hadn’t offended him, had she? Did she sound like a heartless bitch for even thinking about that?
After what seemed like hours, he nodded. “Okay, Sparky. Fun it is.”
Relief nearly deflated her. He didn’t appear thrilled but he didn’t look pissed or hurt either. Just curiously blank. She could deal with blank.
She kept her voice light. “Great. Fun. Nobody gets hurt that way.”
He nodded and turned away. She adjusted her clothing, worry twining like kudzu around her spine.
“You ready to go?” His keys jingled as he lifted them from his pocket.
“Sure.” She scooped up her purse and followed him out of the room.
The ride in the elevator was quiet. Quinn fretted the whole way down. Why had she said anything? She should have let things ride out, seen where they ended up. She didn’t want to hurt him but her heart was bruised enough thanks to Guy’s disappearing act. She needed that extra layer of insulation. Hopefully he understood and would come around.
“Do you want to take my car? I’m not a big fan of motorcycles,” Quinn said to his back as he led her into the parking lot.
“No need. I’ve got the Jeep here.” He hit the keyless entry fob on his keychain, and a shiny black Jeep to Quinn’s left beep-beeped in response.
“Oh.” She shook her head as she rounded the end of the vehicle to get to the passenger side. Of course he had two vehicles. His parents lived in a house the size of an amusement park. It made sense a guy who came from money would have money too.
The doors slammed, the engine growled and Hammer moved the gearshift into reverse.
“This is a nice car.” Quinn rubbed the arm of the gray leather seat. “It smells new.”
“I don’t drive it a lot during the summer. It’s about a year old.”
“Ah.”
She caught his gaze in the rearview mirror. He may not have liked her suggestion but it didn’t appear to have affected their chemistry.
Thumping drums and a lyrical melody emanated softly from the car speakers. The music was a welcome distraction for Quinn. She could only presume for Hammer as well, because neither of them did any talking until the Jeep rolled onto the interstate.
“Any preferences for food?”
“Anything but a sports bar.” She ran a finger along the armrest. “I’ve had enough of those for a while.”
When the corner of Hammer’s mouth lifted, Quinn nearly melted from the tension release. She hated the strain her idea had caused.
“No sports bars. Got it. But anything else is okay with you?”
She nodded firmly. “Anything.”
When the Jeep pulled up in front of a neon-bedecked building, she
Her sudden silence and the loss of that brilliant smile made him pause.
Chapter Nine
Shit. She’d had sex with him. Again. What happened to laying it all out there for him, Quinn? Being open and honest about chemistry and nothing else? Seems like you skipped a step there.
After telling her subconscious to shut the hell up, she spoke. “Yeah. About that.” She quickly pulled on her panties then her shorts. Turning her back to him, she fastened her bra. “I was thinking. About us.”
The silence behind her was thick. Tense.
“I told you about my, well, situation. With Guy leaving. This, whatever it is between you and me, has been nice.” She faced him then, anxiety bubbling like acid in her guts. He was dressed, sitting on the end of the other bed, looking at her with a blank expression. She rushed to cover the quiet. “I just don’t want either of us to get hurt. You seem like a great guy.”
His brow furrowed—in confusion or distaste, she couldn’t tell.
“I can’t make any kind of commitment right now. Not that you’re not worth it—it’s not a great time for me. So what do you say we have fun this weekend? Whatever happens can happen with no strings attached?”
He didn’t say anything for a while. Her breath became shallow and she forced herself to draw in more oxygen. Why was she so fucking nervous? She hadn’t offended him, had she? Did she sound like a heartless bitch for even thinking about that?
After what seemed like hours, he nodded. “Okay, Sparky. Fun it is.”
Relief nearly deflated her. He didn’t appear thrilled but he didn’t look pissed or hurt either. Just curiously blank. She could deal with blank.
She kept her voice light. “Great. Fun. Nobody gets hurt that way.”
He nodded and turned away. She adjusted her clothing, worry twining like kudzu around her spine.
“You ready to go?” His keys jingled as he lifted them from his pocket.
“Sure.” She scooped up her purse and followed him out of the room.
The ride in the elevator was quiet. Quinn fretted the whole way down. Why had she said anything? She should have let things ride out, seen where they ended up. She didn’t want to hurt him but her heart was bruised enough thanks to Guy’s disappearing act. She needed that extra layer of insulation. Hopefully he understood and would come around.
“Do you want to take my car? I’m not a big fan of motorcycles,” Quinn said to his back as he led her into the parking lot.
“No need. I’ve got the Jeep here.” He hit the keyless entry fob on his keychain, and a shiny black Jeep to Quinn’s left beep-beeped in response.
“Oh.” She shook her head as she rounded the end of the vehicle to get to the passenger side. Of course he had two vehicles. His parents lived in a house the size of an amusement park. It made sense a guy who came from money would have money too.
The doors slammed, the engine growled and Hammer moved the gearshift into reverse.
“This is a nice car.” Quinn rubbed the arm of the gray leather seat. “It smells new.”
“I don’t drive it a lot during the summer. It’s about a year old.”
“Ah.”
She caught his gaze in the rearview mirror. He may not have liked her suggestion but it didn’t appear to have affected their chemistry.
Thumping drums and a lyrical melody emanated softly from the car speakers. The music was a welcome distraction for Quinn. She could only presume for Hammer as well, because neither of them did any talking until the Jeep rolled onto the interstate.
“Any preferences for food?”
“Anything but a sports bar.” She ran a finger along the armrest. “I’ve had enough of those for a while.”
When the corner of Hammer’s mouth lifted, Quinn nearly melted from the tension release. She hated the strain her idea had caused.
“No sports bars. Got it. But anything else is okay with you?”
She nodded firmly. “Anything.”
When the Jeep pulled up in front of a neon-bedecked building, she
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