ChapterSeven
Sex withQuinn.
Holy crap, what an athletic endeavor that had been. Also, off-the-charts amazing and she already wanted to do itagain.
By the time they got back to the marina, her legs were stiff and she was pretty sure bruises were developing onherhips.
He helped her tie up the boat, then held her face between his hands and gave her a long,sweetkiss.
“Thanks for the sail,” he whispered against her ear as they turned and slowly walked upthedock.
“Thanks for the amazing fuck,” she murmured back before lifting her voice and calling a happy good morning to the marina staff working near theentrance.
His laugh ricocheted off the water and bounced allaroundher.
She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been this happy. She looped her fingers through his and pulled him to a stop when he started to head toward hisresort.
“I need to shower and change,” she said, pressing her hand against his chest. “Can I meet you over there inthirty?”
“I could help youshower.”
“You could. But then we might not get to the changing part. Or the waffles, and I really wantthose.”
“Fine. But thirty minutes. No longer or I’m coming tofindyou.”
She was there in twenty-eight minutes. She was just as eager to find him, she found herselfadmitting.
The waffles were good, but Leah already missed the private escape that had been their night together on the sailboat. When Quinn gave her a curious look at her obviously distracted thoughts, shefessedup.
“Miss the water,” she said softly. “But love the company. And thebreakfast.”
“Do you get tosailmuch?”
She shook her head. “I joined a club when I first moved to Tacoma—proximity to the ocean was a big draw for the posting. But I don’t own a boat, so I have to crew with whoever needs someone, and I’m unreliable for races, so it’s sporadicatbest.”
“How long have you beenthere?”
“Fouryears.”
He lifted the bowl of whipped cream in the middle of the table and offered it to her. “Are youmovingsoon?”
Her pulse thudded hard in her neck. She understood the shorthand question. Where was her next posting? But there wasn’t one, and for some reason, she didn’t want to tell him thatjustyet.
Except honesty mattered to Quinn. This wasn’t another con hook-up where it didn’t make a difference who or what she was. She pressed her lips together and nodded. “But I’m not sure to where, yet. The future’s a bit up in the air.” She hesitated. “Maybe I’ll sail around theworld.”
He grinned. “Greatretirementplan.”
“Yeah. Or a nextyearplan.”
His gaze zeroed in on herface. “What?”
She gave him a rueful smile and matching little shrug. “I didn’tre-up.”
* * *
Quinn’s headspun as he processed the new and unexpected information. “You’regettingout?”
Her eyes shifted up and down as she looked at him, taking in his reaction. Which might be why she’d held off on telling him, because he was reacting, all right. He wasn’t even sure why, so he reached across the table and took her hand. Hopefully a gentle squeeze conveyed hissupport.
