Quinn noted Riley didn’t use terms such as “the right man,” or “husband material,” and suspecting her mother might have noticed their connection, she didn’t dare look in her direction.
“You will one day. Maybe now is the time?” Mary said. “A fresh start. A new home—have you tried a dating app?”
“Mary!” Quinn widened her eyes at her sister-in-law.
“What?” Mary spread her arms. “It’s a perfectly normal question.”
Seeing Riley’s cheeks burn, Quinn wished she could make them all stop interrogating her. It was awkward for both of them, and all she wanted was to be alone with her.
“I…ehm…I have,” Riley stammered. “I mean, I’ve tried it, but it wasn’t for me. I prefer meeting people in real life, I suppose. But you’re right. A fresh start is the perfect time to meet new people and make new friends.” She painted on a smile and glanced at Quinn again. “And I’m so happy I’ve met Quinn. She’s been such a support in a scary time for me. Starting over is hard, but she’s made it easier.”
“Likewise.” Quinn returned her smile and thought it was incredibly sweet that Riley was being so open with her family. “I don’t think you have any idea what you’ve done for us. We’re so happy to have things to remember our grandfather by.”
35
RILEY
“It was lovely to meet you.” Riley walked Quinn’s family to the door. She’d had a wonderful night and she was pretty sure they had too. Rob was carrying Lila, who was sleeping in his arms, and Tommy had just woken up after falling asleep during a movie.
“And you, Riley. Thank you so much, I hope to see you again soon.” Quinn’s mother gave her a long hug, then looked at Quinn as she stepped back. “Are you following us?”
“I’ll drop off the stuff in my pickup tomorrow,” she said. “You go. I’ll help Riley clear up the kitchen.”
When Riley closed the door behind them, Quinn let out a long sigh.
“What’s wrong? Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m just sorry for my mother and Mary. They wouldn’t stop asking questions, even though I warned them upfront.”
“I didn’t mind. I had a great night.” Riley lingered by the door and looked up at her. “I sensed you were mildly uncomfortable, though, perhaps because of our…” She hesitated. “Our situation.”
“Our situation.” Quinn tilted her head and shot her an amused smile. “Yes, it’s quite a situation, isn’t it? I can’t seem to stop thinking about kissing you, not even for a second and—” She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be flirting with you. We’re friends and I don’t want to mess things up unless you’ve really thought this through.”
Riley stared at her and finally allowed herself to indulge. God, Quinn was attractive, and she didn’t even know it. The way she was standing there with her hands in her back pockets as if she were trying to restrain herself made Riley weak in the knees. “I don’t want you to stop flirting with me,” she whispered, and Quinn glanced up. Riley could drown in those eyes. “There’s not enough thinking in the world that could make me change my mind.”
Quinn’s gaze darkened, and Riley’s heart pounded so hard she could feel her pulse at the base of her neck. Quinn moved her hands out of her pockets for a split second but then tucked them back in as she looked Riley up and down. Her eyes went to Riley’s hips, framed by the tight jeans she was wearing, then up to her cleavage where they lingered before settling on Riley’s face, darting from her mouth to her eyes and back and swallowing her with her gaze.
Riley closed the distance between them until they were so close she could feel the tickle of Quinn’s breath against her nose. It carried a hint of red wine, and Riley had never craved the taste more. She wanted to savor her like she’d savored the vintage Bordeaux tonight and work her way through Quinn’s complex layers until she found the very essence of her. The part of her still buried.
Quinn’s chest heaved fast as she licked her lips, but she still didn’t move. Waiting patiently like a predator luring in prey with its beauty, the corners of her mouth tugged up into a small smile. She knew Riley would come to her, and she was ready to devour her. The tension between them was electric as they stood there, neither of them acting on their raging desires. Was this a game of seduction, or was it fear holding them back? Both, Riley suspected. It was thrilling and terrifying at the same time. What she felt was so intense that, once they kissed, nothing would be the same again.
Unable to restrain herself any longer, Riley leaned in and brushed her lips over Quinn’s as lightly as a drifting feather. It caused whimpers and soft moans to escape them both, and stunned with surprise at how her body reacted, Riley took in a quick breath as she inched back a little. She grabbed hold of Quinn’s arm to steady herself; blood rushed to her head, and she swayed on her feet. She vaguely registered her ragged breathing and the tremble of her hand as she held on to Quinn. No words could describe how her body felt in that moment, other than it needed more or she might die. Giving in to her desire, she leaned in again and tilted her head to meet Quinn’s mouth. She brushed Quinn’s cheek with her fingertips, then parted her lips to softly tug at Quinn’s, exploring her delicious, pillowy mouth.
Quinn moaned and finally released her hands from her pockets. She cupped Riley’s face with both palms, pulled her in, and pressed their lips firmer together. From there, the kiss felt like a whirlwind, and Riley was swept away. Quinn kissed her, hard and demanding, her fingers lacing through Riley’s hair as she pressed their bodies together. Parting her lips and finding Riley’s tongue, she claimed her fully, drawing something out of her that had always been there, hidden, dormant, waiting for this moment to reveal itself. Heat blossomed in Riley’s chest, and she twitched with longing as she surrendered to Quinn’s wandering hands, her lips now on Riley’s neck and her thigh wedged between Riley’s. She felt it everywhere. A million thoughts and emotions in one moment, a thousand butterflies and a rush of endorphins overpowering her senses as Quinn pushed her against the wall and ground into her, finding her mouth again in a hungry kiss.
Riley slid her hands under Quinn’s shirt to find her warm, smooth skin. It felt right, and in that realization, it almost became too much, too overwhelming, too intense. She couldn’t stop, though, and it was Quinn who finally stepped back and brought a hand to her lips as she stared at her.
“What was that?” she whispered.
“Yeah.” Riley leaned back against the wall because her limbs felt like ice cream. She was melting, and if she didn’t steady herself, she’d turn into a pool at Quinn’s feet. “That was…” Her voice trailed away as she met Quinn’s eyes.
Quinn nodded, then took another few steps back. “I should probably go.”
“You don’t have to go. You can—”
“It’s a lot,” Quinn interrupted her. “I don’t regret anything, I just…” She shook her head and smiled. “I want to do this the right way. Can I take you out on a date?”
“A date?” Riley swallowed hard as she studied Quinn. She seemed just as fired up as she felt, only clearly, she had more restraint. Riley’s lips burned from the heated make-out session, and she had trouble thinking clearly. Yes, of course, a date. That was what people did when they liked each other; they went on a date. Obviously, the same counted for two women. “Yes,” she said. “I’d love to go on a date with you. Just know that you’re torturing me by leaving.”
