Riley smiled. “I thought they were absolutely wonderful. I had such a great night. I really clicked with Mary, by the way.”
“Yeah, Mary loves you too. She’s a close friend of mine, actually. I knew her before she got together with my brother.”
“And that never caused any friction?”
“Not really. We’ve always remained very close, and she tends to pick my side when I have a spat with my brother.” Quinn steered the car into a side street parallel to the pier and parked in front of a beautiful, large, stately building. “Here we are.” She walked around the car to open the door for Riley, who giggled as she got out.
“You’re holding the door open for me,” she said, stating the obvious.
“Does it bother you?” Quinn asked.
“No. Like it.” Riley smiled flirtatiously and glanced up at the restaurant. “This looks fancy. I’ve seen the building from my backyard, but I assumed it was a house.”
“Nope. Best fish restaurant in the wide vicinity.”
Quinn had reserved a table in the corner by the window, and instead of sitting opposite her, Riley took a seat beside her on the bench. The lights were dimmed, and candles were burning on their table. The Harbor House had always been a romantic establishment, but the new owners had really gone out of their way to make it special. A pianist was playing classical tunes behind a grand piano, and they had implemented silver service, with waiters in white suits and a sommelier who looked like he’d jumped straight out of an Agatha Christie novel.
“Would you like to start off with a glass of Champagne?” he asked, handing her the wine list.
“Yes, please. And we’ll have a bottle of Chablis with dinner.” Quinn turned to Riley. “If that’s okay with you?”
Riley nodded. “Sounds good. I appreciate it when someone makes the decisions for me. I’m not used to that,” she whispered when the sommelier had left. “You’re more gallant than any man I’ve ever dated.”
“You’ve clearly been dating the wrong men.”
“Clearly.” Riley scooted closer until she was right next to Quinn and crossed her legs. “I’ve always been the one in charge, but I like this arrangement. It makes me feel…desired, I suppose. Taken care of.”
Quinn felt her core tighten, and she was unable to keep her eyes off Riley’s legs. They were long and elegant in those killer heels, and she imagined Riley wearing those heels in bed. “You’re not uncomfortable, being on a public date with me?” she asked.
“No…” Riley paused as her gaze shifted to Quinn’s mouth.
Tonight couldn’t come fast enough.
* * *
The evening had been intimate, filled with delicious food, flirty conversations, and deliberate touches that would have seemed casual to anyone around them, but to Quinn, they were loaded with a promise of more to come. She took the last bite of her lobster before the waiter cleared their table, and she noticed Riley was lost in thought as she gazed out over the river.
“What’s on your mind?” she asked, placing a hand on Riley’s thigh.
Riley met her eyes as she fiddled with her napkin. She looked apprehensive, nervous even. “What’s it like? Being with a woman?”
“The same as with a man, I would imagine,” Quinn said. “Although I can’t be sure, as I’ve never tried that.” She shrugged. “I guess it depends on the person you’re with. Some people work in bed, and some don’t. If there’s chemistry, it can be spectacular.” She held Riley’s gaze and smiled when she saw Riley take in a quick breath. “Have you never had great sex with someone you had chemistry with?
“I can’t say I have.” Riley swallowed hard, her eyes fixated on Quinn’s hand resting on her thigh.
“Then you’ve been missing out.” Quinn squeezed her softly. “For me, I like to be in charge,” she continued, knowing the conversation was turning Riley on. “If my bed partner likes that too, then it’s usually good.” She smiled. “Really good.”
“What do you mean by being in charge?” Riley’s eyes darkened, and she shifted against her, moving her thighs apart when Quinn’s fingers splayed wide and curled inward.
“It can mean a lot of things, but mostly it just means that I love to please.”
Riley swallowed hard. “How?”
“I guess you’ll have to find out….” Quinn saw Riley’s breath hitch again, and she squeezed her thigh harder. “As I said, I aim to please. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”
“Hmm…” Riley’s chest was heaving fast now, and Quinn felt her leg tremble. “I’ve never been with someone like that. Someone who doesn’t put their own pleasure first. Men tend to do that.”
“Are you curious to find out what it’s like with a woman?” Quinn moved her arm to the backrest of the bench around Riley’s shoulders and twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “Something tells me you are.”
