She hooked her arm through mine, glancing back to verify Dr. Dicknose wasn’t yet within earshot. “Fine. No date. But seriously, can’t you just fuck him?”
Despite everything I’d done over the years to shut down that line of thinking when it came to Ford, images of the two of us together—my hands trailing over the hard planes of his chest and down the corrugated muscles of his abdomen, his gripping handfuls of my ass as he held me to him—hit me like a ton of bricks, and I nearly stumbled. Probably because my ankle was still a little tender.
Or…more probably because I’d done nothing but bury any ounce of attraction I’d ever felt for him beneath years of hostility and resentment.
I’d been stuffing it down since that very first spark had ignited when we were thirteen and I’d become keenly aware he’d developed muscles. I wasn’t immune to his good looks; I didn’t think anyone was. There was no denying the man was sex incarnate—his long list of conquests was proof enough of that.
But I needed to shut that down before it even got started. There was absolutely no way Ford and I would ever be a thing, for a thousand and one reasons. The most obvious was I’d bet my life savings that I didn’t look like the women Ford usually spent his time with. But the most important reason of all was that I’d never be able to forgive him for taking away the future I’d planned for. The one I’d busted my ass for.
Shoving away the images of Ford and me together, I laughed, though the sound came out breathier than I intended. “No. Besides, I’m looking for someone who can commit to something more than a sandwich.”
Because my day wouldn’t be complete without the asinine remarks of Dr. Dicknose and because God apparently hated me, my boss caught up with us in time to add his two cents. “You’re never going to find someone to put up with you forever if you don’t actually put in a little effort, Ms. Cartwright. Your father and I were just talking about this last week. In our day, women spent time on themselves. Watched what they ate and actually cared about their appearances. At least wear some lipstick once in a while, for God’s sake.”
I opened my mouth to tell him exactly where he and my dad could shove their lipstick but snapped it shut as soon as I felt a presence at my back. My body hummed in awareness, and I knew even without looking who it was. I didn’t want to examine too closely how I was so attuned to Ford that I could sense him before he even said a word, but a quick glance over my shoulder proved I was correct.
At 5’9”, I was tall, especially when the heels added another couple inches, but he was taller, casting a shadow over me and Dr. Dicknose as he stepped up directly behind me. Heat poured off his body, sending shivers racing down my spine, and we weren’t even going to mention the state of my nipples. They’d apparently been hijacked by the playboy himself.
No part of his body was touching mine, but I couldfeelhim there, so close, I knew if I inhaled deeply, his chest would brush against my back.
I remembered exactly what it felt like to have all those muscles flush against me. All that strength bolstering me. And though I’d tried to forget, I remembered exactly how good it felt to be cradled in his arms.
When he finally spoke, his voice was low and tinged with a hard edge I’d never heard before. “If you want someone to wear lipstick so bad, then wear lipstick, Don. Things have changed a little in the past forty years. Try to keep up.”
CHAPTERSIX
FORD
I was an easygoing guy.Generally let shit roll right off my back and left the scowling to my brothers. Life was too short to get bogged down in all that. But all bets were off when you came at someone in my circle.
And, apparently, that circle now included the smart-mouthed, insufferable woman my dick was obsessed with.
Don sputtered before pressing his lips into a flat line, his mouth pinched in a way that said he was biting his tongue. Good. The fucker’s mouth could stand to bleed a bit since I was sure he didn’t make it a habit of doing so around these women. That was exactly why I’d stepped in when I had.
I didn’t have a doubt in my mind that Quinn could’ve handed Don his ass—as I’d been strolling up, I’d watched her steel herself, rolling her shoulders back and readying for battle—but with guys like him, the only thing that shut them up was having another man question them, and I was all too willing to do so.
Was it bullshit? Absolutely. But that didn’t make it any less true.
Alicia broke the awkward silence, a huge grin splitting her face as she regarded me over Quinn’s shoulder. “Well,” she said, drawing out the word. “I think that’s our cue, Dr. Dinsmore. Unless you have anything else to add?”
Don’s gaze darted between Quinn and me, and I cocked an eyebrow, daring him to keep digging himself into a hole. I could knock him down all day and do it with a smile.
Instead, he shook his head without saying a word and turned to leave, Alicia following him as they strolled toward their cars.
When they were several yards away, Alicia turned around and gave Quinn a huge grin and a not-so-subtle thumbs-up. “Can’t wait to hearallabout this tomorrow!”
“Oh my God,” Quinn mumbled, head bowed as she brought her hands up to her face.
I couldn’t keep in the chuckle even if I wanted to, and I shot Alicia a wink as she slid into her car.
Quinn took a deep breath before she turned around to face me. The woman was knock-you-on-your-ass gorgeous, and instead of getting used to it like I should’ve been after more than fifteen goddamn years, I got hit harder with it every time I saw her. With that ass and those lips and the thick thighs I wanted to wear as earmuffs… She ruined me, and the devil woman took pleasure in it.
It could’ve also been that this was the closest we’d been since the night of the auction. Though I’d seen her around town every day, she’d avoided me like it was an Olympic sport and she was going for gold.
From what I’d seen from afar—and from what Mabel had told me—Quinn’s ankle had recovered quickly, so she’d probably just twisted it. Wanting to confirm it for myself, I glanced down to the soft, smooth expanse of her shapely legs.
Her skirt wasn’t even close to indecent, molding to her thighs and falling below her knees, but just the glimpse of her bare calves was enough to have me sporting a semi right there in the fucking parking lot like I was fifteen all over again.
Yeah, my dick and I were still on the outs.
