I pull out and slam back in, picking up a more punishing pace as her body tenses, inner walls gripping me like a vise. I hold myself on that edge as she rocks her hips back into me, meeting my thrusts with an urgency that tells me she’s close. And thank fuck because there’s no stopping this train as I pound into her, urgent and impatient.
“Tripp, don't stop. Oh God, yes."
Her words are gasps of pleasure. I hold off just long enough to feel her walls contract around me as she lets out a blissful cry, giving me permission to chase my own release. I fuck her through it, drawing it out until her body finally goes lax beneath my hands.
Slowly, I slide the plug free, making her squirm. A groan catches in my throat as I push into her, just my tip breaching the tight ring of muscle before I spill inside, marking her the way I’ve always wanted to.
Our breaths rise and fall in ragged gasps. She glances over her shoulder, a smile ghosting her lips, and I smile back—letting myself believe, just for a heartbeat, that I could be enough to keep her.
Wined and Dined
Tripp
After we clean up, I slip one of my T-shirts over Quinn’s head and send her out to the deck with a blanket and a glass of wine to relax while I make her supper. I’m no gourmet chef, but I can grill a steak and some vegetables easily enough.
She deserves to be wined and dined at five-star restaurants and swept off her feet with caviar and Don Perignon. All I’d ever given her was greasy diner food, Peanut Butter M&Ms, and a cheap bottle of wine.
She was so far out of my league, but tonight I wanted to make an effort. I’d thawed some steak and even bought the expensive wine from the liquor store.
Twilight buzzes with the sound of the crickets and katydids and the stray hoot of an owl. I turn the outdoor stereo to my country playlist while I grill.
The deck’s lit up with fairy lights Allie insisted I needed for using the hot tub at night. Thank God for my little sister because it gives the space a romantic ambiance it never would have had without her little touches.
My T-shirt drifts up Quinn’s thigh as she shifts in the chair, her legs glowing gold in the fairy lights. She makes a contented sound, her lips tipping into a peaceful smile, and I have the sudden urge to kiss her. Instead, I bite back the desire and flip the steak.
“How was surgery today?” I ask.
She blinks one eye open and peers at me. “Amazing. It’s been ages since I’ve done field surgery.”
“Yeah?”
She nods. “It’s a fun challenge. And it feels good working again.”
I give her a tight smile. “You always loved having a job to do.”
Pops has been doing much better, and I know it’s just a matter of time before she finds a job that will take her from me again.
The thought settles like sour milk in my gut. It’s not something I want to think about, but maybe it’s something I need to prepare myself for.
“Have you started looking for another job?” The question comes out as a rasp, something I have to push through the lump stuck in my throat to get out.
She tenses in the chair, her gaze swinging to mine. She shakes her head slowly. “No, I haven’t looked for anything.”
I nod. “You planning on starting the search soon?”
She shrugs, her expression unreadable. “I’ve been putting off making any decisions. There’s a lot to take into consideration.”
I have no idea what those considerations are. I feel out of my depth when it comes to her career path and ambitions. I know close to nothing about what having a specialty entails, what it means for her job or where she’ll end up. But I do know that Cottonwood Creek has little to offera woman like her, and no matter how much I want her, I would never hold her back.
I pull the steak off the grill and silently divide it onto two separate plates with the vegetables I roasted.
She eyes me suspiciously as I hand her a plate, her lips tipping up into a smile. “I thought you said you couldn’t cook.”
I snort and sit next to her with my plate. “I can’t cook, but I can grill.”
She takes her first bite, humming appreciatively as she chews, and something in my chest swells. Watching her savor it like it’s the best thing she’s had in weeks makes me wish I could give her more nights like this. A thousand of them.
When she catches me staring, she tips her fork at me. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
