She laughs again.That sound does dangerous things to my brain.
I take a bite of the cupcake and it’s perfect.Just like I knew it would be.Rich chocolate cake with creamy peanut butter frosting that melts on my tongue.
Yeah.She could absolutely open a bakery.And I would probably gain twenty pounds supporting it.
“Where’s Emette tonight?”Skye asks casually.
The name lands like a rock in my gut.Quinn’s smile falters slightly.Just for a second before it’s back.
“Oh, he’s working late,” she says.
I glance down at my cupcake so no one sees my reaction.Working late.Sure.
Emette Black has always been good at that excuse.My jaw tightens before I force it to relax.Not my business.Not my relationship.Not my place.
Still...I can’t stop myself from noticing the way Quinn checks her phone a few minutes later.Like she’s waiting for a message.Waiting for him.
Something ugly curls low in my chest and I shove the rest of the cupcake into my mouth before that feeling can grow.Because the truth is ...I’ve never liked Emette Black.
Not in high school.Not now.And definitely not as Quinn’s boyfriend.But that’s a story for another time.Right now, I just stand there watching her laugh with my family, feeling something dangerously close to hope stir in my chest.
And that...That’s a problem.Because Quinn Thomas already belongs to someone else.And I don’t steal other men’s girls.Even when the guy doesn’t deserve her.Even when every instinct I have is screaming that she deserves better.Even when the man she’s waiting for probably isn’t worth the cupcake in my hand.
So instead of saying anything, I do the only thing I know how to do.I stay quiet and I watch.Because sometimes the smartest move a man can make is waiting.I consider myself a smart man.
And I’ve always been good at waiting.
Chapter Two
Dinner for Two
Quinn
If you had asked me three years ago what my life would look like right now, I probably would have said something cheesy likeperfect.
A cute house.A steady relationship.A small-town life filled with simple happiness.
