“What about—”
He cut me off before I could even finish. “It’s fine, old man. Take the help when you can.”
I huffed, but blew out a “thank you” as I started counting out the three hundred eighty-seven paces to the house.
Chapter thirteen
Next Thing You Know
Quinn
Ipaced in thebedroom, anxiety rippling through me like a rising tide as I glanced at my phone for the twentieth time within the last few minutes. 6:03. “Whit, you look great. Now, hurry up.”
I hated being late. Like, hated it with every fiber of my being. Whit, though, seemed to have no such qualms. Everywhere we went, everything we did, I could always depend on her to be late. And even though I wasn’t going out with her tonight, I knew if I left her, poor Travis would likely be waiting for at least an hour.
“Are you sure about the black romper?” she asked, glancing at herself in the mirror for the eight-millionth time.
I fought the urge to roll my eyes as I sighed and pegged her with a hard stare. “Trust me, the black looks amazing against your tan. Now,please, let’s go.”
Hux was probably waiting for me, and every minute I spent in here meant another he spent outside in this god awful heat. Not to mention, another potential minute for my dad or Georgette, or both, to find him and heckle him.
“Ugh, fine! I’m ready,” Whit replied, even as she proceeded to continue staring at herself in the mirror.
“I’m leaving,” I finally huffed, already halfway out the door. Whit’s laughter echoed behind me as I made my way down the hall. My hurried footfalls matched the pace of my heartbeat. I nervously smoothed out my sundress and fussed over my hair, trying to ensure that everything was perfectly tidy and in place. Not that it mattered, but still.
Between the blast of ungodly heat as I stepped outside, and how damn attractive Hux was, I didn’t know which took my breath away more. His Levis were a dark wash, which contrasted well to the pale blue button up he wore with the sleeves neatly folded up to his elbows, leaving his tattooed forearm on full display. He wore a white straw hat again. I wondered how he managed to style himself so well if he couldn’t see. Did he have help? Or was it just a coincidence? Either way, he looked—well, let’s just say, I was already distracted. And with the way the tattoo on his right pec was playing peekaboo with the littlest movement he made, I wanted nothing more than to rip his shirt off and trace my fingertips over it.
Calm down, Quinn.
I hadn’t even said a word, but he stood a bit straighter, his sunglasses stare aiming my way.
Travis spoke before he managed to get a word out, startling me. I honestly hadn’t even realized he was here. I’d been so caught up in Hux. “Well, you sure look nice, Miss Quinn.”
“Thank you. You look nice as well. Whit should be out in just a second, she was right behind me.” I smiled at Travis beforereturning my attention to Hux, making my way toward him. “Hey,” I said softly, pressing a hand to his chest.
He drew me against him as if I’d been specifically made for his touch, and this feeling of contentment settled over me like a blanket. Or a hug. It was peaceful, yet somehow ridiculously attractive at the same time, sparking my desire.
“Hey, darlin’,” he murmured, dipping his mouth to mine for a soft kiss. I don’t know what I’d expected, but the ease with which he held me, kissed me, honestly just interacted with me in general in front of Travis did a number on my heart. Devin would have ratherdiedthan touch me like this in public. And yet, Hux did it like it was as normal as breathing.
Was this normal? We weren’t even together. Or were we? Was this just a hookup or did he want more? Did I want more?
I was so overthinking this.My heart jackhammered in my chest, the air all but vanishing from my lungs. My breath came out in shallow gasps when I finally pulled away from Hux’s kiss.
He let out a soft, appreciative huff. “You smell nice.”
I smiled. “You look…really,reallygood.“ My words were breathy and weak as I tucked a lock of my blonde waves behind my ear. Trying to recover, I glanced between us and laughed. “Oh my God, also, we match.”
He scoffed. “Really?”
I nodded. “The dress I’m wearing is white with a light blue paisley pattern. It matches your shirt.”
He let out a laugh, dropping his hold on me to grab at his shirt lightly. “Shit, this is blue? I didn’t even know I owned anything with color on it.”
“It’s definitely blue,” I giggled. “But I like it. It looks good on you.”
Whit finally came out onto the front porch then, stopping our conversation for a moment as all four of us shared a few words before saying goodbye.
When it was just the two of us once more, Hux asked, “So, you wanna go grab dinner first?”
