Page 30 of A Simple Life

“Thank you, darlin’.”

She smiled and turned her head, kissing my palm. The alarm on her phone went off, and I bent, handing it to her. “Go get Abby. I hope she likes her swing.”

She took her phone, clutching it in her hand. “She will.”

“Good.”

I walked away, but this time, it wasn’t out of anger. I knew if I stayed, I would drag her into the house and kiss her until we were both desperate. Then I would have her. I wouldn’t stop until she was screaming my name with my cock buried deep inside her.

And she had a daughter waiting.

I slid into my truck, already missing the taste and feel of her.

Then I drove home.

Alone and lonelier than I could recall feeling in a long time.

Quinn was on my mind all night. The sensation of peace and tranquility I had simply sitting with her. Enjoying her company. The way her laughter made me smile. She was witty and charming.

And the way I felt when I kissed her was unexpected and disarming.

She fit against me well, her body molding to mine. The taste of her lingered for hours, the fragrance of her on my skin. I wanted more of it. She was the last thing on my mind when I fell asleep and the first thought I had when I woke up—aching and hard for her.

It was her name I groaned out in the shower as I took myself in hand, desperate for relief. The orgasm took the edge off, but I wanted more.

I wanted her.

I sighed as I poured a coffee, heading outside. I had been up for hours, checking the crops and the animals. I had a basket of eggs to go to town, which I planned on doing later, unless Cody happened to show up looking for more cash for his bank account. He was fascinated by the column of numbers in the passbook he had. He loved watching them grow, and I had to laugh at the fact that he was making lots of small deposits so he could see the total change all the time. He had decided on a new sled for the winter and was running recon on ideas for Christmas for his mom and dad. He’d dropped a few questions my way, and I played along, pretending to be none the wiser. He hadn’t figured out yet that by telling me about the sled, he had just solved my dilemma for what to get him. His money could stay in the bank.

I sat on the rocker, mentally going over a list of what I had to do later. Luckily, it was Sunday, and I tried to keep things to a minimum. I had a few chores—laundry and inside tasks. The farm was taken care of, aside from feeding the animals again later. It would be a quiet day, something I normally enjoyed. But somehow, today, it felt solitary. I knew I could drive to Laura’s and spend the afternoon there, but the truth was, it wasn’t what I wanted to do, and Laura wasn’t the woman I wanted to see.

I had just shaken my head at the strange thoughts when I heard a car, and I glanced up, expecting my sister. But it wasn’t her vehicle pulling up to the house. It was an SUV I recognized. When Quinn stepped out, stopping to help Abby from the back seat and pulling a huge hamper from the trunk, I felt the stirrings of something in my chest. Pleasure. Happiness.

I stood, a smile pulling at my mouth. I walked to the edge of the porch. “Hey.”

“Hi,” Quinn said with a smile, while Abby grinned at me, jumping foot to foot.

“Hey, Pumpkin. You got ants in your pants?”

She laughed, the high-pitched sound making me chuckle with her.

“No, Farmer John! I’m excited!”

I stepped off the porch. “About?”

She flung herself at me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “My swing! I love it!”

“I’m glad.” I bent and lifted her, hoisting her to my chest. “Have you tried it?”

Quinn made an amused sound. “Tried it? I could barely get her off it last night, and she was up and on it this morning before six.”

“I love it! I can go high, and the seat is big enough that Enid and Fluffy can swing with me. Except—” she looked me in the eye, serious “—they keep falling off. Can you make them a seat belt, Farmer John?”

Quinn shook her head, and I smirked. “I can do that.”

“Yay—I told you he could, Momma. He can do anything.”

I met Quinn’s gaze. It was gentle and warm this morning. Our eyes locked and held, that warmth in her expression flowing between us.