Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86102 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“Oh, I want.” I sighed because he absolutely was going to make the ideal Daddy for someone who was in the market for long-term. “I wasn’t kidding yesterday though. I really am done with relationships.”
“You think I’m going to object to you wanting to use me just for sex?”
“Well…no. But someone like you deserves more than a hookup.”
“You’re sweet. And to be clear, I would be down for something more than a one-time deal because, unlike you, I don’t think your time to explore has expired at all.”
“Maybe not. I do have some lost time to make up for.” I was starting to believe him that I wasn’t too old. And maybe I was over relationships, but the idea of having Adam be my Daddy was simply too tempting to keep resisting. I wanted this, had wanted it before my drunken self blurted out the idea, and had spent the last two days needlessly fighting against the idea. Like Adam said, we were consenting adults interested in a similar dynamic. “Perhaps you’re right. I deserve some fun.”
“You do.” Nodding, he grinned at me. “And we can have a good time together without making promises. Let me be your summer Daddy?”
Nine
Adam
Quinn took his time adjusting his glasses and blushing before he whispered, “I’d like that.”
“Good.”
“I…uh…now what?” He pushed some food around on his plate.
“Finish your dinner, Quinn,” I commanded, enjoying how readily he dutifully took a bite. “Plenty of time yet for dessert.”
The second the words left my mouth, the universe proved it hated my guts. My phone trilled loudly.
“Or not.” Quinn laughed.
I glanced at my phone. “It’s my mom. If she’s calling, that means there’s probably a stack of unread texts.” I didn’t want to be rude, but I also needed to know what the emergency was.
“It’s okay.” Quinn gestured at my hand. “Take your call.”
I did, pacing away from the table, trying to make the interruption as quick as possible. But of course, as my stupid luck would have it, Mom’s disaster was anything but quick and simple.
I finished the call and looked down at Quinn and the remains of the dinner he’d taken such care to make. I put the phone in my pocket and let my hand drop to my side with a heavy sigh. “She has a big family group at one of her larger rentals, and one of the toilets isn’t working. Group of twelve, so it’s an issue. She tried to call the plumber, but it’s after-hours and no one’s answering. I offered to take a look, but I hate leaving you—”
“It’s okay. Don’t feel guilty.” Quinn stood as well. “She can’t risk a bad review.”
Like most of the tourist places around here, Mom’s rental business and B&B relied heavily on word-of-mouth and reviews on the various travel apps. A negative review could mean a serious loss of income, especially on one of the high-dollar rentals like this one.
“That’s it exactly, but damn, I really was looking forward to dessert.” I gave him a slow once-over that had nothing to do with brownies.
“I can save it for you for later?” Quinn took a step toward me.
“Yeah?” Him suddenly turning forward was unexpected. And his pink cheeks now seemed more from being turned-on than embarrassed.
“Yeah.” Continuing with his boldness, he touched my upper arm. “If there’s anyone who can understand being on call, it’s me.”
Already I could see the advantages to hooking up with a hot doctor. My skin tingled where he touched me, his capable-looking hand warm against my bicep.
“Here’s the deal. I’m gonna go handle this problem. If it’s fast, I’ll come back and split the brownie with you, maybe keep you up past your bedtime?”
“Sounds excellent.” A small smile played around the edges of Quinn’s mouth. I wanted to kiss him in the worst way, but I knew if I started, I wouldn’t stop. “Even if it’s not fast, you can still call or come by. I don’t sleep the best most nights, especially when I have a long day ahead of me.”
“Oh, I can put you to sleep.” The desire to kiss him built to near painful levels.
“I’d like to see you try.” Quinn was even more adorable when he flirted sober. It was like opening a soda. He kept all his bubbly impulses under a tight lid, but when he cracked that seal, it was refreshing and well worth the trouble of opening him up.
I left before I could give in to all those kissing impulses and drove north to the lake neighborhood. I was cranky even before I discovered the extent of the disaster. One of the guests had tried to fix the toilet on their own and made everything way worse. Not only did I have to make a trip to the storage shed where I kept spare parts, but I also had quite the cleanup job after I made the repair. The job took far more sweat and time than I’d hoped.