About Last Night (18 page)

Just. Stating. Facts. Oh no. I was pretty sure I’d just fallen for Matt Quinn, and there was nothing friendly about it. Why had I ever thought this was a good idea?

I was totally screwed.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Quinn

Monday came with sunlight, warmth, and a sad smile on my face.

I woke up later than intended, but was lucky in the sense that I had no client today. It was a national holiday, which meant Harry wouldn’t be working. I sent him a text.

Me: Get your lazy ass up. I need coffee. Meet me at the pier.

I chuckled to myself, knowing Harry was an early riser and would have likely been up with the chickens at the crack of dawn.

Scrubbing a hand down my face, I lie back in bed and thought about the night before. I met Maya. And not only was she adorable, but she was funny, and kind, and lovely.

My hands covered my face and I groaned. I was getting hard just thinking of her.
Jesus
. People did not get hard over their friends, and according to how we left things last night, I was sure she wouldn’t book another appointment.

After we’d talked the majority of the night away, telling bad jokes and eating cake, Maya yawned.

My heart squeezed, because I knew what was coming.

She blinked up at me sleepily. “I should go.”

Not wanting to betray my feelings, I agreed, “It’s getting late.” I added with a smile, “But at least you don’t have to work tomorrow.”

She smiled back at me, nodding, “Yeah, I’ll probably go out to lunch with my brother.”

I titled my head, curious, “You’re really close with him, huh?”

“Yeah. I mean, sure, he’s a pain in the ass, but he’s always there for me. He always supports me. He’s my biggest ally,” she uttered humbly.

I’d like to meet this guy. Any man who has the complete devotion of someone like Maya is all right in my book.

She stood and I kept my eyes on her as she changed. She put on her silky pink bra, slipped her dress over her head, and then surprised me as she walked over to the trash and threw in her panties. She must’ve felt my eyes on her, because she flushed and explained, “I didn’t bring my purse, I don’t have anything to hide them in. I can’t put them on yet; I’m too sore.”

I nodded my understanding, stood, and slid my jeans on, walking her to the door without a shirt. I planned on leaving as soon as Maya left, but I didn’t want to give her the impression I’d been waiting for her to leave. Truth is, I had such a great time that if she stayed till five a.m., I would have stayed too.

Placing my hand on the doorknob, I opened the door and she stepped out, turning to face me. “I’ll remember this experience my whole life, Quinn. You were everything I hoped you’d be.” She blushed charmingly and my heart seized.

I lifted my hand to cup her cheek. “No chance I’d be seeing you again?”

Averting my eyes, she shrugged lightly, prettily, and uttered a soft, “I’m not sure.”

I knew this was a no. If it wasn’t a definite, it was a no. I knew this from past experiences. My face lowered to hers and I pressed a chaste kiss onto her swollen, well-kissed lips. “It was so nice to meet you, Maya.”

Her arms came up and she wrapped them around my neck, squeezing. “You have no idea what this meant to me, Quinn.” She turned her face and kissed my cheek, feather-soft.

Then she turned and walked down the hall quickly, not turning back.

My stomach coiled tightly as I watched her leave.

Something told me Maya was done with me.

Okay, so she wasn’t going to book another appointment.

That didn’t mean we couldn’t be friends…did it?

I reached for my cellphone.

Me: Hey, dumpling, how are you feeling today? I hope you’re not too sore.

My bladder alerted me that we needed to take a piss, so I crawled out of bed and went to the bathroom. When I was done, I stretched, undressed, and took a quick shower. Drying myself in no time, I dressed in distressed jeans, a white fitted tee, and a black and white NY baseball cap to cover my wet hair, and then slipped on my white Everlast sneakers and grabbed my cell from the bed.

Two messages waited for me.

Harry: Already there, dude.

Maya: I feel sore in the best way possible. Don’t worry…it was worth it :)

I didn’t bother responding to Harry, but would always respond to Maya.

Me: As long as you’re okay, I’m good. Listen, I’m heading out right now, but can I call you later? After 6?

She responded immediately.

Maya: Sure. x

Grinning, I picked up my keys as I passed the kitchen counter, threw them in the air, catching them quickly, and then walked out to my car.

My chest puffed out proudly. It was all good. Maya still wanted me as a friend. As far as I was concerned, that would do.

I stepped out of my car and hit the central locking, listening for the chirp, then, whistling, walked down to the pier.

The pier was an area by the beach filled with cafés, lunch spots, boutiques, and street vendors, and the best thing was they were open all year-round, regardless of national holidays.

There was one particular café Harry and I liked best: The Black Strawberry. They had an all-day breakfast menu that would have you drooling, and their coffee was strong and their burgers were incredible. This was our go-to place.

As I approached, I stalled.

Shit.

The Black Strawberry had a line out the door and all the tables were filled. Now what was I supposed to do? Hang around like a loser? Where the hell was Harry?

I pulled out my cell and saw a message from Harry.

Harry: The place is going bananas. I’m lining up, but I’m gonna be a while. Tell me what you want and I’ll order it.

I huffed a laugh. Good, dependable Harry.

Me: I want the biggest coffee they have and a blueberry muffin. You’re a champ.

As I stood at the side of the café with my back against the wall, my eyes glanced to the side, catching a spot of green.

It was a woman…woman in a green sundress with white polka dots. Her back was turned to me, and she had her face raised up into the sunlight as she rubbed her arms, delighting in the crisp warmth.

I smiled. It was nice to see a young lady enjoying herself.

The sundress was fitted around the top, but flowed out at the bottom, and she wore it with white flip-flops, her long brownish-red hair flowing down her back in shiny waves. Her ass was definitely something I’d like to hold onto.

I imagined walking behind her, flattening my chest to her back, taking her ass in my hands, and kneading it.

Blinking, I shook my head. God, I was a horny bastard.

But then the woman turned. And I gawked.

“Maya?” I called out.

No response.

Smiling, I walked over to her until I was a foot away. “Maya.”

Her head snapped to me. Eyes wide, cheeks flushed, she choked out, “Quinn!” Swallowing hard, she stuttered, “W-w-what are you doing here?”

Oh, man. I was as surprised as she was. Chuckling, I pulled her into a hug, wrapping my arms around her and rocking her from side-to-side. “What are the chances?” I could’ve sworn I heard her whimper, but I must’ve imagined it. “I’m meeting a friend for lunch. What are you doing here?”

Breathing heavily, she muttered to herself, “M-meeting a friend?” She gasped, wide-eyed, and lifted her fingers to cover her mouth, whispering, “Oh,
shit.
” Not a stitch of makeup on her face, but still, she looked gorgeous. She pulled away from me, stepping back, looking around anxiously. “I have to go.”

My brows furrowed. “Maya, what’s wrong? Are you okay?”

Her mouth opened to respond, but she shut it when she spotted something behind me. Her cheeks flushed and she looked on the verge of fainting. “Quinn, I have to tell you something,” she whispered urgently. “I have to explain—”

I looked down at her nervous demeanor. It was clear she didn’t want to be seen with me. Talk about a kick in the gut. Then a thought occurred to me. Did she have a boyfriend?

A voice behind me startled her. Harry handed me my coffee and a brown paper bag. “Here’s your shit, man.” I scowled as he handed Maya an ice-cream cone. Fuck me. Was she dating my best friend? Harry went on, “No way we’re getting a table, so why don’t we just find a bench on the beach.” He jerked his chin toward Maya. “You remember Mia, right?”

Mia?
Who the fuck was Mia?

She cleared her throat and tried to smile, uttering a weak, “Hi, Matt.”

Matt.

My gut sank. I stared at her in shock. She called me
Matt
. Confusion rolled through me. She knows me.

I turned to Harry. “I don’t—” I couldn’t even speak. I was starting to freak out. I shrugged, because no words would come.

Harry laughed. “Sorry. I thought ‘cause you were standing here that you reintroduced yourselves.”

Reintroduced? I’d
met
Maya before? My brain had officially gone offline. Something was going on here. Something bad. I could feel it in my bones.

He pointed to Maya. “Mia.” He turned to Maya. “Mia, I see you remember Quinn.” He rolled his eyes. “Most women do.” Harry tilted his head. “You probably wouldn’t remember her, Quinn. I told you she’d changed.”

I was beyond confused. “Who?”

Harry snorted. “My
sister
. Dude, seriously, keep up.”

“Sister? I—” Fuck. No. Fuck
no
!

It hit me like a ton of bricks to the chest. My heart started to palpitate and my palms became moist. I stared pointedly at
Mia
. “Mia’s your sister…but you call her Minnie.”

Harry smirked, slapping me on the back. “Now he’s got it.” He placed his fingers under my coffee cup, lifting it to my mouth. “You sure you’re awake yet? Get some coffee into you, stat. Come on, let’s find a bench.”

Harry walked toward the beach and all I could do was watch in horror as Mia winced, mouthing a pained,
Sorry.

This was not a joke. There would be no hidden cameras or celebrity host to reveal that this was all a sick prank. I’d fucked my best friend’s baby sister. I’d taken her virginity. And she’d
paid
me to do it.

I walked by Mia’s side, accidentally brushing our hands together, and as if my hand were a Taser, Mia squeaked and jumped. Harry eyed his sister. His
sister
. Oh, shit. I’d eaten my best friend’s sister’s pussy. And I
liked
it. I was going to hell. “Relax, Mia. It’s not like Quinn’s trying to cop a feel.”

Of course, he said this as I was sipping my coffee. I proceeded to choke on said coffee, coughing till I was blue, spilling a mouthful down the front of my shirt.

Mia rushed over, napkins in hand. “Are you okay?” She started to blot the light brown stains on my pristine white tee. I uttered an annoyed, “I got it,” but she didn’t stop. I gripped her wrist tight, almost hard enough to hurt, and hissed, “I said I got it.”

As I held her wrist in a vise-like grip, she looked up at me, her pouty pink lips slightly parted, her big brown eyes shining. Goddamn her for looking the way she did. She whispered a quivering, “I’m sorry,” and I think we both knew she wasn’t apologizing for my shirt.

I dropped her hand. “No harm done.” I said it, but it was a blatant lie. The damage was abundant. I’d likely lose my best friend over this. And that pissed me off.

Harry was all the family I had. I didn’t want to be alone again. The thought of losing the one person who stood by my side all these years was enough to cause a stabbing pain in my chest. I absently rubbed at it. How was I supposed to fix this?

I thought about it, and the truth of the matter was devastating.

I couldn’t fix this.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Mia

If looks could kill, Quinn would’ve had me six-feet under ten times by now.

Damn it all to heck.
I
was supposed to tell him! I was meant to do it in my
own
time!

You know what? This is all Harry’s fault.

Yes! Let’s blame Harry. I like that. Let’s roll with that. Good.

I sat at the very end of the bench, looking out into the ocean while licking at my ice-cream cone. That was the only thing keeping me going—crap-loads of sugar and iced cream in a chocolate waffle cone.

The guys spoke while I tried to ignore them. Well, it was more Harry who spoke and Quinn grunted his responses. But then Harry asked, “How was your
date
last night?” I heard the emphasis he put on the word date and my stomach lurched, pausing mid-lick.

Quinn paused then grunted, “Fine.”

Harry dug deeper. “What do you mean fine? Was she okay-fine, or was she smoking-fine?”

Quinn’s lip curled at my brother. “She was fine. Just
fine
.”

My brother laughed. “Okay, so she was dead-fish-fine?”

And without meaning to, I yelled a defensive, “Hey!” at the same time Quinn growled, “Hey, watch it!”

Harry made a face and held up his hands, palms forward in a placating gesture. “Geez, you guys are too sensitive. I was kidding…sort of.”

I glanced at Quinn and caught his eye, quickly looking to my brother. “You don’t know her. Just because a girl doesn’t put out, doesn’t mean she’s a dead fish.”

Quinn smirked, responding a cruel and taunting, “Who said she didn’t put out?”

My heart raced. It might’ve been one of the only times I had heard of Quinn responding to something with anger in his voice, especially to hurt. Then it occurred to me…
I really don’t know Matt Quinn.

I don’t know him at all.

Harry ignored Quinn’s comment and replied to me, “You’re right, Minnie. I don’t know women like that though, but I’m sure they’re out there. Unfortunately, all the women I know use their…” he coughed meaningfully, “…
charms
to get what they want.”

I looked Quinn dead in the eye and uttered a hushed, “I would never do that.”

He snorted and rolled his eyes. Harry nudged my arm, an expression of confusion crossing his face. “I know you wouldn’t, kid. You’re good people.”

I bit the inside of my cheek, standing. “I think I’m just going to go home, Har. I’m not feeling the best.”

Quinn’s derision disappeared in an instant, replaced with concern as he searched my face. Harry eyed me good. “Yeah, you’re a little pale there, sunshine.” He checked his watch then stood. “Shit, I gotta get to work. The bars stop for no one.”

Harry tried to feel my forehead, but I slapped his hand away, scowling at him. “Who are you, my mother?”

He huffed out a laugh. “Bite your tongue.” He checked his watch again. “Hey, I’m gonna have to drop you off then race over to work. Let’s go.”

I shook my head. “I can catch the bus. I know the route like the back of my han—”

Harry was already shaking his head to say no, when Quinn’s rough voice cut in. “I’ll take her.”

Harry’s expression turned relieved. “Seriously? Thanks, man. I owe you one.”

But Quinn kept his burning gaze on me. “No problem.”

Crap.

Piles upon piles of flaming crap.

Quinn walked to his car and I let him stay ahead of me.

I needed to explain why I’d done what I did. He was clearly pissed about it, and I don’t blame him. I had no right to put him in the position I had.

I just hoped he would understand.

He
had
to understand.

Raising his hand, he clicked a button on his keys and an older silver sedan unlocked. He opened the door for me, and as soon as I sat, he closed the door behind me. I buckled up and waited for him to do the same. As soon as he started the car, I spoke, “Quinn, I—”

But he raised his hand, demanding silence, and so I shut my trap.

We drove on, and at every red light, he stopped to look at me, the same motions every time. He’d stop, turn, look me up and down, sigh, shake his head, and then commence driving. At least he no longer looked angry. Now he just looked tired.

“I’m sorry, Quinn.”

Jaw tight, he uttered, “I’m not ready to talk about this right now.”

I nodded, wringing my hands together. “Okay.” So he would talk to me eventually. That was a good sign. “Okay.”

My body jerked as he exploded, “Jesus, Maya! Mia! Whatever the hell your name is!” He slammed his balled fist on the steering wheel and boomed, “What the fuck were you
thinking
?”

Heart racing, I tried to explain, “I—”

But he cut me off, yelling, “You knew me! You
knew
me! You knew I was a friend of Harry’s.” He groaned. “What a mess. What a
mess
.”

I grimaced, “I know. I’ll fix it—”

He roared, “
Your
mess! I didn’t know, dammit!” He turned to glare at me, whispering in dead calm, “And you knew I didn’t know.” I couldn’t believe he was still driving, and in a decent manner, when he reached up to run a hand down his face. He bellowed, “And then you’re at the pier…with your
brother
! And
I didn’t know!
And then I saw you. And you were licking up that damn ice cream.” Panting, he eyed me a moment before barking an irritated, “Your dress is pretty.”

I turned my head and bit my lip to hide my smile. He was losing his mind. And it was
funny
. I’d always been that person to laugh at the most inappropriate time—weddings, funerals, at the gynecologist.

His voice was grating. “You better not be laughing, Mia. This is not funny.”

I turned to face him, sucking my lips completely into my mouth, because it was the only way to stop myself from laughing. I shook my head, but I was sure my eyes were filled with mirth.

He looked at me. Then to the road. Back to me. Again to the road. Then he huffed out an exasperated, “You’re a shitty liar.”

A sorry chuckle escaped me. “I know. I’m an asshole. I’m sorry, Quinn. Please let me explain.”

The car slowed then came to a stop. I looked out the window. “This isn’t where I live.”

He opened the car door. “I know. This is where I live.”

The car door slammed shut and I knew I had no other options. I had to explain myself regardless of how stupid it sounded, regardless of how much I let my insecurities show. I would put myself on display for Quinn, because he deserved to know why.

“Come in,” Quinn grunted as he opened the apartment door. “Shut it behind you.”

I stepped inside, closed the door, and took in my surroundings. Wow. This was a nice place. I could never afford a place like this. There was an open living area with a joined kitchen, a hall down one end, which I was sure led to the bedroom—possible bedroom
s
—and an open door revealing a gleaming bathroom. I turned to see two other doors, which I wanted to explore, but that would be inappropriate…wouldn’t it?

Yes. I was sure it would.

It was a tidy apartment, but I could see it was a man’s apartment. The sofas were black soft leather, the giant TV was mounted on the wall, the cabinets were also black, and the kitchen had six boxes of cereal on the counter. It definitely screamed ‘a man lives here.’

Quinn went to the fridge and brought over two bottles of water. Handing me one, he sat on the sofa and ordered, “Sit.”

I bunched my nose. I wasn’t a damn dog to be ordered about. But, of course, I sat anyway.

“Explain.”

Oh, wow, I wasn’t sure I liked
this
Quinn. Rolling the bottle of water back and forth in my hand, I sighed. “I was going to tell you. I swear I was. But I wanted to do it when
I
was ready.” I huffed out an annoyed, “But then Harry had to go and open his big mouth.”

“Mia,” Quinn growled in warning.

I raised both of my hands, placating. “Okay.” I stood and began to pace. “It’s true. I was counting on you not remembering me.” I looked to him for some form of reaction, but got none. I went on, “I wasn’t lying to you. Whenever we spoke, I always told you the truth.” I shrugged. “Sure, I omitted small details, but I always told the truth.” My eyes pleading for him to believe me, I added, “You know more about me than most.”

Quinn leaned back on the sofa, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Please, get to the part where you hired me to have sex with you.”

I nodded, even though he couldn’t see it. “Two Christmases ago, I came home from school. Harry was in bad shape as soon as he came from work, and he just kept drinking from there. I’d lost a little weight by then, and Harry was supportive as per usual. But, of course, Mom tried to feed me everything in sight and—”

Quinn cut me off with a barked, “Get to the point, Mia!”

I blurted it out. “I was overweight. I was shy. I was insecure. And I overheard my brother mention you working over Christmas when I slipped into the kitchen for some water. He mentioned DFT. I looked it up online and found out it was an escort site. I put two and two together and realized you must work there.”

Looking down to the ground, he shook his head sadly. “Why me, Mia? It could’ve been anyone. Why me?”

I shrugged and tried to cover my now-quivering lip by forcing a smile. “Because my brother likes you. He talked about you all the time. He said you were a good guy. I had to believe him.”

Quinn raised his head to look at me. He said nothing.

I sat on the sofa, looking down at my hands, playing with my fingers. I uttered a hushed, “You told me I’d bloom into a beautiful butterfly.”

“What?” he asked, clearly confused.

Blinking away tears, I cleared my throat and looked over at him, smiling. “The Christmas before I went to college. I escaped the party Mom was throwing and went up to my room, got into my pajamas, and opened a book. Harry brought you over, but you had too much to drink, so he sent you upstairs to sleep it off, not knowing I was up there, and then all of a sudden, you were in my room.” I laughed quietly. “You were the first guy I let in my room, Matt Quinn.” Shaking away the memory, I straightened my shoulders. “You asked me why I wasn’t at the party. I replied honestly, and that was a big deal, because I’d never spoken to a man the way I’d spoken to you. We spoke for a little while.” I looked up into his stern hazel eyes. “I know you don’t remember any of this.”

His voice soft, he called my name. “Mia.”

Before I lost my composure, I had to tell him why. “You told me I’d bloom into a beautiful butterfly.” My eyes filling with tears, I sniffled. “And the way you looked at me, into me, I believed you, because you believed in me.” Swiping at my eyes, my voice quavered. “You were the first guy to look at me as if I was worth something. And it felt nice. I guess I just…” I dipped my chin, hiding my face. “I guess I just wanted to feel that again.”

Silence.

A sad smile crossed my face as I stood. “I never meant for you to feel like I set you up. And Harry is never going to know about what happened. This is our secret. I’ll take it to the grave, Quinn.” I added softly, “I’d never do anything to hurt you. Not purposely.”

He watched me, his eyes piercing, obviously looking for a glimpse of dishonesty. When he didn’t find it, he stood with a small sigh and walked toward me. He kept walking until we were almost foot-to-foot, then his arms came around me and he held me, resting his chin on top of my head.

Relief coursed through me. I slumped into him, my hands lightly grasping the sides of his tee, my forehead resting on his chest as I closed my eyes, breathing in his woodsy male scent. With my face mashed into his shirt, I muttered, “I’m sorry.”

His rumbling voice vibrated through his chest. “I don’t like you crying.”

“Okay,” I mumbled.

“No more crying,” he ordered.

And my lip twitched. “Okay.”

He kissed the top of my head lightly and I felt it wash over me, warming me like a light fluffy blanket on a cool night. I smiled into him then his arm was around me, holding me by his side. “Take off your shoes.” I slid them off and he led us down the hall to what I assumed was his bedroom. And it was.

The bed was made, the sheets were crisp, and suddenly, I was nervous. But this was Quinn, and somehow my concerns flew out the window at that knowledge, as if he were safe. I felt safe. He
was
safe, according to my spidey senses.

Quinn lay on the bed, fully clothed, holding his arms open to me. My stomach flip-flopped as I climbed over, lying by him with my head resting on his shoulder. His strong arms went around me, tucking me into his side, and I sighed. I was at peace.

“So, Harry’s sister,” he nudged me, “what do we do now?”