Page 49 of Whatever It Takes

It’s been years since I’ve seen Quinn’s brother. He was always big, thanks to the many years of playing football. But the man standing in front of me looked like he had muscles on top of muscles.

Brody and Quinn had many similarities, but their distinct differences set them apart. They had the same color eyes, except Brody’s were kind and expressive, where Quinn’s were dark and intense. Brody looked more rugged, unlike his brother who was more masculine. Everything else about the two of them; their lips, noses, and chiseled features were exactly the same.

He smiled when he caught me staring.

“Thanks for driving him and getting him home safe.”

His eyes softened with sympathy and understanding. “It’s good to see you. Sorry it’s not under better circumstances.” He paused and looked over to his bother. “I know you guys hit a rough patch today.”

“Yeah, although it ended up being a lot bumpier than I had thought. He ran to his ex-girlfriend after our first fight. I think that says it all.”

He stood taller, seeming more authoritative. “I wouldn’t be so quick to judge. Please be understanding. You guys haven’t had an easy journey. It would be a shame to let Grant and a simple misunderstanding come between you guys. Especially with all the progress you’ve made.”

My shoulders drew back. I couldn’t help feeling defensive from his comment. “It’s not like that. My marriage is over, it has been for a while.”

“I know things are messy right now, but you hurt him today. Believe me, I know he can be a pain in the ass at times, but if you’re not ready to move on then you need to be honest with him.”

I nodded my head and looked over at Quinn. I really didn’t want to talk about this, but Brody needed to understand what was at stake. “You’ve got it all wrong. Quinn’s the one I never moved on from.”

He blinked slowly and shook his head. “I really hope you two figure your shit out,” he said and started to walk away. “I’ll leave my cell number with your friend. Call me if you need me.”

His heavy boots thudded down the stairs. That was an awkward reunion. It shouldn’t have surprised me that Brody had his brother’s back. After all, I was just the ex with all the baggage.

I turned and stood in the doorway of my bedroom. Quinn was sprawled out on my white comforter. His one arm rested over his eyes as his other arm hung at his side. I walked over and untied his shoes. He mumbled something but I couldn’t make it out. Once I had the other shoe off, I started to pop the buttons of his shirt.

I felt pathetic as my eyes traced over his neck and face, looking for lipstick stains.Hewouldn’t do that to me,I thought while sliding his jeans off. Once I finally had finished undressing him, I walked over to the chair and grabbed a blanket and threw it over the top of him. I didn’t even attempt to get him under the covers because I didn’t want him to wake up. I flicked the dimmer switch on and quietly closed the door.

Mackenzie was folding a dishtowel when I made it back downstairs. “How’s he doing?” she asked.

“He’s out cold,” I said and poured myself a glass of water from the sink.

“Do you want me to stay?”

“No, I’ll be fine.” I looked around the kitchen and noticed that she had picked up. “Thank you.”

She squeezed my shoulder. “You’re welcome. Are you sure you’re going to be okay?”

I took a huge sip of the water and set the empty glass in the sink. I tilted my head back and stared up at the ceiling. “I just want a normal life,” I admitted. “I hate this.”

“Oh, sweetie.” She came over and placed her arms around me. I buried my nose in her shirt, letting the events of the last twelve hours finally get to me.

I pulled back and grabbed a tissue off the counter. “I told him we needed to take a break.” I sniffed. “He ran to Bree the second we had our first fight.”

“You don’t know all the facts. Don’t go jumping to conclusions. He’s upstairs in your bed, not hers.”

I knew that should have brought me comfort, but how was I supposed to feel an ounce of peace when everything felt unsettled? How was I supposed to feel secure when the ground beneath me was constantly moving and shifting?

After she left, I shut off all the lights, activated the top-of-the-line security system that Quinn had installed, and made my way upstairs.

I checked on Emery like I always did and quietly shut her door. I was thankful that she was such a sound sleeper.

I walked into the bathroom and got ready for bed. After wiping my makeup off, I leaned my head against the wall and wondered what my life would have been like if we had stayed together. Would it have been as perfect as I imagined? Or have I just been fooling myself all along?

After changing into my pajamas, I hesitated at the foot of my bed and gazed down at Quinn who was snoring loudly. So much was happening and changing at once. In my heart, I had to believe that he came back to me for a reason. I had to have faith that we would get through this.

I slid under the comforter, angling my body away from his, and brought the sheets up to my chin.

As conflicted as I was, it felt nice having him here next to me. I still wasn’t exactly sure what happened between him and Bree tonight, but he was here with me. That’s all that should matter. So why was I focusing on their meeting up tonight? Why did the thought of the two of them together leave such a bitter taste in my mouth? He ended things with her. It was me he wanted. Me he loved.

He settled deeper into the mattress and I felt the gentle pressure of his hard length against me. My thighs were a quivering mess.

His hand slid underneath my shirt, and a large palm rested over my breast. I closed my eyes at the feeling of his hot breath on my neck.

“You feel so good,” he murmured, shifting closer. His fingers kept pressing into my skin. This was reckless, so damn reckless. But whenever Quinn’s hands were on me, I couldn’t help but get turned on. “I need you, baby. Let me make you feel good.”

He started to kiss the back of my neck, with his thumb grazing across my nipple. My body jumped and I turned my head. His eyes looked glossy in the soft glow of the light from my nightstand. I reached my hand out and stroked my thumb along his chin. As much as I wanted to feel close to him, my heart was too heavy. I needed to think with a clear head, and I knew if we had sex that all my thoughts would get muddled up again. We needed to talk before we moved forward.

“Go to sleep, Quinn. We’ll talk in the morning.”

I heard him grunt in disapproval and expected him to move away, but he stayed close and kept his hand right where it was. “I love you, Charlotte. I’m sorry it took me so long to find my way back to you.” He nuzzled his face into my shoulder and pressed a kiss. “I’m never leaving you again. I’m so sorry about what happened with Bree tonight. The kiss didn’t mean anything.”

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