Page 59 of Topping the Jock
Quinn laid his head on my shoulder, his arms coming around my torso. “I tried so damn hard not to fall for you.”
His confession made my head spin. Zane had been right. Quinn had hidden his true feelings this whole time.
I rested my cheek against the top of his head and returned his hold. “We can take things slow, Specks. If you need time to think things over, take it. I’m not going anywhere.” His woodsy scent filled my senses, and my heart cracked in my chest at the thought of never being able to hold him like this again. “Just don’t push me away.”
I wouldn’t be able to handle it if he did. I was too involved now.
“My dad won’t understand,” Quinn said, pulling from my embrace. He took a few steps away, shaking his head at me. “Frankly, I don’t understand it either. I should hate you for what you did to me. I should have no trouble walking away from you.”
I fought the urge to pull him back into my arms.
“Is that your only holdup?” I asked, stepping toward him. Not letting him slip away that easily. “You’re worried what people will think about us?”
“It’s not the only reason.” Quinn’s eyes fell to my lips as I backed him up against the door. “I don’t know if I can trust you, Monty.”
“Have I given you any reason not to trust me in the months we’ve been together?”
Indecision shone in his eyes. “No.”
Nothing I said would convince him he could trust me. I needed to show him.
“Go on a date with me,” I said.
“A date?”
“Like a real date.” I moved my hand to the curve of his neck, loving the softness of his skin. “Not just you coming over to fuck me and leaving right after. I want to be wined and dined, Specks. I want romance and all that sappy shit. Got it?”
Quinn snorted a laugh, and the sound pierced the center of my chest. “You don’t want much, do you?”
“I wantyou,” I said. “I screwed up all those years ago by ignoring my feelings. I’ll be damned if I make that same mistake again. So I’m being open with you. Throwing out a line. Whether you catch it or not is up to you.”
The motherfucking bell had the audacity to ring in that moment, just as we were finally getting somewhere.
“We should get to class,” Quinn said, before clearing his throat.
“Think about it.” I stepped back, giving him space to open the door. “It’s not a marriage proposal. Just a date.”
Quinn looked like he was going to say something, but then he turned and left my office. I waited a second before exiting as well. The anticipation was killing me. It wasn’tthathard to decide, was it? I mean, hell, the guy had eaten my ass and fucked me so good I forgot my own name. A date was nothing compared to that.
At lunch, he wasn’t in the teachers’ lounge, so I stopped by his classroom. He was at his desk, an untouched sandwich beside him as he flipped through papers. He glanced up when I entered the room.
“I was just about to message you,” he said, his expression serious. He leaned back in his chair and studied me. “I’ve given some thought to your offer.”
“Yeah?” It cracked me up how he was treating it like some kind of business deal. Freaking Quinn. He was such a dork. But dammit, I wanted him to bemydork. “And what’s the verdict?”
“Dinner tomorrow evening,” he said, his tone giving nothing away. “I’m picky about the restaurants I go to because of my allergies. But I love Italian food.”
Fuck yeah.He was giving me a chance. I inwardly fist-bumped.
“Italian it is,” I said, smiling so big my cheeks ached. “The team isn’t practicing tomorrow, so we can meet earlier. I can pick you up around six?”
“I’ll drive to your house,” he countered. “And we can go to the restaurant together from there.”
He had to meet me in the middle. Giving up total control was a challenge for him. Fine with me. As long as we went out, I didn’t care.
“Okay. Deal.” I stepped toward his desk. “Should we shake on it? Do we need to sign a contract first?”
Finally, his stoic composure slipped, and the edge of his mouth curved up in a smile. “Go eat your lunch, Montgomery.”
