***
HE DIDN’T KNOW ANYTHING anymore. He would never admit that. No, he would take that confession to his grave.
What the hell was he doing with his head embraced in her plush bosom? It was not a move. No, he was certainly not trying to initiate anything. In fact, this was the best he could think to do to avoid initiating anything more perilous. Those pink flamingo lips were calling to him. They had been breathing on his palm, filling it with moisture and heat. And all he could think of was that only God almighty could stop him from the erotic thoughts he was having about where that mouth should go next.
And then, in a flash, she had licked him. It was innocent. Playful. Fun. Everything he had pushed down and away since…well, since he didn’t want to do that anymore.
It had brought back the strangest memories of a time when…and that’s as far as he got before he dropped his head in between those two luscious orbs. He didn’t want to think about her and her lips. He didn’t want to think about the memories that were flashing through his mind. He didn’t want to think about anything.
With his nose affixed to her abdomen, he rallied his thoughts to focus on getting them to town to see how Muffin was doing.
His head darted up, “Muffin?”
“Well, yes, I could use a snack. I didn’t realize you were holding out on me.”
Quinn pushed himself to his knees and tugged Kat up. Unbeknownst to him, he was kneeling on her frock, so the tug resulted in her pulling him back down on top of her.
“Not this again,” he heard, as a leg wrapped around his thigh.
Oh sure, he could have fought back. She was half his size, if that. But at this point he was defeated. Let fate deal its worst. He was splayed out on the ground with arms out to the side.
Kat rolled on top of him and placed her hand over his mouth. “How does it feel?” she laughed.
He didn’t want to answer that. It felt…like floating on air. Looking up into her laughing eyes. Watching that mouth curl into a coy smile that beheld some magical power he was yet aware of. There were no more burdens. No more obligations. Everything in this moment felt right. It felt like nothing in the world mattered except that she was safe and happy. That was his mission after all. Well, the happiness part was extra. A magnificent, life-altering byproduct called extra.
No, he wanted to answer her question about how it felt, but he couldn’t. Apparently, his body disagreed with him because he also couldn’t hold back his tongue from licking her palm. The lick threw her into a fit of laughter, and she collapsed onto his chest.
He grabbed her hips to hold her steady as her body rumbled against him in joy. He couldn’t remember–nay, he didn’t want to remember–the last time he had laughed about something so ridiculous. It was so foreign that he almost didn’t permit himself to have a chuckle or two.
Her body shifted as she pushed gently on his chest so that she could sit up. Still straddling him, he rubbed his thumbs back and forth over her thighs.
“You’re not who I thought you were, Jack.”
Life was full of moments like this. He could see it clearly before him. Let her have her say, move on, stay disconnected.
Or…
“Quinn,” he said before he could overthink it.
Her lips rounded to form his name, “Quinn.” They rounded just enough to tempt him into thinking about taking those lips with his own.
He had to be in charge of some of his thoughts though. He couldn’t just fantasize about devouring her all day in the grass. Could he?
“And you’re not who I thought you were.”
“I don’t think I am to anyone who knows me.”
He wanted to unpack that admission, but her hands patted his chest, and her words interrupted his thoughts. “I should have been prepared for that move, by the way. Not only is it mine, but, as you know, I do have a sister.”
“Perhaps I should have been more prepared as well. Since I have a brother.”Have?Did he just slip up and say that? “Had. I had a brother.”
It was all too much now. The weight atop him felt like a boulder, not a cloud. He moved to get up.
As they stood, they brushed themselves off. He noticed some mud on her bottom and a couple of leaves, but he didn’t dare remove them. Best to focus on something entirely different.
“It seems like now is as good a time as any to take a small break.”
Kat nodded in agreement. “Let’s check on Muffin.”
