Chapter Six
Quinn
I cannot believe I had feelings for that asshole.
A mere few hours ago, at that. Am I stupid for reading too much into last night? We talked. We bonded. We felt like friends, and for once I thought Archer looked at me like I was more than just Dean’s little sister, who he puts up with solely out of loyalty to his friend.
“Quinn!” Kara squeals, walking through the foyer with open arms. “Thank you again so much for helping today!”
“Of course,” I tell her as she hugs me. “It was fun.”
And it was, other than the ride home from the grocery store where Archer did his best to act like I wasn’t even there. I don’t get it.
And they say women are complicated.
“Everything looks great. The food smells amazing and those drinks are to die for!”
“I had them at a party in Chicago once. They’re too complicated for me to make, but that’s why we invited Owen and Logan, right?”
Kara laughs. She’s had one or two drinks already, I can tell. She was nervous for tonight she admitted while we were cooking, and hates being the center of attention. She actually suggested to Dean they elope just so she can avoid opening presents in front of everyone at her bridal shower.
“And you look amazing,” she goes on, looping her arm through mine. We head to the appetizer table. “I’m seriously jealous of your boobs.”
I look down at my cleavage and laugh. “I could tell you how annoying big boobs are and how I’d kill to trade with you, but I’d be lying.”
“Thanks for the honesty. I’ve been thinking more and more about getting mine done.”
“If you want it, then do it.”
“Really?” Kara picks up a plate.
“Sure. It’s your body.”
“You’re the first person to not try and talk me out of it.”
“Why would I?” I grab myself a plate as well. “If it’s what you want, then go for it. Besides the obvious—going under the knife—I don’t see how it’s any different than getting up and doing your hair and makeup every day. You’re changing your appearance that way as well.”
“Right? That’s what I told my sister.”
I start filling my plate when Dean walks over. Archer is with him, and I don’t have to look up to know. The scent of his cologne fills my nose, causing me to tense. Not because it smells bad, but because it reminds me of last night.
“What are you talking about?” Dean wraps his arms around Kara.
“Boobs,” Kara responds.
“This is a conversation I can get behind.” Dean slides his hands up Kara’s waist.
She takes his hands in hers. “I was specifically talking about Quinn’s. I’d kill for a set like that. I mean, they’re perfect, aren’t they?”
Dean’s face contorts and he shakes his head. “She’s my sister. As far as I’m concerned, she’s never had any.”
I roll my eyes. “I’ve had big boobs since I was thirteen. It’s the Dawson curse.”
“That’s not a curse,” Kara laughs. “Oh, there’s my aunt Jessica. Remember, she’s the one who’s going to try to get you to campaign with her.”
“The conservative one?”
“Yes. And if she asks—and she probably will—we’re waiting until marriage.”
“For what?” Dean asks, looking at Kara like he’s serious.
“You’re lucky I love you,” Kara mutters before putting on a fake smile. She takes Dean’s hand and goes to greet her aunt.
“Want a plate?” I ask Archer, casting my eyes up to him for half a second. His face is set, dark stubble covering his jaw. I might not know Archer Jones at all, but I know for a fact he’s not one to turn down food.
“Sure.”
I hand him one and move around the table. The tension between us is thick and heavy, and I don’t understand why it’s there at all. I look at Archer again, wishing I could crack him open and take a look at his internal codes to find out what makes him tick. And to also find out what the hell is wrong with him.
There’s a reason I like to work with computers and not people.
I take my plate and turn on my heel, ignoring the sexy, brooding man in front of me, and almost run over my grandma. She’s headed in the direction I just came from and wants company. I don’t want to step back into the ice storm Archer has raging around him, but it’s my nana.
“Hi, Mrs. Dawson,” Archer says, offering a polite smile. “It’s been a long time. How have you been?”
Nana smiles. “Archer Jones. My, it has been a while! I’ve been good, busy with my garden and the choir.”
“Has Shelly Nicolson stepped aside yet and let you take the lead?”
Nana beams. “You remembered! And yes, she has, but only because she got cancer.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry.”
Nana leans in. “Between you and me, she deserved it!”
“Nana!” I say, eyes widening.
“The stories I could tell about that woman!” Nana turns to me. “But not here. We’ll save those for the bachelorette party.” She gets herself a plate. “I hear you’re a doctor now, Archer.”
“Yes, I am. I finish my residency this year.”
“Are you hoping to start your own private practice?”
“No, ma’am. I’m a surgeon, so I’ll be staying at a hospital.”
“Ohhh,” Nana coos. “A surgeon. You must be good with your hands.” She winks at Archer. “And I bet you look dashing in that white doctor coat. You know I’m single, don’t you?” Nana puts a few appetizers on her plate. “Oh, Barbara, dear!” She waves to one of her friends and takes off.
I push a stuffed mushroom around on my plate. It’s too hot to eat but standing here without something in my mouth leaves me at risk of talking. Archer steps closer. Speaking of things to put in my mouth…
“Maybe I’m reading into this too much,” Archer starts, looking perturbed. “But was your grandma just hitting on me?”
The effort to control my smile fails me. “She’s gotten a little, how should I say it—crude. Her memory is all there and she drives and lives alone, but she kinda says whatever is on her mind now.”
Archer laughs. “I’ll take it as a compliment then. And you do look nice tonight, Quinn.” He swallows hard, looking me over for a brief moment.
“Thanks. And you do too.” I look at him and he looks away, and we’re left standing there in awkward silence.
“Everything turned out nice.”
“Yeah, it did,” I agree, internally wincing. I didn’t think anything could be worse than not talking but making forced small talk is.
“The stuffed mushrooms are good.”
Shoot me now. “It’s Nana’s recipe.”
Archer nods. “Well, I should go find Dean.”
“He’s right there, still talking to Kara’s crazy aunt.”
“Oh, right.” Archer steps back from the table, letting another partygoer get some food. My mind flashes to my dream about Archer last night, and as annoyed with him as I am, there’s no denying how fucking sexy he looks in dress pants and a button-down shirt.
“I should, uh, go check on the chickens,” I blurt.
“The ones outside?”
“Yeah.” Cursing myself, I go into the kitchen and pour myself a glass of wine. I get a mouthful down when Mom comes in, carrying a stack of dirty plates.
“This is so much fun,” she says with a broad smile. “Just think of how much more fun it’ll be when it’s you getting married. I get to plan the whole thing!”
Kara threw Mom a bone by letting her plan tonight’s party since it’ll be her family taking care of the bridal shower and then the wedding.
“Someday.”
“Oh, it’ll happen, sweetheart. You are looking for someone, right?”
“In a sense.”
“Whatever happened to that guy two floors down?”
“Our first date didn’t go so well.”
Mom raises an eyebrow. “Maybe you’re being picky.”
“He ate nachos with a fork. A fork, Mom. You can’t stab a chip with a fork.”
“He didn’t want to get his hands dirty.” She smiles then quickly changes her mind. “What kind of first date did you go on where you were ordering nachos?”
“A Cubs game. He has really good seats too. I might have been able to let the fork thing go, but then he put ketchup on a hot dog.”
“Chicago has changed you. What about your new intern?”
“Mom, he’s my intern.”
She opens the cabinet and takes out her own wine glass. “So he’s not good enough for you because he’s an intern?”
“He’s a lot younger than me because he’s my intern.”
“A younger man isn’t a bad thing, you know. Men typically die first. This could be your insurance you don’t end up a widow.”
I take another gulp of wine. “You’re not much better than Nana,” I mutter and set my wine down and wrap my fingers around my wrist. “Do you have any Advil?”
“There’s some in the cabinet next to the fridge. Is your wrist hurting again?”
“Yeah, that dull ache is back and it’s traveling up my arm when I extend it.” I make a face and shake out my hand. “I’m sore from being on my computer for hours every day.”
“You should get it checked out. My girlfriend Gloria had something similar, always in pain, then had some sort of surgery done. I can ask her—wait! We have a surgeon here with us! Let me go find Archer.”
“Mom, no, he’s not here—” And she’s out of the kitchen. “To work,” I say to myself. I grab the Advil and pop a pill in my mouth, washing it down with wine.
“Are you taking painkillers with alcohol?” Archer gives me a smug smirk.
“Relax, Dr. Fuddy-Duddy. It’s just an Advil.”
“You still shouldn’t do that.”
“Noted.” I raise my eyebrows.
“Your mom asked me to come in here because you’re in pain.”
I wave my hand in the air. “I’m fine. It’s just random shooting pains in my arm that go up to my shoulder.”
“Which arm?”
“I’m not having a heart attack,” I sass. “It’s my wrist and really, I’m fine.”
“I can take a look.”
“I guess it won’t hurt anything.” I set my empty wine glass in the sink and cross the kitchen. My heart starts to speed up and heat rushes through me, settling between my thighs. I stand before Archer Jones, left arm extended, fighting off the insane attraction I’m feeling.
Archer gently takes my wrist in his hands. “It’s not swollen. Does it hurt now?”
“It’s off and on. Like a dull ache.”
“What makes it hurt more?” He turns my arm over and runs his thumb down my forearm. I suppress a shiver, licking my lips as I watch his fingers slide over my flesh. I tear my eyes away from his hand to look up at his face, but that only makes things worse.
His brow is furrowed, and there’s genuine concern in his eyes.
“Extending my arm and being on my computer.”
“Do your fingers feel tingly?”
“Actually yeah, they have a few times when the pain gets bad.”
“You have carpal tunnel syndrome, which is quite common for someone who types or is at a computer all day.”
“I figured so.” His hand is still around my wrist. “A handful of my co-workers have it. They’re a lot older than me, but it is what it is, I guess. So, am I damned to live like this forever, doc?”
“No, there are treatments. Start with ice and Advil for the pain and try a wrist brace.”
“I will. Thanks.”
Archer steps closer and hasn’t let go of my wrist yet. “You said it makes your shoulder hurt?”
“It does, but I think part of that is bad posture. I know I slouch at my desk.” I put my free hand over Archer’s. “It’s not something a massage can’t fix, right?”
The floor in the butler’s pantry creaks and Archer drops my wrist and steps back. Dean emerges into the kitchen.
“Are you guys hiding too?” he asks.
“Why are you hiding? This is your party. And no,” I say. “We’re not hiding. Mom’s overreacting—surprise, surprise, I know—and made Archer look at my wrist.”
“What’s wrong with your wrist?”
“Carpal tunnel. It’s seriously no big deal. Archer told me what to do and I’ll be fine.”
Dean gives Archer a nod. “You’re a good friend for putting up with our mom.”
Archer laughs. “She’s not that bad.”
“She can be a bit overbearing,” Dean grumbles.
“Go back to your party,” I tell him. “Before Kara notices you’re missing.”
“She’s the one I had to get away from,” Dean admits.
“You’re hiding from your fiancée at your own engagement party?” I hike an eyebrow.
“She’s still going on about your boobs. And then Mom came over and was talking about her boobs.” He shudders. “I had to leave or throw up.”
I laugh. “Watch out, Dean, we might start talking about our uteruses next.” I give him a sweet smile. “I hope you two only have girls.”
“As long as they’re not twins. Twins do run in our family.”
“It doesn’t matter on the guy’s side,” Archer explains. “It only matters on the girl’s side, and identical twins aren’t hereditary anyway.”
“Really?”
“Really. Identical twins are a random event.”
“Well, that’s good news,” Dean says. “I guess I’ll go back out there. Might as well enjoy the party you all threw in my honor, right? You’re my best man,” he says to Archer. “You gotta come save me. I mean join me. Keep me away from Aunt Mary. She thinks modern medicine is witchcraft so she’ll avoid you.”
“Best man,” I repeat as Dean walks out of the room. I turn my gaze back to Archer. “I wasn’t sure how that was going to go. Logan and Owen were taking bets on which one of them Dean would pick. You are Dean’s oldest friend. It makes sense.”
“Yeah…we have been friends a long time.” His brow furrows again, and he flicks his eyes up to me, looking at me almost as if I’m suddenly offensive.
“So…I’ll, uh, try to have better posture. Would that help my wrist pain?”
“Maybe. I’m a surgeon. I don’t deal with this sort of thing. Make an appointment with your general practitioner.” He turns to leave.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I snap.
“Nothing,” he retorts, whirling around. “What the hell is wrong with you?”
“Seriously?” I ask.
“Yeah.” He inhales deeply, and I’m not sure if he’s going to tell me off or push me up against a wall and kiss me.
“It’s like you’re a rescue dog and I don’t know if you’re going to let me pet you or if you’re going to bite. At least I can understand the dog’s unpredictable behavior, but you…I haven’t got a clue with you and you are driving me nuts.”
“You want to pet me?”
“Yes. No. Kind of. It’s a figure of speech.” I throw my hands up. “Whatever, Archer. I don’t know what I did to offend you.”
He strides forward so quickly I take a step back, pinning myself against the fridge. Archer’s hands land on my waist and he moves in, legs spread, so his hips are against mine. I inhale the scent of his woodsy cologne, heart beating so fast I think it might explode. So many times I’ve imagined his hands on me. For years, I’ve yearned for his touch. Begged and pleaded with the universe to have him look at me and not see me as Dean’s little sister.
And right now, he’s not. I’m not his friend’s sibling to put up with, but he’s not looking at me the way I’d hoped. He stares at me with a combination of hatred and lust, more intense than anyone has ever looked at me before. It turns me on and terrifies me.
I’m hot and cold up against him.
I want to push him away and bring him closer.
He leans in, taking one hand off my waist to move my curls over my shoulder. He licks his lips, and the light above us shines off the trail of wetness left from his tongue. The heat between my thighs intensifies, and my pussy begs to be touched. Stroked. Fucked hard.
Just like in my dream.
I swallow my pounding heart and turn my head up to Archer, refusing to let him see how close to coming undone this is making me. He tucks my hair behind my ear and traces the outline of my jaw with his thumb, bringing it up to my mouth. I part my lips, feeling intoxicated by his touch.
“You didn’t offend me, Quinn.” He spits each word out, eyes narrowing. Then he blinks and his face softens. His hand trails over my collarbone and down my arm until our fingers meet. He intertwines his with mine for a brief moment. “You didn’t. But I should go.”
He pushes off me and goes back to the party like nothing happened. I lean onto the counter for support, heart racing and nerves tingling. That asshole did it on purpose. He knew he could get that reaction out of me. Knew he could easily unnerve me with a few simple touches.
Fuck him.
If I never see Archer Jones again, it would be too soon.
Chapter SevenArcher“Well, kids, it looks like you’re going to be here for a while.” Mr. Dawson hangs up the phone and goes to the window, watching the storm. “A tree fell and knocked out power lines. The road is blocked.”“How bad?” Dean asks.“Weston said there’s been a lot of damage in town they have to get to first. He’ll keep us posted. I know Quinn and Archer need to leave soon to make it home in time. Though you shouldn’t drive in this rain anyway.”Quinn shifts in her seat, and the collar of her oversized sweatshirt falls down her shoulder. Her hair is in a messy braid, she’s not wearing any makeup, and she’s refused to look at me all morning. She’s done an impressive job of pretending I’m not here, actually. No one else has noticed her go about the kitchen, getting coffee and helping her mom make breakfast and act like it’s just her family sitting around the large island counter.“Should we go into the basement?” Mrs. Dawson asks. She tightens her grip on Jackson, who doesn’
Chapter EightArcherI look out the window, watching the ground come closer and closer. The plane lands smoothly, and I lean back, yawning for the millionth time on this one-hour flight. I left the hospital at two AM, got home, showered, and slept for an hour and a half, before having to get up and get to the airport in time for my flight into Chicago. Even though it’s early, I’ll still be pushing it to get to the hotel in time to change before going to the conference.Feeling like I’m walking through a heavy fog, I get a coffee with extra espresso on my way to the baggage claim, and down the whole thing by the time I get my suitcase. There’s a car waiting for me, and it takes effort not to fall asleep on the drive over. Traffic is slow, and while I don’t want to miss anything, the thought of dozing off while stuck in a jam sounds nice right now.Quinn works in the city. I don’t know where she works, or exactly what she does to even begin to describe it to someone, but she’s here. And
Chapter NineQuinn“You have got to be kidding me.” I blink. Once. Twice.Archer Jones is still there. He’s staring back at me, and good Lord, that man looks fine as hell in that navy blue suit. His dark hair is a little messy, and the scruff on his face enhances the strong, masculine features.I’m instantly turned on. And equally annoyed. What the hell is he doing here?“Quinn? Is everything all right?” Jacob follows my line of sight out the glass door. “What’s wrong?”“Nothing, nothing’s wrong.” I force a smile and look back up. Jacob McMillan works at our sister company and is partnering with me on this new big project. We dated for a while a year ago, and are better friends than lovers. He’s a nice guy, too nice really, and working with my ex isn’t as awkward as I thought it would be.Don’t get me wrong, it is awkward to work with an ex when he’s still in love with you. But it’s manageable.“I’ll be right back,” I say and stand, moving quickly out of my office. Archer steps in my
Chapter TenQuinn“So, this is my home,” I say, stepping into the loft. I pull my purse off my shoulder and take my laptop from Archer, setting them on the bench next to my door. I traded my heels for comfortable walking shoes before leaving the office, and kick those off, using my foot to push them under the bench.Archer takes his shoes off as well and moves close behind me, looking around. A fat orange cat trots over, meowing when he sees us.“This is Neville.” I pick him up and he instantly starts purring. “The half-cat.”Smiling, Archer holds out his hand for Neville to sniff. Deciding Archer isn’t a threat, Neville rubs his face on Archer’s fingers. “I can see why you don’t want to give him up.”“He’s a lover. I wasn’t sure how the other cats would react to him, but they get along fine. The other three are all females and boss this fat guy around.” I walk inside, letting Neville jump out of my arms. “They’re all from the same litter. Someone a few floors down found them in the a
Chapter ElevenArcher“Yes.” The word leaves my mouth before I have a chance to think about it. Quinn doesn’t say anything, doesn’t react. Her lashes come together in a blink, and she looks at me, almost as if she’s waiting for me to tell her I’m joking.Then she smiles.It’s the most beautiful thing in the world. And right now, with her hands on my chest and my arms locked around her waist, I want to kiss her hard and tell her I’d take her on a thousand dates and it wouldn’t be enough.The moment is over as fast as it started, and I’m sure she’s thinking the same thing I am. She lives in Chicago. I live in Indy. We’re not worlds away, but a four-hour drive makes starting a relationship hard.I don’t know the next time I’ll be able to get away from work long enough to come see her. It could be weeks before I’m able to drive back up north and take her on a second date.My heart starts to ache, even though everything I want is right in front of me for the taking. Quinn slides her hands
Chapter TwelveQuinnMy heart pounds with indignation as anger surges through me. I don’t know who I’m more mad at: myself or Archer. Though right now, with his lips pressed to mine, it’s hard to be anything other than stunned.He moves in, hands landing on my waist. Pushing his tongue into my mouth, he brings me in tight against him. My breasts crush against his chest and heat floods my veins.I’m not stunned anymore.And I’m not pissed.Archer’s lips are soft and full. His kisses are hard and desperate. Together, it’s a recipe for disaster. My resolve is crumbling. I should stop him now before there’s nothing left.But I don’t want to stop him, not when it feels so good.“Quinn,” he pants, pressing his forehead against mine. I bring my arms up around his neck and shuffle closer, parting my legs and pushing my hips into his. Archer has never held me like this before. We’ve never been so close. And he’s certainly never kissed me. Being in his arms is the most familiar new feeling in t
Chapter ThirteenArcherI pull Quinn closer, pressing my lips against the side of her neck. I’m half asleep and fighting it. As much as I need sleep, I want to soak up every minute of this as I can. Who knows what the morning will bring. Or even the moment we get out of bed.I kissed Quinn.Felt Quinn.Touched every inch of her. Fucked her. Finally. After years of wanting and waiting for the time to come, it did. I think back to Sam and what he said about idealizing sleeping with Quinn. How there’s no way the real thing could be as good as what I’ve imagined in my mind.He had a good point. Often, when you want something so bad and it’s so out of reach, you romanticize it, make it seem better than it ever can be. I thought that was the case with Quinn.But it couldn’t be further from the truth.There’s no fucking her out of my system. There’s no spending one night with her and being able to move on with my life. In fact, it’s only making me want her more, because everything was better
Chapter FourteenQuinnI’ve shaved every piece of unwanted hair off my body. I’ve plucked and tweezed, applied makeup only to take it off and do it again, and re-curled my hair three times.But I’m not trying to look good for Archer Jones.He saw me in my natural element yesterday at work wearing office attire and my hair in a ponytail. And then he saw me in all sorts of ways last night, and it’s not like I woke up looking like an Instagram model or something.I take my sunglasses off my head, and my hair gets stuck. Yanking it free, I put them on and pay my fare as I get out of the cab. It’s nice out today, a little breezier than yesterday, but the air is humid and the wind is welcome.Archer texted me not long ago and said the convention was over, but the medical director from a big hospital invited him out for a drink at the hotel bar. He didn’t think it would take long and was too good of an opportunity to pass up. I encouraged him to go, because that hospital happens to be in Chi
Chapter Twenty-EightQuinn“Can you tell?” I smooth my shirt over my stomach and turn to the side.“No.” Marissa shakes her head. “I know you and you’ve always been a skinny bitch, so I guess I’m able to pick up on that slight bump you claim is the baby, but to anyone else, you look like you ate a big meal.”“It’s weird,” I say, wrinkling my nose, and grab my shoes. I take off my heels and put on my running shoes, not caring how silly it looks with my dress pants and blouse. It’s Friday, and we’re leaving work for the week. “I’m almost looking forward to showing.”“Just don’t turn into Bethany.”I widen my eyes and shake my head, showing my horror. “If I do, slap me.” Bethany works with us and had her first baby last year. She made sure everyone knew everything about the pregnancy and complained nonstop about her symptoms. Though I can emphasize now, and after throwing up three times yesterday, I broke down and took an anti-nausea pill this morning.I still feel sick, but I haven’t pu
Chapter Twenty-SevenArcher“All things considered, that went as well as I thought it would.” I put my arm around Quinn and push off the ground, sending the glider back. It’s getting late, and everyone but Weston and Jackson have left already. Wes is working the night shift tonight, so Jackson is staying here with Quinn’s parents.Quinn rests her head on my shoulder and closes her eyes. She looks exhausted. Physically, I know she will be for the rest of the first trimester at least. Emotionally, she’s spent.And I still think she’s one of the fucking strongest people I know.“Yeah. Only my dad and Dean want to take you out back and cut off your testicles. But don’t worry, I won’t let that happen. I happen to like them. Well, more so what they’re attached to.”I laugh and press my lips against the top of Quinn’s head. “Thanks for looking out for my balls.” The sound of katydids and crickets echo through the yard, reverberating off the tall corn that surrounds us. The sounds of a countr
Chapter Twenty-SixQuinnThe air leaves my lungs, and if it weren’t for Archer’s arm around me, I might have fallen over. Mom’s eyebrows pinch together, and she tips her head looking at the images.“Where did you get—” Mom tips her head, eyeing the photos. The blood drains from my face, and I can’t open my mouth to form the words to warn Archer.“This has your name on it, Quinn,” she says quietly. And then it hits her. Her mouth opens, and she lets out a gasp. The ultrasound pictures fall to the table, and Dad picks them up.It doesn’t take him long to come to the same conclusion. He stands up so fast his chair scoots out from behind him and falls over.“You knocked up my daughter?”A hush falls over the room, and I swear even the dogs stopped sniffing around the table to look.“Quinn,” Mom starts, still looking confused. She picks up the chair and reaches up for Dad’s wrist, pulling him back down. “What…when…are you sure?”“Wait a minute,” Owen says, reaching across the table for the
Chapter Twenty-FiveQuinnI need a drink. A big one. With lots and lots of alcohol. I close my eyes in a long blink, praying I misheard Kara.“That’s less than a year away!” Mom exclaims. “Do you think you can get everything ready in time?”March isn’t that far away, she’s right. And there is a lot to do before then, and I’m not thinking about the wedding.“I think we can swing it,” Kara says. “I’ll have to get right to work, I know, and my mom’s already on it.” She looks back at Dean, smiling. “We don’t want anything fancy, anyway.”I bring my hand to my head, subconsciously rubbing the space between my jaw and my ear. It’s been hurting off and on since last weekend, and I knew I should have listened to Archer about a sinus infection lingering for longer than normal now that I’m pregnant.“Are you okay, hun?” Mom asks, and I flick my eyes up to her.“Oh, yeah. I think I have an ear infection, that’s all,” I blurt. I should have made something up, but I’ve never been a good liar and n
Chapter Twenty-FourArcherPanting, I roll to the side, flopping down onto the mattress. My heart is still racing, and sweat covers my brow. Quinn is breathing just as hard, and her bare breasts rise and fall as she gulps in air.I didn’t think it was possible to have better sex that we did the first time, but I feel confident to say we just topped it. Reaching for the water bottle on the nightstand, I take a drink and grab the sheet, pulling it up over us. We’re both hot and sweaty now, but with the ceiling fan going on high, we’ll cool off fast and I don’t want Quinn to get a chill. She’s still fighting a cold and has to be worn out after the marathon sex we just had.I know I am.“That was more than thirty minutes,” she says once she catches her breath and moves onto her side. I wrap her in my arms.“I’m not sorry about that.”“You’ve set a high standard for yourself,” she says with a coy smile.“I always aim to please, babe.”Quinn laughs and runs her fingers through my hair. “You
Chapter Twenty-ThreeQuinnI wake up in Archer’s arms, and for the first time since I found out I’m pregnant, everything feels like it’s going to be okay. He made me dinner last night, and went out and got me more Sour Patch Kids before we went to sleep.I carefully roll over, moving closer to him. It feels so good to have him next to me. Physically, his presence is comforting on its own. But having him here for everything else is almost enough to do me in.We jumped into a relationship and need to take things slow. He said he likes me but held off moving forward out of respect to Dean, but things are bigger than their friendship now. We have less than a week before we drop the bomb on my family, and I’m fairly sure all four of my brothers are going to have a few choice words for Archer.Early morning sun filters through the large windows. I forgot to close the blinds last night, and the light is shining right in on Archer. I reach over and take my phone from the nightstand. My blinds
Chapter Twenty-TwoArcherI missed a call from Quinn today, and I noticed it right before I went into surgery. I’ve never had a hard time clearing my head before, but today, as I wash my hands and have my surgical scrubs put on, it’s all I can think about. She hasn’t called me—ever. What if something is wrong? She didn’t leave a message, and she didn’t text either.I’m sure everything is fine with her and the baby. It has to be. As awful as I feel to admit it, there’s a small part of me that’s glad Quinn is pregnant. The timing couldn’t be worse. Dean is going to hate us both. He’ll forgive Quinn eventually, but the light he holds her in will forever be dimmed.But now that she’s pregnant, we’re talking, and we have a chance. And if anyone was to be the mother of my child, no one is better than Quinn.Sam puts the patient under and we get started. As soon as I make the first cut, I’m back in the game, and the surgical team and I make small talk as we go about treating the patient.An
Chapter Twenty-OneQuinnThe door shuts behind me and I turn around, prepared to tell Archer this is silly. But the second I see the look in his eyes, all the air is sucked out of my lungs.“Quinn,” he pants, voice heavy with desire. A shiver runs down my spine and his hands land on either side of my waist. “Are you sure you want this?”Parting my lips, I hook my arms around his neck. “Yes,” I breathe, telling the honest truth. I do want Archer, and I’m not just talking about sex.I want him to be with me during this pregnancy.I want him there when I give birth.I want him to raise this child with me.I want us. Together.He wastes no time in kissing me, and I slide my hands down his chest, going right to his belt. His hands go around my back and unhooks my bra.And then the door opens.“Motherfucker,” I blurt as Archer and I untangle. The dogs run in ahead of my parents, with Rufus at the rear, limping.“You should really consider going in and having a specialist look at it,” Archer
Chapter TwentyArcherThe bathroom door closes, and I’m still standing there, looking at the white paint until my vision goes blurry. After I reassured her everything will be okay, she smiled and said she was going to take a shower. But I can’t move. Hell, I can hardly breathe.Quinn is pregnant with my baby.I’m trying to let it sink in, but my defenses are up and I can’t think past the fact she’s been feeling sick and it’s partly my fault. Or all my fault? I know it took both of us to create the baby, and it’s not like Quinn wasn’t willing. But…fuck. How could I let this happen?I’m a doctor. I know how the body works. And yet I had sex three times with Quinn within twenty-four hours and only used a condom once. Though it’s not like I brought any with me Friday night. I didn’t expect to hook up with anyone, and when it finally happened with Quinn, I wasn’t thinking straight.Rufus tips his head, listening to Mr. And Mrs. Dawson move around the kitchen. Knowing it’s time for breakfas