Loving Quinn Novel by North Rose

(Quinn)

As we eat dinner, Annora and Max share childhood memories with me and Grace. It is interesting getting to know Annie through her brother’s eyes. When we first met twelve years ago, the size and closeness of her family overwhelmed me. Her grandparents welcomed me to everything they did as a family, while her parents were not always as welcoming. However, by the end of the summer, they had warmed

up to me.

Being an only child, their family dynamic was foreign to me. I was both Intrigued and nervous to spend time with them. As I got to know them over the summer, it became easier. More comfortable. Almost like belonged there with them.

Tonight, with Max, I feel completely at ease. I think part of it is the fact that he asked about my tattoos like a man who has sat with a tattoo artist before. It was also the smile he gave me when I came back down after changing. It was genuine and that helped me feel less

nervous

“So, this one night, Eric was sneaking out of the house to go hangout with friends. Annie heard him sneaking across the roof by her window. Being the little sister she was, she opened her window after he passed by and screamed at the top of her lungs. BAT!! BAT!!*

“Oh my goodness, I remember that. Eric spun around so fast he lost his footing and slid down the roof. It was pure luck that he landed in the pile of garbage bags we had filled with leaves that afternoon.” Annora sheepishly smiles at Max. “I got the wrath of Eric for weeks after that. The gum in my hair was when mom call an end to or feuding

“You had to cut your hair so short to fix it. I am not sure who cried more at that, mom or you.”

“Mom.”

“Mom”

They both say in unison before laughter fills the room again. I envy their closeness, but then I recall that I do have a brother, one of my choosing, but not by birth. Aaron has been a brother to me for most of our lives.

He graciously shared toys, sometimes his clothes, and the most amazing thing he shared with me was his family. The Carters folded me into their family seamlessly. So much so that I would sometimes call them my parents when introducing them people later in life.

“How is your construction company doing, Max?” Annora asks.

Max’s face changes from a happy to an annoyed expression in the blink of an eye. The heavy sigh he lets out makes me pay more attention. He owns his own construction company. An idea forms in my head, but I will wait to hear the way this conversation goes.

“My last project wrapped up before 1 flew out here. I am unsure if I will take the next offer I receive. Not with my marriage in ruins.”

I glance at Annora, and she gives me that universal ‘I will tell you later look.

“Leita called again as I was driving over here. The crying act is getting old fast. If she was sorry, she wouldn’t have been sleeping with Jake for the last three months.”

Now there is anger in Max’s eyes when he looks at Annora.

“What kind of construction does your company do?” I ask. A change of topic is a good idea.

Max sends me a thank you look, then he talks business through the rest of dinner. Later, after all the dishes are cleared from the table, semi-washed, and put in the dishwasher, I lead max out onto the balcony for a stronger drink than wine. He gives me a grateful look

“How long are in you San Francisco?”

“Has my sister told you what cfused my marriage to implode?”

I shake my head no.

I caught my wife, who is six months pregnant with our first child, on the couch, screwing my best friend. So, I am getting a divorce and a paternity test done. There is no way I am going back to New York until the test results come in.”

“How would you like to work while you are here?”

“I am so not a business suit kind of guy.”

“My partner and I just closed a deal on some land about five miles from Mercy General. We are going to build an outreach center for the homeless in that area. We haven’t hired a contractor or construction crew yet, but we have the building plans ready.”

“L… wow…”

“Think about it. We can’t start until we complete the sale through the dry.”

“None of my crew is here.”

“How many do you

have on p

payroll?

“Thirty.”

“How many of them would be willing to move out here for the duration of the construction?”

Max tilts his head to the side as he thinks about it. He bobs his head from side to side as if he is thinking about all those on his crew. He shakes his head a few times as if to say no about a name that pops into his head.

“About fifteen. Man, I appreciate this offer, but I leamed my lesson about mixing family and business together in the past.”

“We are not family. So, there isn’t a conflict there.”

“No, not yet, but with the way you and my sister look at each other, you will be soon enough.”Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

“Is that your way of saying you approve of us being together?”

“Oh, I really do. You make both of them happy, and that is all I want for her. Her ex-husband was nice when we first met him, but I saw past that mask of his pretty fast. You, on the other hand, are like an open book around them. All you feel is right there in your eyes.”

I hadn’t expected that from him. At least not after our first meeting. It makes me happy to know he considers me to be family already. I would marry Annie with or without her family approval, but having it makes me feel better

From the way her parents reacted the day I met Grace; I have a feeling that I already have their approval Though I want to spend some time with them to let them know I am in this for the long haul. To assure them I am not leaving this time.

“I tell you what, if you agree to my offer, we will keep it purely business, contracts and all. Make it all official. That way, if there is a breach of contract, there are no misunderstandings or hurt feelings.”

“Let me think about it, then. When you have everything ready on your end, let me know and I will give you an answer,”

“That sounds fair. We should have the bill of sale completed tomorrow However, we have three other projects in the works already. One of which will be wrapped up by next week if all goes well”

“If all goes well?”

I briefly tell him about all the minor accidents and the ones wer

on purpose. I don’t tell him who I think is behind it

have no proof yet, only a gut feeling. So far Mac has found nothing we don’t already know about Ethan McAllister. Which is reason enough for me to be concerned

“Will there be a concern for

irthust stufl

to happen at the new site?-

Annora comes outside after he says this. She snuggles up next to me on the lounger I am sitting on. She has a curious expression on her face as she looks between me and Max.

I

“Don’t worry, Annie, I wasn’t telling Quine about the time you got your foot stuck in the fence when we stole apples from our neighbor’s

yard.”

I can’t help the laugh that escapes me at the look on her face.

“I think having you for dinner was a bad idea.”

“Oh, no Annie my love, this entire night has been very illuminating. Were you a wild child or were you just trying to keep up with four

brothers?”

“The latter, Phated being left out. What construction accidents were you two talking about?

I briefly outline what has been happening and then tell them both that I have hired security guards to watch over the sites at night. Max pods his head in approval. Annora looks worried.

“Well, I am going to head back to mom and dad’s house. It was great to meet you, Quinn. I will think about your offer.”

“I will walk you out,” Annora says

She stands up, then follows her brother to the door. I take this opportunity to go check on Grace. I glance at my watch as I walk to her room. If she gets ready for bed now, we can read for about thirty minutes before she needs to sleep. When I close the door to Grace’s room! after she fell asleep. Annora is waiting for me in the hallway

“Is it bad that I already want this eswry night?” She asks as we walk towards the stair to head to our room.

I would love to have them bene with me permanently or in another house of our own. Somehow, I just don’t think now is the time for it.

Even if it is what we both want

Dionne is one of them.

“I need to tell you a few things that have happened. One of them today

When she turns to look back at me, the look on her face makes me not want to tell her anything at all, but I know that I have to for us to have a real chance. She holds her hand out to me and when I take it, she leads me up the stairs and into our bedroom,

We both go about getting ready for bed. I watch as she picks out a t-shirt to wear to sleep in, but when she goes to grab a pair of cotton shorts, I take them from her. The knowing smile she gives me as I put them back in the dresser drawer makes my c**k twitch with need

for her.

However, I shove the thought of sex aside because I really need to tell her what Dionne has been up I know Annie may mad that I didn’t tell her about the first incident, but in all honesty, it slipped my mind since she has been here with me.

After getting dressed in my pajama pants and brushing my teeth, I sit on the edge of the bed. When she finally comes to sit next to me, all I can do is stare at her beautiful face, now clear of make up. Tu me she is beautiful, just like this.

nable to resist the temptation of her lips, I lean in to kiss her, but before it can go further, I pull away from her. “I have to tell you about the envelope I received today.”

Annara stiffens, but she looks at me to continue.

“It is the second thing Dionne has sent to my office.”

“The second? When did the first one happen?”

The edge of irritation in her voice is justified. I didn’t tell her about it when it happened, and I should have, I am an idiot,

twas on Monday after she showed up at my place.”

“What did she send you that has you hesitating to tell me? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“That was the same day she ambushed you cutside your office, I was going to tell you, or 1 should have told you about it when I was in your office later that day. We got a little distracted. If you recall, I had you spread open on your desk with my face between your thighs for

about an hour.”

Her cheeks tum crimson at that reminder.

She sent me a pair of Calvin Klein boxer shorts and a note telling me that she will be there when you and I fail. She is positive that we will because she knows me better than anyone else ever can.”

Anger flares in Annora’s eyes instantly after I tell her about the underwear. I expected anger, and I was right. When she stands up, she turns her back to me, but when she spins around to face me, there is rage pumping off her delicate body in waves. She jabs her finger at me and stomps her foot.

If the situation wasn’t so aggravating. I would find her actions s**y as hell. The way her hazel eyes are glittering with outrage, her cheeks flushed, and her heavy breathing as she tried to control her temper, is such a **g turn on right now.

I should be ashamed of myself for even thinking that way, but goodness, she is an amazing sight to behold when she is angry. The urge to pick her up, toss her on the bed, and have angry, passionate sex is so powerful right now.

“What did you send you today?”

I take a deep breath to calm my raging hormones before I reply to her. This woman has reduced me back the days when I was a randy teenage boy. Sex was always on my mind that summer. More so after she let me have her for the first time in the back of my old beat-up Ford

“A key and an address with a note attached.”

the f** is this woman’s problem? Why won’t she

leave

you alone, Quinn?”

“I have no intention of meet her. Whatever it is she has to say can’t be that important, or she would have told me long before this She had two years of hang-up phone calls to say whatever it was she had to say, She didn’t”

“No, go to the meeting.”

My brows rise in surprise. “No. There is no way I will be alone with that woman. She makes me feel dirty when she looks at me.”

“You won’t be going alone. I am going with you. We will present a united front to her. It is time we show her she can’t break us apart.”

I love the way you think, Annie, but nu. I am not playing her games. It is time she faces the consequences of her actions. She has violated the restraining order far too many times, and I am done with

“Don’t you want to know what she has to say to you?”

I stand up off the bed, gather her in my arms, the look her struight in the eyes. “I have something far more Important to focus my

attention on. We waited long enough to have this chance, Annie. Let’s not waste any more of our time

“But… what if…”

הוו

her.”

I stop her with a press of my finger to her lips. “You and Grace are my priority. Let’s not give in to Dionne’s games. The more we talk about her, the more she gets what she wants.”

“How so?”

“By playing her mind games. To cause corfflict and doubt between us. Don’t let her get to you.”

“I won’t as long as she doesn’t get you in any way.”

I grab her hand, then place it over my semi-hard d**k. “I meant what I said when you gave me another chance. This and every part of me belongs to you and only you. More importantly…” I-move her hand to rest over my heart. “This has always belonged to you and always will until the day I die.”

The way her eyes go from angry to soft in that instant lets me know she understands what I am telling her.

“I am

all in, baby,” I whisper before I capture her lips.

R10

“What did *she* send you…