Page 24 of My Best Friend's Sister

T H I R T E E N

- Madeline -

My arms were crossed when Quinn finally turned around, and I did my best to ignore the way his stomach muscles flexed with his breath. “You want to tell me what that was about?”

“Not really,” he said, his eyes bouncing off mine.

“Whatever it was, he sure got a rise out of you.”

“He forgot his manners, that’s all. Nothing I’m not used to.” He ran a hand through his dark hair, his bicep bulging next to his head as he walked past me on his way to the card table.

I followed him over and started putting my jewelry on while he returned the poker chips to the silver briefcase one short stack at a time. “What do you mean his manners?” I asked, perching on the edge of my chair as I fumbled with a bracelet. “You mean the fact that he had none of the qualms Pete did about watching me strip?”

Quinn’s piercing blue eyes strayed towards me.

“And what about you?” I asked. “Are you disappointed I didn’t end up naked?”

“Don’t be stupid,” he said. “There was no fucking way I was going to let that happen.”

His comment was a punch to the gut. “Oh my god.”

“What?” he asked, the chips clinking together as he grabbed another handful.

“Is that what you lied to me about?”

“I didn’t lie to you.”

I looked at the deck. “Did I not really win?”

“Of course you won,” he said. “Fair and square.”

“Quinn.” I grabbed his bare arm and forced him to turn towards me, my lower body clenching when I felt how solid he was. “Tell me the truth.”

“I am telling you the truth,” he said, glancing at my hand on his arm.

I pulled my hand back and held it like it had just survived something. “If you don’t want to see me naked so bad, you could just say so. You didn’t have to throw the game.”

He squared up to me. “I didn’t throw the fucking game, Maddy. And you know damn well I want to see you naked.”

My lips fell apart with a sharp exhale, and I searched his eyes for something more to hold on to.

“Just not like that,” he added, turning back to the briefcase, his chiseled shoulder shutting me out again.

“What do you mean?”

His jaw twitched.

“Quinn.”

“Leave it.”

“I’m not going to leave it,” I said. “Tell me what you mean.”

He sighed, his expression one of either exhaustion or defeat, maybe both. Then he turned to me and let his eyes sweep over my face.

I blinked up at him, desperate to reach out and touch his warm body again even though I knew I shouldn’t. But there was something so tortured in his expression. Something that looked like it needed to be healed.

“If you ever strip naked in this apartment, I want it to be for me alone. And I don’t want it to be because you were tricked.” His voice was husky, and his eyes pinned me in place as if the whole weight of his strong body was on mine. “I want it to be because you’ve thought about it and decided it’s what you really want.”

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