Page 64 of Waiting for Friday Night

“Don’t be. I don’t regret what I did. Even though I didn’t do it again. You got Shania and here we are.”

“With your parents wanting to meet her.” Everything about Quinton was different from what she’d imagined. He wasn’t just kind, considerate and straightforward, he was also a hard worker. She liked him. Something she hadn’t expected when she’d first met him, but was glad to be proven wrong about.

“Do you have a problem with them meeting her?”

Halle considered it and shook her head. “No. Not really. My mom died when I was in high school. Dad my junior year of college. Losing them is the reason why I wanted to have Shania. I felt so alone and I wanted someone I could love who would also love me. Having Shania alone was hard, but I made it work. It also means I haven’t had to think about parents in a long time.”

“You never thought about having in-laws?”

She glanced at him. “They aren’t my in-laws.”

He grinned and her stomach flipped. “Not right now.”

Her eyes widened. “Don’t even play.”

He reached out and wiped the corner of her mouth. “I’m just talking. You’ve got icing on your lips.”

His fingers lingered on her lips. His eyes, dark and alluring, stared back at hers. The background sounds in the neighborhood faded away. Her breath stuck in her chest.

“We can’t.”

“I want to kiss you. I thought about kissing you before I knew Shania was my daughter. Maybe we shouldn’t, but we damn sure can give it a try.” He brought his finger to his lips and licked the icing off his finger. “Can I kiss you?”

She couldn’t for the life of her think of a reason why not. She nodded. Quinton leaned forward and his lips pressed against hers. His kiss was perfect. His lips firm but gentle as they played against hers. He gently sucked on her lower lip and fire spread through her. It invaded her bloodstream, her lungs, her heart. She leaned in closer to him, wanting to get more. Quinton met her intensity with his own. One hand cupped the back of her head; the other pressed into her thigh.

She was lost in the sensation. She wanted more. Wished that she could take him in the house and feel the heat of his skin against hers. His hand squeezed her thigh before sliding up to her side, then slowly up to cup the side of her breast. She pushed her chest forward and his thumb brushed across her hardened nipple.

Halle gasped and his tongue slid past her parted lips. She was one minute away from forgetting all the things she said about not getting together with him. His thumb circled her nipple. Scratch that: she was two seconds away.

Quinton slowly pulled back. His eyes were bright with desire and his breathing just as choppy as hers. “I didn’t mean to go so far.”

“Neither did I.” Without his intoxicating kisses she could think clearly. “We shouldn’t do this here.”

He nodded. “I’ll go.” He pulled back.

“Quinton, we—”

“I know. There’s a lot to work out before we do this.” He leaned in and kissed her softly. “I’m still waiting for you to say the time is right.” He pulled back and stood.

Halle’s eyes dropped to the bulge in the front of his shorts. She pressed her thighs together and desire blossomed even more raw and potent. Quinton adjusted his shorts, but the move didn’t help.

“I’ll call you about next weekend.”

The reminder cooled the arousal in her body. His parents. Their complicated situation. Cooled but didn’t douse. “I’ll wait to hear from you.”

He nodded, stared at her for several tense seconds. Would he kiss her again? He blinked then turned and went back to his car. Halle sat there after he pulled away. She reached into the bag and pulled out the rest of the lemon blueberry cupcake. She took a bite, enjoyed the sweetness and smiled.

Twenty

The first week of school flew by and before he knew it, Quinton was standing on the sidelines for the first JV home game of the year. By halftime Peachtree Cove was up twenty-one to seven and from the outstanding way the defense was holding up, he was confident that they could maintain the lead. The rhythmic chants from the cheerleaders and cheers of the fans pushed his team to try even harder. By the end of the third quarter, they’d stopped the other team at the one-yard line and he grew even more confident in the victory.

He watched as the offense ran a play that would put the ball in Shania’s hands. He held his breath as the quarterback snapped the ball and the players all jumped into action. The ball flew through the air. Shania’s hands lifted. Quinton swore time stopped. He watched anxiously to see if she would catch the ball. Every time they ran this route in practice she caught the ball. He’d noticed the other team ignored her side of the field. Their mistake. She was wide open and well matched with the defensive player. When the ball landed comfortably in her hands and she took off, running the necessary ten yards to get the first down, he pumped his fist.

That was his girl! The thought rushed through his mind as pride swelled in his chest. The rest of the team cheered, but this wasn’t time to celebrate. He motioned with his hands for them to line up again and run the same play, this time to the other side. They ended the game twenty-eight to seven.

He walked over to Zachariah and patted him on the back. “Good game, huh.”

“Hell, yes. The kids did good.”

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