Page 36 of Toxic Obsession

My body shook with laughter as he opened the passenger door for me.

“At least I’ve started the evening off right … with my foot in my mouth. Maybe I got the awkward moment over with.” I climbed in, sinking into the plush grey seat. While he hurried to the driver’s side, I discreetly ran my fingers over the soft leather of the dashboard. My broke ass had never sat in a luxury sports car before, and I wanted to touch it all.

Quinn settled in and the engine purred to life. “Drinking With Cupid” by Voila blared through the speakers, nearly blasting me through the roof.

“Sorry!” Quinn turned down the volume from a button on his steering wheel. “Guess we’re even on the awkward shit now.” He offered me a sweet smile.

“The night is young, Quinn. We’ll see what the tally is at the end of the evening.” I tucked my hair behind my ear as he backed the car out of the driveway.

“Is Wynter Baldwin a bit competitive?”

“Sometimes. I used to be in cheer and on the dance team in high school. I know it’s not viewed as a sport by some, but it is. Not to mention the competition level is nuts.”

“That explains the dance moves at the party.” Quinn kept his eyes on the road ahead. Soft raindrops landed on the windshield, and his wipers automatically turned on. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “I’ve been meaning to apologize to you about when we were in my bedroom.”

Turning my head fast, I nearly gave myself whiplash. “I think that awkward moment is at the top of our list so far.”

“No shit. I was so pissed my father came home.”

I could have sworn that Quinn cringed as he said father.

“So thatwasyour dad.” I pursed my lips together. “I’ve done a lot of things, but being caught by someone’s dad while I had his son’s dick in my mouth was a first. Hopefully a last.” A flush swept up my neck and cheeks, and I turned away, hiding how much that situation had embarrassed me.

“I felt bad, and I didn’t have your number to call you afterward to see if you were okay. I couldn’t have cared less what he thought, but I’m sure you didn’t feel the same way.”

I scrunched my nose. “Nope. It was bad.”

To my utter and complete shock, Quinn reached over for my hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You’ve been on my mind a lot since then. Honestly, I didn’t know if you were just down for a hookup, or if you were interested in going out.”

My throat suddenly grew dry. Quinn hadn’t released me, so I threaded my fingers through his. Although I’d worked for Dimitri, Quinn touching me was more intimate than having sex with those guys.

“I’m sitting in your car, so I guess you got your answer.”

He offered me a wide smile. “Glad I bugged Gabby for your number.”

“Me too.”

A beat of silence hung in the air, and I reveled in the sweet moment of our hands joined. I’d missed so much over the last several years while I was forced to hide at home and avoid public events. A wave of hope washed over me. Maybe, just maybe, I could have all those things now. I stared out the window and listened to “The Devil I Know” by Allie X. Moving my body to the beat, I snapped my fingers. “Good tune. You might have decent taste in music.”

“The tunes depend on my mood. I love rap, pop, and indie. Hell, if I need to study for a game or big test, I listen to classical focus music.”

“No shit? I would have never pegged you for classical.”

He gave me a half-shrug. “I don’t attend the symphony, but it has its purpose.” He paused, his attention cutting over to me. “We should go clubbing.”

My eyes widened. “Yeah? There’s one around?”

“A few. We could get a group of us and go for the night. There’s a good one within walking distance of a nice hotel, so we could get smashed and not worry about driving. The club is about an hour from here.”

“That sounds fun. I haven’t gone clubbing before.”

Shock registered on Quinn’s gorgeous face. “Seriously?”

“Very.”

“Can I ask why?” He slowed the car, then turned into a parking lot.

“My family went through some shit, and instead of having a normal life and going out, I had to take care of my younger sister. I worked and took care of Janine while I attended online college classes.” Sadness weighed on my words.

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