Page 46 of Toxic Obsession

“Hey, beautiful.” Quinn’s arm moved from behind his back, and he presented a dozen gorgeous red roses.

My hand flew to my mouth as I stared at them. No one had ever given me flowers before. It seemed Quinn was going to check off a lot of my firsts, but if the evening went well, I would be okay with it. If not, I had fun while it lasted.

Keep telling yourself that. You’re falling for him fast and hard.

“Oh, thank you. Come on in. I’ll need to put these in water before we leave.” I hurried into the kitchen as Quinn stepped into the house. A gust of wind followed him, and I shuddered.

“How was practice?” I called while I snipped the end of the stems and grabbed a vase from the counter. Quickly, I filled the container with water, then arranged the roses and set them in the middle of the dining table. I washed and dried my hands before I returned to Quinn.

“It was good.” He rubbed his chin, giving me a wistful expression. “Well, I fucked up a little, actually. I couldn’t get this gorgeous, smart girl out of my head.”

I folded my arms across my chest. “Who is she? I’m going to kick her fucking ass. You’re supposed to be focused on your career, not some chick.” I tapped my black flat against the wood floors, pretending to be pissed.

A laugh bellowed from him. “I have to admit, I like it when you’re feisty.” He walked forward and slipped his arm around my waist, then pulled me against his muscular body. He reached up and gently dragged his knuckles down my cheek. “I’ve been thinking all day about this.” He dipped his head, his warm mouth melding to my lips.

I moaned softly, arching against him as his tongue danced with mine. My core throbbed, eager for him to touch me. To my surprise, he drew back, then took my hand.

“More of that later.” He led me out of the house, and I locked up behind us.

We laughed as we made a mad dash through the rain to his car. Once again, he opened the passenger door for me, and I climbed in quickly, hoping the downpour didn’t ruin my curls.

Quinn hopped in and started the Mercedes. The engine purred to life and before he put his seatbelt on, he leaned over and kissed me again. “You taste so sweet you’re probably toxic.”

He buckled up, then backed out of the driveway and made a left down our street.

“Hmm.” I tapped my chin. “Are you saying I’m toxic?”

Quinn glanced at me and took my hand in his. “If you are, I would never see it coming.”

“Guess you better keep your guard up then,” I said playfully.

“Too late.”

His words were so soft, I thought I might have misunderstood what Quinn had said, but the expression on his face clued me in. He liked me as much as I liked him.

Shit. This can’t happen.If Quinn really knew me, he’d learn quick how toxic I was. I promised myself this would be our last date. My future was at risk if I allowed him to get too close.

“Where are we going?” I asked, changing the topic.

There was that gorgeous smile I loved to see.

“You said you were competitive, so I guess we’re about to see just how much.” He shot me an ornery look, then focused on the road.

“Well, that could be anywhere.”

“Just sit back and chill. You’ll need your energy.” Quinn turned on the stereo, then tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as “Call it Love” by Felix Jaehn and Ray Dalton thumped through the speakers.

“Hey, that’s the song we danced to at your party.” I moved my arms to the beat, dancing in my seat.

“I wondered if you’d remember.”

“How could I forget? It was the night your father caught me on my knees.” I barked out a laugh.

Quinn shifted in his seat, appearing uncomfortable. My gaze dropped lower, and I saw the telltale signs of arousal pressing against his jeans. A sudden heat rushed through me from head to toe and I felt a familiar stirring between my legs. I thought back to the evening of the party, when we’d danced together in his crowded living room, our bodies pressed against each other in near-perfect harmony. We had been so close to taking it further when Quinn’s father had ruined everything. Yet Quinn had only kissed me goodbye last night. What was so different now?

Ten minutes later, Quinn pulled into a parking lot, the gravel crunching beneath his tires as he searched for a spot to park. I peered at the dark building with no windows and wondered where the hell he’d brought me.

To my surprise, Quinn grabbed his jacket from the backseat before he climbed out of the car and hurried around to my side. He opened the door, then held the clothing over me as I got out. My heart fucking melted on the spot. I pushed up on my tiptoes and kissed him before we made a mad dash through the pouring rain and to the entrance of the building.

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