Chapter 7

Quinn stared at his empty doorway where Kiera had been standing moments before. Everything from six years ago came flooding back to him. Not the sex, not the love, not the moment he’d realized he was in love with her. No, this was the pain, the heartbreak, watching her walk away and doing nothing to stop her.

He felt wholly conflicted about Kiera’s behavior…and his own. He had been flirting with her, maybe not directly, but she must have picked up on it. Hell, just bringing her to his studio was a huge move. He didn’t show his sculptures to just anyone—or anyone at all. That had been opening himself to her on a deep level he hadn’t prepared for. And making her the bracelet. What the hell had he been thinking? He’d given her jewelry, for God’s sake. Nothing subtle about that.

Quinn sighed heavily. No wonder she’d thought he was dropping hints, wanting her to kiss him…because he had. And not just then. Every time he’d seen her for as long as he could remember, he’d wanted to feel her lips pressed against his.

As unbelievably passionate, deliriously intoxicating a kiss as he remembered from so many years ago. All these years, he’d thought he’d hyped it up in his head. He’d convinced himself that it was a childhood crush and that’s why their night had been so amazing, so memorable. But tonight? The moment Kiera’s fingers had touched his cheeks, when her lips had touched his, or when she’d pushed against him wanting more…it was perfect.

It was exactly the same, and yet a thousand times different.

They’d kissed once as children, and he remembered that same feeling of wholeness even back then. She’d just turned nine years old, and they’d been soaring back and forth on the swings at the local park when she’d hopped off hers and walked over to him. She’d pushed up on her little toes and smacked her lips against his. He’d been so shocked at his very first kiss that he’d frozen on the spot. She’d then shrugged and said she’d been curious what it would be like to kiss someone she loved.

It had seemed as though she’d forgotten all about it by the next day, but he never had. He’d tried to…he told himself he had. He’d moved on, he’d been with other women, dated other women, even tried to love other women. And he’d told himself that was enough, that that made him happy. He’d pushed thoughts of Kiera out of his mind for years.

He was realizing tonight that the spark had never died down. If anything, it had grown, and was still growing. And that it wasn’t just him.

Excluding their one night together six years ago, she’d never shown a single sign that she felt the same way…until today. Today, she’d wanted him. She’d pursued him. She’d kissed him, and he’d given in to it…if only for a little bit.

She wanted him. There’s no way he could say no to that.

Dropping his head to his hands, he ran his fingers through his thick black hair with a loud groan. He didn’t want the spark back. At least he didn’t think he did. He’d ignored it for so long and moved on with his life…or he’d tried to.

Quinn’s pocket vibrated, startling him from his confused thoughts. He pulled out his still-muted cellphone and glanced at the screen to see his mother’s name and picture pop up.

“Hi, Mom,” he greeted her with a sigh, lifting the phone to his ear.

“Quinny! I need you to come to Rory’s house immediately.” Dee barely even greeted him before barreling into conversation, a habit he was used to with her.

“What? Now?” Quinn asked, furrowing his brows in confusion.

“Yes, can you take a taxi or find a ride? I’m already here,” Dee confirmed. “Do you have the address?”

“I do.” Quinn glanced toward the door, wondering if Kiera was still outside since it had been less than a minute since she’d walked out. “I can find a ride, but is everything okay?”

“No.” Sniffling came from the other end of the call. Is she crying? “It’s Ace, Quinny.”

“Oh, God.” Quinn’s stomach lurched, adrenaline shooting through him. Pushing up to his feet with the help of his cane, he shoved his keys in his pocket and headed for the door. “Ma, I’m on my way.”

Stepping into the bright sun, he pulled the garage door down behind him and locked it. Seconds later, he made it to the driveway, spotting Kiera’s car. Kiera, however, was nowhere to be seen.

“Kiera?” he called out, circling her car.

“Ow!” A metallic bang sounded just as he reached the driver’s side and saw Kiera’s shapely legs sticking out from underneath her car.

Quinn couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight of her shimmying backward, trying to get out. The weight on his chest lightened just a bit, and he welcomed the distraction of Kiera’s backside sticking up in the air. “I have so many questions,” he said.

“Because of course you’d catch me like this five seconds after I just humiliated myself inside,” she replied, standing and dusting the gravel from her jeans. “Just freaking perfect.”

He cocked his head to the side. “What were you even doing?”

She held up a set of car keys, dangling them slightly. “I dropped these then accidentally kicked them under.”

“Wow.” He tried to keep his expression straight, so as not to laugh at her, but…okay, he was laughing.

“Hush, it’s not that odd.” Kiera huffed, unlocking the driver’s-side door. She paused for a minute, leaning her forearms on the top of the open door and staring at him. “Why are you out here anyway?”

There was something hopeful, wistful, wanting in her expression that made him nervous. He wanted to tell her that he was kicking himself inside for stopping what had just happened between them, that their kiss had been everything he’d dreamed of for years. He wanted to tell her what it meant to him and what he’d felt all this time…

He wasn’t even sure he was that person anymore. And if he was, he wasn’t about to dive into the topic now with his family waiting for him. Instead, he exhaled fully and pleaded his case. “Actually, I was hoping you’d give me a ride.”

Kiera tossed her hands up in the air, rolling her eyes. “Sure, why not? Be the taxi driver for the man who just rejected me. All my feminist ancestors just rolled over in their graves.” She motioned toward the passenger side. “Hop in. I mean, don’t actually hop. I’m still your doctor, and hopping is not advised.”

Quinn snorted slightly at her rambling, then headed for the passenger side. “Thanks, Keeks.”

“Where to?” she asked once they were both seated and buckled inside.

He pulled up the address on his phone to show her, displaying the screen to her. “Rory’s house.”

“Oh.” Kiera lifted one brow. “That’s it?”

Quinn nodded. “My mom just called about Ace—”

“I love Ace. He’s such a good dog,” she mused, interrupting Quinn as she turned the ignition and backed out of the driveway. “How’s he doing?”

Quinn shook his head, not answering her question. He couldn’t—he didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t gotten the full story from his mother, though he could guess since most of them knew this day was coming. That dog was a damn hero to his family, to everyone who ever met him. An ex–bait dog in a dog-fighting ring, Ace had been rescued by Rory, who then built an entire business around his love for that dog. Ace had already been pretty old back when Rory’d adopted him, so they were lucky to have had him for so long already.

“Oh…” Kiera glanced sideways at him, probably reading his expression before turning her attention back to the road. Silence enveloped the car for a minute or two before Kiera’s hand found his. Slowly, her soft skin slid over his palm until their fingers were intertwined.

He didn’t say anything, and neither did she. They just held hands for the next few minutes until Quinn pointed out Rory’s street. “This right, then it’s the third house down. The big brick one with the dark green door.”

Kiera followed his instructions. The driveway was already at capacity with cars he recognized as belonging to his family, so she found a spot on the street instead.

“Thanks for the ride, Keeks,” Quinn said, pulling off his seatbelt.

“No problem,” she said. “And I’m also sorry for the feminist joke earlier. Feminists love dogs.”

Laughter shot out of him, the tension of moments earlier melting away. Kiera had always had a way with words, with humor, with injecting a smile into the saddest moments. It was one of the things that had always drawn him to her, and, man, was he glad she still had that spark.

“I’ve missed you, Keeks.”

“No need to miss me because I’m coming in,” she said, unbuckling her seatbelt as well.

He wasn’t sure what was awaiting him in the house, but he knew it wouldn’t be sunshine and rainbows. There was no way he’d want to subject her to that. “You don’t need to go in with me,” he assured her as they both stepped out of the car and onto the sidewalk. “I’ll be fine.”

“I know.” She slipped her hand in his free hand, his cane in the other. “Come on. Everyone’s waiting.”