Abigail

The sunlight pours into the room. Without curtains to give me any shade, I can’t resist waking up.

I don’t open my eyes at first.

No, the only thing I need to do right now is to allow myself to bask in the euphoria I feel as the reel of what happened on this very bed just a few hours ago plays in my mind.

I pat the section of the bed next to me, trying to find Quinn’s body.

Nothing.

No one’s there. Only a crumpled fitted sheet, the result of the night before. I sit up and rub my eyes before scanning the room for any sign that I’m not alone.

If Quinn left in the early hours of the morning without saying goodbye, I hope a hole appears on the floor and swallows me. My plummeting heart recovers when I see his clothes are precisely where he left it. As are mine.

“Quinn?” I call.

“In your kitchen,” he shouts. “Making breakfast with the very limited amount of ingredients you had in your pantry.”  

“I’ll be right there.”

“No, stay in bed.” The sound of metal utensils clinking together echoes through the cabin. “I’ll bring breakfast to you.”

He doesn’t have to say it twice. It’s like the sex depleted my energy and even several hours of sleep aren’t enough to charge the levels back to what they were before. My head collapses on the pillow, and I fidget until I get comfortable again.

I had expected my first time to hurt. For me to not know what the hell I was doing. But somehow, the way Quinn had taken me brought out this instinct that had been there all along. I didn’t tell him I was a virgin, and in return, he didn’t treat me like one, as if I were dainty and fragile.

No, he made a woman out of me. The best kind of ache burns between my legs. If I had it my way, we would never leave this cabin. I want more of what we did. More of our limbs tangled together and not knowing where I began and he ended.

Quinn appears in the doorway, a goofy smile on his face. “Good morning.”

“Good morning,” I say, returning his smile. “How did you sleep?”

“Like a rock.” He carries the tray to the bed.

Various candy bars are arranged in senseless little clusters. The only breakfast item on there is the black coffee, fragrant and fresh, in two mismatching mugs.

I can’t help but laugh.

“Well, isn’t this nutritious,” I tease. “They say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. What are we going to do if this is how we take ours?”

“Take it up with the owner of this joint.” He hands me the cup of steaming coffee, a much-needed pick-me-up to jumpstart my day. Without it, I’m sure I’ll remain a hazy ball of post-sex-afterglow for days.

“The owner wishes to remind you that she hasn’t had time to run to the store.” I take a sip and almost can’t believe how heavenly it tastes. Since when did I have coffee this good? Aside from the jar of instant coffee in one of the kitchen cabinets, there’s nothing else on the premises that would end up tasting half as magical. “Wait, I had decent coffee lying around? I wouldn’t trust it. Was probably here before I arrived.”

Quinn laughs. “No, it was in my car. I never go anywhere without a backup stash. No one deserves to drink shitty coffee.”

I glare at him from the corner of my eye and gulp the rest of it down, scorching hot, in one go. “Hey. No subtle digs.”

“Just honesty,” he says, and sips his coffee.

The tray of sugary goodies sits between us, a matter I’ll have to correct soon. I consider my options, opting for the plate with pieces of a nutty caramel chocolate bar, the slabs of dark chocolate, and the tangy, gummy candies. It’s cheating for my usual diet, but what else was I supposed to get at a late-night gas station convenience store?

“So, what do you have going on?” Quinn asks, taking the other plate. The selection is similar, but instead of gummy candies, there are soft, individually wrapped taffies.

“Nothing, really,” I admit. “I decided to go easy for the next few weeks and try to get my story on the page, but I can just imagine how that’s going to go. Spoiler alert, not well.”

“What’s your story about?” He unwraps five pieces of taffy and crams them into his mouth all at once. It’s such a departure from his calm, collected self that I can’t help but do a happy dance in spirit, if not in person.

I’ve become the fool, infatuated with the guy who spent the night under what he probably assumed was a no-strings-attached hookup. Just like all the girls I hated and felt inferior to in high school.

“Abigail?”

“Call me Abby,” I say. “Abigail is so rigid and formal.”

“Whoa.” His brows go up and he grins. “Letting me call you by your nickname,” he says after he swallowed the taffies. “That takes our relationship to the next level.”

Relationship?

“Play your cards right, and I might even let you wash the dishes,” I tease, hoping to hide the tsunami of feelings that race through me. And then I open my mouth again, “That’s the true sign of a couple headed for wedded bliss.”

Why am I such a dork?

I groan inwardly.

Quinn just winks. “I’ll keep it in mind. So, you didn’t answer my question.”

“Didn’t I?” I swallow the lump that’s formed in my throat.

“No, you only gave me a glimpse of your to-do list. That’s not nearly close to enough.” There’s a devilish glint in his eyes that both intrigue and enthrall me.

“I have nothing set in stone if that’s what you’re asking. Nowhere I need to be and nothing I have to see to.”

“So, if I were to ask you if you want to spend the day together…”

I do my best to keep my chill. Inside, though, what he’s saying is music to my ears. “I would take it under advisement. You’ll have to present your case and really wow me.”

“Challenge accepted,” he shoots back. “I have a place on the lake. The weather forecast says it should be a nice day. Sunny but not too much, if you know what I mean.”

“Tell me more,” I say, though I’m ready to accept. If he had to go, my day would be spent perched on my chair, staring at a blank page on the screen, and trying to kill my frustration with my writer’s block by procrastinating.

“Going to make me work for it, huh?” Quinn rubs his lips together as if he’s aware that his every move makes me melt and is hell-bent on making it happen. “The lake is great this time of year. We could go for a swim. It’s a private area, so we’d have it to ourselves. The other neighbors are miles away from my house.”

“Hmmm…”

“Oh, you’re such a tease,” he says, pouncing on me. I move the plate out of the way just in time to avoid having to interrupt our morning in this divine bubble to clean up the broken glass.

“After last night, I’m not sure you can honestly say that.” I bring my face close to his, my heart fluttering in my chest. “Unless it wasn’t good for you.”

“Miss Abby, I’ll show you how great it was for me.”

He trails kisses down my torso, stopping just below my belly button. I feel his breath on my pussy, sending little shocks of erotic pleasure throughout my body.