Hope on the Rocks (Rainbow Cove)

Still holding me, he shrugged. “Maybe. Told you. I can’t seem to turn off the Daddy around you. I like taking care of you. In all the ways. Or maybe it’s just an us thing. Whatever. I’m here for it.”

“Me too,” I whispered. I was here for this, here for us, here for this wonderful, terrifying place that had less and less to do with sex and everything to do with him.

Twenty-Four

Adam

“Happy birthday.” Quinn slid into the truck. He’d been waiting for me, which was cute. Seeing him all smiles was also nice. Not that his hard day last week was forgotten, but he seemed lighter today. He gave me a fast kiss before holding out a small box. “Can I give you your present here in the truck?”

“The invitation to sleep over isn’t my present?” Skin heating, I accepted the box. I never knew quite what to make of all the birthday attention and had been a little surprised when Quinn readily agreed to the invite to come to my mom’s for cake. We were riding together because parking was tight around the lake this time of year, and Quinn had suggested I plan on sleeping over afterward in a shy manner that said sleep wasn’t the main thing on his mind.

“It’s your birthday.” Quinn shook his head like I was being ridiculous. I didn’t mean to be, but it was way easier and more fun to do things for others. “Of course, you get a present and not just a copy of my new test results.”

True to his word, Quinn had gotten new blood work done, and my pulse thrummed at the implication of what he had planned for later. But I worked to keep the eagerness out of my voice. “Birthday or not, we don’t have to go there tonight if you’re not in the mood.”

Ever since Quinn’s bad day, we’d been more low-key, some sleepy sex but not as much on longer scenes. I didn’t mind though because him trusting me to be there for him emotionally was every bit as fulfilling as an intense round of sex, and I didn’t want him feeling pressured to put out simply because of the date on a calendar.

“Oh, I’m in the mood.” Laughing, he gave me a look more heated than the August sun hanging out over the Pacific in front of us. “We’ve done more than our share of sleeping and cuddling lately. Which I love, but I’m looking forward to both of us awake enough to enjoy trying something new. And no offense to your mad phone-sex skills, but I’m ready for the real deal.”

“The phone was crazy hot.” We’d role-played the idea of going bare a couple of times on the phone, and it was almost comical how fast I could get off on simply talking about the idea. But he always came fast too, and the shared fantasy made the anticipation even more arousing. “So is the present exotic lube? Is that why I can’t open it at Mom’s?”

Quinn’s infectious chuckle was the best thing I’d heard all day. “No, it’s not lube. But anything other than a coffee gift card and your mom is going to get ideas.”

“She does love to get heart eyes.” I had fewer and fewer fucks to give for whether people thought we were dating. Quinn was sweet to worry about Mom’s feelings, but seeing as how I intended to keep him around, I didn’t see much of a point in hiding that he meant something more to me than casual friendship. “And you didn’t have to get me anything. Coffee card would have been fine.”

“No, it wouldn’t. You deserve a real present.” He gave me a stern look as I went ahead and opened the present.

“Sneaky.” I laughed as the rectangle turned out to have a T-shirt rolled inside it. The black fabric was a soft cotton, good quality, but the writing on the front was what had me laughing harder.

No one panic. I brought emergency venison.

“This is so perfect. Thank you.” I leaned in for a kiss.

“I figured I owed you at least one shirt.” Quinn’s cheeks were as pink as the sky in front of us. “There’s that design-a-shirt place on 101 now. The clerk thought the slogan was funny enough that they did a second one for their window display. Your bartender wisdom is going to be famous yet.”

“I love it.” I kissed him again then pulled my Rainbow Tavern shirt loose from my belt.

“What are you doing?” Quinn squeaked like I was breaking some rule. Yeah, we were in the parking lot of the condo complex, but no one else was around.

“Changing. I can’t not wear this. Mason will get a big laugh. It’s too good not to share.”

“Your mom will think we’re dating,” he warned.