Hope on the Rocks (Rainbow Cove)

“I won’t scare your guy away.” Ramona bumped my shoulder. “Are you off tomorrow morning?”

“Might be.” I’d planned a later start because Quinn was off, and we were both working the weekend, so sleeping in with him had seemed like a nice post-birthday indulgence. “Why?”

“We’re out of everything over at my place to the point that we’re sleeping here tonight. I’m making a run to the big-box store.”

“You hate doing that drive. I know.” I already knew where this was heading and reset my mental alarm to include time for Quinn and Ramona both.

“If you come, I can tell you all about the Darren thing. Which isn’t a thing.”

“It’s a thing.” I rubbed her shoulder. “Yeah. I’ll do it, especially if we can be back before lunch. But not too early.”

“Need your beauty rest?”

“Something like that.” My gaze flickered again over to Quinn. Even with Ramona’s surprise appearance, I was still counting down to our sexy plans later. I didn’t want to miss a minute with him.

Quinn laughed again at Mason and the kids, smile lines crinkling under his glasses. He fit in here with my favorite people and watching him made my muscles warm and loose. Our eyes met, and that promise of later flared between us. Didn’t matter how complicated things became, I wasn’t giving him up. He needed me too. And hard as it was to admit, maybe I needed him even more.

Twenty-Five

Quinn

“We don’t have to leave,” I whispered to Adam when we found ourselves alone for a moment in the kitchen while Ramona went to tell Teddy goodnight and Patsy walked Mason, Flint, and Lilac out. Adam had made noises about us leaving soon too, but I didn’t want to rush him. “If you need more time with your sister, I’m fine with that.”

“I’m seeing her tomorrow to get groceries. We’ll talk then. Tonight, I want my birthday present.” He gave me a once-over that had heat licking at the base of my spine and my cheeks warming up as well.

“Present time sounds good.” I matched his lusty gaze, hoping Adam’s mother or sister didn’t hear our flirting.

“You’re cute when you blush.” He leaned in for a kiss, swallowing the squeak I made. “Let’s get you home.”

“I don’t know. Maybe we should offer to help with the dishes. I might not know what to do with you in my bedroom prior to eleven,” I teased in a whisper.

“Behave, or I’ll deal with you appropriately.” Adam added a stern stare with the heavy weight of Daddy authority behind it, making my ass clench.

“Promises, promises.” I was a little bolder than usual, mellowed by some wine with the food. “It’s your birthday. Shouldn’t you be the one getting a spanking, not threatening me?”

“Boy. You head to the truck before I find a way to shut your smart mouth right here.” Even though his voice was low, Daddy vibes rolled off Adam so strongly that my cock started to ache. “I’ll say goodbye to my mom while you think about who deserves the spanking.”

“Yes.” I added the Daddy with my eyes, trying for a deferential look before I followed his orders. He didn’t keep me waiting long at all before he joined me in the truck, giving me a swift kiss before he put the key in the ignition.

I loved how eager he seemed for the sex. I’d worried that maybe my meltdown the week prior had ruined some of our sexual spark, made me less attractive in some way, or made him think I was too fragile for bossy Daddy games. I hadn’t quite known how to articulate those worries though, so I’d stayed quiet. But now, relief made me giddy and also loosened my lips.

“Are you really going to spank me tonight? I was surprised you didn’t last week.” Glancing down at my lap, I fiddled with the seatbelt.

“Quinn, look at me.” Adam turned toward me. “The absolute last thing I’m going to do is spank or punish you because you cried or had a bad day.”

“Oh.” I considered this, trying to reconcile his words with all the Daddy porn I’d read and watched over the years, where the Daddy reduced his boy to tears over minor infractions. “Even if I screw up?”

“Even then,” Adam said firmly. “You’re a good boy. Even if you screw up something serious with me or us, I’m not going to punish you.”

“Yeah.” My voice sounded small and far away.

He tipped my chin up so that I had to meet his gaze. “Unless that’s what you need sometimes—the release of a spanking. You come to me and need it, truly need it to feel better, I’ll go there with you.”

“Ah.” The way he always put my needs front and center, even ahead of the kink, could be overwhelming. I chewed the corner of my lip. “Otherwise, it’s just for play?”