“I know I could have been your first. And we’d have had fun. But I also know that I wouldn’t trade the memory of finding you in my closet yesterday and everything that came afterward for anything. Jaime at seventeen was tempting. Jaime at twenty-seven is fucking torrid.”
I felt my cheeks getting warm, a smile tugging at my lips.
“And Quinn at eighteen was good,” he went on, “if a little fast, but Quinn at twenty-eight is a hell of a lot better.”
“I like it fast.”
“I know you do. You’re like a fucking cheetah.” He tapped my nose. “But one of these days, you’re going to let me take my time with you.”
Tilting my head, I gave him a coy smile. “I’ll trade you a date for a slow fuck.”
He shook his head. “Uh-uh. No way. I’m getting all three dates, plus the blowjob you offered me, and the slow fuck.”
“What am I, a goddamn buffet?” Irritated, I opened the door before he could play Boyfriend and come around to do it for me. “And by the way, I think this should count as two dates because you’re getting to meet my friends already.”
“Hmmm.” Quinn’s brow furrowed. “I’d consider that. On one condition.”
“What?”
“I get to tell your friends about the snooping.”
“No!”
“OK, then I get to be as romantic as I want tonight.”
“What do you mean, romantic?” I made a face. “Like, touchy-feely at the table?”
“If I’m so inclined. And you can’t squirm away or say anything about it. No blowing up the game.”
I chewed on the thumb tip of my glove and thought it over. “If I agree to play along, you can’t tell anyone about my snooping in your flat, ever.”
He sucked air through his teeth. “Wow, that’s harsh. I was really looking forward to telling that story, especially the part where I hit you in the face with my underwear.”
“That wasn’t your underwear, it was a shirt! Now do we have a deal or not? It’s cold out here.”
“That’s because you opened the door.”
“Quinn.”
“OK, fine. Deal.” He held out his hand and I put mine in it to shake, but instead he tenderly kissed the back of it.
“Ew, what are you doing?” I pulled my hand away.
He looked at me with that stupid phony smolder. “God, I love getting romantic with you.”
My eyelid twitched. “This is why. This is why I hate dating. All this sappy shit just drives me insane.”
“I know,” he said, laughing. “And I sort of care about your sanity, but it’s going to be really fun to fuck with you in front of your friends. Now stay there.”
I shook my head as he got out of the car, came around to my side, and opened the door all the way. “You are a sadist. I knew it.”
“Well, I might be, but let’s save that for later.” He smiled devilishly and reached for my hand. “Come on, love bug. Can I call you love bug? What am I saying—of course I can! I can do anything I want tonight.”
Oh my God.
I needed a cocktail.
Stat.