Hitched (Licking Thicket - Horn of Glory 2)

Someone had been force-feeding her Kool-Aid.

“Cherry. Cherry, listen to me,” I whispered urgently. “He’s not your ocean, okay? The ocean isn’t real.” I paused. “I mean, oceans are real, but Terrance isn’t one. He’s a baby tiger masquerading as an ocean! He’s luring you in, making you think that there’s the potential for more than sex and that he sees you as a teammate, but the second—and I mean, the fucking hot second—you lose your mind and start thinking relationships are a thing that could happen for you, he’s gonna pounce and rip your heart out.”

“Quinn, my sweetheart.” Cherry sounded amused. “Have you been drinking?”

“What? No.” I waved a hand impatiently. “I’m trying to tell you—”

“What I’d like you to tell me is why Cindy Ann Johnson, Bernadette Faulkner, and Bunny freakin’ Champion all texted me tonight that you’re in love!” she teased.

“I couldn’t possibly say,” I replied stiffly. “Percy Champion is the man I told you about weeks ago. The one I’ve been sleeping with. It’s not a romance. He doesn’t believe in relationships.” I straightened my spine. “And neither do I.”

“Really? Because these ladies sent photographic evidence of you two dancing earlier, sweetheart, and the way you’re looking at each other seems pretty serious… and pretty special.”

“Well, it isn’t,” I insisted desperately. I needed this false hope like a hole in the head, especially after everything that went down earlier. “It’s a one-night stand that got out of hand. And I really, really need people to stop trying to convince me it’s something it’s not. I needed a date, he was available. I do not have feelings for Percy Champion! And Percy Champion definitely, definitely does not have feelings for me.”

I stood there for a long moment, letting the winter air freeze my balls off, struggling to control my breathing. It wasn’t until my cheeks went numb that I realized my eyes had started tearing up.

Fuck. I never cried. What the heck was wrong with me tonight?

Cherry finally broke the silence. “Quinn.” Her voice was filled with regret. “I—”

“I’ve gotta go,” I said quickly. “Busy. Working. I’ll call you soon, okay? Love you!”

I ended the call without waiting for her to say goodbye.

My hands were shaking in a way that had nothing to do with the cold as I pulled my keys out of my pocket and stalked to the parking lot.

I was livid. So incandescent with anger, astronauts could probably see from outer space.

How the fuck had this happened?

How had I gotten to this place, where people thrust evidence of feelings and relationships in my face, and tried to tell me it was perfectly sane to throw your heart in a relationship meat grinder if the man you were dating was your ocean?

How dare Cherry say Champ looked at me like I was special when the motherfucker had ditched me without a word, which was not a thing you did to a special person?

I had no clue how I’d gone so spectacularly wrong, but I knew exactly which gorgeous, bossy asshole to blame for it…

And I knew how to make it right.

I punched a number into my phone. “Ava? Yeah, I changed my mind. Save me a seat, okay? I’m on my way.”

16

CHAMP

When we got to the office, I was determined to get the information we needed about the vault and make a plan to infiltrate it as quickly as possible so I could return to Quinn at the farm and beg his forgiveness.

I had no desire to go home to my half-broken house and sleep alone in a cold bed. The thought that Quinn was angry at me didn’t sit well in my gut, and the idea that I’d hurt him made me feel even worse. I needed to explain myself and make him understand.

Our motley crew settled in at the conference table in the war room with our laptops, Riggs and I still wearing the remnants of our tuxedos. Elvo had ducked into the bathroom and changed into a spare set of sweats he kept at the office for working out. Jordan had already been here monitoring our surveillance feeds and had the coffee brewed and ready.

“Faucet’s busted again, boss,” they said cheerfully when they emerged. “Call the plumber back.”

I grit my teeth. Owning Champion Security meant that the buck stopped with me, always, whether it meant working long hours or taking care of the stupid faucet these animals kept jacking up. But fuck if I didn’t sometimes get tired of having to handle everything myself, even down to the sinks and faucets.

“I’m not paying that plumber to come back again. Elvo, I’m sending you the contact info for my contractor right now. Ask him to come in here ASAP and check it out.”

He nodded. “Your contractor knows his shit?”

“Fuck no. He’s terrible. But he’s still better than whoever Herman hired. Huxley, where are we with the specs on the vault door?”