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  Kaitlyn picked up a pen and pulled forward a pad.

  “Just give it to me.”

  And he did.

  At times she cringed. At other times her eyes widened. But still, she scribbled away.

  And then he gave her the total monthly expenses.

  Kaitlyn gasped.

  “It would have been much higher with the rent you used to have.”

  Kaitlyn set her chin in her hand as she looked at the list of bills and looked at her check. She fell back in her chair and fought the urge to slump down.

  “Kaitlyn, you there?” he asked.

  “Yeah. I’ll call you back,” she said, ending the call.

  The door to the outer office opened and she looked up. Her face filled with surprise to see Quint stroll in. She rose to her feet and came around the desk to meet him.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked, thinking he looked really handsome in a charcoal peacoat over a sweater of the same color, paired with dark denims.

  He looks hella good.

  Quinton looked around the office. “I was downtown handling some business and I thought I’d come by and take you to lunch.”

  Kaitlyn looked confused. “Me? You want to take me to lunch?” she asked.

  Quint walked over to her desk and then looked down the hall behind him. “Yes. You can’t eat with me?” he asked, turning to study her.

  Kaitlyn locked her hands behind her back as she gazed at him.

  Well, just like the night she first told him of her job, Kaitlyn thought Quinton was a little jealous. And she liked the idea of that.

  She liked it a lot.

  Quinton Wells was an extraordinarily handsome man, with the kind of body a man had to put work into to receive. He was a good father. He was helpful; and once they got past their initial dislike of each other, she found him to give good, solid advice. She enjoyed being in his company and the way they taunted each other while flirting shamelessly. She loved that he didn’t pursue his desire for her, because he knew she would want more from him.

  That made him honorable.

  Plus he was sexy as hell.

  And she liked him. She liked him a lot. Enough that she wanted more from him than he thought he was willing to give.

  “Well, Lyle usually insists we eat lunch together. He said we look good together,” Kaitlyn lied, crossing the room to pass Quint and letting her hand trail across his chest as she circled him. She came around him to lean on her desk.

  Quint shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat. “You do know he can’t force you to go out or do anything you don’t want to do?” he asked, looking down at her with his dark, deep-set eyes.

  Kaitlyn batted her long lashes at him. “Quinton, I know the difference between sexual harassment and courting,” she said. “In one I feel I have no choice. In the other I do.”

  “So you’re being courted?” he asked.

  Kaitlyn had to bite the inside of her cheeks to keep from smiling. Quint was salty and trying not to show it.

  “Don’t I deserve to be courted?” she asked.

  “Of course.”

  “I don’t see anyone else trying to do the job . . . do you?” she asked, sitting back in her chair to look up at him.

  He paced the brief length of her desk before turning to press his hands against her desktop as he leaned down to face her.

  “Who else would you want to do the job . . . or are you stuck on old boy back there?” he asked, lifting his strong chin toward the hall.

  Kaitlyn leaned forward until their faces were inches apart.

  “Is this another one of our dances, Quinton?” she asked him softly, the air around them crackling like static energy. “Another back-and-forth? Another challenge? Another chess move?”

  His eyes dropped to her mouth.

  “You don’t want me, but you don’t want anyone else to have me either,” she said boldly.

  “Oh, I want you,” Quinton stressed.

  “In bed. Yes. But in your life, Quinton? Do you want me in your life?” Kaitlyn asked, ignoring the steady pulsing of her clit.

  This wasn’t about that.

  It was all about her heart.

  The entire time Quint stared down at Kaitlyn, he had to fight the urge to kiss her. He wanted nothing more in that moment than to taste her mouth—the way a man kisses the woman he cares about during a hello or good-bye.

  And he had begun to think of her in that way: the woman he cared about.

  He was proud of her for finding a job, even if she sang the praises of her handsome boss at every given moment. And the more he thought of another man having her, the more he realized that he wanted Kaitlyn for himself. He couldn’t remember the last time he felt jealous and threatened.

  All he could think of was her boss, Lyle Turner, making moves on Kaitlyn and his jealousy pushed him over the edge. Just last night she stopped by their apartment to give Lei a huge pink rose arrangement, bragging that she had enough floral arrangements from Lyle. It took everything he had not to childishly kick it out the door like a football.

  For the rest of the night, he was tormented by images of Kaitlyn—his Kaitlyn—and this faceless, wealthy man who seemed to be more about socializing than business. That night before he finally dozed off to sleep, he promised himself he was giving in to his curiosity about the man and would ease on down to downtown Charleston.

  How could he not admit to himself that his feelings for Kaitlyn were beyond that of apartment manager and tenant, or even the good friends that they had become?

  Although she and Lei had a close relationship, what effect would it have on Lei if they didn’t make it?

  But what effect could it have on her if they did?

  Could he risk losing Kaitlyn because he was afraid to take a chance?

  “Do you want me in your life?” Kaitlyn asked again.

  “Every day it’s getting harder to picture you not in it,” Quint admitted, as so many different emotions burst inside his chest like fireworks. He felt excited and nervous and anxious and even a little afraid. But mostly . . . he felt happy. And outside of the love and joy he received from his child, it had been quite some time since he felt that way.

  Her eyes melted and that tugged at him. He gave in and pressed his mouth to hers.

  “We’ve been fighting this for a minute, huh?” he asked her as she used her thumb to wipe the lipstick from his mouth.

  “Yesss!” she exclaimed, pushing back and rising from her seat to come around the desk to him.

  Quint placed a hand on her waist, and it felt natural and easy to him. “So we’re not fighting it anymore?” he asked, his voice deep and serious.

  Kaitlyn shook her head. “I’m not.”

  He nudged his head toward the hall.

  Kaitlyn stepped up close to him and pressed her hands to his smooth face before she kissed him.

  “He has nothing on you,” she promised him.

  Quint’s lips still tingled from her kiss and the touch of her thumb as she removed the lipstick.

  “You look really beautiful,” he admitted.

  Kaitlyn twirled away from him dramatically and then struck a pose in her crisp white shirt with the bell sleeves and elaborate high neck, with a side bow.

  “Who me?” she asked before starting to vogue.

  He smiled at her goofiness, but then he looked around.

  “Where’s your boss?” he asked. “I really can use some lunch.”

  Kaitlyn stopped midpose. “I have to pass on lunch. I’m sorry,” she said as she walked back up to him.

  “Okay. I did just drop by unexpected.” Quint reached for her hand and rubbed his thumb against her pulse. “How about dinner when you get off?”

  “A date?” she asked, smiling.

  He liked that he caused that smile. “Yeah, a date. You game?”

  Kaitlyn nodded. “Definitely. I should be home by six.”

  He bent down and pressed a kiss to her cheek before he allowed himself a quick in
hale of her perfume.

  “See you then,” Quint promised, giving her hand one last, light squeeze before he turned and walked out of the office.

  He was glad that she couldn’t see the smile on his face. He couldn’t wipe it off to save his life. Even as he jogged down the stairs, he found he was still smiling like a fool.

  Hell with it.

  He stepped out of the building and onto the street and chanced a look up to find Kaitlyn already standing at the window. She was casually leaning against the windowsill with her arms crossed over her chest. He smiled, thinking she looked like a mannequin.

  Quint wondered what her thoughts were as he turned and walked the short distance down the street to where his vehicle was parked. When he came to Kaitlyn’s job, his goal had been to check out her boss, but he was leaving with a date planned for that night. It felt like bungee jumping—that mix of exhilaration and anxiety.

  And it was not all based on Kaitlyn making the wrong move. He hadn’t been in a relationship since Lei came to live with him. The expectations were higher. The rules were different. Did he still know how to play by them?

  Time to get my shit together.

  Kaitlyn’s assumption that her boss would not return for the day turned out true. But she remained there answering calls and taking messages until five o’clock on the dot, and not a second later. She had been so anxious to get home that she got pulled over for speeding, but a smile and an innocent face led to nothing but a warning . . . and her easing up off the gas pedal.

  She turned this way and that in the full-length mirror of her converted guest room. The black satin shirt had long blouson sleeves and a deep plunging neckline that emphasized her small but plump breasts and cleavage. She paired it with high-waist, wide-leg black pants and sky-high, peep-toe shoes. A wide leather cuff with gold accents encircled one wrist, and oversized gold hoops swung from her ears. She placed extra emphasis on the eyes with smoky makeup; less emphasis on the mouth with sheer gloss for less messy kisses.

  She twirled again as she imagined Quint’s reaction, but midspin Kaitlyn really took in the contents of the room. The wall of shoes. The designer clothing and handbags. The jewelry. All of it.

  Courtesy of her parents.

  Kaitlyn picked up the Hermès bag and pulled out her paycheck and the notepad holding her list of bills. She had to shake her head. It would take two of her paychecks, plus some, to take over all of her bills alone. She glanced at the Hermès bag and then around the room again, looking at all of her things.

  Things that were costly.

  Things that went out of style and had to be replaced to be relevant.

  Things that were completely out of her new income bracket.

  Things she shouldn’t have expected her parents to pay for on her whim.

  Kaitlyn looked pensive.

  She worked eighty hours to make what she had once spent on a pair of shoes. There was no way she could see blowing two weeks’ worth of work like that.

  And her father’s wealth hadn’t come from boardroom decisions made while he was dressed in a white collar. He had worked from sunup to sundown on that ranch; and now that he was retired, her brother Kade had stepped in to do the same. Every penny earned was coated with their blood, sweat, and tears.

  Everyone in her family worked hard. Everyone—even her in-laws. Everyone—except her.

  She turned and looked at her reflection in the mirror from where she sat, but only for a few seconds. It was all she could take of herself.

  Knock, knock.

  Quint.

  A bright spot in a dark moment. Her heart pounded as she rose to her feet and grabbed her small, sequined oval clutch. She smiled at the thought of him and the first step they were taking to be together.

  And the idea of it made her happy.

  He was a good man. Nothing at all like the men she usually dated, but there he was—along with this amazing chemistry—and she wanted to explore both much more.

  Kaitlyn headed out of the room and down the narrow hall to the front door. With one last smoothing of her hair, with a surprisingly shaky hand, she opened the door.

  Quint felt like a ton of air was pulled from his body as he caught the first sight of Kaitlyn standing in her doorway. She was glam and gorgeous and giving him a mix of sensuality and maturity that he’d never seen before.

  But then she smiled and everything about her was familiar.

  The makeup and the clothes, which perfectly emphasized her shape, were just extras to her natural beauty: the playful twinkle to her almond-shaped eyes, the healthy bronzed caramel glow of her complexion, the flirty hint of a smile on her lips, the now-familiar scent of her perfume, the smoothness of her neck that begged to be nuzzled and kissed.

  All of it created the perfect picture, and Quinton felt completely ready for everything the night had to offer.

  Kaitlyn’s face filled with pleasure at the sight of Quint standing there in all black, from his tailored blazer and silk shirt to his flat-front pants and shoes.

  The dark coloring suited his skin’s chocolate complexion and made his angular features all the more fierce and sexy. His deep-set eyes seemed brighter. His smile seemed more vibrant; his aura more alive.

  Kaitlyn felt completely taken aback by him.

  It was almost like seeing him for the first time all over again, and all she could do was smile.

  “One . . . two . . . three . . .”

  “Have fun!”

  Quint and Kaitlyn jumped in surprise and turned in the middle of the parking lot to find almost every resident of the complex standing in the doorways, waving them off on their date. Lei smiled bigger than all of them as she stood next to Mrs. Harper, who dutifully held on to her Fifi.

  Both of their eyes took in each and every smiling face before Quint lightly grabbed Kaitlyn’s wrist and guided her to the passenger side of his truck.

  “I see the word has spread,” he said.

  Kaitlyn nodded and then smiled as she said, “The only one we know for sure didn’t spread the word was Fifi.”

  Kaitlyn chanced a glance at Quint as they both enjoyed their dinner in a quiet corner at the rear of the seafood restaurant. She found his eyes already on her from across their table. That flustered her. It made her wonder about his thoughts.

  “What’s on your mind?” she asked.

  “That we should have done this a lot sooner,” Quint readily answered.

  Kaitlyn felt her cheeks warm. “I agree,” she said, reaching across the table to lightly stroke the back of his hand.

  Quint sat back a bit in his chair as their waitress brought them their desserts: coconut cheesecake for him and a sorbet fruit medley for her.

  “Tell me more about growing up on a ranch,” he encouraged her as soon as the server stepped away from their table. He found he enjoyed looking at all the different emotions on Kaitlyn’s face as she retold stories of her adventurous youth as the only sister with four brothers.

  And she held back nothing. Everything she felt was expressed in her demeanor. If the moment was sad or playful or joyous or triumphant or disappointing, it all showed across her face.

  Quint honestly felt like he could sit there and watch her all night.

  Meanwhile, Kaitlyn watched Quinton over the rim of her wineglass as he settled back against the leather booth. He was waiting for her, and she was completely baiting him.

  “Yes, Quinton. I will teach you how to ride a horse . . . if you’re serious . . . and if you mean a real horse,” she said, setting her glass on the table as she finally answered his question.

  When Quinton covered his wolfish grin with a hand, she knew he had meant a ride that included a bed and her sitting astride his body. She could ride horse or man quite well. The movement of the body was the same on man or beast.

  They both shared a long look.

  Kaitlyn was picturing herself sitting on Quint’s lap as he sat in a chair. They both were naked and sweaty and out of breath as he gripped her hips.
She rode his dick like she was in a race and had a finish line in her sights.

  They both suddenly looked away.

  As Kaitlyn fanned herself with her napkin, she didn’t miss Quint shifting uncomfortably in his seat. She kicked off her shoe and eased her foot across the short distance, and found his dick hard in his pants. She stroked the length of it with her toes before Quint reached under the table to grab her foot.

  “That’s not gonna help me leave this restaurant,” he told her.

  She smiled as she eased her foot back across the short distance.

  Quint had driven Kaitlyn the hour drive to Savannah, Georgia, for their first date. It was his favorite restaurant and he wanted to share it with her. She surprised him by suggesting they drive to River Street and take a walk on the city’s beautiful waterfront.

  Several times they stopped to enjoy the sounds of jazz music coming from one of the many bars lining the street. At other times they stopped and browsed the carts and stalls of vendors who were still out and selling their wares. As they came to the railing to look out on the moon glinting against the water, Quint stood behind her with his hands on the railing on either side of her.

  The music seemed to dim to background noise as they both focused on the water gently lapping against the wall, and the boats in the water cruised softly by their view. There was a calm and natural feel to the moment as Kaitlyn leaned back against Quint’s chest and felt secure as he tilted his head down to press a kiss to her temple.

  On the ride back from Savannah, Quint looked over at Kaitlyn as she fell quiet. He was surprised to see her sleeping in the passenger seat. Gently he pulled off the road and eased out of the car to open the passenger door to use the controls to lay her seat back flat. Her eyes fluttered open for a second and she softly smiled up at him before she drifted right back to sleep.

  Once he was back in the driver’s seat, Quint let his hand rest comfortably on Kaitlyn’s knee as he drove with his other hand. He learned a lot about her, and he enjoyed that they talked when they needed talk. Likewise, they were quiet and comfortable with each other when they needed to be as well. Although that crazy, sexual energy was there pulsing around them, it was good to see that there was more to share with each other than the physical.