Read Online Indelibly Intimate by Regina Cole - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Regina Cole
Tags: Erótica
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in silence, arms loaded with ketchup. Why hasn’t Kim said anything? What does she think about me now? Maybe I shouldn’t have told her. It’s not like I have a lot of friends anyway. I can’t afford to lose her.
Before her thoughts could bury her in what-ifs, Quinn cornered Kim by the waitress’ station. “Hey. You’re not upset with me, are you?”
Kim laughed. “Why would you think that?”
“Because you haven’t said anything. Come on, tell me I’m a sleaze and let’s pretend it didn’t happen.”
Kim rolled her eyes. “You’re an idiot, not a sleaze. I’m not upset with you. I want some time to think about how to help you with this.”
Quinn slumped back against the counter, arms crossed around her waist. “Help me with what? I screwed up last night. It’s not like I can fix it at this point.”
Kim sighed. After crossing over to Quinn, she draped an arm around her shoulders. “Obviously you don’t get it. Hammer. You. I think it could work.”
“You don’t even know the guy. Hell, for that matter neither do I. And Guy…” Quinn trailed off, staring at the wall.
“You didn’t see yourself when you talked about him.” Kim gave her a quick squeeze as the front door beeped. “I think he may be the rebound you need to get over Guy.”
Quinn stacked menus in her arms, the plastic covers making angry smacking sounds against each other. “Hammer’s too good for a rebound man.”
“I know.” Kim’s soft voice followed Quinn as she went to greet her first customers.
Kim had to be wrong. Quinn didn’t have feelings for him, she couldn’t. There was chemistry there and he’d been good to her, that was all. She’d taken advantage of him. Once this tattoo convention was over, she’d never see him again. For that matter, maybe she should think about moving away.
It’s not like there is anything holding me here , she thought with a sad twinge in her chest. Not her family, not Guy and Hammer wasn’t even a remote possibility.
Her smile of greeting to the young couple seated in the first booth was patently fake. She hoped they couldn’t tell. She’d need all the tips she could get plus the money she’d taken from Hammer in order to get her lights back on. But lights or no, she’d be staying in that apartment tonight. Alone.
When Hammer woke, he felt better than he had in years. Blood hummed through his veins, imbuing each muscle with life and vitality. He sat up and stretched, reveling in the crack and pop of his joints as his body realigned itself.
Yawning, he rubbed the short, bristly stubble on his head and cast around for Quinn. She wasn’t in the bed next to him so she must be in the bathroom. He’d hurry to the kitchen and get breakfast started to surprise her.
Tossing back the covers, he swung his legs over the bed. And paused.
The bathroom door lolled open, the room itself dark and empty. Coming to his feet, he left the room. The hope that she was already in the kitchen was thin and dying swiftly. As he descended the stairs, he told himself she had already left. That didn’t stop his gut from sinking when he saw that her clothes were gone.
“Son of a bitch.” His fist softly connected with the wall. He hung his head for a moment. He’d hoped she’d want to stay. Let them start over a little, get to know each other. He wouldn’t trade last night for anything but it wasn’t something he normally did, especially since Ben and Lora…
He mentally slammed the door on that thought at the same moment he saw the wrinkled scrap of paper lying beside the lamp in the living room. What the hell?
The paper crinkled beneath his fingers as he smoothed it out.
Hammer,
I’m sorry about last night. Thanks for the refund, I really appreciate it. I’ll drop by your shop someday soon to get the details for the convention.
~Q
He turned the note over. It had been ripped from a roll of receipt paper. The back was printed in yellow with “Buzzard’s Sports Bar and
Before her thoughts could bury her in what-ifs, Quinn cornered Kim by the waitress’ station. “Hey. You’re not upset with me, are you?”
Kim laughed. “Why would you think that?”
“Because you haven’t said anything. Come on, tell me I’m a sleaze and let’s pretend it didn’t happen.”
Kim rolled her eyes. “You’re an idiot, not a sleaze. I’m not upset with you. I want some time to think about how to help you with this.”
Quinn slumped back against the counter, arms crossed around her waist. “Help me with what? I screwed up last night. It’s not like I can fix it at this point.”
Kim sighed. After crossing over to Quinn, she draped an arm around her shoulders. “Obviously you don’t get it. Hammer. You. I think it could work.”
“You don’t even know the guy. Hell, for that matter neither do I. And Guy…” Quinn trailed off, staring at the wall.
“You didn’t see yourself when you talked about him.” Kim gave her a quick squeeze as the front door beeped. “I think he may be the rebound you need to get over Guy.”
Quinn stacked menus in her arms, the plastic covers making angry smacking sounds against each other. “Hammer’s too good for a rebound man.”
“I know.” Kim’s soft voice followed Quinn as she went to greet her first customers.
Kim had to be wrong. Quinn didn’t have feelings for him, she couldn’t. There was chemistry there and he’d been good to her, that was all. She’d taken advantage of him. Once this tattoo convention was over, she’d never see him again. For that matter, maybe she should think about moving away.
It’s not like there is anything holding me here , she thought with a sad twinge in her chest. Not her family, not Guy and Hammer wasn’t even a remote possibility.
Her smile of greeting to the young couple seated in the first booth was patently fake. She hoped they couldn’t tell. She’d need all the tips she could get plus the money she’d taken from Hammer in order to get her lights back on. But lights or no, she’d be staying in that apartment tonight. Alone.
When Hammer woke, he felt better than he had in years. Blood hummed through his veins, imbuing each muscle with life and vitality. He sat up and stretched, reveling in the crack and pop of his joints as his body realigned itself.
Yawning, he rubbed the short, bristly stubble on his head and cast around for Quinn. She wasn’t in the bed next to him so she must be in the bathroom. He’d hurry to the kitchen and get breakfast started to surprise her.
Tossing back the covers, he swung his legs over the bed. And paused.
The bathroom door lolled open, the room itself dark and empty. Coming to his feet, he left the room. The hope that she was already in the kitchen was thin and dying swiftly. As he descended the stairs, he told himself she had already left. That didn’t stop his gut from sinking when he saw that her clothes were gone.
“Son of a bitch.” His fist softly connected with the wall. He hung his head for a moment. He’d hoped she’d want to stay. Let them start over a little, get to know each other. He wouldn’t trade last night for anything but it wasn’t something he normally did, especially since Ben and Lora…
He mentally slammed the door on that thought at the same moment he saw the wrinkled scrap of paper lying beside the lamp in the living room. What the hell?
The paper crinkled beneath his fingers as he smoothed it out.
Hammer,
I’m sorry about last night. Thanks for the refund, I really appreciate it. I’ll drop by your shop someday soon to get the details for the convention.
~Q
He turned the note over. It had been ripped from a roll of receipt paper. The back was printed in yellow with “Buzzard’s Sports Bar and
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