Read Online More Than This by Shannyn Schroeder - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Shannyn Schroeder
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finger in
again, she felt his eyes on her. “Try some. It won’t hurt you.”
His hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist. He guided her finger to his lips and licked
the batter off. Jolts of pleasure ran up her arm and her eyes widened.
He did not just do that.
She yanked her hand away. “Wh-What are you doing?”
He shrugged with one of his careless smiles. “Trying the cookie dough. I didn’t think
you’d want my grubby hands in the bowl.”
The innocent look on his face baffled her. Did he really not mean anything by that?
He made no other move. He’d been nothing more than friendly the entire time he’d been
there. Maybe she was reading more into his actions.
His phone chirped. He pulled it out and checked the screen. His brows furrowed and
his lips tightened.
“Problem?”
“A text from my sister. I’m being summoned to my mom’s house.”
“You don’t look too happy about it.” Other than mentioning his sister earlier, he
hadn’t done much talking about himself. She wondered if he was hiding something. He
said he had a big family, but that didn’t mean he liked them.
“It’s not that. They’re changing plans again, that’s all. I have to juggle some stuff.”
He tucked his phone back into his pocket. “Unfortunately, that means I have to head
out now.”
Disappointment hit her quickly before she swiped it away. “Can’t you wait for the
cookies? They’ll be ready any minute.”
“I better not. Save some for me.” He headed to the door and she followed.
“Thanks again for the coffee,” she said.
“I told you I knew how to be friends. Thanks for letting me hang out with you. Talk
to you soon.”
She stared after him as he moved through the stairwell door. He made a hasty departure.
She smiled at the kindness of his visit. There was definitely more to Ryan O’Leary
than she’d thought.
In the kitchen, the timer went off, and she removed the cookies from the oven and
set them out to cool.
Quinn sipped at the last of the decadent brew Ryan had brought. The essays in her
bag needed to be graded, but she ignored them. She thought long and hard about her
life. By now, she was supposed to have what Kate had: a house, a husband, and kids.
Her first marriage had been a joke, and she couldn’t even find an adequate date. But
she still wanted children.
Eyeing the list tacked to her refrigerator above the artwork created by Kate’s kids,
Quinn thought of the possibility of starting a family. As soon as school let out,
she’d seriously start making plans. Adoption, in vitro, artificial insemination .
. . There was a lot to consider, but if she could handle the list Indy made, she could
conquer anything.
Sunday afternoon, Ryan sat at his desk, sucking down his third cup of coffee. The
numbers on the spreadsheet in front of him blurred. The family dinner usually held
on Sundays had turned into a whole-day affair on Saturday to give Colin a proper welcome
home. Of all the things to pull him away from Quinn, he didn’t think Colin had been
worth it.
He didn’t believe Colin had reappeared out of some sense of family. He wanted something,
but Ryan couldn’t figure out what. As much as he’d wanted to press the issue last
night, their mother had been too happy to have Colin home.
Colin’s appearance made his mother happy, but Ryan couldn’t handle the gushing and
fussing. He couldn’t wait to escape the family dinner. Claiming bar business, he’d
thought he could get away. Colin following him to O’Leary’s last night had not been
part of the plan. He’d successfully avoided Colin for the two weeks he’d been home.
He knew it had been too good to last. His brother closed the place drinking with friends
he hadn’t seen in years.
Ryan couldn’t wipe the image from his mind. It was like being stuck in a time warp.
Part of him had expected their dad to walk in and yell at Colin. Ryan drank last night
again, she felt his eyes on her. “Try some. It won’t hurt you.”
His hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist. He guided her finger to his lips and licked
the batter off. Jolts of pleasure ran up her arm and her eyes widened.
He did not just do that.
She yanked her hand away. “Wh-What are you doing?”
He shrugged with one of his careless smiles. “Trying the cookie dough. I didn’t think
you’d want my grubby hands in the bowl.”
The innocent look on his face baffled her. Did he really not mean anything by that?
He made no other move. He’d been nothing more than friendly the entire time he’d been
there. Maybe she was reading more into his actions.
His phone chirped. He pulled it out and checked the screen. His brows furrowed and
his lips tightened.
“Problem?”
“A text from my sister. I’m being summoned to my mom’s house.”
“You don’t look too happy about it.” Other than mentioning his sister earlier, he
hadn’t done much talking about himself. She wondered if he was hiding something. He
said he had a big family, but that didn’t mean he liked them.
“It’s not that. They’re changing plans again, that’s all. I have to juggle some stuff.”
He tucked his phone back into his pocket. “Unfortunately, that means I have to head
out now.”
Disappointment hit her quickly before she swiped it away. “Can’t you wait for the
cookies? They’ll be ready any minute.”
“I better not. Save some for me.” He headed to the door and she followed.
“Thanks again for the coffee,” she said.
“I told you I knew how to be friends. Thanks for letting me hang out with you. Talk
to you soon.”
She stared after him as he moved through the stairwell door. He made a hasty departure.
She smiled at the kindness of his visit. There was definitely more to Ryan O’Leary
than she’d thought.
In the kitchen, the timer went off, and she removed the cookies from the oven and
set them out to cool.
Quinn sipped at the last of the decadent brew Ryan had brought. The essays in her
bag needed to be graded, but she ignored them. She thought long and hard about her
life. By now, she was supposed to have what Kate had: a house, a husband, and kids.
Her first marriage had been a joke, and she couldn’t even find an adequate date. But
she still wanted children.
Eyeing the list tacked to her refrigerator above the artwork created by Kate’s kids,
Quinn thought of the possibility of starting a family. As soon as school let out,
she’d seriously start making plans. Adoption, in vitro, artificial insemination .
. . There was a lot to consider, but if she could handle the list Indy made, she could
conquer anything.
Sunday afternoon, Ryan sat at his desk, sucking down his third cup of coffee. The
numbers on the spreadsheet in front of him blurred. The family dinner usually held
on Sundays had turned into a whole-day affair on Saturday to give Colin a proper welcome
home. Of all the things to pull him away from Quinn, he didn’t think Colin had been
worth it.
He didn’t believe Colin had reappeared out of some sense of family. He wanted something,
but Ryan couldn’t figure out what. As much as he’d wanted to press the issue last
night, their mother had been too happy to have Colin home.
Colin’s appearance made his mother happy, but Ryan couldn’t handle the gushing and
fussing. He couldn’t wait to escape the family dinner. Claiming bar business, he’d
thought he could get away. Colin following him to O’Leary’s last night had not been
part of the plan. He’d successfully avoided Colin for the two weeks he’d been home.
He knew it had been too good to last. His brother closed the place drinking with friends
he hadn’t seen in years.
Ryan couldn’t wipe the image from his mind. It was like being stuck in a time warp.
Part of him had expected their dad to walk in and yell at Colin. Ryan drank last night
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