Read Online Strong, Silent Type by Lorelei James - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lorelei James
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what’s bothering you, and yet, whenever I tried to bring up what’s bothering me, you changed the damn subject.”
When she froze in shock, he moved her off his body.
“That’s not fair. My unwillingness to talk about sex was in the past.”
“You’re right. Forget it.” He rolled sideways and perched on the edge of the bed with his back to her.
What’d just happened? Everything had been going so well. “Quinn?”
No answer.
Libby forged ahead anyway. “What makes you think that sex isn’t important to me?”
“For the last several years sex is important to you as long as you’re gettin’ what you want out of it, and out of me.”
“Which is what?”
“A baby.” He stood. Without looking at her, he said, “I need to check cattle,” and booked it out of the room, apparently not caring that he was completely naked.
Stunned, and a little heartsick, Libby slipped on her robe. She went to the window and opened the blinds.
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Strong Silent Type
A few minutes later, a bare-chested Quinn exited the house and plopped on the porch steps. He yanked his old boots over his gray sweatpants in angry, jerky movements. He stalked to the truck, grabbed his T-shirt from inside the cab and pulled it on over his head. Then he slapped on his ball cap, climbed in and roared off.
Needing something to do besides pace, or wait to see if Quinn returned to the house, or if he preferred the cramped horse trailer to her lousy company, Libby went downstairs.
***
Darkness enveloped the big, bold Wyoming sky by the time Libby heard the porch screen slam. The table was set and ready, but supper had gone cold. Would Quinn fight with her? Or pull that silent macho crap and ignore her? At this point she didn’t know which she’d prefer.
Wrong. She wanted his fire. His anger. His honest reaction. Because his words spurred her to take a longer, deeper look at her actions and inactions over the last few years and she hadn’t liked what she’d seen.
Consequently, she’d been staring out the kitchen window, nursing a glass of whiskey for the better part of an hour. She didn’t turn around when he entered the kitchen.
The silence between them was absolute.
Who would be the first to break it?
Quinn said, “I’m—” at the same time she said, “I didn’t—”
They both laughed, but it was forced laughter.
Quinn approached her. Her heart sped up.
Slipping his arms around her waist, he rubbed his face in her hair. “Sorry.”
“I’m sorry too.”
“We probably oughta talk about it, huh?”
“Or we could just get drunk.”
He chuckled. “There is that option. Might be less painful initially, but guaranteed we’d pay for it in the mornin’.”
“True.”
“Where do we start?”
“Where we left off.” Libby drained the last of her whiskey. “Where the problems began. Jilly warned me about bringing up the baby issue, or lack thereof.”
“Jilly? What’s she have to do with it?”
“She called and offered me some free advice.”
“Then take it for what it’s worth. Nuthin’. Besides, I’m the one who brought it up. And not in a nice way neither.”
www.samhainpublishing.com 47
Lorelei James
“I don’t think there is a nice way to tell me that I seriously screwed up everything with my quest for a baby.”
“Libby—”
“Just let me get this out, okay?” Would this confession be easier if she wasn’t looking into his all-knowing eyes? Probably not.
“I’m not gonna pretend that I was aware that I was driving you away when I became obsessed with getting pregnant. After you stormed away a couple hours ago, it was like a light bulb went off in my head and I saw everything in a whole different light. I didn’t like what I saw.
“It was all about me. My body. What I wanted. What I needed.” Tears gathered in her eyes when she considered how selfish she’d been. How much she’d hurt him and without knowing it.
“And?” he prompted.
Suck it up.
When she froze in shock, he moved her off his body.
“That’s not fair. My unwillingness to talk about sex was in the past.”
“You’re right. Forget it.” He rolled sideways and perched on the edge of the bed with his back to her.
What’d just happened? Everything had been going so well. “Quinn?”
No answer.
Libby forged ahead anyway. “What makes you think that sex isn’t important to me?”
“For the last several years sex is important to you as long as you’re gettin’ what you want out of it, and out of me.”
“Which is what?”
“A baby.” He stood. Without looking at her, he said, “I need to check cattle,” and booked it out of the room, apparently not caring that he was completely naked.
Stunned, and a little heartsick, Libby slipped on her robe. She went to the window and opened the blinds.
46
www.samhainpublishing.com
Strong Silent Type
A few minutes later, a bare-chested Quinn exited the house and plopped on the porch steps. He yanked his old boots over his gray sweatpants in angry, jerky movements. He stalked to the truck, grabbed his T-shirt from inside the cab and pulled it on over his head. Then he slapped on his ball cap, climbed in and roared off.
Needing something to do besides pace, or wait to see if Quinn returned to the house, or if he preferred the cramped horse trailer to her lousy company, Libby went downstairs.
***
Darkness enveloped the big, bold Wyoming sky by the time Libby heard the porch screen slam. The table was set and ready, but supper had gone cold. Would Quinn fight with her? Or pull that silent macho crap and ignore her? At this point she didn’t know which she’d prefer.
Wrong. She wanted his fire. His anger. His honest reaction. Because his words spurred her to take a longer, deeper look at her actions and inactions over the last few years and she hadn’t liked what she’d seen.
Consequently, she’d been staring out the kitchen window, nursing a glass of whiskey for the better part of an hour. She didn’t turn around when he entered the kitchen.
The silence between them was absolute.
Who would be the first to break it?
Quinn said, “I’m—” at the same time she said, “I didn’t—”
They both laughed, but it was forced laughter.
Quinn approached her. Her heart sped up.
Slipping his arms around her waist, he rubbed his face in her hair. “Sorry.”
“I’m sorry too.”
“We probably oughta talk about it, huh?”
“Or we could just get drunk.”
He chuckled. “There is that option. Might be less painful initially, but guaranteed we’d pay for it in the mornin’.”
“True.”
“Where do we start?”
“Where we left off.” Libby drained the last of her whiskey. “Where the problems began. Jilly warned me about bringing up the baby issue, or lack thereof.”
“Jilly? What’s she have to do with it?”
“She called and offered me some free advice.”
“Then take it for what it’s worth. Nuthin’. Besides, I’m the one who brought it up. And not in a nice way neither.”
www.samhainpublishing.com 47
Lorelei James
“I don’t think there is a nice way to tell me that I seriously screwed up everything with my quest for a baby.”
“Libby—”
“Just let me get this out, okay?” Would this confession be easier if she wasn’t looking into his all-knowing eyes? Probably not.
“I’m not gonna pretend that I was aware that I was driving you away when I became obsessed with getting pregnant. After you stormed away a couple hours ago, it was like a light bulb went off in my head and I saw everything in a whole different light. I didn’t like what I saw.
“It was all about me. My body. What I wanted. What I needed.” Tears gathered in her eyes when she considered how selfish she’d been. How much she’d hurt him and without knowing it.
“And?” he prompted.
Suck it up.
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