Fall for You (Flirting with Forever Book 4) Read online

  “I was just wondering what his daughter thinks. Don’t you have her in class?”

  “Oh. Um, yeah.” I glance down at the table. “Liam is talking to her about it this weekend when she comes home from her mom’s.”

  Zoey smiles. “Good. That’s a good idea if you plan to date him.”

  Sophia winces. “Right. I keep forgetting he has a child.”

  “Not even a little one, either. A teenager.” Piper gives me a slightly concerned look.

  “Like the ones we all teach.” Madison nods, like all this is just hitting her.

  Hadleigh wrinkles her nose. “And we all know how much fun the beasties are some days.”

  “Yeah, that’s why he’s telling her sooner rather than later. I don’t want to let things get too much further without her being aware of it.”

  “Do you get along with her?” Zoey questions.

  “I do. I think she trusts me. She’s confided in me a little bit about some things that are going on at school.” I take a sip of my drink, then set the bottle down, pushing it away, no longer interested in it. “I’ll make sure when I see Liam tomorrow that he’s planning on saying something to her.” I smile, my body still feeling loose and happy. “Now, did I miss the pterodactyl book talk?”

  Hadleigh laughs, “Nah. We decided to push it to next time.”

  Chapter 16

  Liam

  I pull up to the address Quinn gave me yesterday. It’s a quaint little two-story home, kind of off the beaten path, and because of that, it looks like they own some land surrounding the house, unlike what you get in the neighborhoods a little bit closer to the main part of town. Still, it looks like it’s well cared for, which makes me stop and think for a minute. I don’t know where Quinn’s father is, but it would seem that it’s just Meg and Quinn here. And if that’s the case, I have a feeling Quinn’s the one keeping this place maintained like it is. That’s just one more thing on her plate in addition to work, tutoring, and the bakery.

  I press my lips together as I ring the doorbell, hoping I’ve read Meg correctly.

  When the door opens, Quinn gives me a big grin and reaches her hands out toward me, pulling me inside. “Hi, handsome.” She leans in and drops a soft peck on my cheek.

  “These are for you.” I hold out a pretty bouquet I’d picked up at the corner market on the way over. “And these are for your mom.” I hold out a second bouquet with a wink.

  “Oh my, you’re going to earn some points for that. Mom just loves flowers. How did you know?”

  I chuckle. “Well, when a bakery makes a point to have fresh flowers on every table, I figure it has more to do with the owner’s tastes than with selling pastries.”

  Just then, Meg peeks around the corner. “Is it safe to say hello?”

  Quinn presses a few fingers to her forehead, smiling. “Sure, Mom. In fact, Liam has something for you.”

  “For me?”

  She stands aside and lets me woo her mother for a few moments.

  “Yes, ma’am. I noticed all of your flowers in your shop and thought you would enjoy a bouquet as well. Consider it a thank you for helping me with the cake.”

  “Oh, well isn’t that sweet of you. Thank you.” She takes the flowers from me and lowers her nose into them, inhaling deeply. “They smell lovely.”

  “Olivia absolutely loved her birthday cake. She ate a huge hunk of it every afternoon after school until it was all gone, so she obviously enjoyed it. I even caught her sneaking it at breakfast. She said she needed the extra sugar to make it through the day.”

  Her mom flat-out giggles, which, from the look on Quinn’s face, is something she may not do very often. “That’s incredibly kind of you to tell me about it. I’m really glad she enjoyed it.”

  “I can’t imagine what she’d have thought if I’d tried out my baking skills—or lack thereof—on her birthday cake.”

  “Well, I’m happy to help any time. All you have to do is ask.”

  I shoot her a charming smile, designed to bowl both women over. “I will definitely hold you to that.”

  “Well, you two go on out and have a good time. Here, Quinn, give me your flowers. I’ll put them in water for you.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Quinn says as she hands her the bouquet. We wave and make our way down the front path to my RAV4. I glance over my shoulder to find Meg watching from the doorway.

  If the look on her face is any indication, I’ve definitely scored some bonus points today. The real question is if I’ve earned more with Quinn than with her mom.

  Quinn

  Liam takes my hand and leads me to a cute little coffee shop that I love. I’ve been here before with Sophia, and we hang out here after school sometimes or on the occasional weekend morning.

  His hand remains on the small of my back as we walk up to the counter to place our order. I lean into his touch, and his hand moves up and down in a comforting gesture as we wait our turn.

  Coffee in hand, we find a table for two in the corner of the shop and settle in. I blow carefully and take a small sip, sighing with pleasure. “I wasn’t expecting the temperature to dip back down under forty again.”

  “Have you lived here your whole life?”

  I laugh. “Yeah, that’s why it’s so surprising that I’m caught off guard by it every time it happens. It’s just unpredictable at this time of year, I guess. One day it’s sixty, the next we get hammered with a snowstorm.” I nudge his foot under the table. “How about you? Have you lived here your whole life?” And before he can answer, I blurt out, “And please make me stop talking about the weather. That’s so damned embarrassing, and I’m afraid you’re going to think it’s been like ten years since my last date.”

  He chuckles. “Okay, no more weather talk. Got it. Also, I haven’t been on a date in over eighteen years, so don’t sweat it. But, no, I didn’t move to Massachusetts until I went to college. Becky and I met while we were at Boston University. Her family is from the Boston area, so we stayed after graduation.”

  I nod with a tiny smirk twitching at my lips. “Ah, nerd love, huh?”

  He puts up his hands in a classic what can I say? gesture. “Yeah, pretty much. Between me and my computer science stuff and her and her law degree, we had our fair share of brains to pass on to Olivia. Anyway, I lived all over before meeting Becky. My dad was in the Air Force, so we moved around a lot, depending on where he was stationed.”

  “Did you like it?”

  “Moving around, you mean? Eh, not really. Which is why when Becky and I divorced, I really wanted Olivia to have one home base, to settle down once and for all, and visit the other parent on occasional weekends.”

  “She was okay with that? Did you want it to be you?” I slap my hand over my mouth. “I’m sorry. So many questions.”

  He laughs. “No worries. I’m happy to answer. I really can’t imagine it working out any other way than it has. If Becky had fought for her, I might have let her win if it’s what Olivia had wanted. It would have killed me, though.”

  I bite my lip. “I can imagine. It’s none of my business, but … is it Becky’s job that stopped her from fighting for custody?”

  “Yeah, for the most part. Becky was never really a hands-on parent, anyway. It’s just who she is.”

  I lift my coffee cup partway to my lips and stop. “How long have you been divorced?” My brows draw together. “I can’t remember if you told me. I was a little out of it the day I found out you weren’t still married.” I give him a wry grin, then take a careful swallow of my coffee.

  “About a year. The divorce was finalized just as Olivia was finishing up her freshman year.” He bows his head for a second, running his fingers over the rim of his coffee cup. “It was hard on her.”

  “I can imagine.” We are both quiet for a few seconds. “So, how long were you married?”

  “Sixteen years. We got married when we found out Becky was pregnant.”

  Well, that brought conversation to a halt. My brows raise, bu
t I don’t dare touch that one with a ten-foot pole. It’s pretty much why my parents got married. It’s likely also why my dad cheated and left. He’d never wanted to be married to Mom in the first place, but I guess they’d thought it was the right thing to do.

  Liam leans forward and, like he’s confessing something horrible, winces. “In hindsight, it was not our best decision. We were both very career focused. I think she was actually resentful toward me because having Olivia made her put things on hold for a short time.” He gives me a rueful grin. “She was happier once we hired a nanny. I hated every minute of it, though, always having someone else in our home.” He shakes his head like he’s trying not to dwell on it for too long. “But I was an integral part of the computer security company I’d started with a few colleagues, and I couldn’t back out or slow down to give Olivia the parent she so desperately needed at the time.”

  “Wow. What changed?”

  “The honest truth is the business was highly successful. And I was always busy. I could see time slipping away from me and Olivia getting older and older, and … well, I didn’t like it. When I sold my portion of the company to my partners and walked away, I had the ability and means to do whatever I wanted.”

  My brow furrows. “And that’s when you decided to build and run a cider mill?”

  “It’s one of those fun dreams that people have, right? Open your own bar, bookstore, restaurant, bakery …” On that last one, he shoots me a wink. “You know how it goes.” He chuckles. “When Becky found out I’d pulled out of the company I’d helped build and wanted to move out of the city and do something different, she wasn’t happy. We’d already grown apart at that point, that was the last straw. We realized we were on two different paths.” His teeth trap his lower lip for a second before he continues on. “She’s good right where she is in Boston, doing what she loves.”

  “And you split.”

  “Yep and fairly amicably. And if our relationship wasn’t worth fighting for … well, it makes me sad some days, but it feels like I wasted my time.”

  “But it can’t have been a complete waste if it gave you Olivia.”

  “Right.” He nods. “That’s what I keep telling myself. Eventually, though, she’ll be off to college, and then I’m—” He blows out an exasperated breath. “Sorry. This got way too heavy for first-date conversation.”

  “You don’t have to be sorry. And I think we may be past the point where you need to worry about that. I just want to know you, Liam. Whoever you are and however you feel. I’m glad you told me you were divorced when you did because the thought that we’d—” I jerk to a stop, setting my coffee cup down. “You know, and then I met who I thought was your wife? Holy shit. I almost died right there on the spot.”

  Chapter 17

  Liam

  I grit my teeth together. “Sorry about that. I just assumed it was in Olivia’s file or something. Not that I knew you and I were going to come face-to-face that day.”

  The color on Quinn’s cheeks tells me there is something more that she hasn’t told me. Even though this is our first date, I’ve had enough interaction with her to know when she’s holding something back. Strangely enough, I don’t usually feel like I know many people as well after only a handful of encounters the way I feel like I know her. That generous heart is on full display at all times, and her quick mind is an open book. But perhaps that’s only for me. Dare I hope that’s the case? That we could be so right for each other, that we just understand each other?

  Deciding to dig deeper, I say, “Most people would react similarly to the way you did if they thought they were the other person.” I leave her the opening to continue to talk if she wants to.

  As I watch, she takes a slow sip of her coffee, her hand shaking ever so slightly as she sets the cup back on the table. She raises her eyes to mine. Oh fuck, is she about to tell me that it’s happened to her before? Is that what this is about?

  She visibly swallows before her eyes flick up to mine. “I’ll tell you why I was particularly freaked out some other time.”

  I’m about to argue and say I want to know why she seems on edge all of a sudden when voices and giggling from the other side of the room catch my attention. My head turns toward it at the same time Quinn’s does.

  A group of girls and boys, about Olivia’s age, sit in a big booth, talking, laughing, and sliding the occasional curious glance in our direction. I lift a hand and wave, letting them know we see them, and if they read my expression correctly, to cut the crap.

  When my focus shifts back to Quinn, annoyance distorts her pretty features.

  I lean closer and speak softly. “Do you want to get out of here?”

  She glances down at her half-finished coffee, pushing it away. “I think it would be for the best, yes.”

  “Okay, let’s go.” I stand and shrug into my coat, then help Quinn into hers. We leave without another word or a glance at the table of teens.

  “So.” I blow out a breath as we walk away from the coffee shop toward my car.

  Quinn huffs out a heavy sigh. “Yeah. Those kids are all in Olivia’s grade.”

  “Gotcha. Okay well, let’s go somewhere else, then.”

  I open the door for her and help her in, all the while wondering if this is a big deal at all. Two adults out at a coffee shop? Come on. Shrugging it off, I climb into the driver’s seat and turn the car on.

  A few moments later, Quinn snaps out of whatever daze she’s in and glances at me. “Where should we go?”

  “Is it okay with you if we hang out over at my place? We can talk more or … you know, whatever.” I shrug, trying for an innocent look.

  She scrunches her nose at me, an amused light in her eyes. “Or whatever?”

  I laugh. I guess I didn’t quite pull off innocence. “Yeah. If that’s what you want to call it, and if that’s what you want to do, sure.”

  “Taking advantage of the fact that your daughter is out of the house, Liam?”

  I rub my hand over my jaw. “It only happens once a month. Who knew dating life with a teenager would be so damn complicated?”

  “I could have told you that, and I don’t even have one.” She snorts a little. “I guess I do sort of have just over a hundred of them. Give or take.”

  “That must be interesting.”

  “What? Learning how to tame the wild beast? Yeah, it can get a little hairy sometimes.” She shifts in her seat, drawing my eyes to her legs in her hot-as-fuck tight jeans.

  I can’t deny it, she’s sitting in my passenger seat, talking about the behavior of a bunch of kids, and I think it must be the pants because I’m incredibly hot for her.

  I growl under my breath. “You’re too damn sexy, Quinn. Those jeans should be illegal in all fifty states. Canada, too.”

  “Well, then let’s get back to your place so I can take them off.” She shoots a wink at me.

  My foot presses down on the gas, as I urge the car out of the parking lot and onto the road headed home.

  She shifts again, catching onto my rising interest level, and unzips her jacket. She thrusts her chest forward as she wiggles her arms free. “Is it a little warm in here, or is it just me?” Once she’s set her jacket on her lap, she uses her hand to fan her face.

  Ah, fuck. She’s outright teasing me.

  I clear my throat, sliding a quick smirk in her direction before I focus on the road again. “It’s fucking stifling. If we don’t get home where I can get my hands on you in the next five minutes, I’m going to catch fire right here in my seat.”

  We cover a few more miles before she pats my arm, then slowly slides her hand over my shoulder, her fingers tickling my neck. Her hand finally comes to rest at the back of my head, her fingers playing absentmindedly with my hair. We’ve really, really got to get back to my place before I go crazy from the sheer pleasure of her touch.

  And my dick? Well, he thinks it’s time to come out and say hello. My erection presses mercilessly behind the zipper of my pants, becomi
ng harder the closer we get to home.

  Feeling very much like a horny teenager, I pull into the driveway, barrel toward the house, and come to a halting stop to wait for the garage door to fully open.

  Once we’re parked, it’s game on. I undo my seatbelt and half lunge across the console. Our lips meet in a hungry collision of lips and tongue.

  After a few moments, we gasp for air and pull apart. “Quinn, I’m going out of my mind from the way you’ve been taunting me the last ten minutes.”

  “Would it help if I made good on my promise?”

  As if we are of one mind, we scramble for our door handles, tumbling out and around the vehicle. She launches herself into my arms, and I hold on tight, knowing everything about Quinn is one wild ride that there is no sense in trying to prepare for. I’m just going to hang on and enjoy every second of it.

  We burst into the kitchen from the garage, kicking off shoes, dropping jackets, and intermittently coming back together for kisses and gropes in between.

  I’ve got her halfway out of her jeans when I stop, glancing at the counter. “I want you right there. Ass on the island. Now.”

  She kicks her jeans the rest of the way off, then whips her top over her head, leaving her in just her panties and bra. Her nipples have already drawn into hot little peaks behind the lacy fabric of her bra. Just as I’d demanded, she backs up to the island and boosts herself on top of it.

  I’m already approaching full-blown mental overload, my dick is as hard as a steel rod, and this woman is the sexiest thing that has ever happened in my kitchen.

  She arches one brow at me and sends me a saucy smile. “Very commanding, Mr. Ramsey. I think I like this side of you. Now, lose your pants.”

  As my hands go for my belt buckle, she kicks her legs while waiting none-too-patiently for me. She bites down on her plump lower lip, kicking me into gear. I divest myself of my jeans and boxer briefs in world record time, but then slow myself as I close the distance between us. I curl my arms around her, tugging her to the very edge of the counter and smiling when I realize her seat has put us eye to eye. “I like this a lot.”