Quinn, you must introduce me to your new little friends.”
Quinn shivered at Serena’s icy touch. Of course she showed up. She’ll find a way to make me regret doing something remotely fun without her.
He looked down into her glittering green eyes and gave her a smile. Hopefully Isabella Landry left before Serena sniffed her out.
That would be something for the gossip reporters.
Quinn almost smiled at the thought.
“Ladies, you’ll have to excuse us. Quinn has a previous engagement.” Serena’s eyes narrowed as she glanced at the girls.
“What, you really have to leave so soon?” The braver of the two also seemed to be the denser of the pair.
She is clearly not reading the dynamic here.
“Yes, I’m sorry, little girl. But I sure there are more age appropriate men elsewhere in this…place.” Serena gave a little sniff to remind Quinn how much she hated Chance’s.
“Geez Quinn, can’t your mom let you come out and play?”
Ah you brave little idiot. Quinn didn’t need to see Serena’s face to know exactly what she was thinking. She buried her nails deep in the skin on his forearm.
“Listen here, co-ed…” Serena’s normally cool voice was a ragged snarl.
“Okay, ladies, how about we all just say good night?” Quinn freed himself from Serena’s claw and put a hand on each of the girls’ shoulders. His fingers dangled just close enough to their twenty-one-year-old breasts to make both the girls giggle. I’ve still got it.
I can’t make use of it anymore. But at least I’ve still got it.
“Now my lady friend and I are going to move on, but I’m going to have my friend chance take care of you this evening. Chance!” Quinn pointed to the two girls. “You take care of these ladies, and put it on my tab, okay?”
Chance nodded and winked at Quinn.
“There, now you two have a wonderful night on me, and thanks for coming out tonight.” Mustering up every ounce of Southern charm he had, he kissed each of their hands lightly, causing them to erupt in another wave of giggles as he ushered a still seething Serena out the door.
Once outside, Quinn inhaled the humid night air. “So, that was fun, wasn’t it?”
Serena’s hand stung across his face before he saw her move.
“Hey! What was that for?”
“Don’t you ever act like that around me again, Quinn Murray!” The light of an over head streetlamp made her sharp features seem hollow, dark. Yet her eyes glowed with rage.
“Act like what? I was trying to keep you from killing those girls.”
“Why? They were horrible little bitches.”
Quinn put both his hands on her shoulders. “Yes, they were horrible little bitches. Horrible little co-eds whose daddies would probably love to bring a lawsuit against you and the station if you actually did tear their eyes out.”
“You weren’t thinking about me. You were thinking about those girls the whole time, wondering what they’d be like.”
“Serena…” he crouched slightly to look her in the eye, “when in the last two years have I not been thinking about you?” At least that much is true. The thought of her haunts my every waking nightmare minute.
Her jaw tightened. “Why would you even be here, on stage? You were the one who got up on stage and made them all want you, just like you used to. And I won’t have it, Quinn. You belong to me now.”
Her words shattered against him like glass against a stone wall.
As if I could ever forget. You won’t let me replace you with other women and I won’t let myself drink you away.
Isabella Landry is back in Nashville. And not even that thought can wipe out our little arrangement.
“Serena, of course I belong to you.” He draped an arm around her shoulders and guided her up the street.
“Really?”
He knew this new, desirous tone, well. “Sure.”
“Then let’s go back to my place and you can prove it.”
“Great idea,” he replied with hollow enthusiasm. Isabella Landry, the woman I’ve adored for two decades,
Quinn shivered at Serena’s icy touch. Of course she showed up. She’ll find a way to make me regret doing something remotely fun without her.
He looked down into her glittering green eyes and gave her a smile. Hopefully Isabella Landry left before Serena sniffed her out.
That would be something for the gossip reporters.
Quinn almost smiled at the thought.
“Ladies, you’ll have to excuse us. Quinn has a previous engagement.” Serena’s eyes narrowed as she glanced at the girls.
“What, you really have to leave so soon?” The braver of the two also seemed to be the denser of the pair.
She is clearly not reading the dynamic here.
“Yes, I’m sorry, little girl. But I sure there are more age appropriate men elsewhere in this…place.” Serena gave a little sniff to remind Quinn how much she hated Chance’s.
“Geez Quinn, can’t your mom let you come out and play?”
Ah you brave little idiot. Quinn didn’t need to see Serena’s face to know exactly what she was thinking. She buried her nails deep in the skin on his forearm.
“Listen here, co-ed…” Serena’s normally cool voice was a ragged snarl.
“Okay, ladies, how about we all just say good night?” Quinn freed himself from Serena’s claw and put a hand on each of the girls’ shoulders. His fingers dangled just close enough to their twenty-one-year-old breasts to make both the girls giggle. I’ve still got it.
I can’t make use of it anymore. But at least I’ve still got it.
“Now my lady friend and I are going to move on, but I’m going to have my friend chance take care of you this evening. Chance!” Quinn pointed to the two girls. “You take care of these ladies, and put it on my tab, okay?”
Chance nodded and winked at Quinn.
“There, now you two have a wonderful night on me, and thanks for coming out tonight.” Mustering up every ounce of Southern charm he had, he kissed each of their hands lightly, causing them to erupt in another wave of giggles as he ushered a still seething Serena out the door.
Once outside, Quinn inhaled the humid night air. “So, that was fun, wasn’t it?”
Serena’s hand stung across his face before he saw her move.
“Hey! What was that for?”
“Don’t you ever act like that around me again, Quinn Murray!” The light of an over head streetlamp made her sharp features seem hollow, dark. Yet her eyes glowed with rage.
“Act like what? I was trying to keep you from killing those girls.”
“Why? They were horrible little bitches.”
Quinn put both his hands on her shoulders. “Yes, they were horrible little bitches. Horrible little co-eds whose daddies would probably love to bring a lawsuit against you and the station if you actually did tear their eyes out.”
“You weren’t thinking about me. You were thinking about those girls the whole time, wondering what they’d be like.”
“Serena…” he crouched slightly to look her in the eye, “when in the last two years have I not been thinking about you?” At least that much is true. The thought of her haunts my every waking nightmare minute.
Her jaw tightened. “Why would you even be here, on stage? You were the one who got up on stage and made them all want you, just like you used to. And I won’t have it, Quinn. You belong to me now.”
Her words shattered against him like glass against a stone wall.
As if I could ever forget. You won’t let me replace you with other women and I won’t let myself drink you away.
Isabella Landry is back in Nashville. And not even that thought can wipe out our little arrangement.
“Serena, of course I belong to you.” He draped an arm around her shoulders and guided her up the street.
“Really?”
He knew this new, desirous tone, well. “Sure.”
“Then let’s go back to my place and you can prove it.”
“Great idea,” he replied with hollow enthusiasm. Isabella Landry, the woman I’ve adored for two decades,
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