“The guys are all going to miss you.”
“I may be out, but that doesn’t mean you can’t come and visit me. I’ll be expecting you.” He withdrew his hand, offering a smile. “Come visit me and I’ll buy you all a beer.”
“Will do. The men are going to want to see the woman that has you leaving our asses.” Dale tucked the form under his arm. “How are you getting home?”
“Plane, taxi, Dorothy has refused to come and get me. She’s at the apartment where I’ll be staying.” His sister was known for being a pain in the ass, but he adored her.
“Okay. Your sister is waiting to give you a long talk, right?”
“You know her well. She’ll be ready to have my ass if I in any way ruin her friendship with Kaley. She’s not going to have anything to worry about. I’m perfect for Kaley.”
“Ah, the mystery woman has a name.”
Shaking his head, Quinn turned and headed out into the sunshine. He loved the summer a hell of a lot more than he did the winter. Everything always looked brighter to him. Climbing in the back of the guys’ car, he laughed as they talked nonstop about his leaving. They were all good men, and he’d miss them.
Quinn stood in the airport, and he took out the picture his sister had sent last. It had been taken four months ago, at Kaley’s twenty-fourth birthday. His sister knew about his feelings for her friend and had expressed her concern, but she hadn’t stopped sending pictures of Kaley.
His woman smiled back at the camera. In front of her was a large, chocolate-frosted cake. For the first time in a picture the glasses were not present and he was able to see her dark brown eyes. She smiled, and it lit up the whole of her face, making his chest tighten and his cock harden unbearably. Her hair was unbound and curled around her shoulders. The dress she wore showed a great deal of cleavage, more daring than anything he’d seen her in, as the hem ended before her knee. Kaley was pressing the knife into the cake. She practically sparkled with joy.
Quinn had already set the wheels in motion for him to be out of the Seals. This picture had only confirmed what he would do. It would only be a matter of time before another man saw what he did and fought past her boundaries to get to the woman within. He saw the sensuality within her. The need in her eyes to be taken, to be loved, shone brightly back at him. There was so much need inside her he was surprised Dorothy hadn’t pushed one of her male friends onto Kaley. His sister hadn’t, and so, Quinn was finally ready to make Kaley his. Even if his sister was nervous because he didn’t have the best track record, she knew he wouldn’t hurt Kaley, and that his feelings for her were real. He’d be the one to unlock the passion inside her. He alone would reap the rewards, and when it was all over, he’d be the one she fell in love with.
All he needed to do was persevere. It wasn’t hard. He’d been a Navy Seal; seducing a woman would be a walk in the park.
****
“I’m going to head to the library,” Kaley said, putting all of her notes into her bag. She’d taken an extra class at the college to pass her time, and now she was in graduate school.
“Okay.” Dorothy appeared out of the kitchen holding a wooden spoon. “You’re going to be gone until this evening, right?”
Kaley frowned at the hopeful look on her friend’s face. “Huh? What’s going on?”
“Nothing. Nothing is going on.” Dorothy rubbed the end of the wooden spoon against her head. Thick chocolate batter coated it, looking way too tempting.
Her suspicions rose as she looked at Dorothy. “You’re acting strangely.”
“It’s the summer. The heat is getting to me.”
Shrugging, Kaley put her satchel over her shoulder. She worked at the library five days a week and spent most of her evenings there while she studied. When she wasn’t working or studying, she wrote. Kaley loved to write stories, explicit stories filled with adventure and intrigue.
“Do you want me to pick something up for dinner?”
“Nah, I’m going to cook.”
Again, her suspicions rose. Between the pair of them, Dorothy rarely cooked while Kaley loved to cook. “I’m a little confused right now. Who’s coming to dinner?”