“Here’s to Prohibition,” Saige says, raising her Mary Pickford. I raise my Sidecar and we toast.
“To Prohibition,” I say, giving her a wink.
The atmosphere the restaurant creates is seductive and smooth. The drinks go down easy and the laughter flows. I feel more free to talk here. Almost as if I can let myself be a little more Sylas and a little less Quinn.
Saige is radiant. Not that she isn’t always, but under the lights and with the effects of the alcohol, I can’t take my eyes off her.
“You’re staring, Quinn Brand.”
“You’re beautiful, Saige Beaumont,” I say. She rolls her eyes at me, but there’s a smile on her face.
“What a line.”
“It’s my goal to use every single one of them on you.”
She sips her drink and raises her eyebrows.
“All of them?”
“All of them.”
She shakes her head and then I feel her foot sliding up my leg.
“Be careful, Saige Beaumont,” I say, narrowing my eyes.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The music throbs in my ears and it’s hard not to dive over the table and bury myself in her right now. I just had her several times, and all I want is more.
She’s a job.
Just a job.
“I love this song,” she says, closing her eyes and swaying. We’ve finished our meals and I’m wondering if she wants dessert. Or if she’s ready to go back to the hotel and let me fuck her some more.
But I get to my feet and hold out my hand. We danced on our first date and it seems only right to dance now.
I don’t know the song, but it’s a rich jazz number, slow enough to dance close to Saige. I hold her and we move together and I close my eyes because she’s too much. Sometimes I can’t take all of her at once.
Just a job.
Saige sighs and rests her cheek on my heart.
I hold her and throw myself into being Quinn. I’ve let myself be too much Sylas and that has to stop. I have to protect myself against this woman.
I’ve never been in love. You have to open yourself up for something like that. It’s less of loving someone else and more letting yourself be loved. And I can’t let that happen. Not in a romantic sense. I love Lizzy and that’s enough for me. Loving someone is giving them the ultimate power to hurt you and I will never give that power away.
Saige tilts her head and looks up at me.
“You’re very good at this, Quinn. This dating thing.”
My breath catches when she says the word “dating”.
“Is that what we’re doing? Are you asking me to define our relationship?” Or DTR as Cash calls it.
“Would that be okay? We don’t have to. We can keep going like we have if you want.” No. This is an important part of the process. I need her to trust me implicitly.
“I would love to have the honor of dating you, Saige.” She smiles and burrows into my chest again.
“Good. I want to date you, too. But I just have one rule.” She looks up at me again and her green eyes are serious.
“What’s that?”
“You can’t break my heart.” I look down at her and my steps stutter for a moment. I’m going to break her heart. That’s the only way this is going to end.
But I smile as best I can.
“I think that if any heart is going to get broken, it’s mine,” I say. She shifts back to being playful.
“I’ll try not to break it,” she says quietly, one hand stroking my chest where my heart beats. I know she can feel it race. My heart always seems to know when Saige is in range and speeds up. It’s not something I can help. It’s just a bodily response to a beautiful and funny and sexy woman. My biological need to mate and continue the species.
“You have a good heart, Quinn.” I don’t want to talk about my heart. Or her heart. Or anyone’s heart getting twisted and wrapped up in this game.
One thing is for sure, when this job is over I’m going to have to leave. I can’t stay in the same city with Saige and risk running into her. I just… I couldn’t do it.
“Do you want to get dessert, or go back to the hotel?” I ask, trying to make my voice even.
“I think I’d like to go back to the hotel and maybe have dessert in bed. The eating and the naked kind.” She pulls back from me and I let go of her.
“I’d like that too.”
I pay the check and tuck her under my arm as we walk back out to the waiting car.
“This has been a fabulous night, Quinn. Absolutely fabulous.”
“Memorable?” I ask.
“Definitely. And it’s not over yet.”
Seventeen
Saige and I head back to the hotel and order all the desserts from the room service menu. They must think we’re having a party because they send up enough place settings for six people.
“We’re never going to eat all this,” Saige says, gesturing to the cart they’ve left us. There’s cake and tiramisu and bread pudding and cheesecake and key lime pie. It all looks spectacular and we definitely can’t eat it all. I don’t care. That’s not what this night is about.
I just hand her a fork and get one for myself. We’ve changed out of our fancy dinner outfits and put on the soft robes I found in the closet.
“What do you want first?” I ask as she scans the cart.
“Red velvet cake. Always,” she says, grabbing the plate. “And I’m not sharing.”
“That’s fine,” I say, going for the key lime pie. Yet another thing that reminds me of my mother. I used to be so good at putting her out of my head. I’d go days without thinking of her, but it seems like every moment with Saige is locked into a memory. I shake my head. I think I’m losing it. Maybe I need a vacation. Or maybe I just need to suck it up and get back to work.
Row has been on duty tonight and I hope he’s enjoying his overnight stay in the hotel. Baz is outside in a car and I’m pretty sure he’s pissed about it. But the mysterious texter hasn’t sent me any more messages or pictures.
Saige and I clink our forks together and start eating the desserts. She polishes off the entire piece of cake and then goes for the bread pudding.
“I know we just ate dinner, but somehow, I still have room for this,” she says, looking fondly at the plates.
“I think it has something to do with science. Not quite sure though.” She sticks her tongue out at me and then pops another bite of bread pudding into her mouth. We end up trading plates and eating almost half the desserts.
“Oh my God, I don’t think I can move,” she says, flopping back on the bed and folding her hands on her stomach. “I think I’m going to regret this later, but I don’t care.” I lay back next to her.
“Dessert is meant to be enjoyed. If not now, when?” She laughs softly.
“I like that.” She rolls over onto her stomach and props herself up on her elbows.
“I don't think I’m going to be able to do the other kind of dessert for a while. It just doesn’t seem like a good idea to move around with all this cake inside me. We probably should have thought of that ahead of time.” Probably. But I’m not opposed to waiting a little while. I’m also in no shape to fuck, no matter what my cock thinks. Maybe if she were on top.
“That’s fine. I think I need a little down time as well.”
“Watch a movie?” she says, grabbing the remote and turning on the television.
“As long as it’s not of the X-rated kind. My body might not be ready for action, but he doesn’t care about that.” I point to my cock.
Saige giggles.
“Well, no porn then. Got it. Are you opposed to romantic movies?”
“Not in theory, but it depends on the movie.” She flips through the channels, bypassing the sports networks and news channels.