Page 40 of Scars Like Wings
“No! I’m being completely subjective—no, wait. Objection. Wait, that’s not right either,” I stuttered on.I would like to implode now, please.“I’m so sorry you have to deal with me like this right now. This is not like me.”
Quinn smiled. “Hey, drunken mouths speak sober truths. But I would like to find out whatislike you.”
Suddenly, the music came rushing in upon us, or maybe my brain tuned back into it. Either way, it was too loud, the dance floor too crowded. I was over the party.
“Can we get out of here? Someplace where we can talk more? Without screaming at each other?” I yelled.
A smile grew on Quinn’s face, and she gripped me tighter and even closer. “I know just the place.”
I leaned on Quinn as she guided us back toward the bar. The bar was a little less crowded now with more folks on the dance floor. Quinn stopped us before we reached the bar. Directly in my ear, she said, “Put your arms around my neck.”
I furrowed my brows. “Why?”
“It’s going to be more comfortable if you do.”
I looked at her, still confused, but I did wrap my arms around her neck. Suddenly, she bent down and effortlessly scooped me up into her arms. I squeaked in shock.
“I told you it would be more comfortable,” she said into my ear again. She continued on, her breath hot and tickling my ear. “Also, as much as I like seeing your face all cute and curious like that, I don’t like being questioned. You can consider this a warning of sorts.”
Quinn kissed my temple then, and I did what I could to ignore the dragons in my stomach roaring at the sweetness. No one had ever been able to lift me like this. This felt like uncharted territory, but I couldn’t help but love it. I tightened my grip around Quinn’s neck.
I asked, “How in the world can you lift me?”
“I work out. Alot. I have to for my line of work.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Working real estate is that physically demanding?”
Quinn furrowed her brows, those tiny lines returning again. She opened her mouth to say something when I heard Jesse’s laughter in front of us.
“I told Nat that she couldn’t handle two shots.”
Quinn rolled her eyes. “Can you let us through, Jess? I’m going to take her to the Barn to sleep this off.”
“Oh, sure. I bet y’all will be doing a lot of sleeping, huh?” Jesse winked my way as they unclasped the rope blocking off the kitchen. Quinn rolled her eyes again as she entered and kept going through the chef’s kitchen toward a door on her left. Jesse called behind us, “Don’t you two do anything that Iwoulddo!”
Quinn shut the door behind her with her foot and yet another eye roll.
We made our way through the laundry and mudroom—both of which were the size of my bedroom and bathroom combined—until we reached another door. This led to the biggest garage I had ever seen with at least six vehicles inside, not even including the recreational vehicles like the orange and blue Slingshot. Quinn carried me to a Polaris with a red and blackplaid trim. She opened the passenger door and placed me inside. She buckled me in before she pulled some blankets from a compartment in the back. After bundling me up, Quinn ran to the driver’s side.
When she had started the overpowered golf cart and was waiting for the garage to open, I remarked. “You know, I may be smashed, but Icanstill take care of myself.”
“I know you can.” Quinn reversed and pulled out of the garage, whipping the tiny vehicle around. “But you are precious, all bundled up like that. You look like a cozy burrito.”
The garage door closed behind us as Quinn drove us onward. The vehicle was like an extension of herself. I knew we were doing a lot of firsts tonight, but I don’t think anyone has ever turned me on just by driving before.
I squeezed my thighs together under the blankets.How was I the one who wanted to slow things down, but am still so very horny for this girl?
We pulled up to the barn I had seen from the terrace earlier. After parking and turning the cart off, Quinn jogged around to retrieve me, picking me up to carry me to the entrance. She only sat me down to get her keys out. As her keys jingled in the lock, I heard the distinct sound of barking on the other side of the door.
Quinn turned and smiled at me sheepishly. “Uh, how do we feel about dogs?”
“Um, Ifucking lovedogs,” I answered. I actually preferred dogs to cats, but Everett was very anti-dog. Something about dogs not getting along with birds and cats, let alone a literal combination of the two.
Quinn’s shoulders relaxed instantly. “Great! This would have been really weird otherwise.” She opened the door fully, and a chocolate fluff leapt into my arms. The brown fuzzball wagged their stubby tail in my arms, licking my chin for kisses.
“Byrd, meet Clarkson. Her full name is Kelly Clarkson Garcia, but that’s only if she’s being bad. She’s a four-year-old Boykin Spaniel, and she’s my goodest girl.”
Between her licks and my giggles, I asked, “Kelly Clarkson?”