Page 14 of Taking a King
“Well, we’re here now,” Quinn says. “And we got your back.”
Hannah and Hope both nod their agreement. I smile, grateful to have these women in my life. It isn’t until now, when I think back about how lonely I’d been before, that I realize how important it is to have friends like these.
“Thanks, guys,” I say. “That means a lot.”
“How did you seduce him?” Hannah asks, breaking the tension and making me laugh.
“That took a long time,” I admit. “Would have been quicker in person.”
That thought takes me back to last night on my couch and I feel a rush of need. I cross my legs, trying to ease the sudden ache there. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I’ve never been this sex-obsessed before. Sure, I’ve had sex. But this thing with Garrett? This is on another level. I’ve never had sex that amazing before last night. And again this morning. I feel the corners of my mouth tugging up into an unbidden smile.
“Oh, shit,” Quinn says, drawing my attention back to her. “You totally boned him, didn’t you?”
I curse my pale skin when I feel my face heat again. All three women immediately pick up on it and begin to tease me. It goes on for a full minute before Quinn raises both hands.
“Okay, wait, wait,” she says. “We’re getting ahead of the story. Let’s go back to your plan to seduce him from afar. What happened?”
I roll my eyes. “I flirted with him through texts, hand-written letters and the occasional phone call. It was awful. He just wouldn’t get the hint.”
“Men can be so blind,” Hannah says, picking at her fries. “Your brother took forever to make a move.”
Finn and Hannah had been coworkers for years before they finally got together. Hannah admitted to me a few months ago that she’d had a huge crush on him for most of that time but hadn’t wanted to mess up their friendship or her career. Now, they no longer work together, but they’re living together and raising Hannah’s son together. And they’re getting married in a few weeks. I shoot her a smile.
“I’m glad he finally came to his senses,” I say. “I got a sister and a nephew out of the deal.”
Hannah returns my smile. “I can’t wait to marry that man,” she says with a dreamy sigh.
Quinn waves a hand. “Yeah, yeah. Back to Claire and the hot Marine.”
“Hey!” I say, wondering at the twinge of jealousy I just felt. “You’re having my brother’s baby, remember?”
Quinn smiles and waves a hand. “Of course, I remember. That doesn’t mean Garrett isn’t hot. I have eyes, don’t I? Don’t worry, I’m more than happy with my own hot Marine.”
Hope points at her. “You mean your baby daddy?”
Quinn rolls her eyes, but she’s smiling. I see her hand go to her still flat stomach and rub lightly. She blows out a breath. “I can’t believe I’m gonna be a mom.”
Hannah puts her arm around Quinn’s shoulders and pulls her close. “You’re going to be an amazing mom,” she says.
“I hope so.”
“I know so,” Hannah insists. “And we’ll all be there to help, every step of the way.”
Hope and I nod our agreement.
“Thanks guys,” Quinn says. She looks like she’s about to cry again, so I change the subject.
“Back to my shitty seduction plans, and my hot Marine,” I say, making everyone laugh.
“Continue,” Quinn says, nodding at me.
“So, I spent months flirting and getting nowhere,” I say. “This was over a year ago, by the way. I spent 6 months flirting like crazy and getting nowhere. Eventually, I gave up. He clearly wasn’t into me, and I didn’t have the balls to tell him outright, so it just wasn’t going to happen. I went back to just being friendly, like before.”
“Surely he noticed something was different?” Hope asks.
I roll my eyes. “If he did, he never mentioned it. At least not then. A couple months before he was due to finish that deployment something changed. He called me in the middle of the night in a panic. He was always so good about the time difference, you know. Considerate. We always planned our phone calls so I’d be available and not sleeping. That sort of thing. But this time?” I shake my head, remembering the fear in his voice. “Something happened. I still don’t know what. He never told me. But he called me, and I knew something was wrong right away. I could hear it in his voice. Something was different.”
I suddenly realize I don’t want to talk about that night. It feels private. Like something just between me and Garrett. Even though these women are my best friends, this doesn’t feel like my story to tell. It’s private.