Playing for Keeps Page 11

“Well, you definitely know how to let go,” Quentin said, taking the picnic basket from her. They strolled through the mall underneath the green canopy of overhanging trees to the Great Lawn. Quentin laid out the blanket he’d brought with him and sat down. He offered his hand and Avery joined him on the blanket.

  The look in Quentin’s eye was unmistakable. He liked the new Avery. No, make that he wanted the new Avery. The knowledge sent a little shiver up and down her spine. She was glad he enjoyed looking at her as much as she enjoyed looking at his African features and strong jawline. She had to clench her stomach muscles tightly to curtail the sensual heat that threatened to escape should he touch her again.

  “So, what did you bring?” Quentin asked, looking over her shoulder at the picnic basket.

  “Oh, a little of this, a little of that.” Avery smiled knowingly. She’d brought cold cuts, pasta salad, Brie, crackers, fruit and a nice bottle of wine from her favorite delicatessen to wash it all down with. “Here, pop this open.” Avery handed him the bottle of white wine and bottle opener. He quickly uncorked it and leaned over to pour wine into the plastic flutes she’d brought.

  Quentin’s mouth watered when she laid out the appetizing spread. For the next hour, they indulged in stimulating conversation along with their picnic feast. Afterward, they both lay out and soaked in the sun’s rays. Quentin was amazed at how comfortable he was with Avery. He felt as if he could talk to her about anything, and so he did. He used the opportunity to get an unbiased opinion about his new assignment and its effect on his relationship with Malik. “He’s terribly upset with me, Avery, and I don’t know how to make it right.”

  Avery was ecstatic that Quentin felt he could confide in her. It showed that their relationship was progressing beyond the physical. “I’m sorry to hear that,” she said. “Doesn’t Malik understand that it’s just an assignment? It’s your career on the line.”

  “I’m afraid not,” Quentin said, turning to face her. “He sees that if I’m not with him, I’m against him. Malik only sees things in black in white.”

  “And life is in shades of gray,” Avery replied. Boy, had she learned that. It would be so easy if she could just hate her parents and turn her back on them, but she couldn’t. She loved them. And although she was angry that they’d kept the truth from her, she knew that deep down they loved her. And that was what she told Quentin. “I know he’s angry with you now, but he still loves you, Quentin,” Avery said, stroking his cheek lightly with her hand.

  That tiny but tender action warmed Quentin’s heart and caused him to reach over, pull her toward him and brush his lips across hers. She tasted of strawberries, ripe and sweet. “You taste so good,” Quentin groaned.

  “So do you,” Avery whispered and kissed him again.

  “Come with me.” He pulled her to her feet. “Since you are feeling so carefree, let’s take a ride on the carousel.”

  “Are you for real?” Avery laughed. “The carousel is for kids.”

  “Who says?” Quentin asked. “You have to get in touch with your inner child.”

  After a leisurely walk, he was helping her on to the back of a hand-carved horse and joining her on the horse next to hers. “You are so crazy!” Avery yelled when the carousel took off.

  “And you love it!” Quentin replied.

  She laughed. Because he was absolutely right. She loved that about Quentin. He was fun and exciting. He kept her on her toes and she never knew what was coming next.

  When the three-and-a-half-minute ride was over, they strolled over to the zoo to watch the polar bears, harbor seals, penguins and sea lions. When Quentin reached out to hold her hand, Avery didn’t object. She was having the perfect date. They were admiring the sea lions when she felt a raindrop. “Did you feel that?” she asked.

  “Feel what?” he asked, and then he felt it, too. Rain. Why did it have to rain when they were having such a perfect day? “C’mon, we better head out of here.” He picked up the picnic basket from the floor and grabbed her hand. But before they could even make it out of the zoo, they were caught in a torrential downpour.

  “Ohmigod!” Avery said as the rain ruined her brand-new haircut and soaked her clothes.

  “Don’t you live around here?” Quentin said, squinting at Avery through the rain.

  “Yes, I live on Seventy-ninth and Central Park West.”

  “Great, let’s go,” he yelled. They quickly ran through the park and once they made it to Fifth Avenue, he hailed a cab. Luckily, a yellow taxi pulled up immediately to the curb and they hopped inside.

  “Can you believe that weather?” Quentin asked. One minute it had been bright and sunny, and the next it was raining cats and dogs.

  “No,” Avery replied, shivering. “Look at me. I’m a mess.” She glanced down at her ruined outfit. She’d been trying to make an impression and thanks to the weather her new look was ruined.

  “No, you’re not. You’re beautiful,” Quentin responded, brushing the damp hair out of his way so he could see her face. “And you’re shivering.” He leaned over and rubbed her shoulders to warm her up. Avery instantly heated at the touch of his big strong hands against her cool flesh. When the cab stopped in front of her building, her doorman graciously came out with an umbrella, though it would hardly do much good since they were both soaking wet.

  “Thanks, Mike,” she said, nodding to the doorman. An air of sexual tension permeated the ride up to her apartment. Quentin was staring at her with such naked hunger that Avery thought she would combust if he didn’t touch her soon. The prolonged anticipation was almost unbearable. Thankfully, the elevator stopped and they entered the comfort of her apartment.

  “I guess we should get out of these wet clothes,” Avery said once Quentin had shut the door and dropped the picnic basket to the floor.

  “Yeah, I think that would be a smart move,” he responded, looking at her seductively. Heat flared brightly in his eyes. When Avery went to remove her shrug, Quentin said, “Here, let me help you with that.”

  He swiftly closed the distance between them and her hands trembled slightly when Quentin slid the shrug off her slender shoulders then leaned down to delicately brush his lips against her damp skin. Avery shuddered, but she didn’t stop him. Instead she helped by throwing her arms up in the air so he could pull the wet halter off her body.

  She wasn’t wearing a bra, so her beautifully shaped breasts were exposed to Quentin’s appreciative male gaze. “Hmmm,” he groaned before voraciously claiming one luscious brown nipple. His teeth taunted it until it turned into a rocky peak. Quentin lathed it with his hot, wet tongue. Avery tasted so good and so sweet, but he wasn’t nearly satisfied enough. When he was done with one breast, he feasted on the other, until she was so overwhelmed, she whimpered aloud.

  “Oh, yes,” Avery moaned as moisture settled in her panties. She pressed herself against him, eager for fulfillment, but Quentin wanted to take his time.

  He pulled away briefly to search Avery’s eyes for any apprehension, and when he found none, he swept her into the circle of his arms and claimed her lips. His mouth covered hers hungrily. His kiss sent spirals of ecstasy rocketing through Avery and she returned it with reckless abandon. She wanted to be closer to him, to feel his hard body against hers. When they finally parted, Avery reached down and pulled his damp shirt out of his trousers. She looked up at him as she undid each button slowly and deliberately.

  Quentin thought he was going to go mad with desire if she continued the slow pace. When she reached the final button, he ripped the shirt off and tossed it across the room. Then he swept her weightlessly into his arms and marched toward her bedroom. She was surprised he remembered since she’d only shown him once. He gently deposited her on the bed, but Avery sat up. She didn’t want to be a bystander; she wanted to be an equal participant.

  She threw the covers back and beckoned him with her index finger. “Come here,” she ordered.

  Quentin smiled. “My, my, aren’t we eager?” He was enjoying
this new self-confident Avery and allowed her to unzip his trousers.

  “Yes, I am,” she replied, pushing them down his legs. “I want you, Quentin Davis.”

  “Oh, you can have me, Avery. The question is, can you handle it?” he challenged, stepping out of his pants and joining her on the bed. Now it was her turn. She wasn’t nearly naked enough. He reached for the zipper on her capris.

  “Oh, I can handle it.” She smiled seductively at him as she lifted her hips, allowing him easier access to remove her capris. When Quentin hooked his finger in her sexy bikini panties next, they followed the same path as her capris and quickly hit the floor.

  Quentin gently laid her back on the bed and spread her legs. Then he brought his warm mouth in contact with that intimate part of her and hovered, leaving Avery eager for him to know her fully. When she finally felt the entry of his teasing tongue at the apex of her womanhood, she couldn’t resist lifting her bottom off the bed. That was when Quentin grasped her hips firmly in his hands and tongued her, devouring her greedily. A spasm quickly engulfed Avery and a scream escaped from her lips. As she came, her womanly scent inflamed Quentin while her moans were music to his ears. He moved back upward and nuzzled the skin at the nape of her neck.

  “Quentin, take me now,” she whimpered as her hands restlessly moved across his chest, shoulders and back. “I want you now.”

  That was all the incentive Quentin needed to reach for the foil packets in his pants on the floor. He’d decided to have some on hand after the way things had heated up after dinner at his loft.

  He couldn’t resist her urgent pleas and after protecting them with a condom first, only then did he shift his body over hers and slide his painfully hard erection into her moist center, her heat, her fire. He began thrusting deep inside. He wanted to possess her as no other man had. When Avery bucked underneath him, Quentin had to cup her bottom before he slipped out. He didn’t want to lose one ounce of their momentum. Making love with Avery was a deeply carnal pleasure that he wanted to enjoy and enjoy. He smiled when he heard the lustful sounds of their mutual pleasure echoing off the walls.

  Avery locked her fingers behind his head and branded him hers with a stirringly passionate kiss seconds before she let out a wild, unfettered cry and climaxed violently. Quentin was not slow to follow as nirvana soon overtook him. Afterward, he threw a sheet over their satiated bodies.

  “Wow, that was pretty incredible,” Avery said when she finally caught her breath and was able to sit upright.

  “You’re telling me,” Quentin said. “I didn’t know you’d be such a tigress.” She’d given herself so completely, she’d thrown him for a loop.

  “I didn’t know I was capable of that kind of passion. Quite frankly, I’ve never cared for sex. I could take it or leave it. Other men never made me feel the way you make me feel, Quentin.”

  He stared down at her and gently stroked her hair. He appreciated her forthrightness. She was being so open and honest, it made him feel guilty for not doing the same. He’d bet his friends that he could get Avery into bed, and now that he’d won, he felt he’d lost something, too. Because if he ever told her about the truth, she’d never forgive him.

  “You know, being with you, Quentin, has changed me. I feel more alive and open to new experiences.”

  “Such as…”

  “I don’t know.” Avery shrugged and lowered her lashes. “Whatever you’d like to explore.”

  And that was exactly what they did for the next few hours. They took the time to explore one another’s bodies and find out their likes and dislikes. Avery was even open to new positions she had never tried in her previous sexual relationships.

  Afterward, following a short nap, they snuggled under the covers with the rain still beating outside. Avery was debating whether to discuss her family situation with him when he scratched her head. “Is everything okay?”

  She nodded.

  “Something’s on your mind, though?” Quentin said intuitively. “Whatever it is, you can talk to me. I haven’t forgotten what Jenna said at Blue Note—that you’ve had a lot to deal with lately. My shoulder is here if you want to lean on me.”

  “Thank you, it’s just that…” Avery hesitated. “I’ve been under a great deal of stress.”

  “Try me,” Quentin said, pushing several pillows backward and opening his arms to Avery. She scooted upward and into the crook of his elbow. When she did, he wrapped his arms tightly around her, letting her know it was okay to talk.

  “Over a month ago, I was helping my mother clean out the attic when I stumbled upon a chest.”

  “What was inside?”

  “Some documents I was never supposed to see.” Avery turned to face him. “Quentin, I found a legal document that revealed I was adopted.”

  “Adopted, wow!” Quentin said. “And from your tone, I take it your parents never told you.”

  Avery shook her head. “I’m thirty-three years old, Quentin, and they never said a word. They kept the truth from me and the only reason I found out was because I was curious after my mother’s reaction when I stumbled on the chest. They tried to explain, but how can they? My whole life has been a lie.”

  “I’m so sorry, Avery. This must have come as quite a shock.” Quentin hugged her tighter.

  “I don’t understand how they could do this. They had every opportunity to tell me. Quentin, I’ve always known I was different. Felt it, you know, somewhere deep inside that I didn’t fit in with my family, and now it all makes sense.”

  “Maybe they were afraid,” he interjected. “Because once they didn’t tell you, the lie had become so great they couldn’t come back from it.” He could understand how her parents felt because he felt the same way right now.

  “That’s no excuse,” she returned. “I know this isn’t a black-and-white issue, Quentin. I’m just so furious with them, I could spit nails.”

  “Avery, I know you’re upset and you have every right to be, but your parents love you. Do you even realize how lucky you were to have been adopted? To have someone to love, care for and protect you.” Quentin couldn’t help but be a little annoyed that she was taking her family for granted.

  “I know I’ve had a privileged life,” she began, but he interrupted her and grabbed both sides of her face.

  “You were extremely lucky, Avery. You should be thankful—some people aren’t so lucky.”

  “I know, I know.” She shook her head. “You must think I’m extremely spoiled.”

  “No, what I think is if you had lived a day in my shoes, you’d realize just how fortunate you truly were.”

  “Why? Did you have a terrible childhood?” Avery realized she’d never heard Quentin mention his family. Why had she not noticed that before? Had she really been so caught up in herself and her own troubles not to notice that he might have some of his own?

  “If you count growing up in foster care from age ten until I was legal,” Quentin replied, “then the answer would be yes.”

  “You grew up in foster care?” Avery was shocked. That would explain why he’d never talked about his parents.

  “Yes, Malik, Dante, Sage and I grew up in foster care. Because we were older, we were never adopted. So as you can see, Avery, you lucked out. A wonderful family took you in as a baby and nurtured and loved you like parents should. My friends and I weren’t so lucky.”

  Avery felt terrible, and tears began to trickle down her cheeks. “Quentin, I’m sorry, I had no idea. And here I am going on and on about how upset I am with my family. And I have one.”

  He wiped away her tears with the back of his hand. “I didn’t tell you this to make you cry. You’re entitled to be upset. I’m not trying to take that away from you. I’m just trying to give you a little perspective.”

  “And I appreciate that,” she smiled hesitantly, “but if you don’t mind my asking, how did you end up in foster care?”

  “Well…” Quentin paused, “my mother pretty much moved around from man to man, so my g
randmother raised me. When she passed away from a stroke, I was put into the system.”

  “What about your mother? Did they even try to look for her?”

  “They did, but it was as if she disappeared off the face of this earth.”

  “What about you? Did you ever try to find her?”

  “No, I didn’t,” he answered honestly. “I guess I never wanted to. If she had wanted me, she would have called or come back to check on me. She never did.” The anger in Quentin’s voice over his mother’s abandonment caused Avery to keep quiet about the search for her own biological mother. She wanted to share the news with him, but she doubted he would understand her desire to find the mother who’d given her up at birth, especially when he was coming from a place of such pain and hurt.

  “Well, it looks like we both have some parental issues to work out.” Avery smiled hesitantly.

  “Yeah, I suppose so. I guess that’s what makes this disagreement between Malik and me so profound. He’s my family, Avery.” Quentin’s voice caught in his throat. He hated being vulnerable, but he didn’t want to lose his best friend either. “Malik, Dante and Sage are all I’ve got.”

  “Not anymore,” Avery said and leaned up to kiss him full on the lips. “You’ve got me.”

  “Do I now?” he asked.

  “Yes.” She slid closer until her pert breasts were pressed firmly against his hairless chest. “Matter of fact, you can have all of me, right here and right now.”

  “Hmmm,” Quentin groaned. “I think I’ll do just that.” He flipped her over until she was pinned underneath him and proceeded to ravish her.

  Chapter 10

  “It was the best sex I’ve ever had,” Avery told Jenna over lunch on Wednesday. She’d been so enraptured with Quentin over the weekend, she hadn’t had a chance to call Jenna and tell her about their date. They’d spent the entire Sunday in bed.

  “Hallelujah!” Jenna stood up and shouted. Several people turned to stare at her, so she quickly took her seat. “You finally slept with that gorgeous fox? Good for you, Avery.”