Loving Quinn Novel by North Rose

(Annora)

G&C Enterprises surpassed my expectations. The glass walled conference room in the middle of the wide-open floor plan was impressive. The small kitchenette made me smile. It has ultramodern appliances. Quinn told me they practically lived up here when they first transitioned from New York.

The view from his office took my breath away. The skyline view of San Francisco is amazing. I am jealous that he gets to see it from his office and mine doe even have a window in it.

“You even have a private bathroom with a shower? Why the hell do you need a shower in your office for?”

I watch his reflection in the glass as he walks up behind me. His sea-green eyes look away from mine when I ask that question. Oh. Well, that explains it then. He brought his dates up here.

The green eyes monster of jealousy slithers through my mind then down my spine as his arms slip around my waist. I stiffen in his hold because I dislike having thoughts like that creep up on me in random places like this.

Sometimes when I am wandering around the penthouse, I wonder if he f**ed his women in all those rooms as I walk through them. I want to ask him, but at the same time, I just want to put that part of his past behind us..

Except here I am now, letting it ruin my afternoon.

Noticing my mood change, his face clouds with sadness, then he steps away. I watch him in the glass as he walks to the door, then closes it. The stormy look in his eyes when he turns back around lets me know he isn’t happy with my reaction.

Well, that makes two of us, and I hate that his past does this to me. Even though I claim I am not bothered by his past, it is times like this that I am. Times when his p**y bachelor ways come and slap me right in the face.

I turn around when Quinn loosens his tie, then huffs out a breath.

“I have a shower here because before I ran into you at that fundraiser, there were mornings I would go jogging before work or I would go to the gym a friend of mine owns. Then there was the first few months after I moved here from New York, where I crashed on that couch

right there.”

He points to the leather sofa against the wall to my left.

“I want to clear up a few things for you so that this doesn’t happen again. There was only one occasion where something happened in here. One time and never again.”

Now is the time to ask about the penthouse.

“What about your penthouse? Did you f**k any of your women in the bed you and I sleep in or anywhere else?”

My voice comes out angrier than I intended. I just can’t seem to help myself. I need to know. If his answer is yes, can I even sleep in that bed or live in that amazing penthouse? I wouldn’t be able to stop the thoughts of him with other women in our home.

Yes, it was his home before it was mine, but I am not sure I could live there knowing he had other women in places where we have made love.

“No.”

That one-word answer deflates some of my anger.

“Not even once?”

Quinn rakes his hands through his hair as he walks towards me. He stops a few feet away from me, as if he knows that touching me right now is a bad idea. He is right. His touch is the last thing I want right now.

All I want is answers.

“You are the only woman I have ever slept with in my home. In all the time I have lived there, there have only been five women ever to step through those doors. My architect, Andrea, whom I have never slept with, by the way. Then my housekeeper Nancy, who would kick my a** if a tried to flirt with her because she is happily married to the building maintenance man, Hugo. Aaron’s mom, Tori, who is like a mother to me. Then recently, Grace, and you.” D

Well, at least he never slept with the architect I will meet later today. Now I feel like an idiot for making him clarify who has been in his home and that he hasn’t slept with any of them

but me.

“Is there anyone that I know or have met, other than Dionne, that you have slept with?”

“Rebecca. However, she and her first love are now married and have a kid on the way. A kid that isn’t mine, by the way. There have only been two women in my life that I have had unprotected sex with. You, when we were eighteen, Dionne later, now again with you.. Anything else you want to know?”

The defeated look on his face makes me feel like I just gutted him. I feel like I

reacted,

but I just can’t seem to help it. Will I ever fully accept his past, or will it always be like a dirty little reminder of who he was?

Knowing he practiced safe sex makes me feel a little better. I don’t think I could handle another woman coming out of the woodwork claiming that he is the father of their child. That may very well be the straw that breaks us apart.

“There isn’t anything I can do to change my past, Annie. I have been completely honest with you about it, too. What do I need to do to assure you I am all yours and will remain yours until the day we die?”

He walks away from me when I don’t answer right away. I watch as he walks to the mini bar near the sofa, pours himself a drink, then drinks it in one gulp. I watch as he then walks to the door, opens it, and leaves his office.

The silence that follows makes me open my mouth a few times to call out to him, but I close it and remain quiet. I can hear the ringing of his secretary’s phone, the soft clacking of her keyboard as she types, then the suddenly loud ding of the elevator.

This makes me rush across his office, out into the main room. He looks sad as the elevator doors close. I didn’t mean for him to leave. I just didn’t know how to answer his question.

What do I need from him to give me the assurances I need?

What more can he do that he hasn’t already done?

I give the elevator one last look before I turn around to walk back into his office. The door makes a soft clicking sound as I close it behind me. Without Quinn in here with me, his

feels much larger than it actually is.

I don’t like it.

Damn you green-eyed monster for striking again.

There isn’t a single doubt in my mind that Quinn loves me. I have no doubts at all that he has been faithful since I decided to give us a second chance. I wouldn’t have said yes to his marriage proposal if I thought he was still f***ing random women.

When was exactly was the last time that he was with another woman, anyway?

Do I even want to know?

Yes, I think I need to know.

I walk to his desk where I left my purse to pull out my phone. Where diu ne go? Why did he just leave me here? Before I can dial his number, the door opens, which makes me jump a little. The smell of food makes my stomach growl, reminding me I didn’t eat breakfast this morning.

Quinn is standing in the doorway with takeout bags. The logo from Giovanni’s almost makes me want to drool in anticipation. Guilt swamps me as I watch him walk silently to the glass table in front of the sofa to sit the food down.

“Eat. You s**ed breakfast this morning. Aaron is prepping the conference room for Andrea. She has a surprise for you.”

“Quinn, we need to talk about what happened before you left.”

“We will, but not here and not now.”

I let out a sigh, then join him on the sofa as he sits down and opens the takeout bags. He

holds my

lunch out for me as I sit down beside him. We eat in silence. There is so much that

needs to be said, but I know now isn’t the time.

When we are bot

both done eating, I clean up our mess, then take the trash into the kitchen. Quinn is standing at the wall of glass windows when I walk back in. His shoulders are set in tense lines, just soothe them away.

e me want to

While my feelings about his past are valid, he has given me no reason to doubt his love for me or his loyalty. I just need to get past my jealousy over all those other women. I will figure.

it out.

I walk

up

behind him quietly. His eyes are on mine in the reflection, as I do. I press my face to his back, then wrap my arms around him and up his chest. All I do is hug him with my body pressed tight against him.

The tension in his shoulders relaxed gradually as we just stand there motionless. When I feel his

wrap around mine, I smile against his back. Gently, he brings my hand to his lips and kisses my knuckles. He turns around so I can lay my head on his chest.

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As he wraps his arms around me, I feel we can overcome anything as long as we listen to each other. Truly listen to each other. Later tonight, once Grace is tucked into bed, we will finish this conversation.

For now, I just want to stay right here in his arms for as long as I can.

“The two of you should be on Hallmark posters for the happily ever aft

Couples.”

Aaron’s voice makes me pull away from Quinn enough to look over my shoulder. He is standing in the doorway next to a strikingly beautiful redhead. Her pale green n eyes are on me. There is a smile on her face that is hard to decipher as she stares at me.

“Andrea, this is Annora, my fiancé.” Quinn says.

He turns me around so that I am fully facing the doorway, then arm around my waist.

he steps beside me with his

“Now I know why you are so different now. The love of a beautiful woman will heal a man. Too bad she doesn’t play for my team.” Andrea says.

With one last look at me, she turns on her heels, then walks out of the office. Oh, my. What just happened? Did she hit on me?

“Annie, your face is priceless. Is that the first time another woman has ever complimented you on your looks?” Aaron asks.

I look up at Quinn, who is staring down at me.

“Is she a…”

“A Lesbian? Yes. She is also now married to her long-term girlfriend, Claire.”

“Is that what you meant by telling me she is going to like me?”

Both men burst into laughter. I elbow Quinn in the ribs to get him to stop. Aaron walks out of the office, still laughing as he walks away.

“That isn’t at all what I was referring to when I said that.” Quinn says.

“What did you mean, then?”

“You complimented her designs and told me she was a gifted architect when I told you she designed my penthouse and this office space.”

“Oh. Then what is the surprise she has for me?”

He turns me to face him, then tilts my face up towards his with his finger under my chin. His lips meet mine in a soft kiss before he steps away from me.

“That, my love, will have to wait until after she goes over our plans for t will reveal your surprise after that.”

utreach center. I

Twenty minutes later, I am sitting at the long conference room table watching Andrea go over her designs. They are up on the projector screen that pulls down from the ceiling. I have to admit that it impressed me when Aaron hit a button on the table to make it come

down.

I love the layout of the outreach center. The small clinic inside looks like it will be set up nicely. Then there is the large outdoor play area in the secondary lot they bought. I can’t wait to see it all completed.

“Those look amazing, Andrea. I can’t wait to get them approved so we can get started. That

area needs this.” Aaron says.

“It really does, which is why I have waived my fees for this one. What you two are doing for this city is great. Giving back to those who have been forgotten by the city in so many ways.”

I can tell by the looks on Quinn and Aaron’s faces that they are both shocked by her statement. An architect of her calibre waiving her fees is a major concession to her belief in

their cause.

“We will still pay you that big bonus we promised you for taking on the second project.”

“I will accept that only if she likes it.” Andrea says.

She turns to look at me with a speculative look that makes me slightly uncomfortable. I have never seen that heated, sexually charged look from a woman before. I kind of like it but am not sure I want to explore those thoughts.

“What are you guys talking about?”

With a smile on her face, Andrea presses a button on the laptop to go to the next image in her slide show. I am confused at the house plans I am looking at until I glance at Quinn’s

face. He is looking at me with so much expectation in his sea-green eyes.

“Is this…”

“I will leave you two to go over the plans. Aaron, can you escort me down to the lobby?”

After they both leave, I look at Quinn for answers.

“It came to my attention that my penthouse, with all its luxuries, it not really the suitable place to raise kids. Grace loves it there, but if we have more children, we will want a better place for them. One with a yard for them to play, maybe have a dog, do outdoor things without having to always go to the park for that stuff.”

“Quinn, this house is enormous.”

“I got a little carried away with Daniel and Andrea when we were going over requirements

for the house.”

Now I look at him in shock. My brother helped with this? How? When?

“Emails, conference calls, and a few video calls can get a lot of work done in a short amount of time. Keep in mind that this is a rough draft, just like the lake house.”

“Where will this be built?”

“Grab your purse and I will show you.”

This man is full of surprises. Green-eyed monster, you are no longer welcome in my head. Quinn is perfect just the way he is. I am the only woman in his heart, his bed, and every

surface he wants to have me on.

“What are we waiting for then? Let’s get going,” I say as I rush out of the room to grab my purse from his office.

Quinn’s laugher follows me as I do.

Author’s Note

This book will be updated from now on every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I have to way that you can follow me for more information on my books. I also post on each site when I can’t update and why. Instagram @northrose28 and my Facebook group North Rose Novels. I will not answer anymore questions in the comments about wher next update will be. If you want that follow me on those two social media platforms or please just have patience.