The Truth Read online

  “I didn’t know,” she whispered. “I had no idea it would be like this.”

  He raised his head to look at her. “Only us, Quinn. You and me. It’s never been like this for me before.”

  “It hasn’t?”

  “Not even close. This is how it’s supposed to be, our bodies and souls connected. That’s the magic, precious. That doesn’t happen without a love so deep that you can feel the other person in your heart, in your bones. When it’s like that, you know it’s right, and nothing else will ever be again.”

  She closed her eyes and rested her head on his chest, another thing he loved.

  “Precious, precious Quinn,” he said before her breathing evened out, and he knew she was asleep.

  —:—

  When she woke, she was alone in his bed, but she could hear him moving around in the kitchen. She found his t-shirt on the floor, next to her clothes, and put it on. She was on her way through the bedroom door, when she went back and put on her panties too. This was unfamiliar territory for her. She had no idea how to act, and wished she’d woken up next to him.

  Instead of going into the kitchen, she ducked inside the bathroom first and looked in the mirror. Her face was flushed, mottled almost, and her hair was frightening. She tried to tame it with water, but that didn’t help. She used the toilet, and was on her way to find him when she heard a knock on the door.

  “Quinn?”

  She opened it and smiled. His voice sounded so sweet, like a little boy almost.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, his brow furrowed.

  “I’m fine. How are you?”

  Could this conversation be any more awkward? What was wrong with them?

  “Come here,” he moaned and pulled her into his arms, and with that, the discomfort she’d been feeling melted away.

  When he kissed her, she whimpered. His lips touching hers sent currents of desire flowing through her. Now that she knew what he could do to her body, she wanted more. A lot more.

  “I made breakfast,” he said, brushing her hair away from her face. “God, you’re beautiful.”

  “Thank you,” she murmured. “Breakfast?”

  “I thought I should feed you before I ravish you again.”

  “I like the sound of more ravishing,” she whispered, running her tongue from his ear down his neck.

  “Breakfast can wait,” he groaned. He walked her backward, farther into the bathroom, reached in, and turned on the shower. “We didn’t take our shower earlier.”

  His t-shirt that she was wearing landed on the floor, along with his shorts. Quinn was about to slide her panties down her legs, when he put his hand on hers.

  “No more of these, for the rest of the day,” he growled and pulled the thin fabric until it tore.

  Quinn thought she’d faint with her desire for him anyway, but when he ripped her panties from her body, her knees went weak, and she grasped his arms to steady herself. “God, Mercer, that was…”

  He waited for her to finish in that maddening way he did.

  “So…hot.”

  He pulled her into the shower with him, and backed her up against the tile. The coolness of it felt so good in contrast to her overheated body.

  “I asked you before if I frighten you…” he began.

  “You don’t,” she said, finishing his sentence. “Not at all.”

  “If I ever do, I want you to tell me.”

  It sounded like he was talking about sex, but she wasn’t sure. “Mercer?”

  He rubbed his hardness against her as his lips attacked her neck. “I don’t want to hold back the way I’m feeling. I won’t hurt you, though. I promise.”

  She grasped his shoulders with her hands, and dug her nails into his skin, leaving marks. “Don’t hold back,” she groaned. “I want you, all of you.”

  With his powerful hands, he lifted her bottom, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His mouth came down on hers, and he kissed her hard.

  “Take me, Mercer. Please. Don’t make me wait.”

  The sound he made was between a groan and a growl. “No condom.” He gripped her bottom tighter until she was molded against him. “Hold on,” he said, carrying her out of the shower and into the bedroom.

  He set her on the bed, like he had before. “Don’t move.”

  She watched him walk back into the bathroom and turn the shower off. When he came back in, he opened up the nightstand drawer and tossed a couple of condoms on the bathroom counter. With his teeth, he tore open another one, and she watched as he rolled it on.

  “Are you sore?” he asked, lowering himself so he rested between her legs.

  She shook her head, but when she felt his fingers, she gasped.

  Mercer moved away from her, and she reached for him.

  “No, it’s okay,” she told him, but he slid away from her grasp, down her body, and soothed her soreness with his mouth.

  Quinn wove her fingers in his hair, holding him close to her, wanting him closer still. “Oh, God,” she hissed between clenched teeth. “Mercer…”

  “Let go, precious,” he breathed against her, and she exploded, writhing against his mouth, wanting more, but wanting him to stop too. Her nerve endings were raw, exposed, and she pulled at his hair. “Stop,” she moaned, but he didn’t listen. Instead, he drew every ounce of pleasure he could from her body, until she dropped her arms, unable to hold them up any longer.

  Mercer ran his fingers through her damp hair. “I want to be inside you more than I want to breathe, precious,” he whispered.

  “Why aren’t you?”

  “Because you’re sore, and I promised not to hurt you.”

  She caught his hand with hers and stopped him from caressing her scalp. “Tell me what you’re thinking,” she said.

  He took a deep breath. “How precious you are to me. How I’d do anything for you.”

  “Why do you sound sad?”

  “I’m not. I’m the furthest thing from sad. It’s more that I am so in awe of you, and how strong my feelings for you are.”

  “Tell me.”

  He smiled. “You already know.”

  “Tell me anyway.”

  Mercer leaned forward and kissed her forehead, and then each of her eyelids, the tip of her nose, and then her mouth. “I don’t want to scare you.”

  “You don’t. I feel safe with you, Mercer. I feel loved.”

  “See? You do know.”

  “I want to hear you say it.”

  With each of his palms cupping her cheeks, he took a deep breath, and then kissed her again. “I love you, Quinn. I think I’ve loved you forever.”

  “Do I scare you?” she asked.

  “Sometimes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because you hold my heart in the palm of your hand, precious.”

  “I’d never hurt you either.”

  “What should we do today?” Mercer asked after they’d showered and were in the kitchen, making breakfast, just like they had the last four days in a row.

  “You’ve been so good about doing everything I want to do, even spending time with the tribe. What do you want to do? And don’t say whatever I want.”

  “I want to go sailing.”

  “Wow. Um…do you know how?”

  He smiled. “I’ve sailed a few times in my life.”

  “I think there’s a place on the other side of the island that rents boats.”

  “Not the kind of boat I want to sail.”

  She set down the knife she was using to chop vegetables for an omelet, and turned around to look at him. “You have a boat, don’t you?”

  He nodded and smiled.

  “Here?”

  He nodded again.

  “Oh, Mercer. Will there ever be an end to your surprises? Where is it?”

  “She’s docked at Seaview right now, but I want to move her.”

  “Where?”

  “Here.”

  Quinn looked out at the bay and saw the dock in front of the house. �
�I didn’t notice that before.”

  “After breakfast we can go get her, sail for a while, and then bring her here.”

  “Sure you can wait for breakfast?” She smiled.

  Mercer wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her neck. “Just barely.”

  She loved the way he let her lean back against him, the way her body molded into the hardness of his. It hadn’t been an hour since he was last inside her, and yet she wanted him there again.

  They’d spent every day here, on the bay front, only going back to Penelope’s father’s house to get her clothes. They’d gone for bike rides, went running on the beach, spent time with her friends, and more time alone, in nothing but each other’s arms.

  He’d told her that, if the house weren’t so open, he’d rather she never wear clothes, as it was, most times he kept her in as little as possible.

  He reached down and cupped her sex with one hand, eliciting her whimper.

  “We’ll never go get your boat if you start that.” She smiled.

  Quinn’s eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when Mercer pointed to the boat docked in a slip a few feet from them.

  “You’re kidding, right?”

  He shook his head. “That’s Aurora.”

  “Wow. She’s beautiful.” The boat was exquisite. Even from the dock, Quinn could see every detail was well thought out by a fine craftsman, and that she’d been cared for since the day she was launched.

  “She’s named after my mom,” Mercer said as he held out his hand to help her aboard.

  Quinn walked from stern to bow, marveling at the condition of the teak deck.

  “There are two cabins, aft and forward, and two heads, although only the aft has a shower,” he said when she came back by the wheel where he stood. “Shall we go below?”

  “Sure,” she answered, walking over to the companionway.

  The saloon and galley below deck were more spacious than she’d thought they’d be, especially given the two cabins. “Fifty? Sixty feet?”

  “Forty-two with a twelve-foot beam.”

  Quinn raised her eyebrows and ran her hand over the brass plate that read Hallberg-Rassy.

  “She was built for comfort and functionality more than speed, but she holds her own. I definitely wouldn’t race her,” he added.

  “Is this a Frer design? I learned to race on Tara’s father’s F3.”

  Mercer nodded, impressed that she recognized the builder.

  “The F3 was nothing like this, more just a hull with the bare bones below.”

  The teak below deck was equally well-maintained as above, and the gray, blue, and red used for the cushions and accents in the saloon and cabins matched the yacht’s hull colors. “She’s really beautiful, Mercer.”

  He smiled and ushered her toward the stern. “The aft cabin has two berths,” he said, stepping inside. “Or one.” He folded the chair down that separated them and winked.

  “How did you get her here?”

  “My brother Hudson and a couple of his friends sailed from Cape Charles here.”

  “You’re kidding?” She laughed. “When did you arrange that?”

  “On my way back from California, I called and offered him a lot of money to bring her here. I told him that, once she was delivered safe and sound, I’d treat him and his buddies to two nights in New York City. The wind was on their side, and she arrived late yesterday afternoon.”

  “How did you manage to keep her a secret?”

  “It wasn’t easy.” He pulled her close and buried his face in her neck. “I wanted you more.”

  She backed away, knowing that, once they got started, it might be hours before they were under sail. “Do you have any other siblings?”

  Mercer grinned. “Trying to distract me, precious?”

  “Yes,” she murmured.

  “Hudson is the youngest, and Owen is between us.”

  “Two brothers. Any sisters?”

  Mercer shook his head. “Mom was really outnumbered.”

  “Are you close to your parents?” Quinn tried to keep her voice light, as though the questions she was asking were completely innocuous, but she couldn’t bury the hurt she felt, thinking about her own mother.

  “I was. They died in a car accident fifteen years ago.”

  “I’m so sorry.” And here she’d been feeling sorry for herself because she didn’t know where her mother was, at least she was still alive.

  Mercer nodded. “Thanks. It was tough.”

  “You’re the oldest, then.” No wonder he felt like everyone’s protector; it was the role he fell into when his parents died.

  “Our aunt, my mother’s sister, moved in after we lost Mom and Dad. She’s a gem, and kept us in line.”

  “What’s her name?”

  Mercer laughed and shook his head. “Her name is Ariana, but we always called her Auntie Air. I guess it started when we were little, and it was easy to say.”

  He walked back over to the companionway. “Shall we get on our way?”

  It was a big boat for them to handle on their own, but since he seemed confident, Quinn didn’t argue.

  “Wanna take the helm?” he smiled.

  “I will after we’re away from the docks.”

  “Deal.”

  There wasn’t a lot of wind, and they weren’t going far, so Mercer only raised the genoa, which he could manage on his own.

  “You’re good at this,” he said, joining her at the wheel.

  She loved to sail, especially out on open water. She closed her eyes and felt the wind, knowing it was best to keep her touch light.

  “You’re amazing,” he said from where he stood, watching the sail less than he watched her.

  “I’m going to let you take her in, though,” she told him.

  “It’s just like parking a car, precious.”

  She laughed. “I’ve never driven a car in my life.”

  “Do you want to learn?”

  “I guess so. I mean, I might not live in the city my whole life.” She shrugged. “Maybe I should.”

  “I’ll teach you.”

  “Do you have a car other than your friend’s fancy one?”

  He shook his head, and an odd look briefly came over his face.

  “What?”

  “It’s nothing.”

  “Don’t do that.”

  “Sorry. It’s nothing. I promise. I think the Jaguar is the perfect car for you to learn in.”

  “I love the Fourth of July,” Quinn said the next morning. “I guess it stems back to when we used to spend it in California with my grandparents. They lived not far from where you were, in Paso Robles. Have you heard of it?”

  “I have. I visited several wineries in that region.”

  “What a coincidence. They owned a vineyard. Several actually, but after my great-grandparents passed away, it fell into neglect…”

  “What did you and your family do to celebrate?”

  Quinn told him about barbecues and fireworks, but her favorite part was that it was the only holiday where her grandparents invited a lot of people to the estate. “My grandfather was very patriotic,” she explained. “What about you? Did your family do anything special to celebrate?”

  “Cape Charles was a great place to spend the Fourth every year. There were parades, both in town and in the water. Like you, our family had barbecues with the neighbors.” He paused. “I’d love for you to meet Auntie Air one day.”

  Quinn cocked her head. “What about your brother? You didn’t want to spend the holiday with him?”

  Mercer laughed. “More the other way around.”

  “What are you thinking about?” she asked.

  “My family. How I want to spend more holidays with them.”

  “I don’t really have one,” she muttered.

  “I disagree.”

  Quinn had been looking out at the water, but turned around. “How so?”

  “You have Aine, Ava, Tara, and Penelope. The five of you are closer
than most sisters.”

  She nodded. “True.”

  “You have me.” Mercer put his arms around her. “And I have you.”

  Quinn smiled. “I like that.”

  “Me too.” He looked over her head at the clock inside the house. “We should get going.”

  “Already?”

  He smiled. “We said we’d be there an hour ago, precious.”

  “I guess we better go, then.”

  Instead, Quinn slid her hands under his shirt and kissed up the side of his neck to right below his ear. “I don’t think they’ll notice if we’re a few minutes later.”

  “A few minutes?”

  Quinn nodded and took his hand, pulling him inside.

  They got there a little over two hours later than they said they’d arrive at Penelope’s father’s house, but with the number of people there, Quinn doubted they would’ve been missed at all if it wasn’t for the food and wine they’d agreed to bring.

  “There you are,” Pen said, taking the large bowl of fruit salad from Quinn’s arms.

  “Sorry—”

  “No apology necessary, girlfriend. We like seeing you this happy.”

  “Thanks. I like being this happy.” Quinn looked over at Mercer who was loading bottles of white wine into the outdoor kitchen’s refrigerator.

  “He seems like a great guy,” said Tara, picking chunks of pineapple out of the salad with her fingers.

  “Quit that,” Aine said, slapping her hand. “Other people are going to be eating out of this bowl.” She thrust a serving spoon into Tara’s hand. “Use this.”

  “What are you all smiles about?” Ava asked Quinn.

  “This morning Mercer and I were talking about families. When I said I didn’t really have one, he disagreed and said the five of us are closer than most sisters.”

  “True that,” said Aine, starting a round of high fives.

  “We’re going back to the city in the morning—”

  “Tomorrow?” grumbled Penelope. “Do you know how crowded the ferry is going to be, Quinn?”

  “It may be, but that isn’t how we’re going.” Quinn told her five friends about Mercer’s boat, and relayed his invitation to go back with them. Given the five had raced together on Tara’s father’s boat, he thought they might enjoy the sail into the upper bay where Mercer had rented slip space at the Liberty Marina.