The Christmas Tree Guy (39 page)

“Aww, don’t be jealous. I think they like my stories because I always throw in a fire breathing dragon and a couple of knights named Charlie and Travis,” he laughed, winking at her.

“So that’s the secret,” she said, tilting her head to the side.

“Pretty much. I had to do something. They always want you when they need something or they get hurt. I had to find something I’m better at than you. Plus,
Goldilocks and the Three Bears
is much more exciting with a dragon chasing them through the forest don’tcha think?” he grinned.

“Aww, that’s so sweet and so commercial all at the same time,” she cupped his cheek, sarcasm dripping from her words.

“Whatever.”

“I know you are kidding around, but I am very thankful for you.” She swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Thinking about him leaving the next day was getting harder to accept with each passing minute.

“Hey, don’t do that. We’re going to make this work.” He took her hand in his and rubbed her palm, trying to reassure her of their plan.

“I know…I’m just scared.” They had agreed to keep in touch and work out their long distance relationship. Quinn was not happy Sydnee and her mother weren’t on speaking terms again because of him, but Sydnee reassured him, she was okay. She was free and she had never been so happy in her entire life. She was sad she and her mother didn’t have the relationship she’d dreamed about, but she wasn’t going to let it keep her from the happiness and love she’d found with Quinn.

“Don’t be. Syd, you know I love you and I love the boys and we’re going to figure this out. It may take some time, but we can make it work.” He pulled her closer to him and she settled into the crook of his arm resting her chin on his chest. She wished they could stay like this forever, but she knew he had to leave. “It’s pretty late,” he said, as she looked up at him. “I’m going to go. I’ll call you in the morning.” He wiped the newly formed tears from her eyes before he kissed her on the forehead.

She shook her head and looked up at him. “Don’t leave.”

“What?” Quinn asked softly, with a puzzled look on his face.

“Stay. Stay with me…please?” She knew she couldn’t prolong his leaving, but she just needed to feel him near her for as long as she could.

“Syd are you sure? What about the boys.”

“I’m sure. Quinn, they love you. I can’t imagine you not being in our lives. I know it probably seems like I’m being co-dependent right now, and maybe I am in a way. But I just want to know when I lay down to sleep tonight, I’ll wake up in your arms,” she finished, her expressive brown eyes full of love.

“You’re positive about this?”

“Yes. We don’t have much time before you leave. Please. Just for tonight?”

Nodding his head, Quinn accepted her invitation to stay. “Okay,” he answered, lowering his head to kiss her softly.

She moved into his embrace, placing her cheek on his wide chest as he placed his chin on the top of her head and held her. She could hear his heart beating through the thin material of his shirt and she felt more content than she had in a long time. The sense of comfort and security she’d been missing for so long was now all wrapped up in his strong arms. They sat in silence, soaking up every precious moment they could before walking to her bedroom. Closing the door behind him, Quinn turned off the overhead light leaving the room dimly lit by the bedside lamp. Even in the dim light, Sydnee could see the desire in his eyes and all she wanted was to feel his skin against hers. She deftly took the hem of his shirt and pulled it up and over his head. As her fingers ran across the muscles in his chest, his lips parted and he lowered his head to kiss her. He ran his fingers through her hair as their kiss intensified and she felt delirious from the feel of him against her. Slowly, he pulled back taking in every inch of her face as if he were committing it to memory and she wanted to cry knowing this man loved her more than his own life.

“I want you more than I think I’ve ever wanted anything,” she whispered, looking at him and hoping he could see the same amount of love in her eyes.

Taking her words as his cue, Quinn gently moved them to the bed. He unbuttoned her blouse, never breaking their gaze. Once the material fell from her arms, he lowered her to the bed and pressed his lips against hers. With each passing moment she felt her heart rate increase in anticipation of his touch. He blazed a hot trail of kisses from her lips to her neck and reached down to unbutton and unzip her jeans. She arched her hips up to allow him to pull them down her legs and she lay on the bed waiting for him to remove his own.

“I’ve missed you,” she heard him rasp in her ear.

He ducked his head and kissed her stomach before lying beside her, pushing her onto her side with her back towards him. He pulled her hair back and buried his head in the crook of her neck, kissing the sensitive skin beneath her ear. She could feel his strong but nimble hands skim across her back to unsnap the hook on the lace bra she wore, freeing her breasts. The cool air wafted across her bare skin and she could feel her nipples stand at attention. She moaned, feeling his smooth chest against her bare back and she closed her eyes when his hands cupped her breasts, kneading the mounds and worrying the nipples between his thumbs and forefingers. She didn’t think she could take much more of his torture and she nearly fell apart when he rolled her onto her back and moved to his knees, capturing one of the hardened pebbles in his mouth. His talented tongue swirled and teased and her back arched instinctively, pushing her body closer to him.

“Quinn,” she breathed, running her hands through his hair. She wanted to feel him against every part of her and she couldn’t get enough of him. He looped his fingers through her underwear and slid them down her hips, igniting a deep fire in her belly as his powerful hands grazed her skin. She could take the torment no longer and pulled him to her, commanding that he satisfy her every need. “I need you now.”

He put on a condom before gently nudging her onto her back and sliding into her. “Syd.” She heard him moan as he rocked into her and she wrapped her legs around his waist pulling him closer and deeper into her.

She groaned as his firm lips kissed the hollow of her neck and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of him invading every bit of space inside her. He took both of her wrists in his hands, pressing them into the bed above her head before bending down to take her lips in his own. He pried
her lips apart so his tongue could swirl and dance with hers. His hips continued to grind out a slow sensual rhythm as he pushed deeper into her, eliciting uncontrollable spasms inside her as her body jerked in climatic ecstasy and he followed suit a second later.

“Quinn. I love you,” she murmured.

“I love you, too,” he replied, kissing the top of her head and pulling her into his side and they lay in silent bliss before falling asleep in each other’s arms.

###

Sydnee had never felt so content than she had waking up in Quinn’s arms. It felt right. It felt like she was finally able to breathe, but she was sad he was leaving that afternoon. He’d gotten up early and said his goodbyes to the boys before she took them to school. Her heart ached watching them both nearly in tears at the thought of not seeing Quinn on a regular basis. She knew exactly how they felt, sitting at her desk looking at the picture of him with the twins, not knowing exactly what their future held.

The shrill ring of her office phone jarred her from her thoughts and she tried to get her head back into her work. “Weston Graphics, this is Sydnee.”

“Hey girl. We didn’t get to talk long the other day. What’s going on?” Sydnee grimaced, hearing Sara’s voice through the receiver. Her heart was heavy and she knew she would not be able to hide it very well.

“Hey.”

“Uh oh, gloomy Gus. What’s wrong?” She could always count on Sara to know her better than she knew herself.

“Quinn leaves today.”

“Oh, no. I forgot. Oh, honey, I’m sorry. And just when you two found your way back to each other. How are you doing?” Fighting back tears, Sydnee knew she wasn’t doing well. She’d tried to make sense of everything, and she’d continually told herself she and Quinn could have a meaningful long distance relationship. But as the minutes ticked by, she felt more and more reluctant. She propped her elbow on the desk and dropped her forehead into her palm.

“I’m so out of it, Sara. I just feel so, I don’t know. I’m so confused.”

“What do you mean?”

Sydnee closed her eyes and silently wished her heart would stop hurting as badly as it was. “I want him to go and be the success I know he’s going to be. But a part of me just wants him to stay. I know it’s selfish, but I love him so much.”

“Syd. Oh my gosh. Honey, you’ve got to tell him.”

“I have, Sara. But I can’t keep him from going. That wouldn’t be fair.” She sniffed, leaning her head to the side to glance back at the picture of the three most important men in her life and wishing there was a way to make her heart stop splitting in half. The line was quiet for a moment before Sara spoke up.

“Then you need to consider his proposal.”

“What proposal?”

“Moving. He was serious, Syd. What if you go with him?” Sydnee stopped looking at the picture and tried to focus on what Sara just suggested. He
had
given her the vouchers and they were open ended.

“Sara, what about Charlie and Travis? What about my life here?”

“What kind of life is it going to be without Quinn? Are you truly going to be happy without him?”

Listening to Sara, Sydnee looked out of the window and thought about her friend’s comments. She was in love with Quinn. She’d finally admitted it to him, but most importantly, she’d finally admitted it to herself and she didn’t want to live another day without him.

“Just think about what I said. Syd, you may not get this chance again. You love him. Your boys love him. Don’t give up a chance for true happiness.” As they hung up with one another, Sydnee sat with Sara’s words echoing in her head.

###

“Quinn!” Sydnee pushed through the crowd of people milling in the terminals. She’d finally gotten through security after realizing she couldn’t get through the gate without having a ticket. She slapped down her credit card and bought the first ticket the lady could pull up. She thought she never would get through security, since she didn’t have any bags and she had just bought the ticket. Once she was through she checked the terminal board to see what gate Quinn would be leaving out of and ran to catch him. “Quinn, Quinn, wait!” She could see him standing in line waiting to board the plane. He turned to look in her direction along with the group of people standing around the gate waiting to board.

“Syd? What are you doing here?” He stepped out of line to meet her.

Trying to catch her breath, Sydnee stopped in front of him. Her chest was heaving as he waited for her to say something and she could feel the inquisitive eyes of other passengers staring at them. “I had to…I had to see you.”

“We just saw each other this morning.” He lowered his voice and looked around at the other people waiting to get on the flight before looking back at Sydnee with a wry smile.

“I know, but I had to talk to you. I have to tell you…”

“Tell me what? What’s going on?” She looked into his eyes and exhaled, still trying to catch her breath from running through the airport. She saw so much hope and love in his eyes every time he looked at her and she didn’t want to miss one more day with him.

“I love you.”

He chuckled at her cute admission, taking her face in his hands. “I love you, too. Syd, are you okay?”

“No.” It came out almost as a whisper and she looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “No. I’m not okay. Quinn, I love you so much and I already miss you and you haven’t even left. I thought this was the best thing for you, for the boys and me. I want you to be successful and do so well, but on the other hand…I want to be with you. I’m just not sure how we can do it and-”

“Whoa, whoa. Slow down. What are you saying?” She could see his smile start to fade and she knew he was thinking she was there to break it off with him again. But that was the furthest thing from her mind.

Taking a deep breath, she moved closer to him. “I’m saying if you want us and you really mean it, then-”

“Then?”

“I’ve been saying my life is here and I’m making all kinds of excuses not to leave Louisville, but the truth is, my life is with you. Wherever you are that’s where my life is, and I don’t want to lose you.” The weight lifted from her chest and she felt the lightest she’d ever felt in her life. Everything looked and felt new to her and she was in love with the feeling. She wanted Quinn and she wanted a life with him. She just hoped he wanted the same.

“Syd, you aren’t going to lose me.” He reassured her they were on the right track and they were going to be okay.

“I don’t want to take the chance of losing you. I just got you back. I want to live my life with you and not long distance. I mean, I want to go—with you.” She watched him pause and the smile on his face disappeared as he looked deep into her eyes. She nodded letting him know she was serious about her decision.

“Are you sure? I mean, you know what you’re saying?”