Intimate Persuasions by Nicole Morgan Read Free Book Online Page B

together now?”
    Ann looked back up at him and nodded. “Yeah, I mean he sort of asked me this morning, and I wasn’t going to, but I just don’t know. It’s soon, I know that, I do. There’s just something about Quinn, he sort of consumes my mind.” She shrugged. “I don’t always think rationally when your brother is concerned.”
    Derek smiled at her. “Nothing you could have said would have mattered more than to me than what you didn’t say.”
    She looked at him perplexed. Sure she knew she was tiptoeing around it, but could she tell him that she was falling for Quinn?
    “Derek, I don’t understand. All I said was that he sort of clouds my mind.” His stare made her feel like he couldn’t be happier. He was Quinn’s brother, and probably thought that he deserved a good woman. Did he think that she was that one?
      His smile only got bigger. “Really? Clouds it huh? Sounds like you got it bad.”
    Ann smirked at him. He was really very nice, but she knew he was getting a kick out of her discomfort. “Very funny. Fine. I’m crazy about your brother. Is that what you want to hear?”
    Derek placed his hands in his front pockets and rocked back and forth on his heels, obviously very pleased with himself. “Yeah, that pretty much covers it. Now come on, I’ll follow you to Quinn’s. It’s late and those dark roads can be pretty dangerous if you’re not used to them.”
    Ann thanked him and closed her door. Starting her engine, she wondered why it was so easy to talk to Derek. Thinking about her past week, she realized just how truly lucky she was. In one week she had found a great job, which she truly enjoyed. She found a sexy and amazing lover! And now she felt like she had an honest to goodness friend in Derek. Suddenly she wasn’t angry at Larry anymore. She was actually grateful for his cheating ways. If he had stayed faithful to her, she might not have met Quinn, and she might not have gotten her job or met Derek. Hmm. Life works in mysterious ways.
    Ten minutes later Ann was getting out of her car. She motioned for Derek to wait before he drove away. She ran over to his window and waited for him to open it.
    “You want to come inside?”
    He was surprised by her question. She had just told him how exhausted she was. “Ah sure, but I thought you were tired.”
    She was. Truth was she was beyond tired. But she felt awkward going into Quinn’s house. Even though she was going to be living there with him, she still felt like she was intruding upon his personal space. Derek was his brother, so if he came in for a little while then it wouldn’t seem so weird.
    “I am, but I don’t think I’ll get to sleep right away anyway. I’m too wound up. We could have a beer or something.” She assumed Quinn kept beer at the house. She’d only been over a couple of times before. And then she had just been in the bedroom, although there was that one time in the bathroom, oh and once in the kitchen, too.
    “Sure, let me just park my truck. I’ll be right inside.” Derek watched her as she walked towards the house. She hesitated for a moment before putting her key in the door. Derek picked up his cell phone and called his brother.
    “Hey man, what’s up?” Quinn asked over the noise surrounding him.
    “Nothing major, but we were busy at the restaurant tonight, so we got done much later than usual. Anyway I followed Ann to your place—”
    Quinn interrupted him. “Oh, she told you? I was gonna tell you myself, I just got busy.”
    “No, it’s cool. She’s nice, I like her, but she seems really nervous. And she asked me to stay. I get the feeling she’s afraid to be alone in your place.”
    Quinn was surprised by his comment. “Really?”
    “Yeah, so I’m gonna go inside. But I think she’s really exhausted. If you find me sleeping on the sofa when you get home, don’t be surprised.”
    Quinn laughed, “Sure man, thanks for helping her out. She…well she matters…a lot.”
    Derek grinned