Free Seduced in September (Spring River Valley Book 9) by Clarice Wynter Page B

expected you to change your mind or because I wanted anything from you that you weren’t prepared to give.”
    “So why did you? Leave your number?”
    Damn, did he have to ask the hard questions? She still hadn’t figured that one out. “Common courtesy. It wasn’t polite just to walk out.”
    “You could have woken me up.”
    “I spared us this awkward conversation while we both had a hangover.”
    “All right, I’ll give you that.” He grinned, his eyes lighting with mischief. Lily’s heart thumped. “But now that we’re having this awkward conversation, can we figure out a way for it to not be so awkward?”
    “Aside from pretending the other night didn’t happen?” She meant the question to be light-hearted, but the look in his eyes told her it stung. That surprised her. “What I meant to say was…we could start over, one of these days, and not consider the other night a first date.” These words spilled out quickly before she could edit them into something that didn’t sound like she was asking him out. Despite her intentions, though, they had the desired effect, and the momentary hurt left his eyes.
    “How about we—”
    “There you are, Quinn, I’m glad you’re still here.” Aunt Maddie had returned, looking a little paler than she had before her trip to the Radiology department. Carl, who was pushing her mobile bed through the corridor, moved off to open the door of her room. She reached a thin hand out to Quinn. “Were you waiting for me?”
    Lily eyed him, wondering what he could say that would be convincing.
    “I just wanted to make sure you were okay, but I do have to get back on the road with Tanner.”
    “I want to thank both of you for all your help tonight. I wish there were more young people as dedicated as you are.”
    He actually blushed, and Lily found herself grinning at him. That smile of his lit up his eyes and made her knees a little weak. She had to look away. “Let’s get you settled, Aunt Maddie, so you can get a little rest.”
    “Okay, but first I have one more question for Quinn. I know you’ve got to get going, but before you do, I want to thank you.”
    “You just did, Mrs. M, really, I’m—”
    “No, no, just listen. We had such a lovely time at Landry’s when we went there for our charity date, I’d like to pay for you to go again, you and Lily. It will be my treat.”
    “Aunt Maddie!” Lily stifled a growl. This was getting completely out of hand. Why hadn’t anyone given her a sedative by now? She was clearly delusional. “Is it really a gift if you tell him who he has to take with him to dinner?”
    “It’s okay, Lily. It sounds like a great idea, but you don’t have to pay, Mrs. M. I’d be happy to take Lily out to dinner, my treat.”
    Aunt Maddie beamed at him. Lily sighed, and Carl gave them all an impatient look.
    “Aunt Maddie, Carl is trying to get you back into your room, let’s not hold him up anymore. And let’s stop embarrassing Quinn.”
    “Not embarrassed,” he responded helpfully, stepping out the way of the rolling bed. “How’s Thursday night?”
    “Thursday is…” So soon? “Fine. I can do Thursday.”
    “I’ll see you then, Lily. Mrs. M, you take care of yourself, stay off of dark staircases, okay?”
    Aunt Maddie smiled and waved, Carl finished wheeling her back into her room, and Lily let the pent-up air in her lungs out slowly as Quinn sauntered off down the corridor, clearly pleased with the turn of events.
    Lily’s face burned. They’d agreed on no strings, and suddenly she was all trussed up in them, tangled and completely unable to break free. The worst part was, she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to.
     
    * * * *
     
    Quinn’s good mood carried him all the way back to the rig. Seeing Lily again made him forget he was still cold and wet and exhausted from the harrowing trip across town. It made him forget the storm and the blackout and the flooding and made the day seem so much less chaotic.
    He was