Free More Than This by Shannyn Schroeder Page B

kitchen and stopped in front of the refrigerator. A neatly typed
     list stared at him. It drew his attention amidst the colorful artwork. The first item
     was “Play hooky.” He read through the rest.
    Blood rushed southward as he got to the bottom of the list. The passion of the kiss
     they’d shared closed over him. The sudden realization that she’d seek another man
     to accomplish these tasks hit him. Like ice water dumped on his head, Ryan’s warm
     thoughts were doused.
    Indy knew about this. Hell, she created it, yet she sent me over here anyway .
    Ryan left the kitchen and returned to his place on the couch. Reading the list invaded
     Quinn’s privacy. He probably shouldn’t have read it. He’d come here today as a friend,
     but he’d use all the ammunition he could get his hands on.
    Quinn’s bounding down the metal steps caught his attention. The sight of her pushed
     aside all thoughts of friendship. A bright blue Cubs T-shirt was tucked into the waistband
     of tight jeans. The teacher had become the girl next door. She had her damp hair tucked
     behind her ears. His gaze wandered to her feet. Unfortunately, she wore black canvas
     sneakers.
    “Ready?” she asked.
    “Whenever you are.”
    “Are you going to tell me where we’re going?”
    “Maybe.” He opened his arms for her to lead the way. As she walked by, he caught the
     scent of her perfume. It wasn’t the same soft scent he’d smelled before. It was darker
     and more enticing. Remaining friends without benefits might be more difficult than
     anticipated.
     
    Quinn paused before heading to the door and pushed a plastic container of cookies
     at him. “Before we go, I have something for you. Here.”
    “What’s this?”
    “Cookies from Saturday. You told me to save you some.”
    He took one of the cookies and sank his teeth in. Her breath locked in her chest,
     waiting for his reaction.
    A groan sounded from deep in his throat. “These are amazing. How do you keep from
     eating them all at once?”
    Ignoring the pleasurable sound and what it did to her insides, she answered, “Self-control.
     Everything in moderation.”
    “I’m not good at either of those,” he said, biting into a second cookie. His look
     said he was referring to more than eating cookies. He returned the lid to the container.
     “I better leave these here or I’ll eat them all.”
    Quinn walked to the elevator and pressed the button. Being alone with Ryan made her
     nervous. Friends or not, they’d shared a memorable kiss. Every time she looked at
     his face, she thought of his mouth on hers. She reminded herself he probably kissed
     a different woman every night.
    “We could take the stairs,” Ryan said.
    “Are you claustrophobic?” The elevator dinged and Quinn stepped in.
    “No. I don’t trust this particular elevator. It’s so old it might collapse at any
     moment.”
    “I take it all the time. It’s fine.” She pressed one and the elevator lurched. As
     they rattled past the third floor, she added, “It only gets stuck on three a couple
     of times a month.”
    “Are you serious?”
    Quinn laughed. “Unfortunately, yes. But it doesn’t last long.”
    They exited the elevator and the building. Quinn looked up and down the street for
     Ryan’s SUV. “Are you driving or am I?”
    “Neither. We’ll walk; take the bus if we need to.”
    “To where?”
    “Today, we’re tourists.” He paused. “I know, you’ve lived here for years and you know
     everything the city has to offer.”
    He laid his hand on the small of her back to guide her down the street. It didn’t
     make her flinch or cringe. She didn’t even want to step away. His warmth crept pleasantly
     up her spine, and she hated that she enjoyed it.
    He continued, “But when was the last time you looked at the city? Really looked.”
    When had she? Ten, twelve years ago when she moved here? She’d always thought she’d
     re-explore with her husband and kids. Day trips into the