Lending Library

His answer came when she quietly told him, "I'll never forget the day he told me he was having an affair or the reason why. I told him I couldn't think of a single reason for him to cheat, and he told me, 'There isn't. You're amazing. But you're like...steak. Steak is great but who wants to eat steak every day for the rest of their life?"

She smiled weakly then said, "So I guess I was a piece of meat to him. A plain, dry, boring piece of meat."

Aidan shook his head then told her, "I can't even imagine ever feeling that way about someone I love, Quinn. Especially not someone as warm and charming and...as beautiful...as you."

The way she reacted sent a mixed signal to him, and Aidan wasn't sure whether she found his compliment pleasing or inappropriate.

She looked at him then said, "I loved the things you wrote, but what you just said was even sweeter and more meaningful than your beautiful written words."

Now feeling more confident knowing she at least didn't find his comment out of bounds, he needed to tell her something else.

"I don't want to put a damper on what's been a very nice time, but I want you to know that I...I find myself...very attracted to you, Quinn."

Now thinking that sounded purely physical, he quickly added, "I don't mean just in the sense that you're a very beautiful woman. I was trying to let you know that you're the kind of woman I've hoped to meet but never thought I would."

When she smiled, he felt like he'd just gone from bad to worse and tried to clean up the mess.

"Okay. Let me try and clarify what I mean," he began.

"It's okay. I understand," Quinn said with a smile.

"You...do?" he asked. "Because I'm the one saying it and I'm not sure I do."

Quinn laughed then said, "I...I like you, too, Aidan."

He raised his eyebrows as his eyes opened wide and a smile broke out on his face.

"You...do?" he asked again. "As in...like me like me?"

"Yes. I like you like you," she told him, the smile still there.

It faded before she added, "But for the life of me I'm not sure why you would like me."

"I...don't understand," he told her as he looked into her eyes for an explanation.

"You told me your age, but I didn't tell you mine," she said without looking at him.

"Were I say...25 and never married and wanting more children, then your age might matter. But I'm 34, and I have a daughter. I love children, but I don't want to raise another one. So other than those dry, um...biological issues...why else would it matter?"

Quinn turned more toward him and was planning on providing several reasons when Aidan reached over for her hand and essentially just took it. She wanted him to so there was no resistance, but she really wanted to let him know why the age difference mattered. But she never got the chance when he explained why it didn't.

"I would be so proud to be seen with you, Quinn. The obvious reason why is because you're...gorgeous. But more importantly, you and I have many things in common. And while we need to learn more about one another, I've never met anyone, other than Kayla, of course, whom I found more amazing and interesting, and..."

He slid closer and smiled at her. When she didn't move away or pull back, he reached up and gently put his hand on her face. He sat there and looked into her eyes, and once he felt reasonably confident she wouldn't stop him, he leaned over to kiss her.

Quinn's body began trembling when he took her hand. And now, here he was, sitting just inches away and telling her how amazing she was. She could barely hear what he was saying as every fiber of her being only wanted him to lean over and kiss her. And had he not done so when he did she knew she'd have kissed him first.

As he moved closer, she closed her eyes and waited for his lips to press against hers. When they did, she moaned softly and kissed him back. It had been three years since Aidan had kissed a woman like this or had those kinds of feelings, but it had been even longer since Quinn had felt this way about any man.

When the kiss ended two or three seconds later she wanted to pull him back and kiss him again even harder and longer, but wasn't in her makeup to do such a thing. But that didn't stop her from wanting to.

"Do you believe me now?" he whispered, his face still just inches from hers.

"Yes," she said, barely able to speak.

She was twelve years older than him but felt much younger than him at that moment in time, a moment she never wanted to end.

Just like Aidan, Quinn wasn't sure why she was saying something, but she was indeed saying it.

"I'm...46," she said quietly.

"And more beautiful than anyone I've known since my wife passed away," he told her just as quietly.

Neither of them heard Sadie walk up until she was right behind them.

"Um...hello!" she said trying not to smile but unable to keep from doing so.

"Sadie," her dad said as he pulled away.

Quinn looked down for a moment then said, "I didn't hear you walk back in, sweetie."

"I'm glad," she said, causing Quinn to look at Aidan who only smiled.

When he did, Quinn smiled, too.

"I think my daughter may be kind of hoping you and I might, you know..."

"Oh. I believe we have something else in common then, huh?" she said with a smiling referring to her daughter.

"So you want your father and I to be...friends?" Quinn asked, searching for the right word.

Sadie smiled happily then suggested a different word.

"I was thinking more like boyfriend and girlfriend, but 'friends' is probably okay."

This time Quinn laughed. It was a happy, relieved laugh and one in which Aidan joined her.

Sadie was at the back of the couch then moved in between them, her face to either side of theirs then asked, "So...are you?"

Quinn glanced at Aidan briefly then looked away waiting for him to answer his daughter.

"We haven't talked about that yet, honey, but I wouldn't be upset if Quinn wanted that to be the case."

Sadie smiled then turned Quinn's way and waited.

"You are quite the matchmaker," she told the young girl.

"I have my moments," she said rather amusingly.

"Well, I guess I would be okay with being your father's girlfriend. If that's something he's sure he wants."

Sadie turned her face toward her dad and waited.

"I kind of like the sound of that," he told his daughter while smiling at Quinn.

"Great. Then my work here is done!" Sadie announced as she stood up straight and smiled again.

"You going back to room, sweetie?" her dad asked.

"Yes," she told him. "And you can go back to kissing your girlfriend."

Both his eyes and Quinn's opened widely as her hands shot up to cover her mouth as she said, "Oh, my!"

Aidan just shook his head while Sadie called back, "Yes, I saw you guys kissing."

She stopped then looked over her shoulder and told them, "And—I approve!"

She disappeared into her room to the sound of laughter as the new couple adjusted to their new status.

"Hello...girlfriend," Aidan said as he took Quinn's hand.

She smiled happily, and feeling like a schoolgirl said, "Hello...boyfriend."

"You know we're supposed to kiss again, right?" he told her very seriously.

"Ah, right. Yes. I did hear that."

"Then we should probably take care of that, don't you think?"

"Yes. Definitely. We don't want to get in trouble, do we?"

"No. No, we don't," Aidan said as he slowly moved closer again then kissed her softly.

"Mmmm. That was very nice," she said as their lips parted.

"Yes. Very," Aidan agreed.

"I wasn't really clear on something, though. Were we supposed to kiss just one more time?"

"Good point. I'd say more is probably better," he said as they remained just an inch or so apart.

"Right. No use taking chances," Quinn said as she placed her soft, full lips on his then pulled him close.

For a brief moment their tongues touched, and once again, Quinn moaned softly.

"Mmmm," she said when the kiss ended.

"Yes, indeed," Aidan said very quietly.

"I...I'm not sure we should kiss anymore," Quinn told him in a whisper.

"I think I know why," Aidan replied. "Stopping gets more difficult with each one, doesn't it?"

"Oh, you have no idea," she told him as their eyes darted back and forth.

"Um, I believe I do," he replied. "There hasn't been anyone since my wife."

Quinn surprised him to the point of being shocked when she quietly said, "I haven't been with anyone since my husband walked out."

"Then we should definitely find something else to do."

"Do you have another book to talk about?" she asked with the sweetest of smiles.

"Several. Do you have a favorite?"

"I'm suddenly very partial to The Count of Monte Cristo, Monsieur Dantes."

"And I am similarly smitten with the lovely Mercédès Mondego," he told her feeling neither shame nor embarrassment with being silly when he was with this beautiful, older woman who enjoyed this kind of romantic wordplay as much as he did.

"Aidan? I don't want this moment to end," she told him.

"I know. But if it doesn't, we'll never be able to create other moments."

"More...memorable moments," Quinn said softly.

"So I'm going to slowly back away now, and you're going to let me, right?"

"I might need one more kiss first," she told him.

"Okay. But just one."

Quinn nodded then waited for her kiss and felt her body tingle when it came.

"All right. I think I can stand for you to move away now," she said. "Just do so slowly, okay?"

They tried moving on to another book, but neither heart was in it, and the conversation turned to love and romance as they gently probed for more common ground. It was almost five o'clock when Quinn realized how long they'd been talking, and more importantly, that so far, at least, they hadn't found a single issue on which they disagreed. Other than which soft drink they liked.

"How can you drink Diet Pepsi?" he asked her with feigned shock when she told him.

"Well...how can you stand to drink Coke...Zero?" she replied making a 'yuck!' face before they laughed.

"I should probably be going, don't you think?" she asked once she realized what time it was.

"Or you could stay and have dinner with us," Aidan suggested.

"I'd love to, but Michelle and I always have Sunday dinner together."

"I'm sure Sadie would love to have her join the three of us," he further suggested.

"The three of us. I kind of like the way that sounds," Quinn told him with a smile.

"It does have a nice ring to it, huh?" Aidan replied as he moved closer again.

"Why don't you call her and ask?"

"Okay. Let me grab my purse," she said.

"I'll get it," Aidan told her.

He went to the foyer and brought it to her, and as she spoke to her daughter, he nuzzled her neck causing her to laugh and say, "Stop that!" very quietly.

"Mom? What's going on?" Michelle asked.

"Going on?" her mom said as Aidan began nibbling her ear causing her to kind of giggle.

"If I didn't know you better," Michelle said as her mom pulled away and stood up.

"What? There's nothing going on."

"Just the same, please tell Aidan I accept, and that I'll be there by six."

She paused then said rather loudly, "To keep an eye on you, mother!"'

Quinn laughed happily as Aidan made 'goo-goo' eyes at her.

"I'm not the one you need to watch, honey," she told her daughter as she stuck her tongue out at her new boyfriend.

"Uh-huh. Something's going on, and I'm gonna get to the bottom of it," Michelle said in a mock-threatening voice.

"See you soon, honey," Quinn told her. "Bye!"

"She knows, doesn't she?" Aidan asked.

"She's as aware as Sadie only older and more experienced. We won't be able to fool her for a nanosecond."

Aidan stood up, walked over to her, and put his arms around then said, "Why would we want to?"

"Hmm. Good point, Mr. Dantes," she told him.

Aidan got serious for a nanosecond and asked if this was going too fast for her.

"Not for me," she told him immediately. "I'd kind of given up even looking for someone like you, but from that first note of yours I read, I found myself opening my heart again. And while I hope it doesn't get broken, I am so ready to..."

Quinn looked down for a moment then looked back at Aidan and said, "Love again."

"Me, too. I also never thought I'd meet a kindred spirit, and although I haven't dated many..."

He stopped then said, "Any other women really..."

Quinn laughed before he finished by saying, "I see no need to keep looking when someone perfect comes along."

"I'm hardly perfect," she told him.

"I'll be the judge of that," he replied as he kissed her again just as Sadie came back in.

The sound of giggling stopped them cold in their tracks.

"Uh-oh. We are so busted," Aidan said.

Quinn cleared her throat then lowered her arms and took a step back.

"Sorry, sweetie," she said to Sadie.

"Why? I want my daddy to fall in love with you," she said matter of factly causing the adults' eyes to once again open wide.

"We kind of just agreed to be a couple," her father told her.

"Really?" Sadie asked as she ran over to him.

She put her arms around him and said, "I am so happy!"

Then she let go and did the same thing to Quinn who didn't want to let her go.

"My daughter's coming over for dinner tonight. Is that okay?" Quinn asked when she finally let Sadie go.

"Michelle is awesome!" she replied.

Sadie turned to her father then asked him, "Are we going to Outback, Daddy?"

"We haven't discussed that yet, sweetie."

"I'm okay with staying in. I don't need to spend a bunch of money to enjoy being with the people I lo...want to be with," Quinn said. "We can, but I'm just as happy staying in."

Aidan smiled then said, "Hey, are you embarrassed to be seen with me?"

Quinn laughed and told him, "Are you kidding? I'd be telling everyone, whether I knew them or not, this handsome man is my boyfriend. But you may not be ready to make your public debut with me."

Aidan moved next to her again then said, "You are so wrong, beautiful. So, so wrong."

They stayed in that night and after Michelle recovered from her 'near heart attack' when her mom told her the news, everyone had a wonderful time. Michelle knew her mom thought Aidan was attractive, and she knew she loved the romantic notes. But after spending just a few hours together, they were...a couple?

Then again, she knew how desperately lonely her mom was, and that she'd never even consider a relationship with just any man. So the fact that was she was so suddenly in one with their landscaper was much less troubling than it might have been with anyone else.

Although everyone had a good time, Sadie was quite possibly the happiest person in the house. Quinn offered to make dinner after looking in the refrigerator then asked Sadie if she'd like to help, and she loved every minute of helping out in the kitchen. As it turned out, Michelle hated cooking and was all happy to sit and talk with Aidan at the kitchen counter while dinner was prepared.

By the time they left a little after nine, Michelle was no longer concerned. In fact, she was downright happy for her mother, and for this man who'd lost the only woman he'd ever loved. And although Sadie was too young be really close friends with, Michelle realized she was like the little sister she'd never had. So even it things got serious, or rather—more serious—that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

It was fortunate Michelle had spent that evening with her at Aidan and Sadie's, because things did start getting more serious as each day passed. Aidan began texting Quinn his favorite quotes and tying them to his beautiful new girlfriend several times a day. However, he also started leaving notes in the lending library again, and Quinn found herself smiling every time she came home knowing there might be a wonderful gift waiting for her.

A couple of weeks later, when one was there waiting for her, she realized these notes really were gifts. They were far more valuable to her than anything Aidan could give her other than his time.

At their one-month 'anniversary' he gave her a very nice pendant necklace, and as much as she loved it, she treasured his words even more.

Two weeks after that, Michelle offered to keep Sadie for 'a day or two' as a not-so-subtle hint the happy new couple needed some time alone. Sadie was thrilled, and Quinn was...loved.

It had been so long since she'd been with a man, and like Diane Keaton in Something's Gotta Give, she really did think she was 'closed for business down there'. And yet after making love with this hardbodied, younger man, Quinn remembered just how much she loved making love. From that moment on, she couldn't get enough of his time, his words, or his body.

Aidan would never compare Quinn with Kayla, but he had to admit Quinn was the most amazing woman he'd ever slept with. After a slow, delicious start, she proved to be voracious in bed and someone willing to satisfy every need he'd ever had (or dreamed of having.)

In a word, he was in love with her, and although she hadn't told him, Quinn was head over heels, too.

It was just another two weeks before he finally told her how he felt, and when he said those three magic words, Quinn teared up as the same words came pouring out of her from the depths of her soul.

Neither thought they would ever love like this again, and yet here they were, more in love than they'd ever been. Love with Kayla had been wonderful and special, but it was...different. Love with Quinn was more a kind of unbridled passion fueled not only by the physical but also by a shared connection; one that bonded them for life almost from the moment they first met.

By early December, Quinn asked Sadie how she felt about Quinn and got an immediate response.

"I love her, Dad."

"I do, too, honey. So...how would you feel if I asked her to marry me?"

Sadie literally jumped into his arms and hugged him.

"I would so happy!" she told her father. "Are you? Will you?"

"Yes. I'll ask her. I want it to be special, though. Something she'll never forget. And I have an idea. Want to hear it?"

He told his daughter what he was thinking, and Sadie was so excited she squealed with delight. Especially when he told her she could be there, too.

There was just one week until the end of the semester, and each day the level of intensity in the texts, notes, sweet words, and lovemaking between Aidan and Quinn continued to increase. They often tease each other about who was the luckier of the two, with both of them insisting it was them.

Aidan had put off hiring someone and managed to get anything from falling through the cracks during the summer months. Now that December had arrived, the grass only needed to be mowed one last time until Spring which, in northern Florida, meant mid-March.

He worked extra hours the three days before the last day of school, which was a half day for students so he could take a rare day off. He allowed Sadie to stay home from school so she could go with him, and they arrived at Orange Park High School just minutes before the final bell. But they didn't go to Quinn's classroom. Instead, they went to the office where the principal was waiting for them.

"So you're the lucky man," he said to Aidan as they shook hands. He bent down a little then told Sadie, "And lucky young lady."

"I am," Aidan agreed immediately as Sadie smiled and nodded.

"It's so good to meet you. Quinn has always been one of our best teachers, but everyone has noticed the change in her this year. It's as though she's walking on air. At least that's how one of her closest friends described it."

"I have to tell you, that's what it's been like for me," Aidan admitted. "I wasn't sure I'd ever fall in love again, and now I'm so deep in it, I can't think of anything else."

The principal laughed politely then said, "I heard all of this began thanks to her lending library."