He opens the door and hands the deliveryman a tip that makes his eyes go wide before a smile splits his face. Just add that to the growing list in my head of reasons why I should pick this relationship over Mahler.

“I know you have your Diet Coke, but do you want anything else?” he asks as he unpacks too many boxes for just the two of us to eat. “I think I have wine in the top of my pantry.”

I would normally be okay with just the Diet, but my shoulders are already starting to ache from that damn axe throwing, and a glass of wine sounds like a good idea.

“Wine actually sounds great, I’ll go check your pantry.”

I walk into his pantry and see the bottle shoved behind a cereal box on the top shelf.

“Where’s your bottle opener?” I ask him as I walk back into the kitchen just in time to see him piling food onto two plates. “You know I’m never going to be able to eat all of that, right?”

He looks up at me with mischief in his eyes. “Wanna bet?”

“No!” An unexpected giggle falls from the back of my throat. “I’m not doing any more bets with you today. Now wine opener, stat.”

—

ONE EMPTY BOTTLE of wine and what feels like twenty dumplings later, we’re back on the couch watching Olivia as she fixes everything with her gladiators.

“I think Huck’s my favorite,” Quinton says.

“Yeah, he’s pretty great.” I roll my neck to try and loosen it. The ache in my shoulders from axe throwing has extended to my neck and back.

This is why I stay away from physical activities.

“You alright?” Quinton puts his hand on my neck and lightly massages it.

I don’t know if it’s the wine, the food, or that his hands just work that well, but my body goes slack underneath his touch.

“Thank you.” I close my eyes and enjoy the way his strong fingers seem to find my pressure points without even trying. “I think two hours of axe throwing upset the muscles in my body that I’ve never used before.”

“Come here then.” He stands me up for a second before sitting me down between his legs. “Try to relax.”

I’ve never loved being touched. I’d rather spend my money on just about anything other than a stranger rubbing my body for an hour. I got a massage one time with Liv and was so tense during it that my back wasn’t right for a week afterwards. I actually broke up with a guy in college because he wanted to cuddle all the time and I couldn’t take it.

But for some reason, I don’t feel like that with Quinton. I already knew his hands were magic from when he helped my ankle, but this feels decadent.