Page 55 of Playing with Fire

“I asked, and I quote, ‘Do you think it’s possible to convince Bailey to go on a date with me?’”

That explained a lot. Oh, boy, did it explain a lot. “I think you might have had an easier time with the cactus, Quinn. I’ve never been on a date in my life.”

Quinn laughed. “You kept running away every time I tried to talk to you. That’s not my fault. Do you have any idea how much I spent on coffees just for a chance to see you? I needed the light hit of dust to get over my daily dose of rejection.”

“That is so sad. Pathetic, even.”

The Plaza had nice, fluffy pillows, and Quinn introduced my face to one. “It gets better. I almost asked her what it would take to get you to sleep with me instead. If I had, I’m not sure she would have survived. I would have killed her. She would have died from laughing at me.”

“That’s really desperate. And coming from me, that’s pretty pathetic.” I took the pillow before he could smack me with it again. “Really pathetic.”

“Look at it from my shoes! If I had known I’d end up falling in love with the woman I hired to prove my wife was cheating on me, I would have just complained about Audrey’s infidelity to an incubus and waited for the sex tapes to show up. I had no idea you’d actually catch her in the act in Central Park. And you were right. Her technique was atrocious.”

“Wow.” I needed a lot of time to process his words. I got stuck on ‘falling in love’ and the rest slipped in one ear and right out the other. It took me several tries to comprehend everything else he had said. “That should be on a warning label for women across the world: cheat at own risk. Scorned men may jumpstart your career in adult entertainment. Bonus: you’ll debut with an incubus.”

“I don’t share. Maybe I should have warned you about that before sleeping with you. I don’t handle a few other things well, but I really can’t tolerate cheating.”

“Does watching me kick a gorgon’s ass count as something you don’t handle well?”

“Are you kidding? God, no. That was the hottest thing I’ve seen a woman do in a long time, and that’s saying a lot. As soon as I realized you were handling the problem on your own, that is. I think that shaved ten years off my life. No. We’re good there. If anyone tries to touch you, I’ll pay bail if necessary, just kick their ass so hard they never forget it.”

“He tried to use me as breeding stock, Quinn. Me!”

“I’m pretty sure everyone within a mile heard you. You were fantastic. I thought you were going to cut his balls off and feed them to him for a while there.”

“Didn’t have a knife.”

“That’s a pity. He deserved it. He’s lucky I hadn’t been there, because I’d be in jail right now. They would have been picking up body parts blocks away if I had gotten my hands on him.”

“You being in jail would make certain things very difficult. I think I can afford your bail now at least. I’d pay your bail bill.”

“And you call me insatiable.”

“It’s your fault. You’re Manhattan’s Most Wanted Bachelor.”

“One day people will realize a divorced man can’t be a bachelor.”

“You know what, Quinn? I’m done talking for right now. Shut up and kiss me.”

Chapter Fourteen

>We have one question.

Sleep was a luxury Quinn could apparently live without. I couldn’t. While I thought I’d be safe sleeping the day away in the Plaza, he disagreed.

Long before I had even dreamed of sleeping with Quinn, we had fought. How had we gone from hating each other to… us? After I got some sleep, I’d be able to make sense of it. Our first real fight as a couple ended with my frustrated tears. Why couldn’t I go back to bed? Instead, as the loser of the discussion, I got dressed in new clothes the hotel magically made appear since mine were ruined with pink neutralizer stains. Quinn ignored my sniffled complaints and herded me to the lobby, where he proceeded to manhandle me into the back of a waiting cruiser.

To ensure I couldn’t escape, he slid in beside me. “Anything critical on the wire?”

Quinn blocked my route of escape by closing the door. Damn it.

“The CDC called Washington for support regarding our gorgon problem. They also called trying to get hold of you, Gardener. They’re expecting a call back.”

Oh. I knew the cop from her voice. Amanda seemed like the type of woman Quinn would actually pursue, down-to-Earth, wearing a uniform, and pretty enough to model if she wanted. I was a crow to her swan, but she grinned at me as though it never occurred to her we were in two totally different leagues.

“Yippee.”

Quinn jabbed me with his elbow. “Anything else?”