AllFreeNovel
Share Us
That wasn’t Quinn.
And yes, she knew how stupid that sounded. She had just met the man. He was a stranger to her. But she was familiar with arrogant and entitled men. She’d lived with the slyest and most charismatic of them, a devil so pompous he flaunted everything at his disposal to let those around him know he was the biggest man in the room.
And again, that wasn’t Quinn.
There was something about him that was different. Safe. He was comfortable in his own skin. He didn’t need to play games or show off.
Stepping up to the bed, he took the frame from her hands and kneeled beside her, studying the photo with a faraway smile.
“Joe and I were both living out of state,” he said. “We flew in to surprise Roxie for her birthday. We were both with the FBI at the time, and Roxie constantly made fun of us because we always wore suits.” He tapped the glass with his knuckle. “Hence why we’re decked out in our Sunday best for a backyard barbeque.
“Killed two birds with one stone, though. When we were teenagers, our version of ‘Sunday best’ made most people cringe. Our folks were lucky if they managed to drag us to church in clothes that weren’t ripped or stained. We figured it’d make Roxie happy to make fun of us, and we also got to show the folks that it was possible for us to clean up.”
* * *
For Christ’s sake, O’Conner. Shut. The fuck. Up.
If Quinn could slap himself upside the head, he would. Reminiscing about his teenage years was not something he did. Ever. And he was sure it was the last thing Alex wanted to hear about.
When he’d come in and found her curled up staring at that photo, something had stirred in him. Exactly what, he had no clue. All he knew was she’d looked so damn tiny in his bed. So alone. So sad. And he’d wanted to comfort her. He’d meant to say something soothing, perhaps ask how she was feeling, but instead, random shit had flown out of his mouth. Fuck if this woman didn’t have him all out of sorts.
Trying to reset his mind, he placed the frame back in its spot on the nightstand. Still kneeling, he rested his elbows on the bed next to her.
“How’re you feeling?” he asked, proud he’d gotten the question out this time.
“Good.” She cleared her throat. “Well, embarrassed, too. I’m not really sure where to begin.”
“Nothing to be embarrassed about. I hope you don’t mind, but I called the doctor over to make sure you didn’t have a concussion or anything.”
She smiled and carefully sat up, resting her back against the headboard. “Thanks, but I’m sure I’m fine.”
He fought the urge to help her; he didn’t want to invade her personal space.
“Quinn, I want to apologize about what happened in the shed. I’m sorry. I had no right to act like you were—”
“Alex, no.” He rested his hand on her blanket-covered ankle, then quickly pulled it away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to touch you.” He blew out a breath and met her eyes. “There’s nothing for you to apologize for.I’mthe one at fault. Not you. I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that.”
“It’s okay,” she said, nodding to her ankle. “But I still want to apologize, though. I freaked out on you and... that wasn’t cool.” A flush spread over her cheeks. Even bruised and swollen, the woman was adorable.
“We’re just going to have to agree to disagree on that one.” He placed his hand on the bed between them, palm up. “But I’ll accept your apology, even though you have nothing to apologize for. Can you accept mine for scaring you? I really am sorry about that.”
She glanced between his face and his offered hand, and he stayed still, hoping she’d accept his gesture. After a few long heartbeats, she did, putting her hand in his. Warmth flooded through him. He wanted to wrap his arms around this woman and protect her from... everything.
Keep it light, O’Conner.
“If you don’t mind me asking,” he said, absently running his thumb over her knuckles, “what were you looking for under that shelf?”
Her flush deepened, and he stifled a smile. Damn, he could sit here with her all day.
“I went into the shed to look for... Well, it doesn’t matter.” She shook her head. “My earring fell off and bounced under the shelf. Like all the way to the very back.”
Sure enough, a small gold hoop pierced her left earlobe, and the other was bare. “I’ll go snag that for you. In the meantime, you ready to see Doc?”
“Yes. Thank you,” she whispered, holding his gaze.
He gave her a slight smile. Then, for a few quiet moments, he simply held her hand.
He wasn’t one to over-analyze his feelings. In fact, he’d been accused of being an emotionless asshole on more than one occasion. And yet, he couldn’t help but wonder whythiswoman left him so unsettled. Because she unequivocally did.
