by Dee J. Adams
Quinn spotted Ellie talking with her boss. Mark Jerkoff. She wasn’t wearing the Julie Fraser wig so maybe she wasn’t in a shot today. She glanced around, her blond hair swishing against her back, and her gaze stopped on him. She smiled, big and bright, and Quinn’s chest tightened up. He started toward her when Mac stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.
“I was hoping to talk to you this morning,” Mac said, checking his watch, “but Trace’s publicist scheduled another interview and she wants me with her. Can we meet this afternoon?”
“As long as we meet today,” Quinn told him. “I’m serious about what I said, Mac. I’m not doing this anymore. We talk today. I’m running out of time.” Not to mention patience.
Mac’s hands went up in defense. “I hear you. I swear. This afternoon. I’ll set a timer.” He hit a few buttons on his watch. “Three o’clock. My trailer, okay?” Mac was already moving toward his wife.
“Three o’clock,” Quinn repeated, voice raised. He wanted witnesses, dammit. He looked around for Ellie, disappointment strong when she no longer stood with her buddies.
Someone tapped his shoulder and he turned. And smiled. It was as if Ellie’s presence made a cellular difference in his body. His mind. She filled his senses with just her smile and the light in her eyes.
“Hey there. Long time, no see,” she said. “How are you?”
Now that he had her this close, he was damn good. “Fine. Great. How ’bout yourself?” Forcing his gaze from her very soft and kissable lips, he looked at her feet. She had on a pair of loosely laced sneakers. “How’s the foot?”
“It’s good. Looks much better today.”
He grinned. Couldn’t help it. That little dimple just stared at him and her eyes sparkled like dark green gems. “If ‘much better’ means that it’s all sorts of funky colors, I’ll bet you’re right.”
Cocking her head to the side, she clasped her hands behind her back. “What do you have against funky colors?”
“Nothing.” He shrugged, tipped his head and matched her move. “It’s the pain that goes with them that bothers me.”
“Do I look like I’m in pain?” She spread her arms wide.
Nope. She looked like a blonde goddess in black. Black stretch yoga pants and a tight black tank. But just because she looked good didn’t mean she wasn’t hurting. She did work with actors all day. Some of that bullshit had to wear off. He’d bet money she’d told her boss she was a hundred percent so she could be on the job today. “Nope. It seems like you’re doing fine.”
She smiled up at him. Oh, so wickedly. “Is that all? Just fine?”
Hell no. “Extra fine? Good enough to eat.” Shit. He probably shouldn’t have said that last thing. Except her smile broadened and, shit again, now he was getting hard just watching her eyes dance and sparkle.
“I could say the same about you,” she said in an extra husky, low voice to boot.
They’d wandered into serious flirt-mode. He knew the territory well. In fact, he’d developed a nice little tract here. Knew all the ins and outs. He also knew the stop signs and traveled the path that hopefully didn’t have any.
“If that’s the case, then I think I see dinner in our future. When things look good enough to eat, I’ve discovered that they should be consumed as quickly as possible. You know…to avoid spoilage.”
“I think if you go too quickly though, you lose the enjoyment, don’t you? Some things should be savored.” She didn’t back down. She stared up at him with innocent eyes, smiling and sparkling and sending his blood running hot with only a look.
Hello? Had she changed her mind? Had last night’s kitchen kissfest turned the tide in his direction? Quinn smiled wide. “I can savor with the best of ’em.”
Ellie’s cell phone rang and interrupted the best flirt session she’d ever had. She unclipped it from her waistband and checked the screen. Ashley. Wouldn’t you know it? She’d finally taken her roommate’s advice to loosen up and had been interrupted almost immediately.
“Hello, Ashley,” she said for Quinn’s benefit. He winked and she had to turn her head to focus on her roommate’s words.
“Ellie, please tell me you’re near my car. Please, please, please.” Her voice was all panic.
“I’m very near your car.” The beat up Honda sat six feet away. “What’s up?”
“Check the trunk. See if you can find a manila file folder. It has a green edge labeled Originals.”
“Be right back,” Ellie mouthed to Quinn. Production lights surrounded half the car, but Ellie popped the trunk from the passenger seat. When she got to the back, Quinn stood peering inside. What a mess. She would’ve said it out loud, but Ashley didn’t need to hear it in her current state of mind. Colorful reusable grocery bags littered the top of a cooler, beach chair and extra large umbrella. She still hadn’t taken her old hair dryer to the Salvation Army either. A large backpack nestled in the corner. That would be her earthquake kit.
“Do you see it?” Ashley asked.
Ellie shifted the grocery bags and a corner of a folder peeked out. She pulled out the file and saw the green edge. “Got it.”
“Oh, thank God. Okay, good. This is good. Oh shit. This isn’t good.”
“What’s going on? Tell me what you need,” Ellie said.
“I need that file today. Now. If I don’t have it for the afternoon meeting at two o’clock, I am so boned. Like fired, boned. I had everything in the trunk last night and that file must have slid out. But there’s no way I can get out of here before the meeting.”
Ellie checked her watch. It was twelve-thirty. “I can probably bring it to you.” Then she remembered. “Oh, scratch that. You have my car and your car is set for a shot. I can’t bring it to you.”
“I’ll take you,” Quinn whispered.
Someone had been eavesdropping. She flashed him a look of gratitude. “Ashley, you’re saved. Quinn’s going to bring me.”
“Oh, my God. Tell him he gets my firstborn.”
“Um…pass.” But Ellie chuckled at the thought of Quinn holding a baby. She couldn’t wrap her brain around the picture. “Let me talk to Mark. We’re supposed to break for lunch in a few minutes so it shouldn’t be a problem. I should be able to get to you and get back in plenty of time.”
“I owe you so big,” Ashley breathed.
“I don’t think so. Besides, who was the girl who brought me my script last week when I left it on the entry table.”
“Me. You’re right. This will make us even. It’s Quinn I owe.”
“Yeah, yeah, firstborn. I’ll see you at the office.”
“Wait. We’ve got a memorial for one of the retired partners who died a few days ago. We’ll be down the block at the hotel on the corner. The whole office staff will be there.”
“Okay, then I’ll find you.”
“Park under my building and call me. Construction on the high-rise next to us is killing street parking. I’ll meet you on the street.”
“Sounds good. See you in a few.” Ellie snapped the phone closed and gazed up at Quinn.
“That was very nice of you to offer a ride.”
“Well, I happen to be a very nice guy.”
Ellie grinned. “I happen to believe that.” For a second, neither one of them moved. They just stared into each other’s eyes as if everything had stopped. Remembering their kiss, Ellie glanced at Quinn’s lips. Making out with him had been one of the all-time greatest moments of her life. He’d been gentle and sweet, taking his time, coaxing her to play, to live. He hadn’t overstepped any bounds. It would have been easier to say no if he’d pushed her, but instead she was ready to say yes.
Last night, after Quinn had left, Ashley had convinced her that maybe she’d taken her rules too far. Maybe life couldn’t be played by rules all the time. Ellie had slept on it. After seeing Quinn today, she’d decided to let things fall where they may. She had no plans to chase the guy, but if he continued to pursue her, then maybe she’d let herself be caught.
>
“Coming through!” One of the lighting guys barked as he brought in an extra T-stand to light the next shot.
“C’mon,” Quinn said, taking her hand. “Let’s go be heroes for Ashley.”
Something had changed since last night. Quinn didn’t know how or why, and frankly he didn’t care. For years he took what came his way, be it good, bad or ugly and this development was one he could go with.
With the file in one hand and Ellie’s hand in the other, he led the way to the limo. He didn’t have much time to hatch a plan, but with uninterrupted time in the limo, he had faith in his ability to turn the tide his way. He had no plans to push hard. Ellie was already softening, so he decided to let her come to him. He had no problems with her setting the pace…as long as they moved forward.
Once in the car, after Ellie had given Fido the address, they settled in the backseat.
“I take it that Ashley’s in trouble unless she gets this file, pronto,” he said.
Ellie nodded. “She brought all her work inside yesterday knowing we were switching cars. It must have slid away from the other files on her way home. She’s freaking out.”
Quinn took her hand and stroked her knuckles with his thumb. “How far away is she?” Translation—how much time did he have before they needed clothes on?
“Not far. Fifteen minutes maybe. Depends on traffic.”
For the first time in his life, Quinn prayed for traffic.
“Why are you smiling?” she asked.
“Why not?” Quinn squeezed her hand. “I’m sitting with a beautiful woman in a beautiful city. Life is looking pretty good right now.”
She nodded, grinned. “When you put it that way…I guess it is.”
Quinn couldn’t help himself. Couldn’t have stopped if someone put a gun to his head. He leaned in slowly and brushed his lips across Ellie’s. Just like last night, she got right on board, slanting her head, letting him fit closer. Her soft lips parted on a sigh, the warmth of her mouth heated him up. He cupped her jaw as they kissed, stroked the soft skin of her cheek. Her tongue touched his bottom lip and Quinn forced himself to take it slow. The old Quinn would’ve dove in for a sure thing, but now he gave what he got and teased her tongue with light touches of his own.
Her fingers threaded through his hair and kept him close. He was two seconds away from pouncing on her so he pulled back and gazed into her sultry green eyes.
“You’re doing it again,” he whispered. Her eyebrows pinched together in question. “Making me sweat,” he clarified.
“Who, me?” It was the same innocent tone from last night. “I didn’t do anything.”
Quinn laughed. A foreign feeling erupted in his chest. A lightness, a sense of fun he hadn’t felt in years, filled him up. He bent to kiss her again when the car stopped.
“We’re here,” Fido said from the front seat. A few seconds later, the back door opened and Fido stood to the side as they exited. He’d managed to find parking on the busy street. “You must be good luck,” he said to Ellie. “A UPS truck pulled out and I slid right in.”
Ellie blushed, thanked him and flipped open her cell phone. “I was supposed to call her before I got here. My bad,” she said, hitting a number.
“You were distracted.” Quinn grinned at her raised eyebrows. “It happens.”
“I’m here,” she said into the phone. “I’ll start walking and meet you.” She listened for a moment and looked down the street. “Yeah, I know which way. See you in a minute.” She flipped the phone closed. “This won’t take long. She’s at the end of the block in the banquet room of the hotel.” She thumbed in the direction down the street. “You don’t have to come.”
Was she kidding? He wasn’t about to miss spending time with her. “I want to. C’mon.” He took her hand and they started walking.
He’d followed the limo again, parked his truck in a red zone on the opposite side of the street. The road overflowed with slow traffic. Scaffolding decorated the high-rise under construction and pedestrians crowded the narrow walkway that spanned the building.
Most of the construction workers seemed to be heading to lunch, but the noise of the street filled the air. A lot of impatient people walking and driving in heavy congestion…
Loud and confusing.
Hard Hat Area signs posted warnings on a chain-link fence.
It was perfect.
It only took a few seconds to come up with the idea but he’d have to work fast. Quinn’s most recent bimbo thumbed to the other end of the block, indicating their direction. Oh yeah…this was just what he needed.
He hadn’t appreciated her little lecture about finances. Who the hell did she think she was anyway? Some nobody stuntwoman. The intense anger he felt yesterday came back and made his blood hot. It was time she kept her nose out of other people’s business. She was not going to ruin his future.
Just like her, he liked his security. He especially liked being in charge. Liked telling people what to do and how to do it. He was the boss and he would continue to be the boss. He got what he wanted. Always. Eventually.
He wanted FRD. It belonged to him.
He didn’t like—or appreciate—when people underestimated him.
She’d pissed him off and he didn’t need this little fluffball screwing things up with the deal or spouting an opinion he didn’t care for. No reason he couldn’t take out both people in one accident.
Before they even started walking, he’d made it to the gate where construction workers filed out in a steady stream. At the last second, he set the stopwatch on his timer and clocked how fast it took Quinn and the stuntwoman to get through the maze of the crowd under the scaffolding. Almost three minutes. Quinn walked right by him as he stood behind the construction fence…never had a clue he was there.
He glanced up at the building then back to a lone straggler getting a late start at lunch. He smiled as he headed toward the man still wearing the hard hat. He liked when things came together at the spur of the moment.
“Hey, can I ask you a question?” he said to the worker as he deliberately walked to a secluded area amidst the construction.
“You can’t be back here without a hard hat,” the guy warned, following him.
“I’ve got one.” He saw a two-by-four and hefted it in his hand. Perfect.
“I don’t s—” That was all the sound the man got out before the two-by-four landed against his skull with a hollow thwack. The guy dropped like a rock. Hell, that had to hurt. Even with the helmet.
Unfastening the catch at the throat, he took the helmet off the guy’s head and put it on his own. “Don’t mind if I do.” Then he grabbed the security badge in case one of the site’s rent-a-cops came by. He checked his watch. Two minutes. Not bad. Let’s see how fast he could do this…
As he took the outside elevator higher, he looked through the protective fencing and searched for materials that might make this job possible. There. He stopped the elevator and went back down to the sixth floor. On the edge of the building, where the windows would go, was a stack of fifty-pound bags of cement mix. He checked his watch. Not even five minutes had passed. His heart beat faster as he looked around for more materials. In the far corner was a thick sheet of wide plywood. A folded step stool leaned against a ladder. Perfect.
He hauled the plywood over and set it on the open window ledge, keeping a good portion of it outside the building then he steadied it inside with the step stool. Quickly, he heaved the cement bags one by one until he had six of them stacked on the plywood along the window’s edge. Three hundred pounds. He wanted more. Sweat soaked his shirt and dripped down his face as he stacked more bags. It was a ton of work, but he was in great shape. People didn’t notice because he worked hard to conceal his strength. No one knew really knew him and that’s how he liked it.
He looked down the street and saw them coming back, but this time they weren’t alone. A group of people dressed in dark suits walked with them. It looked like a damn funeral. He checked his
watch, surprised to find he’d been working fifteen minutes. He had three more bags at his feet. Those would have to be enough to tip the scale. He could always push the top bags over the side first if he had to.
Leaning over the edge, he watched them disappear under the scaffolding and checked his watch. He was at the halfway point. In a minute and a half, Quinn was about to eat a lot of dust.
A grin curved his lips…he couldn’t help it. He loved it when things went his way. With a heave, he lifted another bag. Almost ready.
Chapter Twelve
Quinn smiled as he listened to Ashley’s coworkers catch up with Ellie. Clearly, they all knew each other and everyone wanted the details about her latest movie. He ignored the whispered words and raised eyebrows delivered in his direction. Maybe Ellie didn’t often show up with a guy. He liked that.
The sun beat down hard as the group headed back toward their building. Most of the office remained at the memorial, but this bunch had to get back to hold down the fort. And Ashley needed to get ready for the meeting after lunch.
The hug Ashley had given him had been just as sincere as the one she’d given Ellie. Quinn had known he had Ashley’s support when it came to Ellie, but seeing her gratitude made him feel as if he had a true friend in her too. It struck him then that he never really had any girl friends. Just a lot of girlfriends who expected him to the foot the bill on a regular basis.
Quinn turned and realized he’d gotten ahead of the pack. Most of the women wore high heels and kept a slower pace. All he wanted was to get into the cool comfort of his limo. Ellie and Ashley caught up with him and he started moving again. They reached the scaffolding and couldn’t walk more than two abreast on the narrow walkway, so Ashley fell behind them with yet another pretty blonde. Seven months ago, he might’ve remembered her name, but now she was one of a large group and he only had eyes for Ellie. Although Quinn had kidded them both earlier on their “uniforms” since both women wore white, fitted button-up shirts, black skirts and black heels. They were carbon copies of each other with the only difference being their purses. Ashley’s had a long strap that she’d looped over her shoulder, whereas her friend carried a small bag.
