Aiden raised an eyebrow before he finally nodded.
Quinn’s face fell. “What if I say I don’t want to talk to you about what happened.” Quinn looked down and let out a breath. “Right, and I know what you’re going to say anyway, alright.”
“You do?” Aiden sounded curious.
Quinn went on. “You’re going to tell me how things got out of hand. That it was unprofessional, and I’m just another employee that you’ll need to let me go now.”
“Well, I wasn’t going to say any of that, to be honest,” Aiden said. “But maybe I did push things too far. I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. It was unprofessional, and the last thing I want is for there to be any kind of awkwardness between us, but I am certainly not going to apologize for what happened.”
Quinn stood there digesting what Aiden had just told him, but before he could come up with a reply, the alpha went on.
“As for me firing you…? That thought never crossed my mind. You are a good worker, Quinn. I don’t want to lose you.”
When Aiden spoke the words, Quinn’s heart warmed. It felt as though there was more hidden in their meaning than the alpha was saying. He swallowed the nagging lump in his throat, but couldn’t seem to find a way to form any words in response.
Aiden’s face changed slightly, almost appearing crestfallen, and he quickly added, “That’s to say, I don’t want to lose you as an employee.”
Quinn frowned, his eyebrows furrowed. The warm sensation he had felt just seconds earlier deflated just like that. “Right…” he said. “I don’t want you to fire me, either, because I enjoy knowing you… as an employee.”
He couldn’t explain why those words hurt so much, but he tried to push past them.
“Good,” Aiden said, yet his voice was quiet as he said the word.
“Carlos said you had another project you needed me to do or something like that,” Quinn said, and then cleared his throat. “How may I help you?”
Things went back to being professional with just a snap of the fingers, and Quinn couldn’t help the pang of disappointment that spread through his body.
“Well, I do have some boxes that I needed help with, but I have to do a few things with those first. I wasn’t actually expecting you to show up until later today, but if you would like to work around the house for an hour or two, I’ll let you know when I’m ready.”
Quinn nodded. “As you wish.”
Aiden smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. He turned away, but tossed a look over his shoulder as Quinn watched him head up the stairs. Quinn stood there for a moment, sadness in his bones. If Aiden wanted to keep things professional, then there was no way Quinn was going to go back out on a run with Aiden… or whatever else that could have led to.
He already saw how things could wind up if he did. It was just smart to keep it all strictly work-related, and he could try to forget the kiss. After all, it was evident that was how Aiden wanted it, so it was how it should be.
* * *
Quinn had attemptedto find things to do around the main floor of the house, mainly because he knew Aiden was upstairs. However, he couldn’t find anything that needed to be done. After scouring the entire level, he realized there wasn’t a drop of dust or a speck of dirt along any part of it. It left him shaking his head, questioning once again why Aiden really needed him there on his off day.
He headed up the stairs despite the feeling of dread that he would have to face Aiden once more. He went into the bathroom and took his glove, then ran it over each ledge and each shelf until he was once again satisfied that it didn’t need any dusting.
He knocked on the master bedroom, and when he didn’t get a reply, Quinn entered. He was surprised to find the bed made, so he walked toward the bathroom figuring maybe there was something in there that needed to be done and then nearly bumped into Aiden as he was coming out.
Quinn quickly stepped back, averting his eyes, but it wasn’t fast enough for the image of Aiden’s naked torso to be burned into his mind. Aiden’s skin was still slick with moisture, rivulets running down from his shoulders and his hair still dripping. His cheeks reddened even as his body heated from continuing to picture the sculpted chest covered in a dusting of hair that disappeared below the towel.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you would be like that.” Quinn almost kicked himself when the sentence poured from his mouth.
Aiden laughed. “Be like what?” he asked.
Quinn looked up slowly and motioned over him with his hand. His cheeks felt like you could fry an egg on them. “I… I didn’t know you would be shirtless…” He bit his lips. “I meant here, in here.”
“Quinn, it’s fine. You don’t need to be uncomfortable around me. Just because we shared a kiss doesn’t mean we can’t make this work.”
Quinn wasn’t so sure about that, so he didn’t respond.
“I spilled my coffee all over my shirt and lap and then it ran onto the rug. I was just finishing up so I could go find something to remove the stain.”
“I can do it.” Quinn was happy for something to do. “Give me a minute.” He ran back downstairs and into the kitchen, then dug under the sink until he found the stain remover. He grabbed a towel and a brush just in case, ran back up the stairs, and went to get started on the spill. He found Aiden still in his bedroom and thankfully, he’d pulled on a t-shirt and pants. He pointedly ignored the part of him that was disappointed and wanted to see more.
