“Yes, sir. And Mr. Ramsey wanted me to tell you he took the emerald to the appraiser for insurance purposes and has submitted a claim for your truck.”
“Thank you.”
She nodded and left just as quickly as she had entered.
Collin took the back stairs up to his room to find Quinn sleeping peacefully. He hated to disturb her, but he didn’t wanther waking up and thinking he’d abandoned her, so he kissed her cheek. “Quinn, luv.”
She turned toward his voice and greeted him with a smile before she opened her eyes. “If you didn’t come bearing cookies or muffins, go away.”
“I have to run into town and meet Ian about the party tonight. Do you want to go with me?”
“To meet Ian and ruin my morning?” She shook her head and turned, snuggling into the pillow. “No, I’m good.”
“Yes, you are.” Collin ran his hand up her arm and placed a tender kiss on her flesh.
“Be careful,” she mumbled as he walked to the door.
“Please, donae leave the castle until I return,” he called back even as apprehension sat like a boulder in his gut.
She shot up and stared at him, teasing him with the sight of her breasts. The decision to stay warred with his duty to leave. He expected her to accuse him of being a caveman or something worse, and instead, she smiled a little too sweetly. “I’ll be in the library all day.”
“Promise?”
“Of course. Tell Ian I send my regards.”
Collin chuckled and opened the door, waiting until the last minute to look back, partly because he wanted to remember thevision of her well sated and lying naked in his bed. “He’ll never believe it.”
“Well, then tell him I said to bite my ass.” She grinned cheerfully.
“That he’ll believe.” Collin winked and shut the door.
Chapter Twelve
Quinn plopped backagainst the satin sheets and clutched them to her chest. She hadn’t lied about the library. She was going to find that book if it was the last thing she did. Collin might not understand. No, he’d be pissed if he knew she was hunting the answers to questions she didn’t even know to ask. All she knew was that the book held the key, and she was going to find it.
Renewed enthusiasm propelled her out of the bed and into her clothes. A quick shower in her room and change of clothes would get rid of the cobwebs in her head, not to mention ease her deliciously satedbody. If she’d made a bucket list, she would have been able to cross off several touchdowns.
She left Collin’s room, opened the door to her room, and froze with her hand still gripping the knob. A copy of a newspaper clipping she knew all too well was stuck to the wall with a knife. “Son of a bitch.”
Quinn hurried to close the door and glanced around the room. Everything else was in place but a few pieces of clothes that were hanging out of her suitcase. Someone had violated her space. Anger strummed through her body like an agitated wasp nest. She moved cautiously through the room to the knife sticking in the picture of her head and yanked it free, catching the paper as it fell. The picture was of her when her ex-fiancé Danny had died.
Unlike the copy in her apartment, this one had the eyes gouged out and a red mark across her neck. She was more surprised that someone had gone to the trouble to find a copy of the article than she was that someone wanted her dead. Had Collin seen this? Surely he would have said something before letting her seduce him. The article had tainted her as a fraud and black widow after the event.
Her space had been violated, her past on display, and whoever was responsible was playing a deadly game that theywould not win. They thought this would scare her. Not by a long shot. She smiled and narrowed her eyes.
After showering and dressing, Quinn jogged down the stairs and into the kitchen to grab a blueberry muffin. Mavis was behind the stove.
“Well, good mornin’, Quinn. How are you on this fine day?” Mavis asked like a mom who knew Quinn had spent the night having the best sex of her life.
“Wonderful as usual, now that I have your muffin.” Quinn raised the muffin and took a bite, letting the blueberry flavor fill her mouth. “Can I ask you something, hypothetically?” She covered her mouth and mumbled, not wanting to give her a show of the food in her mouth. Mom would be proud.
“Sure, dear.” She leaned against the counter.
Quinn swallowed. “If I wanted to learn more about Gwinnie, where would I go?”
“Ahh. You’re still trying to figure out the curse, arenae you?”
Quinn shrugged. “Well considering someone painted my face into one of the starring roles, I thought I’d give it a good go.”
