“Not unless you want to.”He glanced at her again to find her still looking up at him.“I enjoy having you close, but only if you’re comfortable with it.I meant it when I said I won’t put any pressure on you.”
Quinn surprised him with a smile.“Thank you.I’ve had so much of it the last couple of months that you’re giving me hope there’s a chance for us.”
For us.Heath was speechless for a couple of seconds as the hint of hope morphed into something much larger and threatened to break free from his chest.Thank you, Lia, for always complaining to me.
“That’s encouraging, and I’m sorry for making you uncomfortable before.”
“Not uncomfortable.Just...confused, I guess.”Quinn rested her head against his shoulder again, this time sliding her right arm down his left and lacing their fingers.“I thought I knew what my future would be like.And I still do, but this last week has made me reevaluate a lot of things too.I’ve always known I wanted to travel.”
“To photograph the world.”
“Right.But until this trip, I hadn’t let myself look at what that really meant.”Quinn’s voice softened to almost a whisper.“That I’d be alone.”
“Alone while surrounded by people, like your hike today?”
“Yes.I’ve gone on hikes with photographer friends and attended a few conferences around the US.I’ve connected with several people, but their goals don’t match mine.I can save up my money to take a year off for travel, but I’d have to do it by myself.”
“Does it have to be a year—Sorry.I shouldn’t interrupt.”
Quinn moved to sit on the arm of the couch to face him.“No.Tell me what you’re thinking.”
“Well, it’s just that a year’s a long time to take off, so it’d be hard to find people of a like mind to travel with.But if you broke it into smaller increments—No.That’d be more expensive, wouldn’t it?Never mind.”
“No, you’re right on both accounts.Years ago, I made a list of all the places I want to visit and mapped out how to see the most for the fewest flights.It would take about a year to complete.After my experience today, though, I’m wondering if I could bear to travel alone for so long.”
Heath’s adrenaline spiked at the image of Quinn being jumped by some unsavory guy while hiking by herself.She must have seen it on his face.
“What?”
“Just thinking about your safety if you traveled alone.”
“Yeah.I’ve thought about that, and the idea totally freaks out my mom.”
“Would you let me come with you?”Heath asked carefully.“If you weren’t gone too long?”
Quinn went still.“You’d do that for me?”
“You’re not the only one who’s come to some realizations during this trip.”He gave her a wry smile.“One is that I want to see where this thing between us goes.My dad’s always saying relationships are about the give and take, the compromise.If I can be more flexible about coming to headquarters, I have no doubt about taking a few weeks off to spend withyou.”
She jumped from the couch and pulled him to his feet, sending his heart into a frenzy.Heath waited for her to take the lead, and Quinn didn’t disappoint.She reached up to cup his cheek, running her thumb lightly over his mouth.
“Quinn,” he said with a low growl.“Ireallywant to kiss you right now, so if that’s not what you’re?—”
She flew up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.Heath had just wrapped her in his arms when someone knocked on the door at the same time her phone pinged.
14
Heath released Quinn.She pointed to the door while hurrying to the table where she’d left her phone.When he opened it, Viktor stood on the other side, his gaze on his phone.Had he been the one to text her?Then the man looked up, his eyes wide, face pale.
“What’s wrong?”Heath asked, now alarmed, but the viscount walked right by him.
“I’m so sorry,” Viktor was saying to Quinn as Heath turned around.
She stared at the man, her cheeks flushed the brightest red Heath had ever seen.The panic in her eyes had him at her side in a flash.What had Viktor done to scare her like this?
“I thought you were myfriend,” she cried at him.“Howcouldyou?”
“I didn’t mean to give him your location.I plead with you to believe me.”Viktor took a step forward, but Heath did too, and the man stopped.“Yesterday, Viggo—he’s the heir—and I were talking online about the possibility of hosting Esports events in Glenloria.The king came into the room, and we were excited to tell him about it.”His shoulders drooped.“I said nothing about you to him, but Viggo must have later.”
