“All right,” Max replied.“Thanks, man.I owe you one.”
He shook Max’s hand.“Yeah, anytime.”
With a curt nod, the medic left.Once more, Max knelt beside her.
“My knight in shining armor,” she mumbled.
“You know I’m gonna kill him, right?”
She sighed.“Just beat him up real bad for me.I don’t want you to go to jail.”
He moved some hair off her forehead.“Baby, I won’t go to jail because they’d never find him.”
“Good.”She touched her cheek and her face crumpled.“I trusted him.I had him in my place.Oh, God.He’s going to show up at my apartment, isn’t he?”
Max took hold of her hands.“He won’t if he knows what’s good for him.Regardless, you’re going to stay with me.Okay?”
She slumped against him.“I’m so tired.”
“Let’s get you into a bed so you can rest.”He stood and then bent down to sweep her up into his arms.She weighed hardly anything.“We need to fatten you up a little.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest.His heart gave a quick, fluttery sensation in his chest, and he wondered what the hell that was.Heart palpitation?Stress?Anger issues?Probably all three, except when he glanced down at Quinn resting trustingly in his arms, a warm flush filled him.All his senses finely attuned to her every movement.His dick certainly didn’t catch the message she was hurt because it strained behind his zipper.
He’d always found Quinn attractive, and constantly reminded himself she could never fit into his life.She obeyed all the laws.Never stepped a toe out of line.Never even had a speeding ticket.Of course he’d done a background check on her, and she was one of those unicorns—a good person.
He left the gallery behind.Not concerned in the slightest about phones, clients, or whatever the fuck else he was forgetting.All that mattered in that moment, was the woman in his arms.For a moment, he even forgot about destroying Savage, so that made her the deadliest person alive.
****
Quinn knew he livedin Marina Del Rey.His condo was one of those sultry high-rises with an amazing view over the ocean, and equipped with all the amenities of the price tag it carried.He parked underground in his assigned spot and she reached for the door, intending to get out.
“Wait,” he said.“Let me come around.”
“I can walk.”
“Quinn,” he said firmly.“Do this for me.”
She nodded and relaxed, watching as he came around to her side and opened her door.He bent and lifted her securely, and her breath hitched as she stared up at him.She’d always thought he was attractive, but being this close, she saw the intensity of his eyes.His chiseled jaw lined with stubble.Cheekbones both elegant and bold.The narrowing of his eyes, and the anger oozing from every pore exuded strength.Power.With him, she believed nothing could hurt her.
They stepped into the elevator car and he looked down at her.She was immediately captivated.He had eyes like sapphires—big, beautiful gems that watched her every move.Instinctively, she knew this moment changed their relationship.An awareness reflected back.No longer boss and employee, but something more.Something she wasn’t sure she was ready for but couldn’t deny.His gaze settled on her mouth, and he slowly lowered his face toward her.She waited, breath held, anticipation tingling over every nerve.Lower, closer, she felt his breath on her lips.
Then the private elevator came to a smooth stop and the door opened.For a moment, she was disoriented.A man waited by the door and he gave Max a head bow like he was a subordinate, but Quinn had never seen the man before.Max punched in a code and then had his iris scanned, which immediately opened the door.Confusion filled her as he carried her through the foyer and into a spacious den before placing her on the sofa.
“Who’s that man out there?”she asked.
“This building provides around-the-clock security,” he answered, but did not elaborate.Somehow that didn’t seem to make sense, but her head was too fuzzy to think clearly.
“I’ll get you a put into the system tomorrow so you’ll have access,” he told her as he headed to the bar and poured himself two fingers of something amber colored from the decanter.Whiskey?Bourbon?Guess it didn’t really matter.
“Is that necessary?”
He tossed back the amber alcohol and sat the tumbler down with a sharp click.“You know it is.”
“What do you—”
“Don’t play dumb.”
She gave a small nod.
