Page 33 of Hollow Trace

“Well, when you put it like that…” She smiled, and his damn heart stopped. Nothing but empty weight in his chest because she was real. Real, and alive, and so damn intoxicating, he didn’t know whether to shout or take her in his arms.

Scout narrowed her eyes before snorting and closing the distance again as she leaned into him. “That, too, but I know how you think. Work, first or you won’t be able to relax, period.”

He chuckled. She definitely knew him better than he did himself most days, and all the time apart, the distance, the failed attempts, hadn’t changed that. Hadn’t lessened what they’d felt for each other. In fact, it had strengthened it. Proof that this was finally their time. And he wasn’t going to let anything or anyone come between them again.

He touched her cheek, ignoring the chorus of sighs around him. “I’ve still got your back, so… I’ll follow your lead.” He glanced over at Gideon and Zadie. “Twenty-four hours.”

Gideon opened his mouth, probably to remind Quinn they’d said up to forty-eight, only to close it and nod. “We’ll come knocking. I assume since it’ll likely be during the night, we’ll find both of you in Scout’s room?”

“Damn straight. Not making the same mistake again.” Quinn took a step toward the door, then stopped. “Knock, first.”

Quinn followed after Scout, taking a seat at a terminal they’d set up in the war room. What Quinn assumed was designed to give Zadie and Gideon more privacy — probably stop guys like Quinn from bombarding them with a thousand questions.

He glanced at the clock, rubbing his eyes to ensure he’d read the time right. Ten AM. Not quite twenty-four hours since he’d stumbled into that firefight, and already, he couldn’t imagine another moment without Scout in his life. He just hoped their luck changed. Between the fatigue and the hits, neither of them were up for another battle.

The thought weighed heavily on his mind as they rooted through police records and incident reports for the next twelve hours, using coffee and rage to stay awake. The clock was already edging toward midnight when Quinn leaned back, back cracking, his muscles starting to cramp. He glanced over at Scout, noting the dark circles beneath her eyes, and how her head bobbed a few times before she jerked herself awake, focusing on the screen again.

Leaning over, he slid his palm across her thigh, loving the way she instantly snapped her gaze to him, those blue eyes full of promise and determination — what looked like love. He nodded toward the computer. “You look like you’re about to pass out.”

She straightened, a hint of fire smoldering amidst the blue. “I’m not the only one.”

“I think I passed that twelve hours ago.” He stood, offered her his hand like she’d done this morning. “C’mon. We’re not doing anyone any favors by sitting here, staring at the same intel for an hour straight because all the words are blurring together.”

“This is important. I can muscle through.”

He left his hand where it was. “I know you can.”

She placed her hand in his, rising with only a suggestion of discomfort.

“You’ve been doing it all day,” he continued, and pressed his finger over her lips. “I’m not saying I haven’t appreciated it, but we both know, any true intel is going to come from your teammates. This…” He waved toward the monitor. “This was a great distraction, and it definitely stopped me from feeling helpless and subsequently going nuclear.” He squeezed her hand. “It’s actually scary how well you know me.”

She stepped into him, a hint of that rose soap still clinging to her skin. “You know how you said you’ve been choosing me since the fifth grade?” At his nod, she continued. “Well, I’ve been crazy about you since the first. So, I’ve had lots of practice.”

His stomach dropped, the sheer honestly in her voice more than humbling him. “I should have gone looking for answers. I never should have believed those reports. I⁠—”

She cut him off with a gentle finger across his mouth, much like he had. “Coulter thought we were dead, too. And he had inside intel about Ramsey. He was looking for payback, not a lifeline. And if anyone’s in the wrong, it’s me. You’re right. I should have given you the choice. Should have trusted in what we’ve shared our entire lives, protocol and orders be damned. But we’re here, now. And I promise, if you’re still willing to choose me, I won’t ever let you go again, no matter how many rules I have to break.”

He leaned into her touch, before dipping down, getting close. “Already told you that’s never going to change, so… You’d best show me where your room is before I make one of those poor decisions Neve talked about.”

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Love.

That’s what Scout saw reflected in Quinn’s eyes as he stared down at her, nostrils flaring, jaw clenched, as if he feared he’d claim her against the wall if he didn’t tense every muscle. What she knew he saw in hers since the moment she’d rolled behind his truck — stared into those hazel depths.

Quinn’s lips quirked as he got impossibly closer. “I mean it, baby. Get us somewhere private, or we’ll be giving your friends a show.”

She snagged her bottom lip, half wanting him to hold true to his threat before tiptoeing up and slanting her mouth over his. Quinn’s hand landed in her hair as the other wrapped around her waist, tugging her flush against him. She opened for his tongue, moaning into the kiss, fingers wrapped around his hair.

Their chests heaved in sync, his forehead resting on hers once he’d finally pulled away. Reveling in the sheer power of him, she eased back, taking his hand. He smiled, the sexy tilt of his lips fluttering her stomach, making it impossible to focus on anything other than the way his body shifted, the fabric stretching as his muscles bunched, before he nodded toward the door.

It took a moment for her brain to register his directive, to move past all that strength standing a few inches away, before she turned, headed out the door. A quick dart through the kitchen and main living area, and they were all but jogging down the hallway, slipping through her door and into her room.

The latch clicked shut behind her, one of the smart lights winking on, bathing the interior in a soft, golden glow. She took a step just as Quinn turned, framed her face with his hands as he leaned down and kissed her. Heat pulsed beneath her skin, every nerve sparking to life as she lost herself in his touch. The way his large frame almost dwarfed her. How his heavy breathing rasped across her face when he eased back just long enough to stare at her, smile.

She bunched the hem of his hoodie in her hands, dragging it up and over his head — dropping it beside her, the green fabric pooling on the floor. The same shade swirling in his hazel eyes. Though, it was the blend of colors on his chest that grabbed her attention and held it.

Mottled blues and purples radiated down his ribs, far deeper than this morning.