Page 11

PATIENCE

P atience was dying to ask Quinn about Rick Kern, but she was also afraid to push the bear.

From the moment they’d stepped into the elevator, he looked like he was ready to unalive someone.

He didn’t sound pissed off, but she knew anatomy better than the average person and the strain in the tendons in his neck and the way he held his shoulders made it obvious.

As the elevator doors slid open, bringing them back to the first floor, she kept quiet, waiting for him to relax or punch a wall. At least if he broke his hand, they were in the right place to get it fixed. She smirked at her own joke.

“Stay here while I get the truck,” he grumbled.

Patience opened her mouth to tell him she could easily make it through some snow. Then she saw his expression and the tick in his jaw. She snapped her lips shut with a nod, reminding herself to not poke the furious SEAL.

As she watched, his stiff form made its way across the almost empty waiting area and out into the snow. It didn’t take long for him to disappear into the blizzard.

Pulling her coat on, she made her way toward the doors.

The snow didn’t look like it had let up in all the time she’d been inside the hospital.

From the look of the parking lot, there had to be about ten inches of snow, probably more.

It was windy as hell, too. Dammit. Maybe she wouldn’t be going to work later.

Patience doubted Pam would open the Ready Room if the weather was still bad.

As she stared outside, Quinn’s truck pulled up under the overhang. Hurrying outside, she almost made it to the truck before he’d gotten out and held the door for her. He might be a total caveman, but he was the only man to hold a door for her besides her dad.

“Thank you,” she said as he helped her into the truck.

“No problem.”

Buckling her seatbelt, she almost sighed at the feel of the heated seat on her butt. Next car she bought would have heated seats. It had to be the best thing ever.

A few moments later, Quinn slid into the driver’s seat.

He caught her watching him and quirked his eyebrow.

Those sexy, expressive red brows might just be the end of her.

Of course, her mind went to seeing him stare up at her from between her thighs, his chin glistening with her arousal.

Her moans would echo off the walls of her bedroom.

Why did he have to be so freaking sexy? Or at least feel the same way about her? Dammit.

“Are you okay?” Quinn asked. “You look a little flushed. Are you feeling sick?”

Hell yeah, she was hot. Not that she’d be telling him why. “I’m okay. Probably just the change from freezing outside to the heat of the truck.”

Patience needed to get a grip on these spontaneous fantasies.

Grip. Ugh. That reminded her of what else she’d like to grip.

And there she went again, falling down the Quinn rabbit hole.

She needed to stop reading so many erotic romances.

It wasn’t safe for a virgin. All those books had to be the reason everything about Quinn filled her with need.

It was ridiculous how often she’d go home with her panties wet after seeing him.

He hadn’t even done anything to prompt any of this.

What was it called? Transference? It had to be something like that. Quinn made the guys she’d liked before seem like little boys. There was something about him that drew her to him like a bee to pollen. If she wasn’t careful, she’d be drooling all over him before they got back to her apartment.

This right here was some next-level arousal, and from his perpetual disdain, totally unrequited. If she was going to get any sleep tonight, she’d have to pull out her vibrator first.

He seemed to accept her excuse. “If you’re too hot, you can adjust the heat.”

“Thanks. I’m good.”

His look said he didn’t believe her, but thankfully he didn’t pursue it. With a nod, he put the truck in gear and eased his way through the snow-covered parking lot.

“They haven’t plowed yet?” Patience couldn’t believe the road was as bad as it’d been a few hours ago when she’d gotten to the hospital.

“I’m sure they have but it’s probably falling faster than they can keep up with these roads. Although, I agree, the main roads to the hospital should be a priority.”

Quinn’s hands flexed around the steering wheel, but they weren’t tense. If he wasn’t worried about driving in this crap, then she could relax a bit. Maybe.

“Do you drive in the snow a lot?”

“Not anymore. But since I grew up in Minnesota, I had a lot of experience before I joined the Navy.”

That’s right. He’d told her he and Theo had been friends for a long time, and she knew Theo grew up in Minnesota. She just hadn’t made that connection in her brain yet. Work later was going to be a horror story if she didn’t get some sleep soon.

“Right. I guess I didn’t realize you grew up with him.”

“We met in high school.” His surprised expression said volumes.

Quinn wasn’t used to sharing personal stuff outside of his team, probably.

Maybe he was finally warming up to her. As much as she wanted to know more about him, she needed to know what the deal was with Rick Kern.

It was probably a horrible time to bring it up, but this had been the most words he’d said to her besides his order in, well, ever.

Tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, she turned in her seat to face him, as much as she could while remaining seat belted.

“So…what’s the deal with Rick Kern? Felicity might not have seen it, but you definitely reacted to his name.

And contrary to what you said, I doubt there’s more than one of them in the states let alone the U.S. ”

The stiffening of his shoulders would have given him away, even if the white-knuckle grip on the steering wheel hadn’t. Oh yeah, he knew him. Quinn remained silent for so long she didn’t think he was going to answer.

“Yeah, I know him. He’s no fucking SEAL, either. Though he was at one time. Now he’s a piece of shit alphabet guy.” Quinn’s words dripped with disdain.

Patience considered his words and his tone. What the heck was an alphabet guy? Maybe if she hadn’t been awake for the past twenty hours, she could have figured it out, but it was too taxing for her exhausted brain.

“What’s an alphabet guy?”

“CIA. I probably shouldn’t have said anything, but what he did to Felicity is unforgivable. No one should treat a woman that way. I don’t know what the fuck he was thinking, but I’m going to find out. We’ll make him step up like he should have all along.”

“Central Intelligence Agency, huh?” Patience repeated under her breath. Well, that made more sense, she guessed. No wonder they didn’t have a number for him. “Is that his real name?”

“Yeah, most likely. It’s what he’s using when he works with our team, at least.”

“Damn. You really know him then.”

“Unfortunately. The guy is a piece of shit. I am sorry Felicity got involved with him. But I’ll do what I can to fix it.”

“It’s obvious you don’t like him, but he did a good thing at least once when he helped that mother in the Food Lion.”

“Maybe he had an ulterior motive,” Quinn grumbled.

“For what, though?” Patience should really shut up. The more she asked, the tighter he squeezed the steering wheel. She needed to stop provoking him, especially if she didn’t want him to tell her to screw off. From the look of his clenched jaw, he wasn’t far from it.

“Don’t know, don’t really care. But he will take care of Felicity and the baby, or he’ll be in a world of hurt.”

Patience shuddered as a frisson of fear raised the little hairs on the back of her neck. She knew he was dangerous, of course she did. He was a freaking Navy SEAL. But it was the first time she actually felt it—saw it—and even though it scared her a bit, it excited her even more.

“What are you going to do to him?” Patience knew she shouldn’t ask, but she couldn’t help herself. Not that she feared for the jerk face. If he was a CIA agent, he could probably take care of himself. But this was Felicity’s baby daddy, and she didn’t want him dead.

“All you need to know is I’ll take care of it. Just like I told Felicity.” His tone didn’t leave room for discussion, either.

Patience could see the signs and knew not to push any further. She’d gotten about all she was going to get out of him. At least, for now.

“Fuck.” Quinn grunted under his breath.

Patience’s gaze went from him to the windshield in time to see a car skid out of control in front of them. Was this déjà vu or what? Luckily, as she held her breath watching, it straightened out and continued on in front of them.

“Thank God. I thought we’d have to stop and help someone else,” she said with a sigh of relief.

“I wouldn’t have stopped again. Just called it in. I need to get you home. We both need sleep.”

Patience couldn’t disagree with that. A little tingle fluttered in her stomach at the thought of him in her bed, but she knew better. It would take a miracle for him to stay with her. He’d made it clear, albeit without words, repeatedly that he didn’t want a relationship with her.

“I can’t believe it’s still snowing so hard.”

This time he didn’t answer, just grunted.

Rude. But in character for sure. Not for the first time, Patience wondered who’d hurt him to make him so closed off.

She might not know him well, but she had eyes.

He kept himself slightly apart from the other guys on his team.

He interacted, but didn’t seem to fit in.

If she asked, he’d probably just ignore her, though.

“Wow, that was quicker than I expected,” Patience said when she saw her apartment complex sign through the blowing snow.

“The only good thing about this weather is it keeps most people off the road. But it’s also still early and the weekend.”

She nodded. “Yeah, that’s true. It’s right over there.” Patience pointed to a couple of open spots in front of their condo. She’d been lucky to find the unit when she’d started med school, and even luckier when her last roommate moved out and Livie moved in.

“I know, little girl. Been here before, remember?”

“Right. When you dropped Livie off. Sorry.”

“Well, mission accomplished. It took longer than expected. But you’re finally home for the night.” After glancing at the clock on the dashboard, he corrected himself. “Err morning.”

“Thank you. I bet you’re wishing I’d called for an Uber, instead of you having to take me home.

” She grinned. But she wasn’t sorry he’d taken her home.

Who knows if Felicity and the baby would have gotten help in time if they hadn’t seen the accident?

She shuddered just thinking about them freezing to death in the car.

“I don’t usually believe in Fate even though Doc does. But I’d say we were where we were supposed to be tonight. Now, let’s get you inside.”

“I can find my way?—”

“Of course you can, but I’m still going with you.” He raised one of those expressive eyebrows as he waited for her to argue with him.

Not that she would. If he wanted to walk her to her door, she wouldn’t object. At least, if she slipped, he’d catch her before she fell on her face. It was probably slippery as all hell out there.

“Okay, thank you.”

“Stay there. I’ll come and get you.”

Quinn pulled into the parking spot and turned off the engine. Before she could say a word, he was out of the truck and walking around to her door.