“I didn’t know you liked her,” Quinn muttered, hopefully giving off the vibe that he didn’t really give a shit.
“Yeah, I mean she’s gorgeous and smart and funny, what’s not to like?” Peter smirked.
Quinn hummed and nodded. He couldn’t agree more. Do not assert dominance, do not assert dominance...
“I was thinking about taking her to La Veranda. Something a little upscale and romantic. I think she would like it,” Peter said thoughtfully.
“That’s great, are we done here?” he asked shortly and stood.
“Oh, yeah, right. I forgot that you don’t like Margot,” Peter said with a dismissive wave. Oh, if he only knew. “Anyway, I’m giving you a warning, Quinn, next time you step out of line I’m going to be forced to let you go.”
Quinn held his temper in check. There were so many things that he wanted to say to Peter at that moment, but he just got a warning, and would definitely be fired if he opened his mouth. So, Quinn gave Peter a nod before walking out and back to his office where Margot sat waiting.
“Is everything okay?” she asked anxiously when he walked into the office.
“Everything is fine,” Quinn answered and went to his drafting table.
“What did Peter want to talk to you about?” she asked, her eyebrows furrowed in worry.
“Nothing really, don’t worry about it,” he said, giving her a tight smile.
“Quinn...”
“Margot, really, don’t worry about it,” he said, cutting her off.
Margot sighed and nodded before turning back to her computer to do some work. Quinn watched her for a moment. She was definitely stealing his heart and he had no way of stopping it. She was so beautiful sitting there, tapping her damn pencil as she poked at her keyboard with one finger. Quinn scrubbed his hand over his mouth to hide his smile. He still couldn’t believe after all of the annoying shit he’s dealt with from her, that he slept with her, and is now having feelings for her. He must be going insane.
~~~~~
The day seemed to drag on, and by five o’clock, Margot was ready to go home. Quinn helped her out to his car and drove her home. She lived in a condo she bought on the waterfront, with a beautiful view of the Delaware River and the Ben Franklin Bridge. It did not come cheap, but it was so worth it. Quinn parked in her visitor parking spot and helped her out of the car. He followed her to her condo, carrying her purse and portfolio that she wanted to bring home and look through. All the while, Quinn was quiet. He never said a word about their earlier kiss, and he refused to speak about what he and Peter talked about.
Margot unlocked her door and walked into her condo. Quinn followed, shutting the door behind him. They moved past the small entry hallway and into the main living area, which combined the living room and kitchen into one great room. He went over and put her purse and portfolio on the dining room table then glanced around.
“This is nice,” were the first words out of his mouth in hours.
Margot smiled tightly. “Thank you.”
This morning, Quinn picked her up in the lobby so he did not see her condo yet. “You may go look around if you like,” Margot said and crutched her way into the kitchen.
Quinn sent her a wary glance. “Are you sure?” he asked.
She nodded. “Oui. I am sure, everything is clean and tidy.”
Quinn rolled his eyes. “I don’t care about that,” he muttered as he started toward the hallway where the two bedrooms, bathroom, and the laundry room were.
Margot went to the fridge to pull out the chicken that she was going to cook for dinner. She placed it on the island counter next to the stove, grabbing the rest of the stuff she needed to make chicken parmesan. She was just about to tear open the chicken package when Quinn returned.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
Margot looked up to find him strolling into the kitchen with a disapproving frown on his face. “I was going to make dinner. Would you like to stay?” she asked.
“I’ll stay, but you need to go sit. I’ll cook,” Quinn said as he came around the island counter to stand next to her.
She raised an eyebrow at him. “You know how to make chicken parm?”
“I do, now go sit. Your foot should be elevated,” he said.
Margot pouted. “But I have been sitting all day, I am tired of it.”
Quinn moved so that he was standing behind her. He was so close that Margot could feel the heat from his body on her back. One arm slid around her waist while he used the other hand to sweep her hair away from the sight side of her neck. She closed her eyes when she felt his warm breath on her now bare neck.