I hesitate. “Why?”
“So I can tell Carson you’re not going.”
I hold Quinn’s unwavering stare. “Carson, please pick me up a coffee and I’ll meet you there in five.” I end the call and turn to my locker, yanking out a jacket and pair of pants. “I don’t want to hear it, Quinn. This is bigger than me and you, and I need to go.”
He flattens his palm against the wooden door, caging me in. “I know.” I pivot enough to meet his gaze. “I know what that demanding pull feels like. I just… Fuck.”
His hand slams against the door, and I flinch. This isn’t only about his desire to protect me; he needs to be there, to do his job, and he can’t. I rest my hand on his strong forearm. “You didn’t get the update.”
He glances down at the silent phone clipped to his belt. “Removed from the case, remember?” A dejected, tight smile fights free. “So another vic turned up. Another woman, possibly another pro.” Quinn lowers his hand, slipping away from my touch, and I resume sliding on my medical examiner jacket. “I guess it would be futile to point out this might be an effort to lure you out.”
Actually, I hadn’t thought about that at all. “I’ll be safe.” I yank my skirt down to change into the pants. Quinn averts his gaze, always the gentlemen.
“Nothing you haven’t seen before. Recently, in fact.” This forces his eyes on me, and I wink.
“There’s a time and place, and this isn’t it.” He moves closer as I pull my pants over my hips. “But that doesn’t mean I haven’t thought about you constantly since this morning.” He snags the drawstrings of my pants and tugs me forward, his mouth hovering near mine, too close, as he loops the strings together and cinches the waist tight.
My breath catches, my whole body alert, as I await the press of his lips.
He rests his hands on my hips and lowers his mouth to my ear. “I want an update every hour, and your detail goes everywhere you go. This isn’t up for debate.”
I blink. My breathing struggles to regulate and sync with my rapid heartbeats. “I can live with that.”
He inclines his head to the side, his gaze roams my face. “Good.” Then his hand slides into my hair as he presses a tender kiss to my forehead. He backs away, leaving me chasing the fire in my belly. “I’ll be there in a second if you need me.”
A small smile stretches my lips. “I know. Thank you.”
Quinn may have difficulty expressing himself when it comes to matters of the heart…which I can’t fault him. We’re both clumsily maneuvering this thing between us. But when it comes to his job, he is the job.
“Oh, here,” I say, heading toward my desk. I tweak a sheet of paper from a notepad and jot down my ID and passwords. “This will give you access to the darknet under my account.” I hand him the paper. “While I’m identifying the newest victim, maybe you can figure out how those bastards found me.”
He accepts my keys as I place them in his hand. A crease burrows between his brows. “Just like that. You’re giving me access.”
I shrug. “I trust you.”
Our eyes stay locked as the weight of that statement presses upon the span of air between us. “And I trust that you know how to operate the interface,” I add, turning to grab my bag. “You said that you once worked a case where you had to learn more than the basics, so I don’t think you’ll mess anything up. Too much.”
His chuckle is light, and in stark contrast to our current situation. A testament to how much we’ve already endured. “You were listening.”
“Had to do something to keep myself from tearing your clothes off and jumping your bones.” I cock my head and grin, loving how this tough man, who has faced down numerous bad guys, flushes at my words.
“All right
,” I say, anchoring the strap over my shoulder. “Here we go.”
“Wait.”
That’s the only warning I’m given before Quinn grasps my waist and hauls me against the wall. He presses me into the corner, his mouth finding mine in the same beat that I gasp. His lips are hard and demanding, his tongue delves deep to taste me as his hands roam beneath my shirt to steal a rough caress of my flesh.
I can’t help it; I moan into the kiss, unable to control the longing. I’m terrified—terrified of leaving this office and confronting fears that threaten me with all my suffering. I cling to his strong shoulders, losing myself in a moment of weakness.
When he breaks away, his labored breaths coming as fast as my own, he whispers, “I should come with you.”
As much as I want that very thing…again, I can’t allow myself to become dependent on Quinn’s protection. “Wexler would have a shit-fit if you showed up at the crime scene.”
His expression contorts. “Right.”
I wish I knew how to make this better for him. For Quinn, being suspended must feel close to death. I run my hand up the back of his neck, kissing him slowly before saying, “I’ll call every hour. We will figure this out.”