Page 12 of The One for Forever

A horny meathead?Nope. I don’t like that thought one bit. I trust the guys on our team to make good choices, but Cliff has a point.

Because I don’t want another man protecting Quinn either.

During dinner,my gaze keeps sneaking over to Quinn at the next table. To the lithe bones of her arms in that strapless dress. She has tiny dimples in her shoulders, and I wonder how they’d feel if I pressed my thumbs against them.

Heat streaks down my spine, and I tear my eyes away.

What is wrong with me tonight? I blame Max. He got into my head with that nonsense about flirting and dating.

Chairs scrape the floor as everyone stands to give Jane Holt an ovation, including me. As Quinn joins in, she standsat an angle, but she still doesn’t look over. And dammit, I’m disappointed.

When Quinn turns on her heel, weaving through the tables to leave before the applause is over, I follow. She makes a beeline straight for the bar. I catch up with her as the music strikes up again, and other attendees slowly fan out from the tables. Quinn orders something from the bartender, who steps away to grab it. I drop my elbow onto the bar counter beside her.

“Come here often?” I ask, and then force myself not to grimace.What was that?

“Ha, ha,” she deadpans.

“Just trying to liven up the room. Jane’s speech was great, but before that…”

“Yeah, pretty bad. We had some excitement tonight, but otherwise, these bar association things tend to be dull. You’re lucky you don’t usually have to come.”

“Us bodyguards can deal with boredom, believe me. We do a lot of standing around. But when they put those budgetary spreadsheets on the big screen? Really?”

“Some people think numbers are sexy. Lawyers especially.”

“Lawyers like you?”

Her eyes widen like she’s surprised I asked that. “I’m a criminal lawyer,” she reminds me. “The numbers I see are usually crime related. So no. Not very sexy.” The bartender returns with a longneck beer for Quinn. He pops the top and hands it to her. But I take out my wallet and hand over a ten before she can pay.

“I’ll have one of the same please.” I don’t tend to drink much, so I’ll cut myself off after this. While the bartender grabs another beer, I say, “I would’ve thought you’d order a Cosmo or a martini.”

“Why? Because I’m all dressed up? Don’t be fooled. It’s still just me.”

“But you’re clearly more sophisticated than your usual running shorts and T-shirt reveal. You look great.”

“Thanks.” She takes a slow sip of beer. I glance at her bare shoulders, and she’s got goosebumps all over her skin. Her cheeks are flushed.

The bartender returns with the second beer. I pay and thank him, then move with Quinn off to the side. The lights in the ballroom have dimmed, and another room has been opened to reveal a dance floor. But neither of us make a move to head in that direction. We stand side by side, watching the crowd.

“I’ll be honest,” I say. “I didn’t recognize you at first tonight. The last time I saw you dressed up in formal wear, it was your prom.”

She groans. “Really? You had to bring that up?” But her pinched look quickly shifts to laughter. “I was thinking about that night too. Did you realize they actually held the promhere? At this hotel?”

“Seriously?”

As we chat, I think back to that night. Ten years ago. God, where did the time go? I’ll never forget driving up and seeing her on the front porch, eyes red from crying, a picture of sadness and disappointment in her pale pink dress. I hadn’t even known what happened in that moment, but I remember being furious. Whoever had been responsible, I wanted to punch the little asshole in the face. And I hadprayedit wasn’t Cliff.

Thank goodness my kid was better than that, even if I’d been annoyed that he let Quinn leave prom all by herself. But I’d been even more frustrated with Quinn’s parents. The Ainsleys were away a lot for business, and I’m the last person to frown on them for that. I was away for plenty of Cliff’s childhood. But where I sought out quality time, the Ainsleys didn’t seem to make that effort. They left Quinn to her own devices. Abandoned her, practically. Yet she grew up sweet and generous. Maybe becauseshe knew how much it meant to have someone around who cared.

I was so proud of her that night for sticking up for herself. Not letting her prom date talk her into something she wasn’t ready for.

“Too bad they didn’t have fried chicken for dinner tonight,” she says. “Comfort food might’ve taken the edge off those boring speeches before it was Jane’s turn. Wilted salad and dry pork medallions weren’t cutting it.”

“Is that why you didn’t eat much of your food?”

“You noticed what I ate?”

Sure, because I was studying you like there would be a quiz later. “Noticing things is my job.”

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