Page 54 of The One for Forever

Wow. This feeling is indescribable. I keep wondering if it’s really happening, but here he is. Flesh and blood and smiling like he’s as swept up as I am.

Rex leans into my touch. “You’re beautiful, you know that?” he says.

“On the inside, right? Because I know for a fact my outside is a mess. I have hospital hair.”

“Always with the arguing. You’re an incredibly sexy woman, Quinn. That clear enough for you?” He comes closer and presses a soft kiss to my mouth. “Is it bad if I use the safe house as an excuse to get you all to myself?”

“I won’t tell.”

“You don’t have to worry about anything. Leave the details to me.” He touches my chin. “I’m going to takeverygood care of you.”

“Is this real?” I whisper.

He chuckles softly. “I keep wondering that too. If it’s not, it’s the best kind of dream.”

Could this really work out? Could he really be mine?

If I lose him, my heart won’t just break. It’ll shatter. There won’t be anything left. But I have to take the risk.

If it means finally having Rex, I’m all in.

15

Getting me to Rex’s beach house turns out to be a clandestine operation.

After the hospital gives me the all-clear, Rex sneaks me out through a delivery exit and takes me to Bennett Security headquarters. I hang out in the infirmary, and that’s where Cliff, Lark and Danny meet me. They stopped by my apartment to pack a suitcase for me. Rex already packed a bag for himself earlier this morning. Right now he’s upstairs, doing whatever bodyguards do at Bennett headquarters.

“There were reporters outside your apartment building,” Lark says. “Cliff and Danny stood by the entrance looking all gruff and scary while I went inside.”

Danny grins. “It was kinda fun, actually.”

I groan. “Not to me. This is awful.” I’d much rather go back to obscurity. I’m mostly internet famous, and I’m sure it’ll die down as soon as the next viral video or controversy hits. But this is too much attention for me.

I’m sitting in a comfy upholstered chair, and Lark perches on the arm. “I tried to cover all the bases when I was packing. Yousaid this house is by the beach, so I grabbed your swimsuit. Just in case. And, ya know,other stuff,” she mutters with a wink.

I’m guessing that means my sexy underwear. I really hope I’ll feel well enough to wear it.

And I can’t believe Rex will see me in it.That thought makes sweat prick all over my skin.

Soon, Rex comes in with his duffle over his shoulder. “Ready?” he asks.

There’s an SUV with tinted windows waiting for us in the underground parking garage. Rex insists on wheeling me out in a wheelchair, just like the hospital did.

“Dad,” Cliff says, “are you sure the beach house is the best idea? What if the media figures out Quinn is with you and tracks you both there?”

Rex loads our bags into the trunk. “I thought about that. It’s not an issue. Technically, an LLC owns title to the beach house. It would take a lot of steps for anyone to connect the dots.”

“Really? I didn’t know about the LLC.”

“Guess I never mentioned it,” Rex says.

I doubt he keeps much from Cliff. Of course, there are plenty of recent things my best friend doesn’t know.

“The beach house has a Bennett Security alarm system,” Rex explains. “And we’ll have a team on-call in case anything happens. But it should be nice and quiet and isolated.”

“Perfect for Quinn to recuperate,” Cliff says. He claps his father on the shoulder. “Thanks for looking out for her, Dad.”

There’s a flicker of guilt on Rex’s face. The same discomfort I’m feeling. We haven’t outright lied to Cliff. But this is a pretty big omission.

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