Page 28 of How to Hack a Hellhound
Unfortunately, there were a lot of mildly shitty human beings in the world. We still ruled out quite a few, though, and we broke for lunch before going back to it. By the time Quinton’s phone rang, it was dark out, and I was sad to think of our day ending.
“You coming home for dinner?” I heard Aiden ask.
“Yup. I was just doing research with Liam,” he said. He looked at the clock. “Holy shit, Aiden, sorry—I didn’t even realize what time it was.”
“It’s ok. I knew where you were if I needed you. I did cook, though.” There was a pause, then Aiden added, “Bring your creepy stalker over.”
Quinton lowered his voice, asking, “Are you sure?”
“Yeah,” Aiden said. “We didn’t really get to know each other this morning, because you two were making eyes at each other, so bring him over for dinner.”
They said their goodbyes, and Quinton hung up, looking at me. I knew I was smiling, and he just huffed. “Alright then, come meet Aiden again, and be nice to him, got it?”
“Of course,” I said. “I’m always polite.”
“If you say so, Creepy Stalker,” he chuckled.
“I do, little hellcat,” I replied back. I glanced at my computer before I got up and followed Quinton out. Usually nothing would drag me away from the middle of research, but Quinton… he was definitely something.
Chapter 11
Quinton
“So…” I said, standing at the island while Aiden put away leftovers.
Liam had left two minutes ago. He’d offered to help, but Aiden had insisted on doing it because he “had a system,” and Liam had seemed to totally get that and respect it. I didn’t think Aiden had OCD—he was just particular about the kitchen since he was the main one who used it—but I kind of wondered about Liam. At the very least, he was a neat freak and really particular about how he did stuff. He had offered to let me drink or eat in his office, but I swear I saw the agony in his face at the thought of it. Still, it was sweet of him to offer.
“I like him,” Aiden answered, packing up leftovers and loading the dishwasher. “And I’m glad he agreed not to turn the sound on unless he was ‘concerned for our well-being,’ so this way we can gossip about him.”
I smirked at that. “Yeah, he’s a little odd for sure, but they’re all odd.” I shrugged.
“Youreallylike him,” Aidan said.
“Does that bother you?” I asked. Aiden and I weren’t a thing—he was like my brother, and I thought he thought of me the same way, but I wanted to check in anyway.
He just smirked at me. “I have zero sexual feelings toward you, Q, so you don’t need to worry about that. And I know you don’t have any for me. We’re just…”
“We’re family,” I finished.
“Yeah,” he said, smiling. “Family. I like that.” He finished loading the dishwasher and went around the island to slide onto a stool. “I like it here, too. My walk was good, and I did see cameras and motion detectors around, which made me feel safe. They must also have guard dogs on the property?” he asked.
I shrugged. “Dexter rescued two when he rescued me, but I thought he gave them to Cassius to find a home for. Maybe they ended up back here? If they were dangerous, I’m sure Liam would have warned you.”
“No, I don’t think the one I saw was dangerous. It was huge, and I was a little startled when I first spotted it, but it never really got close and almost seemed to be watching out for me while I walked. It actually made me feel safer.” Aiden shrugged. “But let’s get back to you and your so-called creepy stalker. You like him.”
I smiled. “Yeah. I offered him sex, and he turned me down.”
Aiden sputtered a bit at that, and I laughed. “It was sweet, not mean or anything. I just… I don’t know, I slid into the old clubbing version of me, where guys always wanted something from me. He just… it’s like he values me. Not that there was anything wrong with my random hook-ups. They were fun and it was an outlet, but it’s like this has the possibility of more.”
“He didn’t even blink when I snuggled up to you,” Aiden commented.
I looked at him curiously. I wasn’t sure what he was getting at.
“Lots of guys would have a problem with that, Q. I mean, we sleep in the same bed a lot. We snuggle and hug and have no personal boundaries with each other. A lot of people would bejealous or assume something was going on. But Liam didn’t even bat an eye at it, and he definitely didn’t look at me like he looked at you. He’s only interested in you,” Aiden explained.
“Did you want him interested in you?” I asked. I assumed he didn’t, but this was new territory for us.
“Nope. Absolutely not,” Aiden stated. “That’s why I kissed your cheek, though. A lot of guys would jump to threesome thoughts, but he was completely focused on you. If he was interested, it would make me uncomfortable. I know it’s my own issues, but if a guy showed sexual interest in me right now, I’m not sure how I would handle it. So I’m really glad he didn’t. None of the guys do, which is why I’m ok with them.” Aiden shrugged self-consciously.
