Page 38 of SEAL's Patience
“I’ll take a bite of this,” beer breath said as he grabbed her butt cheek and squeezed hard. Hard enough that she’d probably have bruises later.
“What the actual fuck? Let me go,” she growled. Before she could turn and kick him in the balls, Quinn was there.
He grabbed the guy by the shoulder and dragged him over to the wall.
Doc was by her side in an instant. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, just pissed off. He didn’t hurt me, though I’m sure I’ll have his fingerprints on my butt for a while.”
“Good.” Then turning to the other three still standing there, two with their mouths hanging open. He said, “What the fuck is wrong with you? You don’t touch a woman without her permission—ever! You don’t get to touch her. Definitely not maul her. She’s here to serve you food and alcohol only.”
They must have realized they were outclassed, because all three of them apologized.
“We’ll get out of here. Sorry for causing trouble. C’mon, Robbie.”
Robbie must have been the guy who grabbed her. Quinn’s face reflected the rage he felt, and the sailor looked like he was about to pee on himself. Not that Patience minded. He needed to learn a lesson. All she could imagine is how Charity would have reacted under the same circumstances.
A moment later, Quinn dragged Robbie over to Patience by his collar. “Well?” he prompted.
“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”
Patience nodded at him. Too pissed to say she accepted his apology. She’d met too many men like him over the years and they rarely changed their behavior.
“Now all of you get the fuck out of here. I’m going to tell Pam what happened. You’ll be lucky if she lets you back in. She doesn’t put up with that crap here,” Doc said, meeting each of their gazes.
He was right, too. Pam didn’t allow anyone to be manhandled in the Ready Room. It was another reason Patience loved working here.
The four of them rushed out of the room with Doc on their heels. She wasn’t sorry to see them go, even if it meant fewer tips.
“Are you okay, little doc?” Quinn asked.
Patience had been so focused on the guys, she’d forgotten he hadn’t followed Doc out. “Yeah, I’m good. Thank you for coming to my rescue, and I’m glad you didn’t beat the crap out of him. I wouldn’t have wanted to clean up the blood, even if he deserved it. But I thought you weren’t a ‘good guy?’” She couldn’t help teasing him a little. The whole incident had been unsettling, and she needed normal.
His surprised expression made her contemplate what he was thinking. His gaze searched her face like he was trying to see if she meant what she said.
“I’m not. Doesn’t mean I’ll stand by and let anyone touch another without their permission.”
His asking for her to use her words yesterday made a lot more sense now. Quinn’s rage had subsided, but she noticed a slight twitch of his hands as if his anger had nowhere to go. Slowly, she reached out and put her hand on his arm. She’d expected him to flinch or pull away and thrilled when he didn’t.
“Thank you. I mean it. It could have gotten way out of hand, especially with four of them.”
CHAPTER 21
QUINN
Patience hadn’t been afraid of him. Quinn’s brain played it on repeat, while his body worked to dispel the rage he’d felt when that fucktard had touched his woman, not his woman, justawoman. No one got away with that on his watch. Ever.
Still, she should have been terrified. He could just imagine how he’d looked when he dragged the guy away from her and shoved him against the wall. Instead, she’d put her hand on him and thanked him.
Searching for something to say that didn’t make him sound like more of an ass, he blurted, “Little doc is bloodthirsty. I sure didn’t expect that.” His smirk should have softened his words, but her wide-eyed expression said it hadn’t. But then she laughed.
“It sure seems like it. At least for jerks. Normally, I’m all about no blood. I guess we discovered my weak spot.”
Quinn tried to wrap his brain around what he knew of Patience and what he’d thought he’d known. He’d expected her to be immature. Sure, she was a med student and almost a resident, but whenever he’d seen her with her friend, they’d been so giggly. It screamed immaturity. But seeing how she’d handledherself with Felicity, and delivering the baby, then and now, it was eye-opening.
Doc returned with a smug look on his face.
“Did Pam ban them for life?” Quinn asked. He watched as Doc noticed Patience touching him and he quirked his eyebrow.
