by Dee J. Adams
The bathroom door squeaked open and he heard her in the bedroom.
Quinn went to Ashley’s bathroom for a second time. He’d showered last night after taking a look at himself in the mirror. Perfumes, lotions and makeup littered the counter. Panty hose and bras hung over the towel racks. He ran the faucet and splashed some water on his face. He rinsed the coffee taste out of his mouth with some mouthwash he found in the cabinet. He needed a razor and fresh clothes, but neither of those things was in his near future.
He and Ellie converged in the den simultaneously. Her hair was silky smooth and her jeans were tight. Every man’s fantasy.
Closing the distance between them, she stopped in front of him and bit her bottom lip. Her gaze stayed locked on his shoulder. “Look, I’m sorry about last night.” After a deep breath, she continued, “After all the horrible things I said, you have every right to hate me.”
He smoothed his thumb across her cheek. “I don’t think that’s possible.”
“I completely disagree,” she said, finally looking up at him. “I think it’s very poss—”
“No,” he told her. “Not possible.”
He held her face, stared into her eyes and breathed in her strawberry scent before pressing a soft kiss against her forehead. He wanted to kiss her lips, taste her. But he couldn’t because the next time he kissed her, he wouldn’t be able to stop. “I told you I’m here for you. I’m not going anywhere.” He pulled her with him toward the door. “C’mon, Fido is waiting.”
Ellie stopped at the door and hugged him tight.
“Hey, what? What’s that for?” he asked softly.
“You’re just being so…so sensitive. So understanding. I don’t know how to thank you.”
No one had ever called him “sensitive” or “understanding.” And the way she gazed up at him, her expression so forlorn, it made him ache inside. She was doing it again. Acting as if he were something special when he wasn’t. He never had been. He was a guy who skated through life and did just enough to get by. He’d been a puppet for as long as he could remember. He’d never gone out of his way for anybody at anytime. With the exception of six months ago. And now.
Now he was ready to bend over backward to make Ellie happy.
“I know how you can thank me. Just smile for me,” he said. “I just want to see that sweet smile on your face. That’s all I need.” At the moment. But at some point he was going to need more. For now, the way she squeezed his hand and watched him with those big green eyes was enough to keep him going.
When she gave him a watery-eyed smile and that little dimple appeared, his heart actually hurt. She was trying. For him. She was dealing with—maybe—the most devastating time in her life and she was trying because he’d asked her to. He’d never been more humbled. More honored. He opened the door before she saw the wetness in his eyes and ushered her out.
Fido stood by the car looking as fresh as he had the day before. The man didn’t wrinkle. Once in the limo, Quinn turned to Ellie. “So, what happened exactly? How could Ashley’s purse end up with the other woman?”
“You saw them. They were both wearing black skirts and white shirts. They looked practically identical.”
“Right. And they both went in the same ambulance,” Quinn added. “Their bags must have been switched during the ride. Jesus,” Quinn muttered. “That’s a whopper of a mistake.”
Ellie shrugged, her eyes full of sorrow. “Aurora said Ashley’s face is… Her face…is…” She shook her head and took a deep breath. “I feel so bad. I’m sorry for Rose and her family, but I’m so glad it’s not Ash.” Her eyes filled with tears.
Taking her fingers in his hand, he squeezed tight. “You can’t feel guilty because she’s alive, Elle. That’s what you have to focus on. She’s alive and her face will heal.”
“I know, I know.” She nodded and wiped her eyes.
Quinn pulled her close, rested his chin against her hair as she held him tight. Five minutes from the hospital, she pulled herself together.
“Am I a wreck?” she asked. She blew her nose in a tissue.
“A beautiful wreck,” Quinn said. He hadn’t meant for his voice to be so husky and the gaze she pinned him with was shy and maybe a little embarrassed.
“That’s an oxymoron,” she murmured.
He grinned at her. “At least you didn’t say I was a moron.”
She smiled—which is what he’d hoped for—and a blush crept up her cheeks. “I can’t imagine I’d ever do that.”
“Oh, yeah…wanna bet? How about the first day you met me?”
Her brows quirked as she thought back then her eyes widened as she remembered. “You’re right,” she said, nodding her head. “You made a cheesy first impression.”
And he was stupid for bringing it up…except it was taking her mind off Ashley so he didn’t care. “Yeah, I like to start from a deficit and work my way up.” He took her hand, stroked his thumb across her knuckles. “Apparently I like a challenge.”
Her gaze said it all. He hadn’t been talking about her specifically, but she took it that way. They both knew she no longer posed a challenge. She was his for the taking. Any time he wanted. Gazing into her green eyes fringed with thick blond lashes, Quinn felt a shift in his chest.
“We’re here,” Fido said from the front seat.
Quinn squeezed her fingers. “I’m right here, okay?” he told her. “No matter what, you can lean on me, talk to me. Whatever.”
She nodded. The gratitude in her eyes all but floored him.
The limo came to a stop at the hospital entrance and Fido opened their door. Quinn took Ellie’s hand as they walked toward the elevators. Destination: ICU. Once on the fourth floor, Ellie looked down each end of the hallway before going right. The arrow to the ICU pointed in the other direction and Quinn called her back.
“You’re sure you can get in?” Quinn asked. He didn’t want a repeat of yesterday.
Ellie nodded. “Aurora gave them my name. I’m on the list.” She had to call to be admitted, but they got in with no problems.
Quinn had no idea what the next few minutes would bring, but he wasn’t looking forward to them.
Chapter Fifteen
Peeking through the floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the room, Ellie saw her. It had to be her. All bandaged up like a modern-day mummy, just her eyes, the tip of her nose and mouth showing. A tracheotomy tube ran from her neck and connected to a ventilator that hummed rhythmically. God, she wasn’t breathing on her own. Ellie’s hope dropped a few notches. No sign of Ashley’s long blond hair. They must have shaved it off. A knot lodged in Ellie’s throat as she stepped in quietly. The overpowering sterile hospital smell hit Ellie hard and she swallowed back the fear. A machine beeped in a rhythmic tone and an IV hung next to the bed dripping something into Ashley’s veins. None of this seemed real.
Ellie inched toward the bed, and gently squeezed Ashley’s hand. “I’m here, Ash,” she whispered. “I’m here and I’m going to do whatever it takes to see you through this.” Quinn’s words. She meant them as surely as he did. “You have to promise me you’ll get better. We need you, Ash. Mom and I need you.” Tears welled up and Ellie fought them back. She glanced at Quinn by the door and leaned close to Ashley’s ear, speaking softly. “I promise I’ll start working on my reading no matter how tired I am, or how long I’ve been on the set.” She swallowed the lump in her throat and drew in a hard breath. “I’ll find a class and learn to read. But you have to get better, Ash. That’s the deal. All I want is for you to get better.” Ellie leaned back and squeezed Ashley’s hand again. “I love you. You remember that. I love you and we’ll get you back to a hundred percent together. Don’t worry about Mom. She’s okay. She’s strong. Just like you, Ash. She’ll be here as soon as she can. We’re working on getting her a car.”
A nurse came in and made notes on the chart at the foot of the bed. “I need a few minutes to change her catheter and then you can come back,” she said.
The next few hours at the hospital were the hardest Ellie had ever been through. Seeing Ashley so completely helpless did a number on her psyche. So did hearing about all of Ashley’s injuries.
Most of the damage was to her head and face. She had a broken jaw, nose and cheekbone. She had a laceration along the side of her head. She was in a coma. She had some bleeding in the brain and swelling too. They said her body should absorb the blood, but it was going to take time for the swelling to go down. Long story short, the doctors didn’t know if she’d pull through or not.
Ellie had excused herself to the restroom to pull herself together. When she came out, she found Quinn in the waiting room. He looked tired. She’d been so wrapped up in her own misery she hadn’t noticed that he wore the same clothes as yesterday. Shadows darkened the faint circles under his eyes and rough, dark stubble covered his jaw.
He’d been flipping through a magazine, but as if he sensed her, his gaze lifted to meet hers. He didn’t budge a muscle. But those amazing eyes rested on her and when he gave her a reassuring smile, she nearly melted on the spot.
He was so not the man she’d pegged him for. She closed her eyes as shame gripped her heart and strangled tight. She’d prejudged—misjudged—and she’d been completely wrong.
She hadn’t heard him move, but his heat warmed her like a security blanket as his palms rubbed softly along her arms, his strength evident even in the gentle caress. He didn’t say anything, but he didn’t need to. His eyes said it all, full of compassion and understanding.
Quinn had stayed with her the whole time, strong as a rock.
Quiet stretched out in the limo as Fido moved through traffic. Quinn didn’t want to arrive at their destination. Ellie insisted that they take her to Ashley’s office first so she could get her Mustang. She hated being dependent on him for a ride and Quinn didn’t see any way around her request. He liked being there for her. Liked her company. Even when she was a sobbing mess in his arms. What did that tell him?
Maybe it was time to take a step back and let Ellie deal with her life without him. Except just the thought made him sick to his stomach. He didn’t want her to be alone.
He watched their time together disappear with each passing block and his loneliness multiplied.
Ellie was already somewhere else as she stared out the window. It didn’t take much to figure out what she had on her mind. Quinn wasn’t sure how to broach the topic he’d avoided since being at the hospital. He could only imagine the worry and stress of seeing a best friend laid out in a coma.
“She was so still.” Her voice was soft as she blinked, still watching the scenery fly by. Although he doubted she really saw anything. “I wasn’t ready to see her on a ventilator either.”
“Maybe being still is a good thing. Her body is healing.”
She nodded, then shook her head, her doubt evident in the window’s reflection. “But what if…” Her voice cracked.
What if she didn’t heal? Or worse, what if she really did die? The possibility existed. But Quinn wanted to focus on the good possibilities, not the crappy ones. He took Ellie’s hand and linked his fingers with hers.
“She’s strong. She’ll pull through this. It’s just going to take time.” He leaned close. “She’s a fighter.” Ellie sighed. That same forlorn expression made her eyes wider.
Fido turned the corner onto the same street they’d been on yesterday. Bright yellow crime scene tape blocked off the accident site.
Crime scene? Quinn had just assumed this was a construction accident. Was he wrong?
Ellie never even glanced out the window as if the picture was too gruesome to see again. She turned to him. “Thanks for the ride. You’ve been really great and I appreciate it.” But she couldn’t look him in the eye. Her gaze strayed everywhere but his eyes.
The car stopped and she got out without waiting for Fido to open the door. Quinn climbed out and faced her. Of all the awkward moments they had, this was easily the worst. Quinn had no idea where he stood with her. They’d kissed like teenagers, he’d touched her intimately, had nearly made love to her, but when all was said and done, there was no physical bond connecting them. Maybe that’s why this felt like some pitiful goodbye in a love story gone wrong.
Why the words love and story should connect that way in his brain made no sense whatsoever. There was no story here. Although he had to concede they shared something besides chemistry. But it wasn’t love. So why did he feel like such crap when he had to say goodbye to her?
“Are you headed straight to the set after you get your car?”
She nodded. “I don’t know if they’re still using Ash’s car in the shot, but at least I’ll have my own wheels.”
He gestured to the limo before taking her hand. “You know if you need us—”
“I know.” She smiled and Quinn hurt inside. “You look tired,” she said. “You should get some sleep.”
He couldn’t. He still had to do damage control from yesterday’s missed meeting. If Mac had met with Gerhardt, he had a lot of work today. “Maybe later,” he told her. “I’ll see you on the set.” He probably shouldn’t have done it, but he bent his head and touched his lips to hers. A soft, sweet caress that put an end to a very long night. For an instant, she melted against him and everything was perfect. Then she broke free of his kiss, wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tight.
“Thanks again…for everything,” she whispered in his ear. Then she bolted as if her life depended on it.
“You’re welcome.” But she never heard him as she disappeared into the building’s garage, leaving Quinn hollowed out and empty. He’d never been through this type of emotional roller coaster, where every minute with a woman mattered so much. Standing alone on the street, Quinn took stock of his life and hated what he saw.
Swallowing back the self-pity, Quinn got back in the limo. He detoured to the hotel for a shower, shave and change of clothes.
At the location, Quinn found Mac and Trace at video village. There was Ashley’s car, parked next to the “hero” car. Not in this particular shot, but that didn’t mean the cameras wouldn’t move and they’d need the Honda later.
“Hey, how are you? How’s Elle?” Mac said when he spotted him. “And her roommate?”
“Elle’s hanging in. She’s pretty strong. So is Ashley. They’re fighting their way through this.”
“God. Poor thing.” Trace said, looking around the set. “There she is.” She popped out of her chair. “I want to see if she needs anything.”
Quinn saw Ellie entering a trailer and his heart took an extra hard thump at the sight of her.
“I got a call yesterday from Aaron Gerhardt,” Mac said, forcing his attention.
No shit. Hadn’t Quinn seen this coming? “Tell me something I don’t know,” he mumbled. He cleared his mind of all things Ellie and focused on business. “You going to keep me in suspense or are you going to tell me what he said?”
Mac shrugged. “You know what he said. He made his pitch to buy FRD. I told him I’d talk to you.” Mac eyed him solemnly. “You know if you’re serious about selling, he’s the one to sell to. He’s offering an insane amount of money.”
“With no stock or options or employee guarantees or anything else,” Quinn said, ticking the list off his fingers. “You’re the one who said our invention is going to change the face of racing. Don’t you want to have a foot in it if that happens?”
Mac threw his arms wide. “I think I said something similar the other day.”
Aggravation, a whole lot like heartburn, festered in Quinn’s chest. “You did, but it had nothing to do with selling the company. If you still want a say in the business then sell to a company that’s going to give us some options.”
“You’re the one who wants to sell, Quinn.” Mac blew out an agitated sigh, “but you’re ignoring the highest bidder.”
Frustration roared through Quinn. “He’s a lying, cheating son of a bitch. I won’t sell to him, Mac. I don’t know how you can consid—”
“You want to sell, you don’t want to sell.” Mac shrugged. “I don’t know what to—”
“I never said I didn’t want to sell and you know it.” Quinn wouldn’t let his brother spin this the wrong way. Not this time. He was through caving-in to Mac. “Get it through your head that we’re selling the company. I just won’t sell to Gerhardt.”
Tense silence settled between them, but it didn’t last very long.
Mac shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re still mad about the mirror design aren’t you?”
“And you’re not?” Unfuckingbelievable. After all the time and money the company sank into that design. The research, the testing. The weeks and months spent making that idea a reality. “He stole that from us. It doesn’t piss you off that he stole the plans from our company and made a fortune?”
“Yeah, but now he’s offering a fortune to buy us out.”
“I won’t do business with a lying bastard. He planted someone in our company, Mac.” Hell, Quinn still wasn’t sure if he’d fired the right man, but all the evidence—his computer terminal and bank account—had pointed to him. It didn’t matter that the guy had pleaded innocent. Didn’t everybody? “Gerhardt could’ve destroyed us. You’re the one who loves the company. I can’t believe your attitude about this.”
“You’re right. I did—do—love the company. But I love Tracey more and…” He ran a hand through his hair. “I need to be with her and her life is here.” It was the first time Mac had ever confessed to needing anything and it took Quinn by surprise. Big brother finally seemed human. Mac sighed. “I’m being practical. What if someone else buys the company then turns around and sells it to Gerhardt? Then we’ve lost a fortune.”