Page 43 of Quinlan

No. Youarea stranger. A terrifying one. One that makes me so, so curious.

“Okay. We aren’t strangers.”

“Good girl.” Rome pauses. Lets the praise sink in. And boy, does it ever. “After you.”

I’m a deer in the headlights. Consumed by his gaze. It’s the darkest I’ve ever seen. It messes with my head.

Leaves me no other option other than head toward Maeve’s.

Rome places a warm, possessive hand on the small of my back. We start walking, and after a few tense seconds, I realize that I’m not guiding him toward the café.

He’s the one doing the guiding.

Or maybe he’s just in tune with me. Listening to my body language. Has to be it. Has to be why he can tell where to turn.

“We’re here,” he announces as we stop before the café.

Did I tell him the name of the place? I must have.

Chin up. A firm nod. “We are.”

I’m done looking timid or confused. I’m not this person in real life. Besides, Rex is inside the café. One scream is all it’ll take, if Rome decides to hurt me or gets out of line.

Rex. Right. He’ll never approve of me hanging out with a random, hot guy. What was I thinking, bringing Rome here?

One guy tried to flirt at Maeve’s a couple of years ago. He made things worse by joking about how overprotective Rex is and how he’s hovering. Said I’m a grown woman and I can do what I want, and that includes dating him.

“Get the fuck out,” Rex had growled at him. “No one comes between me and Quinlan. She’ll never get rid of me… For some asshole like you. Beat it.”

That was an odd word choice, I remember that. His anger was familiar. The rude stranger left me alone, and honestly, I didn’t think anything of it. Back then, I was kind of relieved. I had work to do and the other man wasn’t my type anyway.

Rex will undoubtedly do the same today.

I’ll hate my half-brother if he scares Rome off after he’s being such a gentleman, holding the door for me, ushering me inside. I’m a little giddy. Well, a lot. So much so that I forget about Rex. I even don’t care as much about Rome knowing where Maeve’s is.

With his hand on my back again, I feel less like a lamb being led to the slaughter. I’m ushered in by the dark knight.

“Woah, there.” Wayne prevents a near-collision by sidestepping me, a smile on his face. “Oh, Quinlan, hey there. Cutting your run short to come hang with us? Hell froze over and no one bothered telling me?”

I giggle.

A low, aggravated sound that reminds me of growling comes from my right.

Rome.

He’s jealous. Holy fuck, he’s jealous.

The butterflies in my stomach are hard to ignore. To be claimed by the storm is more than thrilling. I’ve never had that before, and it’s addictive. Stupid and oh-so addictive.

And a red flag. A hot red flag.

“Oh.” Wayne grimaces as he looks behind me. It’s rude, for Rome to threaten Wayne who’s always been so kind to me. “You brought a friend.”

I elbow Rome’s side while looking around for Rex. He’s nowhere to be found, even though the evening crowd is thinning out.

“Hi, Quinlan’s friend. I’m Wayne.” Wayne gives kindness another shot. “She and I are basically family.”

This time, the low sound of disapproval Rome makes sends a chill up my spine too.

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