Page 49 of The Arrangement

"Get in the car, Clark, Jesus Christ." He demanded through his car window, his voice giving no room for argument, but argue I did.

"I'm fine, Quinn, just wasn't paying attention." Throwing my bag over my shoulder, I started walking, trying to ignore the car that was following me slowly from its spot in the room.

"Clark. Chivalry will not allow me to just leave you here," Quinn exclaimed, annoyed, taking turns watching the road as his car crawled alongside me.

Barking out a laugh, I paused to look at him through his rolled-down window. "Chivalrous? Is that what you are now?"

Quinn groaned loudly in annoyance before leaning over and popping open the passenger door. “Just get in the fucking car, Clark."

My breath was clouding around me as I sighed, and I realized at the moment what a pitiful mess I must look like: scarf half off my head, my elbow across my chest, and a bag of almost expired scones in my hand while I limp down the street. A shiver ran down my spine as I paused and shut my eyes, steeling myself because I did NOT want to get into Sebastian Quinn's car, even if he’d had had his tongue in my cunt only days before and I had fallen asleep on his couch. I did not need to be rescued and was perfectly capable of getting home myself.

However, the heat coming from the inside of the leather interior of Quinn's sporty all-black car was too enticing, even for me.

I said nothing as I climbed inside, keeping my bag on my lap as I folded myself in as small as possible. Quinn rolled his eyes and reached over me to grab the seat belt and strap it around my upper half. Resisting the urge to take a deep breath and inhale the now-familiar cologne, I instead opted for silence.

I tried not to notice as he flipped on the seat warmer how horribly my back ached from the fall, or how his forearms flexed when he drove. We drove in silence, the twenty-minute walk turning into an eight-minute quiet car ride. Quinn was out of the car as soon as he parked, opening my door and offering his hand, which I quickly ignored, biting my lip as I stood again.

I heard him sigh deeply behind me as I walked towards the apartment, the sound of the car locking as he followed me. I hated being hurt, but what I hated even more than being hurt was someone witnessing the event, especially when that person was Quinn. Even if he had remembered my coffee order.

"Thanks," I muttered before pushing into my apartment and quickly shutting the door. I had already fallen asleep on his couch, and now he was giving me rides home. This was not part of our agreement nor in our contract.

I flung my bag onto the table, ignoring how my scones now scattered across the wood surface as I disrobed quickly. My elbow was slightly swollen, but as I moved the joint and pressed around for sore spots, it didn't appear broken. A hospital bill was all I needed right now. How poetic would that be? Finally getting a large chunk of cash only for the medical system to snatch it up before it had a chance to even linger in my accounts.

As I lifted my shirt to inspect my hip, I heard the sound of my front door opening and closing. I froze, my shirt bunched in my hand.

Before I could even move, Quinn's large body shadowed my doorway.

"What are you doing in my house?" I cried, shoving my shirt down angrily. "Don't you knock?" Quinn rolled his eyes and pulled out a circular container from a grocery sack.

"Yeah, but if I would've knocked, you wouldn't have let me in," he countered, his muscular body squeezing behind me to open my cupboards.

"Exactly, so why are you here?" I snapped, crossing my arms and trying not to wince as my elbow twinged at the quick movement.

Quinn's golden eyes flickered to my side. "Checking on you; I don't need my co-star to have a bruised kidney before our filming day."

Narrowing my eyes, I watched him dig through my freezer with an exasperated look on his face. "And no ice packs in here?" Quinn shook his head and withdrew a bag of frozen peas, setting them down next to the container. "You're so lucky I'm here, Clark." His stupid dimpleappeared as his mouth pulled into an equally stupid smile, and he pushed me into the bathroom.

Before I knew it, he was sitting on the closed toilet seat and gesturing for me to stand between his open legs. I suddenly was very aware of the small space that we were occupying.

"I'm fine," I insisted, my mouth forming a straight line, hoping it would ward him off because all I wanted was a hot bath and my bed. I was cold, tired, and sore but still somewhat elated as all my past-due bills were paid. The reminder that I had worked with Sebastian Quinn to get those bills paid was still smacking me in the face as he sat there, looking at me expectedly.

Before I knew it, he reached across the space that separated us and grabbed my good arm to yank me to him.

"Jesus, you want to mess up my other arm, too?" I cried, leaning back as he held my hips in place. Quinn's eyebrows raised. "Oh, so you are hurt. Good to know, Clark." He ghosted his fingertips at the hem of my shirt, golden eyes pleading with me for consent.

We stayed there in a silent battle of wills before I rolled my eyes and uncrossed my arms to allow him access.

"Thank you!" He piqued blithely, carefully pushing up my shirt to reveal the already purpling skin beneath. I kept my gaze on the ground so I wasn't looking down at the aquiline nose, dark eyebrows, or curly dark hair. I would've held my breath if it prevented me from breathing in the scent that was uniquely him.

The fingertips that grazed my skin had me sucking in my breath as my pulse quickened. Quinn pulled away quickly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to press too hard."

I didn't respond; I just nodded. Maybe if Quinn was convinced that it was the pain that caused that noise to escape from me, I could believe it, too.

"This lidocaine really helped me; should do wonders on this,” he explained, holding up the plastic jar before taking a small bit into his fingers and rubbing them together to warm it. "Thanks again for last night.”

I closed my eyes as he rubbed it gently into my purpling skin,leaving a tingling sensation in its wake that I wasn't sure was the cream or not.“Yeah, don’t mention it.” Please, don’t. I couldn’t have that picture in my head while he was so very close to me.

Rolling down my shirt he silently passed me the frozen vegetables. "Don't let it sit on the skin for more than ten minutes."

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