Danger Zone (12 page)

“Uh, Elle,” Ashley sounded reproachful, as though she didn’t have dinner of any kind. It wasn’t as though Ellie expected her roommate to be at her beck and call. Ashley worked long and hard all day too.

“It’s okay, but we didn’t even have any granola bars left or cereal or anything. I’ll love you forever if you run out and get me a burger, a taco… anything.” She heard Ashley drop her briefcase on the table.

“I don’t think that’s—”

“I know it’s not healthy,” Ellie admitted, “but I don’t care. I’ll do anything you want for the next week. The next month.” She’d wash her car, do all the laundry, the dishes, whatever.

There was a little pause before Ashley chuckled. “Really? Does that go for just me or for anyone who might bring you food?”

“At this point, if the Elephant Man brought me food, I’d be his love slave.”

Ashley laughed, but it was the kind of sound that Ellie had learned to be leery of. The kind of laugh that said, “I know something you don’t know and I’m not going to tell you.” Complete with the singsong voice and adolescent attitude.

“Looks like things are looking up for me,” a low voice said.

Quinn! What the hell… Why?

Ellie spun around. The sudden pounding in her heart coincided with instant dry mouth. There was Ashley with her hands clasped innocently behind her back. Quinn stood next to her, a grin the size of Texas splitting his face. He held three bags from In-N-Out—and no one made better burgers than In-N-Out—and a pizza box. Wearing worn, faded jeans and a crisp white T-shirt that stretched across his biceps, he looked as good as the food smelled. Her parched mouth suddenly watered fiercely. Whether from the food or Quinn, she wasn’t sure.

“I found him coming up the walk,” Ashley said, taking the box and bags from Quinn and setting them on the table. “He told me about your day. How’s the foot?”

As they came over, she scrambled to sit up. Both peered down at her. She felt extremely self-conscious in a pair of short shorts and a tank top. “Foot’s fine.” She looked up at Quinn, desperate to stay calm and cool. Hopefully it wasn’t obvious she’d been crying. “What are you doing here?”

“He was worried about you,” Ashley said, heading to her bedroom. “He brought your dinner. Glad I decided to come home first and change. Be right out.” She disappeared behind her door.

The smell of In-N-Out had Ellie licking her lips in anticipation. She couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into a perfect burger and salty fries. She looked at the bags longingly.

“Now if I could only get you to look at
me
that way,” Quinn said.

She met his gaze. He didn’t seem to be joking. “Ha, ha. I’ll get some glasses and plates.” She went to stand, but Quinn stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. His warm palm nearly seared her skin. The contact lingered as he dragged his fingertips across her bare shoulder and sent goose bumps rising along her flesh.

“Relax,” he said softly. “I’ll get it.” He headed to the kitchen.

Breathe, breathe.
All she had to do was breathe calmly. Evenly. She didn’t have to let Quinn get to her.

And she was kidding who with this train of thought?

Breaking the land-speed record for changing, Ashley emerged from her room in denim cutoff shorts, a halter top and her hair spilling across her shoulders in light blond waves. Before passing Ellie, she gave her that wide-eyed look that said “Gorgeous man in the house!” She helped Quinn in the kitchen with plates and drinks, and the three of them converged at the dining room table.

“I didn’t know what you’d want,” Quinn said, “so I got two cheeseburgers and two regular burgers.”

“And a pizza,” Ashley said. Then she added, “A man after my own heart,” but she looked at Ellie when she said it. That was silent roommate-speak for “Take him to bed already.” After ten years, Ellie was good at the language. Ashley took the head of the table, and Quinn and Ellie each flanked her. Burgers were distributed, as was water and Dr Pepper. Naturally.

“You seem to be doing okay,” Quinn said, unwrapping his first burger, his hands dwarfing it. He had another one on his plate.

Ellie forced her gaze to her own burger. “I told you I was fine earlier.”

He shrugged. “I know. I just wanted to check.” He took an enormous bite and groaned in satisfaction. Pointing to the burger, he made a thumbs-up sign.

Ellie couldn’t help but smile. The guy was damn hard to resist. She took a bite of her own meal and closed her eyes. Instant gratification. She opened her eyes and caught Quinn watching her. Instant gratification worked in so many ways. She probably could have it with Quinn if she wasn’t such a chicken. Chicken to give herself. But giving herself always turned into so much more than simply physical pleasure. She couldn’t afford that with a man who didn’t plan on sticking around. Besides, she was too chicken to fall in love and way too chicken to share her secrets again.

Looking into his eyes, she realized that each and every one of those things was too ridiculous to consider after one date.

He blinked, looked away and continued chewing his food. “I was afraid you got stuck in the traffic jam,” he said after swallowing. Then he popped a fry in his mouth.

She shook her head. “It must’ve happened behind me. I made it home in great time.” Enough time to dream about him all afternoon. Plenty of time to let his net worth sink deep into her brain.

“Sounds as if you got stuck in it though,” Ashley said to Quinn.

Nodding, he took another bite and rolled his eyes. He took a swig of soda to wash it down. “I don’t know how you guys deal with that kind of traffic. It’s unhealthy.”

“Have to agree with that,” Ashley said, sipping her Dr Pepper.

Ellie had a different take on it. “I figure it’s the price we pay for beautiful weather three hundred days a year. It can’t all be sunshine and roses. God made the traffic to balance it out.”

Quinn lifted a skeptical brow and wiped his lips with a paper napkin. “You forgot the earthquakes. That’s two things that tip the scale…big time.” He slanted his chin toward her. “So how’s the foot feel? Looks like you’ve been taking care of it.”

Is that what
really
brought him here? He was
worried
about her? Or was that his excuse to keep trying for skin time? Frustration crawled up Ellie’s spine. On the other hand, what if he was checking up on her per Trace’s request? What if word got back to Mark that her injury was more serious than she’d let on? “It’s fine. How many times do I have to say it?”

“Ellie,” Ashley scolded. “He’s only being nice. Don’t be a snot.”

“Can I take a look at it?” Quinn’s expression hadn’t changed. Those light eyes were completely serious and full of concern and compassion.

“Yeah, I want to see it too,” Ashley said.

Ellie looked from one face to the other. Ashley’s new alliance with Quinn shouldn’t have surprised her, but she didn’t like the odds. What happened to the two of
them
against the world? “Nothing like being ganged up on.”

“We’re not ganging up on you. We just want to make sure you’re okay.” Ashley took another sip of her drink. “Besides, the only reason you wouldn’t show us is if something’s wrong and you knew you’d get in trouble. If it’s fine, then you won’t have any problem letting us see it.”

Damn Ashley for knowing her so well. That’s what she got for confiding every detail to her best friend. The stiff smile Ellie gave Ashley only garnered her a beautiful grin and batted lashes over aqua-blue eyes.

Quinn chuckled and tipped his head in Ashley’s direction. “I like the way she thinks.”

“You would,” Ellie murmured. Time for damage control. Quinn’s motives didn’t matter anyway. “Fine. When we’re done eating, you can see my foot.” Maybe by then she could distract them with something so they’d forget about it. She included Quinn and Ashley in her precise gaze. “Will that make everyone happy?”

“Everyone but you, apparently,” Ashley muttered, but she was still smiling and Ellie wanted to flick her arm. Really hard.

It didn’t take long for the burgers and half the pizza to evaporate. Ellie saw some strenuous workouts in her future to offset the calorie intake. But every bite was worth it. Watching Quinn demolish two burgers and three slices of pizza wasn’t a hardship either. The man ate with gusto. Inhaled, actually. No doubt he approached seducing a woman the same way. With amazing intensity.

Dumb thing to think about.

“Looks like you were hungry,” Ellie said, sitting back in her chair and draining the last of her water.

Quinn nodded. “I was.” He sat back too, and patted his flat stomach. “I had a tough workout this afternoon. I was starving.” His gaze still looked hungry, but for something other than food. A flash of heat sizzled through Ellie’s center.

Ashley looked from Ellie to Quinn and back to Ellie. “Well…I’ll just take these plates into the kitchen,” she said, excusing herself. She loaded the dishwasher in ten seconds flat and came back to the table. “Okay, let’s see it and then I’ll be going to the market.”

Ellie shook her head and sighed. Damn. “You guys are being way too serious about this.” From Ashley’s expectant smile to Quinn’s lifted eyebrows it was obvious she’d lost this battle. Reluctantly, she moved to the sofa, set her foot on the edge and gingerly unraveled the Ace bandage she’d put on earlier.

“Is this going to be as bad as when you broke your nose?” Ashley asked, her face wrinkling into a pucker. She glanced at Quinn. “That was really gross.”

Shooting her best friend a laser look, Ellie clenched her jaw. Ashley had better not bring up that story or she’d…she’d…shake every one of her Dr Peppers until they were useless cans of foam.

Quinn’s dark brows pulled together, concern in his eyes. “How’d you break your nose?”

“She turned a corner on a set and someone slammed her in the face with a shoulder,” Ashley said. The woman was cruising for hurt.

“Do you mind?” Exasperated, Ellie turned to Quinn and gave him a benign smile. “It’s really not that interesting.”

“Of course it is,” Ashley insisted. “One of the biggest stars in Hollywood broke your nose.” She turned to Quinn and demonstrated with her hand. “It was basically on the wrong side of her face.”

Ellie took a steadying breath before she did something radical. “Thanks for the picture, Ash. I’m sure Quinn really wanted that.”

But Quinn was smiling, his eyes sparkling so bright that Ellie’s heart pounded harder. “Who broke your nose?”

“She can’t say. She had to sign a confidentiality agreement.”

Ellie’s shoulders sagged. There was no way around Ashley. She was a runaway train, a motormouth extraordinaire. “Why don’t you just tell him my whole life while you’re at it?”

“How about you tell me?” Quinn said to her. Suddenly the room got very quiet. Another flash of heat rocketed through her. His intense gaze sent her pulse racing.

How about they went back to what they were doing… What were they doing? Her foot. Right. Her foot. Ellie continued unraveling. Before the complete unveiling, she glanced up sternly. “Now, don’t freak out. It looks worse than it is.” On a frustrated sigh she stripped off the last layer and watched their faces.

Horror. Two sets of eyes widened and two mouths dropped open.

A red welt tracked where the seat belt had stretched across her foot. The bruising and pretty colors were worse near her ankle. But the other edge was an oozing bloody line under her toes.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head. “I told you it’s not as bad as it looks.”

Quinn sat next to her and ran a tender finger along the side of her foot. Chills shimmied up her leg, made the hair stand up on her arms. “Jesus,” he murmured. “You honestly don’t think that a doctor needs to see this?”

“No. I don’t. There’s nothing to be stitched up.”

“Of course there is,” Ashley said, sitting on her other side. She pointed to the slash of red running underneath all five toes. “You don’t see that bloody line across your foot?”

“It’s not stitchable, Ash. It’s more of a big paper cut.”

“A really thick, gigantic paper cut,” Quinn added. He tested the swelling on the other side and Ellie held her breath. “Hurt?” he asked, his gaze meeting hers.

Shaking her head, no, Ellie remembered to exhale. Their eyes stayed locked. His thumb skimmed the bruise over her ankle and the touch sent sparks zipping up her leg along with a wave of tingles across her body. He didn’t look away as he kept up the gentle stroke. Mesmerized by his light eyes, Ellie nearly melted into a puddle on her sofa.

“Well,” Ashley said, rising from the sofa. “I’ll just be…” She eased toward the front door, “uh… running to the market now. Bye, kids.”

Ellie heard the clatter of keys, and the door closed.

Alone with Quinn.

Her heart pounded harder and she focused on wrapping her foot. “Time for more ice,” she said, reaching for the ice bag on the coffee table where she’d left it before dinner. But her voice barely had any sound.

Quinn picked it up first. “I’ll get you a refill.”

“I can do it.” She reached for the bag again, but he held it away from her.

“Let me do this, Elle.” He took her hand, rubbed her knuckles with his thumb before pinning her with his intense gaze. “You really freaked me out today,” he said quietly. “It’s been a while since I’ve been that scared.” He was serious. She saw it in his eyes, heard it in his voice. This big hunk of a man had been scared. For her. When was the last time any man—besides her coworkers—had really been scared or worried for her?

With a last intense frown, Quinn went to the kitchen and dug into the freezer, banging around like an explorer in the Arctic. The Billion Dollar Man was now getting her ice. She hadn’t even had a chance to tell Ashley about Quinn. Not that it would’ve made a difference either way. Ashley had pegged him as
the One
from the minute she saw him. There was just no way he was the one
for her
.

Ellie sighed, frustrated. She hadn’t planned on sitting on her ass all night while people waited on her. Even if that “people” was as gorgeous and generous as Quinn Reynolds. As if contradicting her thoughts, her foot throbbed. “Oh, no,” she mumbled, “you are not going to hurt. Not if I can help it.” She limped to the table for her empty glass then went into the kitchen.