Murphy's Law (14 page)

There was something, some deep understanding in Quinton's tone when he said gently, “I know.”

She frowned, ready to question him on that, but Denny smacked a fist into his palm. “One thing I don't understand. How the hell did Elton get your cell phone number? It's private.”

Tim's face contorted in rage, surprising Ashley. “
Elton
called you?”

“Yeah, it sounded like him. But when you hear from Jude or May, don't you say a word to them about it, understand? I won't have their honeymoon ruined.”

Affronted that she'd suggest otherwise, Tim puckered up with indignation. “I wouldn't do that.”

“Good.” To let him know she meant it, she gave him a long stern look and then turned back to Quinton. “I have no idea how he got my phone number—”

“I got it from where you work,” Tim volunteered.

Ashley swung back around to face him. “The hell you did.”

“And why,” Denny asked with constraint, “were you getting her number?”

One newly muscular shoulder rolled. “I was going to call her. You know, just to hang out. But,” Tim said, forestalling Denny's tirade, “now I know we have a heavy workout schedule set up, so I guess I won't be doing that after all.”

“Damn right you won't.” It wasn't easy for Ashley to fit Quinton into her schedule. She sure as hell wouldn't go without sleep just for Tim.

“The thing is,” Tim said with a frown, “I went in there to see her. She wasn't around that night, but the reservation desk posts a list of phone numbers, I guess in case they need to call anyone in. The numbers are sort of under a ledge, but all I had to do was lean over a little and peek inside the desk…”

When Tim realized everyone was glowering at him, he defended himself. “What? That's how I did it. And if I can do it, anyone can, including Elton.”

“Reservation desk?” Quinton asked. “What are you talking about? There's no—”

Ashley diverted the conversation real quick. “Stop heaving, Denny. You look like a bull ready to charge, but no one here wants to be trampled by you.”

“I'm heaving because you should have told me about the call first thing, as soon as it happened. I can be discreet, damn it.”

“Says the man with fire coming out his ears.”

“You should have told
me
.” Quinton still had no real inflection in his tone. He looked to be in ultimate control. “And even though he's leaving the area, Jude would have wanted to know.”

“I'll be calling Jude,” Denny said, and he glared at Ashley, “regardless of what Ms. Smarty-pants says about it.”

“Good.” Quinton nodded. “He can handle it with May however he chooses.”

Okay, Ashley thought, so Quinton sounded the same, but something in those piercing green eyes of his gave away the ferocity of his rage. She cleared her throat. “Like I said before you two started bickering—”

“Men don't bicker, brat.”

She ignored Denny. “I didn't see any reason to tell Jude, since he'd already arranged protection for himself and May.”

“It's his right,” Quinton said. “And now you know that protection was arranged for you, as well.”

“That wasn't news to me.” At Quinton's bemused frown, she laughed. “What? You thought they could pull one over on me? Not likely.”

“You're saying you knew all along?”

“From the moment Denny told me Elton was suspected of still being in town, I figured he and Jude had called out the watchdogs.”

Denny examined his nails. “Even before that, brat. A woman alone isn't safe.”

“There, you see?” Ashley shook her head. “It probably wasn't Elton following me, but Denny's security people.”

“No way in hell did you pick up on any of my guys following you. They're too good for that.”

Ashley rolled her eyes. “God, you alpha types are arrogant.”

“Maybe.” Quinton crossed his arms. “But you know you can't lump me in with the infamous DZ.”

His low, sexy voice sank into Ashley's bones and muddled her thoughts. She had to concentrate to keep up the banter. “Why not?” Flipping back her hair, she met his gaze squarely. “You might not have Denny's…flair, but you're still two peas in a pod.”

Tim snickered.

Denny fried him with one glance. “She can get by with it, Tim. You can't.”

Tim pretended to zip his lip.

“But you know something, Quinton?” Ashley couldn't look away from Quinton's mesmerizing smile. “It still surprised me that you'd…acted so quickly. I mean, at least Denny has the excuse of lumping me in as extended family, since May and I are close. You, on the other hand, barely know me.”

That gibe turned his smile into something altogether different. It brought him around the table and behind her chair. He said nothing, but his movements seemed so predatory that Ashley stiffened in alarm.

All he did was settle his hands on her shoulders and begin massaging her neck. “We're officially involved, Ash. Isn't that right?”

With Denny and Tim watching in interest, she felt on display. “We've had one date, Murphy. That hardly makes us an item.”

“Is that all there's been?” His thumbs moved to her nape, easing away her tension. “I seem to remember…more.”

Smug indulgence oozed off Denny. The rat liked seeing her on the spot. Tim watched the scene with fascination. And Quinton, he just kept touching her with magic fingers, making it very easy to give in.

“Okay.” Her eyelids felt heavy. “We're, uh, maybe getting involved.”

Curving under her chin, his fingers tilted her face up and back. She had no choice but to look at him. “Under those circumstances,” he murmured, “naturally I'd want to do what I can to ensure your safety.”

“Right. Naturally.”

He frowned. “As any man would.”

“If you say so.”

Quinton wasn't buying it. His hands stopped caressing to rest heavily on her shoulders. “You're actually going to be reasonable about this?”

“Reasonable?” She shrugged off his hold and pushed out of the chair. “Tell me this, Quinton. Would it do me any good to insist you let me handle it myself?”

“I would always take your feelings into consideration, but—”

“But you'll feel better knowing the guards are there?” He didn't have to answer; his expression told her how stubborn he'd be. “Do whatever you want. It's no skin off my nose. But I better not end up tripping over any of your goons.”

Actually, she was so relieved not to be on her own that she wanted to throw herself against both men and hold them tight.

“Whatever I want, huh?”

Quinton's suggestive, husky whisper stroked over her, nearly devastating her senses. Her gaze clashed with his and he smiled.

“Thank you, Ashley. That has real possibilities.”

Her hands clenched in reaction and her pulse sped into overdrive. Damn it, she always reacted that way to him—which was why she'd wanted to avoid him in the first place. “Stop it.”

He shook his head. “Never.”

Denny threw up his hands. “Here we go again.” He slung an arm around Tim. “Come on, son. Let's get out of here before we're brought to a blush.”

“Wait.” Despite the image she often portrayed, Ashley wasn't cold or emotionless, and today of all days, she felt she owed Denny. She took her time reaching him, gathering her thoughts along the way.

Denny released Tim and propped his hands on his hips with a lot of bluster. “What is it now?”

When she hesitated, Quinton moved to stand behind her, and she had the awful suspicion that even when she barely knew herself, he understood exactly what she wanted and why. And damn it, his presence helped, in some indefinable way giving her courage and strength.

“Listen, Pops,” she told Denny, trying for errant humor to lighten the mood, “I don't do this often, so don't think too much about it, but…”

Confusion lifted his brows clear up to his hairline. “Do what?”

She nibbled her lips, then just went with her heart. Sliding her arms around his trim waist and putting her cheek to his muscular chest, she hugged him tight. “Thanks.”

After a couple of seconds, Denny returned the embrace with gusto, even lifting her off her feet.

With his head close to hers, his voice now filled with worry, he whispered, “What'd I do to deserve this?”

Ashley leaned back in his arms, smiling from ear to ear, feeling good inside and out. “Hey, it was a beautiful wedding, the sun is still shining, and you…care about me.” It sounded so dumb now that she tried to verbalize it, but she didn't care. She even laughed while blushing.

Denny did care, and that meant so much to her. Unconditional caring wasn't something she would ever take for granted.

“Indeed I do.” There was no smile, no softening of his expression as he smoothed back her hair. “Don't ever forget it.”

She was just as serious. “So long as you know, it goes both ways.”

Sunlight glinted off his silver tooth when he finally grinned. “Glad to hear it.” He tweaked her chin, gave Quinton a nod, and beckoned to Tim. “Let's go see if the guests need anything else.”

“Right.” Tim gave Quinton a firm handshake and then put a quick peck on Ashley's cheek. “Be careful.”

Left alone with Quinton, Ashley ducked her head. It struck her that touching other men—Denny, Tim, Jude—didn't set her nerves jangling or her heart popping the way it did when Quinton touched her. Just knowing he stood so close behind her had her pulse thrumming wildly.

“I already talked with the police.” He spoke matter-of-factly, as if he hadn't just witnessed a monumental moment in her life. “They're aware of the phone call, but without proof that it was Elton…”

Ashley nodded. “There's not much they can do, I know. Even if they knew for a fact it was him, they don't know where to find him or they already would have hauled him in for questioning.”

“That's about it.” He caught a lock of hair that a breeze carried across her face. “They suggested you get a new cell phone.”

“I'd already planned on it.”

“They also said you shouldn't be alone, and I assured them you wouldn't be.” Warm breath touched her ear. “I'm going to speak with the night guards in the office building to make sure they understand the seriousness of what's going on.”

Why did he insist on dismissing her abilities? “I have a mouth, Quinton. I have brains. I can put together a coherent sentence, and I know them better than you do. I think I can handle alerting them to the situation.”

“We'll both do it,” he told her. Then he added, “I'm sorry if I seem overbearing. I only want to protect you. The thought of anyone scaring you or hurting you…” He trailed off, but she heard the forcefulness, the intensity of his feelings in what he said—and damn it, she liked it that he cared so much.

Because she cared too. Things were happening way too fast between them, but she had no idea how to slow them down.

She realized she was breathing too hard, that she'd fisted her hands and curled her toes inside her sandals. Urgency squeezed her lungs and made her knees tremble. Quinton was as controlling as Denny and Jude, but without the swagger. He was more…suave. Yeah, she liked that word applied to him.

To help conceal the mishmash of her emotions, she pasted on a cocky smile, started forward, and said, “Party's over, Murphy. Let's go.”

 

Clouds rolled in during the drive to his home. Quinton knew it'd rain, but he didn't mention it, and neither did she. Small talk about the weather didn't interest either of them.

In the quiet confines of his car, Ashley sat stiff and silent, her hands pressed flat to the leather seat at either side of her hips—probably so she wouldn't visibly tense them again. The pulse in her throat maintained a fluttering beat. With every breath, her nostrils flared.

Desire or nervousness? He hoped she felt the same anticipation that rode him, but if not, he'd deal with it. He could be patient and slow and understanding. He
would
make this good for her.

The first spattering of raindrops hit the windshield, prompting him to turn on the wipers. From one mile to the next, the storm built, sealing in the heated passion, amplifying the things he felt, the things she made him feel.

Oddly enough, lust wasn't in the forefront. He wanted her bad, no two ways about that. But he kept recalling the way she'd hugged Denny—and thanked him for caring.

More often than not, Ashley trampled his heart just by revealing herself. Yeah, she tried hard to keep that rough-edged, no-holds-barred persona in place, but every so often it cracked, and the woman beneath was so damn sweet, so unguarded, she made him ache with unfamiliar urges.