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“Afternoon,” I tell him. “It’s the best time of day really. The most sun, and it’s just right. I have a good one.” I wiggle my eyebrows. “What can’t you live without? Mine is my besties.”
He blushes. “My laptop.”
“This doesn’t surprise me, not one bit.” I laugh, and it’s a strange thing that gives me pause. It doesn’t even sound like me. It sounds like someone else—a happier person, one free of pain.
“What’s your dream job?” he asks, and I know the questions are about to get a little more serious. “Chief technology officer of a groundbreaking tech firm.”
“You should open your own.” I know I catch him off guard, because he pauses with a little frown that creases his forehead. “Owning my own eco-friendly salon.”
“Wow, that’s…” I give him space to finish his thought. “Ambitious. I like it. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? I’d travel to Iceland for its unique landscapes and technology scenes.”
“I’ve never traveled outside of the States,” I admit, feeling like I haven’t done anything fun in my life. “Tuscany, Italy.” I nod, because that would be amazing. “What’s a skill or talent you have that not many people know about? Mine is I can paint, draw, and sketch, but you’ll never find my sketchbooks.”
“Challenge accepted.” His eyes instantly roll over my room before landing on me with a secretive smile, like he knows exactly where I hid them. “I can hack and build complex systems from scratch.”
“So you are a lot more like Cayenne than I thought. That’s equal parts terrifying and, well, just terrifying.” Cayenne can hack almost anything, a skill that’s both impressed and worried me over the years. “Does this mean you two are going to team up and become some sort of cyber vigilante duo? Because I’m not sure the world is ready for that level of chaos.”
Quinn chuckles, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Now there’s an idea. But don’t worry, I use my powers for good. Mostly.”
“I do not believe you.” I nibble my lip, because damn him for making me feel comfortable.
“One day, I’ll tell you how I met her.” He plops his head on the pillow with a yawn.
“Wait, it wasn’t playing online games?” I’m affronted.
“Nope.” He rolls onto his side, his eyes growing sleepy. “What’s one thing you’re really passionate about? Innovation in technology and cybersecurity,” he mumbles.
“Environmental sustainability.” This time, I brush his messy hair off his forehead, his brown eyes drawing me into a more relaxed state. “What’s a significant challenge you’ve faced in your life, and how did you overcome it?” I don’t know why I ask the question. Maybe it’s because I’m comfortable with him, and just like he said, the ease between us feels like it’s always existed. “I, ah…” Blowing out a breath, I give him the answer he wanted from the beginning, but only a sliver of it. “Escaping my abusive ex.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispers, his body tensing against mine. I can see the thousand questions swimming in his eyes, battling with anger and concern. His jaw clenches, then relaxes as he visibly reins in his alpha instincts. Instead of pressing for details, he simply pulls me closer, his touch gentle yet protective. “You’re safe now,” he murmurs, and the conviction in his voice makes me want to believe him. It’s a struggle not to spill everything right then and there.
“I’m sorry too.” It’s the truth. “Your turn. What’s a significant challenge you’ve faced in your life?”
“Our parents gave us up because they couldn’t afford us,” he admits just as candidly as I did, almost as though he just needs to get the words out quick and fast, like pulling off a bandage or duct tape. The truth also hits a little close to home. “I was placed in foster care for a few years until they found me at thirteen. You know the rest.”
“Fuck, Quinn.” I pull him into a hug, because there isn’t anything else to say. “I’m sorry, and I’m glad you have Dash and Malachi now.”
“Me too. So tell me, Aria…” He yawns into my hair. “Five more.”
“Save them for dinner,” I say, because we’ve already grown closer in the hour we’ve been talking. “Quinn?”
“Yeah?” He snuggles close and…and…
“Are you purring?” I sit up quickly, my eyes wide as I stare at him in shock.
“That felt like a purr.” He blinks, just as shocked as me. “That’s never happened before. Come on, let’s nap.” He tugs me back down to his chest.
“I’m still going to figure out how to lose you guys,” I say while cuddling into Quinn. Maybe I’ll keep him.
You can’t keep only one pack member, Aria.
Like hell I can’t.
“Are you now?” He chuckles like I’m the most adorable thing. “And how are you going to do that?”
“Well, I’ve been taping red onions to my scent glands,” I blurt out.
His eyes pop open. “That’s what that smell was?”
