A Dangerously Sexy Affair by Stefanie London Page B

her hands, her cheeks pale and her eyes glittery and wide. “You can’t repeat what I said. I still have to work here until we figure this out. I don’t want to reveal us or antagonize him.”
    â€œI’ll do more than fucking antagonize him.” He balled his hand up into a fist so tight the joints of his knuckles protested. “If he so much as lays a hand on you, I swear to God I’ll tear him apart.”
    Whoa. Since when did Aiden go from zero to caveman in under a minute? He sucked in a breath and held it until his lungs felt as if they might burst; then it came out in a satisfying whoosh .
    â€œIf he lays a hand on me, he won’t have a hand for very long. Now, if you’re ready to blow our cover, then go ahead and repeat what I said.” She pushed up from the table and crossed her arms, daring him to argue. “Or you can keep your big mouth shut.”
    â€œSince when are you the levelheaded one?”
    â€œI’ll take that as a win. Score one, Pink.” She touched her fingertip to her tongue and drew an imaginary line in the air.
    â€œYou’re still at least negative seven,” he called out after her, but the saunter in her gait told him she wasn’t giving him an inch.
    About five minutes later, a text came through on his phone from Quinn.
    I can look after myself, but thanks for the gesture.
    There wasn’t a shred of doubt in his mind that she could handle herself, but it killed him that she’d been put in a position where she’d have to.
    However, he couldn’t let it occupy him. He had an assignment to complete and a rat to sniff out. Ruminating over Quinn’s past—and trying to figure out why he had this sudden compulsive desire to protect her—would have to wait.
    * * *
    â€œW HAT DID THE cabbage say?” Zach asked as Quinn came back to her desk after taking a call from Rhys in one of the meeting rooms.
    It was lunchtime and most of the staff had gathered in the kitchen or gone out to get a bite. But not Zach. It almost seemed as if he’d waited for her.
    He leaned back in his chair, cold gray eyes running up and down her body, as they often had over the past two days. Scooting his chair closer, he rested an elbow on her desk. Invading her space.
    There was no way in hell she’d give him the satisfaction of letting him see how uncomfortable he made her. “The cabbage?”
    â€œYeah, big beefy guy with no brains.” He jerked his head toward the meeting room where Aiden now sat. Alone. “A cabbage.”
    The insult prickled under her skin. “How would I know? I didn’t talk to him.”
    â€œI noticed you took a call in the room next to him. I figured you did it so you could listen in and see who’s getting fired.”
    â€œI don’t think he’s firing anyone.”
    Zach stretched his bony arms above his head. “Probably leaves the dirty work to someone else. He must be too important for that.”
    â€œJealous?” The word slipped out before she could stop it. So much for not antagonizing him.
    â€œHardly. I graduated at the top of my class, Harley Quinn.”
    Her skin crawled at the nickname he’d given her without asking if she wanted it. “I bet your parents are proud.”
    â€œOf course they are. What parents wouldn’t want a child like me?”
    From her vantage point, Quinn watched as Aiden poked his head out of the meeting room. It wasn’t fair how her heart skipped a beat when his eyes swept over her. The assessing gaze was not dissimilar to the way Zach looked at her, minus any of the calculating intimidation or sleaziness, of course.
    One action, two intents. That made all the difference, but for a long time she’d been unable to distinguish between the two. She’d grouped everyone in her life into two categories: her ever-shrinking personal circle and everyone else.
    â€œSee, it’s obvious by the way he hangs on