the kid stood in front of him, cheeks puffed out, face turning red. And, by God, now he was turning purple.
“Okay, kid. Stop,” Gunner ordered but that seemed to egg the child on. “I said stop,” he repeated and that’s when things got really cool. The kid wobbled a few times then thump! down he went.
Gunner stood, looking over the desk to see the kid passed out for real. Damn.
Quinn’s door opened and the mother came clopping out on her heels and seeing the boy on the floor, he heard her mumble, “Fuck. His father’s gonna kill me.”
Ah. Stepmom and definite trophy wife, Gunner thought. Made sense now. He watched the woman get her purse from the couch before coming back to the boy. Because priorities. Total trophy wife stepmom.
“Jettison!” she shouted. “Jettison, you wake up this very minute!” She knelt in the skintight jeans she wore and clapped her hands a couple time in front of the boy’s face then falling back to sit on her heels, she first looked at the diamond watch she wore then up at Quinn. “Oh, no! I have to pick up Cupcake from the groomers in five minutes! What do I do?” she whined.
Quinn looked at Gunner for help and he knew she wanted him to carry the kid down to the woman’s car. So he got up, walked around the desk, went to the water dispenser in the corner and pulling one of the small paper cups out, filled it with water. Walking back to the boy, he knew Quinn realized too late what he intended to do. Even as she held her hands out and he knew she was going to tell him no, he poured the water in the kid’s face who immediately woke up, all blustery trying to get the water from his face.
“Oh! I didn’t know that’d work!” the blonde said looking up at him in shock. Looking back at the kid she snapped, “Now, let’s go!”
Jerking him up by his arm, she stomped out of the office leaving Gunner to look at Quinn and they both burst out laughing.
On their way down in the elevator, Quinn asked, “You think it’s okay for me to stay at my apartment tonight? I mean, nothing happened today.”
He looked down at her from the side. “That’s what they want you to think. And it’s always when shit happens.”
She let out an exasperated huff. “Well, I’m telling you, I’m staying at my place tonight.”
He stared straight ahead but couldn’t help the twitch at the side of his mouth. Such a fucking firework, this one.
“You wanna stay, stay. But I’ll be there too.”
Another sigh. “Look, Gunner, I didn’t hire you.”
Still staring straight ahead he stated, “Point being?”
“Point being, you don’t have to do this! God!”
He turned to her now, backing her against the elevator wall. Putting both his hands above her head, he bent to get in her face. “I know I don’t have to do this. I want to do this. Soon as you get that through your head, shit will get figured out.”
He saw the confusion on her face as she looked up at him. When her look turned to defiance, he snorted.
“We’re never going to work, Gunner. We’re both too hardheaded.”
“We’ll fucking work. And I’m staying.”
“Fine. But you’re sleeping in the guest room.”
He pushed off the wall to face the front again and just as the doors opened to the lobby, he declared, “Fucking am not.”
He stepped out and walked to the front doors and on the curb hailed a cab, hearing her heels clicking quickly behind him the whole time.
“Then I’ll sleep in the guest room!”
He opened the door to the cab for her to get in saying, “Fucking will not.”
Once inside the cab, she turned and looked at him. “What are you doing?”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “For a psychologist, you’re not too sharp on the uptake there, Dr. McDonnell.”
Her brow wrinkled. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she snipped.
“Means you missed it.”
She threw herself back against the seat with an annoyed huff. “You’re so confusing.”
He chuckled.
They rode in silence the rest of
“Okay, kid. Stop,” Gunner ordered but that seemed to egg the child on. “I said stop,” he repeated and that’s when things got really cool. The kid wobbled a few times then thump! down he went.
Gunner stood, looking over the desk to see the kid passed out for real. Damn.
Quinn’s door opened and the mother came clopping out on her heels and seeing the boy on the floor, he heard her mumble, “Fuck. His father’s gonna kill me.”
Ah. Stepmom and definite trophy wife, Gunner thought. Made sense now. He watched the woman get her purse from the couch before coming back to the boy. Because priorities. Total trophy wife stepmom.
“Jettison!” she shouted. “Jettison, you wake up this very minute!” She knelt in the skintight jeans she wore and clapped her hands a couple time in front of the boy’s face then falling back to sit on her heels, she first looked at the diamond watch she wore then up at Quinn. “Oh, no! I have to pick up Cupcake from the groomers in five minutes! What do I do?” she whined.
Quinn looked at Gunner for help and he knew she wanted him to carry the kid down to the woman’s car. So he got up, walked around the desk, went to the water dispenser in the corner and pulling one of the small paper cups out, filled it with water. Walking back to the boy, he knew Quinn realized too late what he intended to do. Even as she held her hands out and he knew she was going to tell him no, he poured the water in the kid’s face who immediately woke up, all blustery trying to get the water from his face.
“Oh! I didn’t know that’d work!” the blonde said looking up at him in shock. Looking back at the kid she snapped, “Now, let’s go!”
Jerking him up by his arm, she stomped out of the office leaving Gunner to look at Quinn and they both burst out laughing.
On their way down in the elevator, Quinn asked, “You think it’s okay for me to stay at my apartment tonight? I mean, nothing happened today.”
He looked down at her from the side. “That’s what they want you to think. And it’s always when shit happens.”
She let out an exasperated huff. “Well, I’m telling you, I’m staying at my place tonight.”
He stared straight ahead but couldn’t help the twitch at the side of his mouth. Such a fucking firework, this one.
“You wanna stay, stay. But I’ll be there too.”
Another sigh. “Look, Gunner, I didn’t hire you.”
Still staring straight ahead he stated, “Point being?”
“Point being, you don’t have to do this! God!”
He turned to her now, backing her against the elevator wall. Putting both his hands above her head, he bent to get in her face. “I know I don’t have to do this. I want to do this. Soon as you get that through your head, shit will get figured out.”
He saw the confusion on her face as she looked up at him. When her look turned to defiance, he snorted.
“We’re never going to work, Gunner. We’re both too hardheaded.”
“We’ll fucking work. And I’m staying.”
“Fine. But you’re sleeping in the guest room.”
He pushed off the wall to face the front again and just as the doors opened to the lobby, he declared, “Fucking am not.”
He stepped out and walked to the front doors and on the curb hailed a cab, hearing her heels clicking quickly behind him the whole time.
“Then I’ll sleep in the guest room!”
He opened the door to the cab for her to get in saying, “Fucking will not.”
Once inside the cab, she turned and looked at him. “What are you doing?”
He narrowed his eyes at her. “For a psychologist, you’re not too sharp on the uptake there, Dr. McDonnell.”
Her brow wrinkled. “What’s that supposed to mean?” she snipped.
“Means you missed it.”
She threw herself back against the seat with an annoyed huff. “You’re so confusing.”
He chuckled.
They rode in silence the rest of
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