The Neanderthal Box Set: A Workplace Romance, 2020 Revised and Expanded Edition by Reid Penny

Author:Reid, Penny
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: www.pennyreid.ninja/newsletter/
Published: 2014-10-28T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Two

I was surprised.

I’d expected Sir McHotpants Von Grabby Hands as soon as the limo door was closed. However, what I got instead was Sir McCoolpants Von No Touchy.

One minute into the car ride and I deduced that he had plans for our evening that didn’t include limo groping. I surmised this fact when he didn’t make an attempt at getting me naked.

Actually, he sat apart from me on the bench and faced the window, giving me the back of his head. His hand rested between us, his arm stiff and straight during most of the very short ride to our destination.

I hadn’t yet grown accustomed to riding in limos; I didn’t know if I ever would. It felt extravagant and elitist. Taxis would do just as well, or even better, public transportation. The Tube would certainly have been a more fuel-efficient method of transportation.

But I tolerated the limo because it meant alone time with Quinn. Alone time with Quinn was precious. Therefore, I kept glancing between him and the surrounding streets, waiting for him to make a move and not hiding my confusion.

Mansell Street became Shorter Street, and when the car stopped, I knew where we were.

“The Tower of London?” I bounced a little in my seat. “We’re going to the Tower of London?”

A big black bird swooped upward from the stone wall in the prolonged dusk of late spring. My eyes followed its path as it circled above the imposing structure. The bird was a raven.

This was impossibly exciting and explained why I’d been cajoled by my guards into going everywhere in London other than the Tower. Along with the British Museum and the Globe Theater, the Tower was on my list of must-see places during our visit.

I glanced back to Quinn as the limo slowed then stopped, and found him watching me. His face was an impassive mask, but this didn’t bother me. I knew him well enough now to know that impassive-mask-face was his baseline. What bothered me was how the usual mischief in his eyes had been replaced with an air of guarded distraction.

“Are you okay?” I covered his hand with mine, wanting the physical contact. This was an action on my part that would have been remarkable six months ago as I’d never been one to seek or give physical touches as comfort. But with Quinn, touching and being touched felt as natural and essential as breathing or reading comic books.

“Yeah. Fine. You?” His eyes searched mine, but they were cagey and distant.

I frowned at him for a moment before speaking my thoughts. “I feel like there is something wrong—with you—and you don’t want to tell me, or you’re waiting to tell me. Is it work? Does it have something to do with why I have three guards with me everywhere I go?”

“Why do you think there’s anything wrong?”

“Because you’re McCoolpants Von No Touchy since we entered the limo.”

One of his eyebrows arched, his cool expression wavering.

“What’s this? A new nickname?”

“I hope not. But it’s the most efficient way I can think of to describe how strangely you’re behaving.

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