Part 15 (2/2)
”I was in a temper,” she admitted, avoiding his eyes. Her voice was her own again, another thing to be thankful for. She hated sounding like a wimp.
Without immediately commenting on what she said, he got one of the decorative pillows from the other end of the couch and gently lifted her leg so that her foot and ankle were propped up. He eased the ice bag down on her swollen ankle, then left the room again, but only long enough to get a second cup of coffee from the kitchen.
When he came back, he startled her by sitting on the edge of the cus.h.i.+on at her thigh so that they were facing each other. He was sort of leaning sideways over her legs, one elbow and forearm resting on the back of the couch-either deliberately or accidentally blocking her in. The pressure of his hip against her leg distracted her from the heavenly relief of the ice bag on her ankle, and she wondered what spell he had used to make her body respond to him with such instant hunger.
Quinn took a sip of his coffee, then set the cup on the table and looked at her with those veiled eyes. In a carefully measured tone, he said, ”Do you mind telling me what the h.e.l.l you were doing out there tonight? And do you realize how close you came to getting yourself killed?”
”That wasn't the plan.”
”Oh, you had a plan?”
”Don't be sarcastic, Alex-it doesn't suit you.”
”And lying in a crumpled heap on a fire escape doesn't suit you.” His voice was losing its measured precision; it was rougher now, harder. ”What made you do it, Morgana? Why the h.e.l.l were you on that fire escape?”
”I was looking for you, obviously. I don't know anyone else who might be found on the roof of a deserted building in the middle of the night.”
Quinn refused to recognize her stab at self-mocking humor. ”Why were you looking for me?”
”I told you, I was in a temper.”
”About what?”
”About you.”
The hard immobility of his face changed when he frowned. ”About me? Why? What had I done?”
Morgan took refuge in her coffee. She couldn't hide, but at least it gave her a moment to think. Not that it helped; when she answered him, the words were blurted out with little grace and far too much pain.
”You said wouldn't use me again. That you needed me on your side. Remember?”
He was still frowning at her. ”Morgana, I haven't tried to use you.”
”Oh, no? Can you look me in the eye and tell me you haven't been very deliberately distracting me since the night at Leo's party when you went public as Alex Brandon? That you haven't used your Alex persona-all charm and gentlemanly attention-to make sure I didn't ask too many questions about what Quinn was up to every night?”
”You talk as if I really am two men.” His tone was odd, almost hesitant.
”You as good as say you are,” she retorted instantly. ”With some nice, neat dividing line separating you two. Night and day, black and white, Quinn and Alex. Two distinctly different men. Except that it's not that simple. You don't have a split personality, and you aren't aren't two men-what you are is a h.e.l.l of a natural actor.” Exactly what Max had tried to warn her about, Morgan recalled. two men-what you are is a h.e.l.l of a natural actor.” Exactly what Max had tried to warn her about, Morgan recalled.
”Am I?”
She nodded. ”Oh, yes. A gifted one. Do you want me to tell you how I think your reasoning went?”
”Go ahead.” His voice was a bit wry.
”I sat here tonight thinking about it, trying to understand what you were doing-and I finally got it.”
He waited, silent and expressionless, his gaze fixed on her face.
”I think that when you decided to go public, there was one small problem you really hadn't planned on. Me.” She held his gaze, determined to get this out. ”There was was something between us, something you couldn't ignore or pretend didn't exist. Something real.” something between us, something you couldn't ignore or pretend didn't exist. Something real.”
Quinn might have heard the very faint question there; he nodded and said gravely, ”Yes. There was.”
Morgan tried not to let her relief show; she'd been almost sure he did feel something for her. Almost. Going on steadily, she said, ”Because of that, because you knew we'd be together often, you were afraid I'd figure out some things you didn't want me to know. For whatever reason.”
”For your own good, maybe?” he suggested, more or less telling her she was on the right track.
”We'll talk about that that later,” she told him, ruthlessly keeping them on the subject. ”The point is, you decided it would be a good idea to keep me distracted so I wouldn't think too much about the part Quinn was playing at night.” later,” she told him, ruthlessly keeping them on the subject. ”The point is, you decided it would be a good idea to keep me distracted so I wouldn't think too much about the part Quinn was playing at night.”
”Morgana-”
”Wait. The defense can argue later.”
He smiled slightly and nodded.
Morgan sighed. ”Maybe you honestly don't think of it as using me and what I feel, but that's what you've been doing. I don't know if the reasons matter. I don't know if your reasons are good enough to excuse what you did. All I do know is that you used my feelings to help you hide what you were really doing here.”
CHAPTER TEN.
”What I'm really really doing?” doing?”
”You said something once-that there were times you had to lie to everyone. This is one of those times, I think. All this isn't nearly as straightforward as you'd have us believe, this clever plan to catch Nightshade. You've been lying about it somehow. Maybe to Jared, probably to Max and Wolfe-and certainly to me.”
”You think I'm after the collection,” he said flatly.
”No.”
”No?”
She smiled faintly at his disbelief. ”No. Despite everything, including my own common sense, I don't believe you are. I can't know for certain what it is you're trying to do and how you're trying to do it-but I'm willing to bet the ultimate aim is is to get Nightshade. It's in your voice every time you talk about him. You to get Nightshade. It's in your voice every time you talk about him. You do do really want him, and very badly, I think. So much so that you aren't going to let anyone or anything get in the way of catching him.” really want him, and very badly, I think. So much so that you aren't going to let anyone or anything get in the way of catching him.”
”That's what you think?”
”That's what I feel feel. Maybe Interpol thought you could catch Nightshade, but that isn't why you're here. You may be dancing to their tune, but only because it's your choice. And n.o.body's pulling your strings, Alex. n.o.body. This-all this, this whole plan to set a trap-was your idea, wasn't it?”
Quinn stared at her for a long moment, then drew a breath and let it out slowly. ”You think too much,” he murmured, then smiled and added, ”and you think too well.”
”I'm right about this.”
He hesitated, then nodded just a little. ”The trap was my idea. Jared wasn't happy about it, but the chance to catch Nightshade was something he couldn't pa.s.s up. His . . . superiors at Interpol know we're after Nightshade but don't know how we're planning to catch him.”
That was a surprise, and Morgan knew it showed. ”They don't know? You mean all this is unofficial?” was a surprise, and Morgan knew it showed. ”They don't know? You mean all this is unofficial?”
<script>