the confidence she’d tried to project.
“I don’t want to leave you, Quinn. But last night—”
“Was too horrifying to bear?”
His lips curved. “Not exactly. But I know it wasn’t just taking care of a physical need.”
“Sam—”
“It’s okay, Quinn. You’ve been trying to say good-bye for a long time.” He absently rubbed his breastbone. “And now I know…well, I already knew,” he admitted. “You only love me. You’ve been in love with Nick for years.”
She couldn’t speak. The stupid tears started again. Sam cupped her cheek and wiped them away with his thumb. “Quinn, a lot of people live their entire lives without loving someone like I’ve loved you. But I understand why it can’t work. You belong with Nick. But I can’t handle watching it.”
A sob broke through. Quinn choked it back. “Nick’s not going to stay, Sam.” She didn’t want to say this. If he knew, he might not be willing to move on. But she couldn’t help herself. It hurt so much she had to let it out. “He can’t protect me anymore. His job will take him all over the country and he won’t have time for me.”
Sam shook his head wonderingly. “You are the biggest fool I’ve ever met.”
“Hey!”
He cupped her face in both his hands and bent to kiss her softly on the mouth. “I love you. Now get your ass upstairs.”
She hesitated. “Are you coming back to Ohio?”
“I’m going to help Marley get started down here, move her things from Maine. She’s a mess, organizationally. She needs my mad skillz.” Quinn smiled, and Sam looked pleased with himself. “I’ll come out to get my stuff in a few weeks, if that’s okay.”
“I can ship it if you want.”
“No, I want to see everyone at the bar, say good-bye to the clients. But I think it’s best if I wait a little.”
She nodded and stood to hug him again. “Good-bye, Sam.”
“See you later, Quinn.”
He walked her to the elevator, and Quinn wondered if he thought she wouldn’t go upstairs if he didn’t. She might be an emotional wreck but as he’d said, she was strong. She’d get through this all at once, like ripping off a bandage, and move on without regret. Or rather, with tons of regret but equal amounts of determination.
When she got upstairs, though, and let herself into the suite, it was empty. Cleaning services had been in, and there was no evidence of their night together, nor of the attack by Anson prior to that.
He’d done it. Nick had left her, and he hadn’t bothered to say good-bye.
At a knock on the door Quinn spun to open it. Her heart pounded with foolish hope, though she knew damned well it wouldn’t be Nick.
The bellhop motioned behind her. “I came up to get your bags? Your friend is retrieving the car.”
Relief flooded her. He hadn’t left. He might be trying to move things along at top speed, but he wasn’t gone yet.
“I don’t have any bags, but please tell him I’ll be right down.”
The bellhop nodded and backed out. She went into the bathroom to splash water on her face and eradicate the evidence of all her crying. Her eyes were puffy and red, but as she stared at herself in the mirror, she realized they didn’t have to stay that way. With a glimmer of power, they became normal. She ran her fingers through her hair, and it looked freshly brushed. She smiled. Maybe there were some benefits to her new status, however insignificant and hopefully temporary.
She headed back downstairs and turned in her keycard at the desk, then went out through the automatic doors at the front of the building. The Charger, freshly washed in her absence, gleamed in the sunlight. Nick leaned against it, his jeans-clad legs crossed, his leather coat looking even more beat-up and disreputable than ever. But his posture was open, the look on his face enough to stop her breath.
Quinn stepped forward, not sure what was about to happen and afraid of being crushed.
“Hi,” she said.
“Hi.”
“The hearing went okay.”
“Sam told me. You going to run for president?”
“Maybe.”
He nodded.
“Barbara told me the need for protectors will be bigger than ever. I suppose you’ll be traveling more. You won’t need to come to Ohio, at least.” She was the only goddess in the state now.
“Why not?”
“Since I leeched Anson, my power won’t wane.”
“Yeah, so?”
“So I won’t need a protector during the new moon.”
“Is that all I am?”
Her heart skipped a beat. Hope came back to dig a furrow