Room before they continued down to the ground floor.
“I’m sure if you ask nicely, Ben will give you a tour later.” Agent Groesch indicated she should hurry to keep up with the other women.
There was nothing Quinn’s artistic eye would enjoy more than time to explore the famed paintings and architecture of the White House. Especially if she got to spend time with Ben while doing so. Although, given how she had responded to his kiss earlier, she suspected what both of them most wanted to explore was each other’s body. Parts of her were growing warm just thinking about the possibility. Always a fast study, he had clearly learned a few moves since the last time he’d had his hands and mouth on her naked body.
Really good moves.
But getting involved with him would only end in more heartache. Despite his brilliance, he was still just a computer nerd who spent his days behind a keyboard. The trustworthy boy-next-door would never understand or condone the decisions she’d made. In her line of work, she was the polar opposite of Ben, living a life of deception. She was darkness where he was light. As much as she wanted to rekindle the attraction between them, she had to keep her distance. She needed to keep her eye on the mission. Get the list and disappear.
Once they reached the ground floor, they took a sharp right and rounded the corner to the hallway between the curator’s office and the Secret Service director’s office. Adam and another man sporting a pair of fabulous dimples looked up from the baseball game they were watching on a laptop.
“And where are you beautiful ladies off to?” Dimples asked.
Marin smiled for the first time that morning before sashaying over to him. “We’re going to pick out flowers for the wedding. Want to join us?”
He looked like he’d likely agree to a root canal if Marin asked to give him one, but Adam spoke up before Dimples could answer her.
“Joss has carte blanche on floral arrangements. She has better taste for that than I do. But when it’s time for cake, we’re all in.”
Josslyn leaned down to give him a sexy kiss on the lips just as the other man wrapped his arms around Marin and pulled her into him. Agent Groesch made gagging noises behind Quinn.
“Really? Is there something in the water making you three boys behave like sex-crazed middle schoolers today?” The agent jabbed a thumb in Quinn’s direction. “It’s bad enough Ben got caught by Terrie unwrapping the little mermaid here. But Adam and Griffin, you should know enough to have some decorum within the Crown.”
Fabulous.
Four pairs of eyes homed in on Quinn. She willed her cheeks not to flush without much success. As if Ben’s friends didn’t trust her already, Agent Groesch had given them one more reason not to like her. There wasn’t much she could do except meet their glares head-on. Griffin’s dimples disappeared and his smoky eyes grew hard. She jerked her chin up in response.
“Do you think it’s wise to allow her free range of the House?” Griffin asked, not bothering to hide his disdain.
Agent Groesch scoffed. “I haven’t left her alone for a single minute since Ben left. I don’t need you to tell me how to do my job, Griffin. Which, I’d like to point out for the record, is not technically my job because she’s not even supposed to be in the residence.”
Quinn bristled. “I’m happy to leave at any time.”
“Stop it. All of you,” Josslyn demanded before linking an arm through Quinn’s. “Quinn is my guest. We promised Ben we’d keep her company. And that’s what we are going to do. First the centerpieces. Then the cake.”
Quinn allowed Josslyn to propel her down the hall and around the corner to the flower shop. The earthy aroma of plants had Quinn’s nose twitching while the airiness of the workshop helped to calm her nerves a bit. Sunlight beamed through several windows opening into a courtyard. The rooms were separated by walls of glass blocks helping to keep the shop bright and cheery.
An older woman who looked as though she should have retired long ago greeted them with a wide smile and twinkle in her eye. She hung a set of keys on a hook beside her desk.
“I must thank you, Miss Josslyn, for arranging for me to park in the courtyard. I stand most of the day and not having to make that long walk to the parking