Paragon

⊰❉⊱ 32 ⊰❉⊱

Her pulse increased and the air seamed to grow thicker again. I broke her dark look and shook my head.

"No–no stop looking at me like that." I huffed, dragging my hand through my hair and setting myself down as far as possible from her on the bed. She laughed genuinely behind me and took a sip of her coffee as she drew into a crosslegged position. I mirrored her and sat on the opposite side watching her with my hands placed slowly on my knees.

She grinned wider over the cup and waggled her eyebrows like a villain.

"I swear you want to die sometimes..." I muttered.

She draped her forearm over her knee and leaned in a few inches.

"Just because I express what I want a bit more clearly doesn't mean I plan on abusing your trust." She quipped, taking another drink.

I looked at her flatly. "And you lying naked across my bed just implores me to trust you."

"Well, you certainly didn't look upset by it." She snorted.

"I wasn't." I stated deadpan, making her eyes turn amused again. 

We watched each other like this for a moment. Considering. Assessing. Learning the shape and features of each other. But I had decided long before that it was not her obvious beauty that enticed me so. Any bland mortal could achieve skin deep beauty. She held depth.

That. Was rare.

The plane shook briefly.

"I like watching you think." She stated, setting the coffee down on the side table and stretching her arms above her head. It made the smooth fabric cling to her frame in more creative ways than I had patience for. I focused on her eyes.

"I like your assumptions." I said back with a slow smile.

"They're more like conclusions."

"That implies they're correct."

"Aren't I always?" She drawled, setting her chin on her hand and watching me intently. My blue flickered between her green.

"Why are you interested in me?" I asked bluntly.

She didn't balk at my candour.

"Originally it was your demeanour." She said thinking back on something with a smile. "You were so cool walking into one of the most well regarded and powerful firms in the city and telling my boss to politely go and fuck himself."

I laughed loudly. Quinn grinned enjoying it.

"I think I was more professional–"

"Insults wrapped in formality are sexy." She smirked. "I wouldn't even dare to challenge him if he got the time wrong–yet you waltz in the room for less than a minute and he leaves as if he had been face to face with the devil herself..." Her expression turned more than curious. "You never did tell me exactly what you said to him to make him quit the city."

My smile slipped and I nodded slowly.

"You know what I am now. I suppose it won't matter knowing one more thing..." I muttered. Now she was truly confused. I laced my fingers before myself and watched them. "You remember when you took me to that horrific gym?"

She gave me an eye roll and nodded.

"The trainer there. The way my personality seemed to change–the air around me seemingly different. I believe your words were along the lines of, '–conservative, upstanding woman to red light district in half a second.' "

Her eyes widened in understanding. "You seduced my boss?!" She demanded.

I blanked before laughing again more thoroughly enjoying this than I could remember–I had certainly not laughed as much in a single day in many years.