Under the Moon by Natalie J. Damschroder Page A

her a bottle of painkillers.
    They made their way to their terminal, and then the gate. Quinn was so tired by the time they sat down, she could barely keep her eyes open, despite the coffee.
    “Come here.” Nick put his arm around her shoulder again and nudged her down onto his chest. “We’ve got a while yet before our flight.”
    “What about you?” she murmured.
    “I’m an expert at sleeping sitting up.”
    She felt a soft pressure on the top of her head, breathed deeply the scent of warm man with a hint of leather, and relaxed. It should have been less comfortable than any other place she’d dozed over the last thirty-six hours, but she found that it topped the list.
    Still, she couldn’t seem to fall asleep. She nuzzled into his chest a little. The heartbeat beneath her ear was solid and steady, his breathing so deep and slow it barely moved her head. A little while later, his voice rumbled as he called to arrange pickup of the rental car back at the hotel, then to update Sam.
    “We’ll be landing around nine thirty, I think. Naw, the Charger’s in the lot. That’s not a problem. She’s exhausted. I’m okay. Can’t say I won’t crash when we get in. Did you find anything? Yeah, I know. We’ve got some information, might give us a little bit of direction, but not much. She’s being stonewalled. No idea. I think it bothers her a lot more than she’s letting on. Hey, are you related to Quinn at all? Cousin, even? Not even distantly? Hey, chill, I’ll tell you when we get there. Just trying to cover all the angles, dude. I will. See ya soon.” He shifted under her to replace his phone in his pocket, then stroked his hand across the nape of her neck. Her headache began to fade.
    The next thing she knew, he said her name, a gentle murmur, an urge to wake up, and her consciousness rose to answer it. But she didn’t want to move. Her hand rested on his flat abdomen, her head in the hollow of his shoulder, with his palm on her waist. He surrounded her in a cocoon of warmth and musk. It might not be the only place she’d felt safe over the last few days, but it was definitely her favorite.
    “C’mon, Quinn, they’re boarding first class. The sooner we get on the plane, the sooner we can get home.”
    She smiled and opened her eyes. “That makes no sense.”
    “I know, but my arm’s asleep.” He unwrapped his arm from around her and stood while she stretched and yawned. She reached for her bag, but he’d already picked up both.
    “Homestretch,” he encouraged.
    Quinn pushed to her feet with a groan. “Unless they’re waiting for us at the other end.”
    His expression told her he’d thought the same thing. They joined the line and inched toward the gate, but now Quinn wished she’d planned ahead, preparing for the what instead of trying to figure out the who . Her little bit of rest was enough to get her brain working again. She snapped her phone open and hit the speed dial for Sam’s cell. He answered right away.
    “It’s Quinn. I don’t have much time, so please don’t question or argue. Close the bar. Make the deposit and notify the staff they’re on leave with pay until I call them. Pack me a bag like I’m going on a long trip, then grab the schedule for the month and all your contact information. We’re going to have to cancel every appointment for the full moon.” He made a noise like he was about to interrupt, but he held his silence. She could hear his pen scratching. “Pack for yourself, too, and please get my flash drive out of the safe.” She tried to think of anything she’d missed. They reached the agent at the gate, who glared at her. “Go somewhere no one will expect. We’ll call you when we land. I’m sorry. I’ve got to hang up.” She disconnected and handed her pass to the agent with a weak smile. “Sorry.”
    The sour woman dismissed her. “Next, please.”
    They hurried down the Jetway and caught up to the line at the entrance to the plane.
    “I planned