His heart thudded in his throat and a slick feeling coated his palms as everyone followed Quinn’s request. Even William disappeared after lingering in the doorway for a moment before allowing Marcus to pull it tightly closed. She was quiet for what felt like a very long time, studying him, her eyes a piercing shade of gray inside an expression that transformed her into someone he’d never seen before. A teasing quip bubbled on his tongue, but couldn’t come out. “That was pretty dangerous,” she finally said. “You worried everyone. You could have gotten lost or something else could have happened. Did you even think about that?” “I did think about worrying people. I left a note.” “And the other part?” His gaze fell to his feet; the leather of his boots no longer shouted untried and new. “I wasn’t really thinking about the danger to myself, no.”
