Paragon

⊰❉⊱ 23 ⊰❉⊱

Quinn began to relax considerably since takeoff. Our altitude neared cruising when they deactivated the seat belt sign I ignored. Her legs were propped over the wide chair arm as she watched me over her third drink. The lights inside the cabin dimmed nicely to mimic the low light outside us.

I crossed my arms and met her gaze unflinchingly.

"More questions?" I guessed.

"Only a few thousand." She remarked, moving the ice around.

I gestured a hand wide for her to continue. She pinched her brow in thought before bouncing a foot.

"Well, the first is how long this flight will be?" She quipped, taking a sip.

"We'll stop for fuel in Dubai for a few hours before continuing." I answered with a smirk when her eyes shot wider.

"Dubai is only a stop?" She squeaked. 

"Yes unless you want to stop in the Pacific." I told her with a grin.

"I'll be so restless." She complained, sinking into the seat with a groan.

"There's a bedroom behind you." I said nonchalant, flicking my hand in the direction.

Her head whipped behind me and she was up from her seat in seconds. I grinned ahead as I heard her steps approach the wooden door and pull it open with a gasp. As aircraft accommodation went–it would do.

"Unbelievable. Who knew detectives made the real dollar these days." She uttered sarcastically.

"Yes. Because lawyers don't these days..." I drawled ironically.

She plunked herself back into the seat alongside my own with a much more content expression. I shook my head and glanced out the window as Europe crept past slowly below us.

"What use do you have for a bed anyway?" She asked, a lot more forward than she realised.

I grinned, holding back a laugh when her cheeks suddenly tinted a shade darker and she palmed her face. "I meant–you know what I meant–"

"Yes, Quinn I know you meant sleep." I drawled before adding. "–but I sleep for a few hours at a time too–we're not complete insomniacs."

Her heartbeat was still amusingly high and the pink hadn't completely left her face. It caught my attention more than I'd like and I had to measure my breathing better. Quinn faced the window cutting off my view of her thoughts.

"For some reason I was not expecting to cross continents." She said finally.

"There's no point in going anywhere unless you really go." I drawled. "Besides you send your foster parents off to all sorts of locations." I shrugged.

"Yes but they don't exactly have a private plane and their own crew to jet off to undisclosed locations." She pressed with a frown.

"You hate not knowing don't you?" I asked with a brow raised and a slow smile.

She pulled her feet off the arm and leant forward to hold my eyes more intently.

"I'm pretty good at getting information when I want it. You'll be no different." She spoke in a low voice making my blood run that much cooler.

It was those quick changes in mood and body language that kept throwing me. Mortals were supposed to be linear and consistent. Quinn was like a fire you couldn't contain and it kept changing shape and direction... get too close and the burn was significant–