Chapter 8: Collin

QUINN'S POV

I couldn't remember the last time I'd been this tired. I felt certain I'd seen everything New York had to offer. After lunch, Ford had taken me to Times Square and Freedom Tower. I'd seen the Statue of Liberty, driven down Broadway, and seen the infamous Macy's on Park Avenue. We'd driven past Central Park and I had to talk him out of an overpriced carriage ride.

He made me get out and admire the architecture at Union Station, but it'd been worth it, even though I whined the entire time. We'd eaten a casual dinner at the Shake Shack and then walked down 8th to burn off the calories.

Everything I'd experienced, everything I'd seen, seemed to only be enhanced by Ford's presence. He could be closed off, but his generosity and his uncanny ability to put me at ease did wonders for my spirit.

When we were boarding the plane to head back to D.C., I thought my eyes would shut before we left the ground. I lumbered up the mobile staircase, dreading the idea of being in the air again. I'd had my fill of "carpe diem" moments.

"Wheels up in ten, Jim," Ford said to the pilot from behind me. "I'm ready to get home."

"Yes, sir. As soon as everyone is buckled up, we'll take off."

Collin had already arrived by the time we walked into the cabin and he grinned widely as I took a seat next to him.

"I guess I haven't seen the last of you after all. How'd you enjoy your day in the big city?"

I took off Ford's coat and fastened my belt. "It was great. I've never been to New York and I got the royal treatment," I said with a wink in Ford's direction.

He nodded to acknowledge me and then promptly disappeared into the bedroom in the rear of the plane.

"If you'd told me when I woke up this morning I'd be flown in a private plane to spend the entire day in New York, I'd never have believed you."

"I have no doubt he rolled out the red carpet for you. The flight attendant said Dr. Johanssen left this for you."

Collin handed me a small pill box with a single dose of Xanax in it. Thank God for Dr. Johanssen! I popped it in my mouth without hesitation.

"I still can't believe Ford has a personal doctor on-call. And she actually met us on the plane just to check me out."

"He takes care of the people close to him."

I shook my head. "Oh, it's not like that between us. I hardly know him."

His hazel eyes narrowed at me. "And you spent the entire day together?"

I ran my hands through my hair. "I know how it sounds, but it was all very innocent. We met under...unusual circumstances."

"Why'd you need a doctor?"

"He thought I was getting sick." It was true, mostly.

"Well, whatever the relationship, be careful. Women seem to fall for him a lot and end up worse off for it."

I frowned at him. "What're you talking about? I'm not falling for Ford. And what women?"

Collin straightened. "I shouldn't have said anything. Mr. Harper would fire me on the spot if he knew I'd discussed his personal life. You just seem like a nice girl."

I didn't understand why he seemed to be warning me to not fall for Ford. There was no danger of that happening. I flew so far under Ford's radar, I might as well have been invisible.

"Well, thanks for the advice. And I swear I won't breathe a word of this conversation to him."

Obvious relief etched across his face. "Thank you."

I heard the engines roaring to life again and I bit my lower lip. "Please keep talking and keep me distracted. I hate flying."

"Sure. Where are you from?"

"D.C. -- Virginia really."

"Oh, a local girl. What do you like to do for fun?"

With the exception of today, I couldn't remember the last time I'd done anything resembling fun. "Nothing, really."

"I don't believe that. You're obviously intelligent. You shut everyone up in that meeting today. You must have outside interests."

I thought for a moment. "I don't know. I typically keep to myself."

"Come on. Tell me one thing you enjoy doing," he pressed.

"Swimming, I guess."

"See? That wasn't so hard. I like to swim, too."

"How long have you worked for Ford?"

"Almost six years."

"Do you like being his personal assistant?" I wondered.

"It has its perks. He travels a lot and wherever he goes, I go. I've gotten a chance to see a lot of the world because of him. How many people get to say that? And he pays like a Rockefeller."

"Then he's a nice employer?"

Collin breathed heavily. "I don't know that I would describe Mr. Harper as nice exactly. He's demanding and he knows precisely what he wants. He takes the guesswork out of working for him. He's straightforward and I like that about him."

I'd ascertained that much about him on my own.

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

His bluntness caught me off guard. But I'd asked him to distract me, so I felt somewhat obliged to answer the question.

"No."

"That's surprising."

"Is it?"

"You have to know how beautiful you are."

His compliment made me blush, but the plane gave a slight jolt, making me lose my train of thought. I winced.

"Just a bit of turbulence. Not to worry."

I nodded, but my heart seemed to pound out of my chest. From the corner of my eye, I saw Collin reach for me. He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear. I looked into his bright eyes and they were smiling at me. They were kind and welcoming and I immediately thought we could be great friends.

"Am I interrupting something?" Ford's voice boomed as he strolled back into the main cabin.

"I was just telling Miss Mathers what a good idea she had in today's meeting," Collin lied.

"Quinn, please," I insisted.

"Quinn," he repeated.

"Yes. Miss Mathers is full of surprises."

I couldn't tell if he'd just thrown me a left-handed compliment or if his detached behavior was simply a symptom of who he was.

Unexpectedly, I began to feel off. My skin pricked with goosebumps even beneath my heavy sweater. I sneezed again and shuddered with cold.

"Are you alright?" Collin asked, pressing a hand to my forehead. "You're burning up, Quinn."

Ford reached across the table and checked for himself. "You have a fever. Come lie down."

Before I could stand, he came to my side and draped an arm around my shoulders pulling me to my feet. I leaned on him as he helped me to the bedroom and I collapsed on the bed.

"I'm sure I'll be fine. I'm just tired," I moaned as my head began to pulse behind my eyes.

"I shouldn't have kept you out all day. I should've made sure you rested."

"It was a great day. I wouldn't have changed a thing. Well, maybe I'd change the way we met."

"Just sleep. We'll be back in D.C. before long."

If he said anything else, I hadn't heard. My heavy head hit the pillow and I shut the rest of the world out.

EVENING

When my eyes fluttered open again, I found myself bundled under Ford's arm and we were walking through his apartment door. I didn't remember the plane landing or getting in and out of the car. Thanks to my sedative, I'd survived another flight and eluded another panic attack. But it hadn't done a thing for the way I felt inside.

The Xanax had worn off and in its place were body aches, a throbbing head, and a runny nose. My heavy head lolled and bobbed against Ford's chest. I closed my eyes, it hurt to keep them open, and blindly let Ford lead me to what I guessed was a spare bedroom. He turned on a table lamp, sat me on the bed, and crouched at my feet to tug my shoes off.

'How wholly I trusted him', I thought absently to myself.

"Can you manage to undress yourself?" he asked me.

He lifted his eyes to mine and the light of the lamp caught the amber gold flecks in his brown eyes. Even as sick as I felt, my breath quickened.

"Yes, thank you."

I reached for the button on my jeans and fumbled awkwardly with the clasp. Ford sighed and rolled to his knees.

"May I?"

I closed my eyes again and nodded. I felt too awful to be modest. Weakly, I pushed up on my hands as Ford deftly unbuttoned my jeans and slid them down over my hips. I sat up in time to see his eyes darken as his gaze roved over my thighs and down my calves.

"Arms up," he demanded softly and I obeyed.

I raised my hands in the air and he stood, slipping my sweater over my head. My hair tumbled in curly waves and fell in front of my face. I couldn't bear to sit up any longer. I fell sideways and crashed against the pillows. Ford pulled the comforter out from underneath me and covered me with it.

"Do you want something to eat?" he offered. "Soup?"

"Mmmm."

"Okay. Good night."

He turned off the lamp and I felt the gentle brush of his fingertips, lightly moving away strands of hair that had fallen across my cheek. I shivered.

I didn't remember anything else. Only the overwhelming sense of safety I felt in this bed -here in this apartment with Ford. I drifted off into a contented sleep.