“And you’re stalling.” He shot her a bad-boy grin and started to withdraw his finger.
“Professor Ariana Costas is safe,” she admitted at last.
As a reward, he cupped her entire breast in his hand and began kneading her soft flesh.
Her eyelids fluttered closed, a happy sigh on her lips.
“Safe how?” he asked.
She swallowed and her throat worked convulsively. “Ari is what the family calls me.”
It’s what he called her, too, but he wasn’t about to mention it just yet.
“And Ari hits too close to home.”
“How so?” he asked, curious.
Ari sighed. “Well, Ari is the little girl in the tanning cream who turned orange and liked it. She’s the one who played lookout and laughed while her sister stole the principal’s spare keys to the boys’ locker room.” Her lips twitched as she recounted the memory. “Zoe wanted to douse the football team captain’s shorts with itching powder after he started spreading rumors about her.”
Quinn stifled a laugh. It was important that he continue to focus on Ari more than on Zoe’s pranks. “And Ari’s the one who walked into Damon’s casino dressed like that twin?” he guessed. “The one who slept with me? Who just undressed in front of me now? And who liked it?”
“You know me too well.” She looked at him through heavy eyelids.
Through caring eyes, he hoped. Still his life had always been about watching people leave and never getting too close as a result. She was guaranteed to do just that once her sister returned, and he couldn’t invest too much in her.
“I’m not sure what to think about us,” Ari said.
Quinn nodded, accepting her honesty. He wasn’t sure what to make of them either. He only knew when she was around, the world seemed brighter and he liked everything more. He’d gotten more revelations than he’d counted on, and he didn’t want to risk driving her away too soon.
“Then how about you don’t think and just feel?” he asked, and shifted his palm so that he could turn teasing into torment by rolling her nipple between his thumb and forefinger at the same time he leaned over and sealed his lips over hers.
He slipped his tongue between her lips, molding his body to hers. The need to make love to her, bury his body deep inside and lose himself in her, was overwhelming. But without warning, the doorbell rang, interrupting them.
“This can’t be happening.” She echoed his thoughts exactly.
He rose to his feet, pulling her to a sitting position. “Unfortunately, it is. I forgot I told Wolf to bring Dozer over when he got a lull at the center.”
Ari scrambled to dress, pulling her shirt over her head.
“The bedroom’s back that way and the bathroom’s inside,” he said. “Go on and I’ll handle Wolf.”
“Thanks, Quinn.” She treated him to a smile that made him harder than he’d been before they were interrupted and, worse, caused a distinct warm feeling in his heart. So much for not investing too much in Ari.
• • •
Ari buttoned the blouse she’d changed into at home, then glanced in the mirror over the sink and vanity in Quinn’s bathroom. With the meager contents of her purse, she quickly fixed her makeup and, after a moment’s hesitation, picked up a comb lying on the counter and brushed through her hair. She’d pulled herself together on the outside, but inside she was still trembling and aroused.
And one thing had nothing to do with the other. Arousal seemed obvious and understandable. The trembling came more from their conversation than from unslaked sexual desire. Thanks to Quinn, she was an emotional mess, feeling more vulnerable than usual and susceptible to a whole host of insecurities. All combined to prove just one thing.
She didn’t know who she really was. She couldn’t say she missed Ariana Costas, the uptight and boring teacher with an equally boring life.
On the other hand, she still thought that the insanity surrounding her family was too great. Her views on that hadn’t changed in the time she’d been gone. But she liked the woman she was around Quinn-the more open and less repressed, and even less judgmental, Ari.
In coming home, she was starting to view her family from an adult perspective and appreciate their idiosyncracies a bit more than she’d like to admit. So much so that she no longer minded thinking of herself the way her family did: as Ari, the child who’d willingly participated in their pranks and games.
So it wasn’t a coincidence that she could no longer think of herself as Ariana. Being caught between two personalities and two worlds raised a scary question-just where did that leave her now?
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Quinn stood in his office watching the rows of television monitors. His anger was contained and he merely rocked on his heels and waited for Damon. By the time his boss strode into the room, it was close to midnight.
“The tables are hopping and the bar’s packed.” Damon slipped his hands into his slacks, obviously pleased with himself. “All in all, it’s a damn fine night.”
The man’s arrogance knew no bounds and was getting on Quinn’s frigging nerves. “I guess that depends on your perspective. I don’t appreciate being tailed to my own goddamn house.” Though he’d told Ari he was just being cautious, he’d lied. He just hadn’t wanted her to panic.
“A smart man trusts no one, Quinn.”
He clenched his jaw tight. “And what did you find on this fishing expedition of yours?”
“That you’re having a good time on the job, not that I blame you. It’s smart to keep Ariana close by. This way she can’t be asking questions around here. I’m impressed with you,” Damon said, nodding.
“Then call off the tail or I’m out of here.” And though he had no intention of walking away, Quinn’s boiling frustration was evident in his threat.
Damon waved a hand, dismissing him. “Go downstairs, have a drink and relax. You’re too damn uptight.”
“I wonder why.” Quinn let out a harsh laugh and, ignoring Damon, headed out the door. To keep himself sane, he needed fresh air.
And he needed to see Ari.
Not five minutes later, he’d settled himself on a barstool where Connor was busy mixing drinks and sending pathetic mooning looks Maria’s way. Not that he was one to talk, he silently acknowledged, watching Ari’s hips sway as she maneuvered among tables.
“I’m not sure how we came to this,” Connor said, leaning on the bar during a lull between patrons. “Hung up on two babes.”
“We always liked women,” Quinn said, laughing.
“Yeah, but they never presented such big challenges before.”
“Is that what you see in Maria?” Quinn asked his friend. “Is it just the challenge?”
Connor wiped down the bar with a damp rag. “Hell, if that’s all it was, do you think I’d be taking her and her kid to Great Adventure?”
“She has a kid?” Quinn let out a slow whistle. “That must have been some first date.”
“Instead of having hot sex, we shared hamburgers, fries, and milk shakes, then watched Joey play with his friends at the school playground.” Connor stared at Maria for a while, long enough for her to turn and acknowledge his searing gaze. “And I’m still not going anywhere, which shocks the hell out of me.”
“Scares you, too, I’ll bet.”
Connor barely acknowledged the comment with an imperceptible nod. “Be right back.” He turned to pour a round of beers from the tap for one of his waitresses, then returned to hang out with Quinn.
“When’s the trip to the amusement park?” Quinn asked.
“Next weekend.”
After they’d closed down this operation, Quinn thought. Maria would still be around. In all likelihood, Ari would not be.
Connor pulled out a Corona, opened the top, and handed Quinn the bottle.
Quinn shot him a questioning look and Connor shrugged.
“You looked like you could use one. My guess is Ari’s got you tied up in the same knots. Anything you want t
o admit to?” Connor asked, laughing.
“Hell no.” Which both men understood meant Not here. But there were some things about the situation he could discuss. “She’s not like Zoe.”
“That much I had figured out.”
“She’s more intense. More…”
“Repressed?”
Shutting his eyes, Quinn recalled how easily she had slipped out of her blouse, how close they’d come to making love on his couch with the ocean as a backdrop. He shook his head. “Not the word I’d use, buddy.” He met his friend’s amused gaze. “But she’s so scared of being like her crazy family, she’s lost sight of how to have fun.”
“So remind her,” Connor said as if it were simple.
And maybe it was. He and Ari had spent all their time in an intense situation. What they needed was relaxation and fun. She needed relaxation and fun. She’d spent too much time hiding behind the conservative facade she thought distinguished her from her family, and not enough time giving in to her true nature.
Quinn intended to bring out her “Ari” side. Not only did he want her to have fun but he wanted her to see she could embrace her natural instincts and emotions without fear of turning into a sideshow freak. She’d come to understand how special the real Ari was. The upside to his plan was that they’d be putting on a show for Damon at the same time.
He reached across the bar and slapped Connor on the back. “Every once in a while your intelligence shows through.” He chuckled but knew Connor understood he was damn grateful for the insight. “Now get back to work.”
Quinn slid off his chair and walked to where Ari stood at the other end of the bar, where she was calculating a bill. “Hey there, beautiful,” he whispered in her ear.
A light blush stole across her cheeks. “Stop that, I’m working.” But a pleased smile told him she was happy to see him.
“You know what they say about all work and no play. Which brings me to my proposal.”
She turned and he captured her against the bar. Her heart beat more quickly in her chest and her breathing grew more rapid. “You’re excited,” he said softly.
“Yeah, well, I think we’ve established that you do that to me.” Her eyes flashed bright and eager.
He grinned. “Well, what would you say to upping the excitement quotient? Let’s plan a night of hot gambling.” He leaned closer so he could whisper in her ear. “And even hotter sex.”
Her body trembled against his. “You’re bad,” she said, nestling her cheek against his in an intimate gesture that did so much more than just turn him on physically. He had an emotional tie to this woman that had the potential to hurt him in the end.
But he couldn’t walk away without giving it his all. Without giving her his all, including showing her how to have fun, let go, and not be afraid of being more like her outgoing family.
It was a gift he wanted to give her, just as more time was a gift he needed to give himself. “I’m officially giving you tomorrow night off. We’re having dinner on the rooftop restaurant and we’re going gambling at the tables. I’ll send a car for you at eight. Dress is elegant.”
“Now, how can I argue with that?” she asked, the pleasure obvious in her voice.
“That’s the point. You can’t.” He’d deliberately phrased things as a done deal.
“Excuse me,” Connor said, clearing his throat as he cut in. “I hate to interrupt, but there are tables that need your attention.”
Quinn shot his friend an annoyed glare, but to Ari, Connor was her immediate boss and she jumped to attention.
“I’m going,” she said as she ducked under Quinn’s arm.
Which was fine with Quinn, since tomorrow night she was all his.
• • •
Ari had no dressy clothes to wear for the night Quinn had planned. Her conservative suits would send him running in the other direction, and she didn’t want to wear her sister’s hand-me-downs. Instead she’d gone to the hotel boutique and purchased the sexiest dress and shoes she could find. But all the while, she wished she’d had her sister to rely on for advice on what outfit to choose, how to act, and any other questions she had. It had been so long since she had felt any close emotional bond with Zoe, and, with her twin in hiding somewhere and Ari staying alone at Quinn’s house, she missed her sister more than ever.
She walked through Quinn’s house, his dog Dozer trailing everywhere she went. Though he was a mixed breed, outwardly he was all chow. His golden fur resembled a lion’s mane but he acted more like a baby in need of attention. Considering she was feeling fairly lonely herself, Ari was grateful for his company.
Kneeling down, she ran her fingers through his fur and he stretched, rolling over. “You’re so affectionate. Quinn’s lucky to have you,” Ari murmured.
She accommodated his shameless request for a belly rub, laughing. “And I’m lucky Aunt Dee took the monkey to her house, or else you might not have been a happy dog. I wouldn’t want to deal with some sort of perverse sibling rivalry,” she muttered.
Besides, when Zoe returned, she’d have her own sibling strife to deal with, and theirs would make the monkey and the dog’s potential problems seem like an absurd cartoon. She stood and, with excitement swirling in her stomach, headed into the bedroom to get ready for the night ahead.
An hour later, a black limousine that looked absurdly out of place in the small neighborhood pulled up to Quinn’s beach house. Adrenaline fueled her walk to the car, more so when the driver opened the door and she found Quinn waiting inside.
• • •
Quinn held Ari’s hand and helped her into the back of the limo. A long black coat protected her from the cold and blocked him from seeing the outfit she’d chosen. Her bare ankles and strappy high-heeled shoes told him she was wearing a dress, while her sexy, musky new scent revealed she’d indulged in a sensual change he enjoyed.
She’d pulled her hair up, leaving soft strands to fall around her fully made-up face and caress her cheeks. He shook his head, letting out an appreciative whistle. “You look fantastic.”
“Thank you.” A pleased smile turned up her lips. “You look pretty hot yourself,” she said, treating him to a sultry, you-ain’t-seen-nothing-yet look.
She’d obviously taken his request to loosen up and have fun to heart. She settled in on the seat beside him as the car got under way. “I didn’t expect you to come pick me up.”
He grinned. “Life’s full of surprises. I told you I’d make sure you had a good time. I’m a man of my word.”
“I know that.”
And those words obviously meant a lot to her, since she then snuggled closer to him.
“I’ve never been in a limo before and the ride wouldn’t be nearly as much fun if you hadn’t surprised me.”
“Didn’t you go to your prom?” Even in foster care, he remembered working at a gas station and saving money to pool with some guys at school and take a girl whose name he couldn’t remember to the prom in a limousine.
“I was so happy I had a date, I didn’t want to subject him to my father’s question of the moment,” she said, a glazed look in her eyes as she remembered. “I met him on the street corner and we drove with some friends.” She tilted her head upwards, her gaze locking with his. “So this is a first for me. Thank you.” She brushed a quick kiss over his lips before sitting back in the seat.
But brief contact wasn’t enough. Quinn was already hot with wanting her. Desire fueled him as he leaned over and finished what she’d started. She immediately parted her lips and he found her mouth warm and moist. Her tongue locked with his. She was so giving, so ready for him, he almost told the driver to turn around and head back to his house.
Making love to a woman there would be his first, but he reminded himself that tonight was about Ari and giving her the freedom to let go and explore her inner self. And so he sat back against the seat, breathing heavily, giving the intense need a chance to subside.
He glanced over while she reapplied her red lipstick. H
e started to wipe his lips with the back of his hand, laughing when he saw the swipes of dark color on his skin.
“Let me.” With a tissue, she cleaned the remnants of lipstick off Quinn’s mouth with shaking hands.
If she continued to touch him, with her scent so powerful and her cleavage too close to his lips, his restraint would vanish along with his good intentions. Thank God the car pulled up to the front of the hotel and reality intruded in the form of glittering neon lights and an attendant who opened the car door.
After that, the evening went just as he’d planned. Dinner was an intimate meal with a rooftop view of the ocean and a close-up view of his date. She’d chosen a strapless dress in a deep blue with a plunging neckline that had him drooling.
She glowed with confidence. It was obvious she knew how her sex appeal affected him, and she teased him mercilessly. But more than once, she paused in thought, as if shocked by her open actions. Feeding him a shrimp from her shrimp cocktail, her eyes opened wide as if to ask, Who is this uninhibited woman? All he’d had to do to bring her back was to continue the playful moment-nip her fingertip with his teeth, soothe with his tongue-and she was back in what he thought of as her Ari mood and persona. Seeing how happy she was with him, he wondered how she’d lived so long hiding behind the suits and uptight facade.
She flirted and teased, her fingers walking up his thigh beneath the table as she whispered in his ear. They danced to a slow song the band played and he held her tight, unwilling to let her overthink and pull away because Ariana would act more appropriately in public. They shared coffee and a fruit tart for dessert, and not even Damon, sitting a table away viewing them with undisguised interest, seemed to dim her enjoyment or enthusiasm.
Quinn found equal pleasure in just watching her, and though he could have stayed in their private booth forever, he had more planned for her this evening. “Ready to hit the tables?”
She nodded.
Quinn placed his napkin down and rose to his feet.
“I’m not much of a gambler,” she admitted. “But I guess I could learn.”
The hesitancy was back, something Quinn wouldn’t allow. “Maybe Professor Costas isn’t a gambler, but the sexy lady in front of me certainly is.” He winked and extended his hand.
Under the Boardwalk Page 16
