He almost allowed himself to hope, but that flame had already been extinguished.
“I love you. Whether or not I blew my chances with you, I’m coming home to stay. But you have to know that I do love you. I may have spent my life running away from everything that was good, but I’m stopping here. Now. And I want to walk out of this frozen snack shop knowing I’m heading toward a future. With you.”
Quinn felt as if time had stopped. He’d given up hope and stopped believing. Even when she said she was staying, a part of him clung to the past and the little boy who felt he didn’t deserve the family all the other, good kids had. He was certain Ari was letting him know that although she’d be in town, they wouldn’t be together. He couldn’t allow himself to think she’d want him and to suffer the unbelievable pain she’d inflicted the first time she’d walked away.
Until now. Until she said those three words that nobody in his life had ever said to him. Ever.
He pulled her close. “Do you mean it?” He asked because he had to, but he already knew. He felt the warmth, the caring, the love he knew had always been there between them. She’d dug deep enough to cause herself inner pain and had come out the other side whole.
She nodded. “I mean it. I love you with every fiber of my being. And though I wouldn’t blame you if you turned and walked away, I wouldn’t let you. I’d just have to tackle you on the beach and take your breath away. Like you did to me that first time. Like I want you to do to me now.”
Quinn was only too happy to oblige. He lowered his lips to hers and kissed her like there was no tomorrow.
Ari threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled him close, although with the barrier of clothing, she couldn’t satisfy the desire to feel skin against skin and lose herself in him.
But that was okay for now. They had all the time in the world together. And only the rest of their lives would do.
Epilogue
The Islet Pier News
Monkey Business Disrupts Broadway Premier
The much anticipated Broadway premier of Doctor Dolittle, starring hometown heroine Spank Costas, a monkey of questionable family lineage, was marred by rude gestures and crude remarks. The histrionics didn’t come from a boorish audience member but from the star of the show when a cast member forgot to empty his pockets. The actor did a handstand and a penny fell to the floor on the stage. In turn, the monkey dropped her pants and mooned the shocked audience. “Learned behavior is easier to teach than to unteach,” said her trainer, the reputable Michael Peters, who blamed her previous owners for the night’s catastrophe. The play was postponed indefinitely.
About the Author
New York Times bestselling author CARLY PHILLIPS is an attorney who has tossed away legal briefs in favor of writing hot, sizzling romances. Her first contemporary romance, The Bachelor, captured a spot as a “Reading with Ripa” book club pick on LIVE with Regis and Kelly. The announcement launched Carly into the number one slot on both Amazon.com and Barnes &Noble.com within just a few hours and led to a six-week stay on the New York Times list. Her popular Chandler Brothers trilogy continued with The Playboy and The Heartbreaker, and both books also hit the bestseller lists.
• • •
Carly currently lives in Purchase, New York, with her husband, two young daughters, and a frisky soft-coated Wheaten terrier who acts like their third child. When she’s not spending time with her family, Carly is busy writing and promoting (and playing online!). Carly loves to hear from her readers. You can write her at PO Box 483, Purchase, NY10577, or e-mail her at [email protected]. To discover more about this quickly rising star of romance and her upcoming work, visit Carly’s Web site, www.carlyphillips.com.
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Under the Boardwalk Page 25
