Immediately easing the pressure, Larissa changed the spot she worked on. “Sorry about that, Janie. You really did a number on your back.”
“Yeah, but I saved that kid’s life, so it was worth it.” Janie’s muscles relaxed again as Larissa went back to work. “That’s the first drowning victim we’ve had all year.”
“Sounds scary.” Larissa worked her way up the sides of Janie’s spine. It would take a few sessions before the lifeguard was back in top shape.
“It definitely gets my adrenaline pumping,” Janie agreed. “But I love my job.”
“And there are perks to working at a resort,” Larissa said. “On the job injuries are soothed away by your own, private massage therapist.”
Janie laughed. “Well, needing to see you in your professional capacity is the only way we can hang out. The McCallisters certainly keep you busy these days.”
It wasn’t common knowledge around the island that Larissa and Quinn were together, or even that she’d been with him when he was injured. She wondered if Janie could keep the secret. Larissa hated not having anyone to talk to, especially since she was increasingly confused about where things headed with Quinn.
“The doctor let Quinn give up the crutches today,” she said instead of blurting out her relationship concerns. “I won’t have to spend so much time working on him now.”
“Interesting.” Janie turned her head sideways and made eye contact with Larissa. “Are you going to keep screwing him though?”
A startled laugh forced its way from Larissa’s mouth. “What do you mean?”
“Oh, please.” Janie shifted on the table, turning to sit up as she pulled the sheet across her dark chest. “Everyone knows the two of you are humping like dogs in heat. It’s all anyone can talk about.”
Larissa fanned her face, mortified. “Everyone knows?”
Throwing her head back, Janie laughed so hard the table beneath her vibrated. “You thought it was a secret?” She hopped down, moving more easily than she had when she first walked into the studio. She grabbed her clothing, not bothering to step behind the concealment screen. “Brad told everyone. He was jealous at first, because I guess he wanted you. However, now that he’s dating me...” Janie pulled on her shirt and let the sheet fall away, flashing Larissa a wicked smile that hinted at all sorts of things Janie and Brad might be doing to get the younger McCallister over his crush on Larissa.
Refusing to continue feeling embarrassed and ashamed, Larissa stripped the sheet and heating pad off the massage table and set to work cleaning it. “So, you and Brad are humping like dogs in heat too, huh?”
“You know it,” Janie agreed. “Are you going to that dinner tonight at his folks’ house? I’d feel better if you were there, but Brad said Quinn’s back in the office now, so probably won’t show up.”
There was a family dinner? It seemed odd that Janie had an invite and Larissa knew nothing about it. “Quinn never mentioned dinner.”
“I don’t want to say anything bad about your new relationship, but if Quinn doesn’t take you to family dinners, I’d question his priorities.” Janie slipped into her flip-flops and then shook out her curly black hair. “People around here talk, and Quinn McCallister isn’t the best boyfriend material. Good for a roll in the hay, where I hear he’s attentive to a woman’s needs, but not in it for the long haul because he’s too self-centered and worried about the resort to ever put a woman first.”
Larissa’s stomach turned. She wished she could tell Janie that she was wrong about Quinn, but even his parents had hinted about his lack of commitment and unwillingness to put love first. And lately, she’d seen firsthand how the business was more important to him than she was. He didn’t even have her spend the nights—no matter how late it got—since he had work in the morning.
Janie’s other comments bothered her even more than Quinn’s long hours, however. How many women had he actually slept with? Was she just the latest in a long line of conquests since his divorce?
While she tried to think up a suitable response, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, frowning. “Speak of the devil. It’s a message from Quinn.”
She tapped to open it.
Dad sprung a family dinner on me that’s happening tonight. Feel like going?
Relief flooded through her. She wasn’t a booty call or a new conquest. He was making an effort. It was just that he hadn’t heard about the dinner yet.
She smiled at Janie. “I’ll see you at dinner.”
***
Quinn stepped out onto the porch, sitting in a wicker chair next to his sister. “What do you think, Sydney?”
She took a sip of a martini, shrugging. “The ocean’s as beautiful as always.”
“You know that’s not what I’m asking.”
Sydney sighed. “What I think is that you’ll screw this up, just like you do everything else in your personal life.” She tipped her head to the side. “But Brad and Janie have a real chance.”
Quinn rubbed a hand across his face, watching as the last piece of sun sank into the ocean. “I think I love her.”
Sydney snorted. “You don’t know what love is.”
Knowing Sydney never said anything just to talk, Quinn gave consideration to her statement. He did know what love was. He loved his family. He loved Shadow. Once upon a time, he’d loved painting. Now, he loved finding ways to save the resort money and make it better.
“This is different,” he said softly. “She’s different. Sometimes when she walks into a room and smiles, I feel like an electrical jolt has zapped into my body and more of her company is the only thing that will keep me going. I get so involved in work, and then I’ll look up and see the picture of her I have on my computer screen and smile.”
“So, you’re infatuated. Didn’t you feel the same with Camille?”
“Never.”
She turned her head quickly, staring at him wide-eyed. “Never?”
“Mom and Dad wanted grandkids. Camille said she loved me.” Quinn leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “I had just made a decision to give up on my dreams because no one else wanted Dad’s job. I didn’t really care about anything for a while. Least of all who I slept with or married. Mom and Dad liked Camille. I figured if she made the family happy, I’d learn to be happy too.”
“Oh, Quinn.” Sydney’s hand rested against his arm. “You’re a damn idiot.”
“I know.”
She chuckled. “Well, for the record, I like Larissa a lot. She’s perfect for you. So sweet.”
“And spicy.”
“Gross.” Sydney shoved him, making his chair tip dangerously. “I don’t need details.”
Quinn grinned as he got the chair under control. It was always fun to shock his pragmatic sister. “It was just an observation.”
“Well, here’s my observation—if you want to keep her, you need to figure out how to make her the most important thing in your life.” Sydney stood, downing the last of her drink. “Dad told me you refused to bring her to dinner tonight at first. Working long hours in your office is not the key to making a woman fall in love.”
***
“Dinner was delicious,” Larissa said while helping Susan McCallister load the dishwasher. It still surprised her that Quinn’s parents weren’t inside a mansion with a full staff to do their cooking and cleaning. John and Susan reminded her a lot of her own parents, actually.
Susan handed over the stack of plates she’d rinsed off. “Do you like to cook?”
“Well... I’m no good at it,” Larissa admitted. “My mom’s a fabulous cook, but I’m best with a microwave.”
“You and Quinn will starve then.” Susan smiled. “He doesn’t cook either. It’s a good thing you live in paradise. Meals are available for you in Shane’s kitchen, and you never have to worry.”
“That’s certainly a plus. Shane does a great job with the restaurant.” Larissa finished loading in the last of the plates and looked around for something else to do. Sh
e wasn’t sure she wanted to have this talk with Quinn’s mother, because it sounded like Susan wanted to find out how serious things were, whether Larissa was planning on being domestic with her son.
The entire McCallister family acted as though it was a done deal—she and Quinn were a couple and Larissa would be around full time. Over the course of the evening, however, Larissa began to wonder how much of Quinn’s desire to date her was because his family expected it.
Brad didn’t have near the pressure applied on him for his relationship with Janie. While everyone was nice to Janie, they didn’t talk about the future.
Quinn’s life was a different story. Several times, someone asked when they could expect to hear wedding bells from Quinn and Larissa. Each time, Quinn had gone quiet and Larissa begged off answering, pointing out that they hadn’t known each other all that long.
It was uncomfortable, to say the least. However, Larissa was sure they thought they were doing a great job welcoming her to the family. Parker had even refrained from being his usual flirty self, a sure sign he now expected her to be Quinn’s for keeps.
Was this what it was like for Quinn when he dated Camille? No wonder he felt forced into marriage. Larissa didn’t want to be his next ex-wife.
She leaned against the counter, taking a deep breath. “I think Quinn has too much pressure placed on him.”
Susan dried out the sink with a clean towel, and although Larissa watched her face closely, the older woman didn’t show signs of anger at Larissa’s outburst.
“Quinn’s a good man,” Susan said after a few seconds, “but he takes too much on himself.”
“What do you mean?”
“We mentioned the fact that someone needed to take over the business when John retires, and none of the kids offered to do it.” Susan placed the towel across the divider in the sink and then looked at Larissa. “We planned to ask one of the cousins or find someone business minded to run things, and Quinn became upset. He said he would take the job. He threw himself into learning everything John knows, and he never looked back. I know he does love his new job, but I worry. He had plans to be an artist, and now he doesn’t paint at all. He needs to find balance in his life.”
Larissa didn’t need her boyfriend’s mother hating her, but she didn’t understand what they were thinking, trying to manage Quinn’s life like they did. “Forcing him into a relationship he might not want is your idea of getting him balanced?”
Susan frowned. “You think my son doesn’t want to be with you?”
“I’m not sure. What I do know is that he never loved Camille. He thought she was what you wanted for him.”
“And you don’t want us forcing him to be with you.”
Larissa nodded.
“That’s fair,” Susan said, surprising Larissa. “Can I ask you a question, though?”
Like she could say no. “Sure.”
“Do you love my son?”
Larissa stared at the floor. Did she? Some days, things were so perfect between them and all she wanted was more time with him. Other days, she was left confused and hurt, wondering if Quinn was using her to make his family happy when he pushed her to the side in favor of work. However, that wasn’t Susan’s question. Susan didn’t want to know what Larissa thought Quinn felt. She wanted to know Larissa’s feelings.
“Quinn and I haven’t known each other very long,” she replied, using her standard answer.
“Doesn’t matter,” Susan said. “John proposed to me one week after we met. We were married a month later. Love doesn’t follow a timeline, dear. You know your own heart. Do you love him?”
Larissa blinked rapidly, suddenly fighting tears. “I am in love with him, but I don’t think we’ll work. He’s married to this business, and I want a partner, not a paycheck with an occasional conjugal visit.”
Susan sighed and wrapped Larissa in a tight embrace. “That’s what I was afraid of. Even Camille, who was just after our money and lifestyle and never really loved Quinn, couldn’t handle his obsessions with the business after a while. He’s too dedicated.”
Larissa sniffled, feeling like her heart would break. Quinn’s mother agreed with all Larissa’s fears. Quinn didn’t care enough about her to cut back at work. It was obvious her nightly fantasies about him realizing she was more important than anything else and sweeping her in a whirlwind romance would never happen.
“I can’t settle for less than I deserve, Susan.”
Sighing, Susan pulled away. “No matter how right I think you are for Quinn, I wouldn’t want you to.”
Chapter 19
Quinn drove Larissa toward her apartment along the dirt road, worried about her silence. She seemed different than she’d been. Thoughtful. It didn’t give Quinn a good vibe.
“Everything okay over there?”
“I’m not sure,” she said, so softly he almost didn’t hear her. She shifted in her seat to face him. “Will you stay with me tonight?”
Even though Sydney had a point about him making time for Larissa, he had too much to do. He’d already lost several hours by attending the dinner party.
“I had planned to go to sleep early. I have a lot of work to do tomorrow.”
“Fine.”
She sounded like it was anything but fine.
“Come on, beautiful. Don’t be angry. Once I get this deal settled, I’ll be all yours. It’s important that I get the numbers figured out on this green energy situation before the company comes out to install stuff.”
“I understand.”
Quinn reached across to hold her hand, but she pulled away. Maybe his family was right. Considering his father and sister both warned him he’d lose her if he didn’t make some changes, it might be a good idea to think about it.
At the fork in the road between the employee housing and his hotel, Quinn turned the car sharply.
Larissa’s head jerked toward him. “What are you doing?”
“You’ve never been for a moonlit walk on my beach,” he said. “Now that my leg’s getting better, I think it’s time we went for one.”
He held his breath, wondering if she’d argue and make him take her home, now that she was angry. To his relief, she relaxed into her seat and stared out the front windshield.
Although she didn’t speak again the rest of the drive, the atmosphere in the car felt considerably lighter. He’d done the right thing. It was lucky his family had hounded him about it. He could have so easily made the wrong decision.
After parking in his usual spot, Quinn hurried to her side of the car and opened the door. He got a grin for his trouble, and decided it couldn’t hurt to step up the romance.
He bowed over her hand, kissing the back of it. “Did I tell you how wonderful you look tonight, by the way?”
She climbed out of the car. “Actually, you didn’t.”
Damn. He was a bloody idiot. Quinn had been so frustrated about his father all but commanding him to attend the dinner party that he didn’t get into the spirit of why John wanted him to attend. The whole point was to romance Larissa, Quinn had just been too stupid to realize it.
“What a huge mistake on my part,” he said. “There has never been a more beautiful woman in all the world.”
She chuckled and bumped her hip against his. “That’s laying it on a bit thick, don’t you think?”
“No.” He pushed her against the car and tipped her chin to face him, really looking at her for the first time that night. “I think you’re perfect, Larissa, and I haven’t taken the time to make sure you know that.”
He leaned down, seeking her mouth, needing her to understand how much he cared about her. Work was important, and he had a hard time figuring out how to juggle a personal life when he had a deadline looming, but he didn’t want to lose her.
She sighed into his mouth and her body molded against his while she returned the kiss.
The taste of her, the feel of her, everything about her drove Quinn crazy. When she surrendered herself to him like that
, it made his heart pound with anticipation and his groin tighten with desire.
He ran his hands through her hair, pushing his hips against hers as he drove her back against the warm metal behind them.
Her hands slid down his back and she squeezed his ass, giggling into his mouth. “I do love this rear end,” she murmured. “Does this mean I get to work on it tonight after all? I’m itching to give you a special massage.”
That surprising statement bumped his libido a notch higher. Since they returned home and she’d been massaging him every day to heal his leg, she’d never teased about giving him an erotic massage—likely not wanting to bring up bad memories of their first meeting. It was encouraging that she did so now.
He pulled away and nodded. “You can give me whatever you want, all night long. I just want to be with you.” He took her hand, leading her out to the beach access path. “I need to apologize first, and I hope you’ll forgive me.”
“Apologize? For what?” She didn’t sound as shocked as her words might suggest. She knew full well what he needed to apologize for, but he’d tell her anyway.
“For using you as a massage therapist to heal my leg, a playmate for my bed, and then sending you to your own room every night and ignoring you while I work.” Shit. Saying it aloud like that, he really did sound like an asshole. He sighed and squeezed her fingers gently. “I didn’t realize that’s how I was treating you, but I don’t want you thinking that you aren’t special.”
“Did your mom...?” She shook her head and stared out at the water.
Quinn stayed silent as he stood beside her, listening to the waves crash against the beach and watching the moonlight play against the surface of it. No one else was on the beach tonight, which suited him just fine. There were clouds in the distance, but it wasn’t supposed to rain until morning. They had time to enjoy being together with no interruptions, and Quinn hoped that could start to make things up to Larissa. It didn’t take a genius to figure out that he’d hurt her with the way he’d acted.
He bent to take his shoes off and Larissa did the same. Quinn stacked them neatly next to the path leading back to the hotel and then set off across the sand at a leisurely pace that was easy on his leg.
Spring Into Love Page 14
