Quinn's Hart

by Cassandra Gold

  "Josh, come check this out." Damien's voice, loud and strident, broke into his thoughts. Josh watched Quinn hunch a little at the sound, and that was the last straw. He was going to tell Damien to get lost in the nicest way he could manage. Right now he didn't think it would be all that nice, but he'd do his best. He stalked over to where Damien stood. "What?"

  Leaning into his personal space again, Damien pointed at a restaurant menu. "This looks like a really good place to eat. Want to get some dinner with me?"

  The sheer nerve required to burst in on someone else's day and try to rearrange it without consulting, or inviting, one of the people involved made Josh's mouth drop open. Damien couldn't possibly be so clueless as not to see Josh wanted to spend time with Quinn, could he? He took a deep breath. "Look, Damien. I'm sure the restaurant is great, but I've already got plans for dinner."

  One perfect, manicured eyebrow went up. "Oh? With who?"

  Nobody could be that dense. Not even Mr. Frosted Highlights himself. Josh gritted his teeth. "Quinn. The guy I was hanging out with all day, until you showed up."

  A smug smile appeared on Damien's face. "I guess Quinn must not have known that, or he changed his mind."

  "What are you talking about?" Josh twisted to look for Quinn, but he was gone. "Where the hell did he go?"

  Damien shrugged. "He walked off with Clay."

  Quinn had left with Clay? Josh must have fucked up even more than he knew, because Quinn sure as hell hadn't seemed to like the annoying little flirt the other night. "Damn it!" Without another word, Josh hurried in the direction he figured Quinn would have gone.

  Behind him, Damien spluttered something unintelligible, but he ignored it. Maybe he could catch up with Quinn and apologize for not telling Damien to get lost sooner.

  * * * *

  After searching for over an hour, Josh didn't find Quinn. He found Steve and Art, and later, Ray and Lyle, but none of them had seen Quinn. They did look at the picture Josh had taken of the statue he'd found and agree he had found the weirdest item, but winning the money didn't cheer him up. Quinn's unhappy, closed expression kept jumping into his mind. He couldn't help contrasting that with how Quinn had smiled and made jokes when they were alone. He had been getting a glimpse into the real Quinn, but he hadn't had time to appreciate it.

  Finally, he ran into Doug near the entrance. Not expecting much, he asked, "Have you seen Quinn?"

  To his surprise, the other man nodded. "Yeah. I saw him catch the shuttle back to the hotel a couple of hours ago."

  Josh sighed. Nothing was going the way he'd expected today. He might as well go back to the hotel himself. Staying here would be pointless if he wasn't having fun.

  The walk to the shuttle pickup area took about fifteen minutes. He had to sit on a bench and wait for another thirty before the shuttle arrived. The wait gave him plenty of time to think, and realize just how badly he'd screwed up.

  Although he'd met Quinn only a couple of days ago, Josh knew how uncomfortable he was around people, especially people like Damien and Clay. When they were alone, Quinn was like a different man. Josh liked that man. A lot. Coaxing a smile or a laugh from him gave Josh a warm feeling he couldn't explain. He'd never had to expend much effort to catch a guy before--never wanted to, to be honest--but he thought Quinn would be worth it.

  The shuttle finally pulled up, and he got on. There were several people from the straight group already on board, talking and laughing. Their obvious enjoyment depressed him. If he had taken a stand earlier, he and Quinn could be eating dinner together right now.

  When they arrived at the hotel, Josh went straight up to his floor. On the way, he decided he would go to Quinn's room and see if he was there. If so, he would apologize and see if they could salvage something out of the night.

  He stopped at Quinn's door and knocked. He waited a couple of minutes, but no one answered. He tried again, harder. No response. Giving into temptation, he put his ear to the door. Not a sound.

  Disappointed, he went to his own room. Could Quinn have gone somewhere with Clay? He wouldn't have thought so before, but now he wasn't so sure. After only knowing the man for a couple of days, the thought of him with someone else shouldn't upset him. Somehow it did.

  * * * *

  Had that been a knock on his door? Quinn tilted his head to listen better, but the sound didn't come again. Just to be sure, he left his seat on his room's tiny balcony and went back into the room. He reached the door in a few quick strides. When he opened it, the hallway was empty, as he'd suspected it would be. Who would be coming to visit him? Nobody in the group knew which room was his, except for Josh, and Josh was still at the park.

  Quinn sighed and went back out to the balcony and resumed his seat. The view of people splashing in the pool, laughing and playing, didn't match his mood. The day had started out so well. He'd had hanging out with Josh to look forward to. What time they had been able to spend together had been fun. More fun than Quinn had had in months, if not years. Josh wasn't just a pretty face, although he was very attractive. Quinn thought his lithe, slimly muscled body was sexy, but his eyes were what Quinn liked most. They were deep and warm, the kind of eyes that laughed with you, not at you.

  He hated to admit it, but Damien was right. Trying to monopolize Josh's whole vacation wouldn't be right. Quinn had been stupid to hope there was more to Josh's behavior than being nice. Josh probably wouldn't have acted like he minded if Quinn had chosen to stick around, but obviously there were other people who were interested in him.

  Although Damien might be an obnoxious jerk, in Quinn's opinion at least, he was good-looking in a high maintenance kind of way. He looked right standing next to Josh in a way Quinn knew he himself didn't. The man was even funny, unlike Quinn, even if his humor was on the mean side. "Too serious," "closed-off," and "boring" were just a few of the ways Quinn had been described in the past, none of which was a personality trait a guy like Josh would be looking for.

  Of course, Quinn could always go for Clay. The clingy man had made his willingness to do whatever Quinn wanted, whenever he wanted it, crystal clear when he'd followed Quinn out of the park and back to the hotel. Too bad Quinn wasn't into sex for sex's sake. Besides, Clay didn't want him for him. He doubted Clay had any interest in getting to know him at all. The small man seemed to regard him as a giant sex toy, and someone convenient to flirt with and easy to fluster.

  Maybe what Clay offered was the best he could get. He hadn't had much luck with relationships. The guys he met either wanted him because he was a big guy they thought would dominate them or get rough with them, or acted like he was invisible. Neither of those made him happy. All he wanted was a nice, normal relationship with a nice, normal guy. The guy didn't have to be hot, or rich, or popular, or practiced in bed. Quinn would settle for caring, unafraid to commit, and a good personality. Where he was going to find those qualities in a guy who was willing to overlook his oversized body, average looks, and shyness was a mystery. If his own father had seen him as worthless and weak, how could he expect total strangers to see him as anything more?

  He let his head fall to the chair back and sighed. This dating stuff was hard, and it only got harder. Poor Steph had tried to get him in a situation where he could have a chance. Unfortunately, he couldn't seem to run with it like she'd hoped he would. He dreaded calling her to tell her the trip was destined for failure, especially after he'd mentioned Josh earlier.

  Chapter 8

  * * *

  The next morning, Quinn went out of his way to avoid everyone. He dawdled over showering and dressing in his swim trunks and a T-shirt. Then he skipped breakfast and boarded the shuttle at the last possible moment. He considered hiding out at the hotel rather than suffering through a day at the water park, but the thought of Stephanie's disappointment in him spurred him into going.

  Without even attempting to spot Josh, Quinn sat in the front seat of the bus. Lyle, who sat next to Ray in the seat behind Quinn, leaned forward. "Josh was l
ooking for you yesterday."

  "He was?" Quinn frowned, surprised and a little confused. He'd figured the man would barely notice he'd left.

  Ray nodded, his expression disapproving. "He looked for you for quite a while. I think he was pretty upset that you left without telling him."

  Lyle chimed in. "Yeah, and he went back to the hotel to find you. I guess he never did."

  "No. He never did."

  Quinn thought of the sound he'd heard last night. He'd thought it was a knock. It might have been Josh, looking for him. The hope he'd been so determined to crush rose again, greater than before. Josh had looked for him, and been upset he'd left. If he hadn't ruined everything by running away, he might have a chance after all. He decided to risk letting Lyle and Ray in on part of his dilemma.

  "I guess I shouldn't have left yesterday, at least not without telling him. Damien showed up and started talking to him, and then Clay showed up, and I kind of felt like I shouldn't be there."

  "Damien is a jerk. Josh isn't looking for a guy like that." Ray scowled. His bald head, tattoos, and fierce frown would have made him look pretty intimidating if Quinn hadn't been bigger than him, and hadn't known what a nice guy he really was.

  Lyle smiled and put a hand on Quinn's shoulder. "I know it's hard, being shy. I've dealt with the same problem all my life. You've got to put yourself out there, though, no matter how hard it is. You know that saying about regretting the things you don't do more than the things you do."

  Lyle was right. Quinn had to start taking chances if he ever wanted to be happy. He'd spent a great deal of his life regretting things he hadn't done or said. Sure, he'd sometimes regretted things he had done or said, but not nearly as often. If he let Josh slip away because he hadn't tried, he would feel terrible about it. He shouldn't listen to what Damien had to say. The man liked to put others down, like Quinn's father and some other people he'd met over the years. He'd spent far too long letting people like that control his behavior. Besides, Ray and Lyle both seemed confident that Josh had some interest in him.

  He smiled at both men. "You guys are right. I messed up yesterday, but I'm not going to let Damien chase me off today."

  Ray clapped him on the back. "Good for you, man."

  He faced the front again, unable to stop smiling. Now that he'd decided to stand his ground and take a risk or two, he felt better about the day. The only thing he needed was a plan.

  * * * *

  The short ride to the water park gave Quinn plenty of time to decide what to do. He sneaked a few glances toward the back of the bus and spotted Josh sitting in the farthest row again, between Art and Damien. Unlike yesterday, he wasn't smiling. His mouth had a distinct downward cast to it, and his eyes were distant. When Damien spoke to him and leaned into his side, he leaned away.

  Quinn quickly turned his gaze to the front again, not wanting to be caught staring. What he'd seen added more credibility to what Ray and Lyle had told him. It looked like Josh might find Damien as annoying as he did.

  His best bet would be to talk to Josh right away. If Damien insisted on tagging along, he would do his best to ignore the man until he could figure out how to get rid of him in a tactful manner. He'd cross that bridge if he came to it.

  "Typhoon Lagoon," the driver announced. She stopped the bus and opened the door. Since there were no scheduled events, Elaine hadn't come with them. The men were on their own for the day. The driver added, "A shuttle will be here at two, four, and eight. If you want to leave at another time, catch the park transportation to the Animal Kingdom. I'll be there at three and six."

  Quinn was first off the shuttle. Instead of going into the park, he stood aside and waited for Josh to walk by. Lyle and Ray stopped beside him.

  They waited while the other men in the group filed off the bus and headed into the park, breaking up into pairs and small groups. Josh was one of the last men to exit. His eyes were downcast as he stepped off the bus.

  Quinn gathered his courage. "Hey."

  That deep brown gaze flew up to meet his own, startled. "Hey."

  He managed a small smile. "I'm sorry I ran off yesterday. I shouldn't have done that."

  Josh's answering smile lit his whole face. "No, I'm sorry. I should have noticed you weren't comfortable sooner."

  "That's okay. I shouldn't let people get to me. I've got to work on that." Quinn decided to take another risk. "You want to try again today?"

  "Hm." Josh rubbed his chin, mock-thoughtful. "I suppose I could pencil you in."

  A bony elbow in his ribs jerked Quinn's attention away from the conversation. He twisted to find Lyle staring at him. Lyle's lips formed the word "run." Confused, he frowned. Lyle tilted his head meaningfully toward Damien, who had been waylaid by Ray.

  Giving Lyle a grateful smile, he turned back to Josh. "Let's get out of here."

  Josh grinned.

  * * * *

  They made their getaway without incident and walked toward the other end of the park. When they were safely away, Josh started laughing. "I feel like we're in a spy movie or something, sneaking around like this."

  Quinn rolled his eyes. "It's ridiculous, isn't it? Now I feel even worse for leaving you with him yesterday."

  "Well, you should. He's the most narcissistic person I've met in my entire life. I ditched him right after you left with Clay." Josh's grin was still in place, but his eyes darkened with what looked suspiciously like hurt, and maybe a little jealousy.

  Quinn found it hard to believe anyone would be hurt or jealous over him, but the evidence was right in front of him. He shouldn't have been happy about provoking that kind of negative emotion, and yet a small part of him wanted to dance. He offered Josh an apologetic smile. "I didn't leave with Clay. I left, and he followed me. He finally took the hint about the third time I told him I wasn't interested." He shrugged. "I don't know why he picked me to follow around in the first place. There are plenty of other guys to choose from."

  Josh raised an eyebrow. "You really don't see it, do you?"

  Was there some secret everybody was in on but Quinn? "See what?"

  The other man stopped and eyed him up and down. "Yourself."

  Quinn saw himself every day in the mirror. He was a huge, shy dork. What was Josh talking about? He frowned. "What do you mean?"

  "You've got a lot going for you. You just don't know it yet." With those cryptic words, Josh turned and resumed walking.

  Quinn stared after him for a full thirty seconds before hurrying to catch up. Flustered, he didn't ask what Josh had meant. Instead, he blurted, "Want to go on a waterslide?"

  "Sure, but let's find some lockers first. I want to put my stuff away."

  For the first time, Quinn noticed Josh carried a bag. "What's in there?" After he asked, he wondered if the question was too nosy.

  Apparently the other man didn't think so, because he answered without missing a beat. "I've got a book, a towel, sunscreen, and a bottle of water."

  Quinn had brought only a towel and his sunglasses. He cringed at the thought of the horrible sunburn he was going to get. "I forgot to bring sunscreen. I'd better go buy some."

  "No problem. You can borrow some of mine." Josh grinned. "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Or aloe, in this case."

  "That's terrible." Quinn couldn't help chuckling at the lame joke. "Thanks for letting me use some of your sunscreen."

  "No problem. Hey, I see some lockers over there." Josh pointed, and they headed toward them.

  A few minutes later, most of their belongings were stowed in a locker, with the exception of Josh's sunscreen. Josh handed the bottle to Quinn. "I already put some on." He stripped off his shirt, revealing lightly tanned skin and a lean, fit torso. He had the kind of muscles honed by work and play rather than excessive weightlifting.

  Quinn tried not to stare, turning his attention to slathering himself with slick, coconut-scented lotion. He pulled off his own shirt and covered the parts he could reach, but despite their length his arms
couldn't get some parts of his back.

  Josh laughed and took the bottle from him, squeezed a small pool of sunscreen into his hand, and handed the bottle back to Quinn. "Let me help you."

  Quinn shrugged and put the sunscreen bottle in the locker. "Okay."

  Josh used his other hand to scoop some of the lotion up and moved to stand behind Quinn. "We don't want you to get burned. You have unusual coloring."

  That was a comment Quinn had heard often. His pale skin, blue eyes, and dark hair were a strange combination. Some people had referred to him as "black Irish" based on his last name. He didn't know what his heritage was, but his father had been a redhead. Maybe he was part Irish.

  He started to respond, but the first touch of Josh's cool, lotion-covered fingers stole his words. He closed his eyes, savoring the way Josh's strong, gentle fingers moved over his back. Josh used long, firm strokes to cover all the areas Quinn hadn't been able to reach, and then he went back over them with a lingering, more teasing touch.

  Finally, Josh stepped back. "There. All done." His voice sounded huskier than before.

  Quinn restrained a shiver at the loss of the touch and the sexy tone. The urge to grab Josh and drag him back to the hotel like some caveman hit. He reminded himself the shuttle wouldn't be back for hours. To hide his reaction, he looked over his shoulder and smiled. "Ready to hit the waterslides?"

  Chapter 9

  * * *

  At the last waterslide in the park, Josh took the opportunity to watch his companion as they waited in line. Quinn fully dressed was imposing. Quinn in swim trunks, no shirt, was incredible. Josh had trouble not drooling at the sight of that wide, muscled chest and shoulders. The man could pose for a statue of Hercules, or maybe Superman. Josh would be willing to bet Quinn could pick him up with ease, probably even bench press him without breaking a sweat, no small feat since he weighed a hundred and eighty pounds. Big and brawny had never been one of the traits he looked for in a guy, but now he was reconsidering. Quinn's cluelessness about his own desirability only made him hotter.