Quinn's Hart

by Cassandra Gold

  They'd made a quick circuit through all the other slides in the park, and to Josh's delight, Quinn was turning out to be a bit of an adrenaline junkie. After each slide, he seemed exhilarated and wanted to go straight to the next one. Josh enjoyed seeing him animated and almost chatty.

  When they reached the front of the line, Josh was pleased to discover they would be sliding in a small tandem raft. Quinn sat in the back, his long legs reaching to the front of the raft and beyond. Josh sat in the front, between Quinn's legs. He deliberately sat as close to Quinn as he could, his back inches from Quinn's chest. Heat radiated from the other man's skin, and he had the urge to lean back the rest of the way.

  He glanced up and over his shoulder at Quinn, who stared at him, a mixture of surprise and heat in his eyes. Mission accomplished. Josh grinned and gripped the raft handles. "Let's go."

  And they were off, racing down a large half-pipe filled with water. Air rushed past them, whipping Josh's hair around his face. The slide took several wild twists and turns before they splashed into the large pool at the bottom. Water flew everywhere, splattering them both.

  Behind him, Quinn laughed. "Now that was fun."

  "Yeah, it was." Josh clambered out of the raft and towed Quinn to shore. "You ready to get something to eat?"

  "I'm starving." Quinn turned in their raft to a park employee. "Do you need your stuff?"

  Josh nodded. "My money's in the locker." He headed in the direction of the lockers.

  Quinn fell into step beside him, closer than he'd walked before. "You want to go to the beach for a while after we eat?"

  "Sounds good." While they were there, he'd ask Quinn to help him reapply his sunscreen. He'd take any excuse to get those big hands on him.

  * * * *

  After a lunch of burgers and fries, Josh was ready to kick back on the beach. Sitting by the wave pool might not have been quite as relaxing as sitting by the ocean, but the artificial beach was real enough for him. On the way, he stopped to buy a beer.

  When the guy behind the counter handed him a bottle, he glanced at Quinn. "You want one?"

  Quinn shook his head. "No, thanks. I'll stick with water. My father was an alcoholic."

  Okay. That wasn't good. Josh looked at the bottle in his hand. "Would you rather I didn't drink either?"

  The smile Quinn sent him was reassuring, as was his quick reply. "Not at all. I don't have a problem with other people drinking, but I've read that alcoholism can be hereditary, and I don't want to go down that road."

  He wasn't sure what to say. Quinn's conviction was sensible. Sad, but sensible. And it might help explain a few things. What kind of childhood must Quinn have endured, with an alcoholic father who had died when Quinn was only thirteen? The few hints the man had given him told him it hadn't been pleasant.

  Not wanting to dwell on a subject that probably made Quinn unhappy, Josh changed the subject. "Ready to hit the beach?"

  "Definitely."

  They found a pair of white lounge chairs near the wave pool and spread their towels over them. Josh sat on his and reapplied sunscreen wherever he could reach, offering the bottle to Quinn.

  Quinn peered down at his chest, which hadn't turned pink from the sun yet. "Good idea. The last thing I need is to get sunburned."

  "Want me to get your back?" Josh kept his voice cool and calm, trying not to telegraph how much he wanted to touch Quinn, and have Quinn touch him.

  "Sure." Quinn turned to present his back. "I'll get yours for you in a minute."

  Score. Josh didn't bother to hide his triumphant grin. He smoothed the sunscreen over the hard muscles and smooth, creamy skin of Quinn's back using slow, sensual strokes of his fingertips. He traced the indentation of Quinn's spine, trying not to be too obvious about it. Quite a few small scars marred the surface of his back, and Josh traced those as well. The feel of warm skin beneath his hands was addictive. He had to force himself to stop.

  "Okay, all done."

  Quinn twisted around to grab the sunscreen bottle. "Now I'll do yours. You can lay on your stomach if you want."

  Lying on his stomach was a smart move. Quinn's large, strong hands, slick with lotion, ghosted over his back with surprising gentleness. The moment they touched him, Josh's dick took notice. The touch wasn't sexual, but it was Quinn, and somehow that made all the difference.

  Quinn rubbed over a knot in his shoulder, and Josh winced. "Ow."

  Quinn immediately stopped. "Did I hurt you?"

  He sounded so concerned, Josh chuckled. "No, I've got a knot there. Not your fault."

  "Oh. Good." A pause. "I could try to take care of it for you, if you want."

  Josh wanted. Once again he tried to play cool, but wasn't sure how successful he was. "I'd appreciate that. Thanks."

  He closed his eyes as Quinn's hands resumed their previous position, only this time Quinn kneaded the tight muscles in his shoulders. The knot, along with a few others, dissolved under Quinn's determined probing. He couldn't help groaning at how good it felt. The thought of those hands stroking other parts of his body popped into his head, and his half-hard cock sprang to full attention. He was going to have to stay on his stomach for a while, unless he wanted to embarrass them both.

  Finally Quinn stopped his massage. He didn't lift his hands from Josh's back, though. "Is that better?"

  "Much. You have great hands." And I wish you'd put them all over me. Josh wisely refrained from saying that out loud. He didn't want to scare Quinn off. He peered up to catch Quinn's reaction to his statement.

  The big man was blushing. "Thanks." He slowly took his hands from Josh's back, like he was reluctant to stop touching.

  Josh chose to take that as a good sign. He grinned and laid his head down on his arms. This was turning out to be a great day.

  * * * *

  They lounged on the beach for a couple of hours. For a while they made small talk, but then Quinn dozed off and Josh opened his book. Josh had never been crazy about silence, but with Quinn he didn't mind. Sitting together was comfortable.

  He stole occasional glances at the man next to him, admiring. At first he focused on Quinn's body. It was hard not to--the man was huge. And hot. The more he watched, though, the more Josh noticed other things, like Quinn's long, dark eyelashes and the way his hair tried to curl despite its short length.

  When Josh found himself wanting to run his fingers through Quinn's hair to test its softness, he decided he'd better focus on his book. The story kept him entertained for short bursts, but his gaze continued to stray back to Quinn. The last time he caught himself staring, he noticed Quinn's skin had acquired the faintest tinge of pink, despite the sunscreen. They shouldn't spend too much longer in the sun.

  "Quinn." He ran his fingertips over Quinn's shoulder gently. "Time to wake up."

  Sleepy blue eyes blinked at him. "Did I fall asleep?" Quinn lifted his head, more alert and clearly embarrassed. "I'm sorry."

  Josh grinned. "No problem. I have that effect on people."

  "It wasn't you--"

  "I know. I'm kidding." Josh sat up and stretched. "You're starting to get pink, though. I'm about ready to go back to the hotel. What about you?"

  Quinn sat up as well. "Sure, I guess." He sounded disappointed.

  Josh hoped it was because the day was almost over. If so, he had the perfect cure. "Want to get dinner? We could hit the hotel restaurant when we get back. Well, after we shower and put on some real clothes." Under his book, he crossed his fingers.

  Quinn's face lit up. "That sounds great."

  "Good. We should have time to catch the shuttle, if we hurry." Josh hopped out of his chair, energized. Everything was going perfectly. If he could just manage to avoid the screw-ups of the previous days, anyway...

  Chapter 10

  * * *

  Quinn hummed under his breath as he stepped out of the shower. He dried off and rubbed at the fogged mirror with his towel. The man who stared back at him from the misty glass didn't look like him. This ma
n was smiling, happy, at ease with the world and his place in it. Quinn didn't know who the guy in the mirror was, but he liked him. Who knew taking a few tiny risks and spending a day having fun could make such a difference?

  The day really had been fun. He'd never been on a waterslide before, but the experience had been thrilling--especially the one in which he and Josh had shared a raft. Having Josh close to him like that had been well worth any nerves and discomfort involved.

  He closed his eyes and remembered putting sunscreen on Josh's back at the beach. His mind conjured up the image of Josh's skin, warm from the sun and silky-smooth. He couldn't help but enjoy touching Josh, and from the other man's reaction he'd liked it as well. He hadn't tensed up, and when Quinn had given him a massage he'd groaned. Then again, a lot of people probably groaned when they were getting massages. Quinn needed to keep that in mind and not read too much into anything. Josh wanted to have dinner with him, which was wonderful in and of itself. He would take anything else as icing on the cake.

  "We are Family" blared from the nightstand, but Quinn didn't answer the summons. If he answered, Stephanie would pump him for information about his day, and Josh. A childish fear of jinxing himself made him not want to discuss anything just yet. He'd learned not to count his chickens before they hatched, so to speak. He also didn't want to be late, and Stephanie was notorious for being difficult to end a conversation with. She let people off the phone if and when she felt like it, and not a moment before.

  The phone rang a few more times before it fell silent. The chime for a new voice message went off a couple of minutes later. He threw an apologetic look toward the nightstand. "Sorry, Stephie. I promise I'll fill you in later."

  He needed to get moving. He pulled on a pair of boxers and the nicest khakis he'd brought. Deciding what shirt to wear took more time than he wanted to spend, but he wanted to look good. The deep blue polo shirt he selected brought out his eyes, or so Stephanie claimed.

  A quick search revealed his wallet, which he stuffed into his pocket. He didn't bother looking for his watch. He was on vacation.

  Satisfied, he stepped into the hallway. The sound of a nearby door closing drew his attention to the room next door, where Josh had just come out of his room. Josh wore khakis, too, and a brown long-sleeved dress shirt with lighter pinstripes, managing to be casual and pulled-together at the same time. Quinn smiled. "Good timing."

  Josh grinned, looking genuinely pleased to see him. "Yeah. I'd like to say I planned it, but I'm not that smooth."

  "I don't know, you got me to go to dinner with you." Were those words coming out of his mouth? Quinn was astonished at both the words, and his flirtatious tone. He had never been good at flirting.

  Josh pretended to buff his fingernails on his shirt. "And that took some doing, too. You're right. I am that smooth."

  Quinn laughed. "And so modest, too. I'm impressed."

  "You haven't seen anything yet." Josh's sexy smile and hot stare promised much more to come.

  Quinn's heart raced. He could hardly wait.

  * * * *

  They arrived at the restaurant early enough to get seated right away. The hostess led them to a small, secluded table off in a corner by itself. After handing them menus and promising their server would be with them soon, she left.

  Quinn glanced around at the simple décor of cream and green, with dark wood trim and some nice paintings in gold frames. Well, Quinn liked them, but he wasn't an art connoisseur. For all he knew they could be terrible quality.

  Each table had a forest green tablecloth and an unlit candle in a hurricane holder. The place was nice, but not fancy or intimidating. The menu proved to be the same way, full of food Quinn could identify rather than overpriced, unpronounceable items.

  A nice-looking young man wearing the traditional waiter's uniform of a white shirt and black pants appeared at their table. "Hi, I'm Miguel. I'll be your server tonight. Can I get you something to drink?"

  Quinn ordered an iced tea.

  Josh gave Miguel a charming grin. "That sounds good. I'll have one, too."

  The waiter nodded. "I'll have those for you in a few minutes." He smiled and left.

  Quinn considered Josh's drink order. Had Josh wanted something alcoholic, and been too considerate to order it? Worries like that were one reason Quinn rarely told anyone about his past. He also didn't want to deal with pity, or too many questions. His childhood wasn't something he enjoyed discussing.

  There wasn't any point in stressing over Josh's drink choice. He had enough other things to stress himself over. Like what to say.

  Fortunately Josh saved him from that particular worry. The other man leaned forward. "So, you're an engineer? What kind?"

  His job was safe and familiar ground. He seized on the topic. "I'm an environmental engineer. I work for a firm in St. Louis. We do consulting, samples and testing, and remediation of polluted sites."

  Unlike some people he'd told about his job, Josh appeared very interested. "How long have you been in the field?"

  "Fourteen years. I enjoy it, even the sample taking and paperwork."

  Josh grinned. "You're a better man than I. I hate paperwork."

  Totally at ease now, Quinn chuckled. "You're in the wrong line of work, then. Don't doctors have a ton of paperwork?"

  Josh nodded. "And how. I try to pass it off to the nurses or my receptionist as often as I can, but I have to do a lot of it myself." He shrugged. "It's worth it, I suppose. I love working with kids."

  Quinn liked kids, too, but he was always a little nervous around them. They seemed so tiny and fragile. He of all people knew kids were tougher than they looked, but still.

  Before he could come up with a reply, Miguel returned to take their orders. Josh asked for a steak and a baked potato. Quinn ordered the same, with a salad.

  When Josh raised an eyebrow, he smiled. "One of us has to eat something healthy, Dr. Hart."

  Josh rolled his eyes.

  * * * *

  Their food came quickly. While they ate, they made small talk about television shows, books, and movies they liked or didn't like. Neither of them watched a lot of TV due to their busy schedules, but what they did watch was mostly different. Josh enjoyed watching baseball and true crime shows. Quinn preferred basketball and nature programs. They were both addicted to a show that took urban legends and tested them to see if they were true.

  Their reading and movie tastes were also different. Josh liked action books and movies. As he put it, "The more ridiculous they are, the better." Quinn stuck mainly to nonfiction and documentaries.

  On the surface they had almost nothing in common, other than being gay and male. What about his shy, boring, over analytical self could a guy like Josh find appealing? Unable to ask that question, he ventured, "We don't seem to have much in common."

  Josh didn't laugh or blow off his comment. Instead, he looked like he was really considering it. "Maybe on the surface. But that's not such a bad thing. The old saying 'opposites attract' exists for a reason." He paused, smiled. "I'm definitely attracted to you, in case you couldn't tell."

  Okay, that was blunt. And arousing. Quinn's heartbeat sped up. "I'm glad. I'm attracted to you, too. Very much."

  Josh's smile widened. He opened his mouth to speak, but a loud ring cut him off. He gave Quinn an apologetic look and reached into his pocket. "That's the ringtone for the work calls I had forwarded. I have to take this."

  "Of course. No problem."

  Josh stood and left the table. Quinn heard him answer the phone, and then he was too far away to hear. Quinn pushed what was left of his food around on his plate, his mind wandering. Josh was interested in him, and had come right out and said so. He wasn't used to such boldness, but he liked it. He wished he could be a bit bolder himself. Then again, he had been more at ease with Josh than he had been with anyone in a long time. He liked that, too.

  A few minutes later, Josh returned to the table, his face drawn and anxious. "I hate to do this, Quinn
, but I have to cut our evening short. One of my patients is sick and his mom's terrified. I have to call her back in a few minutes to try to calm her down and figure out what she needs to do."

  Disappointment filled Quinn, but he managed a smile. "Of course you have to take care of your patients. Are you going back to your room?"

  Josh nodded.

  "Well, if you have a minute I'll charge this to my room and walk you up." Quinn waited, hopeful.

  "That'd be great." Josh's anxious frown softened into a smile.

  * * * *

  Flagging down Miguel and charging the dinner to his room took almost no time. Quinn signed the bill and stood. Josh followed suit, and they left the restaurant.

  They made their way to the elevator. Quinn pushed the button for their floor. Next to him, Josh stood quiet and tense. Quinn felt as if their roles had been reversed. Up until this moment, he had been the one to be tense and silent while Josh was calm and at ease.

  He hated seeing Josh unhappy. Taking another chance, he reached over and took Josh's hand in his. Rather than pulling away or tensing up, Josh laced their fingers together and squeezed. Quinn risked a glance at him. Their eyes met, and Josh's lips turned up into a small smile.

  Quinn smiled back, delighted. Then he leaned against the elevator wall and savored the warm pressure of Josh's hand in his. He couldn't remember the last time he'd held hands with anyone. Josh's hand was slim, long-fingered, and strong. It was smaller than Quinn's, but not tiny or fragile in any way.

  The elevator dinged, signaling their floor, and the doors opened. They stepped out and walked the short distance to their rooms. At Quinn's door, they stopped.