Carly Phillips - Under the Boardwalk

He swallowed hard. “We can’t talk here,” he whispered. “This place is bugged,” he said in a murmur nobody else listening could possibly detect.

“So unless you’re interested in finishing what we started, you don’t belong here.” This time he spoke loud enough for anyone to hear, for the benefit of Damon’s hidden bugs.

She ducked out from under his arms and glared at him with wounded eyes. But he could see from the almost imperceptible nod of her head that she got his message and his act for the camera.

“I don’t answer to you,” she said.

“Maybe you should.”

She bit down on her well-kissed lower lip, pausing in thought. “I think you’ve got a point.”

The hair on the back of his neck prickled in unease. “In what way?”

She leaned against the wall, her pose all the more seductive thanks to that hot kiss and the need still pulsing inside him. “Hire me,” she said.

“Repeat that?”

“I said, hire me. Give me a job here.”

Quinn couldn’t believe she’d ask for something so stupid. “Why the hell would I want to do that?”

“Because I want to get closer to people who knew my sister.” Her voice softened and her gaze grew moist.

Too bad for her, he couldn’t afford to give in to emotional blackmail. Besides, only a chump wouldn’t figure out that she wanted entry into the casino so she could snoop around. “Sorry, but no.”

She shrugged, which had the effect of lifting her glimmering cleavage for view. He wondered if the skin there tasted as good as her neck and lips just had.

“I’ll just ask Damon, then,” Ari said. “He seems like an agreeable enough guy. He hired my mother and my sister, and he did tell you to show me around. Besides, I think he liked me.”

“Your boobs aren’t big enough for him to like you,” Quinn muttered under his breath.

“What?”

“Nothing,” he said through clenched teeth. He wasn’t thinking with his head. Not the right head, anyway. Those breasts might not be big enough for Damon, but they made Quinn’s mouth water and his hands tingle with longing. She was a distraction he didn’t need.

He didn’t want her anywhere near the casino, Damon’s operation, or him. Which meant he had a problem, since she’d already proven she’d do as she pleased. But Quinn hated being backed into a wall and he continued to grind his teeth in frustration. “What are you good at?”

“What do you want me to be good at?” she asked him.

He stepped forward, stopping until they were inches apart again. He already knew how well she kissed, how hot she made him, and how perfectly her body fit against his. The woman was playing with a man on fire. “You already told Damon you can’t dance.”

“There’s plenty of other things I’m good at.” Her eyes flashed determined sparks.

“Name one.”

“I already proved I’m a good kisser, but I don’t think that’s what you had in mind.” She cocked her head to one side, as she continued to tease and test his restraint. “I also have decent moves with my hands.” She waved her delicate fingers in front of his face.

Visions of those hands roaming over his body caused an intense burning in his stomach. “Such as?”

“I waited tables in college and I can serve a mean drink.”

“And what about your job, Professor?”

“I already took a leave.” She placed her hands on her hips, as if daring him to argue.

And when her eyes darted from his for a split second, long enough to convince him she wasn’t being completely honest, he wanted to. But since this damned independent woman would do what she wanted, he had no choice except to go along. “Fine. Your shift will be seven to midnight. I’ll pick you up tomorrow night around six. Be ready.”

“I can drive-”

He shook his head. “I plan to keep an eye on you. In fact, expect to have me by your side the entire time.”

She opened her mouth to argue, then closed it again.

“Good thinking. Because I’ll be watching you. And that is nonnegotiable.”

Ariana paced the floor while watching the street from the bay window in her family home. She didn’t want Quinn coming here anymore than she wanted him watching every move she made. He made her nervous. Not to mention his kiss was so potent it ought to be illegal.

She lifted her fingers to her lips. They’d continued to tingle all last night and through this morning. The memory of his mouth on hers and his strong thighs between her legs kept her aroused. They’d been combustible together, Ariana thought. No man had ever made her want with such ferocious intensity. And the heat in his gaze when he broke the kiss told her he’d wanted her, too. Unfortunately, he had an iron will and his desire wasn’t quite as strong as his need to have her gone.

She was lucky he’d agreed to give her a job-a spur-of-the-moment idea on her part because she could think of no other way to return to the casino. Of course she intended to find Zoe, but there was more calling her back to Damon’s than the mystery surrounding her twin.

Her first night there had been enlightening. Despite the fact that she’d been uncomfortable in the tight clothes and the emboldened persona she’d adopted, Ariana had been given a glimpse of her twin’s more exciting life. From how men looked at her, to Quinn’s intense sexual reaction, Ariana had slowly discovered what it felt like to be bolder and untamed. And although she hadn’t expected it, she’d enjoyed the experience too much to just walk away. Especially since she’d found a way to get information as well as an understanding of all she’d missed out on in her past.

Demanding a job from Quinn had been a spontaneous idea born of necessity-even if it meant following Quinn’s rules.

She could have defied him and shown up at the casino, but he’d threatened to take her keys if she did. She believed him, which made no sense. How could she trust anything he said or did when his office was bugged, her sister was missing, and Quinn, who claimed to know the truth, wasn’t talking?

At least not yet. Ariana needed time to work on him some more. So she waited for him to arrive and instead of focusing on how she’d accomplish that task, she was bothered by a more nagging question. One instilled by her past. What would this enigmatic man think of her strange family, all of whom were holed up in the kitchen, huddled over floor plans, conspiring to… Lord only knew what.

The answer to that question hit on a deep, raw insecurity she’d lived with since childhood, when children-girls especially-were cruel. She’d sought her escape in college and then in Jeffrey, hoping that if he fell for her first, he’d accept her family later. She’d been wrong.

She thought she’d buried those memories when she moved away. Funny how quickly they came back now. The sight of a black truck pulling up to the curb cut off her thoughts. She ran for the door, intending to meet Quinn outside and avoid a family meeting completely.

“Ari, wait.” Her mother’s voice stopped her from leaving the house unseen.

Drat. “Can it wait? I’m on my way out now.”

Elena shook her head. “The family’s about to make a huge investment and we’d like you to approve. Besides, I want to know all about your trip to Damon’s. You were so busy on the phone all day, we had no time to talk.”

Ariana was too used to the Greek guilt to take her mother’s words to heart. Today Ariana had a genuine excuse, since she’d been busy arranging the leave of absence she’d already told Quinn she’d taken. She’d also had to explain her sudden disappearance to her friends and colleagues, all things she wasn’t ready to discuss with her mother.

Ariana glanced out the window. Quinn was on his way to the front door. “I promise I’ll look at the family’s plans in the morning, okay?” Though why they needed Ariana’s approval when they’d never had it before was beyond her.

Disappointment flickered in her mother’s eyes at the same time the doorbell rang.

“I’ve got to go. We’ll talk in the morning?” Ariana kissed her mother on the cheek.

“Of course we’ll talk in the morning.” Elena strode around her and grabbed the door handle, taking control. “But I want to meet your friend before you go.”

Ariana let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m over eighteen.”

But it was too late. Elena opened the door and came face-to-face with Quinn. “I remember you,” she said, a welcoming smile taking hold.

Quinn grinned right back. A warm greeting that, for Ariana, was devastating in its intensity. Heaven help her if he ever turned that warmth and happiness her way, and her stomach did a triple flip at the thought.

“And I remember you. How has Damon’s best dancer been?” Quinn asked Elena.

“You flatter me.” Her mother bought into his charm and actually blushed. “I’d be fine if it weren’t for Zoe’s situation. But you know that.”

Quinn winced, his discomfort over the mention of her missing sister obvious.

“Come in from the cold.” Grabbing Quinn’s hand, Elena pulled him inside.

Ariana glanced at her mother and, for the first time, realized that Elena wasn’t dressed as Morticia. Instead she wore black pants and a black turtleneck sweater. Relief washed over Ariana.

Her mother wagged a scolding finger her way. “Ari, you didn’t tell me you met Quinn. Shame on you.”

Unsure what to say, Ariana merely shrugged, and over Elena’s continued chatter about how she, Zoe, and Quinn knew one another, Ariana met Quinn’s gaze. His eyes appeared darker, his expression upset. Obviously he was uncomfortable with conversation that included talk of her sister.

Well, damn him, if he could ease her mother’s pain and chose not to, he should be uncomfortable. If Ariana had proof to back up his claim, she’d tell her mother that Zoe was alive herself.

“Come inside,” Elena said to Quinn, finally changing the subject.

Ariana shook her head. “We need to go or we’ll be late for our reservation,” she said pointedly. Her mom didn’t need to know she’d taken a job at Damon’s and have reason to worry about another daughter’s safety.

“We have a few minutes to catch up,” Quinn said.

Ariana shot him a dirty look.

“I always liked you,” Elena said to Quinn.

“The feeling’s mutual.” He clasped her hand, the genuineness in his gaze all too real.

He obviously liked her mother, which didn’t surprise her. With her warmth and effusive personality, everyone loved Elena. It was the family’s overall dynamic that Ariana wanted to avoid.

As if reading Ariana’s thoughts, her mother said, “Come meet the family.”

Ariana cringed, but nobody seemed to notice as Quinn allowed himself be led into the kitchen. Ariana followed behind them, the dread in her stomach reminiscent of the times she’d brought friends home. Their laughter and snide comments would linger in her heart and mind long after the girls had left. Not for Zoe, who seemed both oblivious to her family’s idiosyncracies and untouched by teen angst. She’d always envied her twin that ability.

The chatter got louder as they approached the kitchen. The family remained huddled around the table, looking at plans. Aunt Dee had a book open in front of her, but Ariana couldn’t see what she was reading.

Elena clapped her hands to get everyone’s attention. “I’d like you all to meet our guest. Everyone, this is Quinn, a friend of Ariana’s,” she said, pointedly omitting her own connection to Quinn. “Isn’t he gorgeous?”

Since she’d kissed that gorgeous face, Ariana was doubly mortified. She glanced at Quinn, who stood beside her, and realized he’d turned red in a full-blown blush. Ariana would take gratification where she could find it. At least she wasn’t alone in her embarrassment.

Quinn waved a general greeting and glanced around at the people in the kitchen. He’d obviously intruded on a family gathering, and an uncomfortable edge gnawed at his stomach. He glanced at Ari, who didn’t appear particularly thrilled either. His attention was divided between the people around him and the woman he’d kissed. He had spent long hours last night reliving that kiss and deciding how to deal with Ari. Around dawn, he’d decided that keeping her off balance and aggravated was his best plan. Anything to prevent her from getting too close-or him from wanting to get even closer.

Before turning his attention to meeting each person individually, he leaned closer to Ari and put his plan into action. “Miss me, babe?”

“Like a bad habit,” she muttered.

He grinned. “For a college professor, you’ve got a lot of spunk.”

Before she could reply, her family pushed her out of the way. They all gathered close, speaking to him at the same time. He couldn’t hear their names, which was fine since it wasn’t likely he’d remember even if they’d all been individually introduced.