Carly Phillips - Under the Boardwalk

But he was studying the plans with concerted interest. “This looks like a workable option,” he said, glancing up from the table.

A closer look told Ariana the plans were of this house, which sat on over two acres of unused property. Both the land and the building had been in the family for generations, though nobody knew how Ariana’s great-great-grandfather had acquired enough money to purchase it and Aunt Dee’s lot across the street.

Ariana suspected he’d won the land gambling, and nobody had ever disagreed with her notion. “You’re expanding?”

“Yes. We need to make sure we have enough room for clients,” her father said. “You really think it’ll work, Quinn?”

Hands in his back jeans pocket, Quinn squinted as he studied the papers. The most adorable creases formed at the corners of his eyes as he nodded slowly. “Assuming you get the appropriate paperwork and town approval, the addition will fit in nicely with the rest of the house. I think it’s a great idea.”

Nicholas nodded. His smile told Ariana in no uncertain terms that he was happy with Quinn. “The architect we hired already filed for permits.”

“Are you going legit?” Ariana asked and immediately winced.

“Way to impress your date, Ari,” Aunt Dee said under her breath.

“He’s not my date,” she hissed. Yet she wanted him to like her family as much as she expected him to leave screaming. She didn’t understand why she cared either way.

“Tell it to someone who believes you,” her aunt said in a voice filled with glee.

But Ariana was still thinking about and regretting her comment. After all, not everything the Costas family did was a con. The Addams Family show, for example. Now that was real. It was just the other 99 percent of their activities that Ariana worried over.

Quinn’s expression revealed nothing about his feelings. He probably thought Ariana had been kidding, since what people in their right minds operated a scam a day?

She glanced at her father, who also seemed unfazed by her comment. He was used to her expressing her emotions. It was the Greek in her, he always said.

And he continued after Aunt Dee hushed up. “Well, I’m certainly not going to spend our hard-earned money on something the cops can come in and close down. I want you and Zoe to have something meaningful from your parents. And I know Zoe will approve when she comes home.” He paused, emotion clogging his words. He glanced up at the ceiling and everyone grew silent.

Ariana knew they were thinking of Zoe. She was too. And more than ever, she prayed Quinn was an honorable man.

Nicholas cleared his throat. “This spa will give us a feeling of security-we won’t have to rely only on the show from year to year,” he said as he ran a hand over his bald head.

Ariana looked at him, surprised. She’d thought the show was doing well, but then, she didn’t live at home nor did she visit. How would she really know what was going on? she thought with a twist of guilt in her heart.

“With this layout, we can keep our family’s privacy. We wouldn’t want our personal moments exposed for public view, now would we?” Elena asked.

They had before, Ariana thought, immediately recalling the National Enquirer article from years past, but she decided not to mention that embarrassing time.

“Quinn, would you like a drink?” Elena switched from giving her opinion to playing hostess. “I mixed up a mango-and-papaya-smoothie. Of course, I added my Yiayia’s secret ingredient.”

Quinn raised an eyebrow, obviously unsure whether or not to accept. Ariana helped him out with a subtle shake no of her head. Though Yiayia still lived in Greece, like Elena, she didn’t cook.

“There’s no more,” Nicholas said, sparing Quinn from having to answer.

“That’s impossible.” Elena started for the refrigerator. “Just this morning there was an entire pitcherful.”

Nicholas sighed, then placed a hand on Quinn’s shoulder. “Never anger your woman, Quinn. That’s what my father told me, God rest his soul. But sometimes they just put you in a place where it can’t be helped. The drink tasted like crap, Elena. It wasn’t fit for a guest.”

She narrowed her gaze and started muttering in Greek.

Ariana knew the signs of a storm brewing, as did Aunt Dee, who buried her nose in the Idiot book while Uncle John began whistling quietly and gathered together the floor plans for the house.

Ariana had watched this scene play out many times since she was a child. “I can sleep on the couch if you need my bed, Dad.”

Quinn chuckled.

“Laugh now, but a Greek woman’s anger knows no bounds.” Nicholas imparted those words of wisdom, patted Quinn on the back, and then turned his attention to his wife, who’d folded her arms across her chest. “Aah, agape mou.”

He murmured the term of endearment but Elena wasn’t buying it and she slapped his hand. “Don’t try to sweet-talk me. What did you do with my drink? You didn’t pour it down the sink, did you?” She shook her head. “No, because that would be a waste when there are starving people in the world.” She pulled open the refrigerator door.

“It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” Nicholas said, warning Quinn.

“There’s none here,” Elena said.

Nicholas sighed. “I gave it to Spank,” he admitted.

“Oh, for the love of…” Elena trailed off. All traces of elegance gone in the face of her anger, she slammed the appliance door closed and stomped over to the monkey. “So tell me, did you like my drink? The secret ingredient is one my ancestors swore would restore youth and vitality. I plan to use it in some version at the spa.”

Spank bared her teeth in an ugly smile, then smacked her lips together and blew Elena a raspberry.

“She liked it,” Elena said, obviously feeling validated.

“Actually she felt much better after I gave her some Pepto,” Aunt Dee said.

“Traitor,” Elena muttered.

Aunt Dee waved away her sister’s words. “Kiss and make up,” she ordered, pushing Nicholas and Elena together.

From past experience, Ariana knew things could go one of two ways. Her mother would either turn and walk out, leaving her father on the couch for the night, or they’d retreat to the bedroom, everyone and everything else forgotten, and stay there for hours.

Personally, Ariana had never met a man whose company she wanted in her bed for all that long. In hindsight not even she and Jeffrey had shared the passion her parents still did, leaving her to wonder if she’d find it with any man.

Her gaze fell on Quinn and electricity crackled inside her.

At the same time, her father’s hand came around her mother’s back, pulling her close. He whispered in Elena’s ear, something only she could hear.

The next few seconds were critical, so Ariana held her breath and counted to three. Elena whirled around, but instead of storming out, she touched Nicholas’s hand. “If you’re serious, you can make it up to me. Come. Now.” She turned, head held high, and walked out of the kitchen and stormed up the stairs.

Nicholas grinned. “It’s the best part of fighting, is it not?” Then, not caring that they had an audience, or perhaps performing for them, Nicholas headed out the door, following in his wife’s footsteps.

Embarrassed as she always was at their display, Ariana turned around for sympathetic nods from Aunt Dee and Uncle John, but sometime during her parents’ show, they’d disappeared, leaving Ariana alone. With Quinn.

The one man she could see keeping in her bed for a long time to come.

I thought we were having dinner with your parents,” Quinn said as he started the truck outside Ari’s house. “Elena said she was cooking.” Much as he hated to admit it, he’d been looking forward to a home-cooked meal.

“You actually sound disappointed.” Ari shook her head in obvious amazement. “I’m sorry, Quinn, but my mother had you fooled. She’s not a traditional Greek woman.”

“I never mistook Elena for traditional. I just thought when she said she’d cook, she meant it.”

“Obviously you don’t know my mother’s version of cooking.”

“Any version of home cooking would be a damn sight more appetizing than the stuff that any of my foster mothers used to serve.” Realizing how much he’d given away, Quinn quickly shifted topics. “So tell me what Elena meant.”

Ari rolled her head to the side, meeting his gaze. In her eyes, Quinn saw questions. He clenched the steering wheel tight. No matter that he’d brought up the subject, it wasn’t one he wanted to get into.

“My mother makes a phone call and dinner is delivered from the Greek diner in town,” she explained.

Whether Ari read his mind or simply skimmed the topic of his past on purpose, he didn’t know. But he was grateful. “Greek diner. Why am I not surprised?” he asked, laughing.

She chuckled. “Aunt Kassie owns the diner.”

“I’ll have to check it out one day.”

“Be nice to me and maybe I’ll take you.” She not so subtly walked her fingers across the back of his seat until she reached his collar and dipped her hand into his shirt.

His neck tingled and he liked the sensation. “Define nice.”

“Where’s my sister?” she asked, not missing a beat.

He let out a groan and, unwilling to fall prey to her feminine wiles, volleyed the next change of subject right back at her. “I didn’t meet your Aunt Kassie, did I?”

“I’ll take that as a sign you aren’t ready to play nice.” She blew out a frustrated puff of air. “No, you haven’t met Aunt Kassie. Her work at the diner keeps her busy and out of family trouble.”

“Just like your work keeps you away and out of family trouble?”

She tilted her head to the side. “Don’t bother asking questions when you won’t answer mine. And don’t pretend to know me.”

“I’m not pretending. I know a little, and by the time we’re through with each other, I have a hunch I’ll know a lot more.” But more intimate knowledge wouldn’t come now. She was angry that he wouldn’t answer her questions, so instead he decided to hit on a lighter topic. “Tell me about the monkey.”

A reluctant smile pulled at her lips and she shook her head. “I don’t know. I came home and there he… I mean she was. The dress was something new.”

He chuckled. “Your family’s a riot.”

She turned her gaze his way. “Not many people think so,” she murmured. “But they obviously like to take in strays.”

The word “stray” distracted his thoughts from Ari’s relationship with her family to his own problems and triggered a reminder of Sam. “Oh shit.” He glanced at the street sign and took the nearest right.

“Where are we going?”

“We have to make a stop first. I have to talk to some friends. It’s important or I wouldn’t take the time.” He drove through the side streets, winding his way toward Sam’s foster parents’ house.

“What about my job?” Ari asked, though from the way she’d folded her arms across her chest and leaned back against the car seat, she was resigned to whatever errand he had to run.

“It’ll be there when you get back.” He glanced at his watch. “Besides, we were planning on having dinner at your parents’. It’s not like you’re going to be late.”

But he was days overdue checking on Sam and talking to Aaron and Felice. Quinn couldn’t believe he’d forgotten about Sam’s problems, but between Ariana and Damon, Quinn had his hands full.

Especially since two years of cultivating Damon’s trust was about to come to fruition. Damon had just asked Quinn to oversee operations this weekend so he could get away with his most recent bimbo. Quinn would be able to compare the videotapes of the counting room with the books Damon turned over to the IRS. With a little luck, he’d also find the real books that documented the actual take from the casino. He was so close to the end he could actually taste it.

But that didn’t mean Quinn could let Sam’s problems get lost. The system did that too often. She had to know there was one person she could count on.

He pulled the car to a halt in front of a pretty house, yellow clapboard with white trim and black shutters. The kind of house Quinn had dreamed of growing up in with two parents, brothers, sisters, and a pet inside. He slipped the gearshift into park.

“Can we get something to eat in the casino before my shift?” Ari asked.

“Behave now and I’ll consider feeding you. Wait here. This shouldn’t take long.” On impulse, he touched her nose with his fingertip before turning and climbing out of the truck, leaving one problem and heading for another.

• • •

After watching Quinn walk into the house and the door shut behind him, Ariana realized he wouldn’t be right back. She grabbed her bag and moved into the back seat of his truck. Blocked by tinted windows, she quickly changed into her work uniform. The short black skirt and tight white T-shirt with “Damon’s” scrawled across her breasts was a sight she hadn’t wanted her family to see.