Under the Boardwalk

“More like infamous,” she muttered. “Do we really have to revisit my youth?”

A beautiful woman, with teased dark hair and a bone structure similar to Nicholas’s, leaned over from the other side of the counter. “Oh, are you going to tell my favorite story?” she asked.

“I’d prefer he didn’t,” Ari said, and before Quinn could ask, she introduced the woman as her Aunt Kassie.

Quinn shook Kassie’s hand, then glanced at Daphne and Gus. “I want to hear everything.”

Ari’s face turned a delicious shade of pink, and without thinking, Quinn placed a reassuring hand on her knee. Beneath her jeans, her leg twitched, her surprise obvious, but she didn’t say a word. And he didn’t give a damn if the reason was that she didn’t want to call attention to the familiarity in front of her relatives. He was happy to be touching her, feeling the simmering heat beneath the denim and even enjoying his own body’s response.

As for her family, other men might have run off in the face of their odd behavior and eccentricity, but not Quinn. He intended to soak up as much of Ari and her relatives as he could get.

“Well,” Daphne began, “the story goes that Ariana’s mother wanted to tan the twins for an Indian princess act she would perform on the boardwalk.”

“The girls were little,” Gus chimed in, his accent making his i’s sound like e’s. “Such cute twins.” He lowered his hand to indicate about toddler height. He paused and added, his voice cracking, “May Zoe return to us soon.”

“Amen,” Daphne and Kassie said, and Quinn’s stomach churned with extra guilt.

“Anyway, Aunt Elena used instant tanning lotion. Which turned the twins orange,” Daphne explained.

“And John, he called the paper. What is the name?” Gus snapped his fingers, trying to remember.

“The National Enquirer,” Ari said, resigned.

“And this was the result.” Aunt Kassie pointed proudly to a photograph of the twins hanging on the wall, with the heading “Alien Twins Invade New Jersey” above it.

Ariana had known she couldn’t stop them from telling the story, but being prepared didn’t stop the humiliation from rising inside her. It was, as the photograph’s enlarged presence on the wall both here and at home proclaimed, her family’s proudest moment.

If Quinn hadn’t run by now, this story surely would do the trick. It had been the start of Jeffrey’s departure. Her father’s fake lie-detector test, purchased at a garage sale, had acted as the final kick out the front door. He’d used the gadget on every one of his daughter’s boyfriends. She could still recall Nicholas’s serious face as he asked her first high school boyfriend-“You sure you like girls and not boys?” The poor boy’s voice had squeaked as he answered.

Then there was Jeffrey, who’d been subjected to the question that had sent him running. Gathering her courage, Ari glanced at Quinn.

He was laughing and he didn’t look taken aback by her family’s stories. The same stories had always been fodder for gossip and teasing by friends and had sent more than one boyfriend ducking for cover. She was amazed at Quinn’s fortitude. Then again, he had nothing invested in Ariana. And the Costas family was always good for a laugh.

She glanced at her aunt and her cousins. “Go away,” she yelled at them, and to her surprise, her family scattered.

She and Quinn shared a burger in silence. She didn’t know why he’d sought her out, and until he was ready to talk she wasn’t about to ask.

When they finished, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet.

“You can’t pay. You’ll insult the family,” she told him. Another thing that bothered macho, I-want-to-pay-my- own-way kind of men.

He inclined his head. “Okay, then let me thank your aunt and we can be on our way.”

“We?”

He nodded. “I need you to come with me.”

She raised an eyebrow, unwilling to accept anything at face value. “Where?”

“I can’t say.”

She exhaled a frustrated breath. “Why am I not surprised? Tell me something, Quinn. What can you tell me?” She was so tired of asking for answers and receiving nothing.

He extended his hand. A peace offering? She didn’t know but reluctantly she placed her palm in his. Her skin tingled and warmth reached all the way through her body. Damn the electricity between them anyway. It was what had gotten her into trouble the other night in his hotel room and was destined to be her downfall with him now.

He curled his fingers around hers. “You shared some of your history with me.”

“Not willingly,” she muttered.

He laughed. “I’m just going to return the favor.”

She had no idea what he meant, but her rapidly beating heart prompted her to go with him. They said goodbye to her family and Aunt Kassie made him promise he’d come back soon. Then Ariana followed him to the parking lot and his familiar black truck.

Dusk had fallen and darkness had begun to settle around them. She glanced back at the rental she’d parked close to the building. “What about my car?” she asked.

“You can pick it up later.”

“I don’t want Uncle Constantin reporting I’ve been kidnapped.” Then she’d have the entire family in an uproar, and that was definitely something they didn’t need.

A smile pulled at his lips and Ariana felt ridiculously validated at the sight. “The cops would have a field day with that, since I’m one of them,” Quinn said, taking her completely by surprise.

“You’re a cop?” she asked, glancing his way.

He stopped short and drew a deep breath. “I meant I’m feeling more and more like one with all this damn watching over you,” he said, correcting himself.

“Aah. Now that makes more sense.” Even if his true explanation caused her stomach to roll over in disappointment. He hadn’t sought her out for the pure pleasure of her company as she’d begun to believe. “So you’re just here tonight to make sure I don’t go over to the casino and ask questions.” Ariana folded her arms over her chest defensively.

“It would make my life easier if that was the reason.” He shook his head and placed his hand beneath her chin.

Warmth spread from his touch throughout her body. Delicious, tingling warmth, and she didn’t want to lose the feeling.

“Let’s just forget about the casino and everything about that place for tonight, okay?”

Ariana found herself wanting to give in.

After all her worrying about her sister, uprooting her life and trying to help out, was it so bad to give in to her wants and needs for a little while?

She swallowed hard and met Quinn’s deep gaze. “Okay.”

• • •

Quinn drove to the rec center in silence. He had no business bringing this woman deeper into his life, but he couldn’t help feeling the desire to do so. He’d seen her reaction to her family, the mortification and embarrassment. Maybe if she saw the kids at the center, those with no family-embarrassing or otherwise-she’d feel better about her own.

And maybe if he spent some time with her away from the casino, he’d get over his growing feelings. Yeah, right.

He pulled into the parking lot and shut off the motor.

“Would you believe I pass this place all the time but I’ve never been inside?” Ari asked.

He nodded. “No reason for you to come here. But there are people I want you to meet.” A scratching sound distracted him and he turned. “Did you hear something?” he asked Ari.

“No. I-”

“Okay, okay, I confess,” a small, familiar voice said from behind him. From much lower behind him.

“Shit.” He reached over and grabbed, coming up with a fistful of clothing, and pulled.