Chapter Thirteen
“Comfort comes at a price, Quinn. Pay up. Talk to me.”
She didn’t remember sliding down the wall, but somehow she’d ended up on Luke’s lap, her legs slung around his hips, her arms clinging to shoulders, and her head crashed on his chest. Her body suffered a thousand tender spots, but right now, before they exchanged any serious words, her heart wasn’t one of them. All the aches were deeply satisfying, like sore muscles after a good workout. Talking would ruin the rarified state. She raised her head and gave him her brassiest smile. “I think we pretty much covered everything worth discussing.”
Not even a ghost of a smile greeted her. “Think again.”
Retreat seemed like her next best option. She made a move to crawl off his lap, only to find big hands banded around her arms. “Think again,” he repeated.
She opened her mouth to tell him to…what, she wasn’t sure…but the disaster comprising the last six months of her life started dribbling out in a halting, unrehearsed order—tonight’s call with her mother segued into her brother’s long friendship with coke, and her failed effort to help him relaunch his life after his last attempt at getting clean. The more she talked, the more impossible it became to stem the flow of words. Like a dam with a hairline crack, each escaping detail weakened the wall behind which she held everything at bay. It crumbled slowly at first, and then quickly, in a rush that sounded disjointed even to her. Poor Luke didn’t have a chance in hell of following every stream of her rambling explanation, but he didn’t interrupt with questions or attempt to bring order to the information. He just let her talk. And she did, unable to stop even as the bitter truth about her knee sprain spewed out.
“Jesus.” She shut her eyes and pressed her hand to her mouth, but it was too late. “Nobody knows that,” she added quickly. “Not my parents. Not Eddie. I don’t want anyone to know. Please, don’t tell anyone.”
“Shhh.” Something touched her face. His thumb, sweeping away more tears she hadn’t realized escaped. “Like everything you tell me, this stays between us. You can trust me. You did the right thing by telling me.”
She took over the job of mopping her face, but still didn’t look at him. “I don’t feel right. I feel like a fucking train wreck. I’m not supposed to come apart like this. Callum’s the one prone to shatter. I’m supposed to be the strong one. My mother thinks I should let him come. My brother thinks—”
“I don’t give a goddamn what either of them think. It’s off the table.”
Now she did look at him, taking in his steely eyes and set jaw. His edict, and the arrogance with which he’d delivered it, should have pissed her off, but it didn’t. He made her feel…protected. Especially when he added, “If you need someone else to point to for reasons, point to me, because if he comes anywhere near you, I’m kicking his ass.”
He took a breath and visibly banked his temper, while her heart slid a little farther out of her grasp. As a rule, she didn’t inspire protective instincts in…well…anybody. There were reasons she played the kind of roles she did. She was tough. Her family expected it. Her profession demanded it. Seeing Luke’s tightly reined temper rise on her behalf hit squarely in some soft underbelly of her emotional armor she tried her best to keep hidden.
“You don’t owe him any favors, Quinn. You did him a big one by not pressing charges, and putting him in a program instead of a jail cell.”
Defending her brother came automatically. “He didn’t mean to hurt me. He just…couldn’t stay on his feet. He couldn’t control himself.”
“And as long as he’s battling an addiction, he’s not in control. He’s in a world of hurt. His request tells me he’s desperate for a way out of his situation, and not above manipulating the people who love him to find one. Desperate people get careless and mean. Don’t put yourself in harm’s way again. Keep your distance until you’re both sure of his motives. Make him earn your trust.”
“Is that an order?”
She immediately regretted the bristly retort. His support eased the guilt and uncertainty clawing at her. This once, she wanted someone she could trust to tell her what to do. And she trusted him.
Apparently he realized as much, even if she lacked the good grace to say it out loud. He squeezed her fingers before releasing her hand. “A strict order.”
He can read you like a comic book.
A frightening thought, when she really considered it. Could he see everything, like how far gone she was where he was concerned? And just how the hell did he feel? Yes, he’d just fucked her blind, but she knew better than to read anything into that. She’d used sex like a weapon from day one, to balance the scales, get under his skin, and, at times, just prove to herself he wasn’t immune to her. He’d already proved he wasn’t above engaging in some sexual brinksmanship of his own.
And no, she wasn’t playing anymore. Over the past weeks, things had changed for her. But for him? Unlikely. If anything, her breakdown tonight probably cemented his opinion of her as a head case. She busied herself straightening and securing her robe—rebuilding her smooth facade—and mustered up some actual manners. “I’m sorry I interrupted your evening with my personal drama. Thank you for dropping everything and coming over to…” Fuck me? “…comfort me.”
“You call. I come. That was always part of the deal.”
She snuck a look at him from under her lashes. “Am I so predictable? You knew it was only a matter of time before a neurotic narcissist like me needed even more attention?”
He ran his index finger down the front of her robe, edging the fabric aside to bare her breast. “You are definitely not predictable. Quinn, I think you know the rest of what occurred tonight wasn’t part of our deal. It wasn’t supposed to happen.”
Exactly what a girl wanted to hear from the man who’d just made her come so hard, she’d seen stars. Her nipple tightened under his gaze as if to dispute him, even as a dull throb settled in her chest. “Because I’m a client?”
“That’s what you’re supposed to be, according to the contract we both signed. But that’s only part of the reason.”
“Sounds like you’ve got a whole list.” She drew back and attempted to cover herself and get her feet under her at the same time. Listening to a rundown of her shortcomings was more than she could handle right now.
He caught a handful of the front of her robe and anchored her in place. “It got a lot shorter, as of a minute ago.”
“You know what, Luke? You can take your list and shove it up your—”
“The day your brother called, I overheard you telling him you missed him. I thought you were hung up on some guy. An ex.”
“Wow. I’m a neurotic, narcissistic, lying cheater. That’s pretty low, even for me. I told you I wasn’t involved with anyone. Do you really think I’d get on my knees for you if I was?”
Some emotion she couldn’t name lit the gold around his pupils. “I didn’t think you were involved with him. I thought you had feelings for him. Which you do, as it turns out, but I misinterpreted the situation. I’ve been tearing myself up for weeks because of it.”
Her heart stuttered, and then took off at double-time. She rested her hands on his shoulders and leaned in close enough to watch his pupils expand. “What are you saying to me, Luke McLean?”
He whipped her robe open again and they both watched his big, tanned hand cup her pale breast. “I’m saying the thought of you missing an ex drove me crazy.” The admission came out in a tight, tortured voice. He kneaded her flesh possessively. “The idea that you might be longing for another man’s hands on you while you were here with me made me burn from the inside out.”
His words were making her burn from the inside out. “You were…jealous?”
He moved his hand to the place where her heart pounded. “As fuck. That crosses all kinds of lines, Trouble, and I know it, but I was jealous as fuck.”
Her arms were around his neck before she knew she meant to hug him. As emotions went, his confession of jealousy fell far short of what she felt for him, but her eager heart was willing to accept inspiring his territorial impulses as a start. “I don’t care about the lines.” She didn’t. His lines were ridiculous as far as she was concerned. To demonstrate, she grabbed the hem of his shirt and lifted. He raised his arms and let her drag it off.
“I care. But I’ll deal with the lines we have left.” Before she could question his cryptic vow, he settled her astride his lap. “Trust me.” He nudged her forward and trailed his mouth along her jaw while she shivered at the way their bodies fit so perfectly together.
His low voice vibrated in her ear. “Trust me.”
…
Luke sat on the end of his favorite lounge chair in the courtyard of Quinn’s villa, watching the first rays of dawn gild the clouds lined up across the sky, and holding his phone to his ear. Eddie’s cautious voice filled it, providing the wrong soundtrack for memories of Quinn kneeling between the chairs and showing him how much she appreciated imported chocolate ice cream.
“When I asked for a favor,” Eddie continued, “I didn’t expect you to do it for free. You took a six-week hiatus from your business, dropped everything to go to Paradise Bay and train my client. It wasn’t a vacation. You’ve spent time and incurred expenses. You’re entitled to receive the compensation called for under the contract. Are you sure you want to do this, man?”
Gold deepened to fire, tingeing sky and water pink. He’d get Quinn in the water today. Maybe a beach run for cardio, and then a swim to cool down and work some muscle groups besides her legs. After that? Quinn, wet and panting…the possibilities abounded.
“Luke?”
Eddie’s voice brought him back to the here and now. He wasn’t prepared for this debate, mainly because he hadn’t expected his friend to pick up at such an early hour. He’d aimed to leave a message and avoid explanations. “I’m sure. Cancel the contract. I’m waiving my fees and absorbing the expenses. My business manager will refund the deposit. I’m not charging Quinn for this.”
Luke heard a mattress groan, like someone shifting to sit up in bed, and then an unfamiliar murmur from the other end of the line. Shit. Had Eddie been…entertaining? Confirmation came quickly as his friend said, “Couple bottles of Ace in the wine fridge. Help yourself. Pour me a glass while you’re at it. I’ll be down soon.”
A moment passed, presumably while Eddie waited for his guest to exit, and then he continued. “What’s going on? I thought you told me everything was on track. I grant you, I’ve only seen her over FaceTime, but she looks great. Are you telling me at five weeks into this, you’re not going to hit the goal?”
“Not at all. She’s done an amazing job. If you want to measure the success of this effort strictly by BMI, we’ll do the fifth week assessment on Friday and I expect she’ll be within a percentage point of her target. Relax, Eddie. She’s there. If the producers saw her today, the out clause would never enter their minds. Their only concern would be getting her in front of the cameras as soon as possible.”
“Okay. That’s a relief. But then why are you killing the contract?”
“Because I don’t get involved with clients.”
“What’s that got to do with anything? Ah. Never mind. I retract the question.”
“Yeah. Ah. It’s not a problem if she’s not a client.”
“That’s a huge fucking forfeit on your part…”
“I’ve done the math—”
“…especially if you’re just being a stickler. You two indulged in a one-off? You’re both consenting adults. Call it a moment of personal time, and get back to work. Ten days from now, she won’t be a client.”
“I’m not being a stickler, you cynical bastard. It wasn’t a one-off. We’re involved.” Exasperation turned his voice terse. “I didn’t plan it, but it happened, and I can’t undo it.”
“This is probably a good point for me to mention that Quinn’s not just one of my favorite clients, she’s one of my favorite people. I sent her to you, so I’m also going to say this. She deserves some fucking enthusiasm, not a guy with no plan who’s trying to ‘undo’ a personal mistake with a professional sacrifice.”
Fair enough. He let out a breath and rubbed the back of his head. He didn’t mean to come off like an unwilling victim. All the hesitancy he felt was on her behalf. She deserved a chance to consider her feelings in a couple weeks when real life resumed, and decide if this was really what she wanted. But he hadn’t given it to her. His plans moving forward didn’t involve giving it to her, and deep down, he had no regrets. “Even if I could undo it, I wouldn’t want to. Quinn’s not a mistake.”
“All right. Fine.” Eddie paused for a moment—the mating calls of a few die-hard Coqui frogs filled the silence—and then he added, “I’ve worked with her since she was a kid. I know she’s not a kid anymore, but she’s also not as tough and jaded as she comes off.”
Luke leaned against the painted wood railing and turned his face into the salty breeze. “I know exactly what she is.” A headstrong, smart-mouthed, compassionate, talented, hardworking pain in his ass, and he’d fallen in love with her.
“She’s also about to hit the next level in a business you want nothing to do with. Just winning the Lena Xavier role put all kinds of heat on her. I’m seeing a Dirty Games updraft like you wouldn’t believe, and when filming and promotion start, it will get even crazier. Projects roll in every day. Good projects. She sings, she dances, and she acts. Talent and versatility, wrapped up in the kind of package the camera loves. Her trajectory is straight up. There’s no undoing that, either.”
“And I wouldn’t ask her to. Look, I appreciate your concern”—not really, but he recognized Eddie was trying to look out for her—“but we both know I understand what I’m signing up for. Do I love the Hollywood game? No. It’s a big hustle, as far as I’m concerned. But she wants to play, so we’ll work it out.”
“For the record, you’re one of my favorite people, too.”
“Aw. Now you’re making me blush.”
“You’re also a sarcastic prick,” he replied, “but I have confidence Quinn can serve the sarcasm right back to you in spades. You two could be good for each other, but don’t let the fact that she came to you as a client delude you into thinking you’re in charge. In my experience, relationships and unilateral decisions don’t mix. Especially not ones that set you back, financially. Paradise Bay has a lot to recommend it, but cost isn’t one of them. Your expenses alone could choke a horse. Can you afford to take this kind of hit, just to avoid some optics that make you uncomfortable?”
The loss dwindled his cash reserve to a stingy level, but he’d manage. “The optics matter.”
“Have you discussed this with her? Or considered what the optics look like to her? I guarantee she’s going to see things differently.”
“I’ll square it with her. Tear up the contract, Eddie. There are a lot of things I’ll accept from Quinn, but money isn’t one of them.”