A sob left her. She started to stand when he ran his thumb across her cheek. Unnerved, she found it hard not to break down in tears.
“I’m so sorry. I wish I’d known. Why didn’t she return any of my calls or my emails? I had no idea I was her first lover! Hell, I even wrote her letters and mailed them, hoping she’d think they were romantic.” He scanned her face and she darted her gaze away.
She wanted to tell him how sorry she was and that she’d meant to keep in touch, but, she’d been devastated by her mother’s death and had to stay with her grief-stricken father. She hadn’t been able to focus on anything else. By the time things settled it was too late.
She nibbled on her bottom lip and stared up at his face, overcome with the urge to kiss him. “I have to tell you something important about Carly. You’re going to be angry with me—”
“Quinn! I need your help out here.”
She swung her head around to see Woody dive into the ocean. One of the women he’d been talking with screamed while her friend clung to a paddleboard drifting away from shore in the retreating tide.
Quinn cursed and shot to his feet. She also rose and scanned the beach for help.
“Stay here.” He dug his phone from his pocket and tossed it to her. “Call resort security. Tell them we have an emergency.”
She took his cell and scrolled through the contacts. Quinn cupped her cheek, startling her. “Don’t go anywhere. We need to finish our conversation.”
He dropped a kiss on her mouth, shocking her speechless, then broke away and ran down to the water. Her lips tingled and her nipples hardened. She got her bearings in time to watch Woody grab the hysterical woman. Quinn swam out in deep strokes and helped guide her back to shore.
A crowd gathered near the water. Some talked on cell phones and soon the sounds of sirens blared in the distance. She placed Quinn’s cell on the blanket and turned to leave. In the confusion, she had lost the courage to admit everything she hid from him.
She’d nearly aborted her mission because of a man from her past who was still hurt and angry by her leaving him. He’d never forgive her if she told him her true identity and ultimate goal for this weekend. Nothing to be gained and everything to be lost by revealing her secrets.
“What’s the point? Nothing can come of it,” she whispered, depressed. She’d return to the resort and put her spying skills to the test. Before the day ended, she’d infiltrate Castillo’s office, search it, and find any juicy dirt for her article.
She grabbed her bag and snuck away before Quinn could use his seductive powers to capture her heart once again.
Chapter Five
The lively calypso music didn’t lighten his mood, nor did the woman by the outdoor bar in a teeny black bikini, shooting him a bold smile.
He hunted for another, one he thought he had connected with at the beach. He had been certain she was going to come clean about her identity. After he helped save the woman from drowning, he rode a high. Perhaps, impressed by his heroics, Carly would beg his forgiveness and they could move on. Turning to face the beach, ready to accept her admiration, he’d gasped, his heart plummeting to his knees. She had skipped out again!
He’d searched every section of the hotel, even the kitchen and service areas after she didn’t answer her door. He wouldn’t rest until he found her and they discussed everything…or he ended up making love to her.
He fisted his hands on his hips. Making love to Carly had gotten him in trouble in the first place. But would he take that night back? Not for anything in this world. If he had his way, they would share another just like it.
The glare from the sun shot off the glass from a window on the top floor. Shading his eyes, he spotted a figure in Jagger’s office. Alarm rose until he recognized the intruder.
His heart sped up in an entirely different manner and a tightening deep in his gut made him harden. Jagger never left sensitive information lying around. But security would certainly insist on dealing with the trespasser. Unless, he got there first.
He headed for the building, ready to show her how angry it made him when she walked out on him again. Then he’d show her something else.
Nothing would stop him from claiming her.
***
Carly retreated from the window and leaned against the wall. She wiped her forehead, wishing she still had Quinn’s handkerchief with her. His face popped into her head, but she pushed the image aside. She couldn’t think of him now. She had to work fast.
Voices came from the hall and she dashed into the bathroom. Closing the door, she pressed her ear against the wood, her heart rattling in her chest. She had taken a big chance sneaking into Castillo’s office. After asking a few questions, she’d headed for the administrative area, surprised at how empty it was. Two women from housekeeping vacuumed, the noise hiding her presence, and she slipped inside, quietly shut the door, and searched the spacious room.