By the time she retreated to her room because she couldn’t take another second of being watched, she was exhausted. She took a long shower to wash away the dregs of the day and then climbed into bed with her laptop to sort the photos. She found comfort in the normalcy of the sorting, and before long, she was in the zone.
That’s where Quinn found her when he decided to track her down for dinner. He looked amused when he caught sight of her.
“Now this is what a man wants to see when he returns home after a hard day of work,” he teased, lifting the covers so he could ascertain if she was naked. Sure enough, she’d only dressed in panties before taking refuge in the bed they shared every night. Quinn had his own quarters, but they always bedded down in her room because of the equipment she needed for her job. He was working on getting them a suite moving forward — he had a lot of negotiating power because he was in high demand as a security expert — and they would most likely be upgrading their digs soon. For now, they were both comfortable and cozy.
“Wow.” He smiled appreciatively at her. “I was going to drag you away for dinner because I know you skipped lunch — you’re no good to anyone if you’re weak from lack of fuel, by the way — but now I think we should do something else first.”
Rowan arched a dubious eyebrow. “Someone is feeling playful this afternoon.”
Quinn stripped off his shirt. “Are you saying you’re not feeling playful?”
That wasn’t the word she would use to describe her mood. “I’m sorry I had to leave the deck,” she offered lamely. “I just couldn’t take being stared at.”
Quinn dropped his shorts and climbed in next to her. “Do you think I’m angry?”
“No. You rarely get angry at me.”
“That’s true. Do you know why?”
“Because you know I’ll be mad if you raise your voice.”
“Actually, that’s not why. I don’t ever get angry with you because you’re perfect and you never do anything wrong.”
Rowan rolled her eyes so hard it was a marvel she didn’t fall off the bed. “Oh, that was just ridiculous.”
He chuckled. “Over the top?”
“And then some.”
“Well, here’s the thing ... it might be over the top, but it’s mostly true. The only time I ever get angry with you is when I feel as if you’ve put yourself in danger for no good reason. You didn’t do that today. You know your limits and you realized you were at them. It’s better for you to retreat than to blow up. Besides, they can’t possibly know how long you would spend on the deck. You might’ve needed to recharge your camera or answer an email. You’re fine.”
Rowan hadn’t considered that. “I took a long shower and then spent the afternoon in bed going over photos.”
“Any omens?”
Rowan had been expecting the question. They were obviously worried about the same thing. If she saw a death omen in a photo, she would be propelled to act. That wouldn’t be smart given the fact that she was being watched.
“No, and you have no idea how relieved I am,” she admitted. “I went through them twice just to be sure. None of the other omens are popping up either. We’re free and clear for this trip.”
“That’s good.” He rolled so he could kiss her cheek. “Do you know what else is good?”
“Hmm?”
“Getting a workout in before dinner.”
She furrowed her brow as she regarded him. “You really are feeling randy, huh? I thought maybe you were just playing it up to make me feel better.”
That was part of it, Quinn silently admitted. Only a small part, though. He felt the need to be close to her. The reality of their situation was starting to hit home and every second spent with her was precious.
“We’re eating dinner alone tonight. We thought it would be best if we didn’t eat every meal together. We talked it out. I know you would rather have meals with Nick and Paul, but we want to be responsible about this. I hope you’re not upset.”
The conversational shift threw her. “Why would I be upset? I understand that.”
“Good. If I want to make you feel better about anything, it’s that. I just want to spend time with you. If we lay here for thirty minutes and do nothing but hold one another, I’m fine with that, too.”
It was a sweet sentiment. “You’re full of it,” Rowan challenged on a laugh after studying his face. “You want to play mermaid games and you know it.”
“Only if you’re the mermaid ... and I can’t help it. It’s not every day that I come back to this room and find you naked in bed. It does things to my head.”
Rowan filed away the tidbit for later. “Then I guess we should work up an appetite, huh? I’m betting you’re going to watch me like a hawk to make sure I eat.”
“Yup.”
“Workout it is.” She moved the laptop to the nightstand and rolled to face him. “Show me what you’ve got.”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
THEY WERE LATE TO DINNER. Nick’s crew was almost completely finished before they arrived. Quinn made eye contact with Fred across the room and then pointed Rowan toward the buffet line. They were keeping things separate this evening, which was the smart way to go.
“Spencer and his girls are over there.” Rowan inclined her chin to the far corner as she grabbed two plates. “They’re already watching us.”
“Don’t stare,” Quinn warned.
“I’m not going to stare. I just happened to glance up and found them watching us. It was ... weird.”
“I’m sure it was. Don’t look back, though. Act like I’m the most interesting man in the room.”
“You are the most interesting man in the room.”
“I know that. I wasn’t sure if you did.”
Amused, she playfully elbowed him in the stomach. “Are you somehow unconvinced of your appeal after what we just did?”
“Maybe.” He leaned close and rested his forehead against hers. “I’m well aware of your appeal, though.”
“Geez,” she shook her head, genuinely amused. “You’re feeling it all over today, aren’t you?”
“I really am. I can’t explain it.”
“Well, since we’re supposed to be acting normal, how about we eat enough crab legs to make us want to unbutton our pants for breathing room and then head out to the deck for a romantic walk?”
“That right there is the plan of the night.”
Rowan wasn’t lying about filling her plate with crab legs. By the time she and Quinn settled at their usual table, her plate was overflowing. She also stocked up on scallops, shrimp, and mussels.
“Did you get anything to go with all that seafood?” Quinn asked as he settled across from her. “I mean ... I don’t see any vegetables.”
Rowan’s gaze was withering. “I’ve reached a stage of evolution that means I don’t have to eat vegetables.”
Delight sparked in the depths of Quinn’s eyes. “Really? How did you reach this state?”
She wiggled her fingers. “Magic.”
He chuckled as he shifted the bowl of mixed vegetables he secured from the line so it was between the two of them. “I figured you would forget the importance of eating something other than crab so I took the liberty of getting enough for both of us.”
Rowan made a face. “You know I hate cooked carrots.”
“The carrots are for me. The cauliflower, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts are for you.”
She sighed. “You really are a nag.”
“And I will be for the rest of our lives. Get used to that.”
AN HOUR LATER, ROWAN FELT as if she might explode.
“Why did you let me eat so much?” she complained as she leaned back in her chair and rubbed her stomach. “Ugh.”
Quinn was a big fan of her eating habits. Sure, it was likely to catch up with her eventually, but that wasn’t the case now. Eventually they would have to get into a workout routine together but that could wait for a later date. Still, she’d outdone herself
this evening.
“I think you ate two pounds of crab by yourself.”
“Probably.”
“That’s on top of the scallops and shrimp. The mussels don’t really count because they’re so tiny.”
“I agree they don’t count.” Rowan shifted on the chair. “You really should’ve stopped me before I went back for more crab legs.”
“I believe I tried to stop you.”
“Yeah, well, try harder next time.” She exhaled heavily and blew her bangs off her forehead. “We’re definitely going to need to take that walk before heading back to the room. I need to burn some calories and make room in these shorts.”
Completely besotted with her — really, who wouldn’t be? — he held out his hand. “Let’s do it.”
The sound of a man clearing his throat behind him caused Quinn to swivel quickly. He was surprised to find Michael standing there, a bright smile on his face. He wasn't alone, though, and it was the gregarious captain’s companion who set Quinn’s teeth on edge. It was Leon Spencer.
“Hey,” Quinn offered lamely. “I didn’t realize you guys were standing there. How much did you hear?”
“Just the part where Rowan said you should’ve stopped her from going back for seconds.”
“That’s not so bad,” Quinn decided, forcing a smile for Spencer’s benefit. “Hello. I’m Quinn Davenport.” He extended his hand in greeting as if it were the most normal thing in the world. “I don’t believe we’ve had the pleasure of meeting.”
Spencer took Quinn’s hand without a second of hesitation. “Leon Spencer,” he introduced himself.
“I brought Leon over here because he wanted to meet you,” Michael volunteered happily. He seemed to be in a ridiculously good mood. “He wanted to meet you because he’s heard me talk so much about you over the past few weeks.”
Quinn kept his expression neutral, but his blood ran cold. What was going on here? How did they know each other? “You’ve been telling stories about me?” Quinn queried, chuckling. “Why would you possibly do that?”
“You just saved a bunch of people from the ocean and then took down several members of the same family because they were murderers,” Spencer pointed out. “That was a huge story. Michael wanted to brag that he knew someone who was part of it.”
“Ah, well ... .” Quinn honestly wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say. “It wasn’t a big deal. It just happened to work out in a public fashion.”
“On the contrary, it was a very big deal,” Spencer countered. “I mean ... you saved people’s lives and took down a bunch of killers. That’s miraculous if you ask me.”
“It probably would’ve saved time to just leave them at sea,” Quinn noted.
Instead of being offended, Spencer chuckled. “I guess that’s true.”
The group lapsed into silence and Quinn’s mind was working overtime on how to extricate himself and Rowan from the situation when Michael spoke again.
“So, I know you guys are done here for the evening — and I’m betting you have plans for the rest of the night — but I was wondering if we might all have dinner together tomorrow night,” he said. “Leon and I went to college together and since I mentioned your exploits he really wants to get a chance to spend time with the two of you.”
Quinn was caught. He knew it. He wanted a chance to think things out before answering but that would look suspicious. “Absolutely. We’d love to have dinner with you tomorrow.”
“Oh, I’m so pleased.” Spencer rubbed his hands together. “I feel as if I’ll be eating with celebrities.”
He was laying it on a bit thick for Quinn’s comfort, but the security guru kept his smile in place and simply nodded. “I think it sounds great. I’m looking forward to it.”
QUINN STATIONED ROWAN ON A REMOTE lounger on the deck before grabbing drinks from the tiki bar. He instructed her to wait for him — he wanted to make sure they were isolated before discussing the big dinner reveal — and ordered two beers to make sure the conversation went down smoothly.
As he was leaving the bar, he was taken aback when he recognized the back of Rowan’s hair. “I thought I told you to wait for me,” he muttered as he moved to her side. “There was no reason for you to follow me. I was on my way right back.”
When he slid his eyes to his left, he frowned. It wasn’t Rowan after all. She certainly looked like Rowan from behind — she had the same auburn hair and slim waist — but her face was different, her eyes especially.
“I’m sorry.” Quinn had the grace to be embarrassed. “I thought you were someone else.”
“I could be someone else,” the woman offered, she was practically purring as she looked Quinn up and down. “Who is it you want me to be?”
Quinn found he was uncomfortable with the question. “I don’t want you to be anybody. It was a mistake. I thought you were my girlfriend.”
“I could be her. You don’t know.”
“Oh, I know.”
“You didn’t know a second ago.”
“That’s because you have the same color hair. I apologize. I really have to be going, though.” Quinn was still disconcerted when he stepped away from the pouting woman. He cast a glance over his shoulder, shaking his head when he took another look. They really didn’t look all that much alike. It was the hair that caused him to make the assumption. He felt a bit lame for it, though, and decided not to mention the mistake to Rowan. No good could come of it.
She was sitting exactly where he left her when he returned, the eyes he loved so much trained on the ocean. She seemed lost in thought.
“Do you think Spencer and Michael have really been friends all this time?” she asked as he handed her a beer and got comfortable on the lounger behind her.
“I don’t think Michael is the lying type. In fact, he’s truthful to a fault ... even when it makes him look bad. I think they definitely went to college together.”
“So ... is Michael part of it?”
Quinn worked his jaw. He’d been considering the question himself. He didn’t like thinking about it, though. “Not necessarily,” he said finally. “I’m going to talk to Michael tomorrow, get the story out of him, but Michael went to the University of Florida. That’s a big school. It’s entirely possible that they were there together and haven’t seen each other in decades. Maybe Spencer realized that Michael is captain and decided to use that tenuous tie between them to get closer to you.”
Oddly enough, the suggestion made Rowan feel better. She liked Michael, at least in a general sense. He was a womanizer and tended to speak before he thought. That didn’t make him a bad man, though. He was flawed, of course, but everybody was.
“So, maybe it’s just a coincidence,” she murmured.
“That’s my guess. I obviously couldn’t ask him in front of Spencer, though. I’ll do that tomorrow. He’ll tell me the truth.” And, if he doesn’t, I’ll be able to tell, Quinn silently added. He didn’t want to alarm Rowan, but several other possibilities had been bopping around inside of his head. What were the odds that Michael was more involved with the situation than he initially envisioned? Quinn had to admit it was ingenious for Spencer to have manipulated this situation ... if that’s what was really happening.
Somehow, though, that didn’t feel right. Quinn honestly hoped that Michael was being duped, used for Spencer’s personal gain. It was a weird thing to wish for, but the alternative would hurt. He didn’t want to lose Michael as a friend. He would cut him off at the knees if he became a problem, though. No sacrifice was too great for Rowan. She was everything to him, his present and future wrapped up in a pretty package.
“We don’t know anything yet,” Quinn stressed as he pulled her back against his chest. “We can’t stress about this until we figure out exactly what’s going on. You’ve met Michael. He’s kind of a goober. He wouldn’t think anything of a former acquaintance contacting him. He doesn’t know what you can do. He can’t share information with Spencer because he’s in the dark.”
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“He doesn’t know what I can do from us,” she countered. “He might know thanks to Spencer. What if he does? Do you think he’s been the one watching me for them?”
Quinn hadn’t yet considered that and he wanted to kick himself. “We can’t jump to conclusions,” he replied finally. “We need to be calm. I don’t want to turn on Michael unless we have proof. After that, if he’s culpable in this, I’ll handle him. I promise you that.”
Rowan slid her eyes to Quinn. She wondered what he meant by that. She didn’t question him, though. The details were probably too frightening for her to focus on. “Let’s just spend a bit of time together,” she suggested, gesturing toward the ocean. “It’s a beautiful night. There’s no reason not to enjoy it.”
He kissed the side of her neck. “You read my mind.”
5
Five
Quinn woke before Rowan, although he didn’t know why. One glance at the window told him all he needed to know. The sun was barely slipping above the horizon. He still had an hour to sleep. On a normal day, he would milk that for as long as he could because sleep – especially with her – was always welcome.
Mornings were honestly his favorite time of day. Sure, he loved the evenings, too. He was perfectly happy climbing into bed, settling Rowan against him, and sharing a bowl of popcorn while watching some terrible horror movie. She was addicted to them. The gorier, the better. He found them entertaining so he watched right along with her. Then, of course, one thing would lead to another. He found joy in the simple act of holding her against him as they drifted off.
Despite all that, mornings were better. Rowan wasn’t the type to wake up with a smile on her face. Actually, sometimes she did. That was only because she woke up to find him staring into her eyes. She claimed it made her laugh to find him so intense first thing in the morning. He always replied that he wasn’t staring as much as listening. She murmured as she was surfacing. He always tried to make out the words and never could. It was a game he figured he would never tire of playing.
Raging Seas (A Rowan Gray Mystery Book 9) Page 4