Page 16 of Between Love and Honor

Rather than offer any comment, he just gave her what he hoped was an appeasing grin. Because she was wrong.

Quinn Darby would never get another shot at Ben’s heart.

After agreeing to catch up with Griffin in the morning, he signed off on the call. He then texted Adam likely at the same time Griffin was texting him. But he wanted his buddy to play it cool where Quinn was concerned tonight.

Not to let on he knew who she was or how she knew Ben.

It would be easier to question her that way. At least that was what he wanted Adam to believe. He wanted her to believe her disappearance hadn’t affected him.

Even if it had.

“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” He recited his mother’s favorite mantra aloud, but the computers in the room ignored him. Ben activated the alarm and made his way out the door. He had stalled long enough. It was time to face his past.

* * *

QUINN STROLLED ALONG the marina dock trying not to appear as anxious as she felt. It had been five hours since Alexi’s phone call. If he was going to track her down, he could have done so by now. Still, she would feel better once she had her hands on the micro card and Ben was no longer embroiled in this mess.

She peered at the horizon, watching as the Seas the Day grew larger. He was coming from the direction of the cove where the decommissioned lighthouse was located. Blushing at the memory, she wondered if he still ventured inside the old place.

There was a great deal she wondered about Ben, if she was being honest. Starting with who was the one that got away? Did he still like to reread Harry Potter? Was he still obsessed with puzzles? Did he still dream of sailing around the world? What had happened to the brilliant, confident, driven boy who craved adventure to turn him into a computer-geek bureaucrat?

More importantly, she wondered if his kisses still had the power to make her weak at the knees.

None of those questions would be answered, however.

Particularly that last one. If she was going to keep him safe, she needed to get the micro card and vanish as quickly as possible.

Ben steered the Seas the Day into the slip, the bow gently bumping against the rubber lining the dock. Ignoring the disappointment that he’d donned a shirt, she made herself useful by grabbing the lines at the bow and tying them off on the cleat bolted to the dock.

“Glad to see you haven’t forgotten everything from our time together,” he remarked as he edged his way to the stern of the boat.

“I haven’t forgotten anything about our time together.”

Her flirtatious reply had his head snapping up from where he was securing the sail. It was hard to decipher his expression from behind his sunglasses, but she could feel the heat when he tilted his head to take in the sleeveless teal sundress she’d worn and the way it clung to certain areas of her body more than others. A single pearl dangling on a thin silver chain between her breasts shimmered in the evening sunlight.

Perhaps he wasn’t as immune to her as she thought.

“Permission to come aboard?” she asked.

When he didn’t immediately respond, she stepped off the dock. Before she could climb aboard, however, his hands were suddenly spanning her waist. He lifted her easily, swinging her off the dock and letting her body slowly slide against the hard muscles of his torso before gently placing her into the boat. She sucked in a ragged breath. It was either that or faint. She might never know for sure if his kisses still affected her, but judging by the heat pooling in her belly, it was a safe bet they would do more than just make her knees weak.

The moment stretched. His fingers lingered at her waist. The deck rocked lazily from side to side. Neither one of them seemed in a hurry to move. Instead, they stood there for several long heartbeats just letting the evening breeze wash over them.

It was magical.

Right up until he ruined it by speaking.

“What kind of game are you playing?” he demanded, his warm breath fanning her ear.

Somehow, her hands had found their way to his shoulders. She quickly dragged them to her sides. He wasn’t as quick to release her, giving her body a little shake when he finally did so.

“I’m not playing anything,” she lied. “I told you why I came.”

Quinn wasn’t proud of the role she’d been forced to play. She’d often lied and cheated to accomplish her mission. But that was so good could prevail over evil. Somehow, lying to Ben made her feel cheap and deceitful.

“Then let’s get this over with,” he said. “Tell me what I need to say so you can feel better about things and move on to happily ever after with your Russian boyfriend.”

His accusation caught her off guard. “Russian boyfriend?” she sputtered. “Alexi is not my boyfriend.”

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