Page 22 of Between Love and Honor

He shook himself again. She was safely ensconced with his friends. He’d take care of the dishwasher minus any interrogation by his sister and hurry back to the table.

Later, he would take Quinn back to the Seas the Day where they could talk privately.

And to see what came next.

“Be back in ten,” he said before following his sister to the kitchen.

* * *

QUINN NEEDED TO get out of the restaurant. Away from Ben. Far away. Seeing him around his friends and his family was doing things to her. Children weren’t something she ever imagined for her life. At least not while she was in the game. But watching him interact with his beautiful little niece brought on an ache so heavy she could barely breathe from the weight of it.

It was need at its purest and simplest form. She wanted the boy she’d given her heart and the rest of her body to all those years ago. And she wanted the man he’d become. Not only that, she realized with a shock, but she wanted everything that went with it.

Except she could never have him.

That particular reality hurt the most.

She needed to face facts. The more time she spent around him, the harder it would be to leave him again. Not to mention the risk she put him in. It was time to retrieve the list and disappear from Ben’s life once and for all.

Mustering her courage, she rose from the table. “I think I’ll go freshen up while you two wait for the food to arrive,” she announced, gesturing for Josslyn to remain seated. The last thing she needed was for Ben’s friend to want to chat it up in the loo. “I’ll be right back.”

Without waiting for a response, she hurried inside being careful to avoid not only the kitchen, but the watchful eyes of the two Secret Service agents accompanying Josslyn. She bypassed the loo, instead discreetly slipping into a crowd of guests leaving the restaurant. Once safely outside, she quickly headed the two blocks back to the marina. With luck, she’d be able to snatch the micro card from Ben’s tuxedo pocket before he had the dishwasher fixed.

The Seas the Day quietly bobbed with the tide when Quinn climbed aboard. She tried the door to the galley, but it was locked. No surprise there. She dug into her bag and grabbed the set of lockpicks from her makeup pouch.

Subtly, she glanced around at the other boats moored in the slips beside Ben’s. They were all empty. She crouched down so she was eye level with the lock. Thirty seconds later, she had the door open. After one last look around, she entered Ben’s private lair and closed the door behind her.

The interior of the sailboat was equally as impressive as the outside. She made her way down the four steps into a fully equipped galley complete with a banquette seating for six. The kitchen was state of the art. Trailing a finger along the stainless-steel countertop, she couldn’t resist a peek inside the cabinets. Her lips turned up at the corners when she saw the boxes of Teddy Grahams stored there. The cookies had always been his crack.

“Oh, Ben,” she whispered. “I’m glad some things haven’t changed that much.”

Forcing herself not to linger, she searched the two aft cabins, each one housing a double murphy bed and a desk.

The head was next. She was pleased to see it was a decent sized lavatory complete with a shower. They’d had many lively discussions of the size of the shower when they were planning their trip around the world. Of course, she’d been living a fantasy. But, Ben . . . He hadn’t been dreaming at all.

The forward cabin was clearly Ben’s domain. She closed her eyes to breathe in the faint trace of the scent that was uniquely him. A huge triangular shaped bed took up most of the cabin, nestled into the bow of the boat. Surrounding it on two sides was a gorgeous teak shelf lined with photos and knickknacks he’d collected during his travels. Among them, a purple origami bird just like the one she’d made for Bri minutes ago.

Tears burned the back of her eyes.

And then he’s going to marry her.

If only.

A noise on the dock pulled her from her pity party.

Quickly, she rifled through the closet looking for the tuxedo he’d been wearing when he boarded that morning.

It wasn’t there.

Damn.

She searched the desk drawer for any sign of the card, but the only things there were loose change and condoms. Apparently, the waitress wasn’t exaggerating about Ben’s frequent onboard entertainment. Ignoring the stab of jealousy, she headed back through the galley, carefully checking the few drawers there. Nothing. He must have gotten rid of the tux this afternoon. But where?

Quinn had no choice but to head back to the restaurant and continue with the charade of dinner. It was her only hope of discovering the whereabouts of the micro card. She’d just have to spend a few more hours torturing herself with what could have been. It would be fine, she tried to convince herself. After all, there were worse kinds of torture she could be faced with in her profession. Gathering up her handbag, along with her resolve, she headed back up the steps to the aft deck. When she opened the door, however, her heart leapt to her throat at the familiar face waiting to greet her.

“Did you find what you were looking for, my princess?”

CHAPTER 6

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