Fantasy Man (2 page)

“Basically, yes.”

“And that’s what happened this morning.”

Reif nodded.

“Then I can’t wait for a repeat performance when you
are
thinking and awake and know exactly what you’re doing.”

His mouth dropped open. “Dammit, Quinn—”

“Oh, so you remembered who I am. Just for the record, Tony was supposed to call.”

“He did.” Her eyebrow shot up in question. He waved a hand. “I just got the message now.
Messages
, actually. About five minutes ago.”

“Oh.” She considered this new information. “Well, you see? You didn’t know. I’m the one who showed up unannounced, the one who raided your fridge—you’re out of Corona Light, by the way, and next time I’d appreciate it if you’d stock up on limes—who crawled into your bed and fell asleep.”

Reif groaned. “Tony’s going to kill me.”

“Oh, please. Tony doesn’t have to know. I’m certainly not going to tell him.”

“He’ll know.”

“How?” Quinn scoffed. “He’s two thousand miles away. So is my dad, thank God. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”

“Oh, yeah?” Reif fixed her with what he hoped was a piercing look. “What if you’re pregnant?”

“Excuse me?”

“Unprotected sex,” Reif reminded her. “Unless you’re taking precautions?” He couldn’t help the hopeful note that crept into the end of the question.

Quinn started to laugh, and once she got started, she couldn’t seem to stop. Like what he’d just said was the funniest thing she’d ever heard in her life. Her eyes began to water. Reif was not amused. “Maybe you’d like to let me in on the joke?”

She wiped her eyes. “Sorry, but the very
idea
that I’d have protection. You haven’t been to Coral Bay in a long time, have you?”

“Not since college.”

“Reif, no offense, but you have no clue what it’s been like living with my family. I might as well be locked in a convent. If I so much as
looked
at a box of condoms, they’d hear about it. Luckily, most of the guys I’ve known kept their own supply. Anything else, like the pill or something?” She shook her head. “There hasn’t been much of a need. Until this morning.” There was that devilish glint in her eyes again. “Until I took
advantage
of you.”

“You did not.”

“Unlike you, I was awake and I very much knew what I was doing. I was all over you. You never had a chance.”

“That’s not how I remember it.”

Quinn sat up and leaned across the table. “Oh, please. Did I even try to fight you off? Did I scream or call for help? Did I say no, even once? We both know I didn’t. That’s because I was too busy thinking, ‘yes, yes, yes!’”

Reif remained silent, his mouth set in a grim, hard line. “I didn’t give you a chance to say no,” he repeated through clenched teeth.

Her eyebrow rose. “I’m the one who didn’t give
you
a chance to say no.”

“What are you telling me? You were just waiting for an opportunity to have sex with a complete stranger? I just happened to be the first candidate?”

At least she blushed at that. That gave Reif hope. She wasn’t taking this as lightly as she pretended to.

“Actually, you did me a favor without realizing it.”

Reif slammed an open palm down on the glass table, making it tremble on the metal frame. “What are you even talking about?”

“Irish temper, eh?”

“You are the most exasperating person I’ve ever met. It’s not even eight o’clock in the morning and you’re already driving me crazy.”

She grinned again. “Good.” This time he noticed a tiny dimple at the corner of her mouth. Her eyes sparkled. He wanted to kiss her. Or spank her. He wasn’t sure in which order.

“Reif, look, I know you don’t know me, but do you have any idea what it’s like to be twenty-three and never to have experienced anything close to what happened this morning?”

“Uh, no, can’t say that I do.”

“I’m a normal, healthy woman,” she informed him. “I have needs. Dad and Tony don’t understand.”

“I’ll just bet they don’t,” Reif agreed. Keeping an eye on her was probably a full-time job. He recalled a story Tony had told him about his little sister. She’d been nine or ten at the time and had begged her father to take her bungee-jumping. Of course, he refused, so Quinn had found a length of rope and climbed a tree. She was ready to jump when Rocco found her with one end tied around a branch and the other looped around her ankles. She’d refused to come down and instead folded her arms over her chest and let herself fall backwards, just like she’d seen jumpers do on television. Rocco had caught her and it was a good thing, too, because the rope was so long, she’d have hit the ground long before the length of it was used up.

“I’ve been fantasizing about what happened this morning for a long time. Not necessarily with you,” she corrected, “but with someone. I call him Fantasy Man.”

He focused back in on the conversation. “Fantasy Man.”

“Yes. This morning Fantasy Man turned into you. So, hey, you’re Reality Man.” There was that dimple again.

“Reality Man.”

“Right. So much better than fumbling around in the back seat of a car or in some guy’s dorm room. And Reif? Just for the record? Reality Man beat Fantasy Man in every conceivable category. Well almost.”

“Almost?”

“There’s this one thing Fantasy Man does. It’s kind of his signature move.”

“Signature move?” She made him sound like a professional wrestler.

“You know what? That might be more information than you can handle right now.”

Reif tried to remember the last time he’d blushed and couldn’t. So far this morning, he’d felt himself growing red not once but twice, thanks to Quinn Fontana.

“I think we should get married.”

She laughed at that, but it didn’t last as long as the other time. She caught the look in his eyes. “You’re serious.”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Holy crap, did that cab drop me off in
Pleasantville
? Because I’m clearly in 1958.”

“Quinn…”

“Why on Earth should I marry you? Because we had sex?”

“For one thing, you could be pregnant—”

“Argh! Would you knock it off with the ‘you could be pregnant’ bit. Do you know what the odds of that are?”

Reif shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. If we’re married, we covered all our bases. Tony and your dad. The potential pregnancy issue.”

“Uh huh. And how would you explain the reason for this sudden marriage? We barely know each other. It wouldn’t make any sense for us to get married within moments of my arrival, now would it?”

“What about your reputation?”

“My
reputation
! Are you for real? I’m not marrying you, so forget it. Especially not just to save your ass with Tony. If I’m pregnant, I’ll figure it out.”

“
We’ll
figure it out.”

She fixed him with a determined look. “
I’ll
figure it out.”

Reif swallowed his disappointment and embarrassment. Marrying her was a dumb idea, of course, the kind born out of desperation, but it was the only thing he could think of to make things right. Quinn didn’t know, couldn’t know, what it would do to him to lose Tony. He was Quinn’s brother, but he’d been like a brother to Reif, too. They had a history together, and if he lost that, he didn’t know what he’d do.

He cleared his throat and rose from the chair. “Okay. Whatever you say.” Defeated, he went back inside.

Quinn watched Reif go. His shoulders drooped. His entire demeanor had changed when she’d mentioned Tony. Well, too bad. She was finally free of the over-watchful eyes of her family. Sometimes she felt like they stomped on each and every natural impulse and crushed every moment of spontaneity she had. She pushed away the thought that perhaps a situation like this morning was the reason why.

She’d been given a golden opportunity to spend some quality time with the real life Fantasy Man. She couldn’t make herself feel too badly about taking advantage of him, because she planned to enjoy every minute of her time in his house.

Chapter Three

“I’ll need to buy another bed,” Reif said when she came inside for a coffee refill.

Ya think?
Quinn kept her thoughts to herself while she opened the refrigerator and perused the contents. Minus the Corona Light she’d consumed the night before, there was little left—a few condiments, a carton of half-and-half, a cellophane-wrapped hunk of sharp cheddar, a Chinese takeout container of questionable age and a bottle of white wine.

“You need to buy some food, too. There’s nothing to eat.”

Reif was leaning against the counter, perusing the LA Times. “I guess I’m not here that often.”

She closed the refrigerator door. “You eat out? All the time?”

He shrugged. “I guess. I’ve been traveling a lot the past year for business.”

“Boy, it’s obvious you’re not Italian. My mother and grandmother, God rest their souls, would be rolling over in their graves, tsking and muttering under their breaths if they saw your refrigerator. ‘Pasta, pasta! Eat, eat, boy, you’re too thin!’” She raised her arms in the air, manufactured an Italian accent, and gestured at him in imitation of her deceased relatives.

Reif grinned.

“Don’t you get lonely?” Quinn asked. “Maybe you should get a dog.”

“With my schedule? Then the dog would be lonely.”

“A cat then. They don’t mind being on their own. I miss mine. His name’s Bubba. I’ve had him since I was sixteen.”

“Not a big fan of cats. I’m allergic.” His brain backed up. “Hey, how did you get in here yesterday, anyway?”

She pointed to the window over the sink. “Up. About two inches.”

He gave her a pained expression. “My cleaning lady, Marta. She insists on fresh air to counteract the fumes from the cleaning products. She’s not as security conscious as I’d like. She must have forgotten.”

“I thought you were a security consultant or something.”

“I am.”

“Forgive me for saying this, but your premises don’t appear to be very secure. No invisible laser beams or motion-detecting cameras?”

“Only the doors were wired for an alarm system by the previous owners. I haven’t gotten around to upgrading it yet.”

“Besides, what would a thief steal? Your Corona Light?”

“That and my top secret sexual techniques, apparently.”

Quinn glanced away. Guilt pricked the edges of her conscience. “Listen, Reif, I know you feel badly about what happened earlier, but I really wish you wouldn’t. I could have stopped myself. But I didn’t. I’m the one who took advantage and I deserve the blame, or the credit, or whatever…”

She found it hard to explain to him why she had no regrets. She didn’t suppose now was the best time to tell him that she’d very much like a repeat performance.

Even now, she couldn’t stop looking at him, couldn’t stop visualizing him on top of her. Or her on top of him. He was tall and he was in pretty good shape. His green eyes and reddish blond hair were completely foreign to her, but not at all unappealing. He had broad shoulders and muscles everywhere a guy should have them. She took in the length of his white T-shirt pulled taut across those shoulders and clinging to his abs before it dropped below the waistband of a pair of well-worn, soft-looking jeans.

She got stuck for a minute staring at his crotch, partly because the jeans fit so well, and because she clearly remembered exactly what they were covering and how it had felt to have him inside of her—

“
Ahem
.” When Reif cleared his throat Quinn snapped out of it. His cheeks and ears turned pink, just as they had when they’d been talking out by the pool.

“Sorry. Fantasy Man rises again.” The color in Reif’s face deepened and Quinn clapped a hand over her mouth as she realized what she’d just said. She started to giggle because the whole situation was so ludicrous. She felt a rush of warmth toward Reif Callaghan. Any man who could make love the way he had and then blush about it later or who was honorable and charmingly naïve enough to propose marriage afterwards was a special man indeed.

He turned and stepped to the sink, pouring the remainder of his coffee down the drain. “If you’re done making jokes about me—”

“I wasn’t—I didn’t mean—” Horrified he would think that, Quinn stepped closer and put her hand on his shoulder. “Reif, please. Believe me, I wasn’t making fun of you. I wouldn’t. Ever.”

He slanted a look down at her. She felt trapped in the brilliant green of his eyes as he studied her. Heat swirled between them. Even where they weren’t touching she felt it. She wondered if he did, too.

He moved again, away from her. “What I was going to say was we could go get something to eat and then buy a bed and anything else you think the spare room needs. I haven’t lived here that long and I never got around to finishing the other bedroom.”

Her first morning here and he had no qualms about taking her out in public? Where anyone could see her? Anyone could find her? Hadn’t Tony told him why she was here? She’d expected Reif to keep her under lock and key, to keep her prisoner once she’d arrived, like some safe house straight out of
Law & Order
. But apparently that’s not what Reif had in mind.

She thought of the package she was supposed to give Reif. The one containing the burner cell phone so he and Tony could communicate, along with an envelope with Reif’s name on it. The package was buried in the bottom of her suitcase, along with her supply of cash.

An idea began to form in her mind, centered around what Reif apparently didn’t know. She didn’t see how this teeny tiny lack of knowledge could hurt him. What Tony didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him either. LA might provide her with the perfect opportunity to finally have some freedom while staying hidden at the same time. She was on the other side of the country. What could go wrong?

Quinn decided to join Reif’s effort at normalcy. He wanted to pretend this morning hadn’t happened. For a little while, anyway, she could let him.

Reif stood in the shower, trying to get the image of Quinn out of his head. Bullshit. He wasn’t trying to do anything of the sort. He was reliving every nuance of when he’d woken up, every moment they’d spent in the other’s presence, every word, every gesture, every raised eyebrow, every giggle. Half of it he was probably making up to fill in the gaps, but he didn’t care.

Each of those images was so fresh, so out of the ordinary, they seemed branded into his brain. From peering down into the depths of her eyes while he was still atop her this morning to just a few moments ago, he’d memorized it all. Did she have any idea at all how sexy she was wearing only that camisole and jeans? Even the memory of her bare feet, the toes painted a bright, perky shade of crimson, had been imprinted on his brain.

As his best friend’s sister, she was an honored guest in his home. Yet he hadn’t met her flight, or gotten her a bed of her own yet. Then there’d been the whole strangest-surprise-to-wake-up-to-ever, and to top it off, he couldn’t even offer her a piece of toast or a bowl of cereal. He’d been a lousy host so far but he promised himself he’d make it up to her.

He was kind of looking forward to going food shopping with her. Normally, he didn’t think too much about where or how he ate. Building up and maintaining his security consulting business had consumed so much of his time the past few years, he’d had virtually no social life. Except for a few close friends, his business partners and a few others, he didn’t go out, didn’t entertain. Meals were lunches at the office and takeout on the way home unless he had a business dinner. Based on what he’d seen so far, Quinn could be an interesting dinner companion. The alcohol finally seemed to have evaporated out of his system, and despite his recent sexual encounter and the fact he was standing under a stream of tepid water, he was becoming aroused all over again.

This wouldn’t do. For one thing, he wasn’t going to be having sex at any time in the foreseeable future. And never again with Quinn. He would not, could not, betray Tony’s trust by engaging in a casual sexual relationship with his little sister.
Not going to happen
, Reif assured himself.
No way. No how.

And if she was pregnant?

That thought stopped him cold. As she’d said, it was unlikely. But men more cautious than he’d been this morning had gotten caught in that situation, so he couldn’t rule it out. Proposing marriage had been a dumb idea anyway. The fact they barely knew each other aside, he wasn’t ready for that kind of lifetime commitment. Quinn wasn’t either. Vaguely he wondered how long she would be underfoot, eating his food, using his stuff, filling the place with laughter, her perfect breasts covered by only a thin layer of cotton… He switched the shower dial from lukewarm to ice cold.

He had a feeling he might be doing that a lot.

When he was done, Reif waited for Quinn at the bottom of the stairs. She came down wearing a short denim skirt paired with a long-sleeved vee-neck cotton sweater and a black belt. Easy. Perfect. And, he thought, classy. She also had a denim jacket with her and a small black shoulder bag.

Reif forgot to breathe as he watched her come down the stairs. He wished he was back under that cold shower. Quinn Fontana embodied a combination of sexiness and innocence that packed a punch, like getting a whiff of baby powder and Calvin Klein’s Obsession at the same time.

He was five years older but at that moment, he felt all of sixteen with a powerful crush on a girl he knew he’d never have.

He didn’t realize he was gawking until she was standing in front of him.

“Is this okay? Is something wrong? I wasn’t sure what to wear.”

“Huh? What?” He mentally shook himself, like a dog coming out of a cold lake. “Yeah, sure. It’s fine.”

A horn beeped out on the street and he hustled her out the door, punched in the code for the security system, and locked the door behind him. At least he’d had enough wits to call a cab, remembering that he’d left his wheels back at the club.

* * * * *

It wasn’t long before they were perusing menus and ordering food at a bistro with outdoor tables. “So, what’s going on in Coral Bay?” Reif was starving, and she must have been as well.

“In Coral Bay?” Quinn tried to deflect the question. She’d donned a pair of sunglasses, as had Reif. The morning was still cool even though the sun shone clear and bright. She took a sip of orange juice.

“I know Tony’s been worried about you. He told me a while ago he might need to send you here on short notice.”

“He didn’t tell you why?”

“Not really. He was rushed and stressed and the connection was bad but he said he couldn’t call back. Basically he just asked if he could send you here if he needed to.”

“Of course you said yes.” Quinn looked directly at him.

“Of course. There’s not much I wouldn’t do for your brother.”

While Quinn considered how to respond, Reif went on. “I’m assuming you’re in some kind of trouble. I thought he’d give me more details before you arrived.”

Quinn chewed her lip, stalling. How could she play this so Reif wouldn’t panic and hustle her back to the house and lock her in? She had to start talking before he got suspicious. “There’s a restaurant called The Turtle Club, on the water right between two of the big hotels. I was a hostess there so that put me in the perfect position to observe meetings and overhear conversations which were of interest to certain branches of law enforcement.”

“They recruited you to spy for them?” Reif was no dummy. She’d have to be quick to stay a step ahead of him. She nodded. “Dad and Tony weren’t too thrilled with the idea of me being an FBI informant, but they wanted to clean up the town as much as the feds, so they agreed I was the logical candidate. Besides, the risk was minimal.”

“Huh. Knowing how protective your dad and Tony are I thought there must be a boyfriend they didn’t approve of.”

Damn, why hadn’t she gone with that instead?

Reif leaned forward. “You were working undercover? For the FBI?”

“I was just an informant. They put a neat little camera in my jacket lapel that did most of the work.”

“So what are we talking about here?” He lowered his voice. “Gangs? Organized crime? Drug trafficking?”

Quinn looked at the tables around them. No one appeared interested in the two of them. Still, there was no reason not to be cautious. “The second thing you said.”

“Jesus.”

“The feds were afraid their operation had been compromised, and they wanted to put me in protective custody, but…”

Quinn sensed the beat of the city, its citizens all going in different directions, life moving along as it always did. She wanted to be part of it just for a little while. If she told Reif about witnessing a mob execution and the attack on the safe house, if she gave him the package Tony had entrusted to her, Reif would hustle her back to his house, lock the doors and windows and sit on her until the trial. She’d give the package to Reif. Eventually. But until then, she assured herself again, what he didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

“But?” Reif prompted.

Quinn improvised “But Tony didn’t trust them to keep me safe. Too many leaks. He thought I’d be safer here. With you.”

Reif frowned. “I wish I could justify his faith in me.”

“Reif, please.” Quinn covered his hand with hers. “Stop beating yourself up about what happened.”

“I don’t think I can.”

Their food arrived and she removed her hand from his. Her stomach growled at the sight of the veggie omelet. For a few moments they both addressed their meals before Reif spoke. “You know after Tony called me I did some research. I read about two men being murdered in a parking garage. You’re not connected to that, are you?”

“One of them was a busboy at The Turtle Club. He was just a kid, in the wrong place at the wrong time.” Quinn managed to keep her tone even and matter-of-fact. She wasn’t telling Reif everything but she also wasn’t telling him anything that wasn’t true.

“But there was nothing in the Coral Bay Banner’s online account about a connection to organized crime, even though it sounded to me like one of those guys took a double tap to the head.”

“Of course not,” Quinn said. “Do you know what that would do to the county’s tourism industry?”