Sunset Rivalry: The Caliendo Resort (By The Lake: The Caliendo Resort Book 2) (21 page)

LAUGHTER ERUPTED AROUND the table and Anya lost her breath.

After finding her mother’s office empty, then sweeping the entire suite and coming up empty-handed, Anya hadn’t thought she would laugh for the rest of the night.

Her mother’s stories about her siblings proved her wrong. She couldn’t handle another tale of Kate and Marc’s reunion or Violet and Ryder’s connection. Honestly, she was going to keel over at her mother’s dining room table.

“Momma, no more,” she pleaded, her laughter slowing.

Eliza sighed. “Alright. Let’s have a glass of wine and some dessert in the living room,” she suggested, standing.

Quinn pulled Anya’s chair out for her, but she could tell his mind was somewhere else, likely debating where to look next. Anya was leaning more toward Carl’s suite, but how would they get in? Break in? This was draining.

Anya turned to Quinn, her back to her family.

She touched his chest.

“Hey,” she said softly, upset by the way his mood had changed when her mom’s office was empty. “We will find the files,” she whispered for only him. “I promise.”

He kissed the inside of her hand. “I’m sorry. I will snap out of it.”

“It’s okay.”

“Sweetheart can you help me with dessert?” her mother called from the kitchen.

Anya smiled at Quinn. “I have to help her with dessert.” She glanced down at his hand wrapped around hers and gave it a little tug free.

Dessert wasn’t on Anya’s menu, so her mother had ordered a trifle from one of the on-site restaurants, a delicious four layer chocolate and cherry masterpiece.

Anya’s mouth watered.

Eliza met her with plates and forks but set them on the counter. Anya noticed her mother’s “I want to talk” face.

“Mom, I don’t think I’m ready to talk yet.”

Eliza pressed her lips together. “We are going to have this conversation.”

“Momma−”

Eliza held a key card toward Anya to silence her. Anya looked down at it, confused. Then she saw the corner...the chip.
Anya’s card.

“I found it in your dad’s office.”

Anya held her breath and anticipated her mother’s next words.

“Behind his false door in the hidden room where I suspect you were looking for your father’s files.”

Anya’s eyes fell closed for a second and she took a deep breath.

Busted.

That was likely the night her mother had cancelled their supper. She was buying time. For what? Anya wanted to talk to her, inquire, come clean, but guilt swarmed Anya.

Anya looked back up to her mother without denying the accusation. Her mother read the confirmation on her face.

“That’s what I thought. I have been contemplating what you were looking for or even how you knew about the files in the first place.”

“Dad told me before he died.”

“I pulled your file and I’m uncertain as to why you want it. There is nothing in it.”

“I’m not after my own file.”

Eliza nodded. “I assumed that as well. Who is it?”

“Rebecca Porter.”

Her mother nodded. “I pulled Quinn’s file as well. I suspect he is looking for his file. It has a lot more going on in it. His past makes me wonder why you are helping him or what he wants with his file. Whether to destroy evidence he has been involved with Robert, or for his own sake...”

Anya touched her mom’s hand. “Mom, Quinn’s a good guy. Pull Max’s file and his sister, Nikki’s file and you will see that everything Quinn did was for them. He’s not who he appears.”

Eliza rubbed Anya’s hand. “If Quinn was who he appeared to be, I would have already had him removed from here, away from you.”

Anya was surprised how much like her father, her mother sounded at that moment, but she knew it was truly out of love.

Eliza handed her the plates. “We can do this tomorrow afternoon. You, me and Quinn can meet back here and discuss the files then.”

Anya nodded.

“Let’s not ruin dinner over this and you can talk to Quinn alone.”

“Momma, I can’t just sit through dessert and pretend this is okay when I’m sure you’re having a difficult time trusting me right now. Sneaking around, breaking into Dad’s office. I didn’t mean to go behind your backs and hurt you the way I’m sure you feel. I wanted to do this by myself. At first I didn’t know that you, let alone the whole family, knew about the files. I thought I could be in and out and you wouldn’t notice.”

“I’m tired of the sneaking around and the lies in this family.”

“I know. I’m sorry. Please let me explain. Rebecca and Dad. I don’t want to wait all night feeling guilty for everything I’ve done.”

“Alright.”

“Thank you.”

***

LYING IN ANYA’S bed with her positioned in his arms, he could feel her breathing against his body, her warm breath against his bare skin, and the content aura they produced together. It was enough to start clouding his mind and the thoughts he’d brought from dinner...a little bit.

It had been one unexpected hell of a dinner party this evening. When they’d come up empty-handed in the office, then to discover Eliza’s entire suite also vacant of the files, he’d thought they were screwed. Where would they look next?

What Quinn hadn’t expected was that Eliza had known about their sneaking about in the resort, thanks to Anya’s lost key card.

Quinn couldn’t entirely let the blame fall on Anya for that mistake. He’d been too distracted with her to do a proper sweep of the room before they’d left. It had been a mistake that might have cost everything, except Eliza surprised him by being willing to give them each the files they sought.

At first Quinn was suspicious. He was in the Caliendo resort after all and dealing with these Caliendos was never this easy. Why was Eliza so willing to hand over Max, Nikki and his own files to him? It seemed too easy and drew suspicion from him...he couldn’t help it. Quinn had worked for the deceitful Robert for too long
not
to be a little distrustful.

Quinn had accepted her offer...what else could he do? Then he sat back and did what he did best: observed.

Eliza was a pro at masking her thoughts, evidently demonstrating where Violet picked up the art. Quinn examined the way Eliza spoke to him through her movements and every way she reacted throughout the conversation. When they finished discussing Quinn, he observed and compared Eliza’s reaction as Anya explained everything about Robert, Rebecca and where she’d been and what she’d been doing for the last two years. Everything. The end result was that he trusted Eliza and Carl. They were upfront and honest. No darting eyes as they spoke. No trickles of sweat down the sides of their face. No fidgeting or private eye looks. As far as Quinn could tell, and believed, they were sincerely sympathetic to the pain Robert had inflicted on his family.

As they walked back, hand in hand, he observed Anya. Not for lies or because he didn’t trust her, no, they were over that stage in their relationship. He noticed her smiles were wider, lighting up her eyes and the edginess she had carried, left behind. He could tell she was also exhausted after a day at the beach, an afternoon of fretting about where to find the files and an evening of revealing the truth. So when they’d returned to her suite and she’d wanted to talk about everything that had happened today, Quinn kissed her to shut her up. He kissed her in the living room, down the hallway and into bed where he stripped her down and kissed every part of her body, making her forget the day.

Now, hours later, Quinn was feeling restless.

Tomorrow afternoon was the big day, right after...the corner of Quinn’s mouth rose...yoga class. A stipulation Eliza threw in at the end of the evening, one which Quinn didn’t understand, was that Anya and himself were to join Eliza and Carl for an early morning class of couples yoga.
Couples yoga? Was that even a thing?
Apparently so, and Quinn and Anya had front row seats...maybe he would try to get back row seats. Nobody would want to watch whatever he was going to look like doing yoga positions. If he survived the yoga he would only be hours away from the file. Now, he not only had his sister’s file but his and his father’s.

Quinn wasn’t sure how he felt about that. Did he want to know what his father had been responsible for and have that weight on his shoulders too? Could he handle the years of turmoil Max was responsible for?

He felt Anya stir. “Quinn? Are you sleeping?” she asked, her tone low, her voice drowsy as if she’d fallen asleep for a bit and just awakened.

He kissed the top of her head. “No.”

She tilted her head to look up at him wearing a blissful expression from their lovemaking and a sleepy pair of gorgeous blue eyes. “What are you thinking about?” she asked.

“I wasn’t. I was just lying here enjoying you in my arms.”

Anya sent him a skeptical look. “You’re not thinking about getting access to your sister’s file tomorrow?”

“Maybe a little,” he admitted.

“Are you nervous?”

“Are you?”

She nodded. “Nervous and excited. I’m a little nervous what the file you seek says and how it will affect us.”

“It won’t.”

Anya continued. “And I’m excited to get Rebecca’s file for her. Will you come with me? To meet Rebecca and bring her home?”

He squeezed her. “Of course.”

“If everything goes okay...” Anya looked away and snuggled closer to him.

“Everything is going to be fine.”

“
If
you survive couples yoga,” she teased.

“
If
you stop talking and worrying so we can get a few solid hours of shut eye so we
do
survive couples yoga.”

“Goodnight Quinn. I love you.”

“Goodnight Anya. I love you too.”

“YOGA IS THE celebration of the union of your body, mind, soul and spirit naturally creating unity...” Emma spoke in a soft, serene tone that had the crowd of people under her spell. 

Quinn was not impressed.

“When you are also focusing on the body, movement and breath of your partner, you will create harmony within you two as a couple.” 

What in the hell was she talking about? 

Anya dug her elbow into Quinn’s side as if she heard his thoughts. 

“What? What happened?”

Did he miss something? He could have easily just fallen asleep. 

She glared at him then smiled and turned away. Code for Quinn’s outer body was being obvious that he wasn’t impressed with the class. 

“When you and your partner practice your yoga poses, trust in each other. Rely on your partner to hold and balance you and create that reassurance with one another. You will create your own special bond.” 

Quinn and Anya could have a lot of special bonds at five in the morning that didn’t include him wearing sweat pants. 

“Now please sit cross-legged across from your partner, knee to knee, and we will begin today with a heart hug.” 

They turned toward each other. Anya had a big grin on her face. How was he supposed to be serious when she was sending him these adorable grins?

“I will show you a heart hug,” Quinn said, and Anya shook her head and hushed him. 

“Put your left hands on each other’s hearts.” 

Anya placed her hand over Quinn’s heart. Reluctantly he followed suit. 

“Now place you right hands together in a prayer pose.” 

Their hands met in the middle. Their eyes followed. 

“You’re now in the opening posture and I want you both to take a few deep breaths. Allow your breathing to fall in sync. Open your eyes and look at your partner.” 

Anya and Quinn were having no problem in that department. If this woman’s intention was to speed up their heartbeats it was working.

But then, like something he’d never felt, he actually felt Anya. In the silence, without any sexual tension between them, he saw Anya and the amazing, beautiful woman she was.

If this yoga class was the path to the files, he had better cooperate because he never planned on leaving her again. 

“Now hug or kiss your partner and thank them for joining you today.” 

Anya smirked and he knew she was smirking because he didn’t want to be anywhere near this class, but he didn’t want to be anywhere away from this woman. 

He cupped the side of her face, leaning his body toward her and pulling her to meet in the middle, still holding her other hand. He brushed her lips with tenderness he felt and whispered, “Thank you for joining me.” 

When normally she would have laughed out loud, Anya caught his sincerity and repeated the words to him. 

“Now we are going to move onto the double boat pose. Is everyone ready?” 

Double boat pose? 

Maybe he wasn’t that thankful. 

***

ANYA HELD QUINN’S hand as they walked away from the yoga class.

After a night of incredible lovemaking that she’d only ever known with Quinn, she was certain no matter what happened after the file meeting today they would work it out together. Maybe they could lead a normal life. Something both of them longed to have...together.

She also longed to have a shower with him before lunch and his playful winks were a sure indication they were on their way. 

They rounded the lobby, having already parted from her mom and Carl, and Anya laughed heartily as Quinn described some of the yoga poses he was never performing again. He’d been such a good sport and surprisingly flexible, but with his fit body she shouldn’t have been that surprised. 

“So future yoga classes are out,” he was saying. 

“But I want to bring you to hot yoga,” Anya said. 

He slowed his walk and turned her to face him. “Hot yoga?” he asked, but she could see his mind had taken a ninety-degree direction change from doing yoga. “I like the sound of this hot yoga.” The last two words pushed out in his sexy bedroom voice. 

Anya laughed. “I don’t think you know the definition of hot yoga.” 

Quinn kissed her then and said, “My definition could be put into action when we get back to your suite.”

Anya laughed. “I think I like your hot yoga better.” 

“Oh you won’t get enough of my hot yoga.” 

She bit her lip. All these promises. 

“Quinn!” 

Anya jumped at the loudness of his name being yelled across the foyer. 

Quinn straightened and stiffened even before his eyes looked behind her. 

Anya looked over her shoulder, following his stare directed at a man standing across the foyer.

He made no attempt to walk toward them, the tight features of his chiselled jaw expressing his anger. There was no mistaking that this man was related to Quinn. He was the same height with Quinn’s thick build. Only he was a younger version with an almost baby boy face, where Quinn’s was rugged. His stance matched Quinn’s, solid strong...this was obviously Quinn’s brother. 

Why did he look so angry? 

Anya looked at Quinn. 

Why did
he
look so angry?

“I will be right back.” Before he could stalk off, Anya squeezed his hand to catch his attention.

He glowered down at her. 

“No more secrets,” she said. 

She saw something battling inside him. His eyes darkened, his jaw twitched and Anya knew what he was going to say.

“I will be right back.”

Just like that he walked away and took his secret with him. 

***

QUINN WASN’T SURE how Dave found him, but he was damn sure that this wasn’t going to be pretty. Dave detested this family and he’d just witnessed Quinn’s affection for Anya. Without an explanation, he could imagine what was going on in his brother’s head.

Quinn had known he was going to have to explain Anya to him eventually, he just thought he would be able to do it after he showed him the file that had possessed so many years of Quinn’s life.

Quinn was angry and frustrated and when he opened his mouth to talk to his brother and his words came out harsh. “What are you doing here?” he said under his breath. 

Dave had never been one to stand down to Quinn. They stood at eye level and the rift radiated between them. What, the hell, was he doing here anyway? Not once had Dave cared enough to come two years ago and now Quinn was gone for less than a week and he took the few hours’ drive to get here and what? Drag him back? That was a waste of both of their time. Quinn wasn’t leaving without the file and after that he wasn’t ever leaving Anya again.

“I could ask you the same question.” 

“Only you know the answer.” 

Dave folded his arms across his chest. An intimidating stance that would have made Quinn chuckle if he wasn’t so annoyed.

“Do I?” Dave looked past Quinn toward Anya.

Quinn’s hands fisted at the disgusted look across his brother’s face. He was ready to punch it off of him.

“Because to me it looks like you’re here playing house with a damn Caliendo.”

Damn it. Playing house?
He wasn’t playing house. He was in love with Anya, getting their sisters file and anticipating the rest of the files to fix the wrongs he’d made. Having Dave here just brought a whole new level of disorder he didn’t need right now. 

Quinn didn’t respond. He wouldn’t dignify that ignorance with a defense. He wasn’t going to lie about his relationship with Anya.

Dave continued anyway. “I dropped by your house. You haven’t been home for a week or so and I really thought, no I hoped, I would be wrong, but here you are. Again.”  

Dave didn’t understand. Quinn was fixing it this time. 

“I didn’t expect to find you were here screwing the woman whose father destroyed our family.” 

That was Quinn’s limit.

“Don’t talk trash about her.”

Dave scoffed. “So you are screwing her.” 

“Dave I am warning you.” 

“No, I’m warning you. Get out. Dad wouldn’t have wanted this. I thought you were finished.” 

Quinn opened his mouth to tell Dave to piss off and let him finish this when commotion behind his brother caught both their attention. 

“Uncle Quinn!” 

Quinn gave his four-year-old nephew a smile as he watched him tug his mother’s hand to go faster. A very pregnant Pamela Barker flashed Quinn an apologetic smile before Memphis’s begging took her attention. 

“We’re inside Mommy. Can I go to Uncle Quinn now?” 

Pamela sighed. “Yes, okay.” She let his hand go and stopped walking, taking a deep breath and rubbing her hands over her protruding middle.

Quinn had seen her three weeks ago and she hadn’t looked so pregnant. She was due soon.

Why, the hell, was Dave dragging them both across the countryside? Oakston to Willow Valley wasn’t over the countryside, but three hours was far enough away from home. 

Quinn didn’t have a chance to slap his younger brother upside the head. Dave turned and walked to his wife, tenderly taking her arm and helping her to catch up with Memphis who was on a straight, speedy path to Quinn. 

Quinn caught the jet and tossed him in the air.

“Hey buddy.”

“I missed you,” Memphis said through an explosion of laughter caused by Quinn’s fingers ticking his side. “Stop, Uncle Quinn.” False begging. 

As Dave and Pamela stopped in front of him, Quinn sensed Anya beside him. He glanced at her and watched the different emotions run through her face as she looked from Dave to Pamela then up to him and Memphis. Confusion, questioning and hurt.

How was he always hurting her? Even after he’d promised himself he never would. 

“Anya, this is my brother Dave, his wife Pamela and their little rascal Memphis.” 

“I’m not a rascal. I’m a superhero,” Memphis declared throwing his hands in the air like he was flying. 

Anya chuckled, but Quinn heard her hesitation. “It’s nice to meet you Memphis. My brother had a bat cave when he was little.”

“That would be awesome!” One more Barker won over. Now they only had to sway Dave...he was the steadfast one.

“This is Anya Caliendo,” Quinn said to Dave and Pamela, hoping his softened tone with a dash of protectiveness over Anya didn’t go unmissed.

Anya offered her hand, and Dave surprised him by almost faking a good, “Nice to meet you.” Almost.

Quinn caught the flicker of blame in his brother’s eyes. He clenched his hands, begging him to slap that look right out of his brother. At the same time, Quinn
did
understand where Dave stood on the topic and why. As indirect as it was, Dave was involved. That was why Quinn planned to discuss Anya with his brother, alone. He had been anticipating that Dave might need some time to mull over Quinn and Anya’s relationship. Throwing him into the middle of it right now was worrisome. He didn’t want anything said that couldn’t be unsaid. Quinn didn’t want to choose sides and divide his family. He hoped Anya would feel as welcomed in his as he was in hers.

Pamela was acutely aware and up-to-date to the Barker’s background with the Caliendo’s and Dave’s judgmental position in the situation. Dave didn’t keep things from his wife. Not the way Quinn and Anya had, but all that was changing.  

Quinn was glad when Pamela sent Anya a genuine smile. “It’s nice to meet you Anya. So this is your resort, right? It’s amazing and I’ve only walked inside the foyer.”

Anya relaxed and smiled as she sensed the sincerity from Pamela.

Maybe this won’t be so bad.
He doubted that was accurate.

“Thank you. It’s a family business that has been passed on through generations.”

“That’s nice.” His muttering brother drowned out Pamela’s comment.

“It’s
amazing
what families can pass down.”

No one missed the thinly veiled accusation.

Pamela elbowed Dave lightly but no one missed that either.

“Are we interrupting? Are you two just getting back from a workout?” Pamela asked.

Change of topic. Another point for Pamela. 

“You’re not interrupting at all. We are heading back to my suite after a...” Anya glanced up at Quinn with a smirk. “...workout,” she answered, leaving out the parts he wouldn’t have to explain. Couples yoga.
Couple.
But it was all the parts that made them who they were and he wasn’t running from that.  

Quinn balanced Memphis on one shoulder, while the youngster still thought he was flying. “We were at a couples yoga.” He took Anya’s hand and felt the resistance. “As a couple.” 

Dave’s face transformed into a furious snarl. He had no idea how much creasing his face like that made him look identical to Quinn. It was uncanny.