Nick thought his cheeks would never cool. That emotional tornado left him scattered and scrambling to pick up the pieces. He couldn’t decide if he was angry or turned on or both. “Don’t tease me.”

The amusement left Adam’s voice. “No teasing. No judgment. You’re safe here, remember?”

“I remember.” Nick warred with his thoughts.

“Talk to me,” Adam whispered.

“I don’t want to do the wrong thing. I don’t want you to—”

Adam pulled a hand free and put it over Nick’s mouth. His other arm went across Nick’s chest, making it more of an embrace. “No more worrying. What do you want? Does anyone ever ask you that? What do you want, Nick?”

No. No one ever asked him that. Nick put a hand over Adam’s, where it rested on his chest. He drew a shuddering breath and shook his head. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I want.”

Adam put a hand against his cheek and turned him, kissing him lightly, sweetly. No pressure, just a brush of lips before drawing back.

“Well,” said Adam, and Nick could hear the smile in his voice. “Maybe I could give you a few ideas.”

CHAPTER 13

CHAPTER 13

Quinn giggled and looked up at the starry night sky, accented by bits of flying ash from the fire. “I didn’t realize you’d make a whole bonfire.”

Tyler lay next to her on a fleece beach blanket he’d fetched from the truck. “Well, you said you were cold.”

The fire stretched over six feet high, whipping in the breeze. Tiny gas lamps glowed across the bay; this probably looked like a distress beacon. “Won’t someone see it?”

Tyler snorted. “You say that like I’d care.” He held out a paper bag. “You want the other pretzel?”

Quinn hugged her hands to her stomach. She was still hungry, but she should probably be chewing on a lettuce leaf. “Nah.”

“Come on. Don’t make me throw it out for the gulls.”

“If you insist.” She took the bag and tore off a stretch of pretzel. Butter and salt and heaven.

They’d been out here on this deserted stretch of beach for fifteen minutes, and she’d been sure the beach-fire-blanket combo was nothing more than a play to get into her pants. Nick’s words about Tyler using her to get at him kept bouncing around in her head.

But Tyler hadn’t made a move toward her. Even now, he left a clear five feet of space between them, just like last night on the roof of his shopping center.

Take that, Nick.

He’d bought her pretzels as promised, then walked a few laps of the mall at her side, only asking if she wanted to go for a drive when stores began unrolling their security gates. His anger from yesterday seemed to have faded, his violence from the first night completely gone.